Check price variance between black & grey. Just a guess however I'll wager grey interior color outsold black. Very possible you can get grey color raw material for similar price and it may match "good enough" for some customers with grey interior. Painting would still be an option. Also, check out "hydro graphics" as an economical method for providing customers not only "color match" but also custom prints. Virtually anything is available. PS: Injection mold initial cost is ouchy!
Interest in gauge pods for bulls and bricks?
- Thread starter Thewespaul
- Start date
Yeah the upfront cost is the hardest part for me. I’ve got no shortage of ideas to improve these trucks, but only so much money and time to invest into development, this is why I’ve pretty much decided not to put my turbo kit into production, at least for the time being. The R&D kit works fine, and is priced well for what goes into it, I think the money it would take me to get the turbo kits mass produced would be better suited with things like these gauge pods, were there is currently no options for our trucks
genscripter
Full Access Member
I have some spare interior parts somewhere in a box in the garage. When do you need it by. It might take some digging.
austin92
Full Access Member
I’d prefer a cheaper black version. You can get factory match paint for less than 10$ a can. I’ll have to get some pics of my pod after work tonight
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IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
The black version would be fine to me too.
After getting an estimate today for the first mold I am going to be doing the most requested thing first. Just to get the first one made to test fit is going to be more than what it would cost to buy 100 obs gauge pods, and as much as I would love to have options for every year model idi, I don’t have the kind of money to do so, gonna be selling off some things to fund this project as is.
genscripter
Full Access Member
No prob. I know the vans are the black sheep, so I'm not too concerned about it. I already run a generic triple pod on the pillar and a triple overhead. I don't mind the generic pod, but I always like the look of the bolt-on pod in the trucks. If someone was going to have a batch of van quad pillar gauge pods, I would definitely tune in and help wherever I could.
Another route to consider would be designing a method for modifying currently available pods to fit our old stuff. Just "spitballing" here, is it possible to re-form existing pods "thermally" allowing them to conform to older profiles? Obviously the advantage would be avoiding initial investment for injection molds. Maybe even consider offering a service where the customer sends you their interior pillar trim pieces and you add pods & paint???
rempfer
Registered User
Me too. I'd be buying the gauge set to know what's going on with the truck/engine and for the instructions on how to install & eliminate or supplement the ridiculous factory "gauges" in my 1988 F250. Thank you.
That’s an interesting idea, I know I haven’t had much luck trying to get the obs ones to fit better with the heat gun, the cheap plastic tends to shrivel up like a catapillar instead of being mailable, but graphing the pods into the existing a pillar trim could be an option. I’ve got an old school fiberglass guy that would do a sweet job, my concern would be if the integrity of the old trim isn’t sufficient to work with. A lot of the old plastic has become brittle even for the garage kept trucks.
Once I have more time and funds I will explore the graphing option and see if there’s enough cost benefit to do that over the molding. I know the molding would give the best product, but it’s freakin expensive....
Please pardon my ignorance but before I put in my two cents I please clarify the years for bullnose versus bricknose. I've personally never seen those terms so want to make sure I have the correct years. Last question would these fit a F-150 as well? Still thinking about dropping a diesel in one at some point. I really like the idea of putting one of the late 90's Mercedes turbo diesels in an F-150. Think it's the om606. Sorry once again I'm way off topic.
Sorry for the confusion, I edited my first post to include a breakdown of the years each body style includes. The f150 will have the same a pillar, as well as the broncos.
nelstomlinson
Full Access Member
I would like to get a couple 3 or 4 gauge pods for the 87-91. No point in trying to sell different colors because of fading. Black or gray and we'll paint to match, if we care.
My1500DollarTruck
Registered User
On my 92 F250 OBS I'm running a glow shift 4 gauge pillar pod 52mm gauges. It fit perfect . Ebay has 3 gauge going at $37 and 4 gauge @ $43. I wouldn't think you would be able to affordably compete in that market if your starting from molds on up. Glow shift also sells a 2 gauge pillar pod showing for 87-97 .
I’m not trying to compete with the obs gauge pods, there’s already plenty of options for the obs. I’m trying to make options for the bricknose and bullnose trucks that have no options for drop in a pillar gauge pods. I do gauges on these trucks all the time, and although I’ve gotten good at modifying the obs ones for earlier trucks, they never fit right. Can you post the two gauge pod? I can’t picture the same a pillar gauge pod being able to work for 87-97, because the a pillar is completely different in 91 than in 92
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