Car Performance Business Idea!

[Dstroyr]

Hey peeps, i'm a new member that is looking at getting into the business side of what i love the most....CARS!!!!

I have a couple of suppliers that are offering pretty amazing products and can customise different products to my needs, which is awesome!

I want to get a feel of what everyone wants from a car parts company eg products, pricing, shop/online?

Most importantly is what products everyone wants but think they are too expensive eg carbon this and that, turbos. I have been in car scenes for over 5 years (car shows, drags, events, cruises and so on) and i know most people look at branding as very important eg HKS, Greddy and so on. Do you guys preffer big brands or high quality products at 20-50% of the price without reducing the qaulity?

I will be selling a house i am building at-the-moment, which will give me enough "dough" to make my wish come true and buy heaps of great car products.

Thanks again for your time, this will only help you due to the products that will be offered will be what you wanted.

Edited June 28, 2006 by Dstroyr

[Jolinator]

fk brand names, fabrication and quality will speak for its self

[akeenan]

how are you getting brand name parts at 20-50% the retail cost? are we talking the Australian retail cost of the Japanese retail cost?

[Dstroyr]

how are you getting brand name parts at 20-50% the retail cost? are we talking the Australian retail cost of the Japanese retail cost?

I will be buying in bulk, that's why it is a higher saving.

[HR32_GTS-T]

fk brand names, fabrication and quality will speak for its self

couldnt agree with u more. all u are paying for really is the name.

[TokyoTaxi]

I would have to say that I trust brand names. With brand name products like Cusco, HKS, GReddy etc. I know the R & D has been done, the product will fit first time, every time, and they will back their product.

That's NOT to say that I approve of the prices you have to pay to get these products !!

[Dstroyr]

I would have to say that I trust brand names. With brand name products like Cusco, HKS, GReddy etc. I know the R & D has been done, the product will fit first time, every time, and they will back their product.

That's NOT to say that I approve of the prices you have to pay to get these products !!

That's exactly where the hurdle is.

Name brands cost heaps but people buy them due to R&D. That's why i will be testing the performance products on cars eg give the products at a discounted price to people then test them on dynos, 1/4 mile and so on to get the data and proof.

In the past, if i saw a product getting similiar results and is much cheaper than a big name product and there is proof of this, why not buy the cheaper product.

All the products that i will be buying have a 1 year manufacturer warranty, so i'm covered for that, that eliminates problem with the product itself.

I think Australia has turned more into the copied items now more than ever.

[THE_350GT]

If you can deliver quality products at a cheaper price and have tests to back them, I’ll be in for a list of parts and accessories.

[Blitz]

Best of luck.

How do you plan to compete against the endless sea of small businesses who are already bringing in Japanese parts direct at well under retail?

Whats going to set your 'business' apart from the others?

[Dstroyr]

If you can deliver quality products at a cheaper price and have tests to back them, I’ll be in for a list of parts and accessories.

That's the idea.

Sounds easy, but i would need the cars to put the mods in.

Some parts i will be getting are turbos, blow off valves, fuel regulators, external wastegates, mufflers, plenum chambers, oil pans, pulleys, boost controllers and possibly more performance products.

The cars that i will mainly focus are the Nissan Silvias, skylines aka SR20's CA18DETs, RB20's RB25's, RB30's RB26. I will also concentrate on Mitsubishi EVO's and WRXes. I will also look into Rotaries aswell.

A big plan would enthisise carbon materials eg carbon bodykits and other carbon car parts at very good prices.

[B-Man]

Best of luck dude

[Munna1]

good luck mate by the way I have sent you a PM

[Kozeyekan]

Best of luck dude

Sounds like you're aiming for a less ricey version of 'pimp my ride'

In all seriousness, look into making a TV show out of it. With reality TV turning out such gems as 'Celebrity ice skating' and 'big brother' this would shit all over them.

Besides that though, Are you planning on importing specific items for a buyer, or are you looking to import a range of items, then on sell to the buyer from a showroom/ warehouse?

[Beer Baron]

my only advice to you is that you will need to turn over in excess of 1 million dollars of stock in your first year to stay afloat. the margins on imported performance products (whether japanese, chinese or american) are so slim and the competition is so fierce the only way you will keep this going is through massive volume. you better have some very big suppliers supporting you in japan or china too as you wont be able to afford to buy from middle men, or be dicked around with supply timetables. personally i think stepped into an already flooded market is a bad idea. find a niche that is yet to be tapped and fill that instead.

[raz0r$harP.UK]

You just need to look at the trader section on NS to see that the market is cutthroat. And it's not just ppl who are importing brand name parts locally.

I mean look at what Just Jap are doing now. It basically sounds like you're trying to do what they are, about a year too late.

I agree with Richard, find a small market and tap into that. I wouldn't call catering for Skylines, Silvias and rotaries a 'niche' market

[Dstroyr]

my only advice to you is that you will need to turn over in excess of 1 million dollars of stock in your first year to stay afloat. the margins on imported performance products (whether japanese, chinese or american) are so slim and the competition is so fierce the only way you will keep this going is through massive volume. you better have some very big suppliers supporting you in japan or china too as you wont be able to afford to buy from middle men, or be dicked around with supply timetables. personally i think stepped into an already flooded market is a bad idea. find a niche that is yet to be tapped and fill that instead.

As i said guys, i'm just getting ideas at-the-moment.

I am also getting samples of different products to check quality and maybe test it out on cars.

Regarding getting the result sheet of performance parts, i know it would be difficult but i know alot of people with different cars that wouldn't mind getting some nice performance parts put into their car.

[PHATR32]

you gotta compete with online companies that are actually located in japan too!

[Beer Baron]

oh, i just saw your group buy thread for the taiwanese carbon guages... hmmm my advice is forget it. even if your mark-up is 50% (which these days is un-heard of for people buying quality parts) 50% of $30 is still only $15 per unit. that's a lot of cheap gauges to sell before you turn a decent buck. plus that kind of shit is everywhere now. whilst in japan this year at tokyo autosalon there where a number of taiwanese and chinese compaines trying to drum up business and plenty asking me to be a disributor for their products as now the asian countries are full of dudes exporting the stuff. so if even i have a contact direct with these companies, and you are buying through a middle man i cant see how this will work for you. plus people are starting to turn away from the cheap stuff back to the quality parts from the big japanse players.

a $30 gauge is worth $0.00 if it only lasts a week....

seriously, think of another business idea, this one has been done to death.

[Dstroyr]

oh, i just saw your group buy thread for the taiwanese carbon guages... hmmm my advice is forget it. even if your mark-up is 50% (which these days is un-heard of for people buying quality parts) 50% of $30 is still only $15 per unit. that's a lot of cheap gauges to sell before you turn a decent buck. plus that kind of shit is everywhere now. whilst in japan this year at tokyo autosalon there where a number of taiwanese and chinese compaines trying to drum up business and plenty asking me to be a disributor for their products as now the asian countries are full of dudes exporting the stuff. so if even i have a contact direct with these companies, and you are buying through a middle man i cant see how this will work for you. plus people are starting to turn away from the cheap stuff back to the quality parts from the big japanse players.

a $30 gauge is worth $0.00 if it only lasts a week....

seriously, think of another business idea, this one has been done to death.

They actually are a great product, it's hard when you can't show that to people.

[Dstroyr]

Thanks for all the comments, im going to europ in a few hrs.

Keep the comments coming, when i get time to read them, i will.