Tuner? We ThoughtYou Said Tuna
I'm currently a senior in high school and am in the process of writing a 5- to 7-page research paper entitled "The Definition of a Tuner." I chose the subject because I feel many people don't fully understand what it means to be a tuner, and what exactly a tuner does.
The problem is I'm having a hard time finding information I can use that is not an opinion. Can someone direct me to an article describing who or what a tuner is?
Jeremy
Lancaster, Ohio
When I use the word tuner, I'm talking about the guy who sits next to your car while it is on the dyno, plugging away at his laptop to squeeze out a few more horsepower, or trying to get that air/fuel ratio just perfect. Tuning, by my definition, is what you do after all the parts are bolted on. Making the car safe, reliable and fast by optimizing the engine management system is the tuner's job. There are many people involved in building a proper car-engine builders, chassis builders, tuners, stylists, etc. -but by no means should a tuner's job be confused with anyone else's. - DB
The marketing and advertising industries have grossly abused the word tuner, using it to define everyone from the hard-core engine builder to the guy who threw on some clear corner taillights himself. I've always defined a tuner as someone who actively wrenches on the different mechanical systems of their car-engine, transmission, suspension, electronics-in the pursuit of better performance. Guys who specialize in body kits or interiors are not tuners. Sorry. They're designers or stylists, but not tuners. Furthermore, a tuner is always working to get his or her car in a state of perfect tune, the sweet spot where all the systems come together to produce the desired effect. That effect can be a mash-it-to-the-floor, straight-line machine, a killer canyon carver or just a quick and civilized daily driver/sleeper. - DF
What Frio and Dr said. - BH
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