Business Plans.

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:22 pm

So as some of you know I like to buy and sell used car parts (mainly fox body mustang parts.)

Anyways, I think I'm going to invest in a sandblaster and cabinet. I might build my own cabinet, still doing research so I'm not sure yet.

I'm also going to buy a powder coater and an oven. I'm probably just going to use a house over, but once again, I'm still researching.

The goal is to be able to buy parts (like intakes) and clean them up and powder coat them myself, which will help bring top dollar at a minimum cost.

I'm thinking of putting together 5.0 top end kits. I can get the heads and intakes real cheap.

I'm also in the process of working out a deal with the local machine shop to rebuild the heads, which he's already given me a great price. He's a dealer for comp cams and can get me a good deal, so the kit will come with a cam (probably mild, think TF stage 1.)

I also can get the intake ported for a good price.

My kit should be able to offer about the same performance (maybe even a bit more) as the cobra top end kit, for about HALF the price...

The kit will come with the rebuilt heads, ported intake, comp cam, timing chain, and gasket kit.

I'm still working out the details, and might not do the "kits" at all. But still want to get the sandblaster and powder coater so I can "pretty up" some parts.

I'm going to college in Jan, so this will keep me busy while I'm doing that.

Ryan from Ohio · Post by **Ryan from Ohio** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:29 pm

Ive done the powder coating a few times now.

I can tell you this:

Get an old cheap oven. Can powder coat anything that fits then! The lamps dont work as well I hear/expensive also.

DONT get the Harbor Freight gun. Get the Westwood hot coat gun. Ive used both. The HF gun often will often puff out/splatter like particles. The Hot Coat gun was always uniform coats, no issues.

For Sand Blasters I know Harbor Freight has some cheap cabinets. Just be leary with the guns and porcelain tips.

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:02 pm

Ryan from Ohio wrote:Ive done the powder coating a few times now.
I can tell you this:
Get an old cheap oven. Can powder coat anything that fits then! The lamps dont work as well I hear/expensive also.
DONT get the Harbor Freight gun. Get the Westwood hot coat gun. Ive used both. The HF gun often will often puff out/splatter like particles. The Hot Coat gun was always uniform coats, no issues.
For Sand Blasters I know Harbor Freight has some cheap cabinets. Just be leary with the guns and porcelain tips.

Thanks for the info!

My uncle has a bunch of scrap metal that I'm sure I could use, so I might try and build my own cabinet. I would like a fairly good size cabinet so I could do larger pieces if I needed to, but we have a tool whole seller here in town I might check out, but alot of his stuff isnt really very good quality (like habor freight.)

I'm really like this idea though, should come in real hand when I build the ranger. My use it so customers how effect O.E.M parts can be with a little work.

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:03 pm

The smaller cabinets are pretty cheap, but I want a fairly good sized one, which can get fairly expensive.

I'll probably just build my own, which looks like it would be fairly easy to do.

I'm not in a big hurry, so I'm going to do a lot of research before I build/buy anything.

Right now it's just a hobby, but I might try turning it into a small home business.

smoker · Post by **smoker** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:19 pm

id avoid trying to offer any kits. mostly youd be dealing with people like me, who want an intake or a set of heads or both. but cams are for whatever reason pretty personal decisions. a lot of people dont understand how lift and duration, single or dual pattern and all that goes into them affect horsepower. until you build a name and reputation for yourself then id just do the coating and refurb work on heads....just for your enjoyment, here is one of my customers run last night in a 94 cobra....its pretty badass. and completely street legal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDuiNyChMJQ

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:10 pm

smoker wrote:id avoid trying to offer any kits. mostly youd be dealing with people like me, who want an intake or a set of heads or both. but cams are for whatever reason pretty personal decisions. a lot of people dont understand how lift and duration, single or dual pattern and all that goes into them affect horsepower. until you build a name and reputation for yourself then id just do the coating and refurb work on heads....just for your enjoyment, here is one of my customers run last night in a 94 cobra....its pretty badass. and completely street legal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDuiNyChMJQ

Thats a one bad ass stang!

Trick flow, ford racing, holley and edelbrock all offer top end kits and they all sale really well...

I'd probably have a base cam, but have a few others to choose from if you so desire.

Obviously these kits would be marketed for mild street engines, something to wake youre weekend toy or daily driver. More so for the street crowd...

Of course I'd mainly be selling just an intake, or just the heads, or heads and intake together..

ZeroAccess · Post by **ZeroAccess** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:48 pm

If I fix up a lil foxbody you do realize I get the CAC discount of course right?

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 5:00 pm

ZeroAccess wrote:If I fix up a lil foxbody you do realize I get the CAC discount of course right?

If you build a fox body I'll get you everything for what I have in it.

smoker · Post by **smoker** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 6:04 pm

MobileAudio219 wrote:Thats a one bad ass stang!
Trick flow, ford racing, holley and edelbrock all offer top end kits and they all sale really well...
I'd probably have a base cam, but have a few others to choose from if you so desire.
Obviously these kits would be marketed for mild street engines, something to wake youre weekend toy or daily driver. More so for the street crowd...
Of course I'd mainly be selling just an intake, or just the heads, or heads and intake together..

difference is, those are all name brands and you are you and your kits will include used parts. if you try to offer kits you are going to be faced with people calling you out on how much they could do the same thing themselves for. holley makes its own as do the others. you are selling used parts that have been ported, powder coated whatever. its different. myself im keeping my eyes out for a set of x heads and an explorer intake, thinking of an f cam or possibly a crane cam with comparable specs but dual pattern to create a little extra exhaust scavenging.

MobileAudio219 · Post by **MobileAudio219** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:54 pm

smoker wrote:difference is, those are all name brands and you are you and your kits will include used parts. if you try to offer kits you are going to be faced with people calling you out on how much they could do the same thing themselves for. holley makes its own as do the others. you are selling used parts that have been ported, powder coated whatever. its different. myself im keeping my eyes out for a set of x heads and an explorer intake, thinking of an f cam or possibly a crane cam with comparable specs but dual pattern to create a little extra exhaust scavenging.

Sorry, but I have to disagree.

I sell my intakes fast! Why? Because I sell them at a very reasonable price.

I have sold every single one of them on a local mustang forum. I've met every single buyer in person, chatted with them for extended periods of time. I have honestly told every single one of them how much I paid for the intake, and where I got it.

I do not feel bad for making a little money on the intakes. I drive about 90 miles each way to get the intakes. I spend time searching the yards, and then, I dont alway find them (usually don't.)

So yeah, I figured my time is worth something.

Do youre customers "call you out" because they can get the items you sell cheaper on ebay? Probably not.

I really enjoy hitting the yards and searching for hard(er) to find parts. Most people dont have the time, or would rather search the net than the yards, even if it cost them a little extra.

I do agree though, the cams might not be a good idea. Actually, I might check with the machine shop and check the price on a good set of 1.7 rockers. Then the "kit" will be speed density friendly, and the driveablity will be fantastic (unlike most aftermarket kits)

Like I said, I should be able to offer the rebuilt heads that are gasket match and have better springs (the explorer springs suck) for about 400-450.

Then the intake I will sand blast and powder coat, the lower will be fully ported, it'll come with the bigger 65mm TB converted to fit the stangs. Ever head of tom moss, or Tmoss porting? He'll be doing the port work, look him up, he's very will known. The intake when I'm done will go for about 275.00.

The intake and heads as a package deal for around 650.00.

If you think thats too much I really dont know what to tell you... Continue searching the yards I guess...