The Founders Tear
Parts get proven on real cars first. These are the cars.
Most of what I build started because somebody asked for something that didn’t exist. The Founders Tear is the list of people I contact first when a new part is ready to be put on a real car.
Why I need testers
I could test all of this on my own car, and for a while that’s exactly what I did. Two problems with that. My car is getting customized far enough from stock that it stopped being a fair test of whether a part fits a normal Fiero. And I’ve had one apart enough times that nothing feels difficult to me anymore — I’m the worst person to judge whether an install is actually a pain. I need parts going onto ordinary cars, fitted by people who haven’t done it a hundred times.
What it is
You hear first
When something new is finished, you get the message before it goes on the site.
Founder pricing — 20% to 100% off
When a part goes out for testing I offer it at a discount. Where it lands between 20% and 100% off depends on what the part costs me to make and how much of my time goes into building it — a printed bracket and a full digital dash aren’t the same conversation. You’ll know the number before you agree to anything.
You shape it
If a bracket is awkward or the instructions don’t make sense, you’re the one who tells me before everyone else finds out.
You’re not stuck with a bad part
If you find something that needs changing, you get the changed version. Testing an early part shouldn’t leave you holding the one with the flaw in it — that’s mine to fix, not yours to live with.
What this isn’t
It’s a list of people I can come to when a part is ready for a real car — that’s all it is. Signing up doesn’t guarantee you’ll be picked, and it isn’t a promise of free or discounted parts. When something’s ready I choose from the list based on what’s being tested, what you drive, where you are, and when you actually drive it.
What I ask back
- A few photos of the parts on your car — day and night for anything that lights up.
- An honest account of the install. Especially the parts that annoyed you.
- A quick turnaround. Get your notes back to me within a couple of weeks of the part arriving. That’s the whole trade — you get it early and cheap, I get to fix it before it goes on sale. If feedback doesn’t come back, I’ll go to someone else next time.
- Patience. Early parts sometimes need a revision — and if yours does, you get the revised one.
What it costs
Nothing to join, ever. It’s a list, not a membership. Test parts themselves are discounted rather than automatically free — how much depends on the part. You’re still doing me the favor.
What I’m working on
Where every part on the list actually stands today. This page gets updated as things move — check back rather than filling the form in again.
On sale · 1
DRL / front turn signals
Buyable now as a pre-order. I’m looking for a couple of people to try different Apex mounting locations — testers on this one get a discount off the set, not a free one.
Testing now · 3
Aero turn covers
Design is done. Needs a test car.
RGB marker lights — front and rear
Out for testing. Can be ordered as a front and rear set. The front pair runs off the same Mini AP as your DRLs; the rear pair needs a rear Mini AP of its own.
Reusable belt line molding clips
Out for testing.
In R&D · 9
Pegasus Eye pop-up headlights
Prototypes built and working. Finalising fitment before I look for testers.
Reverse lights + rear RGB markers
Hardware is there. Needs the code written for the rear Mini AP, which runs both the reverse lights and the rear markers.
Apex Pegasus app and key fob
Coding in progress.
Apex Screen — full digital dash
3D design started.
Overhead console
Dome light, gauges and switch plate as one unit. Prototype built.
Dash face plates
Four versions in progress — main gauges, aux gauges, stock radio, double DIN.
Non-crushable coolant tubes
Working on the 3D renders.
Tail lights — notchback
Prototyping the housing. The plan is to build the Mini AP into the tail light itself, so the rear of the car runs without a separate controller box.
Under glow
Working out which LEDs give the right look at the right price.
Idea · 3
Tail lights — GT
On the list. Same idea as the notchback — Mini AP built into the light.
Apex Hub — HVAC, radio, aux gauge
On the list.
Air ride controller
On the list.
Already on the list?
Changed your mind about what you want to test, or got a different car since you signed up? Update your picks — no need to fill the whole thing in again.
Update my picks
Use the same email you signed up with so I can match it to your entry.