aftermarket fabricated chromes + reverse lights & sidema

[pencero]

I am seriously considering fabricating my own chrome & mounting kit + new reverse lights/ sidemarkers and chrome stripping to my vinyl top as a business investment and begin selling them on the net.

When I first came up with the idea, I quickly forgot about it and started thinking it was stupid, and I had visions of myself filing for bankruptcy coming up shortly.

I see people on here all the time asking for reverse lights/sidemarkers, not so much the chrome pieces...

Still, my idea was to improve on the cheap quality plastic screw-ins by creating a mounting kit made of much higher quality aluminum.

I am aware that some of the more oldschool traditional rodders/mechanics might use the word 'desecration' to describe the outcome of this act of treason...

However, in my mind I can see the pieces coming together on the car and the satisfaction I would get out of standing looking at my car with all brand new chrome, knowing it was screwed on with metal washers this time never to fall off again. Sure it would be expensive, so to do this only for my own car is an absurd proposition - especially when I can hook everyone else with the same problem up and make money doing it. The bottom line would really be how 'show quality' my car looks when its finished, and price...

I can't imagine undertaking this project, and the chromes/mounting kit costing around $400 by the time Im finished - the lights would probably cost $150. Thats a lot of money to spend on a car which these days is easy to pick up in good condition for less than $3,000

So my question is basically yay or nay. Who thinks it's stupid, and who has searched the internet high and low for aftermarket reverse lights/sidemarker for Cutlass before and was disappointed to come up with nothing

Who is tired of walking up and down the junkyard rows looking for chromes, and who would choose a walk at the salvage yard over some expensive 'fake' reverse lights any day?

It really comes down to you people - because this is uncharted territory I'm speaking on. I feel like Bugsy Sigel must have felt in Las Vegas asking you oldschool cats this question: If I build it will you come, or will I end up dead in the water? (*the bank, actually )

Now let's not forget what I'm proposing here - to improve on the obvious flimsy construction of the original design without a noticeable difference in appearance being obvious from more than a few feet away

yay or nay

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I honestly do not think top trim will sell very well. Most of us try to get rid of our vinyl tops, not keep them. As for lenses, proper reproductions sold at a reasonable price would sell. However, there is little to no market for a non-stock type lens in most of the G body community. The majority of these cars are done in some variation of the resto-mod style, or are built as race cars. Race cars usually aren't pretty in the details, and resto-mod style cars tend to eschew obvious body modifications that deviate much from stock. If you look at the way most of these cars are built, the trend seems to be retention of some of the stock trim, maybe a factory type rear spoiler or front air dam, and a cowl induction hood. The ding strips, vinyl tops and at least some of the side trim usually gets removed by the majority of the members of this site.

So, no on the vinyl top stuff, and maybe on stock replacement lenses depending on price and quality.

 

[Phoenyx]

But the lowrider guys might be interested.