| Author | Message | ||
| todd montandon (Sllade)
Junior Member Username: Sllade Post Number: 242 Registered: 7-2003 |
chris ihope that the console upper and lower shown here r mine todd | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
Junior Member Username: Valence Post Number: 180 Registered: 3-2003 |
Justin, for the time being, we're doing the lid only, but we'll make the rest of the ashtray if people want us to. No pics yet as the lid won't be available until next week. | ||
| Jerry Slagle (Slag_328gts)
Junior Member Username: Slag_328gts Post Number: 151 Registered: 9-2003 |
328 328 328 !! lol | ||
| J R K (Kenyon)
Member Username: Kenyon Post Number: 958 Registered: 10-2002 |
Chris, Can you post some pictures of the ashtray ? is it the cover only ??? | ||
| J R K (Kenyon)
Member Username: Kenyon Post Number: 957 Registered: 10-2002 |
Chris, Ca you post some pictures of the ashtray ? is it the cover only ??? | ||
| J R K (Kenyon)
Member Username: Kenyon Post Number: 956 Registered: 10-2002 |
Chris, I have received my upper instrument console in C/F for my 348. Its fits perfect. The quality finish is excellent. Having both the shifter and upper console together looks great. They look so much better then the original consoles. I am not to sure about haveing the ash tray in carbon fibre. The whole centre console looks great now. I will post some photos of it. When Ferrari owners in the UK see my car with your C/F consoles and workmanship they will order some as well. My car is being used for displays all the time. I will try a get you some more business from the UK. Chris I understand now fully why the upper console is time consuming to make. The detail you put in is amazing just like the orginal console. The fixing holes , everything amazing.... Keep up the good services and workmanship. Real credit to all you guys at Valence... | ||
| Morrie Richfield (Carnut)
Junior Member Username: Carnut Post Number: 96 Registered: 11-2002 |
I just thought I'd put my 2 cents here. Chris is building the carbon fiber for my 04 spider, should be here mid next month. He is doing radio surround, instrument surround, center console, and door panels. I'll be posting pictures of the car on this board when it is all finished. I just want to tell you, I have been dealing with aftermarket companies along time, Chris is a pleasure to talk to, straight up guy, and his products are first rate. | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Intermediate Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 1389 Registered: 10-2002 |
The CF shift console you seen in the picture below is actually the one that's in my car at the moment. Let me just say that Chris' business philosophy and overall approach is right on par. Quality first. The part fits beautifully on my 348 - looking forward the rest of the parts to make my interior complete. I will post pictures once this is complete. I will also be working with Valence to prototype the CF airbox and come up with some performance numbers (e.g., hp gain/loss, temp readings, etc). Valence USA produces excellent products. I know that I am not alone when I say that I would stand by their work. Our community is lucky to have someone who is willing to produce some high quality products and offer them to us at reasonable prices. Byron | ||
| Paul Hill (348paul)
Member Username: 348paul Post Number: 411 Registered: 12-2002 |
Chris, Wonderful stuff! - They really are a work of art! My knowledge of manufacturing CF is very limited but am I right in saying that there is more work involved with the small little bosses, spigots, clips etc. that no one sees from the front? Paul | ||
| Ron (Easy_rider)
Member Username: Easy_rider Post Number: 777 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hi Chris, these parts are beautiful. Do you have any plans to produce pieces for a 512TR? I would sure be interested. Like Byron, I am in Southern California if you need a source for copying the size and shape. Ron | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
Junior Member Username: Valence Post Number: 179 Registered: 3-2003 |
Thank you all for being patient. The upper center console (pictured) is $460.00. It takes 4-6 weeks to make them from the time of order. We require a 50% deposit to start this part, with the balance due upon completion. Most of our carbon fiber parts are made to order in about 1 week, but this particular part is extremely time-consuming to produce. The lower center (shifter) console costs $245, and is sometimes in stock ready to ship. When it's not, it takes one week from the order date to ship.  The ashtray lid will be available early next week, at a cost of $100. An alternative to separate ashtray and shifter console is the lengthened shifter console, which will be available later next week, at a cost of $300. We currently accept check, money order, and credit card through Paypal. [email protected] www.valenceusa.com 434-977-7951 | ||
| Stephen Etheridge (Surreytr)
New member Username: Surreytr Post Number: 8 Registered: 9-2003 |
Chris, I like your business philosophy, never mind that you haven't talked price yet! In a world where we are surrounded by mass produced, cheap crap its good to know that some companies still seek to provide quality. Of course there's a price attached but, as a consumer, you pay your money and take your choice. I know what I would choose. | ||
| fanatic (Fanatic1)
Member Username: Fanatic1 Post Number: 525 Registered: 2-2003 |
Any pricing yet?? | ||
| Andrew Randazzo (Arandazz)
New member Username: Arandazz Post Number: 22 Registered: 5-2003 |
Chris, the 348 console looks great; I can't wait to see the 355 parts. | ||
| Todd Short (Action_item)
