GRP Foam Tires
05-15-2006, 10:25 AM
#16
hmmm.. I wonder if I can use that with a slot car track i'm putting in a spare room of my house!
Originally Posted by rcfoolz
Also, I use Foam Tire Glue to repair tires that are chunked. After truing, the clue is hardly noticable and wears excellent, also it is soft and flexible. I believe it is tire glue #902.
Also, the foam dust that is created, I was saving my truing "dust" for a while for a friend of mine that does RailRoad modeling, he used it for coal in the cars, landscaping, and also his friends used it for thier Nascar Displays for "marble" effects against the walls. So, their is a use for some of that "dust'......The people I know that do tires, leaving a sheet of foam left with bunches of holes. These could be sold by the truck load to Foam Pits that are used for practice jumps by motorcycle/ atv and stunt people. Knowing that the foam comes in sheets, how about getting the foam in "Rods". You have them formed, extruded, or cut to a sheet, they could be done to a "Rod" the same way.
Also, the foam dust that is created, I was saving my truing "dust" for a while for a friend of mine that does RailRoad modeling, he used it for coal in the cars, landscaping, and also his friends used it for thier Nascar Displays for "marble" effects against the walls. So, their is a use for some of that "dust'......The people I know that do tires, leaving a sheet of foam left with bunches of holes. These could be sold by the truck load to Foam Pits that are used for practice jumps by motorcycle/ atv and stunt people. Knowing that the foam comes in sheets, how about getting the foam in "Rods". You have them formed, extruded, or cut to a sheet, they could be done to a "Rod" the same way.
05-15-2006, 10:36 AM
#17
I heard supposedly the 1/8 will go for around $70 u.s a set. I used to like GRP but if that is the case no thank you!!!!
05-15-2006, 10:45 AM
#18
Serpent USA is selling the Jaco Mugen and Serpent 1/8th tires at a very reasonable price if you get them from the right retailer.
Originally Posted by Jason Smith
I heard supposedly the 1/8 will go for around $70 u.s a set. I used to like GRP but if that is the case no thank you!!!!
05-15-2006, 11:16 AM
#19
Scott, I'm realy not upset, heck, I'm not going to retire on the money I spend on tires.
I just want to have other people to race against. I am tired of having to run against fewer and fewer good racers because costs are getting out of hand. I am already leaning tward leaving this hobby and getting a fishing boat. Also, I am getting an electric car to race.
I just want to have other people to race against. I am tired of having to run against fewer and fewer good racers because costs are getting out of hand. I am already leaning tward leaving this hobby and getting a fishing boat. Also, I am getting an electric car to race.
Last edited by rcfoolz; 05-15-2006 at 11:27 AM.
05-15-2006, 11:35 AM
#20
Originally Posted by rcfoolz
Scott, I'm realy not upset, heck, I'm not going to retire on the money I spend on tires.
I just want to have other people to race against. I am tired of having to run against fewer and fewer good racers because costs are getting out of hand. I am already leaning tward leaving this hobby and getting a fishing boat. Also, I am getting an electric car to race.
I just want to have other people to race against. I am tired of having to run against fewer and fewer good racers because costs are getting out of hand. I am already leaning tward leaving this hobby and getting a fishing boat. Also, I am getting an electric car to race.
I notice Novarossi has jack up the glow plug and engines.... $7.50 each
05-15-2006, 11:36 AM
#21
Tech Adept
foolz
you ain't spent money until you go electric racing.
glow plugs are up because platinum and rhodium are up. Thats what the wire is made of, and their is no substitute. at 1300.00 per ounce that should tell you why. when the manufacturers buy a spool of platinum wire it is usually in a box 4x4 in size and the guy who delivers it says that will be 15 grand pleeze.
you ain't spent money until you go electric racing.
glow plugs are up because platinum and rhodium are up. Thats what the wire is made of, and their is no substitute. at 1300.00 per ounce that should tell you why. when the manufacturers buy a spool of platinum wire it is usually in a box 4x4 in size and the guy who delivers it says that will be 15 grand pleeze.
05-15-2006, 11:42 AM
#23
Tech Adept
if cost was the issue they why is everyone going 1/8th racing. Don't even tell me 1/8th is cheaper if you want to run at the front. I wish somone would tell me what is going on in california though. 30 days before the nats and only half full? gimme a break. our first series race brought 113. whats up wit that.
05-15-2006, 11:46 AM
#24
I don't mind spending money for electric. At least I will have someone to race against. I drove 150 miles Saturday and didn't have anybody to race with.
05-15-2006, 11:50 AM
#25
Originally Posted by performula
If something is made overseas and the item is ordered from the country it was manufactured, of course it will be cheaper. If something is designed and made in Italy, by the time it gets in the U.S. it has been through five hands minimum before the consumer: Bulk Freight, Customs, Freight/Mail, Distributor, Retailer. A distributor places a $300,000 order from Italy, Japan, Taiwan, etc., probably gets taxed at least 10%. They have to recoupe the $30,000 from some where.
Cheaper prices = eliminate the middle men. The fee for freight and customs will always be there. However, prices go up regardless so in ten years we'll be complaining on why GRP tires cost $20.00 a pair direct from the factory.
Cheaper prices = eliminate the middle men. The fee for freight and customs will always be there. However, prices go up regardless so in ten years we'll be complaining on why GRP tires cost $20.00 a pair direct from the factory.
I live in Greenville, SC for a long time. My last car was a VW Touareg V8 which I bought in October 2003. The car cost me $49,000, fully loaded. In Germany, the exact same Touareg cost € 61,500, which at the current exchange rate equals 79,000 USD.
