Quote:
Originally Posted by Sven7
CCS Trans grad here working Alias at the big three. I think it'd be a cool design project, but not an easy business plan. As others said, you'll really have to sell it on the aesthetics side, then say, "by the way it'll increase your MPG by 10%". Almost no one's going to spend hundreds of dollars for unpainted high-MPG body panels.
Look at this- GPRauto 92-95 Civic Closed front end
Without the lip, it would be an awesome ecomodding bumper. It's even good for racing, on a popular platform for both. But for $350, they have only sold six of them (I'd buy one at $50). You need volume to get the cost down, but you need sales to get volume.
My advice would be to build an aero kit for your own car, style it really well (and tastefully), and calculate the fuel savings. If someone wants another, use your leftover plug and make one.
A fun paint scheme helps. You should have seen me rolling around the CCS campus in this...
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Thanks for your comment Sven,
I actually know that over the years the Jojo Callos style front end for the red civics was very popular. He ended up not doing good business and everyone ripped off his stuff and now it is all scattered to different fake replicas, but yes could be a good base for a efficient bumper for aerodynamics w/o the lip. Quite simple. Honestly, there are different types of enthusiasts- the ones that do it right and buy the real stuff, and those who do it on the cheap and buy the replica stuff. So $350 for a ftp front bumper is cheap if it is original design- heck- dc5 owners buy Backyard Special and Mugen bumpers for $1000 + even though the rsx isn't a expensive car. Getting your product to the quality that people will respect it and pay for it is another thing- which you point out.
That is quite the crazy paint job! I am particularly fond of the Kanjo Racer 90's style paint schemes
Quote:
Originally Posted by darcane
I live near Seattle, and what I see is a lot of really expensive hybrid or electric cars (Tesla, Lexus hybrids, Cadillac Escalade hybrid, etc) to show off that the owner is "green". They don't care so much about the economy of the car, as much as they do about the appearance of being an environmentalist.
While it is probably a very small niche market, you may be able to leverage your paper mache molding process and market the body panels as a "green" product for improving your hybrid or electric car. The car owner will never recoup the cost of the body modifications, but if it's just for the image of being green, they may not care.
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I find your comment the most inspirational, and I think it makes the most sense for what I have going with a material and the statement the product makes, in relation with matching it with the type of car buyer who would buy into it/ appreciate it for what it can do for them.
Thank you