those are really cool. i like them.

(ares...you have PM).

 

well put macgyver. its amazing how expensive specificly molding stuff is. and though theres maybe 5-10 people in this thread that thought it looked good if it actually happens, immediatly half will disappear. then of those that are left, half will decide its too expensive, and then finally you have 3 or 4 people still interested, but they all have a different change theyd like to see.

its hard to take these risks for individuals like macgyver or myself. I dont know about him, but most of what I do is a hobby, If I had to put a price tag on my labor, itd be approx 5$ an hour. I may be a poor college kid, but theres better ways for me to earn money. with that said, I dont mind in the least, its fun. but still, stuff like this is difficult, and time consuming. I cant afford to lose money on a hobby.

you might or might not see one come floating out of here in the future(I get bored and make crazy stuff, i.e. the LED tail light) might or might not have macgyvers LEDs in it. itll probably be expensive. and most likely, it will be one of a kind.

 

right on macgyver i feel you on that one.

 

those are sick when you get em up and running send me an email pleae at tcandelario@csuhayward.edu

 

Very well said MacGyver, now a days most import tuners wants aftermarket parts at such ridiculously low price which just cann't be reasonable if the manufacturer don't produce at least 5,000 of each parts to cover their expenses, not to mention profit. However, 350Z is a much smaller market then those Honda, Mitsu,..etc market and it's unique, this is the main reason Evo-R Inc. "started" the company doing ONLY 350Z parts. We love Zs and have many ideas for new parts for the Z but the time, man-power, profit margin, and financial limits force us not being able to produce every idea we have. Trust me, the profit margin is really not that high for the Z parts compare to other more popular cars.

The housing moldings (exceed OEM quality) for our Front Concept LED cost us more than $12,000 USD not to mention the cost for the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) for it too. Have we make enough to cover the cost....no, but why do we do it, because we have a passion for the Z. Passion is really what drives us to make all these Z products even though profit should have been our first priority! Sorry for the long talk.

 

heh I can beat that, I breifly looking into injection molding a custom LED tail light.

50grand.

ouch. *dont expect to see a custom tail light from me... ever lol*

 

While I still may not be able to make it cheap enough to warrant production, I can DEFINITELY beat that price! The real problem is you need 4 molds (unless you can somehow make the lights symmetrical), 2 for the clear outer plastic and 2 for the inner cover. For a simple design, figure roughly $5k/mold. With good drawings and measurements, I could probably have the mold CAD files made for a few grand.

If we could get like 100 people at $400 each, it may make a profit. IF...

 

Macgyver, Ive been waiting for your unit to light my interior, any idea when!? Gotta hurry up. Im ready when you are

 

I was thinking we would send in our OEM side steps and have them modded. Similar to what ares does with the sidemarkers. This way you dont get people who will leave you hanging in the wind because they themselves took the time and effort to send in their own sidesteps. At least this way you can accurately gauge buyer interest in your mod. People can always say i want this and I want that but when they send in their OEMs they are committed to the deal. I think going into molding and such is too much cost and time wise. As long as someone can keep it simple and cost efficient their is always profit to be made. And happy customers.

To all lighting techies:
What is clear flexible and can project light around bends? Fiber optic cable doesnt count since it is too expensive. We need something simple and cheap.

 

zzzealous007 if you have the time to heat and make bends the things that go on blinds ,you know the clear things that twist teh blinds open and shut, work perfectly cheap hollow on the inside all you have to do is noch the outside(just a scrath maybe a cm apart) of the tube with like a dremmel and it will carry the light all the way down the tube just a suggestion

my email is tcandelario@horizon.csuhayward.edu for when you get those done if you get them done 200 bucks aint sh*t for all that work

 

or thinner now that i think about if you could get find that stuff they make those glow in the dark necklaces out of clear tubing ?

 

fiber optic tubing isnt that expensive. I have some in the shop. but I dont see it being any good here. nothing will take that shape, the angles are too tight. fiber optics require gentle bends.

the tail lights, that was 50k for 4 molds; they said the 2 red translucent parts would be more to get a mold with that kind of finish.

400$ would be way too cheap, as stock tail lights are 600$ a set. or maybe you meant 400$ each. either way, then you still need the LEDs, not that that is a huge expense, they dont make curved PCBs that Im aware of. the exact design I had called for a curved surface right below the lens.

I dont think the demand is there for it anyway. maybe a few would bite, but most people with Z's seem to be a bit more performance oriented and expensive cosmetic mods arent high priority.

I just ordered a set of kickplates to screw with. Once I have a set to mess with Ill see what kind of modifications are possible, and what kind of LEDs will fit.

 

Fiber optic tubes are meant for point-source lighting or edge deliniation (for the high-loss tubing), not for this type of work. Any decent clear plastic with buffed edges will transmit the light its entire length, then you scuff up the areas you'd like the light to show through.

$50k for 4 molds is way too high. If all we're talking about is replacing the reflective red part then even $20k is too high. I think much above $400 is too expensive...just because they gouge you on the stock lights does not mean it's a good price...remember, Nissan make HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of these a year, so their mold cost was amortized away loooooong ago. They could easily charge $200 and still make a massive profit.

As you said, though, there is little demand for such an item. Therefore, the expense and time involved in starting it would be wasteful of your own resources.

 

I'm really tired of all you rice police. Everything nowadays can be called "rice". And now we have someone saying stock parts can be called rice, on a Mercedes no less!!! You idiots that call everything "rice" are boring, annoying, and tired. Shut your ****ing faces already. You are truly ignorant.

..|., there's a nice middle finger right in your eye.

I normally don't throw fits like this, but i get annoyed when I see a stupid picture of rice or some worthless comment.

 

go eat a bowl off rice and chill out. you sound like my wife bitching and moaning. also GO TO TIME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we have heard enough of you!!!!!!!!!!!!