Bone Daddy

wow, alot to reply to, but here goes.


SplitFire: Thanks alot, consider yourself noted.

Z Power: Ditto for you.

Brent94Z: Thanks Brent. I realise it's normal, and with the price and all might seem "scammish", but I'm not even taking orders/Ebay or anything else yet. And yes I realise that pics of my beloved would help, but I'm getting the info I need without them. Honestly I expected to come here and get maybe 2 half-hearted responses. But, it seems it's the other way around. I'm sorry that some asses have came here and tried to scam. But I doubt they came and merely asked opinion. I appreciate the help in the thread, you make some valid points. I was going to get upset and just keep with the local people, but your post changed my mind.

Blu Beast: It seems that way doesn't it. But in that scenario can we change pamela anderson to Angelina Jolie? mmmm Jolie. Or perhaps a nice ashely Judd?

RS Dragster: Thanks! your number 9 I believe.

roadrage912: I do "give a crap" but I need to know if people would buy them. If this angers you, I can't help it.

94YELLOWBIRD: I said I had 3 satisfied customers, therfore 3 kits other than mine. I don't call myself a customer all that often. But to be honest the second car was recently totalled, but my doors didnt do that, a wet road and alchohol did. But I'm rambling..Anyway 4 vehicles total at one time have had the kit installed and no door related problems as of late.

x94_Camaro_Z28x: Great! Read below for some information.

ZRAPTOR: Thanks, again I assure you I will not even hint at selling until I can actually do it.


As for anyone else, wow again I come to the thread shocked. All I can say for now is I need alot more legwork before I can even think of selling on a large scale. I need to find a TA, a Firebird to install them on and do some testing, find a desent source for the 2 main parts, and the metal. I need to find a welder that's willing to do piece work and also get the photos and desighn ready for a website. I would also have to talk to JasonD and Brent, I want to send them a kit and get there opinion before I shipped any out. Instructions, shipping problems, and the like not included, there is literally a ton to do. I work 55+ hours a week, so this was a big descision.

But, as I've already gotten over 10 projected sales, I will now say that after I look at all the factors, and no major problems prevent me from it, I will sell them.

I'm not sure how many I would initially make, that depends on the price/risk involved, but would probably be around 20 or so, then if things went well, a larger batch down the line, or maybe per request on the site.

In any event, keep with the feedback! I'm leaving for Chicago in 2 days for work, so I won't read it for a bit. As soon as I get time tonight, I'll start laying out the foundation for everything. Now I'm not going to give a completion date, as even I dont know. But I will make sure everyone involved knows when the time comes.

And please be patient, I realise the prior situation, but with my work, and the kids, and life in general, I cant drop everything to focus on this. Do it right, or not at all.

DarkHorse

Well I'll be the first 'not interested' in the product. I am however interested in a couple other things though.

1) Would love to see pics

2) Would love to know what the big deal is with posting pics of a product that you intend to sell. If I designed this kit and drew a picture in crayola crayons i'd have a better chance of selling them then you will by only providing a slight description. So my #2 desire is to know how you intend to sell a product without a visual interpretation.


Ok, those are my 2 questions.


BTW: I think it's great that your using your education to build something for the F-bod community, I just wish that you had taken some business management classes to go with it. You'd be better off in the long run.

All in all - great job for helping and good luck in your venture.

Bone Daddy

DarkHorse:

1) You will, again.. when I actually try to sell. I'm just judging interest and seeing if they would even be accepted. A large part of the f-bod community considers them to be rice. How much rice italians eat, I'll never know. So to repeat, I'm not trieng to sell, I just want information.. and it's getting old repeating myself constantly. So from this point on, I will no longer respond to any pic comments. I have made my plan/position clear several times already.

2) I'm not selling (currently), just gathering market info, so there you go. Again, when I do decide to sell finally. I'll choke you with pics and videos as well as a tacky website if that's what it takes.

If I post my pics, this thread will snowball, and everyone will grow impatient in as little as a week, I wont even have the instructions ready by then, people will get panicky even with no money sent, and I'd be branded a fraud. I've seen it before on other car forums. That's why I'm so squeemish about all this, you people make me nervous. The local people only got them when they bugged me for weeks on end to make them some. It's not that I didnt care, or want to sell them, it's just that I had a full plate even without that. I can't be expected to drop everything to please them, but in there eyes I did. I'm a single father, and just keeping my head above water.. the kit sales might make it easier on me, but only if It doesnt become a hassle.

I appreciate the koodos, I love the F-body and they have been my passion since I was old enough to push a HotWheel. Growing up I couldnt get certain toys, so I'd build a replica. (I can remember a Transformers "Ravage" I carved out of wood with dad) So I have a pattern of odd things like this. I'm rambling again, so once again, thanks. Everyone should get something that they can't afford at least once in their life.

FreakyNipples69

if the kit was good quality, i would buy them in a heartbeat. I always wanted lambo doors but i'm not spending 2k for them, however 500 is a lot more reasonable.

Bone Daddy

(slightly off-topic)

Anybody have an idea for the domain name? Some of my "business advisors" here probably have some good ideas.

Blue89Bird

well, that depends, are you ONLY going to be selling these, or will you eventually sell other things.

pu12en12g

www.lambo-doors-BUT-NO-PICS.com

Blue89Bird

comman man, give the guy a break, he's made his intentions pretty clear, he doesn't want to end up like whistler and get chastized for taking so long and breaking promises if something takes longer then expected.

I think you have to figure out if youre only going to offer them for fbodies and take it from there. If you will only use fbodies, then maybe something like fbodydoors.com or something, but if you will eventually end up making them for other vehicles, youre gonna need something that says that.

