What do you want from a shop?

3g Jester · 05-30-2006, 03:19 PM

What do you want in a shop? What can yo do yourself? I taking an unofficial poll to get a general idea from a tuners aspect.

What would you like to see from a shop?
IE: parts, prices, installaton fees, special orders, custom fabrication, ect

What can you do yourself? and to what degree?
IE: custom box fab- still learning, sound installation with size formulas and design- very well, body work-taking courses, good with welding and custom fab

what do you think you could do/can already do but just dont have the tools, time, know-how or time to learn to do it right and dont want to get ripped off by the price?
IE: install headrest monitors myself, build an award winning sound system with dimentions formulated and custom fiberglassed enclosure while still keeping functionality of my trunk

Also, what do you wish there was more of in your area? a place to meet up with other tuners? a place to showcase your ride and hang out with people of the same interests? a place to meet new gear and ICE (in car entertainment) heads with out feeling like a stalker trying to flag a hot ride down?
Any input would be greatly apreciated!

Tidder · 05-31-2006, 12:58 PM

Hmm... how about a shop where all the tools, parts, and knowhow are available, but you're still able to do it yourself, with maybe some guidance, ya know, some expert watchin over your shoulder.

3g Jester · 05-31-2006, 01:03 PM

good one

Motorcity · 05-31-2006, 03:30 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Tidder

Hmm... how about a shop where all the tools, parts, and knowhow are available, but you're still able to do it yourself, with maybe some guidance, ya know, some expert watchin over your shoulder.

A good idea, but most if not all states require a repair facility to be licensed, and insurance requirements would prohibit any non employees from being in the work area. Not to mention the huge amount of liability insurance required, especially if you have such shop equipment as torches, a brake lathe, tire machine, welders, hoists, etc.
There used to be a shop in MI where people could rent bays by the hour. They had shop air, and hoists. This was cool, until some drunken idiot dropped a van off the hoist. Shop closed down a week later.

There is a similar type "club" here in MI for woodworkers. They pay a monthly membership fee, and have use of all the shop equipment. They have knowledgable, experienced master carpenters on staff to help you build your project. This works because it is private, members only. No big deal to join, but since it is private, they avoid all the liability issues.
I don't know if this would work in the automotive arena though, as the risk of human injury is much greater. Even if the person didn't get hurt in the shop, what if they ****ed up their's or someone else's car, and because of the inexperience, they wrecked and killed someone??

Tidder · 06-01-2006, 02:10 PM

What are you saying?

DarquePervert · 06-01-2006, 02:39 PM

I saw this thread when you first posted it. I'm going to reply now that I've given it some thought:

Variety of products
That means different products from pre-built custom PCs to power supplies & inverters, cables & adapters (including some custom ones made in-house), GPS devices, OBD interfaces, cases, video cards, screens (in-dash and free-standing), steering wheel controls, fuses, relays & controllers, and so on.
That also means looking into newer products that might be of interest such as new model screens or motherboards.
Include software, from Windows to iGuidance to commercial frontend software like Streedeck and Centrafuse to useful utilities like GPSGate or Powerstrip.
Services
Installations, configurations, troubleshooting, benchtesting, wiring.
Basically, the shop should be able to perform any task that surround the installation of a vehicle PC from the ground up, including running wires, interfacing with car audio to installing Windows and tweaking a front-end to a customer's specs.
The only thing that might not be acceptable is custom programming and/or skin design, although if you have people on staff skilled enough, these would be vbiable as well.
Assistance
Help customers with their installations. Offer free guides for common tasks like wiring a DC-DC PSU or wiring the audio to your amp(s). Have printed sheets or PDFs with photos and/or screenshots to make it as simple as possible for the n00bish.
And if they can't figure it out from clear instructions, then you're always there to do the installation for them... for a fee, of course.

I don't think a carPC-only store would work, personally. At least not currently. Now if it was a section within a car electronics store, I think that's viable. Just my opinion.

GizmoQ · 06-02-2006, 04:06 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by DarquePervert

I don't think a carPC-only store would work, personally. At least not currently. Now if it was a section within a car electronics store, I think that's viable. Just my opinion.

I agree. This will probably be commonplace in about 10 years. But today, most newer high-end in-dash DVD head units are too complicated for the average consumer. I know three personally who have $6-8K sound systems in $60-120K cars, but if the DVD didn't automatically start when inserted, they'd be lost. They actually take the cars back to the installer to adjust balance, bass boost, and video settings.

RedGTiVR6 · 06-02-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 3g Jester

what do you think you could do/can already do but just dont have the tools, time, know-how or time to learn to do it right and dont want to get ripped off by the price?

hrmm....

if you're not willing to make the time then you must either be willing to pay someone else to do it or realize that you just can't have it

I was in school full time and working full time and managed to be the president and web master AND started the motorcycle club for a major university as well as be engaged and plan a wedding all the while looking for a job, interviewing and looking for a place to live, and I found the time to learn how to do this stuff. HOWEVER, that being said, it was a prioroity for me. For some people, they *want* to learn it, but they don't *want* to put the time in, nor do they *want* to pay for it...lol

Quote:

Also, what do you wish there was more of in your area? a place to meet up with other tuners? a place to showcase your ride and hang out with people of the same interests? a place to meet new gear and ICE (in car entertainment) heads with out feeling like a stalker trying to flag a hot ride down?
Any input would be greatly apreciated!

shows, more car audio shows, specifically. of all of the tuner shows I've been to I've been disgusted with the 'quality' cars that I've seen.

the tuner shows tend to come with the terretory of the car audio competitions. Usually have one AND the other going on in the same place at the same time. it's fairly depressing sometimes to see all these kids crowded around a car oogling over it, only to walk up, take a look and realize it's nothing more than paint and wheels. And ****ty paint and wheels at that...lol

in all reality, the best place to learn it is to make friends with those who are into it seriously. you can get as engrosed as you want, it just takes the will to make it happen.

DarquePervert · 06-02-2006, 04:46 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

in all reality, the best place to learn it is to make friends with those who are into it seriously. you can get as engrosed as you want, it just takes the will to make it happen.

(it should say SHE)

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