K-TEK - KUSTOMCITY NEWSLETTER

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Sale Date Countdown for the 2008 Series 3 EVO GT DRAG BUS: On Sale Sat. JAN 26th, 9:00 A.M. P.S.T.

Direct from Southern China:

First and foremost, I hope you all are having a great 2008! It's been pretty hectic during the last month, thus the delay in updates. And 2008 will most likely be even busier. If all goes accordingly, there will be some new licensed DCDesigns (graphics wise), I'll be doing with a some newer diecast manufacturers. One of them have really got some cool innovative ideas & designs never seen before and their quality is truly top notch. The samples have been finished and the artwork looks very sharp! I'll fill you guys in personally on the details when the time permits.

Now, of course, onto the debut "Sneaks" of the 2008

Series 3 of the EVO GT Drag Bus! The "Flamin' Hot Series" will be on sale Saturday, January 26th at 9AM, Pacific time. We've implemented some safeguards and upgrades with our site tech again and hopefully we won't have another site melt down (crash!.) as we had with our last sale. Remember guys, if the pages are loading slow, never hit that purchase button more than once. It's like a huge bottleneck of orders trying to finalize/complete, so every time you click, it will most likely register and you will get charged again.

Series 3 will sport some killer new shoes, I named it the KC Torque. Our factory calls it, wheel #4 (lol). My engineer and I work very closely, side-by-side on all our stuff and this wheel I feel is exceptional! The paint selections are kandy colors that we formulated and tested to work with, or be compatible with the tampo inks that are involved with our line is really gorgeous! Brilliant hues of a bluish-teal and apple-green, both with a silky pearl-white combination really jumps out at you! I sometimes wonder if this series should've been called the "As If Series" because it truly looks "As If" I personally painted these myself, lol.

Here's a 'lil tidbit. Do you remember our first release at the end of 2006, the first issue DC02 kandy blue (EVO SS Version)? I mentioned the colors has to be tested with the tampos is because there's this rare occurrence called paint migration and in this case, the entire run of over 1000 units had to be scrapped of the blue DC02. Now that's our commitment to quality! Paint migration is when after doing an age test (which essentially is putting a product in a controlled heated device), the liquid colors (kandy) migrates into the tampo and causing the colors to look dull. This starts happening usually about 3-6 months down the line if it occurs.

Onto Series 3 Sneaks - The Flamin' Hot Series of the KustomCity® EVO GT Drag Bus. We'll have more pics soon on our sites soon and a following email from K-Tek. After 2 additional product cost increase for us in the last 4 months, our price will still be only $34.95 per unit. I really don't need to say you really do get a lot here for that price. Real "Limited Edition" numbers and never leave out the quality on these babies and the meticulous quality artwork involved along with that awesome precision roll. Truly the complete package. I hope the pics speak for themselves.:

FACTORY PRODUCTION: 984 UNITS PRODUCED

Product Ref: FLAMIN'HOT1A-984

KC Paint Specs: Two-Tone Mask

Colors: Liquid Kandy Green (Top)

Colors: Snow White Pearl (Bot)

Wheels: New Style KC Torque 5sp

Tires: Redline Stripe Rubber

Windows: Smoke Clear Tint

Product Ref: FLAMIN'HOT2A-984

KC Paint Specs: Two-Tone Mask

Colors: Liquid Kandy Blue/Teal (Top)

Colors: Snow White Pearl (Bot)

Wheels: New Style KC Torque 5sp

Tires: Redline Stripe Rubber

Windows: Smoke Clear Tint

SPECIAL K's CHASE - FACTORY PRODUCTION: 192 UNITS PRODUCED

More Blog & News: Chinese New Year is fast approaching here in China. It officially starts Feb 1st. I'll be here to finish up the endless amount of work on my plate. The new year is when most every worker goes back to their home town to visit their families. Some requires a few days ride on trains to get there. It's usually about 2 weeks and the majority of the factories here close down during that time. Recently we had a grand opening of new offices at our factory, we celebrated with the usual Chinese fashion of firecrackers. Man, I love this place, it's like 50 feet of M-80's going off with a big bang at the top. You can here these opening events going off all the time, even at 2am in the morning!

Afterwards we'd snack on Arnold (the roast pig). "It tastes like chicken" hehe. Check out the pic, I know it might freak some of you out (no, not talking' about the man hands touching, lol! kinda like that Seinfeld episode) But the entire head of the piggy included which is not unusual at all here. I have a pic of me French kissing the pig but I really think that'd be inappropriate here and not to mention -yuck! The luncheon later was more fulfilling. I'm a sucker for shellfish -yumm!

A little peak in my office here is bare still but that'll change in time. we

did put up a wall of our product and a few pre-pro samples. One of my

click to enlarge

associates was lining up the wall when I noticed a few test shots I've never seen before. Fully riveted with different colors and wheels. Love seeing these off-colors because it gives me a visual and future ideas. Really cool! I'd show you but I'd have to kill you afterwards *j/k lol. We've also set up a special assembly room on our floor right down from my office, to assemble all our cars and pad print and another room for future product development. This I like! I can inspect the production at any time since it's right down the hall. Of course the paint and other part of the production is done elsewhere in another building.


Speaking of paint and the "lead paint issue," our product and our company have never used any just to let you all know. In my opinion it was overly-hyped-out. Not factual, but I've been told that you'd had to scratch with your front teeth enough paint to consume in order

to get ill. I remember lead everywhere growing up and even got poked with a lead pencil many times messing around in school (I think this was in college-lol.) I didn't get sick but can't speak for the rare few that might. It's just the US has a higher standard and requirements these days, which isn't bad.

But to continue with the lead issue, since I've been in China long before the scare, did you know that all paints used must be non-toxic? This is difficult since I'm particular attracted to brilliant colors such as top automotive paint brands in the states. The lead paint issue and new requirements for all "better" factories is very costly to all of us. Consider not only do we have to test for lead, but a whole sleuth of elements that are considered harmful. You can't imagine the list that are tested, not to mention random testing at the port, and independent testing in the States! In this part of town, I've been told over 80% of diecast factories have shut down, filed bankruptcy or just closed shop and left town. It's really getting tougher here to do business, increase material costs, higher labor wages, and the testing means prices will never go down unless you seem them on clearance bins!

We here are fortunate and blessed to have all of you participating and interested in our product. For that, I personally say Thank You to all! Talk to you all soon, if not see you at this Saturday's Sale over at K-Tek. And a special thanks to all for the wonderful emails and for spreading the word!

Dave Chang

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K-TEK High-End Collectibles	KUSTOMCITY DESIGNS

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