Water tight and roll up windows

[Sultan]

For years I have wanted a roadster but living in Seattle means driving in the rain. Please make the new car water tight and have roll up windows. Then I can convince my wife that it is a practical DD

[MikeK]

Apparently you are not the Sultan in your own castle, I'm really sorry but I just could'nt pass it up, don't listen to me I'm already divorced. As to you point, yes I to would love to have a somewhat practical toy for a change, but not at the expence of raising the price point. Not as much money left after that divorce.

[cChrisM]

Hold on. This is not how its done. FFR gives us a great based and its up to us to come up with all the cool mods. Sounds like you could be a future vendor selling water tight products and roll up windows. Think of the possibilities.

[UpstateCobraGuy]

I agree, it must have roll up windows, real world ground clearance, room for full sized guys (6' 235- I don't fit in a GTM).

[Sultan]

MikeK.....hahahahha...ha.....I live in the town Sultan, Wa:-) and yap right now it is raining so if I had this car I would be sitting today.

[Kalstar]

I would say real roll up window, Al-A-crank. The lotus has crank windows to save weight. I am all for roll up windows with no heavy motors in the doors.

[MikeK]

MikeK.....hahahahha...ha.....I live in the town Sultan, Wa:-) and yap right now it is raining so if I had this car I would be sitting today.

Yeah I hear ya, I don't have a top or windows on my car, so I don't want to venture to far from home for fear of rain storms. I want a car I can go somewhere with without a inclosed trailer, andyes crank windows please.

[Someday I Suppose]

You guys remember the part where the car is supposed to weigh in at 1800lbs and the kit cost is under $10K with a complete build target of $15K right? Not saying water tight isn't going to happen, just sayin...

[Kalstar]

I do not believe this will be a 10K kit (or maybe just for the first 10 sold). This would be nearly 3K less than their lowest costing kit and that is the one they have had the longest and profected the costs of the supply parts. How could it be 1/2 the cost of the GTM kit? I think if they hit 10K it will be like the hot rod, offered in stages. That said, even if the kit comes in at 15K, with the donor sell off, and the lack of paint required, sub 20K is almost a certain and 15K is not out of line if the kit is sold at $12,990 like the roadster. A 4K salvage WRX minus 3-4K in parts sold off the donor makes this for a very "do-able" .

[Sultan]

Ok I will give you the point that making it water tight and having roll up windows will add to cost and weight. How of either seems small to me but my real point is if the car is if the car can be driven in the rain then you could use it more than just a sunny day car. You could you even sell the idea to your wife that you will use it as a DD:-)

I really think more kits will be sold if the car is more useful.

[BrandonDrums]

I hope with a removable hard-top it would be easier to make water-tight than the roadster kit. As for the roll up windows I don't know how easy or cheap that would be. I'm sure it's possible but as FFR stuff goes, it's things like roll-up windows that end up as an option on the FFR store.

As for the weight, making it water-tight doesn't mean adding weight as much as adding build complexity and cost. My bud's MK3 roadster is close to water-tight, he's been caulking and great-stuffing holes for a couple years now.

[Someday I Suppose]

Where the kit price comes in I suppose we have to wait and see, but from the posts it certainly looks like the goal is to be below $10K.

To that I could see them possibly doing a hard top as an option in order to keep the kit there. As for the cost vs. other kits, I suppose that is part of the challange, but also depends on how complext the kit is in terms of suspension components and other add ons. If the spindles, brakes, a-arms, etc. are all used off the donor the more likely the kit can be made cost effective.

-Scott


I do not believe this will be a 10K kit (or maybe just for the first 10 sold). This would be nearly 3K less than their lowest costing kit and that is the one they have had the longest and profected the costs of the supply parts. How could it be 1/2 the cost of the GTM kit? I think if they hit 10K it will be like the hot rod, offered in stages. That said, even if the kit comes in at 15K, with the donor sell off, and the lack of paint required, sub 20K is almost a certain and 15K is not out of line if the kit is sold at $12,990 like the roadster. A 4K salvage WRX minus 3-4K in parts sold off the donor makes this for a very "do-able" .

[D2W]

Until Dave gives us a complete description of the car on March 1 we have to go by his design goals that he laid out at moochfest. He never said the car was a daily driver. From his description I'm imagining a minimalistic car more like lotus 211 than an lotus elise, especially at the given price point and weight goals. Along those lines I don't think we will see roll up windows. As long as the car has a good sealing top, and side windows it could still be weather proof enough for me to drive it alot. I think it will be up to the individual to add options like heat/ac ect. with the penalty of weight and cost. Again this is my speculation until Dave gives us a clearer picture.
DP

[Ike4]

I am pulling for a purist drivers car that is as simple as possible. Lotus 211 is ideal. The Mazda mx-5 is where to look for a daly driver.

[MikeK]

Purist is all well and good, but the Lotus 211 looks like a butter knife, I'm thinking more like dagger.

[riptide motorsport]

Near as I remember the news/surprise said a Subi based roadster, Roadster............no top, no wondows. Sort of a mute thread/discusion here.

[riptide motorsport]

well actually it does say removable hard top, my mistake.

http://www.factoryfive.com/whatsnew/update/nextcar/info.html

[Oppenheimer]

While the builder is free to dream up any mods they want to add, the 65 Roadster is all but impossible to add roll-up windows and make weather-tight. If it were possible, I'd be building such a Roadster already.

If I build a kit, its going to be driven, a lot. But I'm only going to be building one if its something I can drive a lot. So even if its an extra cost/weight option, just for builders that want it, I'm all-aboard for roll-up windows and weather-tight. But if its not built in as an option from the start, its probably not going to be something the builder can add on their own without major refab.

[MikeK]

I agree, if it does not come with the kit to keep weight/cost down at their target's that's ok, as long as it can be an option from FFR that can be done relativly easy and not break the already fractured bank.