i was really bored these 2 days.. figured i come on here and see what was going on.. some of this stuff was unbelieveably hilarious.. although there are some serious topics to address, over all, you guys really need to relax.. its a forum..
life is tough.. this here was entertainment.. as well as a source of information.. even the man himself replied to me... i feel so special..
i cant believe my thread on ttaps went on for 2 pages.. wow and the trans guy for 16 pages.. i bet he will never post anything here again.. lol
in the end.. our industry is in trouble, and has been for several years.. and for several years ive been hearing people (usually ones with money) reassure me things will get better, instead every year got worse. look around you, all different sectors have felt the same pain.. there is no need for panic.. but some sort of action combating some issues really should be launched.. with the web, the world has never seen times like we are in.. at the same rate, because of the web, there is the opportunity to educate each other on the real issues we are facing, and what possible solutions to implement.
for those that prefer to stay ignorant.. well, you are responsible for you.. the rest that really are genuinely concerned about the industry, its time to quit being bullheaded and come up with solutions that benefit everyone..
if my account is still active, i may stop in to harrass those not afraid to be harrassed.. if i offended anyone, it was all in fun. right now i have to focus on the same thing mr. 12volt did.. learning computer programming, primarily for web applications..
soon i will have a forum on other issues, im just not going to create such strict guidlines... in any debate, it is imperative people are able to express themselves without the police interefering like we are bunch of kids in preschool. And in debates, people may get offended.. however, like any debate, noone is forced to participate.
then again, you can have someone keep shining sunshine up your rear, i prefer the truth, only then can i make a rational and logical decision.
This forum is 99.9% drama free and maintains a fairly consistent serious discussion forumat. It is honestly unlike any other forum I've ever been on, and I like that about this place.
I agree that the industry is in trouble. OEMs are selling higher end audio systems from the factory, and remote starts are now coming factory installed. Many dealers stress to their customers to NOT add anything electronic to the car, unless it is done by the dealer.
On top of that, the market, in my oppinion, is over saturated with install shops. There simply isn't enough work to go to best buy, circuit city, hh greg, and the 3-4 ma and pa shops IN MY AREA. I can only imagine how many shops are in bigger markets. The average life for a ma and pa store around here is about 5 years. After they close down someone ALWAYS opens them back up.
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Kevin Pierson
being in the manufacturing end of our industry I have seen a big shift to retain as much of the OEM as possible. in order to keep up you have to be willing to change, and many shops just don't want to change.
plus profits are down, down, down. with the cost of wire and plastic going up the cost of the product goes up. If I was the owner of a newer GM product I would stick with my factory radio cause I couldn't afford the $99 cd player because the parts to install it would cost 2 times the radio price. crazy, crazy I tell you, just crazy.
It's EXACTLY the same over here, hell this year a medium level UK built Nissan, Focus/Golf-Jetta size went on sale with a factory radio combined with a 6 CD player and built in Bluetooth. The British (built in Spain or Germany) Focus has on the top models R/S, and an (Alpine Sourced? they supply Volvo Jag and Aston Martin as well as M/Benz,Rover Mini and BMW and Audi) touch screen Sat Nav with built in Bluetooth with of course the ability to control the phone from the screen. What says the Ford salesman, your phone doesn't have Bluetooth? Don't worry the car is pre-wired just tell me the make and model and for $50 d we will supply you with a hang-up cup that you clip into the centre console.
Take your basic (URGH) Kenwood CD tuner, $50? Add fascia kit (required more and more here) can interface or vehicle specific from peripheral and labour and it's nearer $300! How do you sell that.
No wonder this years UK big seller was Alpine/iPod.
Oh and forget alarms, light vans and Japanese imports which you can't insure without a Cat II immobiliser or Cat I alarm with immobiliser.
Personally I'm doing reversing aids, vehicle trackiong systems and HID headlight replacement.