[n2omike]

CAT, Cal Auto Transpeed, offers tons of parts. These are said to be the same foreign castings and forgings companies like Eagle and Scat offer. These companies purchase these raw pieces, then machine them before selling.

From what I've heard, CAT machines their parts just as good or better than the others. A buddy purchased a set of 460 Ford H-beam rods for $399, and they were spot-on. These were purchased as Pro-Line parts from flatlander.

These are the same parts sold under the Pro-Line name at
http://www.flatlanderracing.com

Here's a direct link to the CAT site. It gives all the part numbers they offer.

http://www.catpep.com/Products.htm

Good Luck!

_________________
Mike Burch, 66 mustang real street
302 4-speed 289 heads, 10.63 @ 129.3
http://www.geocities.com/carbedstangs/cmml_mburch.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/healey/367

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: n2omike on 1/19/02 5:56am ]</font>

 

[393Clevor]

From what I've heard there's one company that makes all the H-beam rods

 

[futurattraction]

I've read where most/all of these parts are made off shore and shipped in, machined, and sold under various names. In some of that same info I've seen where it was stated that some companies (Eagle was stated specifically) maintain higher levels of quality control than others. I also saw on a racing classified board (that has since been shut down by the administrator for all the bickering and cursing that occurred) that two former CAT dealers quit selling that line of parts because of the problems they were experiencing and even went so far as encouraging others not to purchase CAT products. I've personally had no experience with any of them at this point but have ever since then been very suspicious of CAT products. They might be fine but I think I'll stick to Eagle for anything I might need. Pretty much everything I read about them seems to be pretty positive.

 

[Jimmys66]

I've got a CAT balancer(proline)on the stang now. So far so good. I had only one complaint. The first quarter inch wasn't bored larger to get it started by hand. Nice piece otherwise. Talk to Coupe he turned me on to them. Sayes he has had good luck with CAT products.

 

[89 coupe]

I like CAT for the most part but certain items I will not buy from them. Over a year ago when I was turned on to them from a place called South West Performance(swperformance.com) and they were the main dealer for CAT which sold CAT parts along with other brand name parts to some of the public and moct performance parts places that carried CAT brand parts. They even told me how much they were buying the parts for and sold them to me for the same price as dealers. I about fell over when they were giving me the prices on all the part#s I gave them. billet 4 bolt main caps for 351W was $45 for the set of 3 and $20 for the rear. The front was about $15 or so. These are the same caps that Flatlander is selling for $200+ just for the center 3 caps. The 460 H-beam rods were $350 and 351W H-beam rods were $325. The 351W and 460 main guirdles they sold for $80 while the SFI fluid dampners were $100 a piece for chrome and black anodized. Roller rockers were very cheap but they also warned my about those rockers being poorly built and won't stand up to racing environments. They sold Scorpion rockers instead for $169 in any ratio and for SBF/SBC/BBF/BBC for the same price in all ratios. Those are some of the best rockers out as far a strength and dependability for racing.
I have a price sheet still of much of the CAT stuff they sold and that was with a 10% markup from actual cost and to see how cheap some of it is like the main caps will blow your mind and now that they are out of business from all the little small time people becoming direct with CAT put them out of business but the prices are higher now and if you get the billet 4 bolt main caps for a 351W or 460, you are getting raped with $200-$300 price for that set of 3 center caps that actually costs about $41. $72 cost for main guirdles for 351W and 460, $280 for the H-beam rods for 351W and $300 for the 460 H-beams. I don't know about the quality of CAT cranks but I have to see how they do with the test of time and word of mouth for now. The H-beam rods are definitely good pieces as is the main guirdles and the non chrome SFI fluid balancers. The chrome balancers are also chromed on the crank snout bore which makes it too small and you will have to have the balancer honed to fit the crank. The quality of the chrome plating also sucks but the black anodizided pieces are very nice. The CAT I-beam rods are good to use also. I can't remeber all the stuff off the top of my head but I did buy a lot of it last year and still have the price sheets of their cost(what price CAT sells to dealers) and the racers cost and it is only a 10% markup. I wish I had bought many sets of the billet 4 bolt main caps for the 351W and 460 but didn't know at the time swperformance.com would go out of business. Flatlander is not cheap, they are expensive with the huge markup they have but the prices seem cheap compared to Scat and Eagle. Another thing, Scat and Eagle cranks are Chineese forgings BUT they are machined here in America under tigh tolerances and the CAT parts are the same forgings but machined in China and then sent here. Much cheeper labor over there but they don't have the quality control as Scat and Eagle has here not to say their stuff isn't quality but some of their stuff I know to stay away from while other CAT parts I would buy in a heartbeat(not a Chevy).