[flash]

Over the last 11 years, Design 1 Racing has gone through a lot of changes in how it operates.  It had a distributor agreement that did not pan out as planned.  It went through an advance order process for a while.  It ran batches from time to time and then went for periods of being out of stock.  No plan with me working out of my garage ever seemed to be convenient or feasible.  It took up just enough of my time to be problematic, and wasn't quite enough to justify expanding.  I had planned on closing it up completely, or licensing things out to somebody else, as I really wanted to continue to provide the products somehow.  The deals were just getting too complicated though, and I was not confident that the product quality I demand could be maintained, as well as wanting to maintain the reputation I have worked hard at building.  I just couldn't bring myself to put it in somebody else's hands.

 

The good news is that I have an opportunity that just came up that will allow me to operate out of a commercial facility, and not out of my garage.  This will allow me to stock parts, rather than only build what I could store at my house, which limited quantities in runs, thereby pushing prices and margins to a point where it was infeasible.  With this new opportunity, and the larger space, I will be able to make the runs in sufficient quantities to make sense.  

 

I am still not going to be spending a lot of time on the business, and will be condensing that to a couple of days a month.  This will mean some orders may take 2 weeks to get out, but it will also mean that the pricing will be stable.

 

I will not be likely to be developing anything new.  I am selling my car, so the test platform will not be available.  Further, I don't think there is all that much that would result in any real sales anyway.  I am pretty sure that all projects that I had on the drawing board will die.  I'll let everyone know if that changes.

 

It will take a few weeks to get everything up and running, and I will update everyone as to timing.  Just getting the building space ready will take every bit of a month.  I will be updating the D1R website, and opening up orders in the next few days.  Please realize that because I am out of stock on everything, it will probably be 6 - 8 weeks before I have things in stock.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Good news :-).

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Tahoe968]

That's super-awesome-good-for-you-man-NEWS!!!!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

So then I imagine that you have determined that there is a sufficient market for your products?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Ab54666]

Supercharger for non air con cars maybe then.........

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

nope.  i'm not going to be finishing the ac delete kit.  i drew it up, but never finished making one, or sourcing the shaft and pulley.  there was no interest in the kit.  it would cost over $1000 to make the first one and test it.  it just wasn't justified.  i will not be developing any new parts at all.  i won't even be selling everything that i have come up with.  it's really going to be limited to items i can produce in quantity.

 

just yank the delete bracket, move the alternator back to the "normal" position, add a pump in there, and call it a day.  no need to hook it up or add the rest of the stuff.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968cabx2]

It breaks my heart to,hear that the NA package seems like it is going to die on the test bench. I was saving my restoration project specifically to install the kit on it. Is there any chance you would release the mods needed so it can become something of a DIY kit for those the desperately want to install it (like me). The other "project" that would have been great that was discussed was a performance chip for the tip cars. I'm assuming that is also dead. I know you had mentioned that you had it almost done. Is there any chance you would release the "beta" version of the tip chip? I'm certain your beta chip would be much better than many of the release versions out there. It's just a shame that a couple of great products that would fill a need for some will never be realized. Please consider a way to get these mods in the hands of people who just want a chance to play with them.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

it all comes down to time availability.  i just don't have it, and don't see that changing in the upcoming year.  i am getting involved in 2 other businesses, besides the 3 i already have, and am now heavily involved with the HOA board of directors.  the number of hours required to tune a chip, as well as the cash required, preclude being able to do it.  basically each chip takes about 20 hours of tuning, and about $1000k of dyno time.  this applies to both the tip chip and the NA package, as the tuning is everything on that.  the rest of the mods won't work right without it, and might make less power than what is already out there if the wrong tuning is used.  it's hard to justify that when there are very few people interested.

 

as for putting something out there that is unfinished, i just won't do that.  i'm not risking a reputation it took me a long time to build by doing something halfway.  there has been enough of that already from other vendors.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[lbpesq]

Flash, if you ever find yourself reconsidering, (like if you find more time after you resign your position in the Homeowners Association after you realize the hassle and waste of time that is most HOA's), + 1 on the NA kit.  I suspect the market, at least around here, is now bigger for that mod than anything else Design 1 currently lists.  (Not to belittle the other Design 1 stuff - it's great - but many of us have already bought lots of it).  Heck, if you did a mini kickstarter just on this site, I'd kick in some advance $ to help bring the NA kit to fruition.   And I suspect I'm not the only one.   Just thinkin'.

