[SIZE=3]If you’re part of the groupbuy you should have just received an email from me. If you haven’t, please check your spam or email me directly.[/SIZE]
The second prototype has now been produced and test fitted on my car. So far I’m really happy with the design. To re-cap why I wanted to re-design the brackets:
- Original design didn’t extend far enough into the wing to grip it effectively
- Original design had a tendency to twist out of place when tightened
Additional benefits to the new design:
- Much more sturdy and reliable than the original
- Easier to install without someone to help you
- Brackets could be modified to be bolted thru the original holes instead of clamping like it does now
- Cheaper to produce
Downsides to the new design:
So, on to the pics… Here are the prototype brackets (one is drilled/tapped, the other is not because these are just for test fitting purposes). I’m going to try and work with the machine shop to see if they can round the corners for us without any additional cost.
Installed. Please note that I could not find the right size set screw at the local hardware store so cap head screws are pictured - don’t worry, the final product will include set screws. And each set will come with 8 screws. The bracket worked plenty well with 2 per side but it’s designed to use 3 per side and I will be giving 2 extra screws with each set in case you loose some.
I didn’t like the idea of the wing sitting directly on top of the paint on the hatch so I will be including a little padding with the brackets. In this picture I used some sheet gasket I had laying around and cut it to fit then used some adhesive to attach it to the wing. Others have used double stick tape here which is an added safety precaution which I don’t feel is needed with these new brackets. Plus with tape you’re adding a little more thickness and it doesn’t allow for you to easily remove and re-install. The gasket sheet I’ll be providing with each set of brackets will be a rubber cellulose instead of the paper stuff pictured here (which will be better for exterior applications where water will be present).
As you can see, it’s very thin and not noticeable once installed.
Now, to get on with the actual groupbuy portion of this post…
What’s included?
- 2 brackets (one left, one right)
- 8 stainless M5 8mm set screws (6 required + 2 spares)
- Rubber gasket material to be placed between wing and hatch
- Priority Mail shipping within USA
- Paypal fees
What’s the cost?
This will be dependent on how many brackets we make and what material we choose. I’ve got about $150 into the project already for the prototypes and this cost is factored into the pricing below. I’m not making a profit on these, I’ve rounded the prices up to the nearest dollar to make things simple but other than that you’re paying for my actual material/production costs. Additionally, I will be paying the same full price as everyone else for my set. We need to place an order of at least 10 sets for the machine shop to produce them at this cost. These are “worst case” prices, if we order more than 10 sets the price will come down a little. It won’t be a large discount (~$1-5 per set) so I’m not going to crunch those numbers until we get a final quantity at which point I’ll give everyone an updated cost.
Option 1: Mild Steel
10 Sets = $63/set
Option 2: Stainless Steel
10 Sets = $67/set
Option 3: Mild Steel w/ gold zinc similar to the OEM gold hardware that came on our cars (http://bit.ly/135jjgQ)
10 Sets = $73/set
*Cash pickup price will be ~$8 less than what you see above
**If ordering multiple sets you’ll save ~$6 on each additional set as I will not double charge for shipping
***Exact pricing will be determined after a final quantity and material are determined
Since all the sets will need to be the same (MS, SS or zinc’d) we’ll need to take a vote on which will be produced. You should have all already received an email from me with instructions on how to place your vote for which option we’ll choose. I’ll update this thread as soon as I start getting input from everyone. Please do not hesitate to post or email if you have any questions. Thanks!
[SIZE=3]Voting will end 12/21/14. I would like a final count of brackets to be made by 01/05/15 and will require payment in full no later than 01/09/15.[/SIZE]
