The financing for the Frugal Fiero tail light project is completely financed. This will now allow the project to move forward.
Funding allows for a tool that will be capable of making many, many lenses.
The first order will be made up of 50% clear decorated lenses. Clear lenses, clear smoke lenses and decorated smoke lenses will make up the other 50% The quality will be better than the OEM lens in several ways including quality of plastic and some very minor structural changes you will likely not even notice Lenses will be sold in sets only. I said I would keep the Frugal Fiero Owners in mind so the price will hover around $375 for the clear, decorated lenses. See histogram in next posting. Undecorated clear Lenses will probably hover around $350, undecorated smoke around $370 and decorated smoke around $400 Lenses will be distributed through EBAY and a popular distributor. EBAY will have all four models available however, when the special edition lenses are gone, well, they are gone until or if another order is placed. It is estimated to take six months before the initial batch is ready but I believe it would be more accurate to say nine months. Development will begin to move more quickly with vendors knowing it is financed
Lenses are for off-road use only. Prices and dates are best guess estimates. It will be necessary to buy sealant that seals the lens to the reflector housing.
For the next few days I invite my Frugal Fiero Friends to offer constructive comments, discuss concerns or ask questions. I will address all I can appropriately.
------------------ Goody
The beauty of a solution lies in its simplicity
[This message has been edited by kgoodyear (edited 01-24-2018).]
My vendor is telling me six months but I believe it to be more like nine. I have made my timeline a priority now price has been established, but not at the cost of quality. Start saving your funny money and check under your seat cushions and between the seats of your car for change.
My vendor is telling me six months but I believe it to be more like nine. I have made my timeline a priority now price has been established, but not at the cost of quality. Start saving your funny money and check under your seat cushions and between the seats of your car for change.
Outstanding progress! I am impressed with your progress and cannot wait to see the reviews when you send a set out for evaluation. 9 months is a very realistic time frame, so hold on to that thought, and do not over promise, and everything will be fine.
Let me give a very brief overview of the QA protocol.
The vendor that builds the tool and injects the lenses has a set of tolerances far, far more stringent than anything most people can measure. These tolerances are submitted to us before the process even begins. Experts look over these tolerances and make sure they are appropriate.
They build the tool, shoot some samples and send a set to me, a retailer and finally to the project manager. For the retailer and me, we simply put them on a car and make sure they fit nicely and then we toss them around the shop and abuse them just to see how tough they are. All information is relayed back to the project manager for his opinion.
My project manager will use his sensitive instruments and do what he does and make sure the tolerances are within the preapproved perimeters. If we all sign off I and I alone will pass or fail the prototypes. We have 48 hours while the tool sits on the press to report back our opinion. If I approve they inject the first batch. If we decline, they make adjustments and resubmit and so on.
------------------ Goody
The beauty of a solution lies in its simplicity
[This message has been edited by kgoodyear (edited 01-24-2018).]
If this project works out, could you please consider also re-manufacturing the GT quarter windows with the correct factory curvature??
It depends if I make money. While I do love Fieros and Frugal Fiero Fans, I'm not in this just for fun. My intentions are to remove the seed money at some point and probably use profits/seed money to fund other projects.
There would have to be some serious contemplation to determine just what is the next most needed project and how much it would cost to make it.
I have to admit, I have air scoops on my wings so I dont have that obsession to have OEM wings,
Let's see how this works out first and then we will talk.
If you have anthing close to compeltion or a prototype to let people see hands on, the 35th show/weekend might be a great place to showcase that. That is about 7 months away
Let me give a very brief overview of the QA protocol.
The vendor that builds the tool and injects the lenses has a set of tolerances far, far more stringent than anything most people can measure. These tolerances are submitted to us before the process even begins. Experts look over these tolerances and make sure they are appropriate.
They build the tool, shoot some samples and send a set to me, a retailer and finally to the project manager. For the retailer and me, we simply put them on a car and make sure they fit nicely and then we toss them around the shop and abuse them just to see how tough they are. All information is relayed back to the project manager for his opinion.
My project manager will use his sensitive instruments and do what he does and make sure the tolerances are within the preapproved perimeters. If we all sign off I and I alone will pass or fail the prototypes. We have 48 hours while the tool sits on the press to report back our opinion. If I approve they inject the first batch. If we decline, they make adjustments and resubmit and so on.
A very good QA protocol.
I wish I was closer and could be there when the first shots come out of the mold, That has always been the most exciting and best part of my career in injection molding.
If you have anthing close to compeltion or a prototype to let people see hands on, the 35th show/weekend might be a great place to showcase that. That is about 7 months away
That sounds like a great idea!! Can you tell me about what, where and when?
