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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ 914 Billet Hubs
Posted by: Britain Smith Aug 5 2005, 03:24 PM
After all the moaning and groaning about the release of the billet hubs which allow 914 owners to run vented rotors on 3" spacing struts, who has a set? They have been available in the "Club Store" for some time now and I haven't heard about anybody getting a set and installing them. Have I just been blind to the great posts about this product, or is this another case of people bitching until they are available and then backing out when it comes time to purchasing them?
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/sources/ecProduct.php?ShowProduct=30&PHPSESSID=278279be7b7c00a7d032a3615c0f204a
-Britain
Posted by: Travis Neff Aug 5 2005, 03:30 PM
I have only heard from John Rogers and Bernie about their installs.
Posted by: Britain Smith Aug 5 2005, 03:32 PM
Yea, I heard about John's track car but not about Bernie. Ok, so that is two people...where are all the others. I should pull up the old thread with all the people who said they would be in for a set.
-Britain
Posted by: Travis Neff Aug 5 2005, 03:40 PM
Bernies are here
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=32865&hl=hub
I wouldn't be surprised that only two or three people have them, they seem like a great product at a comensurate price - but cost is a factor with the cheap bastards here - me inlcuded.
Posted by: john rogers Aug 5 2005, 03:54 PM
As a mtter of fact I took the race car for a spin the other night around Chula Vista and they still work great. I figure people will buy them when they cook their brakes with those solid rotors and the pedal goes to the floor during a race or driver's ed!
Posted by: Britain Smith Aug 5 2005, 03:57 PM
There was a long thread (http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=13654&st=0) that had all the people who kept asking for updates and such.
Here are a few people who were SO interested in them before they were available...any of these people purchase a set?
jwalters
LouisCypher
Korijo
wrpspddrvr
skline
joes
Root_Werks
lapuwali
cha914
guywan914
PorscheTom
ldino21
wilchek
Van914
Rob Ways
morphenspectra
grantsfo
Jake Raby
splashfx
Thorshammer
Cloudbuster
BatAc
type47fan
bperry
pman
spunone
jdogg
Posted by: SirAndy Aug 5 2005, 04:06 PM
| QUOTE (Britain Smith @ Aug 5 2005, 02:57 PM) |
| Here are a few people who were SO interested in them before they were available...any of these people purchase a set? |
nope, as soon as the hubs were available all those guys went into hiding ...
which sucks in more than just one way.
i must know because i backed the whole production crap-o-la with my very own $$$ ...
live and learn ...
Andy
Posted by: lapuwali Aug 5 2005, 04:17 PM
I'm still interested, but Mueller is planning on a running change to fix a problem with the seals not staying in the hubs, and I'm not in a position financially to buy them right now, anyway. I WAS in a position to buy them when they were first being talked about, which was quite some time ago. The thread being pointed to, and my post on it, was 14 months ago. Things change...
Posted by: Mueller Aug 5 2005, 04:39 PM
| QUOTE (lapuwali @ Aug 5 2005, 03:17 PM) |
| I'm still interested, but Mueller is planning on a running change to fix a problem with the seals not staying in the hubs, and I'm not in a position financially to buy them right now, anyway. I WAS in a position to buy them when they were first being talked about, which was quite some time ago. The thread being pointed to, and my post on it, was 14 months ago. Things change... |
the re-work is minor, I just have to remove about .005" or so from the ID for the dust seal...just a quick spin in the lathe and bingo
I totally understand the "that was then, this is now" don't worry, we'll have for you when you are ready
Posted by: jonwatts Aug 5 2005, 04:54 PM
Just curious, was the price determined before or after all those people threw their hat in the ring of fire? That makes a big difference for a lot of people. Not that the price is outrageous, it looks like a great way to go once you price out the whole 5-lug conversion.
Andy, I think you'll get your money back, it just may take longer than you hoped. Any chance they could be marketed through any of the PP's out there? (Pelican Parts, Paragon Products, etc.) I'm not sure how important it is that the club have an exclusive on them, just as long as people know where they came from.
Posted by: mharrison Aug 5 2005, 04:54 PM
I was one of many who posted in that thread. I was hoping for a run on 5-lug hubs......
oh well...
