Tecnacraft On Road Wheels

Post by **Eau Rouge** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 5:34 pm

These were the gems on the Delta Villain IFS I picked up last week. Just thought some of you guys would dig some photos...

Post by **badhoopty** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:18 pm

somebody should start making those again...

Post by **Asso_man!** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:00 pm

badhoopty wrote:somebody should start making those again...

Wishful thinking I'm afraid

Post by **Eau Rouge** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:11 pm

Not really... CNC machining is FAR more cost effective today than it was 20 years ago.

I just happen to know a pretty good machinist who shares similar traits to myself.

Hypothetically, what would be a reasonable amount to charge (or what would you pay) for a set of "new" Technacraft wheels?

Post by **badhoopty** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:13 pm

i dunno, i think around 100 bucks a set is fair give or take a little. thats about what 2.2 beadlock aluminum wheels go for.

maybe just run 10 sets of them or something and if they sell like hotcakes, run another 10.

btw i'm talking about buggy wheels...

Post by **Eau Rouge** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:49 pm

badhoopty wrote: btw i'm talking about buggy wheels...

Right. I was thinking RC10 replica wheels. Because they are 2-piece, you'd have to do them at $25 a wheel at that price. Though, the market might be more soluble for higher prices considering some of the used Sees and other wheels have gone for $80+ a set.

I'm not sure there would be any profit in a set of those at $100, but I could be wrong. I'm gonna have to talk to pops to see what he thinks programming time would be. Combined with screws and anodizing, I donno if those could be made for $100 a set.

Post by **MelvinsArmy** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:08 pm

As long as they're not exact copies of the Technacrafts. I don't agree with making exact reproductions of long discontinued highly desireable parts. Do some different center designs, do a 2.2, or whatever. Fake stuff sucks.

Rouge Elements sells some super bad arse Clodbuster wheels that are very similar to Tecnacrafts, I think they're even cooler to be honest. Expensive though, $250 a set. They are beadlocks, but not the normal bead-screw kind of beadlock, more like the original RC10 3 piece wheel beadlock style. Maybe he could be convinced to do some RC10 wheels. His Clod wheels look top notch.

Nice wheels Eau Rouge.

Post by **badhoopty** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:21 pm

you are prolly right. i bet unless you had a boatload made and could sell them all guaranteed 100 bucks is a little cheap.

wishfull thinking i guess.

Post by **wyldbill** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:31 pm

doug,how about some 5 hole weld style, sprint car style wheels similar to the custom works stickers you made a few years ago they would look killer on a sprint car resto or buggy.

Post by **Eau Rouge** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:42 pm

wyldbill wrote:doug,how about some 5 hole weld style, sprint car style wheels similar to the custom works stickers you made a few years ago they would look killer on a sprint car resto or buggy.

That's exactly what I have been thinking about. I don't think we could make them fast enough. I think a realistic looking 2.0 or 2.2 wheel that was a real 2-piece wheel like these T-crafts, could be something that the DO guys and resto guys would spooge over.

I have a few drawings of the designs already, I just need to wrangle my dad down to see where we could be on price point. These Tecnacrafts were never cheap, but something current would be sick, even if they were expensive. BTW, he's been doing pretty cool boutique machining for about 30 years now: http://www.cartermachine.net and now he's on his own. It's pretty cool to have access to that.

I've been looking for something for my Harper nitro car, and there is NOTHING out there even remotely nice looking.

I have some ideas... then again, if I could get paid for all of the good ideas I have in my head and no time to execute them, I'd be able to quit my day job.

Post by **badhoopty** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:03 pm

i also like the simple one piece t&a machine or dynamite wheels.

technacraft/style dyable delrin wheels would be pimp imo.

Post by **mrlexan** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:57 pm

Doug, Man, if I had those resources in the family, I WOULD be quitting my day job. One of the only things that I regret related to leaving Roush, was leaving the resources that I had at my fingertips. Make some time (but who am I to tell you something that I need to do myself).

Post by **shodog** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:01 pm

The machine shop that originally made those wheels is only 50 miles away from me and they are still in business. I approached them about making a few sets and they said they could do them but that it would be an expensive venture with all the design and set up time. For 10 sets they quoted me $250 a set. Of course the price would drop per set if more were ordered

The problem I see with this venture is that $2500 is a huge chunk of change. In addition by buying more to get the price down, you also have to spend more which means your initial investment would be more like $5000. Now that you got all this inventory, you have to hope they will sell at a price that covers your cost plus a little profit to compensate for your effort. what would be the limit that someone would pay for a set knowing that they are replicas.

I could have shopped around but I found that a lot of machine shops in my area are overloaded with work so they are less likely to take on small jobs. Even the Machine shop that my work subs out jobs to was uninterested in a High lift wheel design I had.

PS Eau Rouge, if you ever decide to sell those wheels, please contact me.

Post by **Asso_man!** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:41 am

shodog wrote:
PS Eau Rouge, if you ever decide to sell those wheels, please contact me.

Please Jim, leave some sets for the others

Post by **wyldbill** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:49 pm

yeah doug you know what i mean, remember these;

http://www.apexspeed.com/doug/rc/weldwheels/gsx_roller_006.jpg

how 'bout it guys these would be sweet in aluminum

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