Another great year of industry development and amazing aftermarket advances is now behind us and after walking all of the shows, reading through all of the press releases, and enduring the relentless droves of salesman on the show floors, we can finally bring you our list of the twenty best new products for 2012. As always, we’ve got parts here for every type of enthusiast, from those of you building new budget engines to those LSX Drag Radial racers looking for the additional tenth of a second you need to win the race, as well as everyone in between. Fifth-gen Camaro enthusiasts had a great year, with the new Camaro remaining hot in the aftermarket, while Corvette, truck and swap enthusiasts also have a lot to look forward to in 2012.
Diamond Budget Piston Line
We’re normally not ones to advocate the use of “budget” pistons, but when they come from Diamond Racing and feature these kind of specs, we’re all for it in the right build. Machined from 2618 aluminum, these shelf stock pistons ship to your door with rings and pins for under 800-bucks and can be had in over 29 different styles for the LSX guys (LTX and SBC also available). Made in the USA, the Diamond budget line doesn’t skimp out and features Moly skirt coatings, standard 1.5 x 1.5 x 3.0mm rings and Trend 4130 wrist pins for maximum bang for your buck.
Diamond Pistons; 877/552-2112; www.diamondracing.net
MSD LSX Front Drive Distributor
The new MSD front drive LSX distributor is one of those items you either require or you probably don’t. For those hardcore drag racers looking for a belt-driven front-mount distributor capable of running with a Pro-Mag, MSD-10 or -8 box, you’ll be happy to know you can order this new unit direct from MSD, along with the billet mounting plate and 9mm belt, which will make for a quick and easy install on your belt-driven LSX of choice.
MSD; 915/857-5200; www.msdignition.com
Holley Dominator Billet Fuel Pump
Whether you are a racer looking to support upwards of 1,800-hp or a street car enthusiast looking to run a quiet, reliable twin-pump setup on your daily driver, Holley has got you covered with the company’s all-new Dominator Billet Fuel Pump line. Fully submersible in-tank or able to run remotely, these billet twin pumps can run simultaneously (for all-out power) or individually, which saves wear and tear on your fuel system components and keeps unnecessary heat out of the fuel system under low power conditions.
Holley; 270/782-2900; www.holley.com
Turn One Fifth-Gen Power Steering Pump
Planning on hitting the autocross or road course with your new fifth-gen Camaro? Never worry about boiling over power steering fluid again with Turn One’s all-new fifth-gen specific power steering pump, which can be bolted in place of any stock pump for increased reliability, improved steering feel, and lower power steering fluid temperatures. With modified internals and a slower ratio pulley, the Turn One pump is a must have for you tight turning autocross guys and a great idea for you track day fiends.
Turn One; 877/468-8871; www.turnone-steering.com
Rockland Standard Gear Fifth-Gen SFI-approved Bellhousing
Any device that can help protect your feet and legs from a clutch disk and/or flywheel spinning at over 7,000-rpm and coming through your floor is a good idea, NHRA mandated or not. That’s why we’re pumped to see a bolt-in SFI-approved bellhousing from Rockland Standard Gear for the fifth-gen Camaro. While necessary to pass tech for any fifth-gen running under 11.49 at an NHRA track, this little piece of safety equipment wouldn’t be a bad idea for anyone running big power, track toy or otherwise.
Rockland Standard Gear; 877/774-4327; www.rsgear.com
AEM Dyno-Shaft
Have you ever wondered how much horsepower and torque your project is putting down as you hit your favorite onramp on the way to work? How about at half-track, right when it starts to spin the tires or pick up on the front end? AEM Electronics has just released a revolutionary new on-board dyno system, which uses a strain gauge and optical RPM sensor to record – in real time – your engine’s horsepower and torque, which you can view in real-time or later through your laptop and data-logging system of choice.
AEM Electronics; 310/484-2322; www.aemelectronics.com
Performance Design LSX Carbon Valve Covers
It’s a complete carbon valve cover for almost any LSX cylinder head and it costs less than a thousand bucks complete with coil brackets and goodies. If that’s not enough to sell you on them, consider the fact that they are constructed from the most high-tech of methods, built to accept the factory-style O-rings for a complete seal, come with titanium hardware for the ultimate in lightweight strength, and clear many aftermarket big-lift rockers and stands. Add to that the one piece, non-bonded design and you’ve got a recipe for big money success.
Performance Design; 248/390-3477; www.performancedesignllc.com
ProCharger RaceDrive
It’s a crank-driven F3R-136RD capable of 3,000-hp, how could it not make our list for the top new products of 2012? Taking cues from several existing aftermarket solutions and from their own customers and racers in the field, ProCharger engineers have developed an in-house gear drive supercharger system for the masses. Featuring a rugged coupler design, three separate accessory drive shafts to run multiple accessories and a quick change gear set, the new RaceDrive from ProCharger is a complete bolt-on package (well, it bolts on, but you’re in charge of the rest) that takes up a relatively small area in front of your engine, while making a literal ton of power.
ProCharger; 913/338-2886; www.procharger.com
McLeod Line Launch System
Diehard manual clutch guys, listen up. Imagine pulling up to the first bulb and hitting the line lock button to set the front brakes. Then, using the clutch, you bump into the second bulb. Once in, you put the clutch to the floor, hit the button again, take your foot off the clutch completely and wait for the green. As soon as you see it, drop the button and your clutch and brake systems disengage simultaneously, rocketing you off the line and sending you down track. All you have to do is hit the next couple of gears and you’re all done! Yeah, we thought you would be interested.
McLeod; 714/630-2764; www.mcleodracing.com