This review is for the Fortune Auto 500 coilovers for our cars (E46). I opted to go with the Broadway Static edition coilovers, and I'll explain what those are in a few moments.
Customer Service:
Wow. Kielan and Jaze at Broadway Static are awesome. I have both of their phone numbers and either of them are willing to talk business whenever you need to. There were some complications with Hurricane Sandy coming through and destroying the East coast, which ended up slowing response time and delivery time due to emails going down at Broadway and such. But, as I stated before, Kielan gave me his phone number to make up for the complications in order and communication. The staff at Broadway is awesome to deal with, and anybody that needs coilovers for their BMW will be hearing a recommendation for Broadway from me. They put up with my anal retentiveness and provided a coilover that is absolutely the best suspension I've owned thus far. Props to those guys.
After Kielan and Jaze sorted out what happened with my order and got everything back on track with Fortune, the coils were here in a few weeks; they are built to order, so they take some time. I cannot say enough good things about the guys over at Broadway. I can't wait to see them grow.
Product Quality:
Broadway uses a shortened Fortune Auto 500 shock body and Swift linear springs of your choice to create these. I went with a 16kg/18kg linear spring rate and yes..they're stiff. 24 levels of dampening helps the oversized internals do some serious work. The pistons inside these shocks are 57mm (I believe). These coils are clean. The green anodized finish on the bodies is brilliant, and the Swift springs really look good. They're corrosion-resistant, but I still wouldn't drive on them if there is snow or salt on the ground. Keep the slammed cars in the garage for the winter, gents.
The welds look great, the hardware is clean, all accessories are awesome. You get new hardware with your coils (where applicable) and I was told that endlinks are included if you need them. We do not, so no worries there. The pillowball mounts are exceptional, and the coilovers are solid; very solid. Of all of the brands I have owned, these impressed me the most out of the box.
Performance:
Oh. My. God. I know some of you are thinking that 16kg and 18kg spring rates are excessive, but remember: spring rates and dampening match one another. These coils are on shortened shock bodies for those of us (you) that like going low. The reason for the shortened bodies is to help keep ride quality even being that low. No, they're not bouncy, no, the ride is not harsh; it feels like a stiffer version of the stock suspension. It's truly amazing.
Overall:
I think for the money (same price as KW V2s), this is by far the best coilover on the market. The linear springs definitely beat the KW, Bilstein, etc. progressive springs. Since there is no sacrificing preload to go lower, they ride incredibly comfortably. There is a warranty on all individual parts which is nice, and there is a troubleshooting department at Fortune that deal with any issues. I'm excited to be trying this new product on my ZHP and I love that I'm repping a new company. I like these better than my KWs and my Bilsteins and I'm not afraid to say it. Big brand names don't mean a thing to me. With these, I get camber adjustment, pillowball mounts, Swift linear springs, and track-quality performance.
Some Pictures:
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Avetiso
