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Feb 23, 2011 21:05:05 GMT
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Think of all the muscle car owners who might just as easily choose some repop 8.5 x 15 slots over AREs, Cragars, centrelines etc
I'm also thinking there would be a fair demand for the same size in 5.5 inch PCD 6 stud for all those Japanese 4x4 which are dozens of times more numerous than they were in the 70s and 80s. I bet a hilux or Ranger etc would look pretty darn awesome on some mirror polished Wolfrace slots. I'm astonished they can't see that, yet can see a back to front slotmag with its nose kicked in, on a Corsa.
I'm slowly restoring a set of 6 stud slots at fairly great cost because you can't get them anymore.
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2011 21:20:35 GMT by datman
69 Plymouth Fury Convertible 75 Range Rover 2 door 82 Range Rover 4 door 84 Range Rover 4 door 78 Datsun 120Y 2 door 78 Datsun 120Y Coupe 78 Datsun 620 Pickup 81 Datsun Urvan E23 86 Datsun Vanette van 98 Electric Citroen Berlingo 00 Electric Peugeot Partner 02 Electric Citroen Berlingo 76 Honda C50 04 Berlingo Multispace petrol 07 Land Rover 130 15 Nissan E-NV200 15 Fiat Ducato
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Feb 23, 2011 21:52:53 GMT
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Interestingly enough I was thinking "if Wolfrace won't repop them, maybe I can..."
I was thinking 7x13 7x14 8x15 and 10x15 would be the best sizes to do. I was thinking of getting them blank centre cast and then getting them machined per PCD & centre bore to customer order.
I was then reading about George Poteet who wanted a specific size of Minilights (yes really) to go on his Firebird. So determined was he that he flew out to China and went round all the foundries who could do them. Best price he got was $25000 to make the tooling. That's for one size.
I kinda went off the idea after that. Unless anyone wants to chip in to the $100,000 investment I'd need to make. Sadly I ain't got the disposable income of George Poteet.
On top of which I'd need automotive product liability insurance which is sodding expensive
I suspect that the people selling the old Mamba, Revolution, etc. wheels have the original tools from way back when and its just materials cost now.
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2011 21:53:47 GMT by akku
1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Feb 23, 2011 22:04:12 GMT
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Be interesting to see how many of these abominations they actually sell. The worst shape slotmag and can you imagine little boy wonder buying a NEW set of these for his FWD hatch over the 1000's of other wheels currently on the market that are more suited and better looking. Bad move by Wolfrace i feel, although is the rest of their current range anything to write home about anyway? Feck them for getting my hopes up, when I seen the initial thread on here i was imagining new sets of the deep dished classics in 15" 4x4" sizes. Hats of bums
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Club Retro Rides Member
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Feb 23, 2011 22:08:19 GMT
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The "tuner" marker is still pretty buoyant from all I hear. I bet they sell plenty.
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Feb 23, 2011 22:26:51 GMT
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The other thing to consider is that Wolfrace have a definite target market already, and it doesn't primarily include retro cars - they produce modern-looking wheels for modern cars. They have to launch a product which they can sell through their existing retailer network, to an existing target market that fits in with their business model. Breaking into a different (eg: Retro / Custom / Classic) market would require more investment, more research into different markets, etc etc. Not to mention having more than one product to offer.
I do think that the people voting for the Slotmag to be relaunched (like us!) are not the same people who the new wheel is designed for, and there could be a problem in that. Maybe I'm wrong, and hoardes of modern hatch owners also want to see Slots re-appear, but I do worry that a lot of the "demand" has come from a market that Wolfrace don't really serve and never intended to.
I know that other companies sell retro wheels and do very well at it, but it seems that Wolfrace don't intend to compete in that market.
