Ok, I have a few projects that're on the front burners right now, but they all involve products that have been designed already by someone else. Now I know better than to copy something verbatim, and sometimes I think my own design based on the same concept is better, but I was wondering: how would you, the target market, feel about them?

I remember a year ago when I first made my dead pedal. The postings on superhonda and h-a were getting down right ugly at one point "mingster is nothing but a plagiarizer of RM racing's wonderful dead pedal", or "mingster is stealing business from REAL tuners like RM racing!", or worse yet "it's a freakin' cheap KNOCKOFF!" of course over time the hoopla died down, and i eventually had three variations of the same pedal: drilled through, counterbored, and RHD compatible with drilled through holes which I've sold to over a hundred owners whom I believe all pretty much enjoyed their pedal. There's also 2 versions of the aeroscreen, thanks to Rick Hesel and his advice , and at last, I hate to bring this up, but does anyone remember the price of the X brace before I started carrying them?

How have you guys changed your views toward me personally over the past year? Am I still just a "guy" who's fooling around cuz he has access to machine shops and he knows a thing or two about manufacturing and production? Or would I be taken more seriously if I was to introduce a line of products that MAY seem familiar? My background exposure in manufacturing is something I can truly be proud of, and I can shamelessly say that it's world class. The vendors I work with? Carefully chosen, Mil-spec and Boeing certified precision capable.

Just curious if I was ready to become that small tuner the way almost everyone started, or am I still just that "dude". Perception is everything in this business, I realized, not necessarily true performance, or even PRICING for that matter.

 

Hi Mingster

I paid $260 for the Spoon front lower x brace from jhk automagic. I think you're offering one for $190. If you made one of comparable virtue for $100 I think board members would owe you a debt of gratitude. I don't remember how much I paid for the lower rear Spoon brace, but it wasn't cheap and has no discernable effect on structural rigidity. If you could come up with something like the Spoon lower front X brace for the rear, one which does improve structural rigidity, I'd buy one from you. It seems to me that the Japanese parts for S2000s are priced at mucn more than 4x cost. US manufacturers follow suit. If you could cut our costs for parts of comparable or better quality, I'd send you a thank you note.

2x6spds

 

I see you as 'still just that "dude"' and I think you should work to change that. Import Developments everyone! Say it three times!

There's nothing wrong with a bit of 'inspired development' if it means the consumer benefits. I think we in the western world call it free trade.

And while you're at it, how a bout an improved X-brace that hinges in the middle scissor-like so it can be shipped easily

 

yeah, but that would negate the effect we were looking for, n'est pas?

 

Richard,

I just bought my first accessory for the S2000 I still do not have yet. The Muz mat. I'm happy.

You are an S2000 owner. Whatever you put out, I will believe in. If you can manufacture an X-brace or whatever that will replace the Spoon version and you can sell it for far less, I would most definitely buy it from you.

I'm still confused as to what ID does, but it sounds like you're trying to link group buyers with products either developed by you or someone else.

It'd be cool if you could give everyone a quick summary in concise terms of what you do, want to do, etc.

 

Ahhh, so you are thinking about it!!!

 

Rich, pay special attention to distribution practices, both yours and your potential competitors. Ideally, we would hope a product would need to be good to succeed, but good products can easily get snuffed out by bad distribution tactics and/or get locked out of particular markets due to distribution limitations beyond the seller's control.

What I'm alluding to is, look around for good products to "copy" that have hitches in their distribution methods or policy.
Easy kills!
I personally would not, in any way, look down upon something along those lines, period. I

 

Mingster, I whole-heartedly salute your shameless and crass commercialism! You know what they say, "If someone builds a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to their door."

 

Finally a use for those faux air vents in the front bar

 

Go for it Mingster, I'm 100% behind you - I hope you can use your sales through this forum to springboard into the big time - you're not a dude any more.

You're right about the perception issue though. That's why I won't buy any of this "tuner" gear - I don't believe I'm competent enough to be able to sift through all the "claims" manufacturers make for their products and be able to pick the stuff that really works.