996 Turbo LED Taillights- how can we get em made?
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I would pay around 1k ...
There may be enough wide body cars out there to justify a production run at 1k. I think we could get more than 50 to commit on this forum alone.
Don't give up hope, 12 year old car ?, didn't Porsche produce 996 wide body cars until 2004 ?
Don't give up hope, 12 year old car ?, didn't Porsche produce 996 wide body cars until 2004 ?
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Was playing around with a one-off custom fabrication, but then lost interest. Basically, I merged a 997 all clear led cluster with a 996 wide body housing. They look like a hybrid. 997 cluster behind 996tt lens. Looks great when light-up. Was a lot a work and $$. Got one lamp about 80% finished and then thought that some company in China might actually make some. Doubt it will happen. Maybe I pick up where I left off... ?
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You guys need to settle down and not be such guppies. This is why Porsche parts are so expensive.
*IF* anyone ever makes these things the wholesale price on them would be approximately $175. This is what the about equally rare E46 Vert LED tails wholesale for. Regular Coupe/Sedan E46 LED tails wholesale for $125.
These are wholesale costs in the USA. They are less than that for the importer buying them from DEPO.
Keep throwing out $1K - $1.5K prices and that's exactly what you'll pay some fisherman who puts the hook in your mouth if and when they are actually made.
Jim
*IF* anyone ever makes these things the wholesale price on them would be approximately $175. This is what the about equally rare E46 Vert LED tails wholesale for. Regular Coupe/Sedan E46 LED tails wholesale for $125.
These are wholesale costs in the USA. They are less than that for the importer buying them from DEPO.
Keep throwing out $1K - $1.5K prices and that's exactly what you'll pay some fisherman who puts the hook in your mouth if and when they are actually made.
Jim
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Just to elaborate on why I don't and why I'm pretty freaking sure no one ever will make these....
I think total widebody 996 production numbers came to about 25000 units. I can't remember if this is a US only or worldwide number. In any case, it doesn't much matter.
Why?
Because typically less than 1% of all car owners will update their headlights or taillights. That's all together. I'm not making this number up. This is religion in the light manufacturing business.
So you have a market of 250 people by normal standards. Sure, I know, a couple of hundred on this boar said they would buy. But as someone in the business, let me tell you, when it comes to money, there's a lot of talk. Don't even get me started when the wife gets wind of this.
And the car went out of production in 2005. The 250 person market is probably less.
Reality is, even if you pay the $75,000 cost for the mold, the light manufacturers, the good ones anyway, are going to tell you to shove off because they have limited resources and they are going to use them for lights that will sell 1000's, not dozens or hundreds of units.
But lets say you find someone to make them. The minimum run is 500 parts for something this size. They will cost you hundreds each because the manufacturer is not going to eat the development cost for packaging. And you have to test them to make sure they work and last.
Lets keep dreaming and suppose you have millions stacked around doing nothing so you do it. Your costs are going to be about 350 per set for 500 sets of the actual lights and 75000 for development. That's $250,000. So your price of $1000 per set is not that far off. But you will never sell 250 sets. It just won't happen. And it sure won't happen with my money.
If you want to do it, I can give you the contacts. The E46 took me and the factory 2 full years to perfect. And perfect means a 5% failure rate. Warranties are required.
The above does not count DOT certification. You might get your shipment in without it. You might get it seized at the port. Its a 50/50 shot. DOT cert will take 6 months and another pot of money equal to the first one.
These lights are not happening.
Jim
I think total widebody 996 production numbers came to about 25000 units. I can't remember if this is a US only or worldwide number. In any case, it doesn't much matter.
Why?
Because typically less than 1% of all car owners will update their headlights or taillights. That's all together. I'm not making this number up. This is religion in the light manufacturing business.
So you have a market of 250 people by normal standards. Sure, I know, a couple of hundred on this boar said they would buy. But as someone in the business, let me tell you, when it comes to money, there's a lot of talk. Don't even get me started when the wife gets wind of this.
And the car went out of production in 2005. The 250 person market is probably less.
Reality is, even if you pay the $75,000 cost for the mold, the light manufacturers, the good ones anyway, are going to tell you to shove off because they have limited resources and they are going to use them for lights that will sell 1000's, not dozens or hundreds of units.
But lets say you find someone to make them. The minimum run is 500 parts for something this size. They will cost you hundreds each because the manufacturer is not going to eat the development cost for packaging. And you have to test them to make sure they work and last.
