I think this weekend I'm going to put a real carnuba wax on my corvette. Its been at least 2 years since I've used it.
Above 1200 Sq/FT DFB's Garage
- Thread starter D.F.B
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
I wanted the original Grit Guard ones, they are made of thicker plastic and have better wheels. Back when I was shopping for them, they weren't available on Amazon.
Story of my life, I see something I want, go out of my way to get the impossible, then a year later they arrive down under.
This touches on another topic of suppliers being too conservative. These bucket dollies are just one example. Why someone doesn't take a punt on offering these Grit Guard bucket dollies in a range of colours, not crappy Chinese-made ones in black, as well as the wheel upgrades. But no, they all play it safe and then wonder why everyone goes to Amazon or importing directly from other countries.
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kitdoctor
Well-known member
Mine too, I have had many similar experiences. We're pioneers!
You would think they'd get it. After all, we're shopping at specialised suppliers of detailing products, not at Bunnings.
I have just brought in some nice Japanese KTC plastic trim removal tools, German Hazet tools, Japanese Engineer items etc. Not everyone wants the in-house brands from Repco and Supercheap.
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Absolutely!
Most of my inspiration comes from what I see on Youtube channels coming out of the USA. This might not be obvious, but that's mainly because the US style of detailing and product preferences is closer to Australian tastes and requirements than those from the UK and Europe. That's mainly due to climatic conditions and method differences.
So I see something being used in a Video today, go looking for it locally, crickets. It then takes months and years for said item to land in Australia, if at all. I can't be the only one who runs up against this. You either wait it out indefinitely, or jump through hoops trying to get shipping to Australia at highly inflated rates.
I know the detailing bubble is a minority, but come on, if your business is to fill a need, you should be keeping on top of what's happening in the biggest detailing market in the world. I also know its hard to follow through with that sort of thing, let alone warehousing it all. But then you have these companies selling 15 different detailing brands with overlapping product lineups. But then they leave segments untapped, ******* away an income source. Or, they sell a cheap Chinese knock off instead.............I want the real thing.
Tactile
Well-known member
Try importing something yourself in bulk...you will have your answer.
Speaking with an insider, container shipping costs during and post Covid went through the roof, like 3 to 5 times more expensive on an already 4 or 5 figure prices. This was especially so on products coming from the USA, less so on the high end Korean branded stuff from Carpro and Gyeon. It's also why a $10 USD bottle of Adam's soap ended up being $35 AUD. It's even worse on the larger gallon sized product, Adam's Tire & Rubber Cleaner went from $45 USA to $180 AUD. Or Armour Panel Prep $50 USD to $130 AUD.
Naturally, there is a currency conversion and taxes to contend with, but the rest is freight.
kitdoctor
Well-known member
I hear ya!
Often I find I need to fill a need for something quickly and, if I can foresee a need for more than one of the items I'm chasing, I'll typically go to a reliable source first, then eventually I'll do the research and consider buying a better, higher quality, extra features, just different etc. second item.
However, again the hoops and hurdles quickly appear.
Case in point was a mechanic's chair. First up, I went to Hare & Forbes, who've recently started carrying some nicer, higher quality ones.
I went with the DMRS-600-BR. It comes in black leather with yellow stitching. You can also get this without the backrest. At the moment these are on special for AUD165 but the normal price is AUD198.
Of course, if you know your mechanics chairs, then Vyper Industrial offer premium products.
Something similar to the H & F chair would be the Robust Steel Max Ez-Lift priced at USD625. I like the foot rest but their doesn't seem to be any tool storage. You can't get this via Amazon Australia.
There is a non-active Vyper Australia Facebook page, not much help there.
The next option would be the Robust Steel Sport priced at USD475 but it has a simple pin adjustment system. There's no foot rest but there is tool storage. You can get this via Amazon Australia for AUD1036.84. There is another option with the footrest and tool storage for a whopping USD930.
Here's a Canadian brand that caught my eye Fast Freddy. Their equivalent would be the Speed Pro Hex Chair that retails at USD484 with the backrest. Don't worry about the brown leather, you can get black leather with yellow stitching. You can also option these up with cup holders, tool holders etc.
Their ordering system did populate for an Australian address, but alas when you hit the button to purchase, it said they don't ship to that address.
