Instrument Panel Bezels: Interest Anyone?

[spduffee]

Good morning all,
A while back I started looking for replacements for my beat up beauty ring bezels, PN 0412487-3/-4. I was shocked (though, why should I be...) to find the cheapest price for this half-ounce piece of aluminum is $98 (Chaparral), average price $164. This nears the cost of an ounce of gold.
On another forum, the Int'l Cessna 120-140 Association, I found a gentleman posing the same question I am about to. I contacted him to find out if he had any luck, but none so far.
I have finally found an individual who lives between Indiana and Guam, who manufactures hard-to-find vintage parts for Aeronca Champs, J-3's, Cessna, etc. I asked him about this bezel, if it would be hard to make, how much it would cost, and so on. The parts are manufactured in Guam and in the Philippines, so made in the USA, for the most part.
The question is: How much interest in these bezels is there? How many 170 owners would like to replace their bezels, how many would one need and what is a fair price for them? I'm not selling anything here in The Hangar, just trying to get a pulse of how many of us could benefit from the production of these. If there is enough interest, I'll continue talks with him.
As I said, I approached him with my idea, for these bezels. Does anyone have another hard-to-find part that doesn't necessarily need to be PMA'd that would be a good candidate for production?

Pg 76 170A PM.jpg

[bagarre]

I think your per unit cost is going to be really high unless you can get an order of 100 or so.

The initial cost for the die will be a few hundred bucks, I'd guess.
The bezels have to be the most difficult trivial item on the plane to make

It might be easier to make a whole new floating panel cover and radius the 3 1/8th holes in a bit to make it look nicer.
Would be easier to read the instruments on the right side too (the bezel blocks half of my Tach and Altimeter)

I was lucky and was able to source the missing ones I needed.
ProTip: Even the ones with broken tabs are still usable. Most of mine are held on with a bead of silicon.

[blueldr]

It would be interesting to see something produced on Guam. When I was there, the only thing I ever saw produced was ways to finagle more federal money for coconut trees destroyed in WWII.

[bsdunek]

Dad took the bezels off back in the late 50's He hated the look. I would like to restore the panel with them, so I would certainly be interested in them if the price is not too bad. I guess I would need eight, as there is a DG where the original compass was. Keep us posted.