not sure I'd do it again

jeffnolan · #1 (**permalink**) 12-30-2014, 10:52 AM

I have #1333. I ordered the car on 10/28/13 and the chassis was delivered on 6/20/14. I got the finished car delivered to me just a few weeks ago.

Alistair Miller was fine to deal with, and despite taking a while to get the car I do appreciate his attention to detail. The car itself is what you would expect, terrifying and exciting. It has a Smeding 427 with a TKO600... terrifying and exciting.

My frustration with this process has been Backdraft.... rarely have I encountered a company selling such a highly specialized and expensive product that also has such an extreme case of don'tgivea****itis.

And as if to put salt-in-the-wound, Backdraft sent me the MSO with a 16 digit VIN number, as opposed to the 17 digit that is a proper VIN. I didn't have the actual car at the time I registered it, so now all my DMV paperwork has a VIN number that is not correct. Backdraft's response is "**** happens"... as if the simple act of counting the number of digits in a legal document they are sending to a customer is too much of an inconvenience.

It'd be easy to say "well it's just a hassle now, once it works out the car will erase all the bad feelings". Maybe, but even if that were the case I'm not sure I would buy another car from them.

Kobura · #2 (**permalink**) 12-30-2014, 01:57 PM

I have had my Backdraft for over two years and enjoy owning it in spite of the lack of customer support from the folks in FL. It seems to me that you and I are not alone in suffering with this situation, but it also seems like the proverbial 'elephant in the room' in that very few other owners have addressed it, at least in this forum.

Thanks to Club Cobra and Jay, I don't feel totally bereft of support. I certainly don't look for any from the folks in FL.

itstock · #3 (**permalink**) 12-30-2014, 02:51 PM

This is where the importance of a third party, reputable dealer comes in. They are there to act on your behalf. My research led me to Vintage motorsports, and through my issues, they proved to be an excellent choice. This isn't to pour salt in your wounds, but to make sure others who search know.

Fwiw, I have seen GM do the same as what you experienced. It takes a good dealer to remedy the situation, and it's also the reason why as much as I like Tesla, I think their model will ultimately bite them in their ass. Moral of the story, buy from a dealer that has weight to pull and have them go to bat for you.

jeffnolan · #4 (**permalink**) 12-30-2014, 05:24 PM

You are right about the role of the dealer and Alistair has been very supportive. I do appreciate this forum, I have gone through over a hundred threads and learned quite a bit as a result.

BDR0572 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-31-2014, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kobura

I have had my Backdraft for over two years and enjoy owning it in spite of the lack of customer support from the folks in FL. It seems to me that you and I are not alone in suffering with this situation, but it also seems like the proverbial 'elephant in the room' in that very few other owners have addressed it, at least in this forum.

Thanks to Club Cobra and Jay, I don't feel totally bereft of support. I certainly don't look for any from the folks in FL.

I am one of the fortunate ones to buy mine from Jay and it was a great experiance ,Trust me,there are those who screw it up and don't care but my dealing with VMS was a good one My .002 worth

BDR0572 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-31-2014, 03:44 PM

VMS ROCKS, do we all agree ?, Thanks for all the help you gave me with mine . I f you have BDR with issues, that's who I called. Who is the local BDR guy I saw something on that but have not researched yet. Houston area.

jmimac351 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-31-2014, 06:05 PM

Jeff, although I haven't done business directly with Backdraft, I can understand where you're coming from on this sort of thing and how it sort of sours the experience. I'll share this, for what it's worth...

I built my first car, an FFR, back in around 2005. Because of that car, I've made many lifelong friends - some who no longer own a cobra. As a group, our interests turned to the track / racing side of things and 5 of us do track days in our own track cars, and race together in ChumpCar in a Miata. I'm sure many others around here have similar experiences in terms of friendships that have developed as a result of these cars. I guess what I'm saying is try not to let some ham-handed stuff from BDR mess up what will likely be a great experience for you. It would get under my skin too, for sure.

Have fun.

pjmoore2003 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-06-2015, 06:54 PM

Jay still answers my random text messages on Hawaii time! Luckily he stays up late most days. Great shop and his support never ends.