Western Members - Ideas for a product?

Hey guys so I am taking a prototyping class right now and I can pretty much make anything I want for a final product (within our limits). I was curious if anyone here had a cool idea for a product be it for a Camaro, TA, or anything really. Let me know. The product can not be something huge or having a lot of electronics. Please save to dumb comments for another thread too I thought about you guys and am giving you first dibs if you got an idea. Thanks

Why not design a new set of rims? Or if those are to big then something like a ducktail rear wing for the TA's would be cool.

DarkKnightRider - I could make a new wheel but that's not really ingenious and new. I got a carbon fiber guy in my group so I possibly could make a wing. I am looking for more of a "why hasn't someone made that yet" idea. Thanks for the input though

Rear diffuser for the TA would be sick

TireSmoke - How many people do you think would buy a rear diffuser? Does anyone make one already? I have to do a market plan for the product too

LED tail lights for the bird.... Working on some now. Get with me and we can figure somethin out.

A dolly that bolts up to the subframe mounts so u can move the car around while the k member is out

How about a "smart headlight" kit?

-Kit would utilize sensors, depending on the position of the steering wheel and where it is turned, the headlights will move in that direction making it easier to see at night.

-Figure out a way to attach a small motor to each headlight unit
-Figure out a way to attach a sensor around the steering column

I know that some of the brand new cars already have this, but it would be cool to have the option on putting it on older cars.

Matty - I can make the housing for it pretty easily but you would have to do all the wiring for the led's

Projectors for 98-02 Birds!! Huge demand for a drop-in or near drop in projector setup for Birds with a protective outer shell. Right now the only way to make it is to build a frame around a sheet of plexiglass and bake it in an oven, then while it's still hot push it around a mold. Needless to say, not many people feel comfortable hacking up metal and putting plexiglass sheets in their oven.

A differently styled side mirror housing would be interesting too.

a smoked center panel filler for the bird tails that is actually a lens and reflector with holes for bulbs or LED's so you can turn it into a third brake light.

A redesigned LS1 F-body radiator support/lower airbox housing would be cool and practical too.

Aftermarket 93-02 Bird tail lights.

I say an IROC Spoiler for the T/A's, Like the Firehawks have

What about a HUD for the fbodies? You could utilize the vette HUD and wiring.

What about a HUD for the fbodies? You could utilize the vette HUD and wiring.
hud? is that the speedo on the windshield? that thing is a nice feature on the new vettes

HUD Heads Up Display. Showing info on the windshield so you don't have to look down.

Yeah the HUD, but for any car. Splice into the input signals, convert, project onto window.

I second the LED taillights and projector headlights.

I had an idea for an adjustable short stick for a shifter...basically it can adjust taller and shorter using an upper sleeve and locking screw and also pivot on an x axis to move the handle closer or further from the driver and finally it would also pivot on the y axis to move it closer or further from the instrument panel on the the car. I Actually had plans drawn up and everything, just never got a round to building it.

The pivots basically gave you like 4 or 5 positions of adjustment by using holes drilled through a halfmoon shaped bottom that locked into the shaft. One for left to right and one for front to back.

I like the projector headlight idea and the short shifter ideas alot. How many of you would actually buy these products though? If I made the short shifter I would have to compete with B&M and the likes but the projectors seem to be an open market. Id I decide to do the projector headlights I would need to use someones bird to 3D scan the opening and then work out the beam pattern so I would need a volunteer. Most likely the volunteer would get the finished product as I don't have a bird and would have no use for it. Keep the ideas coming. Thanks a lot guys this is really helpful

If you were to do a projector setup on an lt1 bird I would let you use my car for mockup.

HUD Heads Up Display. Showing info on the windshield so you don't have to look down.
yeah that's what i thought. we need one for our fbodies.

i've seen fbody's with hud displays already

Ya I know. It would be cool to have all that info on the windshield.

A HUD would involve a lot of electronics which I am not too familiar with. I would be able to make a housing for the electronics but thats about it.

