Carbon Fiber Hatch

[FunkyBuddha]

I would be interested, not sure how soon you are planning for this to take off but I would like more information.

What type of weave?
Overall weight compared to a stock hatch?
Does it come with the lexan/glass windshield?
Is there an option for either one vs all of them being the same?
Will it have the stock moldings above the license plate and inside handle?
Will it still take a rear windshield wiper?
How is the inside of the hatch framed? Will it decrease the survival rate if the car is rear ended?

No emblems right?

I'm with this guy. I don't think a carbon hatch is safe enough in a crash though. Depends on the frame. I mean we're not exactly driving F1 cars with F1 engineering. We're just slapping some "plastic" hatch on and driving in an uncontrolled environment.

 

[Mr. Win]

What are you guys expect the hatch to do in an impact? Its the same circumstances as a CF trunk lid.

 

[RatLabGuy]

im sure that not having a rear window is illegal somewhere....

Def in NC - no specific requirement for a rear window. The truck in my sig passes like that every year.
How else would a convertable pass?
Ironically, also (in NC) no specific requirement for a FRONT windshield, hahaha. Yo DO have to have windshield wipers, though!

Re: No window - this might cause you legality problems. Here, the rule is that you have to have rear visibility unless the vehicle is "a truck or other utulity vehicle" (van, big wagon etc). And in those cases, you MUST have the big wrap-around side view mirrors.

Lexan is great stuff, BUT as mentioned it wil lscratch.pit easily (at leat much more than glass). I know many guys w/ Lexan on front and/or rear of their off-road trucks, because of the previously mentioned flexibility. It will look great for a year or two... but as it accumulated pits/cratches, will look like crap.
This is really only an issue if a DD - or you Northern guys prone to scraping off snow/ice (no defroster).

 

[lil_red_wagon]

i would definitely consider one. i have been looking for a while but i can't find them for my car. find one for a honda all day long but not for a pr5. let me know something as soon as you hear

 

[EMPIRE]

I can get it done we just need 15 people to actually want to get this and it takes the company 6-8 weeks to have it all done. If people want to finance it instead of paying for it with their cash let me know I know a finance company
that will fax or e-mail you an application and you fax it back in within the hour they will call you and let you know if your approved for the loan.

i would definitely consider one. i have been looking for a while but i can't find them for my car. find one for a honda all day long but not for a pr5. let me know something as soon as you hear

 

[Thekid760]

I think I speak for most when I say that i'd want to see an actual prototype installed on a P5 with pics and weights, the whole shibang before I gave any money.

 

[EMPIRE]

I know everyone wants to see a hatch done in carbon fiber and everything like that but I'm not going to spend $1200 dollars to get one done for myself when I can mine done along with 14 other people for $600. Wouldn't you agree.

I think I speak for most when I say that i'd want to see an actual prototype installed on a P5 with pics and weights, the whole shibang before I gave any money.

 

[MakeMeGoFast]

So ask the company doing this, to throw a bone on the back end of this deal, seeing how you would be getting them all this business on this forum. close to 8500 worth of it. and possibly alot more if this is a good product

Basically its up you EMPIRE. unfortunately anyway you look at it. people around here dont have 600 to take chance on something that is not proven. just look what happened in the recent GB for custom cams. prove its good and there will be no problem selling them

 

[EMPIRE]

I agree with you on that.

So ask the company doing this, to throw a bone on the back end of this deal, seeing how you would be getting them all this business on this forum. close to 8500 worth of it. and possibly alot more if this is a good product

Basically its up you EMPIRE. anyway you look at it

 

[iracemine]

errrr... not sure about having no window at all but I would take one and put in lexan or have a window guy come out and pop mine out and put it in the new hatch. for a GI buy of $600 could sit comfortably in visa land.

I have been looking for one a while and can only find two one of a kinds. so a proven product, count me in!

 

[ELUSIVEP5]

i would be very interested as this is the them of my P5. and have no problem with paying for it. Dont mean to sound like a broken record but I agree with alot of people here that i would like to see what it looked like first.

 

[ELUSIVEP5]

One more thing when are you planning to start selling this

 

[EMPIRE]

One more thing when are you planning to start selling this

Not enough interest for the Hatch to get made.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Considering the year long disconnect from this thread, I'm goin with they abandoned the idea.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Not enough interest for the Hatch to get made.

Was a prototype ever made so people could see what they would be ponying up the cash for? Bet that woulda generated some interest.

 

[EMPIRE]

Was a prototype ever made so people could see what they would be ponying up the cash for? Bet that woulda generated some interest.

Vis racing was the company that was going to make it. They did not want to make a prototype because they wanted all the money for the 15 hatches. They said it costs them $3000 just to make a mold. If there is no interest in the product then they said it is not worth their time.

 

[iracemine]

no. on the other Mazda forum they tried to start a group buy so they can start up a prototype and then a production, and no one wants to put money in until they see the final product. so its still a no go.

 

[EMPIRE]

I would spend the money to get a prototype done. If the prototype is good enough for people to want it. I don't think that many people would even buy it then.

 

[RatLabGuy]

Lets be honest. The only way something like this will actually happen is if somebody REALLY believes in it, and is willing to pony up a snotpile of $$ up front, knowing that it will take awhile to pay off.
You have a hard time getting 10 all at once now, but if this is something that there really is a desire for, then over time, there will be more than 10... 20, maybe even teh 50 target.
This is what all businesses deal with on startup.
So what has to happen is, somebody that really believes in it, ponies up and flat out buys 15 at $600 each. Then over the next year or two, sells them at $700 each or whatever. When those are gone, they go back to the manufacturer and buys more, thsi time for much less cost - but the sale price remains the same. Seller finally makes some $$, people get the hatch at a reasonable price, everybody wins.
This is basic business 101.

 

[iracemine]

not many but I think enough to recoup a investors upfront capital.