Attention Absolute Pace builders / assemblers

[Towmaster]

To all those new kit car 'builders' out there!

Do you realise how easy you guys have it?

Do you realise the average build time for a Cobra before Craig White started building them was approximately 3.5 years?

Do you realise it is not only you poor long suffering Absolute Pace 'assemblers' that have to wait 6 months for a windscreen? I too had to wait 6 months, after sending 2 back because they were rubbish. And I built mine in 2001!!!!

Do you realise that all the guys that have built Cobras that watch your little 'Absolute Pace owners group' and comment on what a bunch of whingeing disrespectful unappreciative teenagers you all are???

95% of the guys that build their cars are in love with the fact that they built them and they are the best Cobras out there. Mainly because they built them. Up until now there was fierce brand loyalty. I built a DRB and it is the best Cobra that has ever been built. (Just my opinion obviously) Anyone that has built a Harrison, RMC, DRB, Gforce, Classic Revival etc in the past has the brand loyalty associated with that manufacturer. If you discredit the car you are building then it makes you look like a fool......

I tell you that (in my opinion) the Absolute Pace is light years ahead in terms of ease of build, presentation, desirability of any other manufacturer that I have seen. Yet if you listen to the Johnny come latelys then this Cobra is rubbish.... Either that or there are a lot of fools out there.

If you think it's tough building an Absolute Pace then why don't you try and build one that requires you to scour the wrecking yards for parts off cars that finished being manufactured 40 years ago..... and then buy a welder..... And then have to make 80% of the brackets, fittings, then get everything sand blasted then get it powder coated to find out it's wrong then to start again.... etc etc etc instead of complaining that the fit of the supplied bracket is out by a millimetre.

FFS I wish you guys would stop your bloody whingeing. It's seriously like listening to a bunch of teenagers! Are we there yet ! Are we there yet !!!!! When you get to 3.5 years and your build isn't finished then you have course to complain.

Sorry if I have unnecessarily offended some people but I am just sick of hearing about peoples first world problems when tomorrow we will ALL be thinking about ultimate sacrifices people made 100 years ago on the 25th April!

Rant over!

Lest We Forget!

[damage]

cool deck chair popcorn and beer at the ready for this thread

[deano59]

ok i for one have never knocked the product ive always said it is world class its not the car most of us have issuie with . yes i searched wrecking yards when i build my wooley car yes i cleaned scrubbed reconditioned every nut and bolt yes it took me 3 yrs to build

AGAIN the cars not the problem COMMUNICATION IS i cant wait till i take delivery of my car we all cant but seeing how its more than one bloke having a bit of a spit surely we all cant be wrong maybe pm some of the blokes and ask what there problem is ...
pass the deck chair and pop corn over this way ...

johnny come lately i think i beat you onto this forum by 8 yrs there johnny

[Zacson]

This one time, at band camp!!!! Nice rant!

Towmaster, you're a tool!

[messy]

Towmaster, you need to get your facts right before you blast everyone who has ordered a Pace.
The product is fantastic......communications are a problem. I know at least 15 people who are building, planning to build the kits and ALL of them love the product but ALL of them are having communication issues. Hopefully that will improve.

So get back on your high horse and go search for some more parts at the wreckers and don't get involved in things which you know little about.

Have a nice day.

[damage]

Ok so I was just sitting here contemplating this while eating popcorn and sorry I ran out of beer so now have started on bourbon, seems that part supplies is Pace's major problem.

So Towmaster your a supplier for CrAig are you part of the problem?

Ok have to cook some more popcorn.

[Wazza]

( Thanks Damage...I know you're just trying to help)

As much as I appreciate your sentiment Towy, and you're allowed to have your opinion... but we are still going to do our very best to keep our customers happy.

I do understand the customers appreciate that the Pace427 is like no other "kit" ever offered..i.e. a world class chassis and body, combined with a full build “package” that consists of probably 3,500 bits and pieces( including fasteners/lines/clamps/clips/brackets/tubes/components)...and it's a lot more complicated to produce and support this than building/buying a body chassis...and then using donor parts to construct.

