LAD - Investigation!

[jonnyboy]

A few things have cropped up about LAD an their "optimistic" power gains. I emailed them about their "200" conversion for the cup.

Heres a few extracts from emails that got sent to and fro. If you cant be assed to read it all the basic point is that LAD will NOT tell you exactly what work is carried out! So you hand over your 2 grand and they sprinkle pixey dust into the engine bay. There you have it - 200BHP!

First email from me:
Hi
> >
> > Ive just stumbled accross your website having recently bought a clio
172
> > (not cup) Im intrested in your engine work as you claim 200 BHP on a
clio
> > cup (which I understand has the same engine + exhaust as a cup) I just
> > wondered what work you carry out to ge it to such a high figure? Does
the
> > work involved invalidate warranty etc?
> >
> > Thanks for your help
> >
> > Jon

LAD Reply

Jon
> Thank you for your enquiry with reference to our Clio Sport engine kit,all
> our work has a twelve months parts and labour warranty.The engine work we
> carry out to obtain 200 bhp is all internal and cannot be seen from under
> the bonnet.I have attached a superb road test report from a leading car
> magazine on our cup.
> Regards
> E Larton.

MY RESPONSE

Hi
>
> Ive read the report on the website, Im intrested in exactly what engine
> work is done? Im assuming gas flowing and an ECU re map, but that with a
> filter and exhaust would possibly see about 190ish bhp but 200 just seems
> like a big figure. Is the 200 figure an estimate or do you dyno the car
when
> the work is done to make sure its actually putting out 200BHP? I obviously
> want to know exactly whats done before handing the car over!
>
> Regards
>
> Jon

LAD REPLY

Jon
We do not need to re map the ECU and yes the engine does produce 200 bhp at
the flywheel,why do you assume the ECU will require re mapping, all our
engine conversions must still pass new car emissions and yes a customer can
have his car put on our Rolling Road before and after the conversion if he
wishes to do so.Most of our Clio conversions are coming from the road test
and due to demand we are now up to two months waiting list for this
conversion.
Regards
Ernie Larton.

----------------

I sent a final email just basically asking them to list the modifications they do for insurance purposes. I have not had a reply!

So there you have it, the LAD engine conversion that gets you 200BHP WITHOUT A REMAPPED ECU! And with lots of secret mystery work carried out.

LAD your a set of jokers!

 

[McBunny]

f**king bunch of cum drinking ladyboy donkey loving rabbits

 

[jonnyboy]

Thats just what I was thinking m8

 

[McBunny]

i thought you might lol its a yorkshire thing lol

 

[BenR]

well, it wont need a remap as the ecu is perfectly able to run closed loop no worries and can calculate flow with the MAP/TPS/CAS/IAT sensors.

If the new 180 clio can get 8bhp (14bhp if you, like me, know its more like 166bhp std) from a better cast manifold then decent head and manifold work can give more than impressive gains.

NOT defending LAD BTW lol

 

[Jim172CUP]

Ill go with what you said ^^^^^^

Ill be a monkeys uncle if they can get 200bhp out of those mods without an ecu update, Rensport ecu.

The company seem to be a bit of a joke, theyd not get my hard earned money thats for sure. If they were that sure of themselves surely theyd stick it on a rr for all to see, have it as a download mpeg on their site etc.

 

[JAY172]

youd like to know what there actually going to do before you handed over your cash,wouldnt you?

 

[MIKE-CUP]

A friend told me that he had seen a magazine review/rolling road day (cant remember exactly) where they tested a LAD tuned car that was suppoosedly putting out about 30bhp more than standard. When they strapped it to rollers, it produced less power than a standard motor.

Be afraid, be very afraid!!!

 

[Stanbo172]

I nearly went with a LAD conversion on the VTS. But did a bit of research, and it always comes round to the same old thing. They are VERY optimistic when it comes to the final figures. Lots of people say its the rollers they use, I know people that actually stood there and watched the dials reach the figures they wanted to acheive on LAD rollers), but the following week at an independant rr day, it was a lot less.

