it appears he's been really good at updating the very first post with that information.

but still awaiting a response as to whether any of us are going to have these things "in-hand" before MOTD!?

 

Can you provide a firm commit on schedule? I signed up reasonably early and paid my deposit. But, I want to move on and install.

Starting to think again about other products that I can get in a few days, and I don't know if the Helix product wait is still weeks, or months. The discount is nice, but it's not worth extended delay for me, particularly since I already have reason to remove the bumper soon and would rather just do it once.

 

It is interesting that we don't even have 20+ paid deposits and there are those who already want to bail because things are taking too long. Is the savings not worth the wait? Have you not followed past group buys? These take time because a lot of people take their time to commit. I would guess that Helix will wait till they have more than 20 paid deposits before making the production run. Yes, I expect that these are not just sitting on the shelf. They will be made in a batch that is cheaper to make in quantity which is the reason for the group buy. Maybe if those who have signed up and have not yet committed with a deposit would actually commit with money, then maybe Helix will start moving. In the mean time all of us who have paid our deposit are now waiting for others to make their deposits. The sooner that happens the sooner we our intercoolers.

 

After speaking with the folks at Helix today, it seems that it will take 8 to 10 weeks to get the intercoolers into their shop after they place the order. So, hurry up already and make those deposits people!!!

 

Please, I would prefer a response from Helix/Ralph on this. I am not aware that I said I was "bailing," but since I guess it was my post that was alluded to, maybe someone could enlighten me. Alternatively, please consider going a bit easier. I can also see an undercurrent of posts in the past several days stsarting to ask the same sort of question. If you flip back through the posts back onto page 1, you will find mine committing comfortably over two weeks ago, and then paying my deposit without delay upon request either. I believe in playing by rules. But I also believe in communicating. Hence I asked directly.

Let me lay out more specifically, first as to some "bailing" notion. Sorry to disapppoint, but yes things actually do change in the world in which I live and drive. In fact, the front of the car got hit by a piece of road trash at night. Cracked a piece of the bumper surrounding the drivers side fog light, and the fog light itself. I can R & R the bumper fog surround without dismantling the bumper further, but the fog light cannot be accessed sufficiently from the rear without removing the windshield washer reservoir. Removing that doesn't look easy either, and the one post about pushing it aside I located doesn't sound convincing. But, I will try once I have the fog light in hand. But assuming I need to pull the bumper skin, do I want to do that twice--once for the fog light and once weeks or months later, against an unknown FMIC delivery time I asked about? If weeks I'll wait, if months does that make sense?

Since the economics came up, I'll spell those out I guess too. First of all, other than I am confident in most any normal mechanical, body or similar car job, if I were having an FMIC installed at a shop, the labor would exceed the discount. Thus, if I installed the intercooler at full price from someone else at the same time as the fog light, I would have an FMIC almost immediately and pay no more overall just by saving an additional round of bumper skin removal labor. Then, as a DIY'er, I'm not sure I relish that either, nor twice. I see the posts basically saying piece of cake, but then I see the posts that typically point to the Alta instructions (including by competitors...). Well, having practiced the first few steps and looking things over pretty carefully since I had the headlight out the other day to look at the fog light better, pretty early on I found those instructions so-so; the step about stripping the lower chrome molding on the upper grill to be specific. Looks to me if not done right, that could easily result in some broken mounting points. Since plastic breaks not infrequently in these sorts of tabs/mounting points, again do I want to do it twice and with a set of instructions that I had some questions about?

As to the economics and group buys, yes I have read the board and followed along of course, and have the necessary knowledge. I am 30 years plus into mods, back to re jetting Solexes, 32/36 Webers, changing metering jets on 4 barrel Carter AFB's [American iron] and altering fuel pressure on gen 1 (circa 1974) CIS. Truth be told--and I can guess Alta is (or should be as a smart competitor) reading this group buy thread too--in the end I couldn't really distinguish the Alta product from the Helix product in a way that really seemed to matter. Both make decent performance arguments in their favor; I can't find an objective head to head so far. Yes, Alta's requires a little concealed bumper fab, but am I kidding anyone that slapping on an FMIC is going to go unnoticed, let alone various other mods most buyers likely have? I own my cars for the long haul anyway. Yeah I like that Helix fills in that part under the radiator where the factory one sits with more intercooler area, but Alta's is full coverage on the available opening. I would probably have given the nod to Alta there a while back, but Helix's extending the row count/vertical sizing was good and got my attention. Net, honestly, to me it is about a wash product wise--both very able that is--until someone does a convincing bake off backed up by dyno and real world testing.

Thus to the discount. All great, but no I'm not really interested in waiting months if that is the true end result and there are other options. Well, having bought from Alta and seeing their blurbs any time I look at the AccessPort stuff, it quickly becomes obvious they run sales not infrequently; not on AP though to be clear. I think some of their stuff is overpriced, but the FMIC seems in the zone for the three (?) high end serious units. They ran the most recent sale, at least that I saw, at year end. Their historical web pages are not particularly difficult to scroll through, and likewise I can see Valentines Day as a likely upcoming one, then maybe Easter, 4th of July, and others. Pick a sale percentage in the 15-20% range and there you have the general ballpark of group buy type net pricing, but for product apparently available pronto. Close enough for me anyway with a hurt bumper and foglight needing TLC already. So, if I read the prior Alta history and look at my calendar, I think in about three weeks I can access the likely next window a similar price for an available product that I can't honestly clearly differentiate (beyond physical shape), having tried pretty diligently. And again, I put my confirmation and my deposit down on Helix quickly, and have bought good product from Alta.

