If the O.E. is not longer interested in the product, why MUST it die? Why can't it's production be offered to the aftermarket some way or the other?
It actually can, sometimes.
The very unique/almost unheard of business arrangement between Callies/Energy and Chrysler is one situation where things worked out in the other direction.
That thing cost Chrysler around a million in tooling and who knows what in manpower to create and they were perfectly content to not manage it anymore.
So: The price is jacked way up, but at least it's available. If the part is -that- good like the blocks are, then it's still worth it.
Other than literally one block casting, it's pie in the sky until someone decides to conquer it.
Someone with proper business acumen could, in fact, dig deep, determine what if any tooling still exists (most formerly at Buddy Bar in California, but could be in the landfill or scrap yard by now), and create a proposal
for licensing. They could have a licensed intake manifold product line exactly as Callies has done with blocks. If the money was right, Chrysler would probably approve it since it requires zero effort.
They would also need to manage sales, packaging, distribution, and aftersales. Callies had all that already....
It's nothing impossible, but if the idea is for the OE to just offer tooling to the aftermarket, it will never happen with Chrysler.
The alternative is make your own tooling and self finance it, more the Ritter approach as was done with Gen 3 intakes and LA race blocks, having the super obvious heavy influence of Chrysler designs but with improvements.
I'm pretty sure nobody cares if an intake has a chrysler casting number, or "M1" logo. It's neat and everything, but:whatever.
I'm pretty sure there are experienced contract designers from all over the place who could knock out improved designs without tons of effort, once the original(s) had been digitized.
Pretty sure this is much more the normal evolution of performance parts, if we are to compare a 440torker II to a street dominator to an M1sp, or a Weiand 7512 to a TM7 or torker, and so on.
The other aspects of making a part available may be too much for many to handle. Someone with the other things in place could do it.
