Help us choose our new Limited Production engine

Bernie,

Without trying to sound critical........ have you considered using just a TD head or the shorter insert head? In my opinion the taller top hat heads just don't look right. Don't get me wrong it's a real performer, it's what I had on my unlimited this last tach race, but from an aesthetics point of view they look funny. Kinda like a Texaco head on a Venom, or monster truck tires on a Miata.

Just my point of view, others may vary.

Out of those five I would have to go with three. I believe it offers the best contrast of colors compared to the rest of those engines.

Good luck with the engines!

Matt

Our favourite here is #4 but I guess we are not the ones that will be buying the beasts

cribbs74 wrote:Bernie,

Without trying to sound critical........ have you considered using just a TD head or the shorter insert head? In my opinion the taller top hat heads just don't look right. Don't get me wrong it's a real performer, it's what I had on my unlimited this last tach race, but from an aesthetics point of view they look funny. Kinda like a Texaco head on a Venom, or monster truck tires on a Miata.

Just my point of view, others may vary.

Have we considered it? Yes.

The issue with the TD head is that it cannot be anodized; hence the engine may not look very colour coordinated.

I guess we could use the 3-fin instead of the 5-fin head. I will try to Photoshop one together.

It may be that everyone loves the taller head. So don't kill yourself on my acct. I was just trying to think of a way to fit in new styling with a traditional look.

Ron

Sort of what the 3-fin head would look like and, no, the insert would not be red.

Looks good to me. Am I alone in this?

OK,
let me start this off with
thank you Bernie for all you have done for us
and me.

And yes,
I bought a blue bullet even though it really annoyed me to do so.
I wanted a blue engine I could afford to FLY.

I don't like the limited run idea at all
and I think it goes against everything
you and your business stands for.

This is something that your old buddy nicholX would do...

Limited is original COX stuff.

COX international breaks all limits
by suppling new parts and engines
and supplying the need for knock about flyable engines
NOT COLLECTORS ITEMS.

So if you were going to make limited run engines
you would base it on color? or colour for you?
and not performance?

Do you realize you are going to run out of colors????

So...

then you are just going to quit making engines?

There are other people that anodize things.

So now you have some limited runs of colors
and you want people to vote on the next one?

How about you supply all the engines and parts in all colors without limit

and let people vote with their dollars
or other currency you accept????

and please
no rainbow engines!!!!
every part a different color Eh?

Oh come on! There's nothing wrong with offering new collectable engines. He and Matt offer plenty of unlimited engines, why not put something out that's extra special.

so you want a blue engine for a blue plane

you wait for years

I actually asked Bernie to make blue parts years ago

and he said they would not sell,

true story.

So....

now I have a $150 plane hanging on the wall......

Thanks for your post and permit me to insert our answers below the relevant text.

OK,
let me start this off with thank you Bernie for all you have done for us and me.
And we thank you for your business.

And yes, I bought a blue bullet even though it really annoyed me to do so. I wanted a blue engine I could afford to FLY.
We are sorry that you were annoyed. Could you please expand as to the reason? Was it the fact the engine was labelled as LE? I would hope it was not the pricing as the "premium" was only about $8.

I don't like the limited run idea at all and I think it goes against everything you and your business stands for. This is something that your old buddy nicholX would do... Limited is original COX stuff.
The idea for LE engines actually originated from you, our customers and not us. After repeated encouragement, we finally made one. And then another because it was so popular. For the one being voted on, we have like over 40 reservations already, even though the design has not been finalized. I fully respect your standpoint but there are actually a number of buyers out there who want these engines. We are in no way implying that these engines will increase in value. We are simply saying that we are only making 100 of them.

COX international breaks all limits by suppling new parts and engines and supplying the need for knock about flyable engines NOT COLLECTORS ITEMS.

So if you were going to make limited run engines you would base it on color? or colour for you? and not performance?
Could be colour, could be performance or a combination of both.

Do you realize you are going to run out of colors????
With the colour spectrum available with today's anodizers it may be a long time before this happens.

So... then you are just going to quit making engines?
In the event we run out of colours we will stop making LE engines, yes. Please take into account that, so far, we have never manufactured a complete engine. We are still living off the core 35,000+ engines we purchased from Estes/Cox.

There are other people that anodize things.
Absolutely correct.

So now you have some limited runs of colors and you want people to vote on the next one?
That is correct but the colours will only be run after a decision has been made as to which ones.

How about you supply all the engines and parts in all colors without limit
Until recently, we had 42 engine models that were available in more-or-less unlimited supply. We recently retired 14 of those models. That currently leaves 28 models one can purchase without being limited to a small run.

and let people vote with their dollars or other currency you accept????
I believe that is already being done, courtesy of our over 7,000 customers world-wide.

and please no rainbow engines!!!! every part a different color Eh?
Now, that's a cool idea lol. I am thinking San Francisco as a major market for those and perhaps the same crowd that is currently buying our pink creations.

In parting please let me assure you that there is zero offense taken by your post - after all that is what a forum is for. A medium to express different viewpoints.

Again, thanks for your business and we still have (I think) 12 Blue Bullets left if you would like another one.

buzzallnight wrote:so you want a blue engine for a blue plane

you wait for years

I actually asked Bernie to make blue parts years ago

and he said they would not sell,

true story.

So....

now I have a $150 plane hanging on the wall......

Just for the record: Of all the coloured parts we have for sale the blue ones sell the least. We are a bit stumped by this but red, black, golden sell way better.