Is this going to get worse with deglobalisation, now that we're all seeing sovereign risks and risky supply chains?
I hear ya!
Often I find I need to fill a need for something quickly and, if I can foresee a need for more than one of the items I'm chasing, I'll typically go to a reliable source first, then eventually I'll do the research and consider buying a better, higher quality, extra features, just different etc. second item.
However, again the hoops and hurdles quickly appear.
Case in point was a mechanic's chair. First up, I went to Hare & Forbes, who've recently started carrying some nicer, higher quality ones.
I went with the DMRS-600-BR. It comes in black leather with yellow stitching. You can also get this without the backrest. At the moment these are on special for AUD165 but the normal price is AUD198.
Of course, if you know your mechanics chairs, then Vyper Industrial offer premium products.
Something similar to the H & F chair would be the Robust Steel Max Ez-Lift priced at USD625. I like the foot rest but their doesn't seem to be any tool storage. You can't get this via Amazon Australia.
There is a non-active Vyper Australia Facebook page, not much help there.
The next option would be the Robust Steel Sport priced at USD475 but it has a simple pin adjustment system. There's no foot rest but there is tool storage. You can get this via Amazon Australia for AUD1036.84. There is another option with the footrest and tool storage for a whopping USD930.
Here's a Canadian brand that caught my eye Fast Freddy. Their equivalent would be the Speed Pro Hex Chair that retails at USD484 with the backrest. Don't worry about the brown leather, you can get black leather with yellow stitching. You can also option these up with cup holders, tool holders etc.
Their ordering system did populate for an Australian address, but alas when you hit the button to purchase, it said they don't ship to that address.
Is this going to get worse with deglobalisation, now that we're all seeing sovereign risks and risky supply chains?
Ha, I was actually going to mention Vyper in my last post.
I've been wanting a Vyper chair for ages......................crickets. I also noticed a non-active social media presence, its been like that for years. One of my detailing suppliers looked into bringing them, but the shipping costs add to an already pricey proposition and basically kills the viability. Who would buy a $2000 stool? Instead, he sells a knock-off from Maxshine.
I'd love a Robust Steel of some sort. The problem is, even the smallest version doesn't adjust low enough for detailing, which means you sit with your back arched forward to reach wheels. That leaves the Low Pro models, but they don't have the functionality of the $100 chair I currently use. I'd hate to fork out such a significant sum of money on something I may not even like, it's not like you can try before you buy.
Wash Bucket Update - Part 2
To recap, I bought some larger 20-litre buckets, swapping from white to black in the process. I also got new red and blue gamma seal lids, colour matched to the carry over bucket dollies and grit guards. From here, I wanted to mix things up.
If Obsessed Garage still offered those original red and blue decals, I'd probably have just bought a fresh set and called it done. But OG recently redesigned their bucket package too. The red, blue and black on white is gone — replaced by a monotone look across black, grey or white buckets with black and grey labelling. The new labels look slick, but there's no colour recognition, which I always thought was the whole point of the decals. I hate to say it given how much influence Matt has had on my detailing over the years — but I feel like it's time to stop promoting someone else's brand. So, I decided to go my own way...........
After some time online, I landed on a basic logo and a font I liked, then worked through several colour combinations before settling on crisp white lettering set against red and blue backgrounds. The decal designations also got a rethink to better reflect how I actually use them. Blue for RINSE, red for WHEELS, red for WASH (laundry) — and a new addition, blue for RINSELESS.
From there, I took the design to a local sign maker, colour matched the decals to the gamma seal colours, worked out the sizing and finalised the shape. I'd originally planned to go rectangular, but asked them to mock up circular and hexagon options to compare. I'm glad I did, the rectangle looked bland, the circle a bit "me too." The elongated hex looked fresher, more personalized.
Yesterday I picked up the decals from the printer and went ahead and installed them on the buckets. The smaller sizing of the decal was deliberate. While I like the impact the larger OG decals make, on my shorter buckets they were partially hidden by the bucket dolly. So, smaller, less in your face, fully visible. And because I've kept the colour deviations, they are easily identifiable.
Did I need to have a dedicated RINSELESS bucket? Not really, I just thought why not. The WASH bucket is for holding used towels, basically a dedicated laundry basket. I guess I could have gone with LAUNDRY, but I felt like sticking with WASH because that's what its for........washing towels.
