Fortune Auto 500, 510 and Dreadnought Pro: Which One Is Yours?
Fortune Auto 500 vs 510 comes down to one question: do you want one damping adjuster or two? The 500 Series is a single-adjustable monotube coilover, custom-valved for your car, and the 510 Series lets you adjust compression and rebound independently.
Both are hand-built in Virginia. Both are valved for your application, not pulled off a shelf. Past those two, Fortune Auto builds track-focused kits that dealers list as Dreadnought Pro. This guide covers what changes from tier to tier and what stays the same. Then it helps you pick.
Fortune Auto 500 vs 510 at a Glance
500 Series
Single-adjustable monotube damper. One adjuster sets damping. Custom-valved for your application. Fortune Auto lists a High Flow Digressive piston on the Generation 8 500 Series. A strong fit for street cars that see the odd track day.
510 Series
Compression and rebound adjust independently. Custom-valved. Fortune Auto lists a Concave Flow Digressive piston on the Generation 8 510 Series. A strong fit for drivers who will tune each side of the damper for the track.
Dreadnought Pro
Dealers list 2-Way and 3-Way versions. The 2-Way adjusts compression and rebound separately. The 3-Way splits compression into low-speed and high-speed adjustment, plus rebound. Built for serious track work. Some of our listings show it as an option, such as the 2000 to 2009 S2000. For other cars, call us about availability.
Spring rate is a separate choice from the tier. Fortune Auto builds each kit for your application, so tell us the car's weight, use and tires when you order. The right spring rate matters as much as the adjusters.
Click counts and click direction differ from brand to brand and kit to kit. Start from the setting in your kit's manual, not from a number you read on a forum.
What Every Fortune Auto Kit Shares
The tier changes the adjusters. It does not change how the kit is built. Fortune Auto hand-builds its kits in Virginia, and every one is valved for the car it goes on. That is the core of the brand.
Digressive valving. Fortune Auto states that it uses digressive valving. A digressive curve builds damping force quickly at low shaft speeds, which controls body roll and pitch. Then it rises more gently at high shaft speeds, so sharp bumps do not hit as hard.
Dyno-matched pairs. Fortune Auto states that it dyno tests every damper and matches pairs within 3 percent. Left and right behave alike, which matters when you are chasing balance on track.
In-house rebuilds. Fortune Auto states that it rebuilds and revalves kits in-house at its facility in Powhatan, Virginia. If your use changes, the valving can change with it.
Ride height at the lower mount. Per Fortune Auto's installation instructions, you set ride height at the lower mount, not with the spring perch. The perch sets preload. A locking collar holds each setting.
If you want the bigger picture on how brands like this got here, our guide to coilover brand history traces the timeline.
The 500 Series: One Adjuster, Custom Valving
The 500 Series is the entry to the Fortune Auto ladder, and it is not a stripped-down kit. You get a monotube damper, custom valving and the same hand-built process as the tiers above. What you give up is separate control of compression and rebound. One adjuster moves both.
For most street cars that is the right trade. You set damping once, adjust it for the season or a track day, and drive. Fewer adjusters also means fewer settings to get wrong. If your car is a daily with the odd autocross, start here.
The 500 Series also suits drivers who care about ride. Because Fortune Auto valves the damper for your car, the base curve is already close to right before you touch the adjuster.
The 510 Series: Compression and Rebound on Their Own
The 510 Series lets you adjust compression and rebound independently. That matters once you start tuning with purpose. Compression controls how the damper resists the wheel moving up. Rebound controls how it lets the wheel come back down. On track, you may want to firm one without touching the other.
Here is an example. Your car feels nervous on corner exit over a bumpy track. With a 500, any change moves both sides at once. With a 510, you can adjust rebound alone and leave compression where it rides well. That kind of change is the reason the 510 exists.
The trade-off is more to learn. Two adjusters per corner means eight settings on the car. Change one thing at a time and write it down. If you will not use the extra control, the 500 gives you the same build quality with less to manage. That is the honest heart of the Fortune Auto 500 vs 510 choice. It is about how much tuning you will do, not about which coilover kit is built with more care. Our guide to adjustable coilovers covers how to use damping adjustment well.
Generation 8: What Fortune Auto Changed
Dealers list these features for Fortune Auto's Generation 8:
New pistons. High Flow Digressive on the 500 Series and Concave Flow Digressive on the 510 Series.
Locking ring clamps. Lower-mount locking ring clamps come standard.
Revised piston seals. Updated seals inside the damper.
Laser-etched hardware. Laser-etched top plates, locking spring perches and lower mount locking rings.
