You asked for it, here it is! SleK Designs Carbon Fiber Front Lip Teaser!

[BrokenVert]

Agreed Arc-8s are on the ugly side. Thats why I went with ultras.

But I bet you never heard of EMS either. They basically went out of business supporting Fiber Optix.

And no. GBs are run like this. They get a list. They make for every member of the list. Then they hand them all out at once.

[cooler2442]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

:edit: here is is quoted for you



:end edit:
It just makes no sense to me.

Yes what I was talking about in that post is that iCarbon sold all day long at 800$ with China made crappy carbon fiber and people are questioning why something with superior quality is just as expensive. iCarbon's profit margins were through the roof.

Now SleK comes in with quality American made manufacturing and they know they can't price themselves much higher than iCarbon because they see 3D Design and it isn't selling that well at that price point. So now SleK has to decide where they want to price themselves in relation to economics. The higher price you are the less you will sell and the lower you price the more you will sell. But you need to find an equilibrium in relation to your market according to other variables such as competition, quality, how big the market is, etc. SleK will be making a much lower profit than iCarbon did because it is going to cost them more to produce this. Yet people are complaining the price isn't lower when the quality is higher?

[cooler2442]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Agreed Arc-8s are on the ugly side. Thats why I went with ultras.

But I bet you never heard of EMS either. They basically went out of business supporting Fiber Optix.

And no. GBs are run like this. They get a list. They make for every member of the list. Then they hand them all out at once.

As Harold posted earlier this GB will not be run like that. It will be on a first come first serve basis. It would be pointless for SleK to make people wait an extra 30+ days because it takes them 1 day per lip to manufacture and the list is 30+ people long. So whoever is at the top of the list will get their lips first.

The reason most of the other GB's work the other way is because those companies manufacture in China and they ask for a set # of products to be made. Or they already made a set number and then start a group buy. All of those will arrive on the same boat and same container. That is not how it works here. SleK custom makes one lip per day which is the reason they offer different weave choices and etc for the 1M lip. But I do not know if the same choice will be offered for this lip.

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

And what was the outcome? Now RPi sells their scoops at half of what they originally wanted

heres the link if you dont believe me

http://www.wstoshop.com/servlet/the-...duction/Detail

oh no i know they do... but the point is OBVIOUSLY $15k in R&D was a bad investment on their part and if they had gone frugal and spend 1/2 that $99 would be a better profit for them and they could have offered them at that price initially without looking like greedy money hoarding buffoons.

[cooler2442]

Yup, I wasn't around for the whole RPi Scoop fiasco apparently but yes 15k for R&D costs for scoops is outrageous. Only way I can see it costing 15k is if they mismanaged it or they did actual testing in very high quality facilities such as someone doing wind tunnel testing for a front lip.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

1. I am willing to believe in SleK just a wee bit more just because Harold/HP are involved. That being said I still don't like the price

2. I believe they are a company...and they intend to do this. But just like I mentioned above Vorsteiner is the real deal as well and STILL had fitment issues. I guess we really will have to wait until some people receive a production finished lip.

Please realize that not all Vorsteiner components are made here in the US.

[bignico_05]

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean I get both sides and what your points are but if you can't justify the price then don't buy it. Its that simple. Companies sometimes charge ridiculous prices because guess what, they can. I went to the apple store the other day and got freaked out by the prices of some of the products. I didn't start a big fuss. And its like that with almost anything. Even food for god sakes. All the foods that are good for you are always more expensive. Its just the way it is. No one forces anybody to buy something and if you don't buy it well someone else will and thats how companies get away with it.
Sorry for this rant I'm just extremely bored at work.

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by bignico_05

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean I get both sides and what your points are but if you can't justify the price then don't buy it. Its that simple. Companies sometimes charge ridiculous prices because guess what, they can. I went to the apple store the other day and got freaked out by the prices of some of the products. I didn't start a big fuss. And its like that with almost anything. Even food for god sakes. All the foods that are good for you are always more expensive. Its just the way it is. No one forces anybody to buy something and if you don't buy it well someone else will and thats how companies get away with it.
Sorry for this rant I'm just extremely bored at work.

I agree with you

A lot of people don't realize what kind of work goes behind making a front lip. In Vietnam, you pay workers about 30 dollars a month working 6 days a week. In the US, its about 500-600 dollars per week.

It takes two workers 5 hrs to just lay and infusion a front lip. Will take another work 2 hrs to cut the product and get it ready for 4hrs of wet sand and buff. Labor alone will run about $250 just to make this lip.

Slek is not and wont get rich of this product. If the prices are not at your liking, keep waiting in hopes something cheaper will come out.

