MONZTER Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Does anybody have pictures of a car with these installed? I would like to see the difference between these and the ZG flares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Does anybody have pictures of a car with these installed? I would like to see the difference between these and the ZG flares Here are some pics for your reference. A 'Nissan Racing School' car, showing a left hand rear Overfender installed. That's a 10j x 14 wheel underneath it: Some comparison shots of a genuine factory ZG Overfender and a genuine Sports Option 432R Overfender - both are right-hand side front fitting. The 432R Overfender is significantly wider: You plan to charge the same amount for the replicas you produce as the nos just sold for on the open market? I say shame on you to that. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you didn't think that through fully before you wrote it. It's a simple matter of economics...... The main factor is the pure cost to have a professional race fabrication shop make proper moulds from the originals, and then make some high quality mouldings from them which are at least as good as the originals. There's a very good chance that my originals will be in some way degraded or even damaged beyond repair in this process. The shops that I have shown these to have all commented on the high quality of the originals and their complex shape ( esp. at the ends ), so these are a far harder proposition to replicate than you might believe. Second factor is that you are obviously thinking purely in $US, and the eBay auction end price to you may have seemed high. However, if you convert that into £GBP - which is what I earn and spend here in the UK ) it looks cheaper to me - one British Pound Sterling is equal to roughly two US Dollars at the moment ), and the cost of making replicas here in the UK is going to look twice as expensive to you. According to the costings and quotations I have at the moment, it looks as though I might be making three or four sets of replicas - possibly losing value on my rare originals as a result - and selling them at a price that actually leaves me less than breaking even on the total cost. Shame on me? I don't think so my friend. Alan T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Alan - I can see where he's comming from. The price "seems" high for some bits of fiberglass. I mean, beta motorsports sells carbon fiber hoods for under $800 USD, and I don't think he's making thousands of them THAT being said, I myself understand where you're comming from. If you're gonna make something high quality, and the piece is hard to replicate to begin with, then even to break even they're not going to be cheap. At any rate I applaud people like you who put effort into making sure things like this don't just dissapear. I'm in no means a collector of much, or a purist of much, but I can still value the historical value and functional value of these flares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Gollum, Thanks for your thoughts, but I still wonder whether I'm getting my point across about the exchange rate between USD and GBP? Betamotorsports are not making their carbon fibre hoods in the UK - so the price at which they are sold is not relevant to my situation of contracting a UK-based ( and more specifically, south east England based ) professional to make moulds and mouldings for me, is it? I think you'll find that Betamotorsports sell some of their products to UK-based companies and individuals, and this is because it is good economic sense for the purchaser, even after shipping and taxes / duties are factored in. It's not that nobody in the UK can make similar items - far from it: we have a thriving composite and race parts industry, who have work coming out of their ears. But the high overheads here ( rent, taxes, wages, raw materials etc etc ) make it cheaper to buy some items in from abroad. I don't have that luxury with these 432R Sports Option overfenders do I.......? I don't like being accused of profiteering, and it is especially galling to have the accusation thrown at me when the economics of the situation are plain for all to see if they would only open their eyes and ears, and understand that the World does not end at the territorial borders of the USA. Alan T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I think some folks have forgotten how low the US dollar has dropped recently. I just shipped a bunch of Koni 8611 shocks over to customer in England because its cheaper for them to buy and ship from a vendor in the US then to buy locally. The inquiries I normally receive each week from overseas has tripled. I sometimes buy specialized Nylon 6/6 plastic from Ensinger in the UK and I made a call yesterday to order some. The price in Euros hasn't changed but its now twice as expensive to me in Dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONZTER Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Here are some pics for your reference. A 'Nissan Racing School' car, showing a left hand rear Overfender installed. That's a 10j x 14 wheel underneath it: Some comparison shots of a genuine factory ZG Overfender and a genuine Sports Option 432R Overfender - both are right-hand side front fitting. The 432R Overfender is significantly wider: I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you didn't think that through fully before you wrote it. It's a simple matter of economics...... The main factor is the pure cost to have a professional race fabrication shop make proper moulds from the originals, and then make some high quality mouldings from them which are at least as good as the originals. There's a very good chance that my originals will be in some way degraded or even damaged beyond repair in this process. The shops that I have shown these to have all commented on the high quality of the originals and their complex shape ( esp. at the ends ), so these are a far harder proposition to replicate than you might believe. Second factor is that you are obviously thinking purely in $US, and the eBay auction end price to you may have seemed high. However, if you convert that into £GBP - which is what I earn and spend here in the UK ) it looks cheaper to me - one British Pound Sterling is equal to roughly two US Dollars at the moment ), and the cost of making replicas here in the UK is going to look twice as expensive to you. According to the costings and quotations I have at the moment, it looks as though I might be making three or four sets of replicas - possibly losing value on my rare originals as a result - and selling them at a price that actually leaves me less than breaking even on the total cost. Shame on me? I don't think so my friend. Alan T. Thanks for the info and pictures. I really like the look of the 432r parts. I can tell from the level of detail and knowledge in all of your post that the parts you manufacture will be the best of quality and accuracy. I see that as value. I also understand the time effort and thus cost involved with reproducing parts like this. With that said can you PM me and let me know when the parts will be available for sale and if you will be shipping them to the US. Best Regards Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 How will the originals be damaged in making a mold. Im guessing theirs a way to not damage them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Sorry if I didn't explain myself well enough Alan. I understand the current exchange rate, and I also understand that what a british pound is to you is completely different to what a british pound is to us. Just because an exchange rate might be 2:1 doesnt mean costs are 2:1, far from it. What I was in england I was still spending nearly the same in pounds on a day to day basis as I would in USD back home. I understand that the world is bigger than the USA And 700 pounds is a lot for someone in the USA to pay for flares, but I don't think that's a lot of money for a small run of something of quality, which is what we're talking about. But at the same token someone in europe paying that same price is actually a lot cheaper my comparison. Hopefully I've gotten my point across. I was merely trying to help you out alan. I don't think you'd be charging too much at the said prices. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizm0Zed Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Whats wrong with profiteering??? If you are willing to make and sell some flares, and people are willing to pay large amounts of money for them, then good for you, Its a successful business proposition. Its life, get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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