I wish I was closer and could be there when the first shots come out of the mold, That has always been the most exciting and best part of my career in injection molding.
If you have anthing close to compeltion or a prototype to let people see hands on, the 35th show/weekend might be a great place to showcase that. That is about 7 months away
Probably the perfect place to do it
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 01-25-2018).]
Originally posted by Spadesluck: I assume these are a direct replacement for our current lenses then?
I'm not real sure what you mean by "direct replacement " but the lens will be just like the original except for the method of decoration and there will be no rib on the inside.
The first order will be made up of 50% clear decorated lenses. Clear lenses, clear smoke lenses and decorated smoke lenses will make up the other 50% The quality will be better than the OEM lens in several ways including quality of plastic and some very minor structural changes you will likely not even notice
What do you mean by "decorated"? I'm assuming that means the standard PONTIAC lettering, on the opaque background?
Are you going to offer any custom lettering or script? Or opaque, with no lettering at all? (I expect that custom options will come at a premium, of course.)
What do you mean by "decorated"? I'm assuming that means the standard PONTIAC lettering, on the opaque background?
Are you going to offer any custom lettering or script? Or opaque, with no lettering at all? (I expect that custom options will come at a premium, of course.)
Hey Raydar!
Decorations are anything that block out the light. For instance, the negative part of PON or the TIAC or the perimeter of the lens. One of the reasons I am making clear lenses is so end users can customize their own graphics. On my car, I am going to have a Horned Toad on one side and FIERO GTP on the other.
I think it could be kind of a pain for me to do custom graphics on this end. It would be best for the end user to take their idea and lens to a sign shop and have a mask made to their liking and then spray paint it with appropriate paint and remove the masking.
There are limited numbers of different types of lenses. The first batch will be 50% decorated on clear and the rest will be clear, clear smoke and smoke decorated. The clear, smoke and smoke decorated may not be available except on EBAY.
Hope that answers your question. ------------------ Goody
The beauty of a solution lies in its simplicity
[This message has been edited by kgoodyear (edited 01-25-2018).]
GT quarter/fast back windows are the same thing, those are the next most needed item..Don't know what a scoop is you are talking about. I'm not trying to interrupt your great announcement, just only to mention the obvious need for the GT side, rear, quarter, what ever you want to call them if it is possible for you and your team to create them, most all of us GT owners will purchase them.. Curtis
I have an LED idea that has been kicking around in my head for a long time now. With clear lenses this can be an easy build. VERY interested at the moment...
GT quarter/fast back windows are the same thing, those are the next most needed item..Don't know what a scoop is you are talking about. I'm not trying to interrupt your great announcement, just only to mention the obvious need for the GT side, rear, quarter, what ever you want to call them if it is possible for you and your team to create them, most all of us GT owners will purchase them.. Curtis
Hey Curtis thanks for the input. It seems this is a popular request. What you and other frugal fiero fans need to do is revisit this after I have my seed money back.
I have an LED idea that has been kicking around in my head for a long time now. With clear lenses this can be an easy build. VERY interested at the moment...
Hey Tony. This sounds interesting too. Thanks for your input.
While a bit digressive, I am absolutely fascinated with the great ideas peculating to the top of the wish list.
I'm not real sure what you mean by "direct replacement " but the lens will be just like the original except for the method of decoration and there will be no rib on the inside.
This rib will not be in the new lens.
Hope this answers your question.
Goody, is your design of these lens required not to have the rib inside?
I would suspect the rib is there so the inner PON / TIAC red inserts and the taillight brake / signal / reverse light insert won't move around; keep it in place. How will your design inside the lens keep these OEM parts from moving?
Goody, is your design of these lens required not to have the rib inside?
I would suspect the rib is there so the inner PON / TIAC red inserts and the taillight brake / signal / reverse light insert won't move around; keep it in place. How will your design inside the lens keep these OEM parts from moving?
Keep up the great work !
fierogt28,
WOW great catch! You have brought up something that has totally slipped by us! I took a closer look this morning at the "assembled" lens and sure enough, that rib acts as a support and a way to stop light from bleeding over into the Fresnel lens. Thanks for catching that!!! I will bring this to my project manager's attention immediately.
Your discovery has also made me revisit our QA protocol.
Originally since this was part of the decoration we assumed it was a rib in there to help hold that side of the decoration against the lens.
A lighting manufacturer can choose to tint their lamps, have them tested, and if they meet DOT requirements, then they can claim DOT compliance, with the tint.
The problem arises when an end-user modifies DOT-compliant lamps (such as with tint), but does not get the lamps re-tested. The lamps were tested one way, but you're driving around with the lamps in another configuration. That's the problem, not the tint itself.
