convertible REAR TRIM panels

[HEMICUDA]

Oh boy, 16 of the Cuda sets so far that's promising, NOT.  Of those, half my actually buy a set, been doing this way to long and know better.  Anyone have 100K I can borrow for my porition of the project expense?  That way I won't feel bad sitting on inventory that's not even breaking even.

[GY3R/T]

    Is this poll being offered on other Mopar sites/forums ?     

[MoparDave]

   Is this poll being offered on other Mopar sites/forums ?     

I've posted on 3 Fb pages, here and cc.com so if everyone or some can share far and wide. so I can compile a want list this will help immensely. I don't have enough time in the day to tag every forum.

thanks in advance.

[HEMICUDA]

   Is this poll being offered on other Mopar sites/forums ?     

This is far and away the very best ebody website on the planet with the largest potential market.  Minimum first run of panels, which pays for tooling, is x200 sets.  So far, we have x16 guys here that say need a set, how many of those will actually buy?  So, is there another 12.5 websites as good as this one with x16 potential buyers? If every single person that said they wanted a set got them then we're all good and can exhale that deep breathe we took when the trigger was pulled.  It's just not realistic.

That's why this particular project has been going from the front burner to the back over the last few years.  I've been chomping at the bit to make these parts.

[GY3R/T]

 Moparts.com ??

[1 Wild R/T]

Other thing about posting on every website is how many of the folks wanting panels visit more than one website & click the box every chance they get....

But then again I know three other vert owners who virtually never visit the internet.... I actually know more guys (actually know, not just through the internet) who don't do Mopar websites with cool cars than guys who do...

For me, I want a set of black Challenger panels, and when I buy those I'll also buy front panels, and the dash pad that I've been wanting for years.. Once thats bought I might as well recover the front seats since they are over twenty years old, have had my fat ass on them for over 90,000 miles of driving & are starting to show their age....  Where do I draw the line?

[anlauto]

Is there no chance on larger companies like Year One or Classic Industries getting involved with the financing ?

Seems like there a lot of millionaire Mopar guys out there that might want to get involved as well. HEMICUDA why don't you just ask that woman you sleep with to front the cash....I'm sure she has it !

[Jay Bee]

I know three other vert owners who virtually never visit the internet.

Same here. Then there's a bunch that are unknown who don't do forums or social media. How to reach out to them? Possibly advertising in magazines by vendors who are already paying for ad space. I don't know how many are in the ebody convertible registry but if there's a way to inform each and everyone one of them, that would go a long way.   

[MoparDave]

for now. I'm still waiting on pricing to come back. Once that comes in we will know where we stand in all of this. As mentioned not all owners are tech savvy or even on the internet. So there is a lot to do once the numbers come in and If we move forward then we wait for money to exchange then samples.

[1 Wild R/T]

Is there no chance on larger companies like Year One or Classic Industries getting involved with the financing ?

Seems like there a lot of millionaire Mopar guys out there that might want to get involved as well. HEMICUDA why don't you just ask that woman you sleep with to front the cash....I'm sure she has it !

Alan, do you realize how few things companies like Year One actually invest in? Mostly they purchase products from smaller companies that make it... Of course part of purchasing is negotiating a lower price then mark it up...  If they do invest then we get something like the M&H wiring where Year One gets exclusive rights to the product...   

Then theres things like body gasket kits, Year One sells the total crap ones but stole Jim @ DMT's art work....  You'd like to believe they would want the best quality parts for their customers but what they really want is the most profit... This is America in 2018 after all....

Next there's your jab at Mike, I have no idea what your trying to say but Mike's done more for this hobby then 99% of the guys you'll ever meet in the Mopar world...

Not to mention it seems to me your wife supported you when you first started your little restoration business....

I'm not looking to start a pissing match but I really don't understand why you would post crap like that...   I mean in your thread about Cuda parking light lenses you have to ask if Mike will sell to you (which makes me think there's bad blood) which he says he will then you come to this thread & toss out a jab? WTF...

[anlauto]

As unfortunate as it sounds....I don't think you'll get the much needed interest, deposits, etc...based on promises. In the past (in the Mopar world) promises have been made for these panels, and other parts like Passon's 5 speeds, etc.... and although some may have come through, it wasn't until after excessive long waits and repeated disappointments. These convertible panels were promised years ago and never made it to market. 

As unrealistic as it might be, I think someone, or a group of people, have just step-up, gamble, go way out on a limb, bite the bullet....whatever it takes....spend the quarter of a million or so and have these panels made.....then hope to God they sell and they can recoup their money and maybe even make a few bucks. Forget about the surveys, or taking names, making promises or even taking deposits......just get the panels made.

A PERFECT example of what I'm talking about is the route that @TONY takes when having his parts manufactured.....
You hear absolutely nothing about 450 rims, ashtrays, A pillar trim, etc...etc...etc... coming out until they hit the market.....Then everybody goes ape-shit over them and buys them up like crazy !

Imagine if there was no fore-warning about these panels coming out, then all of a sudden...there they are on EBay for the whole world to see....They would get bought it like hotcakes, especially knowing there might only ever be 200 sets available....That excitement alone is priceless compared to being told about them now and having to wait a year or two before they ever come out....

Just my opinion

[MikeMikeMike]

I know this might be an odd ball way to go about it, but have you looked into having an industrial 3d scanner and printer place do them? Not sure if the resolution is good enough on scanners yet to capture the grain perfectly but they should be strong enough materials to extrude the panel. The print lines are so small these days that I'd think they wouldn't be visible.  The costs would almost certainly be less and you could do them in very small batches. Not sure if the abs and other plastics reels come in the correct colors for blue, green, red, etc. probably not.

I ended up buying the fake looking repops. I figure in 10 years after my kids have scuffed and scratched the current interior I'll be looking for your panels!

Good luck! 

[HEMICUDA]

I know this might be an odd ball way to go about it, but have you looked into having an industrial 3d scanner and printer place do them? Not sure if the resolution is good enough on scanners yet to capture the grain perfectly but they should be strong enough materials to extrude the panel. The print lines are so small these days that I'd think they wouldn't be visible.  The costs would almost certainly be less and you could do them in very small batches. Not sure if the abs and other plastics reels come in the correct colors for blue, green, red, etc. probably not.

I ended up buying the fake looking repops. I figure in 10 years after my kids have scuffed and scratched the current interior I'll be looking for your panels!

Good luck! 

Someone else can try that, if it's not the same material and injected as original, I'm not interested.  Unless these are done correctly, you end up with just another "better than nothing" part that's already available in the vacuum formed shower stall currently available. 

[MikeMikeMike]

Ok, I didn't know. Thought it might be an option if you could get a quality result. Best of luck. I hope to see these available when I'm ready to upgrade.

[anlauto]

I know this might be an odd ball way to go about it, but have you looked into having an industrial 3d scanner and printer place do them? Not sure if the resolution is good enough on scanners yet to capture the grain perfectly but they should be strong enough materials to extrude the panel. The print lines are so small these days that I'd think they wouldn't be visible.  The costs would almost certainly be less and you could do them in very small batches. Not sure if the abs and other plastics reels come in the correct colors for blue, green, red, etc. probably not.

I ended up buying the fake looking repops. I figure in 10 years after my kids have scuffed and scratched the current interior I'll be looking for your panels!

Good luck! 

The process is already perfected...the Metro panels are about as perfect as you can get. Why mess with it ?