Yeah the HUD, but for any car. Splice into the input signals, convert, project onto window.
Its not that simple, you would have to swap to a different windshield material for it to reflect.

I like the projector headlight idea and the short shifter ideas alot. How many of you would actually buy these products though? If I made the short shifter I would have to compete with B&M and the likes but the projectors seem to be an open market. Id I decide to do the projector headlights I would need to use someones bird to 3D scan the opening and then work out the beam pattern so I would need a volunteer. Most likely the volunteer would get the finished product as I don't have a bird and would have no use for it. Keep the ideas coming. Thanks a lot guys this is really helpful

I think the projector headlights would be your most "profitable" option. Yes an adjustable short shifter would be cool, but you would be limited to the M6 crowd, most of which already own aftermarket shifters. Projector headlights however are a product that bird owners have been hoping for, but no one has taken it upon themselves to put a product out there. As for the rear diffuser idea, there is a desire for them, and no one makes them. 6Litereater was trying to come up with one but the design was too tough or not very cost effective. I think some non pop-up projector headlights for the bird would be the best way to go hands down...

If you need a test car hit me up, id be happy to help you out.

Yes an adjustable short shifter would be cool, but you would be limited to the M6 crowd, most of which already own aftermarket shifters.

Actually I invisioned it as a replacement "stick" for any shifter using a bolt-on stick (i.e. Pro 5.0, stock shifter, etc...) kind of like a lou's short stick (what I have) except adjustable. So the M6 folks who already invested in a shifter, keep the one they have and just replace the stick it self. Should be much easier and cheaper to manufacture than a whole shifter and therefore more marketable.

I figure Lou's runs about $50 so you price this one somewhere between $50 and $75 and it shoudl sell pretty well.

please send me pm's with phone numbers for the short shifter idea and projector idea. The projector idea is seaming very possible right now so guy that are close to Mission Viejo please let me know your schedule so we can try and set up a 3d scan time

quick question for the projector headlights - Do you guys want a replacement for the pop ups or do you want to keep the pop up lights but have projector lights inside? I am thinking keeping the pop up since the birds look so good when they are closed

i like the projectors inside the popup idea.

I have a money maker idea... BUT IT'S MINE!!!! :lol:

Projectors inside the pop ups has been done, and I dont think there is any market. All you need are projector lenses and HID ballasts and bulbs and you can pretty much bolt them right up. There wouldnt really be a product for you to come up with, whereas with a fixed headlight conversion the design would be yours, and id say there is absolutely a market for them. I have some drawings I can give you, and I can help you out with the wiring (I can build you a single connector that replaces the stock wiring completely without the customer being required to splice anything).

As for the short shifter idea, I like it and it sounds pretty cool. The problem is that a short shifter is the entire stick, not just the knob. Most of the M6 guys already have short shifters, and while the adjust-ability is quite practical for the M6 guys, it would be pointless for A4 guys, other than the "cool" factor. Im not knocking your idea at all, I think its innovative and practical, I just dont see the attraction from a business point of view.

A drop in replacement for the bird headlights would be in great demand, as many bird owners complain about the pop up headlights looking outdated, the motors going bad, and the poor lighting quality, and there is not really anything we can do other than put projectors in. Ill PM you my info, hopefully we can figure something out.

well going off of the shifter idea, something that could make you a killing is making a frame that fits inside the shifter boot to replace the stock one, that doesn't break every time you take it off.... lol

Its not that simple, you would have to swap to a different windshield material for it to reflect.
Not true. You don't have to change the windshield at all. Vette guys swap HUD units into their cars all the time without changing the windshields and it works fine for them. This theory about HUDs is on the same level as having to use a V8 gauge cluster in a V6->V8 swap... The major issues for HUDs in F-bodies are dashboard space (not enough vertical clearance for the HUD unit to sit below the dash pad), windshield curvature (gotta find that sweet spot), and fabbing up a modified crash pad with a hole for the HUD unit.

