latches. i posted in the interior parts wanted sectoon too. not sure of the exact name. its the plastic trim that the latches fold into. i want one with no cracks.

88 Iroc Vert.

Thanks.

Rob

 

wow, good luck on that. I am talking with someone on getting some of those remade too I also have the wear stickers almost finished more than likely the end of the week they will be for sale. The trim pieces may take a while to get right but he seems to think it will be easy so hopefully soon it will all come down to cost on those though. I talked to a couple places about trying to get them done in fiberglass but they quoted me $3500 to make the mold and $1000 a piece afther the mold was made so I had to pass on that.

 

Yeah, it's kind's ironic!
What the most requested vert interior part? The front plastic trim piece.
What's the hardest vert interior part to find? The front plastic trim piece.
That piece far exceeds any other vert interior part for demand, but we have yet to find anyone willing to reproduce it. Profit is of coarse the main motivator, but whoever would be the first would likely have the market cornered. Plus, sales likely be more than one per customer as many (including me) would probably buy more than one in order to have a spare.

 

its hard to understand why more reproduction parts are not produced for these cars. there were so many produced from 82-92, you would think there would be a large demand. perhaps with interest in these cars increasing over the years, more will be made. it can be very frusrating for sure.

 

there is alot of parts being reproduced just not really for convertibles yet. they only did them from 87-92 and it wasn't GM that did the conversions so ASC would have had to get more reproduced and all the stuff for our cars is long gone. I still haven't heard a price on getting them done but I am sure it won't be cheap. but hopefully it will be reasonable. I would definitely be getting two of each for myself.

 

When you consider that they made about 2 million Hard top or T-top cars and around 30 thousand Convertibles MOST companies are going to go with the MILLIONS as there is a larger market...

John

 

That's where an independant company would step in to run a profit feasibility study. Reproduction costs vs potential sales vs profit margin (or loss). It could be done, anything is possible, but there's a good chance that the part's price might be fairly high (especially initially) due to the limited market. Would a customer still be interested in a $100, $250 or $500+ price tag for one piece of plastic?
So far it seems as though the loss risk has been to high for anyone to step forward . . . yet.

Any takers?

 

hopefully I will be doing them. I won't know for sure how much for a little while but yeah I am thinking it will be kinda high to start off with but I am trying to decide on what to actually use. I am looking at getting them vacuum formed but I really don't want to use the same type of plastic that ASC used but then again I do just so it would be correct. but I just think using something with a UV agent and having it a little more flexible would be better in the long run. they would still look the same though. what do you guys think so far?

 

I have considerd using mine as a template and make some out of Fiberglas, or carbon fiber, then Paint Black...

John

 

I thought about it too and I got a price for fiberglass and to make them look right it wasn't worth it considering the time to get the details into it. that's why I am looking into vac forming. possibly injection molding also.

 

Someone is making after market ones, a set just went on Ebay. The price is usually well over $100. I have actually seen them in a catalog and I believe I got the link in here. I bought a couple broken sets and just fiberglassed and bondo'd them. The finish is a bit different, but until I can get good reproductions it will have to do. Now carbon fiber would be hot. Frankly, if you have an original set, and want to keep the car original, I would buy a reproduction set and keep the originals put away somewhere until needed for either show or sell.

 

see if you can find the link. I have never seen them anywhere Hawks's tried them a couple years ago and gave up as far as I know. they are making the trim caps by the seatbelts but that is all I could find.

 

I think everyone is talking about the trim piece on the winshield where the visors attach. Not only do I need that piece but I need the piece that is actually on the top itself, where the latches are. Or do I have the understanding backwards. Either way I am looking for both pieces and yes I would pay $500 for the set.

 

I might be able to get them remade also. just have to see how much it will run. They will more than likely be thermal formed. (so they will be original) I will keep you guys posted.

 

You would be a hero to many!

