OK - OK - I'll say it...Pretty Please, with sugar on top ? Make the 71 Cuda Grille ?

Boy,three pages just to get a yes/no answer! Glad it wasn't a tough question.

Mike,

i'm sure both would sell well. have you considered making a 68 or 69 charger grille? they're getting pretty spendy for ones in fairly decent condition & they made many more 68/69 chargers than 71 cudas. i know i could use one, but don't know if there's a business case to make for them.

just a thought...

regardless, thanks for getting a lot of this stuff to market & making it right!

How about we adopt a new unofficial rule on this forum. If you are going to post and offer advice (or opinions) to another individual, you have to disclose who you are and what you do. Something tells me that will eliminate about 65% of those who come here looking to argue their opinions. On the flip side I can certainly understand why some choose to remain anonymous. It must be extremely embarrassing to have the other forum members recognize those (anonymous members) who can't understand plain English or follow a simple thought process. Not to mention the ones who can't substantiate their original points or prove their ridiculous observations or continue to flip flop their positions when confronted or......

"How about we adopt a new unofficial rule on this forum. If you are going to post
and offer advice (or opinions) to another individual, you have to disclose who you are and what you do."

Best idea I have read all year.
Jules

While we ae at it, how about a rule that somebody like this-

ECS said
"Plain and simple, Mike is the ONLY person qualified top give a factual synopsis concerning his product lines and what he has encountered while developing them."

can't ask opions and get bent when they are given.

Afterall if they know that much, they don;t need to ask.

For the record, if the 800 or so grille for a 71 were out, it would make me consider getting a 71 again.

One of the biggest reasons I sold the car was that I was afraid that 5K mint grill would get busted. If I had a nice one on the garage shelf for 800, I wouldn't have cared.

back to the original subject of this post.

Quote:

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For the record, if the 800 or so grille for a 71 were out, it would make me consider getting a 71 again.

One of the biggest reasons I sold the car was that I was afraid that 5K mint grill would get busted. If I had a nice one on the garage shelf for 800, I wouldn't have cared.

---

if i could buy a new quality grille at a reasonable price i would buy one instead of repairing the ones i have.

Mike,

Being a "71" man, I would LOVE to see you do a top quality 71 Cuda grille for the marketplace, and since the peripheral pieces are already available (headlamp bezels, mouldings etc.), this would be the natural progression.

We all know that there were roughly twice as many 70 cars built as 71's, with conventional wisdom saying that 70 grilles should be flying off the shelf. But there is no question that at least AT THIS TIME, the disposable income to purchase a grille for EITHER car is, and would be, a challenge for many, especially in the current economic climate. As before, the market cycle WILL improve over time. Needless to say, we would love for the crystal ball to tell us when. After the market tanked in 1990, we all said it would never come back. Well, it came back, and then went to unimaginable levels. Right now, we are taking it on the chin.

Perhaps to look at this a bit more for the long term, here are some things to consider in terms of potential sales for the 71 piece:

Grilles for original 71 cars, of course.

Grilles for clones/restomods/race cars (I could be wrong here, but there seem to many more 70 and 72-74 Cuda's being converted to 71's than vice-versa. Since fenders are available, the kicker is now the grille).

Grilles for a POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE complete body supplied by Dynacorn (Admittedly a long shot, but not out of the realm of possibility). If this were to happen, then, just like a 69 Camaro, you can build an entire car out of a catalog. No rust. Fresh parts. Paint it, bolt it together and go!

Is it then possible that the sales of 71 grilles could actually be greater than projected?

Having made the above statements, I must also play Devil's Advocate at least a bit here. Being involved in manufacturing, but certainly on a much smaller and less complex scale, I still have a full understanding of how technical issues, costs, vendor selection and other potential risks of introducing a new product can evolve differently than originally planned. Some products will be runaway winners, and others, dare I say, will be duds. Also, and so often, the market says that it wants a specific product, and then someone steps up and does it. There may be a small surge initially, and then the market says "Well, now that it is available, I will wait until next month to purchase it". Next month becomes 6 months. Then it becomes next year. Then often tomorrow NEVER comes for that purchase, as other priorities, or "life" gets in the way. A quick example: Many years ago, when Shafi Keisler was doing lenses, he sent me (via FedEx) literally the FIRST examples of his outstanding 67 GTX tail lamp lenses. I brought them to Mopars at Englishtown (when the show was still a legitimate event). I displayed them, with fair pricing, and they got rave reviews. However, the universal response was "Wow, great product, and a great price! But hey, got any bezels?" I sold NONE of the lenses over two days. Crazy.

I will also put my vote in for the Duster "Sharktooth" grille, knowing the quality of your finished products.

Thirdly, and this was referenced earlier in this thread, having CORRECT, QUALITY, E-BODY HARDTOP AND CONVERTIBLE INTERIOR PANELS would be KILLER! Having seen several examples of the currently available reproduction pieces, I am happy my barf bag was close at hand.

Bill Rolik

Hello Mr. Bill,
Thank you for providing your thoughts and narrative on similar experiences that you have encountered. It is ironic that you mentioned the interior door panels. Two days ago I ventured to Dave Stuarts office and that exact subject came up. We were discussing the specifics and costs to make interior door and quarter panels that would have the correct grain pattern, sharp crisp edges etc….. Do you think the market would take a similar path of the many products we have talked about in our past conversations? I wonder if offering a “better mousetrap” would in fact motivate people in the hobby to upgrade what they currently have in their cars? I will call you this afternoon to discuss this. Before I forget, our final ingredient to the project we have been working on FINALLY came in! Thanks.

Note: Everyone should check out Bill's new website. It turned out great!

Hi Mike

I would be one of the first to buy a 71 Cuda grille, promise.

But, I would be the very first in line for some correct interior convertible cuda panels!!!

OK, ESC, since you brought it up instead of me this time. Interior door panels are a top priority on my list. I have 5 original complete 70 Cuda grills and I am still considering buying one for my AAR. The economic times and medical bills prohibit that right now. I desperately need two sets of 70 Cuda interior panels and would not hesitate to take the necessary funds from my piggy bank and buy them both right now. I would not care what the economy is. I have needed white door panels since 1976.

I would/will take one. Something to be said for being the only game in town, and even with the problems, they still moved those resin grilles... Seems like the grilles for all other years are easier to come by, and as much as I need a new one, I can't bring myself to pay the "investment grade" price for a grille for my driver.

Back to the original topic, I am interested in the repro '71 grille. I do have a '71, but lack the ability to send the discussion off topic with recommendations on how to run your business. Having a spare grill just in case is just good sense.