longwaytofall

Hi all!
I am lucky to have access to a full machine/fabrication/welding shop. My dad owns it, and I work there part time.
I was thinking, some of the performance suspension stuff I have seen looks to be very simple, and I would like to look at building some stuff.
Examples:
Sub frame connectors
Rear end housings
Torque arms
Pan hard bars
Possibly control arms

Some of the prices I have seen are quite expensive for some of this stuff, and I think I could build them and offer them for a decent bit less. So, where should I start? What components apply to the greatest number of cars, and are very common items? I would like to start with some of the more simple items, like pan hard bars, which will hopefully fit on a large number of cars so that I can sell enough to make a profit on them.
The shop has a CNC plasma cutter, so brackets/plates would be very simple. We have a sheer and press brake, so cutting and bending sheet metal is easy. We also have a Robotic Mig welder, so if we started selling a lot of certain components we could program it to weld them and reduce the price even more.
I realize that the ls1 Camaros/Firebirds have been out for some time, and the aftermarket is already well established for them. Do you think it is still possible to sell enough parts for these older cars, or should I concentrate on maybe the 2010 Camaro?

Thanks guys. Hopefully I can get my hands on a car, some drawings, and some aftermarket parts so I can begin to build jigs and crank out parts. If anybody lives in the Bay Area, maybe we can work out a deal to let me use your car to build the parts, and after we are done you can keep the parts....

FirstYrLS1Z

iTrader: (4)

to OP,proceed with caution,the responsibilty that comes with manufacturing/selling parts,especially suspension,is liability.

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

I agree.

While you may feel that you're in a position to manufacture parts correctly, and are looking to start a business, liability insurance will be a HUGE expense. The next question you might have is why you need an all-encompasing insurance policy, and the answer is very basic.

When you build/market performance parts, you're A) telling your customers that your parts will exceed the performance parameters of an OE part. A part that was developed by a team of top shelf engineers, using state of the art structural analysis programs, and tested to death; and B) you're going to sell those parts to a market segment that will most likely, beat those parts mercilessly.

You may not build your parts to withstand a 60 MPH lateral hit to a curb, with some jackass at the wheel, but you can bet that it WILL happen. And if said jackass manages to break your part in the process, and furthermore injures himself in the process, you can be sure some "ambulance chasing attorney" will be giving you a call.

However, if you still want to proceed, good luck, as what this country needs to succeed, is a good strong army of small business owners......

85irocinjected

Agree about the liability issues, those issues alone are not worth the trouble unless you can start to manufacture and sell ALOT of units such as the big sponsors on this board. I would just build out your own vehicles suspension parts as I have been doing myself and your friends and fellow local club members will more than likely buy parts from you after they have seen the great quality. As long as they are of great quality of course. Good luck!

longwaytofall

Good point. Maybe I should stick to affordable sheet metal intake manifolds? Even if I made a blanket statement like "These parts are not intended to be installed on any vehicle, ever" I could still see a lawyer getting around it. Lawyers these days are vicious.... Well it looks like I might want to make a phone call to some of the manufacturers out there and see what they are doing about it... Maybe I can set up a LLC or something to protect me. Who knows, I can at least build parts for my own car, and after that, I may find that the current prices for parts is incredibly reasonable, and I would have no chance of making something cheaper... Although I kinda doubt it.
Yeah, I think there is definitely a market for a intake manifold that could be used on a heads and cam stock displacement engine, which would give good gains and not cost as much as some of the intake options out there. I mean, sheet metal intakes are going for $3000!!!! If I could do it for $1000, or even $1500, and produce excellent gains, I bet I would have a market for them. The best thing about it, is that the manifold should bolt up to all of the LS engines, where suspension is vehicle specific, at least somewhat.
Well, thanks for pointing out what needed to be said, and prevent me from bankruptcy or something haha.

Zmg00camaross

iTrader: (11)

There is ALOT of r&d in a sheet metal intakes. Not saying you cant build a quality manifold, But there is a ton more in them just a box welded together. But build it and post it up.