 

Bill

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i appreciate the thoughts, but having now looked at this, i estimate that not more than 2 dozen people would actually go for the NA kit.  

 

the problem is this:  far too many would try to do only part of it, and that is going to bring only criticism and dissatisfied customers.  the things that would have to be done, especially to the exhaust, would be problematic, time consuming, and costly.  it would require taking the car to an exhaust shop that can do mandrel bends, or purchasing them and having them spliced together.  it would also require sending the manifolds out for ceramic coating.  this means the car would be down for some time.  if somebody were to have a shop do it, that means the car would be stuck there waiting for parts to come back.  many have already installed systems, all of which would have to go away.  not many are going to be willing to do that or go through the hassle.

 

it would also require that the belts are done, and the cams are timed correctly.  cam overlap is going to play a large role in how much power the kit makes.  if the cams are timed wrong, power would go down.  if somebody did a DIY job, and didn't time them at all, as is the case all too often, then there is no telling what the results would be.

 

there are also other mods that would have to be done, which would require other parts being sent out for modification.

 

that means that the customer base is very small.  add to that the fact that i am not at all interested in selling cat-backs, and the margin for me, after development costs and my time, is extremely small at best.  as much as i would love to complete the line, it just isn't cost effective, and the resultant gains are not going to be that much over what is already out there.

 

much better supercharging.  much much more power, with better flexibility.  also, it's CARB legal, which i am not sure could happen with the NA kit, as the exhaust is being modified forward of the CAT, as well as the intake would be changing, and i have not yet found an air cleaner that is CARB certified.  that would require the kit having to go through CARB, which would add a huge cost to the development, making it completely ridiculous.

 

in the end, i am pretty sure that the amount of money that somebody would have to spend (roughly $2.5k) would not be as satisfying per dollar as would be a much better proven supercharger system.  better to save the pennies and make the big jump, rather than a halfway step, or save it all, and learn to live with the limits of what is already out there.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kzem1]

Does that mean the SC kit will be available again once the new store is set up?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

more than likely.  doing it here was just too crazy.  trying to keep track of the parts, store everything, and not lose my mind in the process, was nearly impossible.  with the place i'm going to set up, i can have everything on a shelf, organized, and easy to deal with.  no reason i couldn't do them with that kind of setup.  i never thought i'd be able to run them again, but this just fell in my lap.  i'm inking the deal this week, and barring anything going sideways, i'm ordering stuff immediately thereafter.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[kzem1]

Sounds good.  The SC is awesome.  Completely different car!!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[type968]

Where is the thread that says what needs to be done to re-fresh my engine before I even think of the SC kit?  I assume I need a complete rebuild, with the amount of miles I have.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

depends on what the leak down numbers look like.  the bottom end of these engines is pretty tough.  only a couple of us have done rebuilds.  a couple have done top ends, and a few have done head gaskets, but for the most part, it has been pretty simple

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[type968]

Ok, guess this spring I will get the leak down checked, I have around 140k miles or so (can't remember and the car is in storage).

 

Thought I read originally you recommended engines with less that 80k or something, I am just pulling numbers out my butt

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

around 80k - 90k  miles your head gasket is not likely to be in great shape, so that should definitely be changed if you're putting an SC in the car, but " while in there " .. may as well do the variocam pads .   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[type968]

around 80k - 90k  miles your head gasket is not likely to be in great shape, so that should definitely be changed if you're putting an SC in the car, but " while in there " .. may as well do the variocam pads .   

I has been replaced in the 90k range.  Variocam pads, not sure, I did check them last summer and they looked good.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Rap]

I put the sc on at 148,000 mile and head had been replaced not too long before I bought the car. got 1.75 years on track before I blew the engine. Not sure sc caused it. Had the car not been tracked I suspect the engine might still in good shape.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - i've blown my share of normally aspirated engines on the track.  i doubt the sc did it, but it does increase heat, and if the stars align wrong................

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.