JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
who do we know that lives in AZ ? who can let them make fitting the new tops/ make templates from?
U.S soft top possibility version 2 east coast (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter highlandcruzer
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Can back is likely to have the same product issues that everyone else has had, and that's the stamped steel parts that frame the door opening. These can be made, but they are expensive in small numbers. If you don't care about the "factory" look, then you could duplicate the opening with a curved tube like the bestop and the like, but it wouldn't be "factory" anymore....which might kill it for a lot of folks.
Yeah, it says on their site that they were purchased last year by a new owner and they moved their company to AZ. Maybe you were dealing with the old owner??
They got back to my blind email to their site within 2 hours.
I saw an article about them in the Toyota 4wd Owners magazine and looked them up.
Good luck!
They got back to my blind email to their site within 2 hours.
I saw an article about them in the Toyota 4wd Owners magazine and looked them up.
Good luck!
Top
Maybe if we all go to the site and fill out the form they will get the hint.
www.can-back.com
Nat
Maybe if we all go to the site and fill out the form they will get the hint.
www.can-back.comNat
Anyone can make a canvas top, but as previously stated, the bows are next to impossible to make in a cost effective way. If you could get Ehsan bows fairly quickly, how much would you pay? $600...$800?
Maybe we can sponsor Ehsan to set up shop over here. He seems to be the only one that's able to produce an affordable, quality top. Canback makes beautiful products, Sunbrella, stainless bows....... but if they're charging $1200 to $1400 for a camper shell, just imagine what they'll stick us for. Get another group order together, I'm in for bows, top and windshield channel.
The question for me would be how many bows would you actually sell if you set up to make them. I see a short term demand that would dribble off into more of a hassle real quick. I'm 99% confident I could make them from the pictures I've seen. What I would really need is a set to copy, I would be willing to buy the set if any were available. I would really like to see a solid number on how many would sell 20 50 200? I think the lack of long term sales is what's stopping people from making them.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
I might know somebody in AZ who has the bows
He even may have an old Kay Line top in great shape. I have to be careful he would probably have them do the early style soft top first
John
My plan is not to make them, but I am considering buying 20 or so sets from Ehsan. My concern is that it takes a lot of time to run a group buy and if I bought 20 sets, I would want to sell them for a profit. That's why I asked what people might be willing to pay. Ehsan just raised the price to $400 each for both bows and tops. Once you add in the shipping and brokerage fees and import duties and all the little bull**** charges for boxes and tape and gas back and forth to UPS, it adds up very quickly. Luckily for me, my group was awesome and everyone added a little extra $$ for my time. The point is, you need to get $700+ for bows to make it worth your time.
About trying to make bows...
Obviously I have seen Ehsan bows up close and I have a set of OEM bows. From pictures, you cannot understand the complexity of the bows. I think you would have a hard time making them so that they were anywhere near OEM or Ehsan's quality. I will take some high resolution pictures of Ehsan's bows from different angles and post them up for you to see.
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Please post the images especially any tricky spots. I don't think anyone in the US can touch his prices. Quality wouldn't be an issue, I build assembly line equipment for the auto industry and production tooling for the casting industry as well. The problem would be doing it at a price that would be worth the trouble. I'm looking at it as a fill in job for a couple of my guys for when we get slow, which happens more and more now and i don't won't to let anyone go. With all the requests for them and if people were willing to pay a decent price I don't see where I could go wrong making them in small batches. I just need to buy rent or borrow a set so I have them and know what I would actually be up against.
I'm still looking for a top. The need is still here!
Hate to rain on anyone's parade, and competition is a good thing, but reproduction bows are already headed to a US retailer of cruiser stuff. No idea on the price, but I would suspect that we will see them show up soon. Sorry, wish I could give more details on this, but it's not my place to name names right now.
The point of posting the pictures was to show the complexity of these bows, not to make it easier for someone to make them.
If you're going to throw out a tidbit of info like that, you'd better give more info or not say anything at all.
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yea... I wish I could get a soft top.. but what would the canvas cost??? if I paid 700 for bows... guess I would have to know the whole deal...
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
If you're going to throw out a tidbit of info like that, you'd better give more info or not say anything at all.
Good point. I should keep my mouth shut, because there are really only two companies in the us that sell reproduction 40 panels.....we wouldn't want anyone to figure out who that is by deduction.
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
reproduction bows were being made by Paul: "lomusass" here on MUD aka Heritage Sheet Metal http://www.heritagesheetmetal.com/ ....VERY good quality...they were going for $700? for galvanized steel....it was a limited run.
Paul makes some GREAT products.
IPOR is a large distributor of his products.
I would not be suprised if Paul is starting up the bow production again.
For those thaty don't know Paul...he's a stand up guy...with a small buisness in a big buisness world
If this is the one...its kinda not that much of a secret IMO
Paul makes some GREAT products.
IPOR is a large distributor of his products.
I would not be suprised if Paul is starting up the bow production again.
For those thaty don't know Paul...he's a stand up guy...with a small buisness in a big buisness world
If this is the one...its kinda not that much of a secret IMO
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