My Rear Diffuser Project
 

Hey guys. I wanted to share my latest project. I've been wanting to make a diffuser for my car for a while now, and finally got around to doing it.

A couple pics of my initial cardboard mockup:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps97f90786.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...pse6dd3f00.jpg

SolidWorks model:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps95a9e532.png

I had a local fab shop cut/bend the sheet metal.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps4267c6af.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...pse9bfd4a3.jpg

Here they are assembled. Notice that you can barely see the rivets. They are proper solid rivets with a counter-sunk head, not pop rivets.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps81b2c7e0.jpg

Installed pics - I'll get some better ones soon.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps1dddb12a.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...pscfc3e35c.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps9c12e875.jpg

My co-worker has the other diffuser installed on his FR-S. I'm sure he'll post some pictures as well.

Looks clean

I like it better than all other custom diffusers! well done!

Yeah, I like it. Not nearly as funky and off-putting as the other custom ones.

This looks oddly familiar..... Oh Wait, I know! Its a direct ripoff of @Wonderbar V2 rear diffuser. :rolleyes:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58825 Wonderbar's Version 2 diffuser.

Didn't you post this like a couple weeks ago advertising the 2nd one you made for sale, only to have it deleted because you are not a vendor?

You serious Clark? The only think they have in common is the round outer edge. http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/driv...r-t2-1593.html

That and the exact same mounting points (The two screws on each side, the push Rivets on the trailing edge, and the bottom swaybar bolts), exactly the same mounting type for the rakes, the exact same bend in the plate, the exact same # and position of the rakes, and almost identical cut out for the exhaust as both Wonderbars diffusers (infact, I think that's identical to Wonderbars initial version).

This coupled with the fact that this same thread was up literally around a month ago trying to sell the 2nd one he made because he got a deal on two. Looks like he was successful in selling the second one. I've got no problem people borrowing idea's, but trying to profit off other peoples designs while trying to pass it off as your own is shady. Shady enough for his original post to be deleted.

Wow. Totally spot on knock off.

Good job!

The mounting tabs, the mounting holes, the exhaust cutout it identical, the bends are identical, the strakes are identical to my alternate strake...


C'mon dude.

I don't mind people copying, but when someone is trying to claim they did anything resembling the work to design it, it's kinda jacked up.

I've had people copy mine and credit the design to me, I haven't been mad. But to claim it as your own? That's retarded.

Looks like I'll be looking into a lawyer this week.

It's not custom. It's a stolen design.

Yeah it does! He stole the design for it.

Cool copy bro.

Loving my original Driveway Labs stuff.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Yerp, direct rip off.

I have the type 1, one day I'll probably make my own diffuser but you know what? It won't be a copy of the driveway labs. If you want his diffuser buy his, if you want your own build it but don't take business away from the innovator.

No offense but you're being pretty ignorant. Of course the mounting tabs and exhaust cutouts are going to be near identical. THEYRE FOR THE EXACT CAR.

Also, stole your design? That's like saying you stole the MOST BASIC way to make a diffuser. Look at most... It's going to be the same thing over and over again... Flat panel and some angled strakes.

Forget even taking business away. For sale or not, claiming this as an original design is the work of a real tosser

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

I'll give you that a basic diffuser on a BRZ/FRS will be very similar, but there are too many things just like teh Driveway Labs v2, to remotely call this "original". I had a design worked up, that was similar, but yet different. After talking with @Wonderbar , I decided his design was close enough to mine, that I have a DWL v2 on my car...the red car posted above.

I guess I missed the part where he said it's his own design. However, like another poster stated, isn't hard to not have the mounting tabs the same way because it's the same car with the same mounting points? I'm not taking sides, just playing devil's advocate.

Why can't he come up with his own way to mount it? The way I designed it was original. Not a single other diffuser I've seen for any car mounts like mine.

Just because it's for the same car doesn't mean anything. No one has copied borlas method of exhaust mounting.

It isn't hard.

If people complain about this but are okay with buying rotas, xxr's, drags, cosmos, etc... Well those people should die. Lol

I'm not sure there are enough differences for one to consider it a "custom" design. It sure appears to follow the basic design of the Driveway Labs Type 2, with alternate strakes. I agree that the diffusers will share some similarities because it's for the same car, but I think this guy would have better luck saying he was inspired by Driveway Labs design to some extent (mounting points etc).

Looks like a knockoff to me and I'm happy to support Driveway Labs and love my Type 1.

I am definitely not taking sides - hats off to Wonderbra for 'designing' his diffuser, and getting it commercialised by a site vendor, without him having to register (and pay) as a site vendor.

Having had designs patented in the past, though, despite the American litigation happy culture, I really do not see what a Lawyer could do for Wonderbra, apart from taking a lot of the money he has made from selling his diffuser through FT86 SpeedFactory. The level of fanboy support for Worderbra is admirable, but the reality is, anyone can copy his design exactly, and there is absolutely nothing he, or anyone else can do about it. If he wanted to patent any aspect of it, it should have been done before any form of public showing of the design, and it would have had to be proven that the aspects of the design patented were sufficiently unique to justify patent protection. A simple mounting bracket using a logical mounting point does not qualify as this, I am afraid.

Is this new one for sale, or was it copied for personal use?

I bought mine from him on Facebook.

