dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

updated 3/13/2012 - added video to the top post and weight information...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAkqzVmllw

today i'm bringing a spare roof we have at N1 to a top secret facility in the sf bay area for production evaluation...

anybody interested in high end quality pieces?

i'm starting with the roof because it is smaller and also trying to see if it's feasible do get things made in dry carbon. if this works out well, next items i will make will be dry carbon trunks and hoods. :-)

did some weight measurements on bathroom scale. the factory aluminum targa top is 10 lbs. each cast aluminum locking mechanism assembly is 3 lbs. panels and misc. = 2 lbs for a total weight of 18 lbs. if we only do the targa top piece estimated weight is 2.5 lbs or less. so savings of at least 7.5 lbs can be had.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

Top secret. Ha.
Heard it before. Things start off well then orders get backed up and then people vanish into thin air with people's money and orders unfulfilled.

What are YOU going to do differently?

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

if i tell you i'd have to kill you... you probably don't know me but i've been around since 1995 (see my .sig) and still going strong.

i'm not asking for anyone's money or anything. just getting this out there and doing exactly what i said i'm going to be doing. i won't have a clue on cost or anything until few days later... but i'm working with two of the top guys (one is a drag racing legend, look up Kosman Racing, the other one i'm not disclosing because it is business secret) in the business and i'm no slouch myself.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

Yet.

Like I said. I've heard this all before. All the name dropping in the world means nothing over the internet.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

ppstt what ever dude. why you hating on someone getting parts made for a platform that most company don't care about? get outta here son.

and you're damn right i will be asking for money because this is a business venture. eventually i'll ask for money but that's down the road.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

What part of this mess is technical? You posted in a TECH forum.
And you sound really really professional.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

when i deal with idiots i'm forced to lower myself to their level...

dry carbon will reduce the weight of the parts considerably and is a major part of function. if you don't understand that maybe you don't belong in tech. you might also want to see the video Mitsubishi made when they went with al. skin for Evo 9 roof instead of steel.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

Whatever man. You're in here hocking wares. The Marketplace is for that nonsense. You haven't DONE anything so all this is is a pipe dream and smack talking. No tech here. The process of dry carbon fiber is not car specific. You actually have NO parts to show, not even a prototype, so you're just all talk at this point. You should have waited until you had a real piece before you came in here promising BS. If you had come in here with a prototype AT LEAST you might be more credible. The ONLY way that this would be technical is from a weight savings standpoint. Don't need to see any video for a project you HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH to know that. Even as a build thread you have nothing to show.

And I guarantee that this "endeavor" will end up JUST LIKE all that came before. You gone and people wondering where their money or product is. best worst case scenario is that it goes no where.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

But in all seriousness.
The question was. How do you plan on doing business differently than all those that have showed up, promised big things, and then just vanished with people's money?

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

you have issues bro... i guess some ppl took your money before. maybe you have reading comprehension issues. i CLEARLY stated my objectives in the original post.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

No. I don't get scammed. I do my research. Kinda like what I'm doing now. Some people aren't so lucky.

Why won't you even attempt to answer the question? People will be interested in how you pledge to not rip them off while providing a superior product.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

you dunno jack about production evaluation i guess. it is figuring out the cost of the tooling, what type of tooling to use, cost per piece, production time... etc. etc. how much we should sell it for and the sales projection at various price structure... etc. etc. ask me in a about a week.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

I know. I just see that you aren't much past the "this would be a good idea phase". You aren't re-inventing the wheel. Dry carbon fiber products aren't new. Maybe you should have posted this in a week.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

This thread seems to be degrading rapidly.

Initially, it appeared to me as though the original poster was simply surveying fellow del Sol owners about a potentially useful (and not entirely cosmetic) modification that he was personally planning to investigate. I see no issue with this, if that was in fact the intent of the thread.

As far as I can tell, no items are being sold nor buyers explicitly solicited at this point. Therefore, discussions and accusations about potential business practices would at best be a bit premature.

I will assume that the original poster is aware that this is not the appropriate place to sell the product, if and when that time comes.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

name dropping time son.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...47727719_n.jpg

Martin Windmill... most people have no idea who he is. Neither did I until recently. But he is the man behind Kosman Racing and he fabricated some of America's best pro stock class drag bikes.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...58620235_n.jpg

My buddy's wild creation! It looks something straight out of a Japanese anime. The fenders are all dry carbon pieces... super light and super strong.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...09651006_n.jpg

Kosman Racing participated in MotoGP in the 1980's and actually did well. Designed and built by Kosman Racing right here in California!

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAkqzVmllw

made a short video about my company and this project.

did some weight measurements on bathroom scale. the factory aluminum targa top is 10 lbs. each cast aluminum locking mechanism assembly is 3 lbs. panels and misc. = 2 lbs for a total weight of 18 lbs. if we only do the targa top piece estimated weight is 2.5 lbs or less. so savings of at least 7.5 lbs can be had.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

Well if everything comes together, and its structurally sound and all that, I know I'd be interested in one.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

At what cost though?

I can think of MUCH better ways to shed that weight that cost a lot less, taking a hearty dump is one.

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

Me too!

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

so been a while.....u try making it or anything???????

Re: dry carbon (pre-preg) targa roof for our del Sol's...
 

first estimate was $5000 for the molds. which imo is quite high for the targa top which is fairly small in size. now if $5000 quote was for hood or trunk tooling, then i might agree but for the targa top, heck no.

i need to go there and negotiate for a better deal... he also haven't given me per piece price yet.