Honda Performance Development - thoughts?

[mossaidis]

Who's a member of HPD?

I think it's a great program and the folks there have been awesome to deal with so far. OEM parts for less with reasonable shipping rates and reasonable wait times for non-time-critical needs. I have never had a to get parts overnight so I can't speak to that.

My engine builder (gosh that feels good just writing that I have an engine builder... "ta ta") says I need new pistons as well as rods - no surprise considering the source of my "used" parts. Problem is getting a match replacement set from HPD.

HPD says they are 'stuck' using the part supplies and staff from the Honda factory warehouse. No matching of sets period "we have no way of matching a set".... even though a little birdie told me that the Honda staff will measure and weigh parts all day to get a perfect set for themselves. WTF! uh... where's the "performance" in HPD? I guess if they went with Honda Racing Development there would be no excuses...

Any thoughts on HPD or similar situations? Any other options I have other than whining about Honda "staff"?

[Steven McWilliams Jr]

I'm a member, but I signed up mostly for the cool decals and hat. I can get stuff a lot cheaper at RockAuto.

Steven

[Greg Amy]

both Billiel and I are members, and they've saved us a lot in parts. Plus, they've busted ass for us when we needed something fast, and they paid us contingency just to START the Runoffs.

Frankly, I just can't see a reason NOT to join (for free), if for nothing else than to have another data point for shopping.

Why do you need a set of "matching" parts? Just have him balance them to themselves and hone the cylinders to match the pistons.

GA

[downingracing]

both Billiel and I are members, and they've saved us a lot in parts. Plus, they've busted ass for us when we needed something fast, and they paid us contingency just to START the Runoffs.

Frankly, I just can't see a reason NOT to join (for free), if for nothing else than to have another data point for shopping.

Why do you need a set of "matching" parts? Just have him balance them to themselves and hone the cylinders to match the pistons.

GA

+1

If you're running SS, then yea - Finding a 'perfect' set is very nice! But in IT, just have your engine builder take care of making them 'match'. :)

[gran racing]

HPD has been VERY good to me. Forget the pricing, that's a side benefit to me. With my rear hub problems, they went waaaaay above and beyond to do what they could to help me. The sourced a couple from Honda's vintage warehouse that Honda dealerships do not have access to. Then they reached out to a brake manufacturer has connections with and worked with them to get me a great price on some better cast rotors/ hubs. The even cooler aspect is with some of these items, they reached out to me. I was pretty shocked to pick up the phone and learn what they were trying to do. THAT is what this program is and should be about. They even looked into doing another batch of the rotors. Oh, and all this was for one stupid Honda Prelude model that no one else is silly enough to build.

So yeah, HPD is worth joining and supporting.

[mossaidis]

Cool - I feel the same about HPD, they are awesome especially Julian who has been a huge help. I guess I am whining about Honda warehouse guys more than anything. Machining will cost us extra monies and it might not be avoidable.