The idea/concept is terrific, and we'll get better at it as we progress, but I will admit it's a BIG complicated job, to see this process through from start to finish.

This becomes really tough when we also promise to provide full support during the build.
I know I hear that we don't communicate, but we get a LOT of communication every day, and we do our best to answer as much of it as possible.

The sheer number of "bits" supplied can also make it difficult sometimes...

In that pile of 3,500 little bits, human error will sometimes kick in, with wrong nuts/washers/clamps etc., being sent, and we have to try to identify what was sent, replace them, courier them...and then quite often get a follow up e-mail that says that they found the right ones in another box, and didn’t need to be replaced.

We do make errors, but we also spend many hours sometimes fixing something that was o.k. in the first place.

Combine this with some suppliers that we have to pay in advance for components, waiting until they have a "batch" order until they'll supply..and any number of other little glitches that might cause us grief.

We know that the expectation level is pretty high...and we will continue to do our best to achieve this.

I really don't want to turn this thread into an open B**ch-a-thon...( sorry Damage ), but I will say that we are doing our best to keep up to a high demand.

I know I see where a customer says we were not communicating, and I check and see over 100 photos, and perhaps 60 to 80 emails back and forth, over a three or four month period, and it stings to see the comment.

I know that I/we have spent sometimes hours on the e/mails and phones back and forwards in a day...fixing up some issue with a build question..only to hear from someone else the next day that the same person has been telling others the evening before that we never get back to them.

It does take the wind out of your sails when that happens, but I'm positive it will be on the improve.

Doesn’t mean we can’t do better...it’s just that I know what building a Cobra has been like for many years, and the expectation level is much higher than it’s been previously.
I realize we can do better...and will do...but the days of waiting for "YEARS" to complete a build are gone....Thank God for that !

We have had to deal with a pretty high number of "communications", and unfortunately I can't always get to reply immediately.

We can write and say that we will be delayed due to staff shortages/something not turning up that we were promised, and promised again, and then we get an e-mail wanting it explained in further detail.

Then it's happened a number of times where I’ll get an e-mail, followed by a text to say that they’ve sent an e-mail, and then a phone call the same day to see if I’ve received the e-mail and the text, and this phone call will then go into detail as to what is in the e-mail...all the time, I can hear other phone calls coming in.

Not necessarily angry calls/e-mails....just someone who wants to know how something fits...or when something can be sent...or to let me know they’ve received the wrong washers/nuts/bolts in a parts tray..and I know that it’s something we promise to support...it’s just sometimes not something that I can sort out immediately.

We get a lot of e-mails asking for info and support, on how to complete certain parts of the build, which is fair enough...and we pride ourselves on the fact that we will provide this info, but this level of support has never been offered by any other manufacturer, and although we strive to get this info back to the client ( and quite often it will be in the instructional manual) we have made a fairly big rod for our backs.

Don’t get me wrong...
All of this can be,and will be achieved...it’s probably just a combination of cutting down on any human error levels, a few extra staff added to the gang, ( That's being addressed in the next two weeks )...and the fact that we’ll get better at doing all of this as we grow.

Absolute Pace is still a young business, trying to offer a level of quality and support that we have not seen anywhere in the world, and I look forward to seeing 100’s of satisfied customers over the coming years...all extremely proud of their beautiful cars.

Now it's Friday night...
I have to stop,
DVD and Chinese food and a beer awaits....
I hope I can sort this out next week.

Cheers,
Warren Boylan,
Absolute Pace.

[Modena]

It's just as well there's rarely anything on this forum worth reading, I don't have time, have to go make another custom-made thing-o-me-bob

[Paintwerks]

Yes Towmaster, you have clearly painted us all with your big, fat, ugly brush.

