mad103 Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Just wanted to see what aesthetic mods have been made to you stangs. We are in process of adding a chin spoiler, shaker, and light splitters. Thought it would be fun to see pics. Sorry if its repetitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Just wanted to see what aesthetic mods have been made to you stangs. We are in process of adding a chin spoiler, shaker, and light splitters. Thought it would be fun to see pics. Sorry if its repetitive. We just built one similar to what you're describing: (shameless plug) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=160072451327 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Rat - hmmm...$8.5k is a lot for mostly dress up goodies.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Rat - hmmm...$8.5k is a lot for mostly dress up goodies.... sure, note that's just the MSRP part. Buy It Now is much less, and the reserve is even less than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five Oh B Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Well, here's our shameless plug then... http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_popup.jsp?car_id=210251817 Price is $38,950 and with the $1,000 factory rebate it is just $37,950. Original MSRP before all the mods was $30,875. The two-tone paint alone cost us $3,500. Add up all the other goodies and labor and it ain't cheap, but it sure came out very nice - much like the one Ratnacage showed above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 B)--> QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Jan 11 2007, 05:41 PM) 87763[/snapback] Well, here's our shameless plug then... http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_popup.jsp?car_id=210251817 Price is $38,950 and with the $1,000 factory rebate it is just $37,950. Original MSRP before all the mods was $30,875. The two-tone paint alone cost us $3,500. Add up all the other goodies and labor and it ain't cheap, but it sure came out very nice - much like the one Ratnacage showed above. That's definitely a cool looking stang - love the paint. My GSM doesn't have the cojones to go that far with a paint job although I keep trying to convince him on that and to do more 'real' performance upgrades. Not cheap, but what lot of people don't understand is that more so than the cost of parts, it's the labor that really puts a premium on this kind of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Turn-key cars are fine. I'd like to see a "build it your way" option. Some buyers want just cosmetics - others want only performance. And others, like myself, like a custom blend! :banana piano: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Turn-key cars are fine. I'd like to see a "build it your way" option. Some buyers want just cosmetics - others want only performance. And others, like myself, like a custom blend! :banana piano: Problem is it takes a real enthusiast to do that - and most of them have real jobs. I'm actually working on a build it your way plan. The other hurdle is people are conditioned to try to get everything dirt cheap, and when that happens there's very little profit motive for a dealer to provide that type of service. Lately I've taken to upselling Mustang customers on performance upgrades (not so much cosmetics unless they want it, but actual performance stuff). I've found most are open to at least mild upgrades like tuning, lowering, CAI, and exhaust. This leads me to believe there's a solid market for it, but most buyers don't get to deal with someone that actually knows what to do, or simply assumes the dealer isn't up for it (some aren't). I'm sure most salesmen wouldn't know how to handle performance upgrades, but enthusiasts like myself, and I'm sure Five-oh, and others actually take the time to essentially act as a "project manager" on custom builds. I can tell you a lot of time and effort goes in to making a custom build turn out the way a customer expects it to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 "...most of them have real jobs..." ??? Please explain before I punch in your GPS numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90GT Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Problem is it takes a real enthusiast to do that - and most of them have real jobs. I'm actually working on a build it your way plan. The other hurdle is people are conditioned to try to get everything dirt cheap, and when that happens there's very little profit motive for a dealer to provide that type of service. Lately I've taken to upselling Mustang customers on performance upgrades (not so much cosmetics unless they want it, but actual performance stuff). I've found most are open to at least mild upgrades like tuning, lowering, CAI, and exhaust. This leads me to believe there's a solid market for it, but most buyers don't get to deal with someone that actually knows what to do, or simply assumes the dealer isn't up for it (some aren't). I'm sure most salesmen wouldn't know how to handle performance upgrades, but enthusiasts like myself, and I'm sure Five-oh, and others actually take the time to essentially act as a "project manager" on custom builds. I can tell you a lot of time and effort goes in to making a custom build turn out the way a customer expects it to. Rat, My dealer was one of the ones who