Poll: StarQuest Wheels On Other Cars - Picture Heavy

[Fuze]

Are you saying starquest peeps are cheapos? lol That's no mistery. That's been the reason why most of the independant aftermarket suppliers have been run out of this community.

 

I delivered a 300ZX to an aftermarket parts vendor in SoCal, they were gonna do R&D for various parts they plan on producing for those cars. I asked about the starquest, maybe some rads or intercoolers etc., I got a resounding "hell no, there's no money in those cars." I guess they did their research before

 

No doubt. Ironically, the only old vendor still around is Top End Performance, and they have been expensive since day one. A lot of SQ guys are kinda silly with their cheapness. Self fulfilling prophesy.

[NikoFab]

Are you saying starquest peeps are cheapos? lol That's no mistery. That's been the reason why most of the independant aftermarket suppliers have been run out of this community.

 

I delivered a 300ZX to an aftermarket parts vendor in SoCal, they were gonna do R&D for various parts they plan on producing for those cars. I asked about the starquest, maybe some rads or intercoolers etc., I got a resounding "hell no, there's no money in those cars." I guess they did their research before

 

What louse is saying should show you guys the changing dynamic of the SQ aftermarket...i.e. it's almost gone. We're approaching a tipping point with our cars to where the only people making things for them are going to be people who own them. I've got a lot of parts and things I want to do for the community. But because of the low volume, combined with the fact that many (not all) people won't spend realistic money, I have to take projects one at a time and very methodically. I'm sure other vendors would agree, when you only truly have around 300-400 active members, it makes it a risky prospect to thump down a ton of time and money on research and development.

[NikoFab]

No doubt. Ironically, the only old vendor still around is Top End Performance, and they have been expensive since day one. A lot of SQ guys are kinda silly with their cheapness. Self fulfilling prophesy.

 

It's a bitter irony. I'm all for trying to find a good deal, but talk and half-measures won't help us to keep our cars on the road and looking good in the long term. It's like you say Fuze, a self-fulfilling prophesy...by being "cheap" we're effectively killing off our cars.

[jszucs]

It's a bitter irony. I'm all for trying to find a good deal, but talk and half-measures won't help us to keep our cars on the road and looking good in the long term. It's like you say Fuze, a self-fulfilling prophesy...by being "cheap" we're effectively killing off our cars.

 

I think it's more people forgot these babys were a very highend (at least $ wise) and did have allot of stuff that was unheard of for 5 and 10 years after back in the 80's when new. It was amazing to be making 150 HP from a 4 cyl that didn't shake it self to bits in the 80's. Ive always looked at it with the sports car type montra of buy a sports car be a sport, or got to pay the cost to be the boss.

[Guest]

 

 

What louse is saying should show you guys the changing dynamic of the SQ aftermarket...i.e. it's almost gone. We're approaching a tipping point with our cars to where the only people making things for them are going to be people who own them. I've got a lot of parts and things I want to do for the community. But because of the low volume, combined with the fact that many (not all) people won't spend realistic money, I have to take projects one at a time and very methodically. I'm sure other vendors would agree, when you only truly have around 300-400 active members, it makes it a risky prospect to thump down a ton of time and money on research and development.

 

Yep, that and people trash talking, pulling out the pitch forks and torches on vendors for almost anything. Even vendors like Rock Auto, people are complaining about the quality of the parts or the shipping costs. Our cars came out 30 years ago, the parts that are left have been sitting in some warehouse for who knows how long. Decline in quality parts is to be expected, specially at rock bottom cheap bastage prices.

 

I gotta give it to vendors who have survived the test of time, enginemachineservice.com , Top End Performance, etc. This is tough, cheap, finicky, will turn on you like a mad dog, community. Maybe we should start another thread on this matter, just hijacked this one.

Edited September 13, 2013 by louswheel01

[jszucs]

Yep, that and people trash talking, pulling out the pitch forks and torches on vendors for almost anything. Even vendors like Rock Auto, people are complaining about the quality of the parts or the shipping costs. Our cars came out 30 years ago, the parts that are left have been sitting in some warehouse for who knows how long. Decline in quality parts is to be expected, specially at rock bottom cheap bastage prices.

 

I gotta give it to vendors who have survived the test of time, enginemachineservice.com , Top End Performance, etc. This is tough, cheap, finicky, will turn on you like a mad dog, community. Maybe we should start another thread on this matter, just hijacked this one.

 

IDK I think when you drop a G to get a mold made and you get promised a VIS quality level and they don't even wrap the edges let alone just make a FRP underskin and just mate the two together you have a right to B.