[adrean8j]

Originally Posted by bignico_05

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean I get both sides and what your points are but if you can't justify the price then don't buy it. Its that simple. Companies sometimes charge ridiculous prices because guess what, they can. I went to the apple store the other day and got freaked out by the prices of some of the products. I didn't start a big fuss. And its like that with almost anything. Even food for god sakes. All the foods that are good for you are always more expensive. Its just the way it is. No one forces anybody to buy something and if you don't buy it well someone else will and thats how companies get away with it.
Sorry for this rant I'm just extremely bored at work.

Originally Posted by spyder562

I agree with you

A lot of people don't realize what kind of work goes behind making a front lip. In Vietnam, you pay workers about 30 dollars a month working 6 days a week. In the US, its about 500-600 dollars per week.

It takes two workers 5 hrs to just lay and infusion a front lip. Will take another work 2 hrs to cut the product and get it ready for 4hrs of wet sand and buff. Labor alone will run about $250 just to make this lip.

Slek is not and wont get rich of this product. If the prices are not at your liking, keep waiting in hopes something cheaper will come out.

Both of you completely missed the point....if it costs so much for R&D then the price points would be the similar across the board...no matter what model vehicle 135i, 1M, M3, M6, M5, Ferrari, Lambo, Subaru, Mitsu, Chevy, etc, etc....
The point, at least for me, is that they are NOT. The price for a brand new from the ground up lip for a Chevy or Subaru is not the same as for a 1M or Lambo for that matter.
I might pay the price in the end, but I don't like it nor do I think it is fair. But in a free market economy such is life....the forum is a good place to rant and complain about it bottom line....(and trust me I have a spent a pretty penny on my car after the fact, so let not say I am being cheap).

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

Both of you completely missed the point....if it costs so much for R&D then the price points would be the similar across the board...no matter what model vehicle 135i, 1M, M3, M6, M5, Ferrari, Lambo, Subaru, Mitsu, Chevy, etc, etc....
The point, at least for me, is that they are NOT. The price for a brand new from the ground up lip for a Chevy or Subaru is not the same as for a 1M or Lambo for that matter.
I might pay the price in the end, but I don't like it nor do I think it is fair. But in a free market economy such is life....the forum is a good place to rant and complain about it bottom line....(and trust me I have a spent a pretty penny on my car after the fact, so let not say I am being cheap).

There is small companies and large companies. You cant expect same price points throughout the market because everything and everyone is different.

Once you become a business owner you will not understand your philosophy. If you sell a lambo a 1k lip, there reaction would be to f*ck off because it's too cheap. THIS IS TRUE. If you sell a lip to 135i guys for 800 bucks, they say its to much (well only 2 of them lol). You need to play your cards like the market is and you can not undersell your brand just to make a couple people happy.

Trust me bro, I get what you are saying and I have been in the carbon market for a long time. The only way to price something low is by making it overseas and letting clients know there products are made overseas.

[bignico_05]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

Both of you completely missed the point....if it costs so much for R&D then the price points would be the similar across the board...no matter what model vehicle 135i, 1M, M3, M6, M5, Ferrari, Lambo, Subaru, Mitsu, Chevy, etc, etc....
The point, at least for me, is that they are NOT. The price for a brand new from the ground up lip for a Chevy or Subaru is not the same as for a 1M or Lambo for that matter.
I might pay the price in the end, but I don't like it nor do I think it is fair. But in a free market economy such is life....the forum is a good place to rant and complain about it bottom line....(and trust me I have a spent a pretty penny on my car after the fact, so let not say I am being cheap).

I never said anybody is cheap and I'm not going on anybodies side, I'm just telling it like it is. Like I said before, I walked in the apple store and to give you guys an example, I saw a monitor that cost just as much as a big 3d tv. I didn't start flipping tables over and yell that its not fair, I walked out. But I'm sure they're selling a ton off monitors because its apple. Same thing goes for this lip. Yes maybe they charge more because its a bmw, maybe because its super good quality...whatever. The fact of the matter is the person that really likes it and wants it, is going to buy it. End of story. If you can't justify the price than don't buy it its your choice. I'm not calling anyone out or anything I'm just saying don't make a big story about it, life is unfair sometimes. And if your on the fence because you like it but you can't justify the price well thats when you have to make a nail biting decision.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

Both of you completely missed the point....if it costs so much for R&D then the price points would be the similar across the board...no matter what model vehicle 135i, 1M, M3, M6, M5, Ferrari, Lambo, Subaru, Mitsu, Chevy, etc, etc....
The point, at least for me, is that they are NOT. The price for a brand new from the ground up lip for a Chevy or Subaru is not the same as for a 1M or Lambo for that matter.
I might pay the price in the end, but I don't like it nor do I think it is fair. But in a free market economy such is life....the forum is a good place to rant and complain about it bottom line....(and trust me I have a spent a pretty penny on my car after the fact, so let not say I am being cheap).

