This is one we want to do… We can buy direct from the company making the Mustang kick panels currently, develop the took that melts the holes and resell the panels for double what the non-hole version sells for. I am doing an industry no-no by telling you how much money can be made on some of these parts, my consultant is going to be calling me Monday when he reads this thread…
Good idea, I will go check it out. I think if nobody will readily subscribe to a certain part we submit for investment, WCCC should own that one on its own. Keep in mind we can afford to a good amount of repros on our own, we just see the market demanding so much more than we can currently deliver. Once in awhile WCCC decides to do a part that there is little to no reason to take on from a financial return perspective BUT… We do it because it makes the puzzle complete. One item that comes to mind is the 67-68 Mustang and Cougar AC center vent. VERY expensive to tool for considering xr7, std, deluxe mustang, standard Mustang all differ. This is a part WCCC does on its own because it makes sense when you look at the big picture. Not a good one to present to an investor…
What about franchiseing WCC? I know I could set up a small Midwest “store front” operation. With a secondary point you can store more product and reduce your in transit times shipments in the midwest/ east coast and possibly a slew of other bennifits.
Don, as a guy that owns a factory that makes plastic parts, including kick panels… You might want to look before you leap. I think the current manufacturer also knows that they could charge a lot more for this product if it were correct, and there is good reason for them not to try to offer this… The holes are punched in the plastic, not melted. The reason you think they are melted is because the tool gets so hot punching through the plastic that it does melt some. The tool you need is called a matched-metal punch and die set. This means that the plastic part is completely supported both above and below the area to be perforated, and the individual pins that punch the holes have to retract into the support plate before you take the part out of the tool. It is doable, but not easy or cheap.
I’ve never worked with plastics before, but instead of have individual retracting pins, how about a lubricate such as a phosphate,graphite, or a moly-cote of some sort. We use to use that with some pretty heavy duty steel that got really hot.
Yes! So many opportunities so little time… We really need to do a wholesale and retail catalog! Who the heck does a web-site / Youtube / Facebook / Forum before a printed catalog? Can you say “cart before the horse?”
The reason WCCC would be able to comfortably be on the aggressive side when getting customers their investment back ahead of schedule is we have multiple parts that are 100% paid for and bringing in the cash flow we hoped for when we first released them years ago. Right now as it stands, I need every dime coming in and then some to make the next in a long line of parts. If I had partners I could now free that cash up to do other things like develop a printed catalog and strive to get the partners above and beyond what they signed up for. I have always taken this approach with real estate investments, mortgage on the wrecking yard, you name it. I am a big Dave Ramsey fan, you will never find me making payments on a car or TV! The good news is when you own your warehouse, wrecking yard and all equipment free and clear you can excel in a down economy as opposed to reel it in. Talk to me very long and you will find I am not very sophisticated in financial matters but a lot of what both of my grandfathers (both grew up in the depression, both had stable businesses) has stuck with me and paid off.
No worries there… Everyone of the companies I deal with are located in the US or have offices in the US. This is an established system with known manufacturers that bring parts into the U.S. all the time without hassle. If it is a part made in Canada or offshore we have trusted, tried and true agents that get paid after the parts have cleared customs and the parts have been inspected. Some companies want 1/3 up front but I make sure it is a safe bet before I write the check!
Don one quick question. I realize each case is going to be different depending on what part is being reproduced. But if you could generalize as to how long it may take to bring a part to market that would be helpful. Say I called you Monday and sent you a bank wire and said let’s make some widgets. How quick could we be selling them?
Im with Al on this. If you end up putting down a list of parts, $$$$ needed to make it happen and time frame for production and return of investment… I would be willing to play this game. I have to hand it to you Don, this is a fabulous idea.
Thank you for saying so Zoli, your opinion means a lot to me as you are EXACTLY the kind of guy I want involved. You are what I term a “Cougar Lifer”, there will no doubt be Cougar parts and cars for sale at your estate sale someday. You are a successful business owner and have a few bucks to invest, nobody has to hold your hand or calm your nerves when it comes to getting involved. Lastly, this program will make sense as a stand alone investment even if you do not utilize the 10-30% off on parts BUT… You will most certainly use the discounts to their fullest, probably even become the go to guy for everyone in your club when it comes to those 30% savings on high ticket items like 67-68 AC vents. Play your cards right and you could plug in $20-$30k for 2-3 years and when your current restoration project is ready for that high end paint job, the funds are already in the bank.
If you sent WCCC a check Monday (Please Do Not) You would get your first check in the first week of April and then three more during the year, one each 1/4 with a statement showing how many units were sold, how many more units need to be sold until you reach break even and how many more units need to be sold for you to see your return on the investment. Would not be too hard to do a cutesy little analysis each 1/4 with bar graphs and such. The beauty of it is the first 47 parts are in hand and ready for adoption now. These are the parts with a proven track record so the guess work on how long it will take for them to pay out is all but eliminated. Here is one example… It took us from 11-18-09 to 4-1 -11 to sell 172 of these Mercury emblems. That’s how long it took us to hit break even. On their tale is the 67-68 Opera lenses, 69-70 pull strap hdw. kit, 67-68 Dash emblems and… As for the next few parts, WCCC will not ask for a dime until the run is in our hands, inspected, on the website and ready for purchase. Remember, we are not hard up for cash, its just that we see the potential for so much more, why not share the purse with our most loyal customers?
Don, probably a dumb question, but do you communicate with other vendors what reproductions you’re working on?
It would be dissapointing to invest in a project and see another seller bring the same part to the market at the same time.
Also, is it safe to assume WCCC would be the only supplier for a given part (the manufacturer can’t sell the part to anyone else)?
Yes. I talk to ACP, JCC, DCMR, Perogie, Scott Drake all the time. The Cougar part market is too thin to have duplicates. Now the Mustang market is a different story, sometimes a part has been done 4 times! Yes, we want exclusives. Sometimes I will do an exclusive for a time like the 67 1/4 emblems or 67-68 mirrors and then it gets opened up to all but mostly we want all rights forever whenever we can. These are the parts we need to submit to the “WCCC Acceleration Team”
Exclusivity is one of the first questions asked of suppliers who want us to list their products.