Posted by: morphenspectra Aug 5 2005, 06:07 PM
i converted to a five bolt set,didnt need em any more. 
i did a whole conversion plus fuchs for about 900.00,but i also live next to a large parts supplier who gives me really good prices on parts.(gary emory)
james
Posted by: rdauenhauer Aug 5 2005, 06:11 PM
| QUOTE (SirAndy @ Aug 5 2005, 02:06 PM) | ||
nope, as soon as the hubs were available all those guys went into hiding ... which sucks in more than just one way. i must know because i backed the whole production crap-o-la with my very own $$$ ... live and learn ... Andy |
hold it there lederhosen boy!
I put my $ where my mouth was
only the intended recipiant was/is the LE and its still in
rubbermaid containers and on jack stands
Posted by: DNHunt Aug 5 2005, 06:22 PM
Hey Mike. Is it possible to get the hubs undrilled so you could put in your own studs. It would be nice if you didn't have to run 4 or 5 X 130? I know one would still has to deal with the rears. You're not the only guy that can dream of something different.
Dave
Posted by: McMark Aug 5 2005, 08:03 PM
Anything is possible Dave. And it wouldn't be much work to CAD. But the issue is finding someone to cut small batches or getting enough pre-orders ($) in a short amount of time to make it happen. Mike and I were talking about this last night.
Posted by: Bleyseng Aug 5 2005, 08:15 PM
| QUOTE (mharrison @ Aug 5 2005, 03:54 PM) |
| I was one of many who posted in that thread. I was hoping for a run on 5-lug hubs...... oh well... |
me too and I gave up and bought 911 struts,hubs etc.
I was never interested in the four bolt hubs
Posted by: andys Aug 5 2005, 10:15 PM
| QUOTE (SirAndy @ Aug 5 2005, 02:06 PM) | ||
nope, as soon as the hubs were available all those guys went into hiding ... which sucks in more than just one way. i must know because i backed the whole production crap-o-la with my very own $$$ ... live and learn ... Andy |
This is an unfortunate risk you take in these circumstances. Makes it tough to to fund everything up front when un-certainty usually follows. These are painful lessons. With my own custom trailing arms, I simply decided that I'd make them for myself and not count on anything to follow. I had to buy larger quantities of steel stock just to get the exact size I needed.......Paid $140 for some large diameter thin wall steel tubing, but only needed two 6" pieces. Now I have 9ft of tubing left over
Andy
Posted by: bperry Aug 6 2005, 01:46 AM
Hey, I'm one of the guys that followed the hub thread pretty closely
and got blasted by Brad for simply asking for an estimated price
tag and availability date 1 year after they were "almost done".
It always did seem odd to me that R&D time and money would
be spent and prototypes produced without ever having a target
market price for the final produt.
I still think it is a very interesting product, but now that I know the full
price and its not really the complete conversion kit as eventually
proposed, my interest level is reduced.
Not gone, just reduced.
--- bill
Posted by: ChrisReale Aug 6 2005, 03:52 AM
:THISTHREADISPOINTLESS:
Posted by: Jake Raby Aug 6 2005, 11:44 AM
While they were being "Finished" I ended up swapping the entire suspension under my car.... and the wheels/tires..
I know how it feels to develop something, have a ton of interested parties- then they all disappear..
So I'll buy my set anyway- Who wants the $$?
Posted by: Mueller Aug 6 2005, 04:21 PM
| QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Aug 6 2005, 10:44 AM) |
| While they were being "Finished" I ended up swapping the entire suspension under my car.... and the wheels/tires.. I know how it feels to develop something, have a ton of interested parties- then they all disappear.. So I'll buy my set anyway- Who wants the $$? |
Jake, thanks for the offer, but you have no obligation to purchase a set just to have them sit on your shelf*. The time to market delays did kill a few sales as well as lack of communication between us and the machine shop (not all where to be made 4x130, we wanted some 5x130 as well as blank for custom patterns)
too late now, it's time to move on and we just need to get the word out on these to more people....
Hell, I'm guilty of saying I want to buy something as not follow thru...your DTM for example, I said I'd buy one and luckly they are not on the market yet since I am not in the position to purchase it....
We all learned from this and hopefully Andy and the others that put a few K into the project can re-coup thier investment...
*easy for me to say since I have less than $100 vested in the project, I will be doing the re-work on my dime....
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