RSeries tower inserts for Alpha M2 tower

[Sublimer23]

I recently bought a '18 R23 with the Alpha M2 tower. When ordering the boat we debated on upgrading to the E2 Tower not because of the electric operation but because we preferred the look of the solid tower vs the tube look tower (although the '17 and '18 are much better than the '16s) However the + or -$3000 upgrade for strictly looks was not worth it to us since I do not anticipate needing to lower and raise the tower on a regular basis. To me the tube look tower is the only thing about the Rseries that looks "budget" to me. All the other manufacturers with budget models have similar looking budget towers..Mastercraft NXT, Supreme etc.

I run a fabrication shop and work closely with a machine shop and decided to fabricate some tower inserts for my tower. I'm just putting a feeler out there to see if there would be any interest in perhaps offering these for sale. Mine will be made of heavy gauge steel (they don't weigh a lot maybe 5 lbs each) and will be powder coated in a hammer finish to match the graphite grey of the deck color of my boat and will look very similar to the Alpha E2 tower inserts. Making them out of aluminum or having different colors could also be an option. Please comment on this thread if you would perhaps be interested. I will post pics in the next day or two. Thanks!

[freeheel4life]

I have thought of this as well as I pull the inserts out when installing blade light kits. You could totally update your M2 so it looks like an E2 and you could even add the blade lights. Its a really basic install.
You could also custom paint them or even put some kind of graphic wrap on the insert if you want. If you want some inserts so that you can template your new ones I can probably hook you up man. Come on down to the shop.

[Surf406]

I build all the led inserts for the new towers and badges and could do it out of just about any type of material. Pm me let me know what your thinkn 4F84082B-9425-49B9-ADA4-7F6EE477F343.jpg

[Sublimer23]

Freeheel4life I wish I would have posted this a couple weeks ago. lol I made my templates by hand last week and it took forever! I will see how mine turn out. If they aren't close to being perfect I might take you up on that offer. I would love to add the light kit to it as well. They will be slightly different than the E2 since there's only one badge on the M2. I love those Leds though!

[Surf406]

Let me know I can cut em custom with any design you would like. There pretty sweet when there all done and installed

[freeheel4life]

Freeheel4life I wish I would have posted this a couple weeks ago. lol I made my templates by hand last week and it took forever! I will see how mine turn out. If they aren't close to being perfect I might take you up on that offer. I would love to add the light kit to it as well. They will be slightly different than the E2 since there's only one badge on the M2. I love those Leds though!

Well now you know I troll around here. Like uniques projects, especially this time of year. Usually don't mind answering questions and stuff and the shop either, as long as its not the week before Memorial, 4th, or Labor Day.
Ive never tried to take em off a M2 and see if E2 is truly the same frame with some tweeks or if dimension are different. At first glance they sure look the same but may not be when you start pulling tape on em...
You have Coatings Plus do the powder coat??

[Sublimer23]

No, I use a powdercoater in New Plymouth that I do all my business projects through. Should be done tomorrow. I originally was going to do them in sublime green to match the boat. But decided it might be too much. Like you said they will be easy to wrap or paint if I wanted to change things up.

[wisconsinR21]

My R21 should be done in a month and my dealer was going to see if tige could put inserts in my tower. What will you charge for a set of inserts?

[Sublimer23]

I just got prices from my machine shop. Pricing looking like it would be $250-$325 plus shipping and depending on options. aluminum vs steel, powdercoated vs not, different powder coating options etc. I just picked up my pair this morning. I will post pictures of them installed tonight.

[Sublimer23]

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[Sublimer23]

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[smoothtoup]

That looks pretty tight. Does anyone have a picture of what the lights look like with it?

[Ironrequiem]

That is a pretty amazing transformation and savings !!
That looks excellent!

[UNSTUCK]

What do the screws screw into? Do you drill holes into the tower tubes?

Just a thought, why not run the rack side of the insert up tight against the tube so it doesn’t look like three tabs sticking out? I like the look of the opposite side being up against the tube.

[freeheel4life]

That looks pretty tight. Does anyone have a picture of what the lights look like with it?

This is what the factory optioned blade lights look like on the E2. It looks like 18cracing's build is bumping the whole show out with some longer bolt and some kind of clear or opaque material underneath, possibly plexi. Maybe he will "shed some light" on it. Wherever he's doing he's getting more light around the entire cutout.