Topic: New bezels and shifter ring?? Anyhting else?

[speedsports66]

So after hearing about the lack of shifter rings and a/c bezels, is the interest really out there to build them? If there is, someone send me a shifter ring and maybe an a/c vent and I would be glad to make them. Hopefully forum readers have seen our cup holders and I would like to make some more products. If you have a suggestion, lets hear it.

you can always email me rich@santanainteriors.com

[LiquidPT]

Yes, there definitely is interest. I'm looking to de-chromify my interior... I also need to do something about the interior door handles...

Of course, I've only had my car for 1 week, so I don't have spares yet...

[lil goat]

I volunteered my ring and bezels on the last thread about this, but after driving around with no door handles for a month I want to have a complete car for a little while. If need be I can still loan mine out, just need a bit of incentive because even if you make them my budget is shot! I have done to much already this summer.

[amo]

How about the chromed gauge cluster?  I just want some parts to replace the chrome wrapped pieces.  Plus, I dont want to have too de-chrome and then paint.  I sent a PM as well.

[Morfious]

I would be more than happy to rip mine out and send them off.  I would hope something other than chromed plastic would come out of santana's workshop.

[lil goat]

Does anyone ever get the impression Santana does not read our posts, I offered my rings several weeks ago never heard a thing. No response to the stirrup issue posted by Chemist, or to my speed clips on the screws to make the cup holder more secure.

[Ben L]

While on the subject, I wonder why a commercial vendor in business can't bust a move on purchasing a pattern part, and chalk it up to the R&D budget? 

Especially something as cheap as guage bezels and shifter rings.  I want the billet pieces all right, and will pay a fair price for them

But I think its a little weird to ask paying retail customers to volunteer to cannibalize their cars before the vendor is willing to proceed with bringing the parts to market, especially after testing demand, and finding it sufficient to make the parts.

I need the full complement of standard issue bits and pieces to drive around with every day.

Just one paying customer's opinion . . . . .

[lil goat]

While on the subject, I wonder why a commercial vendor in business can't bust a move on purchasing a pattern part, and chalk it up to the R&D budget?  

Especially something as cheap as guage bezels and shifter rings.  I want the billet pieces all right, and will pay a fair price for them

But I think its a little weird to ask paying retail customers to volunteer to cannibalize their cars before the vendor is willing to proceed with bringing the parts to market, especially after testing demand, and finding it sufficient to make the parts.

I need the full complement of standard issue bits and pieces to drive around with every day.

Just one paying customer's opinion . . . . .

Make that two paying customers opinions, I have wondered the same thing especially at the price he charges, MANY vendors went out and bought whole cars to make parts, Kappasphere bought a Solstice got the molds, sold it and bought a Sky. JPM has enough parts to most likely build a Solstice and Sky interior and no car to go with them, he did this to support his customers.

[1KULSOL]

Make that two paying customers opinions, I have wondered the same thing especially at the price he charges, MANY vendors went out and bought whole cars to make parts, Kappasphere bought a Solstice got the molds, sold it and bought a Sky. JPM has enough parts to most likely build a Solstice and Sky interior and no car to go with them, he did this to support his customers.

DDMWorks has a "mule" too  ..... 

[speedsports66]

First off, lil goat, I do read the posts. But I have a life and don't care how many posts I can make in a day. Second, if you ask Santiago, he got his for FREE. And Cheers will get his handles/base FREE.
 Third, I'm not in the BUSINESS of making parts for Kappas. In fact, these were DORMANT until Tim woke the giant.
Ben L, to buy a whole car to make 50-100 parts is beyond ridiculous.

I responded to Chemists comment about the stirrup. Check the date.
And a big pat on your back for the speed clip post. thank you.
And again, check the posts, I did say to send parts. Morphious knows that, and when I get his rings, he will get a new trick set GRATIS...FREE...

Come on, your posts (rants) are the kind of stuff that prevent vendors from buying ad space on forums, because ANYBODY can rant about what they don't know.

If you're not in favor of our parts, we will take your name off the customer list. Thank you.

[Ben L]

Whoa hoss.

Ben L did not suggest that you buy a whole car, just a shifter ring and a gauge bezel.  And I observed they were reasonably cheap.

So now who's ridiculous?  We are all proven customers who have purchased top end parts from you before.

It mystifies me why you would want to alienate such people when we offer a little criticism, but you run your business how you want.

If you don't want me as a customer, cool with me.

[speedsports66]

Ben L, sorry for my lack of coordinating my comments.  You were not the one that my post was aimed at. My only comment meant to you was, I'm not a commercial vendor, this is a side deal for me. Not a full fledged, R&D budget business.

As far as alienating people, wasn't my intention. Sorry if I offended any.