Koyo Japan radial bearings. A named bearing supplier rather than a generic part.
Rebuildable and revalveable. Like the generations before it.
Fortune Auto lists a five-year limited warranty on its Generation 4 to 8 products, subject to its terms, with shorter coverage on some items. Our warranty page lists Fortune Auto at 5 years too.
Picking the Right Fortune Auto Kit for Your Car
Fortune Auto has deep Honda roots, and our catalogue shows it. We list a kit for the 2000 to 2009 Honda S2000 (AP1/AP2). There is also the 2017 to 2022 Civic Type R (FK8), which includes front end links and a separate style rear. We also list the 1994 to 2001 Acura Integra USDM (DC2).
It is not only Honda. We list the 2022 to 2024 Toyota GR86 (ZN8), with front end links included, and the 2016 to 2024 Mazda Miata MX-5 (ND). Check which series are listed for your car on its product page, or call 1-800-460-9106 with your VIN.
Then settle Fortune Auto 500 vs 510 by matching the tier to your use:
Street, with the odd track day: 500 Series.
Regular track days or time attack: 510 Series.
Dedicated track car: ask about Dreadnought Pro.
Fortune Auto's rebuild schedule depends on use, not series. Street only is every 60,000 miles. Mixed street and track is every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. Track only is every 1,000 miles. Those intervals are Fortune Auto's and apply only to Fortune Auto kits. Our guide to coilover rebuild options explains what a rebuild involves.
Where Fortune Auto Sits Among the Brands We Carry
Fortune Auto delivers hand-built construction with custom valving on every kit, plus direct engineer-to-customer engagement through its North American team. Swift Springs can be an upgrade option on Fortune Auto custom builds.
Other brands solve other problems. BC Racing uses nitrogen-charged monotube dampers in every series, builds with custom spring rates, and supports Swift Springs SPEC-R upgrades on most fitments. Our guide to BC Racing coilovers covers that ladder. KW brings German engineering, with KW V3 adjusting compression and rebound independently. Öhlins brings decades of racing history and DFV valving on its Road & Track kits. TEIN brings deep Japanese-platform coverage. Each one is the right performance suspension for a certain driver. Unsprung weight is mostly wheel, tire, hub and brakes on any of them. Do not pick a coilover kit expecting it to change that much.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Fortune Auto 500 and 510?
The 500 Series is single-adjustable: one adjuster sets damping. The 510 Series adjusts compression and rebound independently. Both are hand-built in Virginia, custom-valved for your application and rebuildable. On Generation 8, the 500 uses a High Flow Digressive piston and the 510 a Concave Flow Digressive piston.
Is the Fortune Auto 500 Series good for daily driving?
Yes. It is custom-valved for your car, and one adjuster keeps setup simple. Pick a sensible spring rate and start from the manual's damping setting. Fortune Auto sets rebuild intervals by use, not by series. Street-only use calls for every 60,000 miles.
Do I need the 510 for track days?
Not always. The 500 is built for street use with the odd track day. The 510 makes sense when you want to change compression and rebound separately to tune balance. If you will not use that, the 500 does the job.
What is the Fortune Auto warranty?
Fortune Auto lists a five-year limited warranty on its Generation 4 to 8 products, subject to its terms, with shorter coverage on some items. Call us for the current terms on a specific kit.
How often do Fortune Auto coilovers need a rebuild?
Fortune Auto publishes its own schedule. Street-only use calls for every 60,000 miles, and mixed street and track every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. Track-only use calls for every 1,000 miles. Fortune Auto rebuilds and revalves kits in-house in Powhatan, Virginia.
Can I change the spring rates on a Fortune Auto kit?
Yes. Fortune Auto builds each kit for your application, and you can talk through spring rates when you order. Swift Springs can be an upgrade option on Fortune Auto custom builds. Call us before you order to set it up.
What is Fortune Auto Dreadnought Pro?
It is Fortune Auto's track-focused line, listed by dealers in 2-Way and 3-Way versions. The 2-Way adjusts compression and rebound separately. The 3-Way adds separate low-speed and high-speed compression. Some of our listings show it as an option, such as the 2000 to 2009 S2000. For other cars, call us.
Not Sure Which Fortune Auto Tier Fits?
Tell us your car, how often it sees the track and how it rides now. That is usually enough to pick between the 500 and the 510.
Call 1-800-460-9106 with your VIN. We will confirm the listing, talk through spring rates and help you order the Fortune Auto coilover kit that suits your driving. Free shipping on most kits within the United States.
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