Who wants Scissor Doors around $2200?- Pictures of progress

[umm]

Well i think only a few people know that i've been working on these. Anyway heres the results so far



I've been building them on my days off for a few months now and they're pretty much right. I need to play around a bit more with the gas strut positioning and strength and fix a few minor problems like wiring, this may take some time as i need to order a new strut and i have limited time to work on it, but i figured i'd post up the progress for those interested.

They are a direct bolt on with only a small part of the flap on the inside of the quarter panel needing to be folded back, this isn't even visible so the car can be put back to normal pretty easily. I'll also be selling them with a set of slimline alloy side repeaters so the hole doesn't need to be moved or welded. Price will be around $2200 including repeaters.

And for anyone wondering what happened to the side repeaters i was making before...well i bought a few things...lathe, metal bandsaw...tig welder anyway i ran out of space and so i'm building a new shed.
Heres a pic of my packed little old shed next to my new shed...(in progress).

The power to the old shed has been cut and its way too packed to do anything in there so everything is on hold for now until the new shed is done.
I've been able to do the scissor doors by working in the patio but its a bit slow as i have to drag out what i need from the shed at the back and keep the area clean

[lwrida]

Looking hot, only need to save another $2200 and I'll be able to get these.

Are they simple enough to put on yourself or should you get someone with some knowledge to install ?

[umm]

Na they're really easy to install. Should take less than an hour and its a whole lot easier with 2 people but not too hard on your own. the hardest part is taking off the quarter panel which is pretty easy when you know where the bolts are. I'll write up instructions when i sell them.

[FtoSam]

OH my god jerome!!! I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!!!


Looks like they do the full 90 degree too... Have you worked out a way to get them to open normally as well as open up??? Thats what i want... (roof in garage is very low....)

Anywho....

Put me down for a set after i get the car back (depending on price)... though would like to have a go of one first...

[rock_it]

When are you down in NSW to help install them .. I am useless when it comes to stuff like that...

Once the Evo is re-sprayed, I want these ...

[aza013]

looks great but would have to see how they went after a year of use befor I say yes to a set. Not saying its going to fail or any thing like that as it look very strong.
but yes I want somthing like that on the my car great job thumbs up

[maggsy]

oh yeah, they look very nice,

do they work on a ball joint or do they only work as scissor style. (meaning do they open regular style as well)

i wish i could afford a set, but after i get a new engine to fix my cracked one, ill be lucky to afford anything for a while

[jonowong]

very nice house!!!

i give it to you!
youve got skill!

[BorepYano]

i would like to also have your love children lol

good work mate, btw are these going to be automatic or manual? (i.e. press a button and it goes "chreiiiii..." and opens up automatically, or do we have to pull it up and down?)

and yeah i woudl be (as long as i can save that much up and u provide DIY instructions or we do a DIY day lol)

[mr-charisma]

i'm sure that you're gonna get a fair bit of interest in these... you gonna quit your job to make them full time or outsource the work & have them professionally manufactured? hence the price?

I think cost would be a major factor for me... would love to get some scissor doors, but my brain keeps saying $2000+ for a hinge? lol ..

Big congratulations on your good work though... definately a good effort v.nice looking car you have there as well

Also interested to know whether they can open normally as well as up, & how good the hydraulics are on these suckers, do you have to give it much effort to push the doors up? or do they pretty much open by themselves?
How well do they match up when you close them? I have heard of problems where you have to be very careful to line up the latch to close the doors or you can bust them up, especially if you're in a hurry..

[akuma3]

Last time i got quote $1800 i still think it's expensive ....

[topao]

I hope we can get a good dicount for a group buy

[FtoSam]

Last time i got quote $1800 i still think it's expensive ....

I'd have to agree Jerome...

$2200 is a lot..

I would expect top quality ones for the $1800 mark and good ones for $1600...

Think you might severly cut your interest with the quite massive price tag.

but if you cant sell them for any less, then you gotta sell for what u can...

[SG]

hey Umm... Can you manufacture Roll Center Adjusters with that stuff..? been looking everywhere but no one makes em for the fto.
...could charge like 200 and get wayy more orders than with the scissor doors i think its just a spacer where the lower control arm connects to the wheel hub, with a hole in the middle. and maybe a longer bolt.