doesn't want to deal with mods. I would have loved to purchase the car with the mods already done and been able to finance it into the loan. I ended up just buying a base car to use as a blank canvas as I'd be removing a lot of stuff off the car any way. Didn't make sense to pay extra for wheels or an upgraded stereo when I'd just be swaping them out. I think a lot of dealers are missing out by choosing not to allow their customers to do this. There is a whole sub market out there for customers who don't have the time or don't want to deal with modding their car. Being able to purchase the mods and have the dealer install them, then finance the mods into the loan, makes it that much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five Oh B Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 The problem with us dealers doing these mods, as Rat pointed out, is that the labor costs put the price too high for most customers to appreciate and then when you try to work them a deal the profit margins get way too thin to even justify the headache and time involved coordinating. It's a safe bet that any performance part or cosmetic-enhancing part you want the dealer to install will cost double by the time you factor in labor. For example, I had 4.10 gears put in my 07 GT. I paid $220 for the parts, but paid $260 for the install for a total of $480. As another example, I installed my own CDC Dynamite Stick sequential taillights. Paid $140 and spent 20 minutes installing. If I had taken it to a shop, I would have been charged a minimum of an hour labor, tax, and "shop supplies" and nearly doubled my total cost. If you whittle the labor expense way down to please a customer, then have to re-do something that wasn't exactly up to their expectation (real or perceived), then you end up burning daylight and losing money on the deal. Also, we provide a loaner car for our customers while accessorizing is being done. A custom Mustang can take a week to complete with our vendors - that's a lot of dough spent on a rental car - further eating into profits and further reducing our desire to expend the effort. At our dealership, we have a dedicated aftermarket department. I do NOT work in that department, but occassionally will sit in with their vendor meetings if they're deciding on what to showcase on a "display" Mustang like the one shown above, and I offer my opinions. The "display" car (like the black on blue two-tone above) is for sale if anyone wants to buy it, but it is loaded up with more stuff than most guys want and used more to show customers what is possible on a different Mustang of their choosing. For example, we've sold a few Shaker Hoods to guys who saw it on our "display" car, or done lowering kits or side window louvers/scoops after guys saw it on the "display" car. When we eventually sell this "display" car, we'll commission another one to be built to sit in the showroom and garner attention. The upside for the customer for having the dealer install aftermarket goodies is that it can go in the financing, but the downside for the customer is that the dealer has to charge enough labor to cover all the expenses that many customers don't understand or can't justify. That's what makes low-volume tuner cars like Roush, Saleen, and Steeda so much more expensive than a factory built car with like performance (i.e. SVT Cobra, GT500), and the problem is even deeper with aftermarket one-of-a-kind dealer-done tuner cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90GT Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 B)--> QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Jan 11 2007, 09:16 PM) 87903[/snapback] The problem with us dealers doing these mods, as Rat pointed out, is that the labor costs put the price too high for most customers to appreciate and then when you try to work them a deal the profit margins get way too thin to even justify the headache and time involved coordinating. It's a safe bet that any performance part or cosmetic-enhancing part you want the dealer to install will cost double by the time you factor in labor. For example, I had 4.10 gears put in my 07 GT. I paid $220 for the parts, but paid $260 for the install for a total of $480. As another example, I installed my own CDC Dynamite Stick sequential taillights. Paid $140 and spent 20 minutes installing. If I had taken it to a shop, I would have been charged a minimum of an hour labor, tax, and "shop supplies" and nearly doubled my total cost. If you whittle the labor expense way down to please a customer, then have to re-do something that wasn't exactly up to their expectation (real or perceived), then you end up burning daylight and losing money on the deal. Also, we provide a loaner car for our customers while accessorizing is being done. A custom Mustang can take a week to complete with our vendors - that's a lot of dough spent on a rental car - further eating into profits and further reducing our desire to expend the effort. At our dealership, we have a dedicated aftermarket department. I do NOT work in that department, but occassionally will sit in with their vendor meetings if they're deciding on what to showcase on a "display" Mustang like the one shown above, and I offer my opinions. The "display" car (like the black on blue two-tone above) is for sale if anyone wants to buy it, but it is loaded up