vader

Im in.

psk145

victor, you are going to get me divorced!! Sign me up. I would want to see pics of both before i decide though

chiromikey

sounds good victor, i'm in...now i just have to decide black or al.

D-5

It would be nice if the finish is in black brushed aluminum!

305-E55

Don't steel Jangy's thunder, group buys are his gig.

...also, Rock mentioned something about a paddle shifter group buy!!!![/QUOTE]

cfsafs

I'm in. Let me know when available.

MafiosoCLS55

Im in as well for the aluminum Shifter paddles, when there ready....

Hammer Down

+1 here. I love the +,- but any thoughts on up & down? I could be wrong but I believe the Ferrari's are etched as up & down.

any thoughts?

or does that mean more $$$

BenzoBoi

I'm so in...

so these will fit an 03 e55 steering wheel with no problems right?

t-bone

please put me down for one aluminum set.

obsidian05e55

Ill take a set.. aluminum please!!

Jspeed

Send me one ASAP!!

dragonAMG

Sign me up.... these look awesome!!! Man Victor, you really make some quality stuff.

I vote for the +/- being etched

sang55

Victor, one set for me please . I vote for up & down.

E554ME

When are these actually going to be ready? They look really nice...

Rafal

Good work Victor!

Are these [paddles machined out of a billet of aluminum or plastic?
If they are made of aluminum, they should be brushed and anodized SILVER, or BLACK.
Etching "+" and "-" signs will give them more authenticity.
many of us have the MP Design wheel with a fat grip next to the buttons. Will these paddles leave a big enough gap to slide one's fingers under as I do not fancy driving all the time with fingers outstretched in a "trigger ready" mode.

I will take two sets of anodised aluminum if they will fit.

OzE55

Aluminium with +/- please - if easy fit.

JMoney

Hey Victor, I definitely want in. Let me know where and when to PayPal you. I'm thinking black, but would like to see both. Great work on a much needed solution for the paddles in the beast........

L8Apex

Sign me up!

vrus

Thanks everyone!! I am having another set made and will be shipped to me on Monday.. Once I receive them I will take some more high res pics and put them side-by-side with the MB Factory Aluminum paddles so you can get a good size/shape comparison.

--------------------------------------
Manjit, I could setup a recurring monthly invoice from Paypal for you to make it easier for you... That way every month some goodies will just arrive at your door.. It'll be like christmas every month.

Ahh Charles.. Its only money.. hahahaa... Tip: Get a separate CC that the wifey doesn't know about and just use that for mods.. Or I can put you on a recurring billing plan like Manjit up there.. LOL.

GOOD IDEA!!! I actually got an email from the manufacturer recommending the same thing to me.. He said the words "UP" and "DOWN" look better than just having the "+" and "-" etched. He sent me a sample pic but it was a little fuzzy and I didnt think there was any point in posting it.. I'll get a better pic showing the words and post it for you guys.

The main issue is getting everyone to agree on whether we use the +- or the words.

LOL.. I'm only gonna say one thing about this... What kind of car do I drive again??


Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated.

I can't take all the credit though.. I mainly quarterback the projects and provide input & direction. The guys that I team up with who do the manufacturing, engineering, etc. get all the props..

Sometimes you get lucky and find the right "partner" to do the work the first time and everything works great.. Other times you have to go through 3 or 4 people before you find the right fit and waste alot of money in the process.

I can say that through all of the stuff that I have been working on I've made alot of good relationships with different types of industries, so I've got a good list of suppliers & manufacturers that I can go to. Through working together they know what I like and don't like and the quality that I expect so it makes it easy when I bring a new project to them.. They know it's got to be a certain quality or I won't accept it.

The factory said they can pump out 100sets (200units) in 3 to 4 weeks and be ready to ship. As soon as I give the go-ahead, the clock starts ticking.

vrus

Hey Rafal,

Thanks! Much appreciated.

I wanted to reply to your post since you addressed a few good questions and I just received some updated information earlier this morning so I thought I would provide an update:

- Aluminum was actually discarded as the material of choice. Because of the weight, the reaction to heat & cold cycles, and for safety reasons because of the close proximity to the airbag, the material was changed to a composite, synthetic but they didnt go into specifics on the material used (that's a secret I guess).

- Because these paddles mount to the stock locations just like the buttons do, they are not screwed down and therefore maintaining a lighter weight was critical. The factory Aluminum paddles on the newer cars have a spot for a screw which holds it to the steering wheel securely..

- The lighter material provided a better response time when up/down shifting than using the heavier aluminum versions and the guy who tested these said the heavy aluminum ones became "tiring to use after extended periods of time".

- This material is resistant to the extreme heat and cold that our various climates provide us and will not warp or bend.

- I have an MP Design wheel just like yours in my car. Once I recieve the Black paddles next week I will take some pics and install them in my own car so everyone can see what they look like with the MP wheel..

Also, I have the VRM in my car so I want to verify that the VR stalk on the steering wheel provides enough clearance between itself and the thicker MP design steering wheel when those paddles are mounted.

I suspect that by Wedn or Thursday next week I'll a set in my hands.. I'll weigh them, take measurements, and provide as much detail pics as I can so everyone can get an up-close look at them before deciding if they are right for them.

Lastly, the Piano Black finish is the one that will be made first since that process is much easier. The aluminum look is more complicated to make and will take longer. I'll get more details soon and provide another update.

lkirchner

Victor,

Looks great. I'll take a set in either color. Can't wait to see the pics of both.

vrus

Thanks Lou! Will have pics posted by next week.

lbE55

Victor:

I'm in!

Mark.

DMC'S AMG

Hey Vic,

Very nice, I was just talking to one of the tool and process engineers @ work about this and he asked me to bring him a sample of the shifters and my stock buttons so he can just make a pop-out, pop-in replacement for the buttons and it looks like just what you have done I agree that the etching should be done like the original from factory, also just MHO don’t do a glossy black a flat or anodize black would look better and for the aluminum, polish the paddle itself and the recessed part of the etch leave it natural to create a 3D look. Again very nice!