Steve, a year ago Billy was working on the bevel box modifications and had just started testing with Skullmog. The solution has evolved and it's now pretty much complete but he would like to deploy it on another vehicle before getting confirmed pricing. The 10 gear set batch will be the most economical as the machine cuts all 10 sets at once but he will be able to price up smaller quantities in due course. The modifications will be be bevel box and significantly cheaper than a new one from MMC and guaranteed to be quiet!!
He needs another bevel box to modify for the final sign off and we have been trying to get someone interested for some time. I've discussed it with both Chas and Craig but maybe the message didn't get through to you. If you have a box then, if it helps, I could pick it up from Finchingfield and get it to Billy in Welwyn. As I understand it he will modify it at cost and ask you to run it as much as possible and give feedback. Assuming all is well Billy will then be able to provide pricing.
Chris - my 'conversations' have been going on with Billy for over a year - If Billy had confirmed a cost to me after our last telephone discussion in April then I would have quite happily sent a BB to him - even the one that Skullmog borrowed to fit to his m3w whilst his was away being upgraded over a year ago..
Unfortunately the quoted ball park cost of £3k+ each BB was too high for me to commit to for a batch of 10 to be manufactured - I was happy to commit but just needed confirmed costings - but Billy has never responded.
So at least there is a solution out there which is great news for all noisy BB owners and hopefully Billy can get it to work at a confirmed price once people start contacting him directly which might persuade him its worthwhile (although having a single purchaser of 10x BB's might have made life easier for him?) as to looking into how to supply them as it will need to be on some sort of exchange basis.