[Guest]

 

 

IDK I think when you drop a G to get a mold made and you get promised a VIS quality level and they don't even wrap the edges let alone just make a FRP underskin and just mate the two together you have a right to B.

 

Of course there are exceptions. Stuff happens.

[jszucs]

Of course there are exceptions. Stuff happens.

 

Unfortunatly it wasn't a stuff happens, that deal was a sham from the start.

[Burton]

What hood are y'all talking about? the MK1, or that CF one that came up a couple years before MK1? if it was the first, one, then yeah, that was a messed up deal. I don't recall MK1 claiming to make a VIS quality part.

 

 

In the end, we have what we have. If people complain about MK1 stuff, then they'll eventually do away with it all, and then there will be NO hoods... Good, cheap or otherwise.

[Convette]

I've been tooling with the idea of making a vent for our hoods that looks just like mine, only would be sold as a individual piece to cut and drop in... Have to check and see what cost on that will be.

[jszucs]

What hood are y'all talking about? the MK1, or that CF one that came up a couple years before MK1? if it was the first, one, then yeah, that was a messed up deal. I don't recall MK1 claiming to make a VIS quality part.

 

 

In the end, we have what we have. If people complain about MK1 stuff, then they'll eventually do away with it all, and then there will be NO hoods... Good, cheap or otherwise.

 

I'm talking the origional hood deal with Aiden. Only 3 were made I know of. I have one, I think one was sold on a car in CA and later wrecked or burned, and someoen else here has the 3rd one. I really lost track when it all fell apart when I pointed out allot of flaws.

[NikoFab]

IDK I think when you drop a G to get a mold made and you get promised a VIS quality level and they don't even wrap the edges let alone just make a FRP underskin and just mate the two together you have a right to B.

 

not sure what you're referring to, but I'd be pissed too

[NikoFab]

...and then there will be NO hoods... Good, cheap or otherwise.

 

Don't be too quick there Mark...remember that to-do list I told you about on the phone?!

[NikoFab]

I'm talking the origional hood deal with Aiden. Only 3 were made I know of. I have one, I think one was sold on a car in CA and later wrecked or burned, and someoen else here has the 3rd one. I really lost track when it all fell apart when I pointed out allot of flaws.

 

lol now I know what you're talking about

[Fuze]

Truth is, if you want super high quality CF hoods you should be ready to shell out a couple G's. I'm not talking about GP's here though. I paid $500 for my MK1 hood and I'm happy with it. It's light, still looks good after years, and fits perfect. Is the underside flawless? No. Big deal. I hear ppl trash MK1 all the time who don't even own the parts, I have 75% of their catalog on my car.

 

I used to talk to 101 Propose all the time, he left the forums because of the unreasonable BS with members and left MK1 shortly after the first run of coilovers, yes long before anything was around from D2. MK1 makes parts for a lot of cars, 101 just made Starion stuff because he HAD one, not because there's money in it. Can these same Dbags who complain, produce anything that rivals these parts? Still waiting to see on that one.

[Guest]

Truth is, if you want super high quality CF hoods you should be ready to shell out a couple G's. I'm not talking about GP's here though. I paid $500 for my MK1 hood and I'm happy with it. It's light, still looks good after years, and fits perfect. Is the underside flawless? No. Big deal. I hear ppl trash MK1 all the time who don't even own the parts, I have 75% of their catalog on my car.

 

I used to talk to 101 Propose all the time, he left the forums because of the unreasonable BS with members and left MK1 shortly after the first run of coilovers, yes long before anything was around from D2. MK1 makes parts for a lot of cars, 101 just made Starion stuff because he HAD one, not because there's money in it. Can these same Dbags who complain, produce anything that rivals these parts? Still waiting to see on that one.

 

This is what I mean. Vendors are chased out by those holding pitch forks and torches. And most often people with 0 experience with a product drop their 2 cents just to go along with the negative vibe.

 

I'm surprised MK1 still makes parts for our cars.

Edited September 15, 2013 by louswheel01

[NikoFab]

This is what I mean. Vendors are chased out by those holding pitch forks and torches. And most often people with 0 experience with a product drop their 2 cents just to go along with the negative vibe.

 

I'm surprised MK1 still makes parts for our cars.

 

I don't think that it's only the pitch-forking and torching that runs people off...but it certainly could be those things combined with the fact that we're such a small target group. I'm sure that other clubs bring out the lynch mob on vendors too...the difference is that there are still tens of thousands of their cars on the road. A vendor will put up with more crap if the market is substantial enough.

[jszucs]

I don't think that it's only the pitch-forking and torching that runs people off...but it certainly could be those things combined with the fact that we're such a small target group. I'm sure that other clubs bring out the lynch mob on vendors too...the difference is that there are still tens of thousands of their cars on the road. A vendor will put up with more crap if the market is substantial enough.

