I am buying mirko splitter mold

[DocStruthers]

I agree, stronger material is key. But, it wasn't the FG that was chipping or breaking. The resin was chipping off of mine. Also, how many people are going to pay for a super splitter with an intigrated lip/skidplate? 5 people? I would imagine (before actually crunching the numbers) it would be twice as much as a FG splitter.

I was the first (to my knowledge) to make a skidplate/lip because of the massive chipping. When I complained, people said I wasn't driving my Contour correct. I made my lip/plate and the next thing you know, others started doing it.

ha yeah well around here if I drive my contour "correctly" i get honked and yelled at. I can't constantly be scanning the road for crap to mess up my splitter. So a skid plate is the best idea. The ones that said you are driving it incorrectly are foolish. They must not live in highly populated areas. I live in a VERY populated area. And we have terrible streets the majority of the time. I KNOW for a fact I will be damaging my splitter so I am gonna take extra precautions to keep it protected as best as i can.

I am thinking of buying a sample pack from this web site that has about 20 different types of fabrics. then I will epoxy resin each one.

I will have them bent at a 45 degree angle while curing.

then I want to test there strength and then durability against abrasion and rubbing against concrete and asphalt.

Should be a good test.

the sample kit is posted earlier in the thread with an image and a list of the specific fabrics.

 

[Nofrag]

Aren't spray on bedliners polyurethane? If so, then couldn't you put a release agent on the mold and spray the bed liner in enough coats to make it as thick as a factory urethane bumper? That would be durable, fast, easy and a whole lot cheaper than FG or any other composite. Then just sand the part, spray adhesion promoter, prime, paint, install.

 

[DocStruthers]

And to be honest a quality, stronger more durable splitter even out of C/F won't be more expensive then the one Mirko was offering. WITH top of the line $100/gal epoxy high temp resin.

C/F isn't that expensive and my God since the mold is already made that's the major cost already taken care of.

 

[Swazo]

Oh no, that is true. But making a hybrid with an integral skidplate would drive up the cost. 1/8" 2024-T351 Aluminum Plate isn't cheap in large enough sheets to do a solid piece with maybe a rolled lip. That would drive the cost up a lot, and that's the lowest grade I would use. 1/4" is almost twice as much.

If you just did a lip, it wouldn't be a good idea to make it integral IMHO. It would run the risk of ripping out of the splitter and causing a huge problem.

 

[DocStruthers]

I could just do a extra layer of c/f or even a seperate layer of kevlar or multiple layers of f/b at the bottom of the splitter. I have seen aluminum sheets at my local hardware store for rather cheap. I would most likely make it a two piece design. to save on cost and it would be BARELY noticable unless up close! I doubt I would do a lip I would most likely just round the edge a little. I've never seen a skid plate with a lip necessarily. Like I said limitless possibilities.

But to find our best route would be trial and error.
it WILL cost money on this whole project I know it would but the experience and end result will be invaluable.

 

[Swazo]

I haz picz

I ended up ditching the actual skid plate, come to think about it. I kept the aluminum lip because it was doing all of the work. I didn't care if the bottom got scraped up.
That is a cheap, cheap option for these. All I used was some small schlutter from Home Depot, slightly modified to where I could bend it around the Mikro's lip and rivit it into the bottom w/ SS rivits. Maybe $10 including the rivits. Then the only issues I had, were from the mirko being molded to the bumper. If it hadn't of been, it wouldn't have been a headache anymore.

 

[DocStruthers]

WOW I love your set up. wheels could be chanegd but that is my opinion. Looks G R E A T otherwise.

I wanted to do that as well actually is make a mold of the entire front (bumper and splitter molded together so there are no creases) then make it all out of C/F.

I am in love with C/F my goal is to have my contour with a c/f widebody.



OH. IT WILL happen

give me time.

and a cash tree, or two.

I like the lip. I would probably paint it black though.

 

[DocStruthers]

wow u did projectors to?

I found some inexpensive valeos on ebay I really wanted to get but i must wait.

 

[Savior]

Re: Front Splitter‏
From: Albert Mirko (mirkocar@garlic.com) Sent: Sat 11/21/09 4:56 PM To: Justin S (illkreations@hotmail.com)
I'm sorry but we're out of them and aren't making any more due to lack of demand...

I can sell you the mold if you want to find a mfr to make them for you..

Aw CRAAAP!

A few months ago I was deployed, so my sister flew in to help my wife move into our new house in my absence. She did great, except for moving my car to the new place... She managed to hit a big speed bump or dip or something godawful, and ripped off my beloved Mirko Splitter, continuing to drive forward as the front and rear tires ground the splitter into three jagged, shredded pieces. They were in a heap in my back yard upon my return.