MikeStank

I'd be interested too, my only concern is the quality of the product. Our doors are really freakin heavy. I would prefer some sort of electric assit if i was going to pursue this project, but thats just me

Schearer225

I'M IN!!! I want a set of these ASAP!! so go and make them like now lol. I undersand you aren't selling them yet, and are just looking for responses but i beleive i am the big # 10!! 10X300 is 3,000 bucks, seems like a good amount of money to motivate someone to start producing these . I just got a few questions: how far up do they go, angle wise? how hard is instialation. i.e like header hard, cat-back hard, cam hard, or new antenna hard. oh, and i notioced you said you can jsut pull a pin and they can open the regualr way, is this true? if so even better! if you decide to produce these i am deffinitly in, but i think i might just want a peek at a pic, so i know what i am in for . you can email me at schearer225@netscape.net when you dicide to go inot production -zack

Wraith

I see a hinge only kit as you state only coming out like one of the two other kits out there already, they will look like this. Yes or no?

http://www.freewebs.com/vixxemgallery/camaro.htm


Although nice, that is not a vertical door kit. It is a butterfly kit made popular by the imports. The only pictures that have been posted of a "true" lambo style kit are the Cardomain car from overseas.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/camaroism

As many others have found out, it is costly to replicate something similar especially when you factor most want a motorized door like the Cobra by Sabraj Ninjar of So. Cal. Formula 1 quotes a price of $5K plus for basic kit, extras include getting shaved door handles and motorized (open and close from remote, both doors) which come to a $10k finished product. I called them after his car hit the interent. I have also got similar quotes as far back as 1999 from reputable people like the guy who built the El Camaro out of a 94 Z28. He owns Classic by Bernt in So. Cal and has done tons of cars featured at Sema and most major magazines outside of that Camaro project.

http://www.oghabib.com/dooranimation.htm
http://www.oghabib.com/index2.htm

If your product is truly as nice and functional as you claim, then pictures will not make people any more impatient than dragging out this thread with none at all. Only if you claim to put anything in production and then not following through like others have would you truly have to worry. If people are going to go out and buy "parts" in anticipation of what might happen without 100% confirmation, then they can blame only their impatient selves. Besides, even if not to sell most people would post pictures to let people drool over such an accomplishment. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

MadKilla

I am extremely interested in this. however, I have heard this is extremely difficult due to the position of the mirrors and the way the fenders flow into them, so I am seriously suspicious without pics.

Blu Beast

I'll respectfully change it to Angelina, the lips alone are amazing(but that's another story)........

glad you got more "yea" responses than you thought, I think all of us appreciate the idea of having a unique MOD that we can afford and that's quality!.......you do all that and you've got yourself a nice side business, keep us informed and we'll be right with you......

Bone Daddy

pu12en12g: Damn you! I actually laughed at that..

Blue89Bird: Exactly! Finally someone who gets it. I don't want to anger/dissapoint anyone with commiting myself fully when it's not possible, and avoid the whole "whistler phenom" and some other scenarios I've seen on my other boards. Good people, trieng to do good things, that end up in bad situations.

Initially they will only be for 4th gen F-bodies, as well, that's all I have. But if the kits did well enough, I'd branch out into 3rd gens and maybe even *gasp* Mustangs. (never tinkered with one, it'd be interesting) So the domain would need to reflect that.

MikeStank: The doors weigh about 75# tops, so yep very heavy. But it's all about the pivot and stress points. My 57 chevy hood weighs around the same and simple springs raise it. Physics, you gotta love it. The struts are more than capable of the task, but if you want an electric version, you'd have to wait even longer. But I have thought about it.

Schearer225: That's alot of questions! Here goes:

1. I believe your the 13th?
2. Actually the "stock" price will hover towards 5, if I can't get the items involved cheaper.
3. The angle of the door jamb to door face is somewhere around 60 degrees, however this can be modified if the owner has the desire.
4. lol, I'd say the simplicity of the installation is "antenna hard" but since you are manipulating a 70# object, that makes it somewhere around the "If I have a friend, it's cat back hard" bracket.
5. Yes on mine, I can pull a pin on the lower bracket tang and the doors can be opened both ways. I had to install a kind of "slide flap" in my front inner fender to access it, and the others didn't want this. Which brings me to have to make an options list for the kit when they are ordered. But most likely the first order will have to be all normal kits. If I start taking custom jobs right off the bat, I think I'm in for trouble. But I will be checking into it.
6. See above.

Bone Daddy

Wraith: wow long post, and yes only "true" style lambo kits are straight up. But most people don't like/want to graft there mirrors onto the door like in the car-domain link. I don't think the doors can be described as "butterfly" they are as similar to that as they are "gullwings", the 3 motions are different in my opinion. Maybe.. if the doors opened out more than they do, but I still don't know. That mod also negates any bolt-on aspects the kit has, and adds expense for something that is not visually appealing over the current style. In other words, a waste of time.

MadKilla: The top link that wraith posted shows that the mirror can remain stock. There's your proof. I never said at anytime the doors went upwards only, quite the opposite.

Blu Beast: A man with taste! I hope so, I just want to make one thing accessable to the community, and help me out financially if possible.

As to the "true door" topic, I could alter the desighn well enough, in fact the mirror mod was what made me change my mind. It's my opinion that the mirror mod would cause people not to buy the doors. I think the mirrors are hideous when grafted to the door. The only way it might not be is if you molded a tear drop ferrari-style mirror where the stock one was. But again, that drives the time, price and hassle up through the roof.