Backdraft - new owner?
 

Thinking about a backdraft roadster with a normally aspirated 427. Live in Indiana limiting my driving season. Fun drive. Any regrets or second guesses. Things you wished you knew before you bought? Spoke with Jay at Vintage Motorsports and appreciate his insight. Thx ahead of time, Sean:)

Jay would be your best dealer to purchase from ,your season may not be as limited as you would think I absolutely prefer cool weather for driving you could always dress warmer but when it gets hot there's no escaping it.

after 2 1/2 years no regrets ,it has been absolutely much more of a blast than i could ever have imagined and its not wearing off.

My only regret is not buying sooner-- and not buying near the beginning of driving season (soon to be here). Mine has had to sit in the garage all summer since we have had near record rainfall this year in Florida.

Now would be the perfect time for a purchase!

I can only add +1 to Jay @ VMS. A great group of guys...
Also, my car has the heater option, and with a nice warm jacket and tonneu cover 1/2 closed, it should be toasty inside on very cold winter days. Oh wait, I live in TX... my bad. ;)

no heater and no heated seat option and I can be comfortable with a light insulated jacket gloves and hat in 50 degree weather here in Jersey no problem.

Further north in western Ma I have a heater. Very comfortable with a jacket and hat. Thin gloves help the best for me. Everyone's tolerance to the cold is different. I also have the soft top option which makes the season longer. Jay will do right by you no matter. FYI the normally aspirated 427 loves the cold air....

I second (or is it 3rd/4th/5th) doing business with Jay.

I do have heated seats and would definitely recommend them. You will still need a jacket and a hat in the cooler months (40's and even driving at night in the low 50's). There is a learning curve with these cars, so when you see things like "well sorted" or simply "sorted", it's a good thing. They aren't mass produced cars and little items do pop up so be ready for stupid nonsense items that will need to be addressed. Fortunately, if you go through a company like Vintage, it shouldn't be an issue. If you like to actually drive the car, I would also HIGHLY suggest a pair of driving shoes, no matter how foolish they look. Not only does it make driving the car easier do to pedal orientation, but it also makes your feet more comfortable.

IMO, the 427 is an excellent choice. My VMS 427 dynoed 482rwhp (equates to somewhere between 540 to 570 flywheel horsepower) and I think it's the perfect amount of power. Less, and I would get bored. More, and traction would be non-existent on the street. I would consider bumping up the hp by a bit, but never down. So see what engine VMS can get you in the 550hp range.

As for regrets, none really come to mind. But I do wish I started looking for a competent local shop BEFORE even purchasing the car. I've had a couple shops that didn't even want to touch the car (which is odd considering they work on new $150k+ Mercedes without issues).

The fall and spring are the best seasons to drive these cars! Or course you aren't limited to parking it in the winter or summer, but especially not the summer. So you basically have 8 months to drive it, plus an optional amount of time amounting to 1+ months (simply based on temp. alone, but including 2 months dec/jan for road salt that you will want to keep off the road). Sunny weather in the upper 50's /low 60's is probably my most fun time driving the car.

If you want something big, like dual roll bars, limited slip diff, get it now. A heater and bun warmers sound good.

Wife and I went out Sunday in her 4,825 mile 2002 Thunderbird to buy 93 ethanol free fuel. We had top down, windows down and A/C on. Air temp was > 90. We would have died in my Backdraft.

The point of this rant is that you can enjoy your car more. A driving school might be ok with 4 point harness, but instructor will want a roll bar, too. A friend thought my car needed power steering for auto cross (He does this in a Miata.) I think I would skip this part.

I bought my car from Jay, sight unseen. My only regret is that I did not buy it sooner and it is too hot in Arkansas in August.

Get the car!

I have to repeat for the whaterverth time it is that Jay and Brian at Vintage are the people you want to deal with. They have taken care of me and I am very satisfied with my purchase. I do like the heated seats option and can drive down into the high 30's with a jacket, hat and gloves, but everyone has their own threshold. :rolleyes:

Julian **)**)