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2011 22:29:24 GMT by BenzBoy
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Feb 23, 2011 23:45:10 GMT
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The Wolfrace chap told me the mold costs ÂŁ30,000 to make. I wonder what the actual cost of manufacturing the wheel itself would be after that, what do you think, ÂŁ20 of raw material per wheel? ÂŁ10 lathing/ machining ÂŁ5 drilling, making the centres (i can sell them a load LOL) lets say ÂŁ40 all in, how much are wheels to buy, ÂŁ80 each? They'd need to sell just 750 wheels (190 sets) to cover the tooling cost using the profit. Maybe 190 advance orders would twist their arm!
I'm sure they can find a worldwide demand for that many for starters!
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Last Edit: Feb 24, 2011 0:15:13 GMT by datman
69 Plymouth Fury Convertible 75 Range Rover 2 door 82 Range Rover 4 door 84 Range Rover 4 door 78 Datsun 120Y 2 door 78 Datsun 120Y Coupe 78 Datsun 620 Pickup 81 Datsun Urvan E23 86 Datsun Vanette van 98 Electric Citroen Berlingo 00 Electric Peugeot Partner 02 Electric Citroen Berlingo 76 Honda C50 04 Berlingo Multispace petrol 07 Land Rover 130 15 Nissan E-NV200 15 Fiat Ducato
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But then who is it really aimed at? They remake a period wheel in a bigger size but I can't imagine Johnny Civic or Sammy Subaru ditching their 18's for a bad looking set of 15's. Other 'scenes' are brimming with deep dish, wide lipped BBS, Rota's, etc or genuine period wheels being refurbed a the time so who exactly is going to buy this? The other wheels in the wolfrace poll were more 'tuner' looking but I imagine it was people like ourselves who voted for the slotmag so I don't understand where this is aimed. Plus, why is the only tooling they have left the tooling for the dullest slotmag or did they spend all the money they've got from Halfords over the years on new tooling? I reckon they should flip them round and machine the faces onto the correct side!
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Club Retro Rides Member
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But then who is it really aimed at? This is what I don't understand. To me, they brought the Slotmag back in answer to loads of people like us who voted expecting RWD offsets and a faithful reproduction of a '70s classic, and manufactured a wheel to try to cater for their existing "tuner" market. I can see the VW scene buying some for their Mk3 Polos etc (and they'd look great I reckon!), but there's no way a majority of their customer base would sack off some 19's in favour of a set of Slots for their newish car.
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Some of us are still on 15" LCD monitors Or 14inch CRT (proper retro ;D))
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta 2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van 2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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I would assume Wolfrace has done more research than just an internet poll. if not then they deserve to fail! One of the questions was "what fitment would you want". If we were all putting Cortina, Capri, etc. and they still make it a FWD wheel I guess more people were putting Focus, Fiesta, Saxo
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Nathan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,627
Club RR Member Number: 1
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Going against the norm here but I love them! Think they would suit the VWs and even a Capri
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As a dished slot replacement,they fail,but as a wheel in their own right,I quite like them!
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Feb 24, 2011 10:27:26 GMT
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To put the cat amongst the shitehawks, I think they'd look great on our PT cruiser...
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,786
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Feb 24, 2011 10:51:58 GMT
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I reckon they should flip them round and machine the faces onto the correct side! ^^^ This is the besy answer yet. That would be an Orsumz wheel !
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,922
Club RR Member Number: 108
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Feb 24, 2011 11:35:59 GMT
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people keep mentioning putting them on mk3 polos and saying they're probably the only car they'll work on but 15s are too big for them in my opinion.
maybe a mk4 polo or a mk3 golf, but why not just get some bbs, audi alloys or even g60 steels! the sort of folk who drive those VWs would probably be more likely to run adaptors and get some second hand rotas or some merc wheels! I reckon the people who will spend money on brand new wheels are the type who don't drive these cars and will probably have something newer - which they will be too small for. The only car I can think of that these would work on is a PT cruiser.
This is destined for failure unless they start offering different sizes ETs and offsets.
Actually i reckon some 14 x 7s would look great on a mk3 polo...
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