PT-1 Pedal Set - Discussion

Discussion in 'Hardware Building/Buying/Usage Advice' started by GTFREAK, Nov 18, 2013.

  1. whitmore

    whitmore Registered

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    Recently purchased these and so far can only say good things about the pedals and the service from Proto Simtech. I had quite a good time installing adjusting and calibrating. The how to videos are highly recommended befors starting adjustments.

    My rig is a Vision Racer3 so pedal placement took a little work but turned out beautifully. Photos of G27 pedals fitted before replacement.

    The pedals are everything I hoped they would be thankyou Proto Simtech
     
  2. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Awesome!! I'm so glad you are enjoying them! Setup looks great ;-)

    One small detail...

    The heel rest really wasn't meant to be raised up like that, and still be stable. I'm sure it probably works, but I just wanted to be sure that you knew that it wasn't designed to be in that position.

    With that said, if it's functioning how you like it, then I say enjoy it ;-)

    Thanks for sharing the pictures!
     
  3. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Hey guys,

    We've recently made some design changes to our pedal set, and I made a quick video that highlights these changes.

    Over time, our pedals will continue to evolve, but the overall design and functionality will remain the same. You may see some new additions to the pedal set after awhile, or you may see a completely different component then what we've used in the past. With that said, I assure you that they will function exactly the same as they always have ;-)

    Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the video!

     
  4. wgeuze

    wgeuze Registered

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    I really like how you continue to improve your design with cost effectiveness in mind.

    The new mounting plates don't look like they are flush with the bottom of the pedals anymore. Are you going
    to provide spacers to fill out this small gap? Have you tested overtightening the bolts on the mounting plates?
    It'd suck if they end up bent because of said gap when trying to mount the pedals securely .

    Some advice though though, be sure not to turn this into a Heusinkveld copy ;)
     
  5. Prodigy

    Prodigy Registered

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    Why is that?
     
  6. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    2 things....

    1) If you bend those tabs when bolting down the pedals, you're bolting them down waaaaay too hard. If you watched the video, you'll notice that the tabs don't even move when I use the pry bar to bend the bolt.

    2) We're going to provide you with spacers ;-) No worries, we got you covered ;-)
     
  7. wgeuze

    wgeuze Registered

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    Thanks for the info :)
     
  8. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Hey guys,

    I really wanted to do a video on this, but we're super busy with batch #4, and I just don't have the time at the moment. So, rather than risk springing this on you guys at the last minute, I wanted to fill you in on what's happening.

    Small Price Increase

    As some of you may have noticed, we've updated the price of our pedal set on the front page of our website to $439. This is a $20 price increase. This was done for a couple of reasons. Some of you may disagree with this price increase, and for some, this could be a deciding factor as to whether or not to buy this pedal set vs.a different set, and I can certainly understand that. With that said, and no matter how much I hate increasing our prices, I want to be sure that I've done my job of passing this info on to you.

    As we continue to grow, our operating costs grow as well. This is just the natural progression of any successful business. Normally, as more products are shipped out the door, the more money you make, and this can sometimes offset the increased costs of doing business. In our case, we haven't increased the number of products just yet, but we're getting there. With the recent changes made to our shop and the design of our pedals, this should help decrease batch times which, in turn, will get them into your hands quicker. That's the goal, anyway ;-)

    We're also having to deal with an increase in aluminum prices. The price of aluminum is out of our control, and as you know, our pedals are 90% aluminum. This means we have to pay for it, no matter what it costs. We've actually been dealing with this since we began production on batch #3, but we held off on the price increase as long as we possibly could.

    OK, so now that you've heard the bad news, let me try and give you a bit of good news.

    The good news is that we're really cookin with batch #4. Now, the last thing I want to do is jump the gun, so I'm not going to be giving out estimates. All I wanted to say was that the recent changes to the shop (and pedal design) have really helped. I've said this since the beginning, but as we continue to build these things, we find better ways of handling certain tasks. One small example is the way that we polish the springs for the clutch and throttle. The end result is the same, but the amount of work needed to achieve that result has been cut by more than half. Little things like that can really have a dramatic affect on production as a whole.

    At some point, we may decide to reduce the price of our pedals again, IF we can increase production by an amount that would make a price reduction feasible. I'd really like to be able to do that. I don't like increasing prices. I really don't. In fact, I hate it. But sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do, ya know?

