Yes the rumors are true; the MotoringFile garage is hosting one of Randy Webb’s last ever Pulley parties today. From 9am to 11pm Randy will be in the garage installing everything from 15% Pulleys to full Miltek exhausts and everything in between. And yes, that includes adding a certain 15% magic bullet on my own MCS. If all goes well I should have pics on the MotoringFile Flickr pool throughout the day.
[ MotoringFile Flickr Pool ] Flickr
Awesome!! Sure wish he would come down to South Florida again. I suppose that is a pipe dream since the Webb pulley parties are just about history :(.
Why is he not doing any more?
oh man gabe…you’re done!
congrats on the pulley – best thing i ever did to my car short of driving it.
cheers.
Gabe, get a Webb rear sway bar as well – and next time you attack the dragon your grin will be even bigger! 🙂
What up Randy?! Hope you got some good beer to drink there in C-town!
Looking forward to getting my 15%/HDI/Milltek installed on my MCSa at this party, later today! 😀
i have a 15%/jcw intake/jcw exhaust dan – so our setups are similar. you’re gonna flip out…night and day!
my review is here:
<a href="http://motoringfile.com/2006/04/03/mf-review-mcsa-w15-pulley/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://motoringfile.com/2006/04/03/mf-review-mcsa-w15-pulley/</a>
WOOHOO!! Your car is getting pullied by the great Randy Webb! 🙂
Yup! I can’t remember when I was this excited. Except when I first took delivery, of course.
Hopefully, Randy will give you a test drive in your MINI when he’s done! Heckuva guy, and an awesome wrench.
BCNU
Rob in Dago
Well, Gabe, now you’ve certainly put yourself IN IT! What’s next? When MF talks, people listen.
Damn, ok that’s it… time to plan a x-country drive thru Colorado I guess… I wanna be number 1000 (I think he’s getting darn close).
Looking forward to the review as always…
Wow… I just put in the call to Helix yesterday and scheduled my pulley install for Monday! Coinkiedink!
anyone know the answer to Brian’s question? I’m curious as well….
<blockquote>Why is he not doing any more?</blockquote>
in short: to focus on product development and customer service.
Here is the announcement Randy Webb made on the subject:
<a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66684" rel="nofollow">Randy Webb :: Webb Motorsports BIG ANNOUNCEMENT</a>
I think traveling to do pulley parties was a great way to get out and meet people but not really an ideal long-term business plan. New product development and general business at home were getting the short stick due to MINI Challenge USA races and pulley parties.
It’s expensive for him to lose time flying out and shipping all his stuff out, install and then return home. With so many others doing pulley installs at nearby shops etc and with the need to get ready for ’07 aftermarket development, I think it was just time for him to wind it down.
<blockquote> ‘07 aftermarket development</blockquote>
To me, it wasn’t surprising that the pulley parties came to an end, but that they came to an end a little earlier than I was expecting.
Once the R56 starts coming out with the turbo, there will most likely be no equivalent to the pulley in terms of having something that provides a good shot in the arm for an affordable price while still requiring some good mechanical knowledge and tools to perform. The basic modification path will probably be software related (next to no labor involved) OR larger turbo (lots of labor involved).
Great, appreciate the info….
A test drive with Randy Webb down Sheridan Road! I wish I were there. Don’t forget your <strong>Get Out of Jail, FREE! </strong> card.
I should hope to soon read a comprehensive official MotoringFile review of the pulley upgrade, right Gabe? Will there finally be a 5 out of 5 grade? I’m stoked for you man. Mechanically, you’ve got the exact setup I want on my MCS – which I’m ordering next week! Booya!
It’s a shame that Randy Webb pulley parties are coming to a close. While you can get pullies installed elsewhere, you won’t get even half of the entertainment value that Randy provides!! 😀
-Paul!
perhaps there will be special equipment for flashing turbo cars. if there is, then not every shop would be able to do an ECU upgrade, particularly if there is a certain type/vendor of software you want that’s not carried locally. in that case there may still be a desire for someone like randy to come to town with mini centric software that’s otherwise not found locally. just a thought.
For modding the more recent VWs and Audi turbocharged cars, you would order a new ECU for your car and you would ship your old ECU back to the manufacturer (or suffer a core charge).
It was a fairly simple process ($400, a screwdriver and 20 minutes) to swap the ECUs and gain 15-20 HP.
Thank you for hosting Gabe. Your hospitality made this possible for those of us wanting to mod our cars.
Randy – a great big thank you as well for taking the northern route to Cinci. I learned a lot and had a ton of fun. But the bottom line is your excellent work and attention to detail. You are SFA!!!
I too have to thank Randy for his patients and knowledge.
He graciously supervised and instructed me on installing my Webb pulley.
I have to say, I fully support Randy and his products. He took time to explain some of the well thought out and purposefully engineered Web Motorsports products that he brought with him.
Thanks again Randy.
<blockquote>For modding the more recent VWs and Audi turbocharged cars, you would order a new ECU for your car and you would ship your old ECU back to the manufacturer (or suffer a core charge).
It was a fairly simple process ($400, a screwdriver and 20 minutes) to swap the ECUs and gain 15-20 HP.
</blockquote>
That’s inline with my experience too. No special tools and no intimidating labor.
on my audi a3 i have to bring it to a shop to be flashed on the spot. you don’t take the entire ECU out just for a flash. maybe the older cars are/were different?
Gabe – so how is the pulley?
-jac
How much was it for a 15% installed?