 

Exactly. That what I mean when I say allot of the owners need to realize this is not a cheep fun car. This is a very rare fun car. It's like owning anything else rare, like say a Grand National. You need to realize it's rare, and not expect anything to be avalable for it. When I wanted something and I wanted it high end, I knew going into it, it's going to be a custom made or hand made type item. And any time you get into that you got to pay the cost to be the boss.

 

I realized this very early on when I got my car. I though I would do a quick slop together rebuild. Then I relized how hard everything was to get (and this was when you could still get some stuff) And I made a choice. I looked at dumping it, and looked at keeping it. I kept it, so I had to shell out well over what the car could ever be worth. Most cars are money pits, specialty / rare cars are UBRE money pits.

[Burton]

Exactly. That what I mean when I say allot of the owners need to realize this is not a cheep fun car. This is a very rare fun car. It's like owning anything else rare, like say a Grand National. You need to realize it's rare, and not expect anything to be avalable for it. When I wanted something and I wanted it high end, I knew going into it, it's going to be a custom made or hand made type item. And any time you get into that you got to pay the cost to be the boss.

 

I realized this very early on when I got my car. I though I would do a quick slop together rebuild. Then I relized how hard everything was to get (and this was when you could still get some stuff) And I made a choice. I looked at dumping it, and looked at keeping it. I kept it, so I had to shell out well over what the car could ever be worth. Most cars are money pits, specialty / rare cars are UBRE money pits.

 

 

The biggest issue with cost that people don't think about is that products made in smaller numbers will cost more than the same part done in larger numbers. If it costs $2000 for the R&D and molds, jigs, and packaging, and it's spread over 100 parts, then the R&D cost per part is $20 before the part is ever even built. If you can only sell 10 parts, then each part costs $200 before you ever even make a part. Then, lets say the materials for each part cost $50... If you're building 100 parts, you can sell them for $70, but if you're only selling 10, then then you have to sell them for $250 to break even. That makes a big Catch 22...The parts would be cheaper if a lot more people wanted them, but since it's an obscure car, and not a lot of people want those parts, then the price is higher. The higher the price, the frewer the people willing to spend it.

[jszucs]

exactly but it's like noone seems to understand that. If I wanted an easy cookey cutter car Id go buy a VW and turn it over to APR....... errrr O wait I just did that.

[NikoFab]

The biggest issue with cost that people don't think about is that products made in smaller numbers will cost more than the same part done in larger numbers. If it costs $2000 for the R&D and molds, jigs, and packaging, and it's spread over 100 parts, then the R&D cost per part is $20 before the part is ever even built. If you can only sell 10 parts, then each part costs $200 before you ever even make a part. Then, lets say the materials for each part cost $50... If you're building 100 parts, you can sell them for $70, but if you're only selling 10, then then you have to sell them for $250 to break even. That makes a big Catch 22...The parts would be cheaper if a lot more people wanted them, but since it's an obscure car, and not a lot of people want those parts, then the price is higher. The higher the price, the frewer the people willing to spend it.

 

This is a great point and well explained. I have to go through this process on almost every group buy I do. Look at the history of my group buys.

 

Hatch spoiler: over 30 units sold

Floor mats: over 20 units sold

Front air dam: over 50 units sold

Wiper cowl: over 50 units interest

 

You have to have volume to combat the start up/initial costs. Once that's done, then it's easy peasy.

[viper1355]

I think the reason some people are so tight with money for these cars is because for a lot of them the SQ is a second sports car. For example both of the ones I've owned were bought from guys that also had American muscle cars. Both of those guys really liked the car, but they sold it so they could keep the muscle car.

 

To put that in perspective, I'm trying to do research and budget some one off custom wheels to put on the car. I know it will cost me about 3-5k just for the wheels, and I'm ready to spend that because this car is my only fun car. If I had, say, a 70 Challenger that I had previously owned, I probably wouldn't be looking at that type of money. I also probably wouldn't be looking at building an MPI motor or any of that.

[prototype78]

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af306/PROTOGENETIC2/20130528_175544.jpg on my civic lol

[87B71Brad]

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u626/gtxbrad/IMAG0244_zps9b934b0e.jpg

 

My Blazer from a yr ago 1.25 adapters out back. 1.5 adapters up front.

[NikoFab]

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u626/gtxbrad/IMAG0244_zps9b934b0e.jpg

 

My Blazer from a yr ago 1.25 adapters out back. 1.5 adapters up front.

 

that actually looks pretty darn cool