Lets keep dreaming and suppose you have millions stacked around doing nothing so you do it. Your costs are going to be about 350 per set for 500 sets of the actual lights and 75000 for development. That's $250,000. So your price of $1000 per set is not that far off. But you will never sell 250 sets. It just won't happen. And it sure won't happen with my money.
If you want to do it, I can give you the contacts. The E46 took me and the factory 2 full years to perfect. And perfect means a 5% failure rate. Warranties are required.
The above does not count DOT certification. You might get your shipment in without it. You might get it seized at the port. Its a 50/50 shot. DOT cert will take 6 months and another pot of money equal to the first one.
These lights are not happening.
Jim
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well, that's just lousy since i was gonna ask the guy upthread in ventura to move forward with his one off build,.. send it to china and i was gonna drive down early next year along with my 1000 bucks to san pedro and pick up the whole crate of these suckers for all of us right off the boat.. but now, forget it.
seriously though. you're probably right. ain't gonna happen.
seriously though. you're probably right. ain't gonna happen.
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Just to elaborate on why I don't and why I'm pretty freaking sure no one ever will make these....
I think total widebody 996 production numbers came to about 25000 units. I can't remember if this is a US only or worldwide number. In any case, it doesn't much matter.
Why?
Because typically less than 1% of all car owners will update their headlights or taillights. That's all together. I'm not making this number up. This is religion in the light manufacturing business.
So you have a market of 250 people by normal standards. Sure, I know, a couple of hundred on this boar said they would buy. But as someone in the business, let me tell you, when it comes to money, there's a lot of talk. Don't even get me started when the wife gets wind of this.
And the car went out of production in 2005. The 250 person market is probably less.
Reality is, even if you pay the $75,000 cost for the mold, the light manufacturers, the good ones anyway, are going to tell you to shove off because they have limited resources and they are going to use them for lights that will sell 1000's, not dozens or hundreds of units.
But lets say you find someone to make them. The minimum run is 500 parts for something this size. They will cost you hundreds each because the manufacturer is not going to eat the development cost for packaging. And you have to test them to make sure they work and last.
Lets keep dreaming and suppose you have millions stacked around doing nothing so you do it. Your costs are going to be about 350 per set for 500 sets of the actual lights and 75000 for development. That's $250,000. So your price of $1000 per set is not that far off. But you will never sell 250 sets. It just won't happen. And it sure won't happen with my money.
If you want to do it, I can give you the contacts. The E46 took me and the factory 2 full years to perfect. And perfect means a 5% failure rate. Warranties are required.
The above does not count DOT certification. You might get your shipment in without it. You might get it seized at the port. Its a 50/50 shot. DOT cert will take 6 months and another pot of money equal to the first one.
These lights are not happening.
Jim
I think total widebody 996 production numbers came to about 25000 units. I can't remember if this is a US only or worldwide number. In any case, it doesn't much matter.
Why?
Because typically less than 1% of all car owners will update their headlights or taillights. That's all together. I'm not making this number up. This is religion in the light manufacturing business.
So you have a market of 250 people by normal standards. Sure, I know, a couple of hundred on this boar said they would buy. But as someone in the business, let me tell you, when it comes to money, there's a lot of talk. Don't even get me started when the wife gets wind of this.
And the car went out of production in 2005. The 250 person market is probably less.
Reality is, even if you pay the $75,000 cost for the mold, the light manufacturers, the good ones anyway, are going to tell you to shove off because they have limited resources and they are going to use them for lights that will sell 1000's, not dozens or hundreds of units.
But lets say you find someone to make them. The minimum run is 500 parts for something this size. They will cost you hundreds each because the manufacturer is not going to eat the development cost for packaging. And you have to test them to make sure they work and last.
Lets keep dreaming and suppose you have millions stacked around doing nothing so you do it. Your costs are going to be about 350 per set for 500 sets of the actual lights and 75000 for development. That's $250,000. So your price of $1000 per set is not that far off. But you will never sell 250 sets. It just won't happen. And it sure won't happen with my money.
If you want to do it, I can give you the contacts. The E46 took me and the factory 2 full years to perfect. And perfect means a 5% failure rate. Warranties are required.
The above does not count DOT certification. You might get your shipment in without it. You might get it seized at the port. Its a 50/50 shot. DOT cert will take 6 months and another pot of money equal to the first one.
These lights are not happening.
Jim
i think if there were 100@1500 there could be a place to do something as a fan project.
I used to be intue industry as well and you nailed it, most ppl would flake out anyhow.
btw i think US numbers are 10000 turbos and 4000 C4S.
laughable!
