What do y'all want?

[colintrax]

My job at Kroger is getting beyond tiring so I'm finally going to start my own business.
So, what do y'all want made for our explorers?
I'm going to try and get a loan so I can buy a CNC mill, manual lathe, TIG welder, and make a Guerin Stamp. I have access to other tools at school but recently my school has been cracking down on machine shop usage
Don't expect this business to actually open, gonna be hard. But I'm determined so hopefully I'll be my own boss soon.

 

[colintrax]

Diff covers and diff skid plates?

 

[Keeper0311]

It'd be pretty sick if you looked into making a kit to ditch the Torsion bars for the 2nd gens. Maybe limited production but I'm sure there quite a few people that'd be interested in that.

 

[colintrax]

So coil overs? Shouldn't be to hard but I'd definitely need some interest before I start that project

 

[FIND]

Not that I would like to crush an entrepreneurial spirit or suggest that you shouldn't whole-heartedly pursue your dreams, but if you are thinking about starting a business to manufacture parts just to service a small niche, then I would recommend against it, especially considering the loans you would need to purchase most of that stuff and materials, and your operating overhead or other expenses. You would most certainly be headed towards default.

I'd recommend finding something that there is a large enough demand for that you could anticipate meeting your monthly loan expenses and other expenses, and then if you start making a profit, branch out to making other stuff for niche buyers, like Ford Explorer owners. Otherwise, just do the stuff as a hobby until you are producing enough products and making enough money to justify expanding. It is always best not to get loans for things.

My advice: Save your money, buy a tig welder and some other basic fabrication tools out of your own money, not borrowed money, to make some of the less complicated things, like skid plates, coilover mounting brackets, or other such stuff, and just do it in your free time. Then, save all your profits on that stuff and put that towards other equipment as new products come up that you think you will sell enough of to cover the cost of the equipment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get you down or put you down. I'm just saying, if you had a sound business model, you would be concentrating on that. If you are asking people what they would like made, you probably don't have enough product to keep your shirt in the end. Most welding or fabrication shops start out as guys doing it as a side business with equipment they have saved up over the years, well, most successful ones anyway.

 

[colintrax]

I know, I'm working with my buddy who's a business major so he'll probably keep me inline financially
I might join the race team so I don't have to deal with as much crap to use the equipment at school (lots of presses, welders, mills, lathes, ect)
Right now we still don't know where we'll even make this stuff. Don't have the room at my house to be an operating machine shop, and his parents aren't to keen with the idea.
We don't need huge profits though, $150 a week in salary plus loans/operating costs and we'll be happy.
We both race motocross, shoot, and like cars. So we got lots of markets to look into, just gotta find a product to make

 

[FIND]

Just saying, I want to encourage you, but think hard about it. If I can tell you one thing, the cost of running a shop are always WAY more than you think they will be, especially when you have loans to pay off.

 

[JTX]

FIND made some great points.

I would work your day job until the business is profitable. You wont be able to get a loan until the business has a track record of profits. I would take that off the table from the start. If you want it you gotta work hard for it, save up and get the equipment and tools with your own money. You wont owe anyone a penny and your profit margins will be twice as high.

Your day job will be much easier when your chasing your dreams on your time off.

 

[colintrax]

The problem is trying to work 24 hours a week, and continue 14 credit hours at school

 

[Kazer]

The cost of running a shop are always WAY more than you think they will be, especially when you have loans to pay off.

x2

i'm 20 and i own and operate a print shop...granted its not custom fabricating like you want to do, but all of the little bills pile up real quick.

Just make sure you're fully committed before diving in. I ended up getting a 5 year 25k loan, so i wont be too far in the hole if this doesnt work out

 

[FIND]

The problem is trying to work 24 hours a week, and continue 14 credit hours at school

Meh, I'm a full-time single parent with three kids, 3, 6 and 9, I teach part-time right now and I have full-time classes. You're young. Just keep reminding yourself that you can sleep when you are dead.