with more stuff than most guys want and used more to show customers what is possible on a different Mustang of their choosing. For example, we've sold a few Shaker Hoods to guys who saw it on our "display" car, or done lowering kits or side window louvers/scoops after guys saw it on the "display" car. When we eventually sell this "display" car, we'll commission another one to be built to sit in the showroom and garner attention. The upside for the customer for having the dealer install aftermarket goodies is that it can go in the financing, but the downside for the customer is that the dealer has to charge enough labor to cover all the expenses that many customers don't understand or can't justify. That's what makes low-volume tuner cars like Roush, Saleen, and Steeda so much more expensive than a factory built car with like performance (i.e. SVT Cobra, GT500), and the problem is even deeper with aftermarket one-of-a-kind dealer-done tuner cars. Understood but most customers won't go to that extent with their mods. Take what I wanted to do for an example. I wanted to order a car with aftermarket wheels, the FRPP handling pack, and the drag pack. I know I would have paid for labor, but I would have paid that any way when I had a shop do the same thing. For me, I would have loved the option to order the car this way and just added the cost into the loan. Now I have to buy all my parts and then pay some one to install them. Plus when done by the dealer I have one place to deal with when some thing goes wrong. Just a win win in my book for which I would have gladly paid the extra cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 "...most of them have real jobs..." ??? Please explain before I punch in your GPS numbers. ha! Actually, I was referring to car salesmen. I hate to generalize, but let's just say I was referring to the fact that car dealerships will hire just about anyone, and it's hard to find a salesman that will take a genuine interest in seeing something through to the end and actually sell you performance parts that work, avoiding ones that don't, and not simply load up the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Understood but most customers won't go to that extent with their mods. Take what I wanted to do for an example. I wanted to order a car with aftermarket wheels, the FRPP handling pack, and the drag pack. I know I would have paid for labor, but I would have paid that any way when I had a shop do the same thing. For me, I would have loved the option to order the car this way and just added the cost into the loan. Now I have to buy all my parts and then pay some one to install them. Plus when done by the dealer I have one place to deal with when some thing goes wrong. Just a win win in my book for which I would have gladly paid the extra cost. This is true. Having your dealer do it will cost a little more, but you get the convenience of having everything rolled into one payment and one place to go to if something isn't right, and you don't have to come out of pocket later for the stuff and, like five-oh mentioned, you often get a loaner while your car is being built - try that with any other shop. (what does a rental car cost or the inconvenience of being without your car for a while?) Many customers base the value of added performance on the prices they see for the parts in magazines and fail to take in to account the cost of labor to install and properly tune/adjust the rest of the car. For example, lowering springs are dirt cheap - maybe $250, but then you have several hours of labor - AND you also have to do an alignment - the $$ add up faster than most realize - until they try to get it done later. Then of course there's the inevitable hurdle you have to overcome and that is the customer's perception that you're trying to screw them somehow anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahar1 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 RatNCage, what type of wheels are those on the e-bay stang? I was thinking of some 18X10's. Don't want to go 20's, then you have to have really skinny tires and the ride will suffer. I am putting that Shelby spoiler on my car, looks nice. Many more mods planned for me, but I will do them myself mostly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratnacage Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 RatNCage, what type of wheels are those on the e-bay stang? I was thinking of some 18X10's. Don't want to go 20's, then you have to have really skinny tires and the ride will suffer. I am putting that Shelby spoiler on my car, looks nice. Many more mods planned for me, but I will do them myself mostly. Those are Venti V54 RETRO. Only available in 20's though. ...ride too harsh? ....sissy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 I like the looks of my 19's - but next time, it's 18's! Little too stiff for 'ol Ruf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahar1 Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 I like the looks of my 19's - but next time, it's 18's! Little too stiff for 'ol Ruf! Well then you must be a sissy, just like me I guess, right! I wish those 20's were made in 18's, I like that style, but a little too big for me, I am a sissy you know,,,,,lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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