    Anyhow, I know this post was long, but I just wanted to make sure you guys understood my position. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them, as always ;-)

    Chris
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2016
  9. wgeuze

    wgeuze Registered

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    You are right Chris, a decision has been made. I've opted out, thanks for your clear stream of information along the way :)
     
  10. Juergen-BY

    Juergen-BY Registered

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    Sure?

    View attachment 19092

    Well...as the price for aluminium comes more and more down since 1 year, it`s time to reduce the pedals price :p
     
  11. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Yes, I'm absolutely sure. The price per sheet from our supplier has gone up by over $150 since we started back in 2014. We've also checked other suppliers and have seen similar results. We've considered other suppliers, but most often they can be more expensive due to shipping costs. You see, it's not just the aluminum we're paying for ;-)

    Just to give you an example as far as costs are concerned, Ledford Steel Company today sells 4'x8' sheets of aluminum for $561 per sheet. Back in 2014 we paid $427 for the same sheets. When we purchased the aluminum for batch #4, we paid $584 per sheet, with other suppliers selling for similar prices.

    Also, your graph doesn't tell me much of anything. For example, what type of aluminum? 6061? 6063? 5005? 3003? 7075? 5052? 5086? 6101? All of these types of aluminum have very different costs because of the type of aluminum and how they're produced.

    The bottom line is, we're paying more for it than we did when we started, as I stated in my original post.
     
  12. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    You're very welcome, wgeuze. I try to keep you guys informed as much as possible.

    I can certainly understand your decision, and I'm sure a lot of others will make the same decision. Unfortunately, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.

    Gotta roll with the punches, I guess ;-)
     
  13. GTFREAK

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    Hey guys,

    I've created a really short "Update" video for you regarding batch #4. I am super excited for 2016, and I hope you are too!

    Enjoy!!

     
  14. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Hey guys,

    Assembly on batch #4 has officially begun! We'll try and keep you guys updated as much as possible, and maybe do a video or two on the assembly process.
     
  15. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Hey guys,

    I wanted to go ahead and announce the release date for batch #4. We're almost done with assembly, and we will be moving on to the testing phase very shortly. I want to thank all of you for being so patient with us. We're producing pedals a bit faster, but we still have some work to do. We'll get there ;-)

    [​IMG]
     
  16. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    ANNOUNCEMENT:

    We are going to be purging the waiting list soon. We will be sending out a mass email to everyone currently on the list. This email will ask you to confirm your spot on the list. If you do not respond to this email within 7 days, your name will be removed from the waiting list. This will provide our waiting list customers with better service overall by eliminating people that are not serious about buying pedals.

    New Waiting list customers:

    Once we purge the waiting list, we will be implementing a new policy for new customers wanting to place their name on the list. There will be a $20 non-refundable deposit required to place your name on the waiting list. This has several benefits. For example, the deposit ensures that only people that are serious about purchasing pedals will be allowed to join the list. This will also keep the waiting list short, ensuring that our customers can receive their pedal set in a timely manner.


    If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly, or ask your questions here. I will be happy to answer them.

    We strive to provide our customers with a high level of customer service. The current waiting list is filled with people that have no intention of purchasing a product from us. This makes it more difficult for those who are interested, and the long waiting list is turning customers away.

    We're trying to combat this problem, and we feel this solution best fits our customer's needs.

    Thank you,
     
  17. David O'Reilly

    David O'Reilly Registered

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    This is a great move for all concerned.
    The benefits to customers are clear as you have outlined.
    The benefits to you as a business are that you will know what your order book really is and can plan appropriately.
    The last thing we all need is to see you making big investments based on orders that are not real.

    In my view your deposit level is more than kind. 10% would have been quite suitable. I mean if you are serious and wont stump up 10% really?

    So well done, good move.
     
  18. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    Thank you. It's certainly a huge investment to create an entire batch of pedals on our own dime, only to have people on the list not care enough to at least opt-out so that others may have a shot.

    I try to be as generous as possible, and I always try to be as fair as possible. With that said, this is affecting my business, and I had to make a decision.
     
  19. Prodigy

    Prodigy Registered

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    Great move with deposit solution, it's a needed move in bussiness like this. That or payed preorder, but I think the reservation deposit is more suitable one.
     
  20. GTFREAK

    GTFREAK Registered

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    EDIT: Waiting list purge coming soon. If you're on the waiting list, and do not want a set of pedals, please opt-out. Your name will be automatically deleted in 7 days if you do not respond.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 11, 2016

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