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I would pay £250 for a set of Tony's pistons without a seconds hesitation. That's in the same ballpark as a pair of top quality reduced width AC main bearings these days.
Ian Mc.
Location: Shropshire
These are a joy to fit, £250 is a fantastic price.
I have used these and 7 Workshop pistons in a good number of engines without issue - we are very well served to say the least.
Would be more than happy at £250 a set.
Steve
Location: A long way from home!
For my race car I'd pay whatever they cost, but I'd be very happy with £250 and would use on the road car engines I do as well.
Could not the leading A7 dealers get together to spread the cost, and divide up the stock between them - there must be at least four or five with the wherewithal to fund it? Better that than no supplier at all.
Or failing that, what about all the spare cash sitting idle in the A7CA coffers to provide a financial back-up, surely a legitimate use? Cannot be beyond the wit of those in control to work out an arrangement with Tony.
Tony's thread has prompted me to post here, as I have been stocking these pistons ever since the supply of genuine Honda ones dried up. I have been talking to the supplier about getting these manufactured again for some time. I have now nearly worked out how many of each size I want to order, but it's a bit of a juggling act between a larger quantity, lower unit cost and more money tied up, or a smaller quantity, higher unit cost and less money. I have also had to wait until the piggy-bank has recovered again after restocking on batches of some high-value items. Nearly there I hope! I have spoken to Tony about this, as he obviously wasn't aware of my plans for these pistons.
Currently I have the following sizes available:
56.00, 56.50, 57.25, 57.50 and 57.75mm
and I hope to add 56.75, 57.00 and 58.00mm ones - I will keep you posted as to progress.
David
Agree, £250 would still be good value in my eyes.
Location: New Forest
Location: Huncote on the pig
So we have an annual market of 25 sets roughly speaking. Some sold at £180 and some at a higher price. Both come from the same patterns (which someone must own and control the use of).
As an end user it would appear odd for two suppliers to have to dig deep to fund similar products that on a strictly commercial basis are marginal at best anyway. Even odder that they'd then have only half the addressable market.
It's a commercial decision for the suppliers but as an end user I value the continuity of supply and the price/quality equation. I fear that both may be compromised with two independent manufacturers.
Charles
Location: Huncote on the pig
Hi David,
As I sed, I was a bit bemused to your intentions in the phone call. I though you were intending to make your own sports Pistons.
As in, designing a new product, building its reputation etc.
Being slow, the penny has now dropped.
your intension was to copy the quarry Pistons exactly, to sell them as slipper Pistons and fill in the gaps. Doing so because I wanted to sell out my new stock.
Yes I want out of new part, and as you know I advertised it. if anyone wanted to buy me out.
When I put the new spares up for sale, the quarry piston patterns were included in the sale. If I wasn't making them, then the next owner could.
Only the owner of the patterns, be it me or the next owner. Will have the rights to sell the Pistons produced from them as quarry engineering slipper Pistons.
Although I can't stop anyone from copying them by design. Please note copycat Pistons should not be sold on, by useing quarry engineerings reputation.
They will be a fake at best.
Perhaps instead of copying the Pistons, the phone call should have been about what I would be charging to use the patterns to make more Pistons.
Think of the Pistons in the same way you would your new steering arms.
Anyone can copy Austins originals.
But you have taken the time to re design them, market them. And build there reputation.
How would you feel if someone took your new design and directly copy it.
As for the reamers, I know you made a double ended reamer. The people who bought the reamer from the thread on the forum, did not want the double ended reamer. They wanted a copy of Austins original. With three cutting faces.
I you want to talk further off the forum about what it will cost to use the quarry piston patterns you are welcome to do so.
Tony.
Location: Huncote on the pig