Well, last night I made my first mold. I used the Upper Right side strake as my first relica piece. Here is the picture of the mold it's self.

The second picture is is of the first casted polyurethane strake being removed from the mole.

The third picture is of the first casted polyurethane side strake with the original aluminum model.

The fourth picture is of the original aluminum, a first coated silver polyurethane cast version and an unpainted polyurethane cast version.

 

These are identical to the originals and will be mounted the exact same way and will be offered in a variety of colors including custom colors. This material is not glass hard, it is indeed polyurethane. I am also going to cast a couple of other materials such as Polyester Resin and I might also attempt a CF strake set.

These will be made affordable for those who have resisted purchasing the strakes for as much as $195 - $210. This is only the first accessory I will be attempting to cast and mass produce. The next item starts next week and will be the front fog light strakes and soon afterward, the oil cooler grilles to accompany them.

I promise this will happen. I will produce these and offer them to our forum members for a reduced cost. They say membership has it's priviledges, this I believe in for our RX8CLUB.com forum. :D

 

I am taking suggestions as to what colors to offer these in. Anyone interested in some input here, speak up now. :D

 

make them in gunmetal (or some sort of shiny dark-gray) to match my future wheels..my check will be in the mail. definately keep me(us) posted!

 

I'd like to see white, but definitely some sort of aluminum metal colour for those of us that like the look of the aluminum ones.

If you don't mind, look into a reproduction of the rotary accents, please. I'd like a set, but the alu prices are excessive. Thanks.

 

As far as white goes, that is the color this material comes out as when it is done. However, it is a flat white but with a few clear coats over the top of it they would look marvelous.

I have been thinking about the rotary accents and what would be involved. The most difficult thing with them is it would be a two part mold but this could be done. I am also thinking about eyelids, a front billet grill, different side vents and a few other things. Once again, it all depends on having time to get these done. I do have two sons who are 15 and 17 that I can employ (for a slave wage to start :D) to help me in this. Eventually I will need to find supplies in larger quantities that will be less than retail such as the 3M foam tape for installing certain parts, more permanent molds than silicon and larger quantities of casting materials.

If some of these things take off big, I will have to take some time off of work, figure out some marketing stratetgy and become a vendor on here so I can peddle my goods in public.

First things first, I need time to make the molds and designs that I have already planned and put on paper.

 

First of all are these strakes still put on with screws and tape or just tape. Because i would like to still have that screw for added security.
And as far as colors go I think you should do all of mazdas colours. Including a gun metal and a white remeber keep it tastefull....
Sounds like u got urself a good thing going Just don't let mazda see what your doing; they might get pissed. And those fender strakes and oil cooler strakes you should offer those in all of mazdas stock colours and white and gun metal so you can have a theme going on dont forget rear bumper strakes. Good luck hope you take to some of my suggestions.

Ps for stock cars we have very different cars almos no 1's is the same

 

D Menac said, "These are identical to the originals and will be mounted the exact same way and will be offered in a variety of colors including custom colors. "

So if im correct, it uses glue and a screw. correct me if im wrong. dont have strakes.

But im interested, looks good. im fine with black or the polished silver. Keep it the good work.

 

You Are MY HERO. I was waiting for somebody to come out with teh side strakes. If you need any help im a marketing major.

You can email me at Bluerx804@aol.com

 

I'll buy if the price is right. I vote for velocity red as an option.

Also, if someone can find me a nice closeup shot of a velocity red car with the OEM silver side strakes on, I can photoshop them to be red so people can get an idea of what that would look like.

 

What up D? As soon as I get back from the Desert I will definitely want to get a set! Can't wait to see what color options you come up with! From the looks of your first set I don't think you'll have any problems selling these!

SIGN ME UP!

 

To cap things so far:

They will attach with a mounting bolt which is tapped into the back of the strake just like the stock. I will also include the 3M mounting double sided foam tape just as the stock strapes have. The instructions are already on a DIY thread on here though they are much easier to put on than that one shows. I will post a shorter version of how to install them when it comes time.

