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WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

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nihil
Posts: 1798

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#21 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:32 am

I'm not convinced of that. OEM is limited by budget, corporate politics, and manufacturing process. The resulting part has to come in at a certain price point for it to be profitable, it has to meet the goals of a board room full of people, and it has to be able to be built in a way that its creation does not make its marketable benefit exceed the cost of its production.

The DIY approach is not limited by any of these factors, and a talented craftsman with engineering experience can produce parts/objects that are superior to any commercial venture. That's not to say that the bulk of DIY endeavors aren't halfassed and result in disaster, but there are some that truly stand out as exceptional in their field.

schuhe
Posts: 1949

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#22 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 11:09 am

OK, someone can design it, fire-up the 3D printer, and glue the resulting parts together. This would be a fun project under the Christmas Tree...

Daewoo
Posts: 734

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#23 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 11:29 am

Nihil- What you mentioned here is a classical demand theory in economics. Gwagen is a product of consumer's preference and utility it provides to a very selected group of consumers and Mercedes knows this.

To sum things up, it is a free capitalist enterprise conundrum and that is - consumer's goal of utility maximization and consumer's expenditure minimization. We know free enterprise is not the best but it sure beat socialism.

You have to read and do your hw. I can't short cut economic theory in 5 minutes....sorry.

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nihil
Posts: 1798

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#24 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:17 pm

schuhe wrote:OK, someone can design it, fire-up the 3D printer, and glue the resulting parts together. This would be a fun project under the Christmas Tree...

:lol:
While 3D printing is a lot of fun and useful in many situations, it's not the answer to everything by a long shot. I wouldn't attempt a 3D printed walk-on hood, but I do plan to build a printer large enough to make some body panels and larger parts like dashboards and seats. The G is just one of my numerous automotive projects.

Since I find myself walking on the hood of the G rather frequently, I've been pondering how to best reinforce it without adding too much weight. So far I'm thinking going the aerospace route, with some aramid honeycomb core (expensive new, but cheap enough from aircraft recyclers) bonded to the underside of the hood with 3M panel bonding epoxy, backed by an aluminum skin. On the top side, some classic diamond plate in the high traffic areas attached with the same epoxy. All bonding done before paint for a good seal top and bottom, with a high temp undercoating and heat reflective insulation on the bottom.

Daewoo wrote:Nihil- What you mentioned here is a classical demand theory in economics. Gwagen is a product of consumer's preference and utility it provides to a very selected group of consumers and Mercedes knows this.

To sum things up, it is a free capitalist enterprise conundrum and that is - consumer's goal of utility maximization and consumer's expenditure minimization. We know free enterprise is not the best but it sure beat socialism.

You have to read and do your hw. I can't short cut economic theory in 5 minutes....sorry.

You don't need to grasp full economic theory to understand the basics. For many questions in life, "follow the money" is a perfectly suitable answer and ultimately brings you to the same conclusions.

I will admit, the exclusivity premium drives me nuts.

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offroad-world
Posts: 9813
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Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#25 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:38 pm

nihil wrote: For many questions in life, "follow the money" is a perfectly suitable answer and ultimately brings you to the same conclusions.


one thing i learned the 17 years i drive G :
if you buy OEM parts and restore or repair your G you get back your money each day , adrian cox G is a very good example .
if you take care about your G over all the years you have a high value , this is a kind of " following the money too " .
i have had a mitsubishi pajero , my mum too , these have been rolling graves , every cent i earned has to go into this scrap vehicle and as everyhting was repaired i could sell it for 1500 euro only .

the value of the G is high only when you use OEM parts and not duct tape . at least it happend this way to me and i know that from thousand of my customers who buy OEM parts from me daily .

mfg. guido .

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grazza
Posts: 1013

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#26 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 1:09 pm

Well we are talking about a couple of sheets of metal here.

I dont see why they did not make the G with a walk on bonnet from day one then continue with it for all models. Certainly would add to its appeal along with all the other unique G features.

And I dont think Mercedes have always been the best at engineeriing solutions, look at the bonnet on the W461 300CDI with those god aweful bulges - an afterthought if I ever saw it.

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offroad-world
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Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#27 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 1:42 pm

some teaser pics :D

mfg. guido .
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nihil
Posts: 1798

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#28 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 2:05 pm

offroad-world wrote:
nihil wrote: For many questions in life, "follow the money" is a perfectly suitable answer and ultimately brings you to the same conclusions.


one thing i learned the 17 years i drive G :
if you buy OEM parts and restore or repair your G you get back your money each day , adrian cox G is a very good example .
if you take care about your G over all the years you have a high value , this is a kind of " following the money too " .
i have had a mitsubishi pajero , my mum too , these have been rolling graves , every cent i earned has to go into this scrap vehicle and as everyhting was repaired i could sell it for 1500 euro only .

the value of the G is high only when you use OEM parts and not duct tape . at least it happend this way to me and i know that from thousand of my customers who buy OEM parts from me daily .

mfg. guido .

I agree that for most things G OEM is best, and I intend to keep mine mostly OEM or OEM'ish, particularly with mechanical assemblies. But there are other areas where OEM is overpriced for what it is. For example, nowhere on earth should an automotive heater blower motor cost $300. That's ridiculous. The cost of production, assembly, and balance of that unit is likely less than $15-$20 in automotive industry quantities, and it's going to fail just like any other suitably spec'd brushed motor. The price of braking components (replacement drums/discs) is up there too.

But my goals with the G are more in line with long term ownership tailored to my specific needs. If I were rebuilding these for sale, it would be OEM all the way and pass the cost on to the consumer/client.

Duct tape is only good for short term fixes, but it's damn good at that! :lol:

grazza wrote:Well we are talking about a couple of sheets of metal here.

I dont see why they did not make the G with a walk on bonnet from day one then continue with it for all models. Certainly would add to its appeal along with all the other unique G features.

And I dont think Mercedes have always been the best at engineeriing solutions, look at the bonnet on the W461 300CDI with those god aweful bulges - an afterthought if I ever saw it.

Yeah, for such a utilitarian vehicle, a walk on hood would have been a great factory touch. And there are some engineering flaws even with the mighty G. One in particular I've noticed is the ample opportunity for water ingress and pooling, which of course leads to rust.

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vadimivanovich
Posts: 8643

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#29 » Sat Oct 25, 2014 9:53 pm

Looks like I'm late to the party... I made a DIY walk-on hood. Gave it to my local sheet metal expert and he fabbed up a very close replica of the underside of the hood. I riveted it in along the underside lip so it's completely indistinguishable until you open the hood. The original hood and under layer that I added are separated by about 1/2" which is filled with expanding polyurethane foam. I'm sure this is not as good as an original, but in a pinch I could walk and know I have a tougher hood than OEM. It is fairly heavy though. I'm not sure it was worth the trouble.

:?

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diesel_jim
Posts: 1077

Re: WALK-ON-HOOD i like that

Post#30 » Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:23 am

Hmmm that's an interesting idea, going to a metal fabricator... I might try that with mine... (I'm building a replica-ish SWB 460 with a nod to the worker/.pur edition)

Wonder what would be a good material to fit between the two pieces? why not just get it as close a fit as possible, but prior to fitting the "inner" strengthening piece, just lay in a tube or 3 of tigerseal? that stuff sets pretty hard, and sticks like sht to a blanket...

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