Is there some list of different "stage" related parts? I keep seeing people say they have a stage 2-3 whatever.... It seems a bit like they're just saying that because they don't know what the part actually is, and are just going with what video games have been telling them.
What makes a stage1, stage2, and stage3 what they are? What exactly is it that separates them?

It is a way for a parts manufacturer to market their products. Things like clutches, where they will have 6 or 7 different ones with a linear increase in power holding ability will usually be given stages. If you make xxx power you outgrow this stage and move to the next. Cylinder head porting can be the same. Entire engines or shortblocks no... one company's stage 2 clutch might hold more power than someone else's stage 3.

Ricers talking about "stages" bugs the fuck out of me...

Just had a discussion about this at a track a couple weeks ago.. needless to say there was a lot of butt hurt going around

there are parts that the company's have named them as "stage" parts, but i have found that those are mostly import/ricer/tuner parts

90% of the time people referring to them like this think they know what they are talking about. no one that actually races or competes in motor sports talks like that

nvm lol

This post was edited by TiMasse on Dec 19 2013 10:01am

Get a Luk Clutch kit. They are perfect, inexpensive OEM replacement clutch kits and are even used factory for a few BMW's, MBZ's, and Audi/VW.

Make sure to have your flywheel resurfaced. only $40 at a local machine shop.

Now there are some company's like SPEC that use stages to represent an increase in power rating like FMX said but for the most part its a complete marketing gimmick

GM's ls7 cam lineup from their le mans program uses stages. I find its not imports so much as it is modern efi stuff. As i said its the easiest way to describe different levels of the same product. I've not seen it in the offroad world or for anything pre 1990.