New member Username: Action_item Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey Chris, Like Billy Bob said - it would interest me to have a price for the entire center console. Is there a third piece for the ashtray? | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 379 Registered: 8-2002 |
Chis, Can you put to gether a total 348 interior parts kit and just tell us the price? | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
Junior Member Username: Valence Post Number: 178 Registered: 3-2003 |
Now that I've finished my little rant, thanks for the nice comments - I really appreciate it. Michael, we are working on the silver colored 360 interior pieces, and they will be finished in stages over the next month and a half. Justin, the 348 airbox will not be ready until we determine power and torque curves for our prototype. | ||
| David C. (Worth_it)
Junior Member Username: Worth_it Post Number: 182 Registered: 10-2002 |
Chris, Great looking pieces. Glad to see the results of your hard work. Keep us posted on all your other projects. Again, great work. | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
Junior Member Username: Valence Post Number: 177 Registered: 3-2003 |
Wow, Randall, I haven't even quoted the price yet, and already it's too expensive. I know what you're saying, though - it seems like the relatively unimportant parts like interior trim should be cheaper than critical structural parts. Parts like this can be and are made as if they are fiberglass, with little regard to the optimization of physical properties, but not by my company. It turns out that excellent finish quality and excellent physical properties go hand-in-hand. The care, attention to detail, and qulity of tools, equipment, and materials required to produce an excellent cosmetic part are equal to and actually often greater than those required to produce a top-quality structural part. People became attracted to the "look" of carbon fiber when it started appearing on race cars. Many of these "functional" parts, like wings and monocoque chassis, really aren't that pretty when viewed up close. The emphasis is on strength and light weight, with less attention paid to cosmetics. Here's an example from Joshua's USGP photo album - from the Ferrari F1 car. You can bet these carbon fiber parts work, and probably cost a whole lot, but they aren't pretty. Would you want this right smack in the middle of your (street) Ferrari's dashboard? Probably not - too ugly.  As for laying up carbon parts in an open mold like fiberglass, this can work for cosmetic parts, but often doesn't because the extra resin and trapped air tend to make them unattractive. By far, our largest costs are finishing. We sand, clear-coat, and polish each of our parts for hours. Racing parts often aren't finished at all. It's far cheaper (lighter, too) to leave them raw. A good interior trim piece should last practically forever, not just a season or two, and the finishing techniques utilized to assure this longevity are time-consuming and expensive. I won't even get into the complexities of cutting accurate holes and installing hardware so the stock gauges, buttons, and lights fit properly. The difference between most of the "carbon fiber" parts you see on the market, which are often made up of one layer of carbon fiber and the balance fiberglass, with cheap resin and clear gelcoat (as opposed to urethane clear-coat), is often small, but certainly noticable. These cheap parts often fit and wear poorly, too. While they're usually less expensive, they have no place in a top-end sports car. To me, the Ferrari (road car) concept is all about the distillation of race car technology into stylish road vehicles to be enjoyed by passionate, no-compromise driving enthusiasts. My company's philosophy is to provide our customers with the highest level of quality and craftsmanship, and I believe that you and your Ferrari deserve nothing less. | ||
| Randall (Randall)
Member Username: Randall Post Number: 704 Registered: 1-2003 |
Why can't CF products be made to cost less? I understand it's a complicated process to get all the qualities out of it, but does anyone need all the qualities (high strength/light wieght) for something like small interior pieces? I would think for pieces like this it could be laid in a way similar to fiberglass. | ||
| Byron (Bmyth)
Intermediate Member Username: Bmyth Post Number: 1382 Registered: 10-2002 |
Wow, Chris... looks great! | ||
| Jerry Slagle (Slag_328gts)
Junior Member Username: Slag_328gts Post Number: 127 Registered: 9-2003 |
Looks great! When does the 328 version come out? lol | ||
| J R K (Kenyon)
Member Username: Kenyon Post Number: 954 Registered: 10-2002 |
Yes, its great and I should be getting mine this week. Chris a great job. Its will be perfect with lower shifter C/F console I have from you already. I will post some pictures once the upper on is installed. Chris what's the price the 348 air box in C/F and when will if be ready to purchase. ??? | ||
| Todd Short (Action_item)
New member Username: Action_item Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey Chris, I have been looking for this exact item - Thanks! It will look good along with Paul Hill's pedal set and shift knob. | ||
| Michael Vaughan (Vanimal)
Junior Member Username: Vanimal Post Number: 86 Registered: 3-2003 |
Man thats looks amazing, good work there Chris. Do you or do you know who makes a replacement centre console for the 360 as that alumium console is way ugly. | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
Junior Member Username: Valence Post Number: 176 Registered: 3-2003 |
Valence USA is proud to introduce its carbon fiber center console for the 348. Ordering and price information will be posted on Wednesday. Valence USA [email protected] www.valenceusa.com 434-977-7951     |