There is no doubt that the work they do is of good quality, and you genuinely do get a power increase. Unfortunately, its generally much less than what it is you think your paying for.

Ben

 

[jonnyboy]

Basically what the guy was saying was that I didnt need to know what work they did, just that its good cos a magazine said so and theres a 2 month waiting list (yeah right) so it must be good.

LAD for me are very definately on the list of dodgy outfits in the tuning game that seem for some reason to have a really good reputation. Like well lane tubro centre!

 

[m@thew]

seems odd that they claim they are doing lots of conversions but I can only remember 2 forum users posting who had had it.

new business plan - charge 2k for a dyno run on my rollers showing your car now has 200bhp.

 

[jonathon555]

LAD used to do alot with peugeots, I know two people that had big power conversions by LAD.

Big power losers more like, one guy lost 15 BHP after a £3000 spend & was fuming. The other guy had a 106 rally & that was sh*t after the conversion and did not know what had been done.

And the 3 rd mate threatened to burn his building down if he did not get him his power gains promised.

LAD would not take the job on, this Mate was a proper naughty man.

He took the car elesewhere in the end.

If you are looking for a descent tuner then N D Hill does not seem to speak as much sh*t as the rest.

 

[Turkish]

oh no!!!!













not LAD again, bunch of t**sers i have to second mike with his "f**king bunch of cum drinking ladyboy donkey loving rabbits" comment

 

[valver lad]

This LAD Motorsport is based basically just down the road from me but never really bothered about looking at them as i dont think they deal with valvers!

 

[Bryan]

TRADING STANDARDS ANYONE?????

 

[jonnyboy]

Quote: Originally posted by bambam on 16 November 2003
TRADING STANDARDS ANYONE?????


Its basically builders from hell with cars innit?

 

[Tom_16v]

F**kin cowboys!

 

[Ian_182]

Does anyone think it is possible to get 200 bhp from just these mods? and/or are they just going about it all the wong way.I am in no doubt that if itwere true then i would be in a long line queing up outside l.a.d to have the work done...

What a shame,just imagine all those ctr drivers wondering what had happened to them.The ctr weighs 100kg more than a 172 and a cup 80 more than that,they really would move...

Regards,ian

 

[ChavyBoy]

Quote: Originally posted by jonnyboy on 16 November 2003


LAD REPLY

Jon
We do not need to re map the ECU and yes the engine does produce 200 bhp at
the flywheel,why do you assume the ECU will require re mapping, all our
engine conversions must still pass new car emissions and yes a customer can
have his car put on our Rolling Road before and after the conversion if he
wishes to do so.Most of our Clio conversions are coming from the road test
and due to demand we are now up to two months waiting list for this
conversion.
Regards
Ernie Larton.

PSML

Its like a scene out of YOUVE BEEN FRAMED

But this one is called YOUVE BEEN f**kED

 

[jonathon555]

Just done my own conversion for £378.00 the motor now properley flies.

really does shift, i was very suprised for the modest spend, it is not much slower than my gti-r was in standard form.

It gets form 30 - 70 now in 5.4 seconds proper moving.

As for LAD, just get £378 and do it yourself.

Just one problem now, struggling for traction.

 

[BenR]

Quote: Originally posted by ian 172 on 16 November 2003


Does anyone think it is possible to get 200 bhp from just these mods? and/or are they just going about it all the wong way.I am in no doubt that if itwere true then i would be in a long line queing up outside l.a.d to have the work done...

What a shame,just imagine all those ctr drivers wondering what had happened to them.The ctr weighs 100kg more than a 172 and a cup 80 more than that,they really would move...

Regards,ian

Yes, it is possible with the correct work.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Quote: Originally posted by jonathon555 on 16 November 2003




Just done my own conversion for £378.00 the motor now properley flies.

really does shift, i was very suprised for the modest spend, it is not much slower than my gti-r was in standard form.

It gets form 30 - 70 now in 5.4 seconds proper moving.

As for LAD, just get £378 and do it yourself.

Just one problem now, struggling for traction.