 

jstoltz vbmenu_register("postmenu_3827518", true); ,

How serious are you about getting the two trim pieces made? I would be very interested in these pieces, as I am sure most of us would be. Is there any information or measurements you need? I am willing to help out.

 

Does anyone know if all of the 1987 - 1992 are the same or are there some variations... I know that some years they had a different type of latch, I am not sure if they changed the header pieces...

John

 

the header piece is the same as far as I could tell. The convertible top frame header is different 87 and 88 uses one and 89-92 another. I have the one for 87 and 88 but not the 89 and up on the frame piece and I have the windsheild header booth in good enough shape to make a mold. I am going to wait until Weds. to get ahold of the place I talked to here in town they make alot of big 3 components. they mainly deal with injection molding though and these will have to be thermal formed to be correct. so what it means is this will more than likely have a huge investment at first for the mold then it won't be as bad. He is talking with a few places so hopefully one of them thinks it might be worthwhile. I just filed bankrupt last month so I am working with limited resources ($$$) but I will do what I can. I got a few people that are willing to chip in on this project. I just got done doing a convertible decal project (semi done but not finished) which still isn't done yet either. But I am trying.

 

Too bad they made these from unobtanium. When available in very good shape they do bring lots of money (at least what I consider lots). A front bow garnish in great shape sold for $220 this week on Ebay - I have seen a number of nice header molding pieces on EBay sell for under $100. Fotunately mine are in good shape - just to be safe I removed them and epoxied all of the back then laid screen on the epoxy and pressed it down - should last as long as I do.

 

To have something injection molded is big $$$... Usually dies cost around $50K... THats why most people considered making them from fiberglas or carbon fiber...

 

fiberglass and cf is out too. I talked to a couple places about it and the one was 3500 per mold and 1000 for every part pulled from them. I told them they were smoking crack. thermal forming is going to be the way to get them done. injection molding is definitely out too. but thermal forming is for low production parts. I want to get quite a few made but less than 100,000 is still a low production run and when you consider that out of the 35000(rough guess) or so verts that ASC made from 87-92, how many are still around?

 

I would say you would very, very conservatively be able to sell 500 of these. if they were fairly reasonably priced, many people would buy two if they were 500 * 200$ thats a 100K. Id put up some money for an investment. can we take a poll somehow on who would definitely buy one and how much they would be willing to pay?
Rob

 

it sounds like a good idea but the only thing is it would have to be a poll on who would be willing to put at least a 50% deposit on them an not knowing the final price it would be kinda hard. It is extremely easy to say you would be in but usually when the time comes up to have the cash it is usually a bad time for most on the list. I have a couple people that can go in with me on this kind of stuff. The place I work (TKA Atlas, we make the crankshafts for Cummings and Cat some smaller stuff but those two are our main contracts) at is supposed to close next year and I really don't want to go to another factory job. I am calling a couple places tomorrow and hopefully be able to do something. If I can get them thermal formed I would sacrifice my originals for a mold as long as the repro pieces looked the exact same.

 

I have both pieces. They are not perfect, but not bad. I have taken pictures of the cracks. One on the part that mounts to the windshield frame, it faces towards the windshield, and two on the piece that mounts to the top, both at the screw points. I don't know if these are better then what people are trying to replace or not. Shoot me a pm if anyone is interested.

 

More

 

Are they identically on the GTA,s

 

"I am calling a couple places tomorrow and hopefully be able to do something. If I can get them thermal formed I would sacrifice my originals for a mold as long as the repro pieces looked the exact same."

jsholtz,

Did you ever have time to look into the trim pieces? Now that winter is here I looking start doing some more restoration work on my vert. I would really like to replace the trim piece on the top before the one on the windshield. Any info would be great. And if you need anything from me, I am more than willing to help out.

Tim

 

If you have patience they will show up on EBay - I have bought a near perfrect front bow piece for $210 and 2 header trim pieces, one very nice and the other in need to repair, $195 total for both shipped - keep looking, they will show up.