Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 11:20:30 -0500
Reply-To: Joe Federici <joefederici@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joe Federici <joefederici@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: JFF - re: Save the Adventurewagen Molds! (ultra long)
In-Reply-To: <000601c50cf3$e07d2010$04000100@MAIN>
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I would agree. . . I've had the option of having these molds for quite
some time and so have the members of the aw list on yahoo. Really it's
quite funny to me that Ed had been trying to sell them for next to
nothing for over a year. I posted about this I think twice to this and
most of the lists. At that time you could have worked out a deal for
the adventurewagen name with them. Now is desperation he gives them
away without any rights to the name and everyone has interest. I just
think for the amount of money and time whoever is going to put into
these molds 500.00 to pay him would have be nothing. Either way all I'm
looking for is the name and contact information for whoever Steve or
the body shop turns them over to. I don't see the point in debating it
on the list and wasting everyones time. That's not the point of this
list.
I will as a friend of Ed's also be keeping an eye open to make sure the
new high tops will not be using the adventurewagen name as they are
not. This is no different then putting a westy top on a vanagon.
JFF
On Feb 7, 2005, at 4:03 AM, Robert Fisher wrote:
Just up front and off the top of my head, I'm not sure the 'group's
approval' has any bearing here, just yet. That is, the molds belong to
somebody: They still belong to Ed, or he conveyed ownership to Steve, or
someone else. It seems that Ed doesn't care and has probably bestowed
ownership on Steve, but I'm just speculating from earlier posts. Steve
doesn't want ownership, there's another Steven that does, there was
another
guy that already has a glass shop, and now there's you.
I'm not sure any 'group consensus' has any meaning or bearing unless
Steve
or whoever has ownership wants to play it that way- like most things
it'll
probably come down to a personal deal being struck. Obviously there's no
point in saving them if they're not going to be put in production,
which you
say you want to do and are capable of doing. You've obviously done some
homework and seem to have the desire, but that's a long way from being
able
to perform, as I'm sure you know.
So, some additional thoughts/questions in general:
Is the future owner going to actually have the time and inclination to
support and operate what is essentially a one-off, on-demand business
with a
low profit margin? This is probably the only real marketplace for these
tops. (?)
You wrote about possibly getting a local glass shop to do the actual
fabricating- is somebody really going to want to keep these things
around
and interrupt their normal business ops to make maybe 2-5 in a good
year?
Quality control? There's some artistry involved in this- how do you know
when you're 'good'?
What can be done and what should be done about the window problem?
How to handle shipping? Installation?
What about the particulars such as headliners and the A/C ducting? How
are
these things obtained/reproduced?
What were the accessories required to install one of these tops and how
are
they obtained/reproduced?
Legalities- warranties, DOT requirements, etc.
I'd like to see these things 'available', if nothing else, preferably
from
somebody that's a Vanagon enthusiast who will deal with the market (us)
in
good faith and with good service, as Jonathon says. Aside from that, I
couldn't say I have a preference if for no other reason than that I
don't
personally know a single one of you- except that it'd probably be a lot
cheaper for me if they stayed in California, assuming I can ever afford
one.
: )
Just some thoughts to add to the conversation; here's hoping they find a
good home.
Cya,
Robert
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