[BorepYano]

hey Umm... Can you manufacture Roll Center Adjusters with that stuff..? been looking everywhere but no one makes em for the fto.
...could charge like 200 and get wayy more orders than with the scissor doors i think its just a spacer where the lower control arm connects to the wheel hub, with a hole in the middle. and maybe a longer bolt.

pardon my ignorance but.... what are they?

[umm]

Looks like they do the full 90 degree too... Have you worked out a way to get them to open normally as well as open up??? Thats what i want... (roof in garage is very low....)

Yea almost 90...I'd say around 75-80. Like all scissor doors they partly open out normally before going up to get the door past the roof and out of the door jam. Heres a pic of how much they open. plenty of room for an average person to get in without lifting the door.

looks great but would have to see how they went after a year of use befor I say yes to a set. Not saying its going to fail or any thing like that as it look very strong.

I've really designed them for myself to use so i've made sure they're the best they can be. Each side uses three sealed ball bearings, so there is no metal on metal contact in the pivoting parts so you won't get any play from wear. I've also made them so you can take it apart to change the bearings if there is a need.

good work mate, btw are these going to be automatic or manual? (i.e. press a button and it goes "chreiiiii..." and opens up automatically, or do we have to pull it up and down?)

and yeah i woudl be (as long as i can save that much up and u provide DIY instructions or we do a DIY day lol)

At the moment they're only manual...but yeah i'd love a remote controlled set too
If anyone in QLD buys them i'll meet up with them if they want and install them for free. Also i'll meet up with u guys when i finish them so you can try em out.

i'm sure that you're gonna get a fair bit of interest in these... you gonna quit your job to make them full time or outsource the work & have them professionally manufactured? hence the price?

I think cost would be a major factor for me... would love to get some scissor doors, but my brain keeps saying $2000+ for a hinge? lol ..

Big congratulations on your good work though... definately a good effort v.nice looking car you have there as well

Also interested to know whether they can open normally as well as up, & how good the hydraulics are on these suckers, do you have to give it much effort to push the doors up? or do they pretty much open by themselves?
How well do they match up when you close them? I have heard of problems where you have to be very careful to line up the latch to close the doors or you can bust them up, especially if you're in a hurry..

I am really only expecting to sell 5 sets if that so i'm gonna put them together in my spare time. i work in manufacturing and i've seen the dodgy stuff people do when its not their product so i think it would be a lot better quality if i made them.

Still playin around with the gas strut to get it perfect but aiming to get them feeling pretty much weightless. I just adjusted the mounting points of the strut the other day because they were a bit heavy at the bottom and really spring up at the top. Its a little better now but its really trial and error to get the right balance.

The gas struts themselves seem to be good quality and i get them custom made locally so i can get replacements quickly and easily...i don't think they'll need replacing but i have heard stories about dirt getting in and ruining them, but like anything, if you take care of them i'm sure they'll be fine.

The kit is made for the FTO so they fit perfectly and some holes are slotted for small adjustments and there a few adjusting bolts to control the height of the door, height it opens to and amount it opens out. I found that they are way easier to get the door on straight compared to the stock hinges which can't be adjusted. i'll get some pics of the fitment tomor.

I hope we can get a good dicount for a group buy

Yeah if there is enough interest i'll get a groupbuy going...if i can get ten ppl i can save a bit on gas struts, bearings and other parts and so yeah i could drop the price a bit.

Now i knew that people were gonna have a cry about the price...i guess everyone wants everything for cheaper and thats normal. But the truth is that with an uncommon car like the FTO it is costly to develop anything for it as there are only going to be limited sales for the research and development costs to be spread over and thats really what your paying for...a kit that has been specifically made to work on FTOs. There is a lot of design work that goes into these. i started out with a basic universal type scissor kit design and had to change it dramatically to get the door to just clear the quarter panel and change it some more to get it lifting to a decent height. And the hardest part of all is getting it to fit under the panel. I thought it wasn't that hard when i started but quickly figured out why they cost so much.

If you go to a place to have some fitted they'll get a cheap kit from a similar car and shoe horn it to fit, usually meaning irreversible modifications to your car as well a losing it for ages after they toss it in the corner for a while after they figure out how hard the job really is and either wanna charge you more or do a dodge job. Even if they do get them to fit you'll have ones that only go up 45 degrees and things like that...there was a recent post about a guy that just bought one of those off a member here and already has fitment troubles. Also will they include the price of moving the side repeaters and welding up the hole?

