BTW, I have no plans to copy this kit, or even try to make by own, I just want to see how it works and have people discuss and address any possible issues they see with it before I purchase. Thats how things are usually presented on this board, very few people are actually willing to jump into a mod without seeing it first. I think with pics and an explanation, more kits would actually be sold

 

I trust that to be the case.

My apologies to the 'Driver Community for extending my idealistic babble.

 

In business, there is always the worry that someone will take intellectual property and make a profit from someone else's work without crediting the originator of the idea. This is what Patent and Copyright is designed to guard against.

If the idea or concept is good enough, a competing company should be willing to pay the originator something to use it in the manufacturing of their own product, or face possible legal action. A small company doing this 'under the wire' would likely be ignored (but not always as evidenced by legal action by Disney, Mattel, etc. for the use of Trademarked names by even a small pub in the middle of nowhere, Great Britain [recent case ]).

Large corporations like Coke don't begrudge other manufacturers of Cola, however their actual recipe is a closely guarded secret. They will tell you that the Trademark 'Coke®' is their most valuable asset as there will always be those that are willing to pay more for their product than generic Cola or even Pepsi because of some unique characteristics or quality of the product.

An individual painting Bugs Bunny, or Barbie on his/her car won't likely get prosecuted, however a business that is profiting from using a Trademarked Symbol likely would, and should face legal action.

Corporate Espionage and the stealing of ideas, etc. goes on all the time. While it may not be immoral, it is certainly unethical, however common the in business practices of some companies.

To put it in perspective, how would you feel if your College Professor took your term paper or thesis that you spent hours or years to do, posted it on the internet giving you no credit nor even telling you, or presented it as his own, and/or even sold it to others? It's different if he obtains permission from you, but here, Terry would like some compensation for his work, and deserves it. He will otherwise enjoy the feeling that he has helped fellow G35 drivers with something that he came up with.

It's likely that he cannot afford to protect himself through the Intellectual Property process, nor would the cost of doing same likely pay off, especially with a $40 mod. He should sell this idea to Stillen or one of the other companies that can spread the cost of developing and marketing this mod throughout their product line, and will likely farm the manufacture of same in the Far-East somewhere to maximize profit!

I've read this thread with great interest, even though I don't have a 6MT. If I had a 6MT, I would likely purchase one from him. No, I don't want to copy and sell his product, and if I did, I would contact him and compensate him as is only ethical in practice. My interests in this are in terms of engineering and examination of new ideas, and as an automotive enthusiast. I look forward to seeing a posted picture of this mod just to satisfy my own curiosity, but I know that others are waiting for this to save a few $$, and others possibly to make some quick $$$$.

 

Wow! . . . Ummmm, well said, Gord.

 

There are many imitation kits out there, many of which may never have been sold in the first place without the word-of-mouth and feedback of users of GroundingGear® Systems (many were skeptical including myself, many still are). Some (many) are even being sold at prices below my material costs, so I'm not sure where they're sourcing their supplies or the quality of the materials.

The problem is, many think that "a wire is just a wire", and anyone with just a little skill can put one of these things together for minimal cost. Easy way to save money, and for some a way to make a quick buck for what's become a relatively popular mod. Usually, most will feel the difference it makes, and will be happy regardless of the quality of the kit. Unfortunately, some will not, usually due to poor quality or design, and will mark this off as another disappointment (but will be willing to pay much more for other mods that are only for looks, sound, or bragging potential ). Others will try to maximize the potential for improvement this mod brings, and will spend a little more for a higher quality kit or system, and will appreciate the difference.

Those that remember how I started on the Hyper-Ground Monster Thread, I originally posted to encourage others to buy or make their own kits. It took me several days of research to make my first kit, and I based this on what was already out there. It also helped that I had access to a few Electrical Engineers to alleviate my own skepticism, and to bounce a few ideas off of. The story is on that thread, as is the story of how my Company was formed. What people don't realize is the tremendous amount of time and money that I spent when I started (and still do).

You'd actually be surprised at how little I actually make at this. If I didn't run this as an actual Corporation, and instead banged this out of my basement as others do for a year or two, I'd be making probably double or triple what I do as a legitimate business. Luckily, this is a hobby business for me, and as a therapist, I don't have to rely on it to pay the bills. My wife has asked me to quit this several times as it doesn't seem worth it to her (Mind you, she can't understand the time I spend on this forum either! )

The only reason I'm still competitive in this market is that I supply to some dealerships and other businesses. Some sales are to the many that have tried other kits or made their own, that changeover to mine with better results (Smile this brings to my face = Priceless ).

I constantly have to do R&D on other cars to satisfy the demand that the commercial market makes. It takes between 14 to 24 full hours (over several days or weeks) of work to develop a prototype System for a new application! The cost of that first System averages $1000 to $2000 in development prior to testing. The 2007 G35 System took even more! It takes a lot of sales to recoup that investment in time and money!

