Datsun350Z Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Any mods interested in "hosting" a "toolbox"? The basic idea would be that as a community we could buy expensive limited use items a lot easier. They would be hosted by various admins and shipped to the part of the country where they are needed. For example: http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecId=2485 Corner weight scales. I'm sure EVERYONE here wants to know exactly how much their car weighs. I'm sure NO ONE wants to spend $1,000 to find out. Process: 1.) Brainstorm for next purchase. 2.) We vote as a community to decide what is bought next. 3.) Goal is set. 4.) Contributions are made. 5.) Equip purchased 6.) Repeat. To use the equipment the member should either contact the hosting admin, or request in advance that the equipment be shipped to a different admin that is closer, or plans on going to a Z meeting close to that member. Obviously there are loose ends and possibility of corruption with this idea. I do think it is a valid thought though. Comments? Volunteers? Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2126 Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Certainly a legitimate idea! Not to rain on your parade but, most guys that have these sort of expensive tools, myself included, generally do not loan them out to people, especially if they don't know them or their mechanical knowledge and abilities. For example....how would you go about recouping the cost of repair or replacement of a damaged or misuse item? How would you insure return of said item? Just some food for thought! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mario_82_ZXT Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Didn't they try this with the spindle pullers? And aren't some missing? This would be a great idea in a Utopian society. Just my $0.02 Mario PS I'm a poor college student with limited tools so this would help me out a bunch... but in the end it's human nature that mucks it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsun350Z Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 I remember something like that going bad a while back. That's why I'd like to see the actual posession of these tools limited to trusted mods / admin. We have more than a few "bounty hunters" here that will go to extremes to track down people who take advantage of / try to cheat the system. Any ideas, edits, problems, ideas that would make this more foolproof? I don't expect anyone to go loaning out their own tools, that's why I think a community effort to get use of large ticket price, seldom used tools would be great. I think that with responsible hands guiding their use there should be a very limited chance of breakage, and repairs could be taken care of by the main fund. An example of use would be at our upcoming quad-state z-meet, or any other Z meet. An attending mod would bring it with them and supervise the use of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Making the loaner program work is a tough call. The first time I started the spindle pin puller loaner program they vanished in a short time. This second time around I send the tool out with pre-paid return postage. There is going to be breakage, its just a fact of life. Its easy to refurb a broken spindle pin puller because I make them. With the pullers there is little cost in maintaining the tools. If it comes back broken I just fix-it. If it breaks before a borrower is finished with it I just send out the replacement parts. I just have this figured into the loaner program. The high dollar tools is a different story, and if the tool is heavy the shipping can be a killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 You will have to have accountability in the program. I would want to set some limits and rules posted. Also, you could add a place on the site that shows who has what tools and if they are in violation of loan out rules. Delinquent or damaged when returned. Things like that. Another thing would be to have insurance on the tools incase they get lost, stolen, or damaged. This would have to be paid by the person borrowing the tool. Some of the tools could be very expensive. I’ve done this in the past with a company that I use to work for and it was ok but it does take a lot of someone’s time to coordinate a loan out program and police everyone who is using the program. Good idea, just have to keep everyone honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I think this is a cool idea, but unfortunately it can't work. As said by others, it's the bad apples that ruin this for everyone (-didn't the the Pinks thing go sour?). For every honest person that thinks this is a wonderful idea, there's another thinking about how he can cash in off the suckers, and get a free set of scales... The anonymity of the internet makes this all the more easier a scam to pull off. I think this is a great idea, but the only way it would work is in a local club type of setting, where the threat of someone that lives "in your neck of the woods" exists to discourage the bastards of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsun350Z Posted September 17, 2007 Author Share Posted September 17, 2007 The mods here aren't gonna rip someone off for a set of scales that they have free access to anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 The mods here aren't gonna rip someone off for a set of scales that they have free access to anyway... Who said that? I don't think anyone expects that. The problem would lie with the person on the other end of the postal system. I think that's fairly obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsun350Z Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 That's what's being misunderstood here. The items would not leave the mods hands. They would be mailed only between mods and used at meets and such. For example, I would not be left alone with the items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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