How do they know???? They have only produced one kit.....why not design one in which cost less, more readily available, newer design, better fitment, market it better, etc... Why is there only a couple of these kits around?? Obviously there first approach went wrong, business wise, marketing,etc. there is obviously a market for these products, just look at the ipl bumpers, more r and d needs to go into this. I don't care if some company in Japan does it or the US does it.

 

thats true too, but you cant deny the fact that replica plays a large part on why JDM companies choose not to produce parts for the g platform, or many other platforms for that matter...

 

Nobody wants to talk about that, I can only think of 2 major shops in the US that even carry JDM G parts, I don't think the customers are to blame for the JDM companies lack of interest to supply vendors with ways to get the parts.
And I do not think they fear knockoffs more than they fear producing parts that won't sell.
TS is having no trouble making GTR parts and they get knocked off.

 

I don't know TS GTR parts get knocked off, their still producing new products because they have a market and its a tuner car.

 

^ this to a large degree! I feel people in the market to support true JDM are in the market for just that and the people buying these replicas are not necessarily ever going to be the ones buying the authentic. With very few exceptions

I honestly would have 100% purchased an authentic TS kit but when I was ready to buy, TS basically no longer would sell G parts to the US. I liked that style alone for my car so I was forced into a knockoff to get the look of the build I was going for (until BB will ever sell me his authentic kit if that moment one day comes...) I have considered the Zele but it is not my style and I was handcuffed to fake I felt. Now my honest pursuit is having a company custom make me a kit off of my OEM... So it was not out of money that I chose fake.

I do however agree that the G is more of an exception when it comes to this situation but I just do not understand why?

The kit is already knocked off... Why won't TS allow people to buy the authentic??? That is something that does not make sense to me.

 

... I almost don't even want to go further as it most likely is moot and I am on my own, but specifically, with the TS kit... It was just a lip kit that TS put together in a few weeks (their documentation of this was explained on the speed hunters article) that was the G35 kit idea simply carried over to the G37 and it worked a lot better IMO but it was still simply a lip which would take a lot of work and effort to mold to achieve a clean look and does not take as much work to create as a full bumper.

IMO, they never cared for the G market from the jump...

Beyond this, to specifically address the OP's point and to further expound upon what Rys may have been also saying, authentic companies still produce parts for all types of cars, higher and lower end of the market compared to the G... Why do we get skipped?

 

Between North Florida and ATL, I don't see a lot of G's with body kits at all. I didn't even see a lot in Jersey. Maybe it's different in NY, Cali or South Florida. I do know that when you are on the internet, it FEELS like "everyone has the same thing" but you seldom see it in the real world...depending where you live.

 

Anyone forget the poor exchange rate? That is also part of the reason it's expensive for jdm parts.

 

This is turning into a much bigger discussion than it needs to be.

OP_ The bottom line is that no other JDM companies are interested or going to make a kit for the G37. Now things may change with the next gen especially if they come boosted from the factory and the IPL variation is marketed as a performance/tuner car before being luxurious

Jared_ Totally understand where you're coming from. I still think the TS kit can be had but you'll most likely have to purchase directly from one of the many companies based in Japan. With that said, I'd be more interested in seeing you go the custom route and maybe having a company like DTM build you kit. That'd be boss

 

This is hilarious!

 

You're totally right, TS doesn't care about the G market, or any other market besides the R35 GT-R for that matter. The reason being is that the R35 market is the only one that yields a return on their investment. The parts don't really get knocked off, with the exception of their front diffuser and the GT-R owners have the money to buy the stuff without bitching and moaning about the price. On top of that TS has always been closely associated with the GT-R platform - R32, R33, R34.

The JDM companies do suffer from knock-offs; how do I know, because they've told me so. Zele barely recouped any money on their 370Z kit, and now there's a knock-off thanks to some shady people in the US, and their G37 kit is not exactly "well-selling." People that deny that knock-offs are harmful to the industry are ignorant.

This post isn't meant to preach, but it's the truth.

My biggest question is, where's the originality from the US shops in the V36 game? They seem to be great at selling copy parts, but there really isn't anybody doing something new and original. It's totally doable, especially when they can sell cheaper than the JDM stuff, since there are several expensive variables removed (exchange rates, international shipping). There are a lot of us here that want parts, so where are the domestic shops that actually "care" about the V36 platform and have access to the resources to make it happen?