And he serviced my needs better than i could have asked for.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-1_9-z9rbY"]Vanilla Ice denies ripping off Queen and David Bowie's Under Pressure - YouTube[/ame]

This is a true statement. Again, not taking sides. I've looked into designing my own diffuser, as well. Guess what? I've looked at DWL as well as every other vendor I can get picture access to for my R/D and product development. And though I've not put a single thing into production or design, I have a rather verbose data bank of diffusers that look just. like. yours. You're not inventing the wheel. You're redesigning it. And Yes, DWL looks like it is functional and looks nice quality. I do think it's great that it was picked up by one of our vendors, and there is a profit to be made. Welcome to fair-market business, Gents.

Either way, I think it's a great thing to see drivers fabrication of parts being done. I think it's great to see sharing of said designs and profits being made. and I am certainly going to think it's great to watch people troll other people just for shits and giggles. even if it's me. :popcorn:

Let's calm down. Yes, it is very similar to the driveway labs diffuser. I had originally intended to make it more complex, but decided that the extra expense/modifications to the car itself weren't worth it. Like some others have said, how much different can it really be?

Let's be honest, there is nothing special about a bent piece of sheet metal.

I'm not interested in getting in a pissing match on the internet so here is all I'll say.

Overall shape - this was dictated by the car itself. It extends as far back as possible without interfering with the suspension. On the sides it fits neatly between the two existing fins.

Fins - The number and placement wouldn't make sense any other way. Obviously, there are two fins on either end. The two in the middle line up with the faux diffuser on the rear bumper, and the other two are evenly spaced between. Why do it any other way?

Mounting - Yes, I used the same mounting points. Again, it's the same car with the same mounting options is it really that surprising that we are both using the easiest ones?

This isn't meant to be an attack on anyone, but there is nothing special/proprietary about a simple sheet metal diffuser.

He posted about selling one several weeks ago because the shop that cut it for him gave him a deal for getting two made. That post got deleted for, one can only assume, trying to sell a product without paying a vendor fee. It would appear he sold the second one to a coworker.

Nah dude, it's different. It's missing your company's logo decal. :lol:

If it's only for personal use, and he's not trying to make a profit off such a close copy, I'd let it slide, but it's definitely influenced by DWL v2.

I do like the solid rivets, but you'd never be able to mass produce them that way, especially hand built like DWL does.

So you managed to just happen to place two screw holes in the exact same spot, mount in the exact same fashion to the swaybar mounts, and utilize the push pin holes exactly like Wonderbars out of sheer coincidence. It also just happens that the exhaust cutout is exactly the same and the bends are, wait for it..., exactly the same.

Are you seriously trying to have us believe this is all just happenstance? No one would have any issues if you just gave credit where it was due. Instead you try to pass this off as your own idea when it is clear to just about anyone that you directly ripped off Wonderbars V2 diffuser and then sold it as your own design. That sir, is unacceptable.

Don't you think you are getting a bit emotional about it?

I was unaware of the recent advances in technology that enabled readers of text based communication to be aware of the emotional state of the writer. Please, do tell me where I can purchase this amazing product!

Please explain to me when calling a Thief out on his BS when he tries to defend his thievery became "getting emotional", especially when he's stolen from a well respected member of this community.

This whole thread is getting totally ridiculous :bellyroll:
So some one has made a diffuser for himself, which at the end of the day, may be a direct copy of what wonderbra came up with first - what is the big deal? Whilst all the fanboys are getting so high and mighty, perhaps someone can explain to my how come "Driveway Labs" can continually push a product, which he is making money on the forum without being a paid up vendor? Lots of other "well respected members of this community" have been banned for doing a lot less. It is admirable that you are so loyal to a fellow NC forum member, however I would hardly call the OP of this thread a thief - what has he actually stolen?

As far as your sarcasm about my comment, all I can say is, what ever floats your boat. :bonk:

It would be completely different if he just copied the design, made one only for himself, and claimed it was his. That would only make him a liar. Instead he sold a diffuser that he passed off as his own design which he clearly stole from someone else. That makes him a liar and a thief.

He was only selling one as he had two made up for cheaper.

If he needs be a vendor for selling the 1 item, pretty sure plenty of others would already be on this site.

Blown out of proportion don't you think? SBD is still here and pretty sure they sell more than 1 kit.

It just happened.
[ame]http://youtu.be/Wf8-FRnUHSA[/ame]

This thread is a bit ridiculous. I can appreciate both sides of the matter.

@Pitman I don't sell through the site; I don't have a single advertisement, if someone contacts me here, I take conversation off site. I very intentionally don't talk about any pricing or how to buy them from me. Ft86speedfactory is the one making sales through the forum. I am, in fact, dishing out a good chunk of money and a free diffuser for raffle in order to sponsor the 86expo, which is run by the forum. And I still won't advertise on the forum in any way that isn't sanctioned by the mods, whom I am in direct contact with usually weekly.

Thanks for trying to get me in trouble though. I'll even link @ichitaka05 so he knows I'm "illegally selling on the forum".

@ineedboost, bro, really I'm not mad, just give credit where credit is due. Out of the thousands of diffusers and ways to accomplish it; you chose to recreate mine. Thank you. That kinda makes me the Advan to your Rota. I don't suspect it needs to go any further between us, but I'll keep in touch. If you'd like to use the same powder coat also, let me know.

Maybe he can start a company and call it Lab Driveways!