Only when assembled into a complete engine did they sell well. We don't know the reason as we expected blue to outsell all other colours. Perhaps it's because Cox did very little in blue?

Bernie, I really applaud what you have done to perpetuate the Cox Engine enthusiasts hobby.
Evidently, a number of people weren't interested in Cox stuff during what I call the "Betwixt and Between" period 6 or 7 years ago when Estes dropped out of the Cox business and before You and your company made a serious commitment to unearth the Cox inventory.
I remember visiting about 25 dead or dying hobby shops to find any spare Cox parts and engines.Most will remember trying just to score a Reed Valve overhaul kit on the auction site and if you were really fortunate you won one and it was under $15.00 !!!!!
Your company has made it possible to actually buy Cox engines and parts and with choices of styles and colors that Cox/Estes corporate could never have done.
I see the great value in having our own boutique custom engine shop so you can dream and build to your hearts content at reasonable prices. Do you want to have to depend on eBay for even the smallest part again? I know I don't !!
This effort of yours has breathed life into a fun hobby that was on serious life support !!
BTW, The Cox Engine Quarterly is beyond all expectations for quality and content....
My two cents worth........Steve....

66 Malibu wrote:Bernie, I really applaud what you have done to perpetuate the Cox Engine enthusiasts hobby.
Evidently, a number of people weren't interested in Cox stuff during what I call the "Betwixt and Between" period 6 or 7 years ago when Estes dropped out of the Cox business and before You and your company made a serious commitment to unearth the Cox inventory.
I remember visiting about 25 dead or dying hobby shops to find any spare Cox parts and engines.Most will remember trying just to score a Reed Valve overhaul kit on the auction site and if you were really fortunate you won one and it was under $15.00 !!!!!
Your company has made it possible to actually buy Cox engines and parts and with choices of styles and colors that Cox/Estes corporate could never have done.
I see the great value in having our own boutique custom engine shop so you can dream and build to your hearts content at reasonable prices. Do you want to have to depend on eBay for even the smallest part again? I know I don't !!
This effort of yours has breathed life into a fun hobby that was on serious life support !!
BTW, The Cox Engine Quarterly is beyond all expectations for quality and content....
My two cents worth........Steve....

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I remember those days, going from hobby shop to hobby shop, looking up hobby shops that are along the way when going somewhere on vacation and all that. Just finding a standard 325 head for $12 was a thrill. Then Estes started to sell SureStarts for $6.99, although it was cool to be able to get an entire engine for such a low price, in reality it was just a closeout sale. Thanks to Matt and Bernie for saving all those leftover parts from being scrapped and supplying the market with newly manufactured parts!

Ditto to Steve and Jacob's comments!

I shall not forget the days of making tank gaskets from card-stock, and swapping parts from one engine to another for lack of having a selection on hand. No problem now, thanks to these guys.

Bernie and Matt are also directly responsible for my getting a Paypal account and being dragged into the cyber world where, from the comfort of my coffee-stained desk, occasional orders of engines and parts help me keep my hobby funds at a manageable level !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I personally think that an engine should be offered of an appropriate color so as to be named: "One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater"...but that's just me....

Oh...I voted for 4, and also liked 5, but will probably have to have one of whatever hue is elected !

I'm old enought to know that song

It is interesting to see that, once the voting took place outside of forum members, the results went from one engine having over 1/2 the votes to now having 3 engines as possible contenders.

The amout of votes tripled since Friday PM due to our newsletter being mailed to over 1,800 subscribers.

Hopefully, there will be a distinct winner

Or, "the die has been cast" as Julius Caesar said.

151 people have voted and engine #3 won with 30% of the popular vote, followed by engine #5, with 25% of the vote.

We will proceed to get the parts anodized and engraved. The engine, contrary to the picture, will have:

3-fin instead of a 5-fin head
"Venom" style drive-plate
"Valentine" style spinner
Two stainless steel wrenches
Custom labelled box
OEM Cox sticker
Certificate of authenticity
Numbers 001 to 100 engraved on the crankcase

Priced @ $99.95 / limited to 100 engines

We will also make a change to the engraving that was on the "Xtreme" and Blue Bullet" engines. We will have the crankcases engraved pre-anodizing as well as make the numbers bigger and spaced more apart.

Dear Bernie,

88 & 99 reserve for me. These are numbers I bought EXtreme & Blue Bullet.
When your "terminator" available?
thanks

I think nothing wrong with "Limited Engine Runs"
No one guarranteed these LEs will fetch higher prices later.
Real collector does not collect the engines to sell them back, so it doesn't matter the price go higher or lower in future.
We collect it cause we like to have it and having the feeling of "I own one of the engines that only 100 exist in the world" is a plus point.
I also run some engines (not my LEs), there are tons of engine out there if you want to run, you can buy $10-15 used cox engine from ebay, & $25-50 NIB if you must run the new one.

Nothing wrong collecting engines, running engines. Everybody has right to do thing what they like:))

aungmyatoo wrote:Dear Bernie,

88 & 99 reserve for me. These are numbers I bought EXtreme & Blue Bullet.
When your "terminator" available?
thanks

Whoever bought a Blue Bullet automatically gets the Terminator reserved for at least 5 days after it is available and offered to the previous BB buyers.

Still on track to be available for sale on March 1.

Is "Terminator" out?

We should have the parts back from anodizing on Thursday; at which point we will assemble the prototype for pictures and advertising. We should also be able to start selling them on Thursday.

We have a large amount of reservations for those so we are looking forward to the launch