We get lots of messages from our users asking about custom hoses. As much as we appreciate all of the love, we thought we would take a moment to clear the process up.

Many messages we receive include questions like ‘If I send you OEM hose can you make one the same’ or ‘I need a set of hoses for XYZ model of car’. As much as we would love to help all of the people who get in touch it simply isn’t viable to make most of the requests we get.

The main thing to remember with our custom manufacturing is that there is a minimum order of 20 + tooling. This means that if you were looking for your own vehicle you would need to pay for the creation of the tooling plus 20 sets of the same hose when you only need 1. As you can imagine this would make the project financially viable. We are not in the business of ripping people off.

For more information about custom hose manufacturing please click here

While the dark nights are getting closer, it’s said that Britain could experience one of the coldest Winters in 30 years.

Last year, the ‘Beast from the East’ saw temperatures plunge down to a shivering -14°C, with winds reaching 70mph. Scientists have predicted that the central England temperature for this Winter will be even lower than last year*. With these brutal times approaching, just sparing a few minutes maintenance on your car could see it through the worst of the weather.

Here’s our guide to preparing your Car for Winter.

1. Get your Car Serviced before Winter

It’s known by every car driver that the cold causes problems for cars but, what isn’t known is that up to half of the problems could have been prevented by a regular servicing. Save yourself the cost and inconvenience and book your car in for a service now. In winter, lots of garages offer discounted or even free ‘winter car checks’ so take advantage of some of these which may be local to you.

2. Check your Cars Battery

It’s obvious that during winter you use your lights, heater and blower much more frequent. Suffering from almost double use, checking your battery should always be priority. If your car is having trouble when starting, get the battery checked out as soon as possible. Worst case scenario is that your car won’t start because of a flat battery. If this happens, try giving your car a jump start.

3. Condition of Tyres

Your vehicles tyres are important for both braking and steering so keeping them in good condition is very important. Despite the legal minimum of a 1.6mm depth, we advise that you stick to a minimum of 3mm during winter. This just helps improve the grip of your car on ice and snow.

4. Top up Engine Coolant

In the colder months, antifreeze will be extremely important for ensuing your engine doesn’t over-heat. Your engine coolant should be a 50/50 mix between antifreeze and water, this is because antifreeze becomes diluted over time.

5. Give your Windscreen a check

Before winter, give your windscreen a thorough check for any cracks and chips. During winter, water can seep into these cracks, freeze and then cause expansion. Getting anything repaired before this can happen can save lots of money.

6. Carry a Winter Breakdown Kit

In case of emergency, we advise carrying a breakdown kit in your car during winter. This kit should include some of these essentials if not all:

• Torch
• Blanket
• Shovel
• Hi-vis vest
• Food and water
• De-icer and scraper

Taking extra precaution when driving in bad weather is how you ensure your safety. We strongly advise that you always travel with a fully charged mobile just in case you find yourself in an accident or breakdown.

7. Comprehensive Cover

Having comprehensive breakdown cover is vital at this time of year. The last thing you want is an accident and then being stranded in the cold. So, check with your policy and have the peace of mind knowing you are covered.

8. Prepare!

If you know you need to be somewhere at a specific time, plan your journey ahead. Check for any road closures or delays and allow plenty of time for your journey. Being in a rush when the weather is bad increases your chances of being in a road car accident – so be prepared!

We love to see images from our customers which show our products insitu.

Instagram is a great source of inspiration to see what people can do with our individual components. Here at Viper we are always keeping an eye on our social media to see these great examples of engine upgrades. Just look at how great this engine bay look with Viper Performance silicone hoses.

Or this example of an induction setup for an Alfa Romeo. Our Silicone hoses are the perfect components for people like berlinasportivo to create such systems.

If you would like your creation featured on our social media and website then @viperperform in your Instagram posts or use the hashtag #viperhoses.

We look forward to seeing your creations.

Tuning companies often talk about stage 1,2 and 3 mods. But what are these mods and what do they mean?

These stages are often meaningless terms when applied to power gains as they can’t reliably be used to explain how much power a mod actually adds. Between stage 1,2 and 3 there is no consistent different between their classifications. However, there are some points which differentiate a ‘typical’ mod in each stage.

Stage 1 Modifications

A true stage 1 modification doesn’t require any other engine mod to get it to work, this means it can be added in isolation. Other mods can help to raise the power gains and realise the potential of the mod, they aren’t mandatory. These are at the bottom of the tuning scene in terms of the overall benefits you will receive. Stage 1 modifications are usually a straightforward DIY fit, they should also work on a standard engine that’s in good condition.

Some examples of Stage 1 mods include panel air filters, sports exhausts and fuel pressure regulators.

Stage 2 Modifications

Stage 2 mods tend to offer larger power gains than stage 1 but will require additional work on other parts if you want them to work reliably. Like stage 1, stage 2 mods are usually a DIY fit but will require more specialist knowledge and tools.

Some examples of stage 2 mods include aggressive remap that requires a stronger turbo, sports exhaust requiring new headers and internal mods requiring fuel to be uprated.

Stage 3 Modifications

Stage 3 modifications are known by most as a track day modification. Similarly, to stage 2, they will also require other mods to support them but they are usually less ideal for road use due to there aggressiveness. A stage 3 modified car will need to be regularly overhauled and serviced.

Some examples of stage 3 mods include aggressive cam profiles, heavy competition clutch and ultralight flywheels.

Find your performance parts here

Formula 1 cars and road cars share the same components and operating features but that’s as far as similarities go. Formula 1 engines are very difficult to start. Due to the complexity they can’t cold-start, this means warm oil needs to be plumbed through the engine for a couple hours prior to firing it up. As you are aware of, starting a car doesn’t require this preparation, you can just get going right away.

Formula 1 engines also have a high-revving nature. This isn’t as much of a problem in ultra-light F1 cars, but with the additional weight of a street car, it would cause many issues for the engine. This is the reason for why Mercedes – AMG engineers reduced the engines redline to 11,00 rpm for the One hypercar – still a stratospheric number.

Next, the cost. Formula 1 car engineering demands a lot of money to develop. This means a legal street F1 hypercar would have a very high price tag. For this high price, people would expect a hypercar that will last – this is not a strong feature of F1 cars. One engine usually lasting 2 races means they need rebuilding and replacing quite often. For buyers, this constant need for work is a major put off.