.....for several reasons.
I have the skills and tools required to build any kit out there today. Problem is, I didn't have the time or the place, realistically. I didn't want to take up my entire garage for the time it took to build a kit car. And...with one year old twins at the time, I figured my time would become more and more at a premium for me.
Add to that my anal retentiveness, and I figured I'd have to build three kits before I got the ONE I really wanted. The first would be okay, but I'd have some mistakes and errors in it. The second would be better, but still, I'd know where the mistakes were. By the time I got around to building and finishing the third, I would have fugiured out all the mistakes and I'd have the one I wanted. Plus...I'd have to go through all the hassle of selling two not-so-perfect cars while trying to convince someone else they really
were perfect....
I had previously came across Superformance several years earlier, right after they began producing their replicars. I finally decided to go to Charlotte and look at one. Well, I don't need to tell you what happened next...from my first test drive, I was hooked. It was like sex...the first time I tried it I
knew I was goin' to like it!
Bob and Dennis Olthoff had a roller chassis up on one of their lifts and I had a chance to look all under the car. I was impressed with the engineering. and execution...all new parts, readily available replacement spares, no used parts that could be of questionable lineage. All wiring installed...aircraft grade harnesses...wire ties every 6-8 inches - just like I would have learned to do by car #3, above (
) . PLUS...it was ready...right then. In fact, had I wanted a different color and engine from what I had already set my mind on, I could have driven a completed turn-key home that afternoon! How's that for immediate gratification?
Subsequent purchase of SPF #770 was completed and arrangements made with the engine installer to complete installation of a 351W stroker engine and Tremec 3550 5-speed. Final work was completed and road tested by the Olthoffs. Hell, Bob Olthoff even delivered my car to me on October 21, 2000...along with a friend's who purchased #723 at the same time as I did. Talk about a rush...two absolutely PERFECT Cobra replicars being delivered in the same trailer on the same day. Needless to say, bystanders were in awe...as both new owners were, as well.
Ownership since then has been nothing but a joy. Being a part of the extended SPF family is like nothing I've ever experienced. A phone call to ANY dealer gets you call back almost within the hour, if not immediate attention. Dealer support and maintenance is nothing short of superb...really. Moreover, whenever I go back to the Olthoff's, I feel like I'm going home to see my parents again. Everyone makes you feel like you're a member of their immediate family. It's really a treat just to go visit...and that's true with ANY of the three dealers I've visited...Olthoff's, Doug Reed at Superformance South, or the Rosens in Ross, Ohio.
Since then, I've had the pleasure to meet Jim Price at two different Cobra-related events and found him to be the quintessential perfectionist. Hell, Jimmy's as anal retentive as I am...it's no wonder we were immediate friends! His passion for producing the perfect replicar with deviations from the original only for reliability, performance and handling improvements, have produced truly remarkable cars. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Ronnie Kruger, SPF's US Operations head, as well as Ronnie's wife, Winnie...and you'll never come across a nicer couple.
If you're on the fence - and I really understand why you may be - I would recommend a visit to any of the SPF dealers to invesitgate Superformance further. I know you'll see what I saw...and I'll bet you make the same decision I and so many others did.
Now...once you're an owner...we'll tell you about the Secret Societies, covert mailing lists, hidden websites and clandestine email forums and so on. Hell...you'll even get a secret de-coder ring!