I think I have been extremely tolerant and patient. I appreciate everything that Craig, Wazza, Steve and the team at Pace have been doing. It's such a monumental task. Not an easy one at all.

But I for one am appreciative and committed.

[Rebel1]

Tsk
Tsk
Tsk
Tsk

I love the Pace product and have heaps of respect for Craig and the effort he has put in bringing the cars to market. He knows that I'm sure, and I hope he understands my reasons for the following remarks.

Craig, this thread reeks of being contrived. .....

Whether it is or isn't contrived by anyone in the company is immaterial ...... it sure reeks of it.

There is an old marketing quote ..... When clients complain what they are really saying is " I like you, I love your product, and I want to keep doing business, just fix the problem."

To turn around and criticize clients (or allow that criticism from others) in a public forum, or to give long winded excuses for poor service is unforgivable.

It's just as easy to say ... "Yep, we are struggling but we promise things will get better".

Let the flames begin.

[Auswallaby]

Well I've been following the comments for the last year, went to see the factory for myself and have seen the end product. I have confidence in the product, the engineering and the team....I paid my deposit last week. Chassis 53.

[TheDoc]

As a business, I too would be keen to shut towmasters rant down quickly.

I certainly wouldn't want to provoke the 50 or so guys who have placed orders and are building cars into letting their frustration spill over onto a public forum.

I, along with many others, love the product and enjoy the build. But I won't be called a whinger for waiting 18 months for parts I had expected promptly.

Its not unreasonable to have high expectations of this car and this company. After all, quality components and ease of build are key components of their marketing strategy.

This product should open up the market to guys like me. Guys who would never want to search a wrecking yard, design a bracket or build a car over 3 years. To be honest, I am annoyed when something is out by a few millimetres or Im missing some hardware.

If PACE can iron out these small issues and improve supply timeframes I agree that the product is spectacular. Ill be happy to drive the car around for the next 30 years and tell everyone who asks about the positives of the PACE product.

But being a whinger for sending a monthly email asking for a parts update? I don't think so.

[alffie]

My CR was 13 weeks from deposit to delivery, also included chassis mods for the LS7 and under body,engine bay painting aswell, my windscreen came fitted as did my roll bars, so I dont think it to unreasonable to expect a 12 to 14 week time frame. And it was 07 Towey

[Wazza]

Thanks for your comments guys....

To turn around and criticize clients (or allow that criticism from others) in a public forum, or to give long winded excuses for poor service is unforgivable

I had no idea this thread was going to happen...I've explained as best as I could...and happy to push on .

Nothing contrived Rebel,so I don't know what you're talking about( as usual)??
Not sure what it has to do with you either,and what is gained by those comments....but I guess you have your reasons.



I urge any Pace clients,to be patient,and support the brand,and I'm sure we'll all get what we want.

It's a great product, with dedicated owners and staff,who all want to see this a success.
I'm sure there will be some who wish the opposite...but I can't do much about that,except to stay loyal to our customers.

I know there will be those with an agenda ( not pace owners)..who like to comment,and I can't do anything about that,

but really appreciate the positive comments from those above.


Cheers,
Warren

[Mrs flatchat]

I see your point Towy

LEST WE FORGET! FFS

[Russell9318]

Originally Posted by alffie

My CR was 13 weeks from deposit to delivery, also included chassis mods for the LS7 and under body,engine bay painting aswell, my windscreen came fitted as did my roll bars, so I dont think it to unreasonable to expect a 12 to 14 week time frame. And it was 07 Towey

Yeah! but it ain't a Pace

[Russell9318]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

To all those new kit car 'builders' out there!

Do you realise how easy you guys have it?

Do you realise the average build time for a Cobra before Craig White started building them was approximately 3.5 years?

Do you realise it is not only you poor long suffering Absolute Pace 'assemblers' that have to wait 6 months for a windscreen? I too had to wait 6 months, after sending 2 back because they were rubbish. And I built mine in 2001!!!!

