Economy Frame Rail Feeler
 

Thinking about a winter project here...

What would the interest be in a Economy Frame Rail set for $99? FM is $199, now $179 on sale.

I'm thinking mild steel instead of stainless so they could be produced on a turret punch press. It would have round lightening holes instead of the lasered holes. Same thickness, no paint. You could Rustoleum poof can or powdercoat if you wanted a bit of protection. Just trying to keep the cost down. I bet I can get them done for that at 25 sets, maybe better. If there is an interest, I have a 99 and a 96 shell out back and could flip them over to get good measurements for the rails and hole placement.

Just a thought, what say you?

Make it cheap and people will buy them. Make it better than FM's and people will buy them.

Sending you a PM...

Id be in for a set for an NA at that price, as long as there atleast as good as the FM ones.
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Mild steel will rust,plain & simple.

Does not matter if you paint it,the rails will get scraped during daily use & will need to be painted over & over.

There's a reason why FM made their frame rails out of stainless steel.

I'd be interested.

I could do stainless, but the cost would be higher and might have to laser. Actually, I will check to see how big of a hole they can punch in stainless. If it is large enough to actually lighten it, I'd consider it. Also, I could put no lightening holes for less $$ but maybe add 2-5 lbs for the set. Plus I don't know if I would run into a pissing contest with them if they were too much like theirs. Don't know if there are any design patents or anything...

Maybe the best option is to go really low cost, stronger than FM, but higher weight. That would be stainless, same thickness, no holes except mounting holes. Maybe get it down to $80 that way. That might be the best way to go, unless someone would have a hard on over a couple of lbs. They could then go to FM.

Or get out the hole saw and go to town on the brace themselves.....

will these rails firm up the current economy?

what about aluminum? unfeasible? no paint required.

Interested.

Cheaper is better. I'd rather have 5 extra pounds and it be 80 bucks. Don't get carried away and run the price up IMO. If SS doesn't cost too much more than mild steel just make a bunch of SS ones that are not lightened.

i'd be more interested in the heavier stainless for less money than the rusty lighter ones. At least the weight is down low.

I'd be in for $80 stainless with only mounting holes.

In for stainless.

Vash-

ditto... I'll weld up my own butterfly.

an $80 stainless brace sounds awesome to me.

+1, even if its a bit heavier. I need to loose 20lbs anyway.
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+1

Very interested.

I already have one with the X-brace, but I'm not saying there would not be any interest. This thing does see the brunt of every element you encounter when driving.
Mild steel though cheaper, would be quite heavy in the same gauge. Although, low center of gravity is a plus.
Stainless does get expensive, but is worth it due to where this thing lives.
Aluminum might be a good option, but don't know if it will start to crack over time. Problem with aluminum is disimilar metals residing next to each other also creates corrosion. Something to think about.
Good luck and keep us posted with your findings.

+1 I'm interested.

I have been thinking about coming up with a DIY version for myself anyway so this is attractive to me. I really do not think a mild steel unit is a big problem. The factory unibody rails on your car now are not stainless or aluminum right? And mine at least in the unsalted roads of south Texas have not rusted out despite the fact that they have been dinged and scraped clean of paint in several spots. And the rails you would make presumably be much thicker. A good coat of spray-in bed liner could help too.

Cosmetically a little rust does not bother me since no one will see it.

Interested.

I'll probably run the cost both ways-mild steel and stainless and then we can all decide. I'm leaning towards stainless, though.

Aluminum makes no sense, considering the stiffness difference.

But I'm in for a cheap stainless, or maybe even mild, steel brace.

Stein, I may be of some assistance...PM sent

Replied. We will keep that offline.

If we can get this launched, think some sort of X-Brace will follow? :D

I doubt it. I'm planning on cheap and easy. This isn't a product, it's a service for the DIY community so I'm going to make it as easy as possible on myself (I'm not trying to make money on this) and still offer a low buck option.

Definitely interested.

Interested in stainless heavier cheaper variety.

I'm in for a cheap stainless brace as well.

I'll take a stainless set as well.

Damn, I just bought FM's last week!

inter rested...

30 day return policy? LOL

any idea on time frame?

Whats the purpose of these things?

Same as the FM frame rails only cheaper and slightly heavier.


http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?...umber=13-69010

Jesus, are you really this lazy and clueless? Do a search on miata.net, the merits have been discussed at length.

I hope to have good dimensions and the prints drawn in a month, then 4-6 weeks for production. I'd guess they will be ready to ship in January. It looks like there is enough interest assuming that the pricing holds. I will update the thread when I have them drawn and a firm price.

interested as well

I'll keep an eye open, i'd be down for a sub $100 option.

Interested a set for 1.6.

You say that like I constantly ask seemingly obvious questions.

Put me down for a set as well then. I can swing a 100 dollar experiment.

Count me in.

Bump and interested.

interested.

Is this a gonna happen type of thing? Or just a rail tease?

Looks like it's going to happen. Waiting on something. Give me a couple of weeks for pricing.

Awesome, please keep us UTD on any new developments. As soon as you're ready I'll be sending you money.

Good stuff, and my FM butterfly had a very big effect, but the door bars had a huger effect.

Guys I've been the one holding Stein up please don't discredit him for the delay.
I offered him something that may help, and haven't delivered.
Promise I will within the next few days..got alot going on but I'll come thru

Bump,

I finally found time to dig up what Stein needed from me and box it up.
He'll have it in a few days to start working on, hopefully something real good comes of this.

I think I know...

yup, went from your garage to mine....now to Stein
Been dying to get time to install, but I guess my procrastination wasn't in vein

anybody think of mild steel and powder coating? It might just come out to the same price as stainless steel or even more, but I thought I'd throw that out there

Can I have uncoated mild steel in mine? I've got my own coatings lined up for it...

Zinc plated steel might be an option, but a powder coated part will be just as rusty in a few months. Whenever you bottom the car out on speed bumps or take rock chips you will knock the powder coat protection off an area and it will rust. If you zinc plated the part it would have cathodic protection for areas that the plating got scratched off of, so it would work a bit better.

I'm out for after all this buy since I just installed the Hard Dog door bars. But, good luck with this deal just the same.

I am still looking for the stainless ones.

They will be stainless. As soon as I get the package from tvalenziano it should be a week or two to have a firm quote. I did speak to the shop last week, and as long as I stay at 11ga stainless .(105 thick) , I can turret punch them. They said I can punch whatever size hole I want in that gauge stainless, so I am planning on lightening holes in the sides and the bottom. This will make them very similar in weight to another well known brand. I'm still planning on less than $100 per set.

I'd be in if it all goes to plan.