Boomerang conversion on a 4200
- Thread starter mjheathcote
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ecarca
Junior Member
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I am talking about lights only and it would not become affordable per se, only affordable compared to OEM, the problem being the volume... It's the same as the parts made by Formula Dynamics and companies like that, they run low production volumes, so they have high tooling cost allocated to a small volume. On top of that they need to make money because they do this for a living so it ends up being very expensive. Say you have 40 000 USD of tooling cost (and that's VERY conservative), if you produce 50 pairs it's already 800 USD of tooling per pair... Then you have the production cost that will also be high for a small batch.
12 years of entrepreneurship took its toll on me
Then what's the market? Are we targeting 3200 owners for replacement or 4200 owners
Personally, if I'm doing the conversion I am not reverting back to stock. So in that case putting a product on the market that is just aftermarket 3200 lights would be ok.
That's one way of doing it manufacturing a replacement part as well. You have the upper part, the lower part (let's call it the base). Then you have a mould for the base and that base could have an area ready to be painted so in fact it is a one piece kit. And I am sure you can have LED's that would work on the stock harness as well. But then again it's 2 different products: 1 targeting the 3200 market, the other the 4200...
There must be some IP issues as well, just contemplating the idea...
I have a problem: "it is too expensive", so I am trying to be a little creative in finding a solution and I happen to have a decent production base right around the corner
For the rest, I like the way their conversion kit looks.
VEDE
Junior Member
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Should give this guys a go... they do a 3200 rear conversion - € 4.950,-- As a replacement for the original tailgate. Incl. assembly material, cable plans, rear lights original Maserati 3200, back lighting inserts.
Costa Sciortino
G&S Fahrzeugtechnik e.K.
Fliederstrasse 66
72461 Albstadt
Telefon: +49 7432 / 994725
Telefax: +49 7432 / 9414894
Reg.-Gericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRA 401488, USt-IdNr. DE 277195437
www.gs-fahrzeugtechnik.com
costa.sciortino@gs-fahrzeugtechnik.com
Costa Sciortino
G&S Fahrzeugtechnik e.K.
Fliederstrasse 66
72461 Albstadt
Telefon: +49 7432 / 994725
Telefax: +49 7432 / 9414894
Reg.-Gericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRA 401488, USt-IdNr. DE 277195437
www.gs-fahrzeugtechnik.com
costa.sciortino@gs-fahrzeugtechnik.com
Chrisbassett
Member
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- 3,909
Looks like they also add fugly a$sholes to cars too.
Chrisbassett
Member
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- 3,909
These guys do some strange and horrible things to cars...
http://www.gstuning.de
The Alfa GT "Blade" is particularly gruesome
http://www.gstuning.de
The Alfa GT "Blade" is particularly gruesome
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That's really unpleasant.
Chrisbassett
Member
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- 3,909
And they put boomerangs on a fiat...
hodroyd
Member
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However much I like the boomers on the 3200, I don't think I would want to tamper with an original model and change it's looks that much, to make it look like something else..!! I can see that any resale of a hybrid might encounter some reluctance..!! OK if it was an older car that was a bit rough but mechanically sound and the price was low to start with, then maybe a few changes would not make any difference..!!
ecarca
Junior Member
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- 320
It is a sound reasonning but it depends on markets. In China nobody cares if the maintenance book is stamped or not, they don't even know what is a maintenance book... At the Shanghai Ferrari/Maserati service center in Shanghai, supposedly the best in China, I had to specifically ask the rep if they stamped it or not and had them stamp it.
My point is that the same goes about modification, there is no car culture like we have in Europe or in the US, most of it is wealth display, they are not passionate about it and modifications like this wouldn't be a problem at all at resale. I guess it is somehow similar in some other Southeastern Asian countries, which is probably why that Australian shop sold kits in Asia, they made 8 so far from what they said. In any case, I would probably have purchased my GS as well if it had that retrofit.
Personally, I like the 3200 tail lights and think about it like some sort of piece of art that made by the designer. They were removed because of regulations, and I would justify a retrofit just because of that, I mean at least this would be my philosophy. It's like we were in 1980 and I had just purchased a C3 generation 1976 Corvette, maybe I'd retrofit the chrome bumpers because the urethane ones hat had been introduced because of the regulations were killing the design.
This said, I am perfectly fine with the 4200 tail lights, they had designers work on that as well and they surely give it their best shot! I am just adding a very light tint film on them this week-end to give them a more modern appearance
About spending 5K EUR or more on a cosmetic mod, I will probably never do that since I am usually performance oriented and it is not justified in my opinion. On top, I have my other car for modifications, I want to keep the Maser close to stock because there is not much to do with an NA engine anyway and it's already working relatively well stock. The only things I will do now that I took care of the exhaust are consumables: I'll put the best tyres I can and I'll put a set of EBC yellow when the pads are worn. Oh yes, and the spacers (I am supposed to receive my set of custom made ones on Monday) and these are what I consider cosmetics.
conaero
Forum Owner
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Dear god, that is a pig of the highest order!