What have ya done then??? Just out of curiosity

 

[Tom]

hmmm

im surprised he didnt charge per email

 

[jonathon555]

just the usual

Group N ECU

DE CAT

Pipercross Panel filter



Just appears to have transformed the car.

 

[king.stromba]

Nick Hill is your man. Im a good judge of character and he is an honest man and runs a fair deal. No rip offs, just an honest service. And you get a cup of tea and a chat while the work is done

 

[CHRIS172CUP]

I wonder if they have a look in here at the forum, youd think they should if they were supposedly modifying clios?? Ive also noticed they dont advertise in EVO anymore.

 

[Tom]

some of us (me) have attemped to contact them to prove this 200bhp

 

[repoman]

jonathan, where did you get the group N ecu? also whats the mpg like now youve had the mods?

 

[Gradgrind]

Quote: "...a customer can
have his car put on our Rolling Road before and after the conversion if he
wishes to do so..." - seems fair enough to me. Or are you suggesting they will fiddle the readings somehow?

Most of the posts above seem to be unjustified abuse or second hand tales. What has LAD done to offend you so?

I had a LAD job done on the Saxo VTS I used to own, it may or may not have met the claimed bhp but the work was of good quality and you got a genuine power increase. Mr Larton also comes across as a decent, knowledgeable and honest man when you meet him. I am puzzled by the level of abuse shown.

 

[McBunny]

basically because they refuse to show us any proof of what they do to the car !!! they wanted to charge us to take a car to a rr to get it proven something that would help them as once its proven to be a good kit people WILL buy it but alas no they wont do anything to help them selfs at all.

they just keep sticking the article from ccc in our face and in that article they even say its slower but slightly improved overall but they refuse to give us any proof

also they have a very very very bad reputation for wild power claims that never turn up !!!

 

[geordiepaul]

Is it fair to say that IF LAD could prove their claim then a lot of people on here would probly be spending money with then???

They have been asked on many occasions to back up their claim and they have declined!

 

[Gradgrind]

"they refuse to show us any proof of what they do to the car " - What form would proof take for gasflow work on the cylinder head and valves? Photos before & after? Video of the work being done? Sworn witnesses?

"they wanted to charge us to take a car to a rr" - But to be fair, does anybody give you a free RR?

Fair enough if you dont like their terms of business or think you might not get the claimed power go elsewhere. But having had first hand experience of LAD I do not think most of the comments/abuse in this thread are fair.

 

[Tom]

You have no idea mate.

No form of proof is given just their word, frankly not good enough (nobody buys a cat in a bag do they?) pictures of the work would have been ideal, along with detailed descriptions of the work carried out.

being charged £700+ to see a car do a rr run is ludicrous.

Its their attitude towards us, i personally tried to get the guy business and was treated like a fool.

You might like him but we dont.

 

[ClioJohn]

i mind reading the previous posts about lad....that projected invoice for the demo rr was beyond a joke!

These guys just keep popping up here, time after time...and its always being because of their secretive and poor customer service.

If i was going to spend that sort of money, Id like to see a break down of the proposed work and perhaps some evidence of previous "succesful jobs".

Id say there are plenty other tuners out there with honest and proven work, I mean why risk that sort of money?

 

[Gradgrind]

"You have no idea mate" - I have no idea of what?

"being charged £700+ to see a car do a rr run is ludicrous" - I certainally had no idea of that. DO LAD really charge £700+ for a RR? I would agree that would be a rip-off

 

[Tom]

You have no idea of the situation regarding us and lad.

 

[jon_r]

They wanted to charge us over 700 quid to bring there car to a RR day.

 

[Tom_16v]

Do a search!

Might reveal a few things.......

 

[Gradgrind]

"You have no idea of the situation regarding us and lad" - Ah, us being ClioSport club? Yes thats true. Ive only just looked in recently .

But like I say I was a satisfied LAD customer with my Saxo VTS.

 

[BenR]

lol, since nobody said it.....

welcome.....were not all arse-wholes........just them lot.