Dan Juday Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 ...Make my interior panels...:mrgreen: ... Jerry Yes. I've been reading this and thinking, " I don't need any stinking CF". But the interior panels? Replacements for those cheesy flimsy trim panels? Yes, I'd buy that! Also, what rsicard said about having four minor gauge spots, that's what I like about my Tomohawk Z dash cap. When Rory designed it he just shoved another hole in the spot to the right of the tach. Now instead of three across, I have four. A dash is a complicated piece though. Start with those trim panels and I'll send a check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffGarcia77 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 RedFive, the racers among us need CF doors. Not just the door skins as previously suggested, but the door shells too. They probably wouldn't need the mounting points for the window regulators, but they should have mounting points for stock hinges and door catches. Maybe a window frame with a flange for mounting a Lexan window. We can rig something up for releasing the door latch from the inside/outside. The stock doors weigh a ton, and CF would reduce weight in the right places (i.e. outboard, meaning less body roll). Front fenders are another part that is not available, to my knowlege. Thanks for stepping up, Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I would think a full under body, front diffuser, center section, and rear diffuser would appeal to many. Maybe out of fiberglass since I could see CF being prohibitively expensive in that size/quantity. I would think that the front diffuser could come "close enough" to most aftermarket air dams, then let the end user make or source his own CF piece to bridge the final gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hi Logan Hope you dont mind my comments. Ive been doing stuff to make extra money all my life ...lost some and won some....and just want to share my thoughts. To make this worth your while pick something that has the greatest mass consumer appeal. Stay away from customer one offs...expensive and limited opportunity. Start with a simpler item and work up to more complicated designs. A dash would be fanstastic but for the effort and final cost structure may have a very limited market. Pick something that nobody else makes...bumpers and tail light panels (have them) are old news. Make it very well to discourage others from copying. Make it affordable but make sure you make money...otherwise you will be discouraged and give up. Decide what to make and move ahead quickly. Part-time long term efforts dont cut it as you will lose credibilty and customer interest. Make a short list from the feedback here, survey the list for interest and select a product to offer. Make my interior panels...:mrgreen: DONT TEASE US.....PER SERIOUS!!!! Cheers Jerry I agree, items like a full dash or full underbody diffuser would be out of the question. Just a little to big, expensive and to much work. He would have to stick to simpler easy things like a simple flat diffuser in the front or a simple flat rear spoiler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin240Z Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 For S30's, virgin territory for CF would probably be Fenders, inspection lids, Headlight covers, cowl, and the rear interior panels. Cant say I've seen any CF headlight buckets, but there are definitely a lot of Fiberglass ones around. CF headlight covers would probably be the easiest things to make, BUT not really practical for most people since you'd have to take them off for night time driving. You can see in my signature that I have painted headlight covers, but right now I dont really drive my car, so I don't really have the hassle of taking them off at night. CF headlight covers would probably look out of place without CF headlight buckets though... and the CF Headlight buckets would probably look out of place without CF Fenders. The inspection lids would probably be the second easiest thing to make, and would go nicely with a CF hood, so I dont think you'd have problems selling them. Fenders would be pretty cool, but I don't really know much about CF so I don't know how hard it would be to make them... Considering the Headlight, and headlight bucket has to be bolted to it, and the inspection lid has to clip on. The cowl would be interesting in CF, but that has a lot of holes/slots in it, I dont know how hard that would be, it would also go well with a CF hood and CF inspection lids. Lastly, interior panels. Door panes have been done before, CF dashes seem to be difficult and pricey. But there are plenty of panels in the back of the car that could be made in CF, not exactly the most practical thing to do since they would look a little out of place without a CF Dash and CF center console, but would be cool. I dont think they would sell that well though, but there is really no telling. I used to own an AE86, you could get virtually every inch of that car in CF, including the sun roof, hatch, doors... you name it. So if you're looking for some inspiration, you might try looking at some of the AE86 CF parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armand Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I don't understand why so many want cf interior panels? Yes a good majority of us have cracked panels, but it would be PURELY aesthetic. If you're going to make something let it make a considerate difference in performance or reducing a large amount of weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffGarcia77 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 You're exactly right, Armand! Replicate the big, heavy, steel parts with CF first. RedFive, I believe we need hatches which attach to the stock hinges and close with the stock lock/latch. The CF hatches I've seen are pin-on. