Did you see Sacramento Kustoms does a 5w quarter now Josh? As soon as I collected my other roadster quarter for my 5w they come out with one. $975 each.... http://sacramentokustoms.com/repairpanel.pdf
Profits!!! Quicker return on investment due to lower production cost. For all those bitchin' about it being made in China....just be glad someone is repoping 5 windows. I'm guessing Brookville won't be doing them anytime soon! Paint it and finish the interior, and no one will even know it isn't a Henry body, unless you tell them.
I am a self employed welder and I have been doing work for two different stamping plants every since I have been in business. One of the plants is what they consider an A stamping plant which mean they stamp the outer sheet metal, they have two press lines at a cost of 30 million for each line and this does not include the dies just the press line with automated robots to transfer metal from one press to the other. I have been around these companies since 1988 and still today it amazes me to stand and watch a flat piece of metal start in one end and when it comes out it can be a door,fender,quarter,hood,complete body side,etc. 22-24 grand for one of the 32 bodies does not even start to recoupe there investment, they have to sale many many bodies to get back there investment. drjones96 was wondering how Henry done back then well the labor rates was no where near what they are today a good tool and die maker probably makes $30.00 plus and hour today.
If Dynacorn can make an entire mustang body subframes and all (which certainly seems a lot more complex!) for $15-16k why does a deuce body command $7-$9k more (over 50% more)? All things being equal since Dynacorn makes theirs in Taiwan with dirt cheap labor as well. $30+/hr?? Hardly. More like $30/wk if they're lucky. http://www.dynacornclassicbodies.com/ford_models2.html Volume sold......it's a function of price. The lower the price the more you can sell. If they wanted they could be the Walmart of deuce bodies. Imagine if they offered them for $10k. You'd rip your pants pocket trying to get your wallet out (and if you didn't have $10k you'd be buddying up to your banker). They'd sell tons of them! Volume! I think they are priced what they are because that's what Brookville has theirs priced at. They could easily undercut them by a long shot just due to the cheap manufacturing costs. To a certain extent I understand why Brookville commands the price they do for their 3w. They have to absorb the cost of being made in the USA. Where Brookville may own all their presses and have to absorb the cost of making their own dies, these guys contract it out to a mfg plant overseas have them make the dies and they use their presses and other tooling.
As far as their fit and finish, I saw a set of the drip rails they make and they were a PERFECT match to the original 5W rails holding them to an original body. Even being made over seas, I have a feeling that the quality fit and finish is still going to be higher than people's expectations...
I do not use repro parts ... on DEUCES ... unless the original stuff just cannot be found. That said ... I am GLAD these folks stepped up and started making parts and pieces for the 5W. Just like the Brookville stuff ... it helps get the original Fords back on the road which is a GOOD thing. Most here will agree that Brookville repro bodies do not lower the VALUES of Ford bodies. As a card carrying member of the Deuce Mafia this may surprise some ... but I have no problems with all these new steel reproduction bodies and parts. If they help get folks involved ... and on the road ... I am all for it
In this economy, i wonder how many they will sell? I know there are still people out there with money, but i think there are fewer and fewer all the time.
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