So though I still help out others doing their own kits as much as practical, I'm very protective of my Copyrighted Material and unique applications. I can't stop ppl posting pictures on the internet (I've posted some as well), but if a profit is being made on our (GroundingGear Ltd's) work, I will prosecute, if only to protect our assets. I can't provide tech support for other kits (liability issues), but if I could, I likely would, time permitting (I used to field many queries, until my lawyer nix'd this). I've even helped out Gyula Szita of Z-Xtreme, and sent several referrals his way! He was good enough to acknowledge my development of the wires over and above the original 6.

Yes, I encourage users of GroundingGear® Systems to help other enthusiasts out, if only to make sure that Hyper-Grounding doesn't get the rap as 'snake-oil'. Maybe some of the users of competitor's products will consider an authentic GroundingGear® System for their next car!

Sorry for hi-jacking this thread, but some mis-conceptions about the nature of business had to be clarified.

Unlike with the potential to upgrade, most will likely do Terry's mod and never contact him again, so repeat business is unlikely, so he won't make much on this. Perhaps it can be applied to different vehicles, so there may be some potential repeat sales.

Good luck with your product Terry! Based on what I've read, it's well worth the $40!

And kudos to those that are supporting you now. It sounds like many are hoping that this is one of those mods that they can rig up for themselves to bypass paying you $40, so I'm hoping that you make a bit for your time and effort in bringing this to the masses.

 

Once again, my issue is with questioning our integrity for posting pics, is that unethical? Of course stealings someone's idea for profit is unethical, but that isn't the issue. I just want to see pics. I have a pretty good idea of what this exact mod looks like already, just from looking at the clutch pedal assembly for 5 seconds, it consists of a either a longer rubber stopper, or some type of threaded spacer that stops the clutch pedal, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I still have yet to see anyone address the issues that could possibly come up, such as wether this mod increases clutch wear, since there isn't any info on how terry made sure the clutch wasn't still slightly engaged at the bottom of the shortened travel, or if someone already altered ther clutch pedal assemby by adusting the rod if this mod would still work(i think not). The secrecy behind this mod is not helping the community, but its terry's call on wether he wants to do so or not to make a buck instead.

 

Just let it go Red........ I did. I hear you loud and clear but if that's the way he wants the sale to go...... And if you think Coke doesn't know exactly what's in Pepsi..... I have some land for you in Florida.

 

Redlude97,

Perhaps, it's my fault. Please, allow me to explain. Included in Terry's kit was a note asking me not to post pics or disclose any info, which might give his kit away. And as such, I trust that anyone purchasing the kit after myself would abide by the same. Beyond a promise that I made to Terry, my own personal integrity prevents me from exposing his kit, as I hope would be the same for others. That is what I meant. If anything else was inferred, it would be my fault for not having had explained myself in a clearer fashion.

Considering the above and coupled with my own real disgust for the ongoing clutch pedal issue . . . After installing Terry's kit, I personally assigned a high value and benefit afforded on this kit. I could not believe the difference the kit made, as simple as it was.

Having realized the benefits, I simply wanted to make sure that Terry receives his just rewards. I would have paid my Infiniti dealership or a local garage much more monies for this fix, if it were available . . . And as I have mentioned, I have tried in the past to do as such with no success.

I understand your point of view. Now, perhaps, you may or may not have a better handle on what I meant to say, but did a poor job of doing so.

 

Everything is good now, I was just offended by the fact that my integrity would be questioned for posting pics of ANY mod that I did. I really don't think pics would hurt anything, if someone really wanted to make a copy, they would just order one so they could take exact measurements of the part etc. I'll leave it alone now though, but I still would like more info about how Terry was sure the clutch is no longer still in contact with the flywheel, even if just slighty. I've heard it reiterated plenty of times on this board and on my350z that the clutch needs to be fully depressed when shifting to prevent clutch/flywheel wear. This mod would prevent such from happening possibly. Can anyone answer this? I'm not willing to sacrifice clutch life for this mod, as I've learned to deal with the high clutch to some extent, but this surely would make it easier overall

 

kinda along the same lines, does this kit offer any adjustability? all cars are different and some might need more aggressive spacing than others.

 

The threaded rod at the clevis allows for a small amount of adjustability. +/- 1/2 turn on the theaded rod causes a significant change.

 

I've agreed with you redlude97 since the first post and I'm pretty sure i have an idea of what is being sold too.

Been reading up on this too and just sitting here waiting for someone to say they're sure the clutch and flywheel is fully disengaged while the pedal is fully depressed. Not everyone in here is mechanically inclined and doesn't understand the physical aspects of the clutch.

I would buy this mod just because the person invented took many many trial and error to dial in right measurement/specs/thickness on this mod.
I guess I'm just waiting for the long-term results.

 

I might have to get this myself, I too really dislike the long pedal travel. Thanks Andy =)

 

Terry was kind enough to let me drive his G. I only have good things to say about his product

I have always complained about the issue of high engagement; with this mod, it practically feels like a completely different clutch; a good thing.

1+ to Terry and his product

.

 

Henry, is that you?