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 So who would be interested in a front splitter (like the picture I posted)? I think that would be the easiest thing to make being that it is flat and semi universal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFive Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 Well, my buddy and I are going to discuss it tonight. The front splitter sounds like the easiest. Fenders also sound like a possibility. I'm not sure I'd really want to use my fenders for a mold since there's bodywork done on them -- mind you my body work is really good, but it'd be better to have a perfect bone stock set of fenders to make a mold off of. Any slight differences in topography in my fenders -- even though it works out perfectly for my car -- may look screwy on somebody else's car. Does that make sense? Anyways...yeah...how many people are interested in that front splitter? Or fenders for that matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I believe roostmonkey is making fenders. Those things are already so light... but maybe... If you do do a front splitter I would find a complete setup that is smooth with front, mid, and rear sections of far larger appeal. Yes it is 3 times the work, but that is what it takes to make these aerodynamic modifications "worth it" imho. I would THINK the effectiveness of any of those one pieces alone would easily be much less than 1/3 of them put together. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 The difference in weight for the fg fenders and ccf fenders would be pretty minimal... But I really dont think most people are looking for a full underbelly pan. Besides it being super expensive to make and realllly expensive to ship from what Ive read in the windtunnel, underpans can be somewhat unsafe unless you have done alot of other modifications to the car aerodynamically. (race car- and then they would have made their own to fit their own needs) As for the front splitter, I was able to make a set of cheap turnbuckles to support them from parts from lowes and a machine shop. Either you could make them yourself or leave it to the buyer to do it. You could also support it by bolting it to the metal strapping rather than the soft urethane. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=132254 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffGarcia77 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Yes, fenders. Definitely fenders. That's a great place to start. You'll sell as many as you can make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texis30O Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I would like a front splitter. I understand about the not wanting to do the one-off stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnoutZ Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I would as well be interested in a front splitter... as long as it fits the msa type 3 airdam... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFive Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Okay, right now we're looking at several different options including a front splitter, cowl, and popup hood access things. We did talk seriously about the interior panels and headlight buckets, but I think they'd have to wait. We did have some ideas for the headlight buckets and embedding lexan/acrylic into the mold to actually seal them, though that would make replacing the lights a pain. But to get us started, those are the things we're going to look at and check prices on based on material cost. Are there a lot of you guys interested in a splitter? It should increase front downforce at high speeds and we could test it in some of our windtunnels to try and optimize the overhang ratio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 If you can test it, sure! I would totally be interested in a front splitter. I really think that kind of stuff becomes MUCH more effective when it goes from the front all the way to the rear. If you guys can get it effective enough by itself then I guess thats cool and I would jump on it and just adapt my own belly pan and rear diffuser for the rest of the way (if I ever did it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Fenders and headlight buckets. Doors would be sweet.. but i could imagine a price of $2000 or more for doors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnoutZ Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Anyone have a mounted msa 3 airdam for measurements.. that is willing to measure for a front splitter? I have not mounted my airdam yet so the dimensions would probably be off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Im making a template for my xenon airdam lip so If someone with the type 3 would come forward I can send them a template to see how my design would fit the type 3. Also on the topic of a flat simple spoiler I made a quick "prototype". It kind of broke when I bolted it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsaprothing Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 very high lack of love for 280zx's in the CF area. only thing i've seen carbon for the zx is the hood. like on beta motorsports they have CF hood and hatch and other stuff for 240s and 280s and such but only a hood for the zx headlight buckets would be really cool in CF There's really lots of business in CF for the first gen personally, I think you guys would get a lot of business from the 2nd gen crowd from the lack of availability for CF parts. but that's just my 2 cents anyways, hatch, headlight buckets, T-TOPS!, hood vents, and FENDER MIRRORS! I think would be really cool. especially the t-tops and fender mirrors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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