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You are not following that the LH outlet tanks that are available for "Cobras" are stainless steel and not brass. The brass tanks available are for garden variety Ford products thus the price disparity.
I know one of the people making the brass tank (actually he owns the tooling that is in China) and asked about having some LH brass tanks made. Again to do it properly there are some tooling revisions needed but much of the tooling would be the existing stuff. 500 pieces minimum is the run at the factory in China. Without the tool costs my price landed here with fees, duty, insurance, shipping (and of course some profit for him as he owns the tools)etc. is over $125.00 per unit. So I will have $62,500 minimum tied up. If I sell them at $195.00 per like the standard tanks how long before I am close to even? Do I have any cost of money for the inventory I will sit on until I die? Profit is not a dirty word and I subscribe to the "pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" school of thought. Anyone who thinks 99% of the people involved in this hobby/business are getting rich needs to look harder. I can count on one hand with fingers left over those who made a small fortune that didn't start with a large one!
Give away the IP and tooling? Ford issues a "destruction order" to vendors for most items when they discontinue it as a production or service part. Woe to the vendor that doesn't comply.....although I know one vendor who kept a loft of emblem and trim tools in his home garage as he couldn't bear to trash it.
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