So that's how I call the competitive marketplace and match it against what I am looking for and my well founded timing and install reasons and situation. I would love to have the Helix product still.

Helix/Ralph again your information I first asked for above is what I am looking for. Feel free to e mail if you prefer since you have that.

 

I agree with masavacool on getting your deposit in to get this production started. I called Helix before placing my order about an APPROXIMATE time frame thereby knowing it would take a while and it wouldn't be an overnight occurance. Researching before committing always helps. It's great to catch items on sale but the unexpected will and does happen at times. Actually, removing a bumper is a breeze even for a novice like me. Believe me I know and it seemed intimidating as all get out after reading the directions but turned out to be a good learning experience. I'm sticking with Helix regardless of waiting time is solely my decision (since it's my money lol) just as anyone else can spend theirs on whatever they desire. But wait, isn't the 75 dollars deposit non-refundable???? So does that mean if I decided to leave the group buy (already a savings) and lose my 75 dollars deposit hhhmmmmmm....

 

Ok, yes I took your post as an indication that you were thinking of bailing...maybe that was wrong. But the rest of us are waiting for others to do what you did - sign up early and pay the deposit so Helix can get going. So when your post came up saying that you were starting to think of other products that you could get in a few days, I took that, selfishly, with disappointment as it would take another to sign up and commit if you did pull out. Even though I have read the past threads for Helix group buys and gather from those this was going to be a long process, I and many others are anxious for Helix to get going and someone pulling out would set that back. Again, selfish, but I think, understandable.

Sorry to hear about you having car problems and understand the timing thing. No point in doing things twice and better yet if you can get someone else to do it for "free" or for only a little extra. It's understandable that you are looking for other options

 

Sorry for the delay with responses! Just had a major snow storm that kept us occupied for a couple days

Trying to answer everyone's questions and if I missed anyone please let me know.


No issues! The intercooler is sandwiched between the radiator and bumper for a "snug" fit. We have not had any fitment issues with street or track cars the last couple of years


I keep the updated list on the first page to help cut down on clutter. Currently we are at 17 people who have paid deposits.



Sorry to hear about your car. It's still too early to give any firm ETA. We are also doing a group buy on bmws and will be running our group buys for several more weeks to allow everyone enough time to participate. Once we close the group buy and start production we are typically looking at 8-10 weeks as some have already mentioned. Our past group buys take some time but I'm sure you will be pleased. Everyone has always been happy with our intercooler - fitment and performance

 

Change your method of payment for Canadian customers, and you'll have one more order to add

 

I doubt that anyone here doubting the performance of the intercooler. But you could certainly aid in your own cause by simply stating the "Drop-dead" sign-up date, instead of waiting for interest to drop-off. I think you'd have better responses in the future if your "group buys", weren't so open-ended leaving people frustrated and waiting on other people to pony up. (Or waiting for you guys to have a "warm-n-fuzzy" feeling for yourselves, that everyone is being catered to.)

Is it always an 8 - 10 week wait for an intercooler? Do you have each one custom built for every customer? Or do you keep a small inventory (one or two on hand) for people to have installed on a whim?

[/Rant] Standing by for close of group-buy, build of intercoolers, and delivery for installation.

 

I think I'm going to jump on this pm me with how to drop a deposit..

 

read the first post

 

My bad I'm messaging from my phone, I'll do it when I get on my comp.

 

19 paid deposits...

 

Im paying tomorrow wish they would have just posted a paypal email address..

 

Sent the info to Ralph.. Should be on the list tomorrow.

 

Fantasic

 

I wonder how the BMW side of the group buy's going? Looks like the MINI's side has it's twenty.....

 

24. Dsc201knoc - paid deposit

Got my receipt today.

 

According to this site - http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=468059&page=5

Seems like the BMW side has got a lot of sign-ups but only a few deposits. I'm not hating at all, but you'd think the Beemer owners would be able to afford the $75. I guess the MINI owners are just more motivated to get their mods quick. Maybe the Dragon has a lot to do with that. Go MINI

 

I am a big e90post user, the problem with the BMW guys is a lot of them will only commit to buying something if one of the "moderators" give it the thumbs up of approval. The fact that one of the main moderators also installs and sells products sometimes gives a product a slow pick up depending on the seller and what that specific moderator feels about them. I knew about Helix because of my BMW days, I also know how it is selling items on e90post as a vendor. I am too busy now to be dealing with the selling headaches on that website.

 

It should fit R55 Mini clubman s correct? Also how much shipping to zipcode 91748?

 

Yes out intercooler fits the clubman as well. pm sent on shipping quote

 

Sign me up! I will call Monday regarding down payment.

 

Yeah Baby...Keep em coming!!!!