bcdavis

We should do a poll about what 928 owners would be most likely to buy...

Performance parts?

Body kits?

Suspension upgrades?

What do we *really* want?

Shifters?
Guages?
Sway bars?

I'm sure some of these places are making products, when most of us do not want them.

I know that replacing my cams would only happen if I were doing an engine build.
Which is, indeed, a small market, compared to how many people would throw on
a new spoiler, or maybe wheels, RMB, etc...

Obviously the RMB was a huge success.

But I wonder about places like 928 Developments.
Who is going to buy a $4,500 intake, to gain 50 horsepower, when we could buy a supercharger?

I'm all for places like 928 Developments, and Devek.
They kick a$$. But those $$'s are there for a reason.
Their parts are expensive.
So for the handful of 928 owners who want that stuff, it's great.

But, as Jim just pointed out, it is a small segment of the market.
So if a place that sells 928 products wants to be profitable,
what should they sell? Beyond used parts? What do we want?

I'll chime in with the following:

A replacement pod, with new guages, like the setup on the Phat 928.

Body parts, such as some aftermarket spoilers, that would be as cheap as the recent group purchase... Also, a cheap replacement for the stock front spoiler. Perhaps even something not quite as low, but that looks good. The parts could be made cheaply, as that recent group buy proved. We just need to design some other products...

I've mentioned before that it would be cool to see an update for the early taillights.

With upgrades like these, you can sell kits or products to the whole 928 community. Not just the racers. Not everyone wants, or needs, $2000 cams, or $4000 intakes. Not for 50 horsepower... But many of us would buy a $200 wing, or a $150 front spoiler, or a $400 taillight kit of some kind...

Any of you have other suggestions?

T_MaX

Some nice fiberglass vents like these, so I don't have to make them myself.

http://members.rennlist.com/t_max/T_928_bodymods.htm

TAREK

seat and window switches that actually work for more than a year on daily driver

Complete redesign of the AC system, or adapter kit to transplant an AC system from a hyundai or any other donor car

Improved sunroof seal(s)

Donald

Curtis-
So that's what you meant!
Looks nice, I think you should do the fabrication too.

V-Fib

There was a post similar to this a while back.
New Product Development
About 7 pages with some really good ideas.



Anthony Tate
79/928 Silver Metallic

PorKen

My doable list to make or find:

RS style leather interior panels.

Air intake consisting of a panel covering the void used for hood insulation, combined with a top entry airbox cover.

Flat underbody panels kit.

F1 style dual venturi rear underbody cover (covering the battery box and gas tank.)


My crazy list:

Custom ~22 gallon fuel cell to fit in/over the back seat wells.

Optima battery with cover on floor behind passenger seat. (Or, dual 6 volt Optimas behind seats.)

Individual throttle bodies.


And I want this taillight setup!

Joe F

I would like a solar powered kit that would run the interior fan. It should have a thermostat to control the interior temp of the car when parked. When the temp gets 10 degrees or so above the outside ambient temp, it would turn on the ventilation system. It would allow outside air to be drawn in and circulated inside to keep the interior temperature closer to the outside temp instead of getting very hot when the car is parked outside in the summer. I am not nearly handy enough to build something like this for myself, but I would buy one if it were engineered so a DIY hacker like me could install it.

I believe Mazda had an option like this several years ago. A great idea.

JF
'88 S4 A/T Black/Cashmere
'83S Euro 5sp. Pewter/Black

GlenL

Lower ball joints that are longer to get more camber.

John Veninger

Just use S4 upper arms with your early lower arms.
Min camber will be around -3

John Veninger

I would like rebuildable upper control arms!!
Price-$300.00 would be reasonable, but there is nothing reasonable about a 928

Ed Taylor

Ditto on the control arms. First car I've owned where the upper ball joints are not replaceable.

Jon F

1. A replication of the larger Euro intake pipes for the '80-'84 L-Jet cars that costs less than $500.

2. A synchro upgrade kit for the early manual transmissions.

3. The taillights shown above.

GlenL

I'm aware of this approach. Don't want to replace upper arms and would like adjustment in the 0 to -2.5 range. MK thinks -1.5 in enough. People have told me that they put in the later arms and then shim them back.

I've ben musing on how to accomplish this. Re-drilling the holes in the lower arms about 1/2 inch further out would work. Of course, strength would be compromised.

An easy way would be a lower ball joint with an extra 1/2 inch in the "neck."

bcdavis

I like the idea of the fuel cell, but it's another one of those things that only a few racers will want to buy...

But I REALLY like the idea of an AC transplant system.
I have seriuosly considered trying to do a complete swap like that...
Brackets if needed, controls, internal fan, compressor, etc...

It might be a hassle, but it would be worth it in the end.
Most American cars have awesome HVAC systems, compared to Porsches.
Most of the controls are about the same size.
Although I am guessing it might be almost as much trouble as
a supercharger kit, but probably more work...
Ripping out the dash, and getting everything to work would be a real hassle.
But if it could be done, it would be AWESOME.

And the tail light thing is still a real high priority on the "want" list.
Whomever comes up with a nice kit like that will probably sell a
kit to half the s2 owners in the world... Something that looks clean,
and looks like an s4, but retains the cool "bubble butt" of the early
cars, will sell like hotcakes...

I agree that a set of replacement switches might be a good fix as well.
Again, a good chance some window switches could be canibalized
from a newer car...

Undertray panels would be just as cheap as any of the fiberglass parts,
if you could come up with the part to begin with, and make a casting of it...

bcdavis

Regarding the control arms, for you racers out there, how about something like this for the 928?



http://www.arizonazcar.com/lowarms.html

Your $300 price *is* reasonable, since these are sold for that price for other "niche market" cars. The difference is they are Datsuns, and ours are Porsches... But the materials, design, and parts, are in that range. Chrome-Molly. Fully adjustable, rebuildable, etc... Not to mention lighter...