Quote:
Originally Posted by lunarx  That should be fun, considering Pete's C6 has 500WHP via a H/C upgrade. 
Pete any chance you have the Armrest End Caps?
Those look hot. 
I need. |
Hey Ern:
A couple of years ago I bought from Marty what was then "stale inventory" of the door locks, a/c-heat vent knob covers, the radio navigation knobs and the engineered drawings to produce more.
Marty sold about 1/3 of what he had made and then there were no more takers. I was at Marty's house one weekend when I bought what was left and it's taken me two years to sell off the rest of the stuff. I have a few sets of door locks and vent knob covers left and one set of radio navigation knobs.
Marty lost money on having the original run made and I too have lost money on what I have sold.
40 sets of door locks, vent knob covers and radio navigation knobs were made on the initial run almost three years ago and it has taken that long to sell off what was made.
You're an engineer and you can figure out real easily that a set of billet door locks that are custom CNC machined and lathed from 6061-T6 stock and then plating each one by another vendor is about $40 per lock or $160 a set for a small run of 40 sets or 160 pieces
I sold them at $140 a set with free shipping which was below the manufacturing cost.
The bottom line is that Marty and I both lost money on having a small run of custom machined and lathed pieces that were made from 6061-T6 billet stock and then had to be anobrite plated to match the interior brushed aluminum finish.
All of those billet pieces are very high quality and very well machined as you know.
The problem was/is that there are too few takers given the cost to manufacture here in the United States.
If I was to order another run of radio/navigation knobs; I'll have to order a minimum of 40 sets at a cost of approximately $70 a set which means $2800 up front. If I priced them at a $100 a set I would have to sell 28 sets to just break even which I don't think would happen given the fact that it took three years to sell what I had and did so at a loss.
Anyway on a lighter note; the LS3 engine Ernie is awesome. I have never driven a naturally aspirated car where in just pulls from first gear all the way to redline with more in it's belly.
Compared to the LS6 and LS2 platforms; you can really feel the torque of this LS3 engine in your gut when your on the throttle.
Before the head and cam package; I had the Callaway CAI, LG (Borla) LT Headers and a tune done and was at 408 RWHP. The stock LS3 (L92)heads actually flow almost identical numbers when compared to the LS7 heads.
These L92 heads would be a great mod for anyone with an LS2 CTSV that has not done any head work yet. There is just gobs of HP in those cylinder heads and a top shelf CNC ported L92 cylinder head set with Manley valves and .065 lift is less than $1500 a set from Scoggins-Dickey.
My next move I think is going to go for the L92 427ci forged bottem end next spring. It's less than $5000 plus install which is a bargain. I would love to have the C5R block like you have in the Mallet Beast, but $6500 for just the block is alot of coin.
Unless someone now with a CTS has a 427 NA set-up like you have or forced induction; I think they are going to be blown away by the torque on the new CTSV.
Thanks in advance 