With anything custom, you never truly know if it will meet the vision you had in your head. And while this wasn't totally what I'd originally planned — it's actually better than I had anticipated. But more importantly, this time it's mine.
To recap, I bought some larger 20-litre buckets, swapping from white to black in the process. I also got new red and blue gamma seal lids, colour matched to the carry over bucket dollies and grit guards. From here, I wanted to mix things up.
If Obsessed Garage still offered those original red and blue decals, I'd probably have just bought a fresh set and called it done. But OG recently redesigned their bucket package too. The red, blue and black on white is gone — replaced by a monotone look across black, grey or white buckets with black and grey labelling. The new labels look slick, but there's no colour recognition, which I always thought was the whole point of the decals. I hate to say it given how much influence Matt has had on my detailing over the years — but I feel like it's time to stop promoting someone else's brand. So, I decided to go my own way...........
After some time online, I landed on a basic logo and a font I liked, then worked through several colour combinations before settling on crisp white lettering set against red and blue backgrounds. The decal designations also got a rethink to better reflect how I actually use them. Blue for RINSE, red for WHEELS, red for WASH (laundry) — and a new addition, blue for RINSELESS.
From there, I took the design to a local sign maker, colour matched the decals to the gamma seal colours, worked out the sizing and finalised the shape. I'd originally planned to go rectangular, but asked them to mock up circular and hexagon options to compare. I'm glad I did, the rectangle looked bland, the circle a bit "me too." The elongated hex looked fresher, more personalized.
Yesterday I picked up the decals from the printer and went ahead and installed them on the buckets. The smaller sizing of the decal was deliberate. While I like the impact the larger OG decals make, on my shorter buckets they were partially hidden by the bucket dolly. So, smaller, less in your face, fully visible. And because I've kept the colour deviations, they are easily identifiable.
Did I need to have a dedicated RINSELESS bucket? Not really, I just thought why not. The WASH bucket is for holding used towels, basically a dedicated laundry basket. I guess I could have gone with LAUNDRY, but I felt like sticking with WASH because that's what its for........washing towels.
With anything custom, you never truly know if it will meet the vision you had in your head. And while this wasn't totally what I'd originally planned — it's actually better than I had anticipated. But more importantly, this time it's mine.
littlebean
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2018
- Messages
- 770
that's brilliant, love the stickers
moab11
Well-known member
That turned out really nice!
I see the inspiration for your new profile pic here now as well.
I see the inspiration for your new profile pic here now as well.
ajohno
Well-known member
Stickers look good mate.
This video on lawn mower blades caught my attention.
To summarize, the major lawn mower manufacturers don't make their own blades, even if they are labeled as OEM. For the US market, blades are supplied by a handful of companies, the top 3 being Rotary, Oregon and Fisher Barton. These US made blades are sold to OEM's as OEM branded parts, while also being sold to the aftermarket and retailed under a variety of different brands. The moral of the story, just because something is officially an "aftermarket" part, that doesn't necessarily mean not OEM-grade.
That video reminds me of what I was told last month when I replaced the entire blade hardware on the Craftsman. To recap, I replaced the 40-year-old blade disk and the four mounting bolts, new blades were a formality. Now, getting OEM Rover parts these days is potluck, basically it's whatever is left sitting on a shelf at a mower shop rather than what's available from a warehouse. That's especially the case on REALLY OLD mowers like this. So, I bought an aftermarket blade disk, bolts and blades.
Why replace all that? Because the condition of the original OEM blade disk was suspect, and the mounting hardware was rusted, which the three small locating bolts are prone to snapping. With all the oil soaked into the original disk, it would have been hard to see any cracks or defects.
I then had people telling me I had done the wrong thing -
So in other words, I hope you don't cut your feet off for buying Chinese ****, even though I have no idea what I'm talking about".
And this is where I circle back to the video. The parts I chose were from G.A Spares, a leading aftermarket supplier in Australia, similar to Stens and Rotary in the US. G.A Spares is under the Roy Gripske & Sons (RGS) umbrella, a company which dates back to 1964 and distributes a range of local and imported brands, as well as service parts. The company is split into two divisions -
Powerup Lawncare Products - basically the machinery end of the company, think local brands such as Victa, SupaSwift and Bushranger, as well as distribution for many overseas brands including Hustler, Gravely, Stiga, Ariens.