Though honestly, I'm taking some time off academics after this semester so I can work in the real world instead. Much easier. So don't feel like I'm being critical of you, just giving you a hard time. But just saying, try writing down everything you do in a day for a week or two. You would be surprised how much time you can find.

 

[deweyville65]

My job at Kroger is getting beyond tiring so I'm finally going to start my own business.
So, what do y'all want made for our explorers?
I'm going to try and get a loan so I can buy a CNC mill, manual lathe, TIG welder, and make a Guerin Stamp. I have access to other tools at school but recently my school has been cracking down on machine shop usage
Don't expect this business to actually open, gonna be hard. But I'm determined so hopefully I'll be my own boss soon.

Find makes an excellent point. I had my own 6 car hauler back in 90-91. Was leased to a company that paid me every time I got in the yard. Truck was on a lease purchase, all expenses were paid CASH. Fuel was at a 4 cent discount because of CASH. See where I'm headed here. At the end of 7 months running, in 91, I paid taxes on $7000 profit. I could have worked for any trucking company in the country for three times that amount. But, don't give up your dream. Look at any successful business man going, they had a dream. Just don't get yourself deep in debt, especially in this economy.

 

[colintrax]

Meh, I'm a full-time single parent with three kids, 3, 6 and 9, I teach part-time right now and I have full-time classes. You're young. Just keep reminding yourself that you can sleep when you are dead.

Though honestly, I'm taking some time off academics after this semester so I can work in the real world instead. Much easier. So don't feel like I'm being critical of you, just giving you a hard time. But just saying, try writing down everything you do in a day for a week or two. You would be surprised how much time you can find.

I know I could do more. But I've got 14 credit hours at school, with an hour to hour and a half drive. Then I work 3, 8 hours shifts at work with a 30 to 40 minute drive. Add in the dirt bike/bicycle, and other hobbies then I don't have a whole lot of time
I'ma try to make this happen though. How much interest is there for a differential skid plate that protects the drive shaft?

 

[explorer-aus]

IFS skid plates for second gens, one that runs from infront of radiator from chassis to center of ifs (dunno how expensive shipping to aus would be tho!)

 

[colintrax]

Haha probably pretty expensive. There's also a few people who make those, I'd rather get into a market that doesn't have any competition

 

[explorer-aus]

Haha probably pretty expensive. There's also a few people who make those, I'd rather get into a market that doesn't have any competition

Really? Who?

 

[Keeper0311]

Check out RCI over at therangerstation.com

 

[colintrax]

Yep, I think theres's a few more to.

So nobody has been wishing of something that isn't currently being made? Right now I'm looking at making coil over kits, but I need an idea of how many people would actually buy them. I'd try to make them no weld, just bolt on. But that might be kinda hard to brace the upper shock mount without welding, unless you wanna drill a ton of holes and that's no fun

 

[2TimingTom]

I'd be down for some brackets to convert the T-bars to coilovers. If you were to supply just the brackets and not the coilovers, you would probably move a bunch of sets.

2nd gen rear lower shock mount "lift" brackets. Brian1 has made a few of these in the past. They move the lower shock attach up so it's not the lowest thing out back.

Not a whole lot to pick from as far as bumper vendors. Or sliders.

Dual battery trays.

I'd look through the off-road fabrication section for ideas.

I tend to agree with FIND though. If you're going to remain Explorer specific, it's going to be tough. But if you diversify into other markets (Jeeps, Toyotas- I don't just see dozens of them on the trails just because.....) you stand a better chance. But going into markets that are already filled with vendors- you're just another fish in the pond. Your business major buddy better be good!

 

[2TimingTom]

As far as the weld vs no-weld on the coilovers: I like Corkey's setup. His are mostly bolt on with only some gussets welded on.

Here's why I like it: prior to removing the T-bars, I can go over to a welder and get that upper shock mount gussetted ahead of time. This is pretty minimal- pull the tires off, weld on some plate, tires back on and go home. And then once at home, like most people on this forum, would perfer to do the work themselves.