To be frank, this is still fun, but it isn't fun when you get beat up by a guy who has obviously been bruised by somebody elses experience. (lil's door handles)
I am only in this to help out a marque, and the enthusiasts that are into them.

[Ben L]

Thanks for that.  You are fine with me.  I do try to measure what I say, and I have since checked you out and know this is a sideline for you.  Nice street rod work, BTW!

I can't wait for the bezels.  That plastic rattling around my guages is driving me nuts.

[speedsports66]

Ben L, glad we're good.

[BIO Hazard]

Make that two paying customers opinions, I have wondered the same thing especially at the price he charges, MANY vendors went out and bought whole cars to make parts, Kappasphere bought a Solstice got the molds, sold it and bought a Sky. JPM has enough parts to most likely build a Solstice and Sky interior and no car to go with them, he did this to support his customers.

LG and KPF members -

I have long respected your opinion here on the forum. However, a line has been crossed that I have to take issue with. You correctly and rightfully came to the aid of Lyndon Wester who you were instrumental at bringing to this forum. I am now speaking up here to do the same for Rich Santana and Santana Interiors.

There are very few aftermarket parts manufacturers & vendors interested in supporting the Kappa Platform. I fear with time, that the problem will only get much worse now that the platform is dead (or at least appears that way). Heck, we may even lose some of the existing players too.

We have a rare and outstanding opportunity here to work with Rich Santana a noted craftsman and custom car parts guru who has been published in several magazines. He is willing to help us out with parts for the KAPPA platforms with his own original designs. He does this part time, for fun, and I certainly hope for some extra cash.  

Why would anyone want to discourage or offend someone willing to help us with parts and solutions for this platform? I don't understand it. Frankly, it pi$$e$ me off to no end. Sorry but that is how I feel. The BS and sniping on other forums that caused me to come to KPF in the first place, is now starting to rear its ugly head over here too.

I have said this before on the forum but I am going to say it again. You don't need to own a KAPPA to make a great part or offer a spectacular solution for it. Does it help? Sure it does. I cannot deny that. Having the car allows one to see what needs to be improved upon. It also allows you to dissect it, come up with more solutions, and test ideas with little or no hassle. However, if you are going to make owning a KAPPA a requirement to be a credible supporting vendor, then we might as well pack it in now. If that is the way it is going to be, please let me know and I will share this with some other potential supporting vendors I have been in contact with and tell them not to bother.

The biggest b*tch people have with the parts and products offered is the expense. Rich's request to have owners send parts is a way to cut down on costs and save on the expenses that Rich needs to pass on to others. Personally, I applaud Rich for just that type of thinking. Not many vendors are willing to make this type of an arrangement.

I have sent emails to you telling you to send me what you have. You must have missed them... It happens.  Just so everyone has it, here is my address and I will take care of getting all parts to Rich if you so desire. Please email me or send me a PM first so that I know what is coming.

T Gallagher
PO Box 370602
Milwaukee, WI 53237

If you don't want to send parts in thats fine. Simply move on to other parts of the forum and everything will be just fine. For those that do chose to help, they along with the rest of us will reap the benefits.

Please show all supporting vendors common courtesy. Keep the BS, armchair quarterbacking, and sniping to yourself.

Thank you.

[lil goat]

Bio Hazard he got many facts confused and I am not sure what he is talking about in part of his post. I have made several posts on 2 different boards without a response, offered up my rings and bezels 2 weeks before morfious, check the threads no response. His comments were unprofessional in my book. He chose to be a vendor here, no one made him interrupt his life to do so, with that comes responsibility or don't do it. Take a look sometime at the bashing JPM gets, or DDM Works and they get bashed plenty. NEVER an unprofessional response, they just correct the issue and move on, I have never seen them direct a posted response at any individual user. I will never back off, that is not who I am. I still agree with Ben, Santana needs to go buy the freakin parts and not wait for us to ship them to him. I never said he should buy a whole car, that was an example. I use my cupholder everyday, I made several constructive comments that were ignored then I finally was fed up. For you that installed it with out any kind of backing good luck, it won't hold in the long run. For $.68 you can fix it, and these should have come with the cupholder they are not new technology. I will acknowledge the fact that Rich realized he may have pissed me off and sent me an apology. That doesn't happen very much to me. Bottom line, whether or not you agree with me I got Rich's attention which I had been unable to do before. I am only trying to make a good product better. Everyone knows I have a relationship with Lyndon Wester, any idea how many tunes I rejected before we got the one everyone runs now, or how many Spikey rejected for the automatic. It's called product development. Not sure if a prototype cupholder could have been made but that may have been a good idea before a final product was sold and shipped. I hope he does some test door handles before doing a full production run.