Idea for a mod

[reunited]

I have an idea for a mod which would be both functional and attractive. A purchaser could justify its (low cost) purchase for either reason, but the fact the fact that it does both leads me to believe this would be a high volume product (as mods go.) Guess: 20% capture of z owners if they new this mod existed. This could be a low number.

Question: Which manufacturers/vendors with knowledge of plastics and carbon fiber are ETHICAL, professional, quality oriented, etc.?

While I could do this myself, I would rather partner with a company.

Thanks in advance--
Bill

[anthonyy]

Honestly, your best bet is doing some digging.
Google search, yellow pages, library resources, and hitting the phones.
Research the company that you are interested in partnering with and look for partner reviews.

THEN... you can come to this forum and market it as a sponsoring member.
You have to realize though... the 370Z market is NOT THAT BIG!!!
Personally, I would never get business advice from a auto enthusiast forum... people online can be pretty ruthless sitting behind their computer screens.

[Cmike2780]

Seriously, just tell us what it is. There are only so many body mod's you can do and I'm sure it's probably something we've all seen before. My guess is a fuctional front splitter, rear diffuser, rear wing or canards..... which someone has already tried.

[reunited]

I simply wanted to know which suppliers are respected by forum users. I know that some suppliers, while always appreciated for their efforts in serving the z community, have not always been reliable, customer service oriented.

I wanted to buy a similar product and after several hours of googling came to the conclusion that the product does not exist. Sort of similar products exist for the 'vette which realize the functional benefits but not the appearance benefits.

Why not just state the idea? Several reasons:

1. There are different ways this could be done ranging from quick and dirty to the way it should be done. I state the idea here and I've lost control over how it should be done.
2. I want/need lots of things to keep my mind occupied. Doing the mechanical drawings, approving first articles and the like for me is not work, its fun. If I state the idea, there's a good chance I won't be involved and thus no fun.
3. I like the sense of accomplishment that comes from getting the idea to instantiating the idea in actual materials. Just getting the idea doesn't do it for me.

Hey, this is not a cure for cancer (unfortunately). Its just a neat idea that easily and with a sense of style actually solves a minor problem and enhances the z's interior.

My guess is that you would slap your forehead and ask yourself why didn't I think of that. But the devil is in the details to do it really well. And that's the "special sauce" that I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about.

The question is still open: Who's a good vendor/supplier?

[reunited]

Its an interior mod.

[lemon-fresh]

Originally Posted by reunited

Why not just state the idea? Several reasons:

1. There are different ways this could be done ranging from quick and dirty to the way it should be done. I state the idea here and I've lost control over how it should be done.
2. I want/need lots of things to keep my mind occupied. Doing the mechanical drawings, approving first articles and the like for me is not work, its fun. If I state the idea, there's a good chance I won't be involved and thus no fun.
3. I like the sense of accomplishment that comes from getting the idea to instantiating the idea in actual materials. Just getting the idea doesn't do it for me.

Hey, this is not a cure for cancer (unfortunately). Its just a neat idea that easily and with a sense of style actually solves a minor problem and enhances the z's interior.

My guess is that you would slap your forehead and ask yourself why didn't I think of that. But the devil is in the details to do it really well. And that's the "special sauce" that I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about.

1. That is a very antiquated outlook. Unless someone runs out and somehow patents your exact process (highly unlikely) you haven't lost control of anything.

2. No one is keeping you from making the drawings.

3. See 2.

I think you are just afraid of someone stealing your idea which in this day and age is a pretty old school way of thinking. The community will be open (supportive) with you when you start being open with them.

Or we can keep playing 20 questions.

[Apoc370z]

Oddly enough, majority of the knowned companies that make aero kits/interior parts are in japan. There are only a few local vendors that do carbon fiber/fiber glass work. You will have better luck if you do a search around where you live.

Look through the sponsors section for companies that do cf/fg mods

[Cmike2780]

Jeez...talk about being paranoid. You came here asking for help, but won't specify what it's for and get defensive when someone ask. You don't have to reveal what it is, just give us a general idea so we can help.

...and we get it, you have cancer. I hope you get better, but you make it sound like you want us to feel sorry for you.

[Cmike2780]

Since its an interior piece, you could try Carbon Fiber Element, a forum sponsor.