G.A Spares - the parts and service side of the business, which distributes both OEM and aftermarket brands.
So, G.A Spares is a multi-level supplier. For starters, it's a distributor for OEM parts for the likes of Kawasaki and Hustler, they even distribute NGK spark plugs, which you wouldn't call "aftermarket grade". It then supplies mower shops with quality aftermarket branded parts. And finally, they supply parts to major OEM's, be that as OEM branded spares or for production line components. Actually, the Bushranger brand uses the chassis tooling from an older Rover model, along with the Rover blade setup, wheels, and hubcaps.
But apparently I've risked my safety by installing brand new blade components from an aftermarket supplier, and that I should've stuck with the rusted out 40-year-old stuff, simply because it's classed "OEM". The blades, bolts and disk are still used on brand new mowers made today.
This all came from the same group of people who told me I had ruined the engine by using the wrong spark plug, even though it's the plug they were made with, the plug that came with the mower, and that the engine runs absolutely fine.
The joys of the internet, everyone is an expert, even when they have no grasp of reality and fail epically with comprehension.
To summarize, the major lawn mower manufacturers don't make their own blades, even if they are labeled as OEM. For the US market, blades are supplied by a handful of companies, the top 3 being Rotary, Oregon and Fisher Barton. These US made blades are sold to OEM's as OEM branded parts, while also being sold to the aftermarket and retailed under a variety of different brands. The moral of the story, just because something is officially an "aftermarket" part, that doesn't necessarily mean not OEM-grade.
That video reminds me of what I was told last month when I replaced the entire blade hardware on the Craftsman. To recap, I replaced the 40-year-old blade disk and the four mounting bolts, new blades were a formality. Now, getting OEM Rover parts these days is potluck, basically it's whatever is left sitting on a shelf at a mower shop rather than what's available from a warehouse. That's especially the case on REALLY OLD mowers like this. So, I bought an aftermarket blade disk, bolts and blades.
Why replace all that? Because the condition of the original OEM blade disk was suspect, and the mounting hardware was rusted, which the three small locating bolts are prone to snapping. With all the oil soaked into the original disk, it would have been hard to see any cracks or defects.
I then had people telling me I had done the wrong thing -
So in other words, I hope you don't cut your feet off for buying Chinese ****, even though I have no idea what I'm talking about".
And this is where I circle back to the video. The parts I chose were from G.A Spares, a leading aftermarket supplier in Australia, similar to Stens and Rotary in the US. G.A Spares is under the Roy Gripske & Sons (RGS) umbrella, a company which dates back to 1964 and distributes a range of local and imported brands, as well as service parts. The company is split into two divisions -
Powerup Lawncare Products - basically the machinery end of the company, think local brands such as Victa, SupaSwift and Bushranger, as well as distribution for many overseas brands including Hustler, Gravely, Stiga, Ariens.
G.A Spares - the parts and service side of the business, which distributes both OEM and aftermarket brands.
So, G.A Spares is a multi-level supplier. For starters, it's a distributor for OEM parts for the likes of Kawasaki and Hustler, they even distribute NGK spark plugs, which you wouldn't call "aftermarket grade". It then supplies mower shops with quality aftermarket branded parts. And finally, they supply parts to major OEM's, be that as OEM branded spares or for production line components. Actually, the Bushranger brand uses the chassis tooling from an older Rover model, along with the Rover blade setup, wheels, and hubcaps.
But apparently I've risked my safety by installing brand new blade components from an aftermarket supplier, and that I should've stuck with the rusted out 40-year-old stuff, simply because it's classed "OEM". The blades, bolts and disk are still used on brand new mowers made today.
This all came from the same group of people who told me I had ruined the engine by using the wrong spark plug, even though it's the plug they were made with, the plug that came with the mower, and that the engine runs absolutely fine.
The joys of the internet, everyone is an expert, even when they have no grasp of reality and fail epically with comprehension.
I washed the Jaaaag today, which was the first time using my new buckets.
The tyres got scrubbed with ADS Clean, the rotors treated with Atom Mac. In the foam cannon and both buckets today, Koch Chemie GSF.
