So as of now this is purely just a "gauging interest" on the possibility / options of creating an OEM Style Fiberglass Hardtop. I've always thought this would be a great product, as not everyone has over $3k to dish out for a hardtop. Through my work I met a guy who is a "fiberglass expert" sort of say. He also happens to be avid car enthusiast. He has over 20 years of experience working with it, and has won awards on "kit car kits" he's created. He even designed a full body corvette out of fiberglass that some of my car-guy co workers have seen in person...and confirmed is great work. He currently has a contract with the company I work for.

So we got to talking about my s2k and he noticed I had a hardtop. I told him the price of the OEM top and he couldn't believe it. I told him about the multiple replica mugen , spoon, tops, etc. Well after he took a look at my hardtop, he said he could make a mold off of mine easily and make the quality / fitment top notch. And after further discussing it, if this were to happen we both agreed there would be no rear window / headliner included in the sale. Would be up to the customer to source that from honda or else where. He was hesitant on the shipping aspect of it, due to the glass. If it happens to be demanded by you guys, we could look into it. Maybe a glass or plexiglass option.

I showed him a link to the izzy custom brackets (what I currently have on my car)

http://www.izzyscustomcages.com/S200...pBrackets.html

I swear by these things, I've had this hardware and OEM. The Izzy hardware is a lot better. I could possibly look into contacting Izzy for a purchase of many hardware sets for these hardtops, to offer them with hardware as well.

So now I need to hear from you guys what you would be willing to pay for an OEM Style Fiberglass Hardtop with no rear window / headliner. I'm going to go to him with interests /input you guys have and go from there. There is a very good possibility of this working out if the interest is there, and a good potential for us to move a lot of these. I will at that point, become a vendor on this site and open this up with a special introductory group buy price. So please let me know what you guys think. I'm really ready to streamline this project!

-On a side note, we also discussed the possibility of creating a fiberglass ap2 rear bumper with a single outlet exhaust hole. If there's anything else fiberglass minded you've wanted to see that hasn't hit the market yet, let me know and I'll discuss it with him.

I look forward to seeing what you guys think. Thanks!

Edit: After reading some comments I've decided to give a few options to see what the most popular option would be: Please let me know which you think would be most desirable.

1) Fiberglass hardtop w/ hardware and weatherstripping. No Window included.

2) Fiberglass hardtop w/ hardware and weatherstripping. Plexiglass window included.

3) Fiberglass hardtop w/ hardware and weatherstripping. Glass Window included.

After seeing what everyone really wants I'll go over my options, and see what the best option would be.

Here's pictures of some of his work. He mainly works on Corvette body parts. Aside from cars he's also worked on projects for Universal Studios as well.

 

The top sounds like a good idea, however unless he is an actual "business" you may have difficulty getting people to fork over thousands of dollars to "some guy" you know. There is already an ap2 single exhaust bumper in production else where. I do however like the idea. Good luck.

 

match this price:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...f=184&t=758786

and i'd sell my mugen and get one.

but you'll also need a lot of fitment pictures and maybe some production/quality pics in order to sell.

chaseraero and gtmotoring are also about to come out with an oem style top, in carbon and frp, so you'll have competition if you don't hurry. but don't rush quality since both of them make good ****

 

 

Yea I will work on getting more info one the experience of this "guy" lol. At this point it's more about seeing if there is a definite market in something like this, and what $$$ it would be worth. Once the interest is there, and the first top is done I would take many very detail pics on fitment / quality / etc before anyone forked over any $. I would even like to get local testimonies on it from s2ki.com members etc.

I need to come to this guy with a $ figure people would be willing to pay. Basically he needs to see if this would be feasible / worth his time sort of say. Which I agree...it would have to be a profitable venture. I'm only looking to fill that void of making an OEM style hardtop available to people without the insane price tag, as of now the only "cheap" stlye is Mugen knock offs.

 

I figure the price should around that point. Around $1,000 was what I told him I thought people would be willing to pay. Of course I don't know how much the materials would cost. But that seems like a good target to go for.

I was aware of a carbon fiber OEM style hardtop being made. But someone else is making an FRP one? I didn't know this...I searched but can't come up with it. Please link me if you can.

 

The OEM style FRP is not made yet Chaser Areo is looking into it, as well as GT Motoring. And 1K is about what you can expect people to want to pay, once you factor in shipping and the hardware such as window, paint. Most people will find they weren't far off from the cost of a painted, metal, lined, OEM top used.

Also just to let you know the price of the link listed above includes hardware and window.

 

Thanks for the insight. That is a great deal for the Mugen style if the fitment is good. I know it's with a plexiglass rear window though. Do you think plexiglass would be a good option to explore? Maybe it's just me, but I would prefer glass. And this is just assuming, I think $1k w/ hardware, and a plexiglass window is doable for a first time group buy price. I'm pretty sure Chaser is offering that price as an "introductory" deal.

And that's another reason for this thread...I'm trying to gauge whether a product like this would be worth it or not. I agree that if once everything is said and done...if the price is close to Honda's it's just not worth it. I own a genuine OEM hardtop myself, and know its a fine quality piece. The cheapest you can find a new OEM hardtop w/ hardware is from Hardtopguy...which $3,000 shipped. I want to release something that would hopefully be very close to cutting that cost in half once everything's done, and the top is on your car.

 

if you can get it around 2000 painted with hardware and window then i'm sure you'll still make good sales (and unpainted with hardware and window for around 1k introductory would be great). or even 2500 or 3k for a carbon fiber one would probably interest people. (i think the only oem carbon replica is like 10k with dry carbon from amuse)

you can always offer glass as an upgrade option for those of us, like me, who have to use an ice scraper.

and as camoy said, the oem replicas aren't produced yet but they're both on chaseraero and gtmotoring's to do list

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...f=193&t=759702
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=758802

 

If you got it to half of the OEM price of 3K that would be 1.5K shipped with plexiglass and hardware, I think you will find them selling pretty well.

 

that corvette looks hideous (but that's cuz i don't like the old ones...)

i say have all three options, definitely offer plexiglass. then add glass as an upgrade. and there's no point in not offering no window if you already have the top lol

 

Honestly, I think you are wasting your time. You will have no chance competing with the larger manufactures that I’m told have been working on this already. These companies already have the correct equipment, business licenses, insurance, shipping requirements, and know how.

 

I'm down for a hardtop I allways wondered y no one made a oem replica. The main thing that I look at when looking at a top is price and fitment. Cause if u do the math hen u buy these replica tops and after the hardwear window paint it comes out to be almost as much as the oem.

 

In small niche market like ours, you'd be surprised how many smaller companies come out with great products that give the more established company a run for their money

 

One other thing to consider is the fact that these other companies that are also making "cheaper hard tops" might not follow through with the plan. Not saying they won't make the oem replicas, but they might realize they can make a little more off of it, and the price might be higher than most people are expecting it will be. I think we can all remember this happening with products (not just car products) multiple times in the past.

If this does become the case, which it very well could, then you will see a lot of business from the people that don't want to pay the couple hundred extra just for a well known brand.