Crate engines to assemble yourself

[undy]

Originally Posted by blykins

I think it would be more trouble than it's worth for Keith.

You don't know how often that standard and .001", or standard and X bearing halves have to be matched up to keep main and rod bearing clearances in check.

Or....the occasional thrust bearing that needs sanded because it locks the crankshaft up.

Or....the grinding that has to be done to make crank counterweights clear oil pumps or pan rails, etc.

Selling a kit to someone that thinks it's going to be "insert part A into part B" could potentially cause a lot of email and phone time for KC (or Club Cobra).

Or...... file fitting the rings to every cylinder.

[ERA Chas]

Keith,
You asked for opinions, here's mine.
A. Don't sell your business unless you're willing and able to retire and live on a tropic isle.
B. To do this kit project, the legal disclaimer that would be mandatory to protect you would be a mile long.
C. Standing behind your work is one thing-standing behind the parts is another-even if you touched every one while prepping and machining kits.
D. You will always have bothers with hammerheads who refuse to believe they f'd up and you did. For proof, look at the Roush threads-you're a fraction of Roush's size which is why they can be very lax about response and responsibility. You'll need a phone in the crapper because it will not stop ringing.
E. If the margin on built engines is already thin, why would the margin on kits (and their parts) which you must build anyway, be any greater??
F. Expanding your product line will mean more shop and shop guys-you'll have to assess more overhead by the responses you're getting here. For this week, fine-over the next two years to amortize-maybe not. Do you feel lucky?
G. Forget all the creative ideas about seminars, sleep-overs, satellite offices, hand-holdings etc. I think your intent is to have less to do with the customer-the suggesters don't get that. They want to be at your supper table.
H. Tiffany doesn't sell jewelry kits. They sell hand-crafted perfection and the clientele buys as such or walks. And they have competitors too. Currently, a KCR engine has a high appreciation level here and in racing. They will all still come to your door.
I. My mother can give my wife a recipe of ingredients. My wife can cook. But it never tastes like mom's. Why? The intangible touch, care and experience that goes with the recipe.
Amateurs can't cook like you, Brent, Barry, Tom, Mike, George, Boghosian and Clayton. All of you have decades of 'touch' and dyno saavy-no garage wizards have that-including and especially me.
J. Stay as you are...

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

G. Forget all the creative ideas about seminars, sleep-overs, satellite offices, hand-holdings etc. I think your intent is to have less to do with the customer-the suggesters don't get that. They want to be at your supper table....

No, you don't have to take me home for dinner. BUT... I would expect a good three days of work, three hours in the morning and another three or so hours in the afternoon, along with a long lunch. Put me up in a decent hotel; doesn't have to be fancy -- dinner I can handle on my own. During the day hit all the basics on the build but also highlight the "obscure" points that my FE has, like that goofy oil plug behind the distributor, along with fun trivia like the jiggle plug, along with an outline of the most commonly made FE mistakes. Entertain me with a few war stories, examples of the stupid things customers have done, etc. and I would feel quite comfortable in bumping a $15k FE build up to a $20k price tag. Most of us would be doing this for the fun of it; most of us are not not going to rebuild an FE, nor are we going to go in to the engine building business.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

No, you don't have to take me home for dinner. BUT... I would expect a good three days of work, three hours in the morning and another three or so hours in the afternoon, along with a long lunch. Put me up in a decent hotel; doesn't have to be fancy -- dinner I can handle on my own. During the day hit all the basics on the build but also highlight the "obscure" points that my FE has, like that goofy oil plug behind the distributor, along with fun trivia like the jiggle plug, along with an outline of the most commonly made FE mistakes. Entertain me with a few war stories, examples of the stupid things customers have done, etc. and I would feel quite comfortable in bumping a $15k FE build up to a $20k price tag. Most of us would be doing this for the fun of it; most of us are not not going to rebuild an FE, nor are we going to go in to the engine building business.

Keith-SEE WHAT I MEAN?????????

Thanks Pat ol' buddy-right on time!