Even if I re-import this sucker from the US, will I save 28% over the price here, shipping, taxes and all fees paid.
It's all about how much people are willing to pay, not realistic value.
VW knows exactly that they don't have the reputaion in the US to sell an 80K car, but in Europe they do.
GRP is trying to build a monopoly together with Mugen, that's why they dumped all the brand like Ellegi, Powers, etc.
Trinity tried the monopoly game in the past with batteries and later with nitro engines and it didn't work, because the customers would have any of it.
The same will happen if we stick together on the tire situation.
There are plenty of other brands available out there, that are as good or better as GRP. Monotuning, Enneti, UFRA, GQ, etc.
Just show them that you don't need their product and their marketing approach will have to change.
When I started 200mm racing in Atlanta in 2001, foams were 18-20 bucks a pair. The internet and international hobby shops put the pressure on and prices came down. Now they are trying to push them back up. I had a few partial sponsorships for foams (BSR, GRP through Integy and now Monotuning) and when you see how cheap they sell those foams while still making profit, it makes you puke to see that they are trying to get 400% profit margin out of them.
05-15-2006, 11:50 AM
#26
Tech Initiate
So, where are you guys finding these GRP prices?
05-15-2006, 11:55 AM
#27
Oh and one more thing about the shipping costs.
We shipped tons and tons of stuff for BMW from Germany to the US and the cost for a 40 ft.container of sea freight is about $2000.
I had my entire 4 person household and a Chrysler Sebring convertible shipped in on of those.
Now try to imagine how many pairs of tires you can stuff in one of those containers for 2 Grand and then calculate the shipping cost per pair. It's nothing!!!
The import taxes in the US for our products were 2,8 - 3,8 %, consumer goods, not industrial intermediates.
It's all BS, trust me.
We shipped tons and tons of stuff for BMW from Germany to the US and the cost for a 40 ft.container of sea freight is about $2000.
I had my entire 4 person household and a Chrysler Sebring convertible shipped in on of those.
Now try to imagine how many pairs of tires you can stuff in one of those containers for 2 Grand and then calculate the shipping cost per pair. It's nothing!!!
The import taxes in the US for our products were 2,8 - 3,8 %, consumer goods, not industrial intermediates.
It's all BS, trust me.
05-15-2006, 12:00 PM
#28
Don't mind spending the money, just dont' like spending $$ for something I know I can get someplace cheaper. If it were a tire that lasted 2 times as long, I would be willing to pay twice as much.
05-15-2006, 12:15 PM
#29
I'm in a unique situation here that I know what stefen is talking about shipping. I know this because my 2 Brother-in-laws run a shipping import/export company.
as for the price of tires, http://www.horizonhobby.com/Search/D...erm=grp&CatId=
A set of foam tires for my NT18 cost $10 for the whole set! They make a whole lot less of those than they do with the bigger ones.
A full set(4 tires) of Foam tires for 1/10 I feel the price should be $25 or less.
Even at that, if that were the cost, at the Roar Nationals next month, if you figure 100 racers with 4 sets of tires for the week (small estimat), thats $10,000 in tires alone. That works out to about $6.25 each.
But I love numbers so much, I will give the Stated price of $18.99 and $19.99 a box, that works out to $15,592 or an average of $9.75 a tire!
Does this sound Crazy?!
If you look at the work that goes into a hotwheel car and they can sell it at the price of .89cents, if Walmart were to get into selling tires, They would be about $4.00 a set!
as for the price of tires, http://www.horizonhobby.com/Search/D...erm=grp&CatId=
A set of foam tires for my NT18 cost $10 for the whole set! They make a whole lot less of those than they do with the bigger ones.
A full set(4 tires) of Foam tires for 1/10 I feel the price should be $25 or less.
Even at that, if that were the cost, at the Roar Nationals next month, if you figure 100 racers with 4 sets of tires for the week (small estimat), thats $10,000 in tires alone. That works out to about $6.25 each.
But I love numbers so much, I will give the Stated price of $18.99 and $19.99 a box, that works out to $15,592 or an average of $9.75 a tire!
Does this sound Crazy?!
If you look at the work that goes into a hotwheel car and they can sell it at the price of .89cents, if Walmart were to get into selling tires, They would be about $4.00 a set!
Last edited by rcfoolz; 05-15-2006 at 12:31 PM.
05-15-2006, 12:31 PM
#30
Originally Posted by stefan
Oh and one more thing about the shipping costs.
We shipped tons and tons of stuff for BMW from Germany to the US and the cost for a 40 ft.container of sea freight is about $2000.
I had my entire 4 person household and a Chrysler Sebring convertible shipped in on of those.
Now try to imagine how many pairs of tires you can stuff in one of those containers for 2 Grand and then calculate the shipping cost per pair. It's nothing!!!
The import taxes in the US for our products were 2,8 - 3,8 %, consumer goods, not industrial intermediates.
It's all BS, trust me.
We shipped tons and tons of stuff for BMW from Germany to the US and the cost for a 40 ft.container of sea freight is about $2000.
I had my entire 4 person household and a Chrysler Sebring convertible shipped in on of those.
Now try to imagine how many pairs of tires you can stuff in one of those containers for 2 Grand and then calculate the shipping cost per pair. It's nothing!!!
The import taxes in the US for our products were 2,8 - 3,8 %, consumer goods, not industrial intermediates.
It's all BS, trust me.
If GRP sells them at $8.00 a pair (probably cheaper) to Great Planes why are they going to be $18.00 through Tower? It's crazy. My LHS sells Nitro Shoes for $22.99 a pair.