Believe me, there is no such thing as a perfect replica/kit out there. I still feel that dollar for dollar you can't beat the BDR. Mine has had its fair share of little things (and still does, like the slip fit pipes), but the support from Reg and company has been great. Some things are addressed immediately, some things took a little while to solve. The bottom line is that Reg has always gone beyond what is necessary to support his product and I can't thank him enough.
My car has suffered the cracked windshield (from the original outbreak), I had to adjust the position of my pedals to suit my wide feet, my e-brake needed adjusting, even my clutch master cylinder gave out after 1 year, and my front springs were replaced. Through all of these things, Reg has either sent me the parts or told me exact part numbers to get. The clutch slave cylinder failed because of the way I installed the rod that connects to the fork, not Backdraft's fault. The replacement part was $18 and hasn't failed since. The clutch master cylinder is the same wilwood in many Cobras, and they fail in those other cars often also.
I did my own engine/tranny install, so I have myself to blame for some other items. Even though the slip fit pipes are leak prone, I trimmed a little too much and have leaks still, again not Backdrafts fault.
Some of the complaints I hear, like shifter and yoke are driveline install issues, not Backdraft manufacturing issues. If Reg installed the driveline for you, then the responsability is Custom Cars, not Backdraft for those items.
All in all the Backdraft product is very nice. As for Superformance comparisons, they have been at it ten more years than BDR. They still need to be tweeked, but they have had a lot more time to evolve and refine. As for the comparison to kit building, all I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to build mine. Buying a roller is a great option to have. I have the ability and talent to build a kit, but I just don't have the time and patience for it.
I think that Backdraft is a great buy, and Reg is doing a hell of a job. Are they perfect, no. Are they customer service oriented, yes. Are Cobras ever finished
, NO
. I'm always thinking about what I need to do next, it will never really be finished, just a work in progress.
As for the alignment, I aligned mine on a car lift with a ruler and alignment levels/bubbles. I have driven it 6000 miles, at every speed, up to 120 mph. The car has never felt unsafe. My tires are wearing perfectly even. I'll bet if you have your daily driver checked, it would be out as much or more than your BDR without extra shims and brackets.
Even with some of the issues mentioned in this thread, you still have one fine Cobra. I hope you work through these little things and drive the hell out of you car
.
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