I didn't expect an extra 5 litres to make much difference — but it does. On the downside, the bucket is noticeably heavier to lift out of the sink. Hardly unworkable, but you feel it. On the upside, the extra depth gives you more room to rinse out the wash media before hitting the grit guard at the bottom of the bucket, which I like.
It also took a bit to acclimatise after so long with the smaller buckets. That might sound silly, but when you've done something the same way for years, it takes a while to readjust your movements — muscle memory is a stubborn thing. Overall, a nice upgrade.
I also tried P&S Reflect Glass Finisher — another combined glass cleaner and water repellent, a category that ranges from terrible to genuinely impressive. So far, I would say Reflect lands in the latter. Its SiO2 formula produces a lovely slick finish, and despite the cold conditions, it flashed away noticeably better than comparable products. True to P&S form, it smells great too. The standout feature, though, is that it's safe for interior glass, where it's claimed to help reduce fogging.
Meanwhile, after spending the night on the CTEK, the Jaaaag went back into storage.
The tyres got scrubbed with ADS Clean, the rotors treated with Atom Mac. In the foam cannon and both buckets today, Koch Chemie GSF.
I didn't expect an extra 5 litres to make much difference — but it does. On the downside, the bucket is noticeably heavier to lift out of the sink. Hardly unworkable, but you feel it. On the upside, the extra depth gives you more room to rinse out the wash media before hitting the grit guard at the bottom of the bucket, which I like.
It also took a bit to acclimatise after so long with the smaller buckets. That might sound silly, but when you've done something the same way for years, it takes a while to readjust your movements — muscle memory is a stubborn thing. Overall, a nice upgrade.
I also tried P&S Reflect Glass Finisher — another combined glass cleaner and water repellent, a category that ranges from terrible to genuinely impressive. So far, I would say Reflect lands in the latter. Its SiO2 formula produces a lovely slick finish, and despite the cold conditions, it flashed away noticeably better than comparable products. True to P&S form, it smells great too. The standout feature, though, is that it's safe for interior glass, where it's claimed to help reduce fogging.
Meanwhile, after spending the night on the CTEK, the Jaaaag went back into storage.
fourmotioneer
Well-known member
I don’t have an opinion on you using aftermarket parts on your mower aside from the fact that I would have done the same thing in your shoes
Some information based on my experience engineering parts at Ford and various OEMs:
The automaker would own something like the stamping tool or casting die, whereas the supplier owns the stamping press and the die casting machine. So to make a stamped plate or a die, the supplier has to copy the tool they made for the automaker. They are not beholden to the same validation of that tool, and while there is arguably an incentive to make quality parts, they are free to reduce effort while making their tools in a way that can make for a part that less frequently meets the design intent.
I’m not totally sure but would imagine that for cutting operations the supplier owns the equipment and could run the same programs to cut parts to OEM dimensions.
The bigger piece is that an automaker will prove out part dimensional quality and part durability and performance in statistically significant quantities to release parts off of a tool. I have never worked at a supplier but I image that they have dimensional and component function validation tasks on their internal engineering prints. But, they make accept a wider range of dimensions or functional test results while the automaker may have more critical dimensions to meet and more frequently.
The difference is that automakers validate durability and function on vehicle or on engine, whereas the supplier is (due to budget I’d say) unable to run 100s of engines and vehicles through durability testing to validate the entire component (design, geometry, production process).
But on mower blades? Not a big deal
Some information based on my experience engineering parts at Ford and various OEMs:
The automaker would own something like the stamping tool or casting die, whereas the supplier owns the stamping press and the die casting machine. So to make a stamped plate or a die, the supplier has to copy the tool they made for the automaker. They are not beholden to the same validation of that tool, and while there is arguably an incentive to make quality parts, they are free to reduce effort while making their tools in a way that can make for a part that less frequently meets the design intent.
I’m not totally sure but would imagine that for cutting operations the supplier owns the equipment and could run the same programs to cut parts to OEM dimensions.
The bigger piece is that an automaker will prove out part dimensional quality and part durability and performance in statistically significant quantities to release parts off of a tool. I have never worked at a supplier but I image that they have dimensional and component function validation tasks on their internal engineering prints. But, they make accept a wider range of dimensions or functional test results while the automaker may have more critical dimensions to meet and more frequently.