I don't like the look of my SVT without the splitter, and had full intentions of buying a new one within a month or three. I just now discovered this thread (otherwise I would have thrown in the initial $50 requested donation for the mold), so if you guys get this deal up and running, whatever you make the new splitters out of, you already have 110% chance of me buying one very quickly. Just so you know.

There's still plenty of demand, what with all the road damage these things take, plus the idea of a carbon fiber or otherwise-upgraded "Generation 2 Splitter." I'm definitely pulling for this to work.

 

[DocStruthers]

Aw CRAAAP!

A few months ago I was deployed, so my sister flew in to help my wife move into our new house in my absence. She did great, except for moving my car to the new place... She managed to hit a big speed bump or dip or something godawful, and ripped off my beloved Mirko Splitter, continuing to drive forward as the front and rear tires ground the splitter into three jagged, shredded pieces. They were in a heap in my back yard upon my return.

I don't like the look of my SVT without the splitter, and had full intentions of buying a new one within a month or three. I just now discovered this thread (otherwise I would have thrown in the initial $50 requested donation for the mold), so if you guys get this deal up and running, whatever you make the new splitters out of, you already have 110% chance of me buying one very quickly. Just so you know.

There's still plenty of demand, what with all the road damage these things take, plus the idea of a carbon fiber or otherwise-upgraded "Generation 2 Splitter." I'm definitely pulling for this to work.

Yeah I know. I wrote Mirko asking if I could just pick a splitter up and he said he doesn't make um anymore and said he would sell me the mold. So i was like ok. And gave him a deposit. I KNOW If I made a handful out of F/B(or polyurethane) and some out of c/f they would sell. Maybe not right away but quick enough. If you still want to donate I am still taking them. I have another guy donating $100, supposedly.

If you donate you WILL be garanted a splitter by March at latest! Mainly because I wont get the mold until December and with holidays and moving in Jan/Feb. yeah TIME CRUNCH!

:dizzy:

 

[Savior]

So wait Doc, are you still the one buying the mold..? Or did someone else already buy it and we're trying to acquire materials now? What's the situation?

 

[Nofrag]

Aren't spray on bedliners polyurethane? If so, then couldn't you put a release agent on the mold and spray the bed liner in enough coats to make it as thick as a factory urethane bumper? That would be durable, fast, easy and a whole lot cheaper than FG or any other composite. Then just sand the part, spray adhesion promoter, prime, paint, install.

Would this not work? I'm not educated in poly part manufacturing, but it seems like it could be worth a shot.

 

[DocStruthers]

So wait Doc, are you still the one buying the mold..? Or did someone else already buy it and we're trying to acquire materials now? What's the situation?

Most likely I will be getting it. I am looking at a sample pack of 20-25 different types of fabrics and my friend and myself plan to test each ones strength and rigidty properties, etc. Basically I am still wiling to accept donations. And those who donate will be the first to receive splitters. BUT there will most likely be additional cost however I will not be charging anything for my time and labor. I will only charge for materials. Most likely costing each person 100-150 for a splitter. At most. Plus shipping. I am not looking to make money but I am not going to pay for your splitters. Yadig?

Would this not work? I'm not educated in poly part manufacturing, but it seems like it could be worth a shot.

Bed liner for a fact would be way to heavy IF enough of it was used for it to maintain a shape. It is designed to be sprayed onto a solid structure. Like a bed for example. It would work great if sprayed over a cheap fiberglass splitter that was mounted very securely. then sanded smooth. It wouldn't be to bad. Definitely interested in possible results. But I'd rather focus(SVT) on other materials. for now anyway. . .

Crystal?

 

[96contourSE]

I really hope this works out but from reading the 14 pages I see this deal heading south in a bad way.

Not sure where to start?? No business plan, no set price, doing it for free, no experience with materials, no funds to start up and so on…..

Have you added up the time you will have into making each one plus all the time communicating with the buyers? Don’t forget the time to package each one up and shipping it. You will also have development cost leaning what works best. You will have returns and defective products from time to time, you eat the cost here-and no way to make the money back doing it at cost. Possible marketing cost, Pay Pal or Credit card fees will also need to be factored in. Add all this time and up front cost and I don’t see this working out for “free” or at material cost.

One thing to remember when you give something away, most people will still expect the same quality and service as if they paid the full price. Can you offer that at your give away price, maybe for a few weeks? But after that it’s going to get old fast!

Say you give away at cost 5 a month. A conservative estimate on time for each one would be 2 hours per splitter. That includes every aspect of the product from production, reading emails, post in threads, to taking phone calls and shipping. So 10 hours at the very least per month you are willing to give away. And my bet is it’s going to be more like a part time job at the cost range you are setting right now. And the expense is all on you for the production, kind of like giving out a free loan to everyone that gets one a cost. And you already don’t have the $500 do buy the mold.

