Finally done

[michael everson]

My 818 is pretty much done. Just need to have it aligned and take it on it maiden voyage. Might be a while with all the snow around here. My plan is to put it on Ebay as is unpainted and see how it does. It actually looks pretty good the way it is. I will get some more pictures when I can move it away from the snow banks.
Mike

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02611_zps3dxlx5t0.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02611_zps3dxlx5t0.jpg.html)

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02614_zpsvxut5p5d.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02614_zpsvxut5p5d.jpg.html)

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02610_zpsiynlhdir.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02610_zpsiynlhdir.jpg.html)

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02615_zps5uu5b7ir.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02615_zps5uu5b7ir.jpg.html)

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02612_zps5uxu54rp.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02612_zps5uxu54rp.jpg.html)

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/DSC02613_zpssm3pyals.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/DSC02613_zpssm3pyals.jpg.html)

[wallace18]

Very nice job Mike! Some lucky person will own it someday.

[Samiam1017]

Very nice good luck with the sale

[Hindsight]

Looks fantastic. Nice work!

[Mechie3]

Congrats!

[metros]

Nice looking car. Was selling it on ebay the plan all along? Seems like it would be hard to throw it up for sale immediately after finishing the build.

You're like those people that train puppies to become service dogs and then give them away. Those feels.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Great Job Mike,
My car is a father son project. I could sell the car, but the experience has been priceless. I will never loose that.
Bob

[Mitch Wright]

Looks great Michael.

[07FIREBLADE]

Looks fantastic, good luck with the sale, but before you sell it why don't you come up with a front hinge kit to sell on your site. You already have a perfect test mule in front of you for RD.

[Kalstar]

Looks great. The interior is simple and classy, love it. Looking forward to following your 818c build.

[michael everson]

Metros. I have limited space to build and store cars. As it is I have 2 Corvettes taking up 2 of my 7 garage spots. I may keep it if my reserve is not met. I bought it just for the build experience though.
Hard to tell a customer I can build them one if I have never actually done it.
Mike

[Jeff Kleiner]

Well done as always Mike!

Jeff

[Quiny]

Mike, need a co-pilot?

[metalmaker12]

Looks great. The interior is simple and classy, love it. Looking forward to following your 818c build.

You mean your 818c build.....

[Frank818]

Nice job!

[Kalstar]

You mean your 818c build.....

Nope he is doing one for himself. Dude is a craftsman.

[STiPWRD]

Great job Mike, thanks for all the parts you've developed for us

[svanlare]

Looks great indeed. Good luck on the sale.

[AZPete]

Mike, you've done a great job on the 818 . . . .as expected from such an experienced builder. A others have said, Thank You for creating and supplying very useful parts to us builders! I'm sure we can look forward to more (hint: front hood hinge :o).

[N2MINI]

I'll be the one to ask. How much do you hope to get out of it? and or when is it going to be on Ebay..

[longislandwrx]

I have limited space to build and store cars.



my 7 garage spots.



I thought my one car garage was limiting. LOL.

[michael everson]

its on Ebay now and will expire tomorrow. Its no where near my reserve.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replica-Kit-Makes-Factory-Five-Racing-818-S-Factory-Five-Racing-818-kit-car-/121590241054?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c4f57d71e&item=121590241054&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Mike

[Mechie3]

7 garage spots? No pics? Something like that deserves a digital tour of the Replica Parts shop.

[ph1tnessjunk1e]

Looks awesome! If you do sell it, about how much would your reserve be?

[michael everson]

Well that was mildly disappointing. No where near the reserve. I set it at $28,000.00 which is about what I have into it minus labor. Oh well time to get it aligned and then inspected.
Mike

[Hindsight]

Trouble with eBay for things like this is that there is a very small demographic. The people in the demographic are willing to pay for what they want but your chances of catching them within the 7 day auction window is slim. If you advertise it on the classifieds here, I'm sure you'd sell it within 4 months or so for your asking price.

[michael everson]

Good point.
Mike

[metros]

I would also post it on other large car forums. I would think that an 818 isn't searched for on eBay frequently. Try here, nasioc, and any other forums you're on.

[michael everson]

The truth is, I am in no hurry to sell it. Just wanted to see if it would reach my reserve. If it had, I would have been happy. No big deal.
Mike

[N2MINI]

Sounds like a good price but how much would it be if you were actually building it for a customer and charging for labor.. I've been holding out for the Coupe version BUT with the added cost of the roof and some real windows to make it a better DD car it is going to get out of my price range it looks like.. Not going to be much cheaper then a "Base" MK4 build..

[michael everson]

I estimate that it took close to 300 hours to build this. At my rate that would be $15,000 just in labor. These kits seem simple at first look, but I bet I could never build one as fast as I can a roadster. I could probably get it down to 250 hours. Keep in mind that most roadster builders don't use donors anymore. There is a lot of time invested in the WRX donor.
Mike

[N2MINI]

Thanks for the info..

[michael everson]

A coupe 818 will be more then a base Mark 4 I would think.
Mike

[N2MINI]

When they first started talking about the 818 I was hoping for a coupe with real working windows for 30-32K to make it a DD but at 40+K it's out of my price range..

[D Clary]

You will get a lot more interest in a completed car. To the casual observer it was just an untested kit car. The devil is in the details. License, alignment, video. The 818 has no gotten the "cool' factor that the other FFR cars have earned. That will take time, and more outings that they don't blow up. It is not ebay, you can sell ice cube to eskimos, everyone is looking for something.

[mrmustang]

its on Ebay now and will expire tomorrow. Its no where near my reserve.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replica-Kit-Makes-Factory-Five-Racing-818-S-Factory-Five-Racing-818-kit-car-/121590241054?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c4f57d71e&item=121590241054&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Mike

Mike,

Pictures, pictures, pictures, they make or break an Ebay sale. Yes, white is a tough color to take, especially with the snow in the background, but take them you must. Start at 12 O'clock, walk around and take a shot at each tick of the watch face, detailed shots of the interior, show the dash set up clearly, seats, lights, engine and transmission, undercarriage, suspension etc. Show your excellent work. Ebay allows you 24 shots, use them all the next time around. Force the flash, use photoshop to clean things up if you have to.

Description, yours are usually very good, this one is, but perhaps a larger font (yes, really). Also explain in greater detail that you are an extremely talented and experienced FFR kit builder....Yes, really.........

MSO: This is the killer when attempting to sell a kit car on Ebay, title the car, it will sell


Bill S.

[michael everson]

Ok here are some (lousy) pics of my garage.

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/garage2_zpswrngpsez.jpeg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/garage2_zpswrngpsez.jpeg.html)

In the first pic is the garage that is attached to my house. I do all of the work here. Behind this garage is another attached bay that houses all my machinery, powdercoating equipment and sheetmetal working tools.

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r754/meverson1/garage%201_zpscyn2tilo.jpeg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/meverson1/media/garage%201_zpscyn2tilo.jpeg.html)

This second garage is used mainly for storage. I can fit at least5 cars in here. I could do 6 in a pinch. There is currently 3 Cobras in there as well as mine and my Wifes Corvettes.
Mike

[Hindsight]

So are you going to stick mostly to Cobras or keeping doing 818s?

[michael everson]

Whatever the customer wants.

[flynntuna]

What is the ceiling hight in your garage?

[michael everson]

105 inches in the top one 10 feet in the second one
Mike

[flynntuna]

Wow, my garage is 110" and I never thought I'd be able to use a 4 post lift. This gives me something to think about.