Do you realise that all the guys that have built Cobras that watch your little 'Absolute Pace owners group' and comment on what a bunch of whingeing disrespectful unappreciative teenagers you all are???

95% of the guys that build their cars are in love with the fact that they built them and they are the best Cobras out there. Mainly because they built them. Up until now there was fierce brand loyalty. I built a DRB and it is the best Cobra that has ever been built. (Just my opinion obviously) Anyone that has built a Harrison, RMC, DRB, Gforce, Classic Revival etc in the past has the brand loyalty associated with that manufacturer. If you discredit the car you are building then it makes you look like a fool......

I tell you that (in my opinion) the Absolute Pace is light years ahead in terms of ease of build, presentation, desirability of any other manufacturer that I have seen. Yet if you listen to the Johnny come latelys then this Cobra is rubbish.... Either that or there are a lot of fools out there.

If you think it's tough building an Absolute Pace then why don't you try and build one that requires you to scour the wrecking yards for parts off cars that finished being manufactured 40 years ago..... and then buy a welder..... And then have to make 80% of the brackets, fittings, then get everything sand blasted then get it powder coated to find out it's wrong then to start again.... etc etc etc instead of complaining that the fit of the supplied bracket is out by a millimetre.

FFS I wish you guys would stop your bloody whingeing. It's seriously like listening to a bunch of teenagers! Are we there yet ! Are we there yet !!!!! When you get to 3.5 years and your build isn't finished then you have course to complain.

Sorry if I have unnecessarily offended some people but I am just sick of hearing about peoples first world problems when tomorrow we will ALL be thinking about ultimate sacrifices people made 100 years ago on the 25th April!

Rant over!

Lest We Forget!

Why would we spend 3 1/2 years building a car when we don't have to. Why would we duplicate the hardships of the past when we can buy every thing we need in one hit. Why would we scrounge around junk yards when we don,t want to get dirt under our finger nails.
You built you car in 2001, I had my car on the cover of Custom Rodder Magazine No, 43 Oct-Nov in 1977. After building a 1928 A Model Tourer, 1931 A model Roadster and one hell of an FX Holden, I feel qualified to call you out.
Sure, people get upset and anxious but I think you overly exaggerate re people winging. I happen to be a member of the Pace Owners Club on the forum and I don't see what you see. I am closely involved with a lot of owners and if they want to rant well so be it but I can not recall anyone bagging the Pace car. I haven't had the opportunity to be introduced to any "Johnny Come Latelys".
If you want a lesson in manufacturing, have a look at what Pace is doing. It will take time and it will take good people and not all things go to plan but every one has the right to throw a wobbly and occasionally, some do.
To align this with ANZAC has got to come from some personal thing for you so all is forgiven

[Gav]

I love it, with one thread anyone who has been whining has turned around and agreed that they have purchased a great car and wish they had their toy in their shed ASAP.

Nothing else to see here, get on with your lives citizens...

[damage]

Well it isn't Anzac Day yet, so here we are a couple of years down the track with a bunch of guys that are " whinging" ( yours and towmasters words wazza) mmmmmm maybe I aint a liar after all.

One common denominator. Okay Wazza over to you mate your pretty good on the mouth so get typing and alay all of those fears from the clients that are sick of waiting.

[deano59]

Originally Posted by Gav

I love it, with one thread anyone who has been whining has turned around and agreed that they have purchased a great car and wish they had their toy in their shed ASAP.

Nothing else to see here, get on with your lives citizens...

of course we have purchased a great car we wouldn't have put our money were our mouths are if we thought it was a peace of **** . in fact many of us put our money even b4 a car had even hit the road we have put our faith in a product at that stage apart from computer sims had not even been tested in real life at least my old cobra the manufacturer had a cobra we could drive and see how it felt in the case with the pace its our faith that the end product will do what its been advertised to do .
and of course we want them in our sheds ASAP.
that doesn't change the frustration that some of us are feeling due to some aspects of the company .