 

When you say knock-off parts hurt their business, well yeah. The originality part of it sucks but that is a part of business. For the supplement market some company comes up with a new formula and then it is copied over and over again. From pre-workouts, to weight loss, etc. They do their R and D, they market it, and they have come up with something new. Then a new company comes along and basically makes the same thing but with one or two minor changes. This happens all the time, but they don’t give up, they continue to make products and be successful. What they will do is try to become very strong in one area and dominate that area. Which in the long run will keep them producing revenue, while giving them other opportunities to branch off if the time comes. Why don’t people do it in the US? Not too sure, I am not very familiar with risk/benefit of starting something like that especially now. I am sure there is quite a bit of risk factor involved. I am sure if there were companies making original kits that offered customer service on a regular basis, a good price, a good quality product, perfect fitment, a short wait time,etc. I guarantee you will get business and people on here won’t be buying fake knock off parts, at least the numbers will go down. The fact is that to get these original kits, there is a lack of customer service availability, the price is extremely high, the wait time is forever, the fitment is not always dead on, etc. That is a lot to ask someone who has not been in or around the "modding' car scene, or who just purchased a car. Its almost like here Ill give you $2000 hopefully I get my part in 9 months. That is asking a lot from the average person adding mods to their 20-40k car. I understand both sides, I know there are people out there who look at these from all different ways. But its like people think the companies deserve some kind of sympathy or something, there are tons of companies who have done great things in our country but have failed to stay a float. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

FYI, parts don't cost $2000 for R&D, it's more. I had a long conversation with Challenge USA about this when I was thinking of getting two things done. The costs alone for a single part was around $6000 plus actual parts from the car. If you wanted a front lip, you had to give them a front bumper; if you wanted a trunk, you would have to give them your trunk. Then from there, they make a mold. Then from the mold they actually make the part and test fit. And there are adjustments based on that.

 

This debate can go on and on... There is likely no answer that will convert those people who believe that replicas "help" or "do not harm" the industry. On top of that, those who chalk it up as "part of doing business" will not soon be swayed, either. People rocking fake parts will still get e-praise and still land "features" on various online sites and publications. People will continue to make their justifications for why they chose to buy replica parts or why they felt like there were no other options. That does not change the fact that replicas and knock-offs do, in fact, harm the industry.

Jeremy and Ryan are both correct when they suggest the market for G37 parts is very small. The G is not a huge tuner car and there are not many in Japan being modified, as compared to some of the other platforms. That is correct. I will say that when the Zele kit was copied by a sponsor/vendor on this forum, I know for a fact that Zele Performance in Japan was not happy about it. They wanted to know where it came from, who sold it, to whom it was sold, and who copied it.

In large part, this is an issue of values, morals, and integrity. I don't have to rant about the lack of morals and ethical integrity on the part of those companies stealing designs. I have done that enough on this forum. I do, however, think it is important to note that, in the most basic sense, the Japanese parts companies place great value on quality and attention to detail. Quite simply, Americans place more value on price. You can look at this forum as evidence, as well as the Z forum. The cars are riddled with knock-off and replica parts. It is cheaper to produce aero components in the US than it is in Japan. Along the same lines, it is not a coincidence that the US is the source of the most replica aero companies in the world (even more than China and Taiwan).

Not necessarily on behalf of the G37, but in general, I know that Amuse and Zele, for example, want to produce more aero. However, they are reluctant because they know they will get copied within weeks of their release. The sad part? The better the design and more popular the product, the quicker it will be replicated. I am not lying when I say these companies are reluctant to produce parts just for that very reason. The sale of parts in Japan are not as high as they used to be. Therefore, they want and need the export sales of their parts in the US. But it is a double-edged sword, knowing they will become the victim of intellectual property theft. It is truly a shame for those of us who love and respect the parts and the culture of these Japanese companies.

As for the comparison to the G37 aero kit. That is not realistic and in no way comparable to an aftermarket body kit simply because it is an OEM piece. There are hundreds of thousands of those kits produced because cars come from the factory with those aero components. That is the reason they can be had so cheap. It is quite expensive to produce an aftermarket body kit. From market research, to tooling, to design, to materials, to craftsmanship, to testing, etc... let alone the ingenuity, innovation, and risk involved in producing an original part. Simply, it doesn't take much for a company to steal a proven design and make a mold.

When it comes to knock-offs and replicas, people can make all sorts of analogies to different products like supplements and handbags, etc... but those comparisons are just not relevant in the aftermarket parts industry. Revenues are just too low for these companies, due to the smaller size of the enthusiast base.

 

A part of the problem as I understand it Bill is that even though the innovators and rightful legal owners of these designs know or can find out who is stealing their parts, doing anything about it legally is another matter entirely. And that fact is why these scumbags who rip them off continue to do it and to thrive by doing it - they know it is a lot of hassle and money for the actual owners of the intellectual property they are stealing to take legal action other than sending a meaningless cease and desist letter. To hire legal representation to pursue international trademark infringement is costly, lengthy, and may or may not yield results. And even if they ran one of the scumbags out of business, they're like cockroaches. A dozen others are there to pick up the slack and steal some more. Or else they would simply dissolve the company and form another different LLC with a different business name and do the same thing as before, forcing them to pursue the legal process all over again in vain. People who buy knockoffs only get mad when one of these fly by night "businessmen" who sell counterfeits takes a bunch of their money and doesn't ship product. Then they seem to understand what stealing is, but not when they are trying to buy the stolen parts. Ironic...

You'd expect that in China or maybe Taiwan, but we like to think of our culture in this country as more respectful of property laws. Not in this case. And we know that threatening prosecution of the end users doesn't work from seeing how the FBI tried and failed that near the beginning of the digital music piracy. I know of no easy answer to the problem. I truly wish there were.