Howdy, hive-mind.
After years of lighting stuff on fire and throwing E36 M3 off bridges, Hong Norr is trying to get all growed-up & legit in 2016 by manufacturing and selling car widgets.
While we're cursedly versed in every single nut & bolt & bitch-pin of 1st gen CRX's/3rd gen civics, and have some viable products for that market, it's a niche market, and we're looking for ideas on a bigger cash generator.
Any thoughts on performance/aesthetic improvements to current "hot-in-class" cars would be greatly appreciated.
Our initial thoughts were cheap, easy power upgrades for frisbeez//honda fit. Or aesthetic upgrades to the C7. But your opinions would be appreciated, and good ones will be rewarded with beers and a steak dinner. GREAT ones will be rewarded with UNSPEAKABLE THINGS!
Kisses,
poopie
Intake for a Ford 4.6 or 5.4 2 valve mod engine to the 4 valve supercharger.
Seriously I would buy 2 tomorrow if they were well built and priced within reason
Just some brainstorming...
Bring back what was once cool.
Louvers. They were bitch'n on an '86 Camaro. May they could be bitch'n on a Frisbee.
As a tribute to the past, the' 84 Supra had a then really cool rear spoiler/rear visor at the top of the rear window. Should there/could there be a Frisbee version?
In general, what worked in the past and re-releasing could make it seem like a "new idea"?
In musical terms, a releasing of a cover song (forgoing the royalties.)
Could Hong Nor be the 2016 version of what APC was in 1999?
A trip down memory lane http://stickydiljoe.com/2009/03/03/an-indepth-look-at-horrible-ideaspart-4a-salute-to-apc/
V-belt pulley for some modern tiny internally regulated alternator for retrofitting into old cars?
I have absolutely no idea why I can't find an OEM-styled replacement for the hatch spoiler on my '92 Civic.
Junkyard parts are all cracked from ice buildup and vibrations over the years, and Honda's part is NLA. There's lots of ugly duckbill Spoon knockoffs but no clean and tidy OEM replacements.
You'd think out of all the cars out there, a Honda Civic would be one of the easiest to find a spoiler for. Guys pay dumb money for the JDM SiR wing. I would give you smart money for this.
Centre caps seem to go for a lot on eBay as well, as do the various blockoff plates (for clock, radio, antenna). The exterior B-pillar trim cracks easily where the screws thread into it from the door skin.
There was a generation of the Focus hatch that is infamous for snapping the studs off its badge garnish over the hatch too. I've tried to remove a few for a friend but the rust is just too bad.
If you actually wanted to make real money, though, I don't know. I know the "GT86" front fender badges for frisbees are very popular, so it would be cool to do sort of a takeoff on that.
A Subaru inner tie rod tool would probably sell pretty well; most of the kits out there (such as Lisle) don't carry the Subaru sizes until you get really up there in price. I think some BMWs share the same wrench flat diameter, so there you go.
Please include novelty magnets with all orders. I've got enough parts-company stickers to choke a dog, but RockAuto owns my fridge.
The B pillar & rear header trim that wraps around the rear glass on the AW11 MR2 deteriorates and cracks easily, but there is no aftermarket replacement. Used parts are getting quite expensive.
You can't make more power with the Honda Fit. The ecu defeats every upgrade.
SO, umm, tell me about these 1st get CRX parts...
84FSP
HalfDork
12/5/15 6:32 a.m.
Old vw suspension parts like tie bars to take over where Autotech and Neuspeed left off? Simple stuff from aluminum that is now unobtanium?
I would buy Fit hop up parts. Remaking NLA stock parts for cool cars sounds like a potential winner. 1st gen CRX fenders and nose. Cheap AE86 JDM bumpers-yo! Miata rear taillight panels.
ssswitch wrote:
A Subaru inner tie rod tool would probably sell pretty well; most of the kits out there (such as Lisle) don't carry the Subaru sizes until you get really up there in price. I think some BMWs share the same wrench flat diameter, so there you go.
I just did an inner on a NA (turbo harder?) bugeye with a $40 Hazard Fraught kit, had to tap the wrench insert over the stocker, but it fit fine on the replacement moog. Now a tool to make folding that damn safety washer over easily without dropping the exhaust, that would be good.
Rear disk brake conversion brackets for the second gen Fit (GE8) would definitely generate some interest.
Knurled wrote:
JohnRW1621 wrote:
Just some brainstorming...
Bring back what was once cool.
Louvers. They were bitch'n on an '86 Camaro. May they could be bitch'n on a Frisbee.
You are a genius.
Believe it or not, someone is already making those.
In reply to pointofdeparture:
Knurled's heart grew three sizes that day.
Thanks SOOOOI much, folks!!! Keep 'em comin!!!
Keith Tanner wrote:
SO, umm, tell me about these 1st get CRX parts...
On the top of the list:
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Big, pimpy, adjustable rear sway bar, similar to the one...ahem..."Other People's Money" used to sell.
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Fenders, header panel, rocker/door panels.
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Torsion bars that don't need to be "Re-indexed" to fit, and perhaps a beefed up (torque tube holder??? - the bit on the back of the bar that never seems to bolt back into place right.)
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Adjustable camber/caster plates.
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Limited slip?
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Bitch-pin-removal tool. Snap-on sells one but it's CRAZY expensive.
I'm forgetting some other things. Will post as they come back to me.
Come up with a solution for peeling GM interior buttons. I have some ideas with matte black vinyl overlays, but I haven't gotten motivated enough to actually try it. I can't remember the last GM car I was in that didn't have this problem after five years. There's probably a million people who would pay you $1 for this fix. 
Edit: Never mind, I did a search and it turns out 10,000 people already had this idea and eBay is flooded with them. Crap.
Going after a really small niche market isn't going to bring you the cash. You need a larger market.
Cat strollers
REAL coilover setups using circle car parts that use spring rates that actually make sense for the car, proper shock/strut lengths so you keep travel, at a price point somewhere between the China Crap and the Big Name sellers. Kinda like Flyin Miata is doing for Miatas and a cheaper version of what Vorshlag is doing for their stuff. You guys race enough that you could actually document the usefullness of your stuff.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:
AWD self-propelling cat strollers with a Briggs thumper.
Tubular rear control armed (upper and lower) for early ford expeditions.
Also the diagonal horizontal locating bar for the rear axle. All are stamped steel and all rust really bad and all are replaceable in the driveway with a flop jack and a couple jack stands.
All are dealer available parts but you get the same stamped stuff that is expensive and it rusts equally as fast as the OE parts.
I have made replacements using 1"x1.5" tube and just welded on the OE bushing mounts from the original parts that the stampings rusted in half. Then re installed the rubber bushings. I have also sourced new bushings for another set I made from the local parts store as those bushings were a bit worn
Again all done in my driveway with basic shade tree mechanic tools and a lincoln 140A / 110v mig welder with flux core wire.
How about high quality metal replacements for plastic parts that fail regularly in German cars? I am thinking cooling system bits or small mechanisms.
