Posted: February 3rd, 2006, 12:43 pm
Actually in this case it have nothing to do with a non-disclosure agreement this time. For those that don't know I've been designing parts for the MX-3 (323 and Escort) since the summer of about 1995 mostly out of personal need. Via of my friends I have developed a lot of contacts in the automotive aftermarket industry over the years. What Barry is talking about is that I did some design, prototype and a lot of T & E work for some of these companies up until the summer of 2000. The reason most of these products never when to market is because of the MX-3 community itself. Everybody wanted the parts but no one would put there name and physical address on a list to prove there was a market to the product development managers I was working with. They personally knew as well as I that there was a growing MX-3 market, back then but without some sort of proof that there was a market there was no way the bean counters would ever launch a new part into production with only 5 or 6 names. Another problem was that there were several MX-3er that left a bad taste in the mouths of several of the mainstream aftermarket companies when these guy thought a parts wasn't being marketed fast enough and contacted the companies directly and made a lot of uncalled for and abrasive personal "comments" to the various person they were speaking to. Basically that ended MX-3 aftermarket support as far as the mainstream companies are concerned. I pulled the plug on several other parts myself because certain companies were trying to negotiate exclusive sales deals for these parts with the manufactures without my knowledge. This infomation was back channeled to me so I held onto drawing and in some cases the prototype for additional development which is where these parts still stand today. I'm was sitting on a lot of production jigs and prototypes up until a year ago when there were sold for scrap metal because I forgot to remove my personal projects from the building when the company shut down production in Canada and the machine shop liquidated. I still make parts for my cars either as a exercise in engineering and fabrication that is different from what I do everyday or because it is a maintenance item I need and have the resources to improve on the original item. The only thing now I don't have to consider product liability or mass production techniques in my designs anymore now that they are for myself. From time to time over the years has well I was asked to take an existing product for the BG to test fit it on a MX-3 and evaluate as well but the parts were taking out of production before the cross over was made
With the fenders it had nothing to do with there was a need for them. I was watching "Rides", "Overhauling" and the "Biker Build-off" on TV with a friend. She made a comment about it looks hard to fab sheetmetal like that. I told her it wasn't and proceeded to make a small chopper gas tank, a tin apple and some other useless decorative items. Then someone was talking about hot rods and that was how the MX-3 fenders came about as a way to prove a point. As for having them reproduces there are several GRP shops in the MTL area that I could deal with if I were so inclined but at the moment there are no plans to even use these fender on a car let alone reproduce them. This is the reason I don't usually mention that I made this part or that part. Once I mentioned that I have the resources to cast urethane suspension bushings and motor mounts to the BG guys and I got flooded with emails asking for them. Neither our shop or my friends plastics shop have the additional capacity to produce these bushing. And I mention something about my sub frame connectors on the MX-3 mailing list which generated inquiries as well. Right now I am involve with a lot of other people projects that I haven't really work on or even driven the MX-3 in the past 3 years.
With the fenders it had nothing to do with there was a need for them. I was watching "Rides", "Overhauling" and the "Biker Build-off" on TV with a friend. She made a comment about it looks hard to fab sheetmetal like that. I told her it wasn't and proceeded to make a small chopper gas tank, a tin apple and some other useless decorative items. Then someone was talking about hot rods and that was how the MX-3 fenders came about as a way to prove a point. As for having them reproduces there are several GRP shops in the MTL area that I could deal with if I were so inclined but at the moment there are no plans to even use these fender on a car let alone reproduce them. This is the reason I don't usually mention that I made this part or that part. Once I mentioned that I have the resources to cast urethane suspension bushings and motor mounts to the BG guys and I got flooded with emails asking for them. Neither our shop or my friends plastics shop have the additional capacity to produce these bushing. And I mention something about my sub frame connectors on the MX-3 mailing list which generated inquiries as well. Right now I am involve with a lot of other people projects that I haven't really work on or even driven the MX-3 in the past 3 years.