The difference is that automakers validate durability and function on vehicle or on engine, whereas the supplier is (due to budget I’d say) unable to run 100s of engines and vehicles through durability testing to validate the entire component (design, geometry, production process).
But on mower blades? Not a big deal
Geoff289
Well-known member
This issue of genuine factory parts being actually made by another company external to the manufacturer is pretty common.
I had to replace a sensor for the DPF in my previous diesel Mercedes daily driver. The old one was embossed with the Benz badge and MB part number, but when I took it out there were markings on the bottom showing it was clearly manufactured by Bosch. Surprise, surprise, I could get a Bosch replacement unit for way less than one from the Benz dealer with the Benz markings on it.
I had to replace a sensor for the DPF in my previous diesel Mercedes daily driver. The old one was embossed with the Benz badge and MB part number, but when I took it out there were markings on the bottom showing it was clearly manufactured by Bosch. Surprise, surprise, I could get a Bosch replacement unit for way less than one from the Benz dealer with the Benz markings on it.
I love this sort of thing, so thanks for taking the time to post all of that.
Many car enthusiasts often don't understand this. Any one change, even to the smallest part, needs hours and hours of testing and validation at every step of the process. Time = money, and that's why it costs billions of dollars to release a new model. The same is true for a facelift or model refresh, and also why they don't happen as frequently as say the 1950's and 1960's. Back then, significant styling changes year on year were expected, but also possible. These days, one simply sheet metal change incurs another set of crash testing, which is suuuper expensive.
Back when we had an auto industry, Ford used to cop a lot of criticism from the media, the press and car guys. Why can't they just.....give it more power, bigger brakes, wider tyres, adaptive dampers, paddle shift, lower the seating position, bla bla bla bla. You'd then have the armchair experts say that its easy to get more power out of specific engine by a simple tune.............or fit bigger brakes, name your upgrade available from the aftermarket. Yeah, but the aftermarket isn't warrantying the car for 3 to 5 years, doesn't have to pay for crash testing, durability testing..............you name it. The casual car enthusiast had no idea why Ford wouldn't do those things, especially given a shoestring budget and limited sales potential.
The most obvious example of this was when FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) released the all new Miami V8. This was based on the block and heads of the then new 5.0-litre Coyote V8, but featured an Australian developed Harrop supercharger, intake, exhaust, special rods, crank and pistons. The giant inlet plenum was designed for an intercooler, however the engines launched without one. In that form, FPV created an absolute monster, I can only imagine the potential of that engine had they been able to fit an intercooler and go for broke. But..............
The Falcon platform was already at the limit of what it could handle before this new V8. Again, people harped on about how easy it was to make big power from that engine, but again, Ford had to warranty the vehicle. The big problem they encountered by producing more power, and more specifically, consistent safe power from an intercooled setup, was that they needed to reinforce the firewall to cope with the massive torque loads the engine was capable of. Fine, easy, just do it.
Nope, structural changes required the vehicle to be re-crash tested. Ford didn't want to pay for that, and FPV couldn't afford to pay for it, the Miami V8 development itself was $40 million. Projected sales volumes weren't enough to warrant the investment. So, they had to hobble the engine to stay within a warrantable package.
Tactile
Well-known member
There was also the ZF auto gearbox issue...you know about that right?
The heat exchanger thing? Or the input shaft thing?
Tactile
Well-known member
Input shaft. They didn't want to put a decent (ie, rated for the torque of what they could of done with the coyote) gearbox in it. It could barely cope as it was.
Considering how widespread that gearbox was used in high-powered performance cars, I dare say the change would have been as simple as Ford requesting it from ZF. But again, the testing and validation would have been expensive.
Tactile
Well-known member
The ZF 6HP26 was a 6 cylinder or N/A V8 gearbox. Rated for 600Nm max. The Boss 355 produced around 570~580Nm.
It was at its limit unfortunately...I would suspect this is one of the reasons why they didn't develop it to its potential. The ZF 6HP32 would of been a good swap but as you mentioned, cost prohibitive for the production run.
Australian manufacturing in a nutshell.
It was at its limit unfortunately...I would suspect this is one of the reasons why they didn't develop it to its potential. The ZF 6HP32 would of been a good swap but as you mentioned, cost prohibitive for the production run.
Australian manufacturing in a nutshell.