Maybe you could just set a price you could live with. Say $150 for production, $65 for shipping plus $40 for your trouble would be very fair, IMO. So you could sell the first two at $255 shipped and that would cover the cost of the mold. This would be a $90 savings compared to what we are paying now.

I will stop here because I could go on and on….. I only bring all this up because I don’t see this working out the way you have it now and I WOULD like to see it work. Good luck.

Louie

Most likely I will be getting it. I am looking at a sample pack of 20-25 different types of fabrics and my friend and myself plan to test each ones strength and rigidty properties, etc. Basically I am still wiling to accept donations. And those who donate will be the first to receive splitters. BUT there will most likely be additional cost however I will not be charging anything for my time and labor. I will only charge for materials. Most likely costing each person 100-150 for a splitter. At most. Plus shipping. I am not looking to make money but I am not going to pay for your splitters. Yadig?

for now anyway. . .

Crystal?

 

[boumacj]

Is thermoplastic alot more expensive than CF and FG?

 

[DocStruthers]

I really hope this works out but from reading the 14 pages I see this deal heading south in a bad way.

Not sure where to start?? No business plan, no set price, doing it for free, no experience with materials, no funds to start up and so on…..

Have you added up the time you will have into making each one plus all the time communicating with the buyers? Don’t forget the time to package each one up and shipping it. You will also have development cost leaning what works best. You will have returns and defective products from time to time, you eat the cost here-and no way to make the money back doing it at cost. Possible marketing cost, Pay Pal or Credit card fees will also need to be factored in. Add all this time and up front cost and I don’t see this working out for “free” or at material cost.

One thing to remember when you give something away, most people will still expect the same quality and service as if they paid the full price. Can you offer that at your give away price, maybe for a few weeks? But after that it’s going to get old fast!

Say you give away at cost 5 a month. A conservative estimate on time for each one would be 2 hours per splitter. That includes every aspect of the product from production, reading emails, post in threads, to taking phone calls and shipping. So 10 hours at the very least per month you are willing to give away. And my bet is it’s going to be more like a part time job at the cost range you are setting right now. And the expense is all on you for the production, kind of like giving out a free loan to everyone that gets one a cost. And you already don’t have the $500 do buy the mold.

Maybe you could just set a price you could live with. Say $150 for production, $65 for shipping plus $40 for your trouble would be very fair, IMO. So you could sell the first two at $255 shipped and that would cover the cost of the mold. This would be a $90 savings compared to what we are paying now.

I will stop here because I could go on and on….. I only bring all this up because I don’t see this working out the way you have it now and I WOULD like to see it work. Good luck.

Louie

I don't even know where to start with a response to yours. It seems you didn't read the 14 pages. A lot of things you said are inaccurate. But I do like the idea of your pricing. Plus I am not trying to make a career out of this mold. I want to make a few out of different materials and sell them. Plus, I wouldn't send out a product I wouldn't put on my car so most likely each person will be satisfied.

Is thermoplastic alot more expensive than CF and FG?

sounds like I would be. But with that we can't use a mold like the one we have. It would need to be one of those massive $$$$$$ molds. Thermoplastic is used in an injection molding process. We can't use it. The only materials we can use with our mold is fabric based.

 

[yamaha racer 686]

Is thermoplastic alot more expensive than CF and FG?

depends. is it just a two part pour togeather plastic?

or do you have to heat an object the size of the mirko to a temp (not sure what temp but im guessing 200-300) and clamp the plastic into the mold to shape it?

i would say more expensive

 

[SVTED]

I want to see someone near me (Michigan would be nice) get this so I can get one and pick it up :laugh:

 

[Nofrag]

Yeah any process that requires a new mold to be machined from tool steel would be not worth it lol.

 

[DocStruthers]

depends. is it just a two part pour togeather plastic?

or do you have to heat an object the size of the mirko to a temp (not sure what temp but im guessing 200-300) and clamp the plastic into the mold to shape it?

i would say more expensive

yea most plastics need to be melted to a liquid then they are injected into a steel(or aluminum, not sure) mold. Hence there term of, injection molding. Some of the molds are crazy looking. Most if not all fiberglass OEM vehicle body panels are all injection molded. VERY $$$$$ unless you are a car manufacturer and make thousands and thousands at a time. Which I MIGHT be able to sell a few thousand splitters. hmmmm NOT lol

I want to see someone near me (Michigan would be nice) get this so I can get one and pick it up :laugh:

Ok Mr. Selfish. Forget us WestCoasters. lol