[Apoc370z]

Now i am curious.. What do vettes have that we dont?

[cheshirecat]

OP, it's kind of hard to help when we don't know what you're talking about.

I understand you want to keep the idea to yourself, but you have to understand that even if you have the product first, replicas will always happen if your idea is worth emulating.

That being said, if you're looking for a supplier or distributor of custom-made (or even pre-fab) carbon fiber interior pieces, you are going to be hard-pressed domestically. If they're good, they're usually custom-made/low-volume operations or they're crap. You'd have better luck finding a supplier based out of east Asia.

As far as Aero kits go, there are plenty of companies. Some of the better ones are Shine, Seibon or even VIS if you're looking for mass production over quality/fitment.

Perhaps you could contact the Corvette company that you were talking about and ask who they use?

[koffeegy]

I would suggest trying to patent your idea first and then approach the companies and see who bites. Remember to consult a lawyer before you sign any and all paperwork. I suggest this just to cover yourself so that they don't pour sand on it before/if they try to screw you over. Just my


Good luck in whatever you are trying to produce.

[Sibze]

In for updates to see this this ever actually comes out.

[reunited]

Here is the genesis of the idea and the idea itself.

Whether I think it is a good idea or not, is not important. The marketplace is the only important arbiter of the worth of an idea IF it is properly executed.

The idea came to me the other day while I was detailing my car. I'm pretty obsessive about the exterior of my car, not so much on the interior. Just me, always been this way. (FWIW, I really like Adams's stuff.) But on this day, I was doing the interior and, of course, the door "pull" (part of the armrest) was soiled, again. I went on line to see if there was a leather or other material which would wrap around the pull. There were actually very few, one was for the 'vette and had a logo stitched in it.

Of course, you could just wrap it with cloth or something else. If simply fashioned out of plastic in the shape of a "C", there is the likelihood because of how your fingers grip this part, that the plastic cover would come off upon closing. Also, from a tactile standpoint, your fingers would feel the space where the "back" parts of the "C" would come together. I thought there might be a better way which would provide a higher quality feel to the backside. Furthermore, there had to be a way to fashion this so that it could simply slip over the pull to install (no disassembly of any part) but which would not slip off upon closing or "move around". It would have to be seen and felt as if it was part of the original door assembly.

The idea also allows the purchaser or the vendor to have one SKU and the purchaser could choose or subsequently change its appearance. Same product, with a different insert, could be carbon fiber, or any color to match interior/stitching etc. The piece could be very slightly textured to reduce fingerprints, etc. If you look at your door you can probably see how this piece could be angle-cut to follow the lines of the door.

So, in a nutshell, its a "pull" cover that:
- protects the pull from soiling. Other than your shift knob and steering wheel , this is probably one of the areas that gets touched the most by your hand. Look at your car, is this area soiled? Would it look better if this part of the pull was trimmed out carbon fiber?
- accepts different colored inserts including carbon fiber. Colored inserts could have Z emblem
-can be installed/de-installed in less than a minute
-owner can change the appearance of the pull in less than 2 minutes
- looks and feels like OEM equipment
-does not pull off upon closing
-may not show fingerprints
-has a quality feel to the inside of the pull (where your fingers are)

So that's it. Just an incremental improvement mod. Some people might like the look. Some people might like the idea that over time their door doesn't look ratty. And when you sell your car, the interior looks better cared for.

The details are in the fabrication.

Satisfied now??

I am very disappointed in some of your comments. I'll get over it.

If you think the concept is good then it comes down to HOW the idea is executed.

There are really terrible ways of doing this and one or two imaginative ways to do this in an extremely cost conscious yet with a very high quality look and feel to it.

I didn't want anyone taking the idea and screwing it up.

I particularly didn't want my idea executed by a company (like some here) who over promise, over commit, don't respond. I also don't like this group buy stuff ...if I get ten people we'll build it. Then the thread goes on for days and the initial people just wait and wait until the magic number gets hit. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A PRODUCT (and you're in this business) JUST BUILD THE FOCKER IN A SHORT MANUFACTURING RUN.

If I cared about the money, I wouldn't have written this.

[Sibze]

I'm sorry, I think I'm slow. I don't get it