I guess very few people here understand that this happens every day in a lot of everyday products that we buy and don't realize it.

I'm a product design engineer. I know what it feels like to have a product re-designed and produced. This situation as I see it is a bit different.

1. RB was very innovative and came out with a billet hinge to market. First one to do this.

2. Fesler made a billet hinge after RB, but re-engineered, the base, the arms, and the shock position, allows hood to open more. Takes less material to make and easier to mass produce. At this point it's not considered a knock-off in any respect.

3. RB copied the Fesler design and changed their current design. Considered a knock off.

4. Fesler comes out with a similar air-frame design. Considered a knock-off.

5. RB upset and makes it public.

This is a "pot calling the kettle black" situation.

Buy whatever product you want. If Quality is important buy the one that offers that. If price is more important buy that one. Don't buy based on which company you think has better morals and integrity cause both companies have done it to each other.

Yes exactly !

For those who don't see the value of this thread, if the value is just steering potential buyers to the design originators. Hopefully that will help them recoup some of their R&D costs and continue to create new products.
Franky if you thinks its OK to allow every Joe blow in the world to scan in a product and spit out a clone then change a few minor details for "improvements". You don't get the problem and you never will.

I better Triple sow cow off the soap box i got work to do :cheers:

Hopefully when I am done somebody wont steal my hard work and sell it cheaper.

It just keeps going and going and going..........

This has gotten beyond stupid.

Too many opinions, not everyone is going to agree with one side or the other.

The only thing I see this thread doing at this point is making this site look like a b!*¢@ fest and vendor bash.

Buy parts where you want. Its a free market.

Just like the rest of this thread, this post is going to accomplish nothing.

Can the mods lock this thing....please?

i hear Wal-Mart is going to be selling hood hinges ... All you are going to be out of business !!!

I ponied up on my previous Camaro for the RB hinges, and while very nice, was disappointed in the lack of open hood clearance, but I still have an impartial view of this (some posting do not) and it is very clear to me by reading this thread that Bob (96z28ss) is the only one, or one of few, who has done solid direct research and presented his argument clearly. Everyone else is speaking with little to no no authority, expertise, or even basic knowledge of the subject matter and just supporting who they "like". And that clutters this all up.

And this absolutely should be handled behind doors or in the private IMO. Oh well.

Interesting...

So not to toss any salt on wounds can anyone tell me what is wrong with eddie motorsport hinges, I mean they are a cpl bills cheaper priced... did they knock off designs? I notice their pistons are mounted differently than the other co's.

People buy knock off's cause they are trying to spread the cash as far as they can so if they can save a cpl dollars on item X then can put that toward item A, etc... the avg. consumer could give a hill a beans about R&D and look at it as the cost of doing business.

You can guaranty more than a few people who are strong RB supporters have looked the Fesler version over and one of the key things they reviewed is the price tag.

Not trying to piss anyone off just putting the avg. joe on a budget opinion out there. I looked at all of the various billet hinges when making my shopping list and did the q&a research with people who have them all and not once was I concerned about who copied who. I was interested in quality of the piece, did it function as desired, and how was the customer service, and cost.

I agree, I think it should not be locked but completely deleted, then again thats just my opinion and we all know what those are like. :cheers:

I agree, deleted is better. To have this thread continue does nothing good for this site, the vendors or anyone else.

I think all the bashing on this site is ruining this place. I understand people get screwed and other people sell junk. But that has happened for years and will always happen. Just like in print you cannot trust what someone says on the internet fully. At the end of the day there is 3 sides to every story and we will never ever know the truth.


As soon as you let one person bash then everyone thinks their story has a right.

Dead and buried maybe??

I love the way the mods manage this site, but I would have to agree with BowTie67, 70rs and Ironworks. There are 3 sides to every story and this thread would be better off deleted and pretend that it never happened. It is somewhat damaging to all involved.

As I said as well! It's one thing when customers are looking for some help, I guess. Vendors should use different channels to resolve issues.

:beathorse (Had to pull it out!)

Dang Greg, now that's rough regardless what "Freaking Universe" you live in, LOL. :_paranoid

for now it's closed and I'll leave it up to the boss whether it's removed.

Lock the thread and lets move on.
It shouldn't be deleted cause we come here looking for information. This might be helpfull later during someones searches.