Colors? I know that there will be black, gun metal, Velocity Red (I already have the paint), white and I just casted a clear strake last night as a test. I am thinking about most likely there will be all the colors of the 8 and then some.

Cost wise, these will be very affordable and I am thinking the unpainted version ought to sell for a price that rhymes with nifty but until I can get the revenue going for vendor status I will not be able to post an actual price. Dare I say 25% of the aluminum strakes and 5% more for most finished colors? (do the math)

I'm finding that the most labor in this so far is sanding and preparing for painting. Each one will be hand sanded to remove the center spline from the mold and then the final rear angle will be sanded to match the mounting side of the car.

I will post another pic or two later, one of them will be painted Velocity Red as I am painting a center wheel cap for another member today.

 

well i see whos your baba stayed up later then I lol. Sounds like a plan
I spill this beer for my homies aka dmanac

 

Here are few shots comparing the original aluminum with one of the polyurethane strakes I casted last night that is now painted Velocity Red. I have included the mounting hardware that I intend to supply with each strake. The bolt is threaded into the polyurethane strake and has a washer and lock washer. This hardware is stainless steel as is the original.

 

Here is how it looks mounted on my RX-8. :D Ignore the guy in the reflection.

 

looks slick. good job.

 

i like the aluminum ones
but different colors are good,

 

I like!!! Me want, me want!! I like the VR, I did not think I would but havin seen the pics, I am sold! If you will have these ready to ship in Sep wen I return from this little place I like to call "HE$$-HOLE" then you will make my day!

 

I vote for yellow, chrome would be cool too but considering the material it probably would look funky

 

The strakes look great, can't wait to see what the fog light/oil cooler opening strakes look like. Were you thinking of one or two strakes there? I would like to see two, spaced like the head light ones.

 

Let me put this out to you, definately the colors of the RX-8 will be available:
Velocity Red
Winning Blue
Titanium Gray
Sunlight Silver
Nordic Green
Black
Yellow
White ('05)

After that the additional colors that I have decided on will be:
Gun Metal Gray
Chrome (Provided I can find a place that will chrome plate a plastic)
Color Changing (Chameleon)
Carbon Fiber
Unpainted
Clear
Clear with LEDs (yellow, white, red and blue for those of you who lean towards the ricey side :D J/K)

Aftter those, everything else will be custom unless someone else suggests another color.

Some of these will be a bit more expensive due to the extra work and expenses involved in manufacturing. However, I cannot imagine any of these processes costing more than 50% of the stock strakes even with all the whistles and bells added. In most instances, it should be about 25% of the aluminum Mazda versions.

 

sweet, the more i think about it the more i like the chrome idea since I'm keeping my emblems, i wonder if there is a pseudo bullet proof way to keep the plastic from chipping. The Mazda colors would rock too as they would look oem once installed etc. Either way I can't wait to see a few of these floating around the forums, bet they will look sweet, any though on altering the design any? I was thinking since the 8 looks kinda' like a spaceship, maybe small circular holes or something? Maybe make them look like they have a sharper edge to them? Not sure how it would look, just though I'd throw something out there. Good luck

 

looks awesome.. chrome strakes would be nice!

i also like agree with the rotor accents that would be great if u cud make those..

 

good job just be aware that someone might want a set unfinished... just straight out from the mold because he/she already have the equipment to do it.. Again, looking good! :D

 

Do you have photo shop? If you don't have that perhaps another pic editing software would work also. Give me an idea, nothing is truly impossible.

This material will not chip, it is not brittle in any way. Of course, paint can chip, we know that by looking at our own cars. I'm looking at ways to make them look like the original polished aluminum and have some testing to do. Meanwhile, it's on to the designing of oil cooler screens that will go along with the front fog light strakes that I am in the midst of producing.