Hi Shannon,
It seems like the Lark is finally getting the attention it deserves from the vintage boat collectors. Unfortunately, the plastic emblems on most of these engines are in poor condition. For as old as these parts are - it is remarkable how they have stayed intact as well as they have.
OK now - I'm wondering what you think an obscene price for a mint-ish '57 Lark faceplate would be? This is not a trick question. I'm asking because I have been trying to get an idea of what people will pay for these parts. There are people who have reproduced similar parts as these, with a quality as good as OEM - NOS. I've written to Bob Sharpton about this & he is interested in the project. But it takes a lot of money to finance the tooling for a project. That cost must be borne out by sales of the reproduction parts after the run has been made. It costs about 10K to tool up for just 1 plastic part. Bob has the experience and his repro Mercury emblems are proof that he is the right person for the job. But the sales of the finished product need to be considered before anyone is going to risk 10 to 15 grand on tooling.
I need "real world" figures from
serious collectors on what the part would be worth to them. This is not a part that an average old boat lover is going to shell out for. This would be a highly specialized and expensive item. It is worth the effort though, as there were one of the most beautiful little outboars ever produced. Obviously, the more parts sold, the less expensive the part would be.
What do you think?
Thanks - Bruce