This lip can easily be manufactured overseas for half the price or less, but do would you settle for less than ideal quality? Your Chevy and Subaru guys might, but not BMW guys.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by HP Autowerks

This lip can easily be manufactured overseas for half the price or less, but do would you settle for less than ideal quality? Your Chevy and Subaru guys might, but not BMW guys.

Ive seen the quality of the $400 subie lips and most of them are really good. So I dont get that argument. We should know first hand that just because its made overseas doesnt mean its crap.

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by HP Autowerks

This lip can easily be manufactured overseas for half the price or less, but do would you settle for less than ideal quality? Your Chevy and Subaru guys might, but not BMW guys.

This is completely true

Some people dont care about fitment or quality of the product but in the BMW world, people start a thread up just to kill your whole company if the product doesn't fit or doesnt look nice.

arkym- US made fits great
challenge usa- US made fits great
Slek- USA made fits great
vorsteiner- Overseas fits okay
VIS- Overseas fits hmm okay

Compare prices between arkym, challenge usa, and slek. Its all the same ball point according to the car.

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Ive seen the quality of the $400 subie lips and most of them are really good. So I dont get that argument. We should know first hand that just because its made overseas doesnt mean its crap.

this is a correct statement. Made overseas doesnt mean its crap. In fact, I personally know 2 companies in China that are very good.

Here is the problem

*Its good for 1-2yrs before you have to re clear
*carbon weave is no where near the same as the US weave.
*sometimes you have to play with it a lot to make it fit

Again, you get what you pay for. I have seen it all myself. If you would like a trip around the Slek manufacturer, please PM me and I can arrange something with the owner.

[adrean8j]

So to make this clear:

A. Price point of this and other pieces is NOT inflated due to make/model of vehicle, but because BMW owners are more demanding?
B. Because it is made in the USA means that quality will be better?

BTW I heard it mentioned that a Parent company created SleK specific for BMW's? Who is this shadow company?

We get what we pay for? I sincerely hope so....and forgive my jaded opinion.

[cooler2442]

Originally Posted by bignico_05

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean I get both sides and what your points are but if you can't justify the price then don't buy it. Its that simple. Companies sometimes charge ridiculous prices because guess what, they can. I went to the apple store the other day and got freaked out by the prices of some of the products. I didn't start a big fuss. And its like that with almost anything. Even food for god sakes. All the foods that are good for you are always more expensive. Its just the way it is. No one forces anybody to buy something and if you don't buy it well someone else will and thats how companies get away with it.
Sorry for this rant I'm just extremely bored at work.

Yeah, I thought the same way at first and I think it's a rule on the forums to not get into price discussions on vendor threads. But I am not a vendor and not related to SleK since this is just a teaser thread I made to benefit both SleK and the e82 community, so I decided to respond with what I believe to be is SleK's rationale for their decisions.

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

So to make this clear:

A. Price point of this and other pieces is NOT inflated due to make/model of vehicle, but because BMW owners are more demanding?
B. Because it is made in the USA means that quality will be better?

BTW I heard it mentioned that a Parent company created SleK specific for BMW's? Who is this shadow company?

We get what we pay for? I sincerely hope so....and forgive my jaded opinion.

A. It is inflated depending on car and model and again every part is different. You can get lips that are 2 piece molds, 3, or 4.
B. Yes, means quality will be MUCH better.

Slek is partners with the manufacture that is located in long beach but not exclusive to them. It was not created specifically for BMW. It was for higher end cars.

Like you said, its a free market and every company should be able to market there products at any prices they want. If some people dont like the price point, just let it go and wait for a cheaper one : ]

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by spyder562

This is completely true

Some people dont care about fitment or quality of the product but in the BMW world, people start a thread up just to kill your whole company if the product doesn't fit or doesnt look nice.

arkym- US made fits great
challenge usa- US made fits great
Slek- USA made fits great you cant say that because we havent gotten a finished piece yet.
vorsteiner- Overseas fits okay Made in the USA, in California. They have a big warehouse where they make them
VIS- Overseas fits hmm okay

Compare prices between arkym, challenge usa, and slek. Its all the same ball point according to the car.

Edited you post

[M3Newbie88]

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Edited you post

Slek 1M front lip says it all about quality and fitment.

There location is in Irvine, CA. That is there warehouse and not there manufacture. Believe what you like.

I know all the manufacturer here in SoCal and all the companies. The manufacturer that is working with Slek is the manufacture Arkym started at.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by spyder562

Slek 1M front lip says it all about quality and fitment.

There location is in Irvine, CA. That is there warehouse and not there manufacture. Believe what you like.

I know all the manufacturer here in SoCal and all the companies. The manufacturer that is working with Slek is the manufacture Arkym started at.

Ive seen their warehouse, they have presses and molds there