Anyway if there is enough interest i should be able to get the price down...even if it costs a few extra hundred would you wanna risk getting them done by a company that has never done it? or get them from me after i have tested it on my FTO and shown others.

Sorry bout the rambling(i do have move negative stuff to say if you really wanna here it )Just wanted to justify my pricing

hey Umm... Can you manufacture Roll Center Adjusters with that stuff..? been looking everywhere but no one makes em for the fto.
...could charge like 200 and get wayy more orders than with the scissor doors i think its just a spacer where the lower control arm connects to the wheel hub, with a hole in the middle. and maybe a longer bolt.

i don't really know much about them but i don't wanna touch anything that is part of the steering components. The amount of stress that goes on those parts is ridiculous and i don't wanna use my car for testing that kinda stuff...sorry man

[BorepYano]

it still sounds good (although being the tight ass i am, it would be good to see the price drop a bit, especially if we can organise a GB), and yes i for one would pay the extra few hundred after seeing them being on your car for a while (and of course we.... all interested, are going to take turns thinking up of different tests for it... well at least slamming it a few times lol).

this is one of the reasons why i'm doing the CCFL rings for angel eyes and learning how to fibreglass/CF things, so i can raise much needed funds when i can combine the 2 together to spend on my car lol.

another thing i'm wondering is how would these sizzors doors react if the doors are lighter (i.e. i want to eventually replace most exterior and inteiro panels with CF/fibreglass, so everythign will be a lot lighter, would the doors shoot up and fly off? lol)

oh and any idea on how hard it would be for an automatic one? imagine it wouldn't be that much extra work (since u've had to go through everythign else nayway lol)

.... my biggest worry is the issue with the weight difference... cos i'm dead set on replacing the panels

[SG]

pardon my ignorance but.... what are they?

roll center adjusters are just spacers that're supposed to correct the angle of the lower control arm on mcpherson strut suspension after you lower the car. eg. when your car is at stock height, the lower control arms are on angles leaning up from the wheel towards the engine where its connected at the chassis... and the more you lower your car the more the arms become levelled out and that effects the suspension geometry and roll centers etc in a bad way.
which basically makes your car want to roll more the more you lower it... most people might not notice because when they lower the suspension they get stiff shocks and that reduces the roll... read this, i dont really get it...http://e46m3performance.com/tech/transfer/pg-2.htm

all i know is that they reduce body roll after you lower a car... heres what the evo 7,8,9 ones look like from whiteline: http://news.hspn.com/content_images/200 ... a395_1.JPG

zero/sports one installed on a subaru forester: http://members.iinet.net.au/~sg/subaruforester.jpg

wicked drawing of what it might look on a fto: http://members.iinet.net.au/~sg/frontsu ... nter-2.jpg

heard ppl say on honda forums that they would make the suspension weaker but i dont think there would be too much pressure/force on them... i know they're used in some pretty rigorous motorsport applications without any probs. dunno about the fto though, its a slightly different setup than most.

[umm]

With the lighter door you'll just need to give me the strut and i'll get the pressure in it dropped for you. It'll all still work exactly the same and doesn't cost anything. Or you could meet me at the strut place and we could do it with your car there to get it exactly right while we're there.

I've been thinkin about the auto thing too and when i got my alarm years ago i chose one with 2 extra programable buttons that i was planning to use for this. I have a plan for converting them to automatic that only involes changing out one part to allow for outward control. The upward movement can easily be done by changing the gas strut to a pneumatic ram. I have been planning to get air bags for a while now and was going to use the air compressor and tank from that for the door rams.

Been dreaming for years now about pressin a button and pppssshhht door goes up

Also i have an idea about putting those reversing sensors(pretty cheap now) inside the door to stop the door from hitting cars next to you or low roofs if you accidently pressed it without checking for space.

with the way i've designed them if you buy the manual ones and i get an automatic kit going i'll sell the part that needs to be swapped and the air rams and you can use the rest of the original kit, but will then need to get an air compressor, airlines and the electronic parts to make them button operated or link them to your alarm.

Anyway i first have to finish the manual kit but yeah i have designed them with a later intention to convert them to auto without too much hassle.

[umm]

Heres the fitment pics.


Perfect positioning of the door really isn't an issue. The only real problem i am having is gas strut pressure and positioning within the limited space.