Projectors inside the pop ups has been done, and I dont think there is any market. All you need are projector lenses and HID ballasts and bulbs and you can pretty much bolt them right up.
It's not quite that easy. If you want the projectors to last you will have to form a clear outer shell around the projector lenses to protect the glass lens from rock chips... There is not much space for that in the stock flip-up design.

A drop in replacement for the bird headlights would be in great demand, as many bird owners complain about the pop up headlights looking outdated, the motors going bad, and the poor lighting quality, and there is not really anything we can do other than put projectors in.
Good point. I would also like to see this with a C6 style lighting arrangement. A removable clear face would be good too so you can color-match the lens surround to the vehicle.

well going off of the shifter idea, something that could make you a killing is making a frame that fits inside the shifter boot to replace the stock one, that doesn't break every time you take it off.... lol
I second this.

As for the short shifter idea, I like it and it sounds pretty cool. The problem is that a short shifter is the entire stick, not just the knob. Most of the M6 guys already have short shifters, and while the adjust-ability is quite practical for the M6 guys, it would be pointless for A4 guys, other than the "cool" factor. Im not knocking your idea at all, I think its innovative and practical, I just dont see the attraction from a business point of view.

LOL...No sweat tiresmoke, but you wouldn't replace the knob, you replace the metal shaft between the shifter mechanism at the base and the knob. On almost all of the M6 shifters the steel shaft it secured by two allen bolts...I'm suggesting you replace that stick an only that stick...not the whole shifter. Something like this:

http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/lousshortstick.html

And FWIW...there are WAY more M6 cars with stock GM Shifters, Hursts, Pro 5.0s, snd SLP shifters, then there are Firebirds/TAs that can benefit from a projector replacement...Think about it, a stick can be used on M6 Camaros, and trans ams and once the prototype is made adapting to vettes, GTOs, mustangs, etc.. would be a cake walk...not to mention it's a much cheaper item then Projectors would be, so from a business perspective, I think you might be a bit off. ;)

And FWIW...there are WAY more M6 cars with stock GM Shifters, Hursts, Pro 5.0s, snd SLP shifters, then there are Firebirds/TAs that can benefit from a projector replacement...Think about it, a stick can be used on M6 Camaros, and trans ams and once the prototype is made adapting to vettes, GTOs, mustangs, etc.. would be a cake walk...not to mention it's a much cheaper item then Projectors would be, so from a business perspective, I think you might be a bit off. ;)

Ok, I was off on that, just checked production number, there was about 320,000 Birds/TAs produced byetween 93-02 and about 300,000 fbodys (about 30% of production for all fbodys) with manual transmissions produced...Of course the 93-97 TA/Bird will require a totally different projector setup then the 98-02 one and the ease of adapting the stick to other vehicle still gives it a much higher market share.

well going off of the shifter idea, something that could make you a killing is making a frame that fits inside the shifter boot to replace the stock one, that doesn't break every time you take it off.... lol

LOL I could print one in titanium. But more seriously I could make that part in a day if someone got me exact dimensions. How flexible does it have to be?

LOL I could print one in titanium. But more seriously I could make that part in a day if someone got me exact dimensions. How flexible does it have to be?

sorry, already exists:
http://www.redlinegoods.com/images/Firebird9802bracket-02.jpg
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/sponsor-sales-specials/887048-genuine-italian-leather-shift-boots-custom-made-your-car.html

Damn, someone already beat you to it. but 19 bucks for just that? looks like i could make it out of a few paper clips and some soldiering stuff. lol that actually gives me and idea. you guys think small copper wire could do the same thing?

so the projector idea got shot down by my teacher cause he says there isn't a big enough market for it. I have not run the shifter idea past him yet cause I would like to make a 3D model of it first.

so the projector idea got shot down by my teacher cause he says there isn't a big enough market for it.

:lol: shows how much he knows...

So how's this going? What happened?