Thread on Tin-Man's Cobra

[ACademic]

Some perspective seems to be in order with so many opinions:

- Superformance built the rolling chassis and body. Does not appear to be any issues with that (the car is gorgeous and structurally sound). Verdict = Positive.
- Hillbank sold the turn-key-minus car and is clearly standing behind their product (and supplementing the installer they may have referred the buyer to). Verdict = Positive.
- Eric Voss installed what might be a one-off combination for any prior replica Cobra build (BIG INCH Roush injected motor with auto trans). Fraught with issues, some which clearly could have been avoided, but still more complex then your typical build. Not sure why this project, after countless others, went so far south either. Maybe even this one-off install was out of their league? Verdict = Negative.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And the weakest link is clearly evident. I hope this owner gets his car sorted out...sometimes it takes a while but once it's set (as others have pointed out), it's set for good with just routine maintenance thereafter.

[madmaxx]

Superformance installed the brake calipers and turn signal both of which have problems = negative

Hillbank = I assume knew of loose calipers issues since there was a TSB. I assume a dealer would run a shake down on the car. Maybe they never had to stop or use a turn signal prior to both deliveries . = Negative

I have no idea about the transpan with missing paint but it met expectations on someone list

Originally Posted by ACademic

Some perspective seems to be in order with so many opinions:

- Superformance built the rolling chassis and body. Does not appear to be any issues with that (the car is gorgeous and structurally sound). Verdict = Positive.
- Hillbank sold the turn-key-minus car and is clearly standing behind their product (and supplementing the installer they may have referred the buyer to). Verdict = Positive.
- Eric Voss installed what might be a one-off combination for any prior replica Cobra build (BIG INCH Roush injected motor with auto trans). Fraught with issues, some which clearly could have been avoided, but still more complex then your typical build. Not sure why this project, after countless others, went so far south either. Maybe even this one-off install was out of their league? Verdict = Negative.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And the weakest link is clearly evident. I hope this owner gets his car sorted out...sometimes it takes a while but once it's set (as others have pointed out), it's set for good with just routine maintenance thereafter.

[patrickt]

So just how does an obvious recall-level flaw like the calipers get by so many people? SPF doesn't send a note to purchasers on something like that like every other car manufacturer in the world does? I'm still getting recall notices on cars from GM that I don't even own any more. And none of the "experts" that were putting the car together, or fixing it, bothered to even check the TSB list? C'mon, we don't need to turn this thread in to an SPF bash, but let's get serious. If SPF put one tenth the effort in keeping their buyers advised of serious dangers that they do in marketing, tin-man's brakes wouldn't have torn up his wheel the first day he had it. What would they have said if those calipers had put tin-man in to a head on collision... "uh, we just sell rollers, it's the responsibility of someone else to make sure you haven't bought a death trap."

[Car Nut]

Have them check for broken engine/transmission mount.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Car Nut

Have them check for broken engine/transmission mount.

You know, I'm suspecting that somebody forgot to put one of the bolts in where the motor mount sits on the frame bracket. That would allow the engine to rock about, creating that "clunking" noise when it attempted to settle down, as well as allowing the engine and transmission/pan to sit cockeyed the way it is in the photo.

Shoddy work, that's for sure, and after all the grief Tin Man has gone through on this project, I'd bet he's wishing he'd never started now!

That's OK, though...we all get there from now to then on these things, don't we? I know I wished I'd never bought mine for those 20 months it sat on jack-stands as I searched futilely for bushings for the rear suspension. That all ended, though, as soon as I got it roadworthy.

Cheers!!

Dugly