It's good to be here!

[FrankRizzo]

Any source for US Atom info is a place I want to be. Looking to order one in the spring, and like all owners did in the "pre-order time", I'm obsessing over the option lists. What do I NEED, what can I do after the delivery cheaper, maybe at a later time, etc.

So, in general, it's great to have another information source!

[bolus]

welcome!

Now get your self an Atom and move back to Oregon!

[silver]

HI Frank, honestly what I learned is most of the things that you think should be cheaper to do after market aren't because they aren't off the shelf pieces..

for example, you might think....maybe i'll go cheap on suspension or brakes, until they tell you that it doesn't work because this or that has to be customized.....I'm making a fake example but just trying to help explain as I had exactly the same questions as well.

If you are fully capable of making your own custom parts then get this won't really affect you, but if you can't really make your own brackets or whatnot it's probably best to get everything through the factory up front.

one item which i think you mentioned on the other forum was the lights.

they totally suck, all of them, so if you can fabricate things yourself..............IF TMI will run the wiring (that's a big question) I'd do your own turn signals parking lights and headlights.

[bolus]

except power. Looks like the cost of the 175 HP upgrade is around $200,000.

[FrankRizzo]

Guys, I want to be in Oregon more than you'll ever know. (I wouldn't mind Vancouver Washington even).

Now, as for brake upgrades. I got an answer that the uprights will support either the PBRs, or the Wilwoods with only the addition of an "adapter plate". I think this is the "mounting holes here, to mounting holes there" kinda thing. If that's the case, and TMI doesn't want $1000 for them, it'll be much cheaper to get the base brakes, and buy the Wilwood parts after, and do it myself.

Yes, from everything that I've seen, the lights suck. As industrious a group as Atom owners tend to be (especially Darth and Bolus!), I'm surprised that no one has had lights custom fabbed up. It would seem to ME that if it was YOUR design, and you offered them as an after market product, you wouldn't get sued by TMI for it, and you might even be offering a decent service to those of us who aren't yet owners. (Yes, I understand the whole thing about tooling costs, and all the start-up money involved in doing it, but with the huge amount of after market stuff available in general, I'd think it wouldn't be too hard to find something that would almost work, and then just make it).

And lastly, power. I'm really all over the place on this topic. I have a friend who is very knowledgeable about Honda engines. He surmises that the 217 engine is just the stock K20, the 245 is the stock with a new ECU, and a tune, and the 300 is a supercharger, ECU, and tune. That being the case, I'm seriously considering getting my OWN stock engine, having him check it out, get my own ECU, and tune, and setting the table for the eventual Rotrex supercharger. (The guys that I run with in Oregon/Washington have: '08 M3, '08 Z06, and a '10 GT-R. I know I rule them in the weight department, but I think I'll eventually need that Rotrex.)

Now, all you folks in the Portland/Vancouver area. Know anyone that needs a good embedded Linux developer? I could use a job to get me back!

[bolus]

The problem with offering parts for sale is that there are only 140-150 some cars in the US. No one wants to invest the time for so few sales.

Like look what I did for the turn signal light housings. The ones that come with the car are crap. Cheep, easily breakable crap. I made my own design a while ago and make some fiberglass ones. recently had them reproduced in Carbon Fiber. It cost me around $500 for for the mold and first set and probably $200 when I made the originals myself buying fiberglass supplies. Im selling them at cost and they are still $320 for a set of 4 and have a couple of guys buying them. If I advertised them I'd probably sell maybe 20 sets world wide? totally not worth it



Several of us bought LED lights from the UK as replacements. They were £180.20 which at the time was $400. I didnt even get them on the car before hearing that the vibration in the Atom was destroying them all. $400 down the drain.

now they for sale for $600
http://www.mobilecentre.co.uk/ariel-ato ... p-155.html

Good aftermarket is going to suck for our cars. Custom is the way to go but soooo expensive.

[Terry Kennedy]

Several of us bought LED lights from the UK as replacements. They were £180.20 which at the time was $400. I didnt even get them on the car before hearing that the vibration in the Atom was destroying them all. $400 down the drain.

Actually, I engineered a solution for the problem with those. I've got about 15,000 miles on them now, and zero problems.

I should point out (in case Tim from Mobile Centre drops by) that I have no reason to think that the newer design has any sort of problem like this.

[bolus]

cool, I never did see that you fixed them. Did not mean to imply the newer versions would fail, just the cost comparison associated with doing stuff after the purchase as opposed to just getting the parts from TMI directly

[Terry Kennedy]

cool, I never did see that you fixed them.

That potting epoxy is handy - I also used it to waterproof my universal garage door opener, since it sits in the center console and gets very wet when it rains:





DIY here.