All, I have been in discussions with a dealer in the East Bay, and have some potential good news. Before we firm up on pricing, he needs to know how many committed orders there will be. They're taking a $1000 refundable deposit. If you're interested, PM me and I will share additional details and contact info with you. They currently only have one deposit, so we'll all be one of the first to place our orders.
$1000 refundable deposit is the way to go.
From my experience on forums, a good number of people will say "yes" to a group buy but only a small number of those people are actually serious.
I think there should be a totally new thread for the group buy once it gets the green light. It will make it easier, no need to go through all the fluff in this thread.