[TerrysSPF]

.......Geeez, I feel like Evan; only on the other side of the coin!

PatBuckley: My "derogatory" statements on the Seires1 cars came from a number of articles I've read about them (and what had happened with production and pricing) from numerous, reputable, car magazines. It is no secret that production was delayed quite awhile, and that the price of the car went up quite a bit from the original price quoted. I was under the impression (again, from what I read) that the folks with deposits on these cars had to pay the "new", full price for them, vs. the price they were originally quoted. I have also seen post on THIS forum that were quite similar to the articles I read.......without a lot of rebuttal from Shelby fans. In fact, some CSX owners concurred with the statements.
For the record, I have been hard on "other" Cobra replica mfgrs. Especially when they don't deliver WHEN and WHAT they promised. It wouldn't matter if it were SPF or Shelby......it's just that Shelby seems to be getting a reputation for "delays", "price issues", and "other" things. I have only wished for the best to those who have deposits on the new SA rollers. I honestly hope they get a great car for their money. In fact, I myself contacted a Shelby dealership when word of these new rollers came about because of interest in buying one. I have had nothing but positive comments on the Shelby FE alum. blocks on this forum, as well as others.........along with other Shelby products that I either have, know someone who has them, or would like to purchase in the future, (And NO, I don't mean the popcorn).

Brent Fenimore: I'm happy for the folks who have money down on the SA rollers that you responded here, as well as future, more "personal" responses, that you said they will (and should) get in the future. That's just good business. There has been a lot of speculation about why there have been delays in production, and many people have made comments on the facility in SA being closed. If the delays are due to Shelby demanding production of a "better built" roller, then your customers will be the winners. Some specualtion has been in the S. Africa plant itself. Was there, or was there not, supposed to be a different "Shelby" facility (not the CAV buildings where you mentioned) at one time? If not, then I apologize for the misunderstanding. Believe me, I'm not the only one that has been mis-informed about this (if, indeed the "other" plant never exhisted).
As far as the Series1 cars go, my comments were based on information obtained in articles of reputable magazines, as well as info from other forums.
When you say that 40% of the 248 Series1 owners came back to Shelby for "performance modifications", all that tells me is there were 100 people that weren't happy with the performance of the car........or at least what they felt they should have recieved for their money. It's a beautiful car, but it's no secret that it doesn't perform as well as cars in it's price range. ....Of course (I must admit, after saying that), I wouldn't "kick one out of my garage".
I wish you and Shelby the best of luck with these new SA rollers. Actually, I'm excited about seeing them on the road! I have a buddy in Ohio that is placing an order (he may already have done so) despite the talk that has gone around.......and NO, I didn't try and talk him into "something different". In fact, I told him I highly doubted that Shelby would hault production on the car, and that when one comes out, it would most likely be a good product. I'm not "married" to any certain manufacturer (regardless of what some folks might think!). The only reason I use "TerrysSPF" as my name is because they are the mfgr I decided was best for me while shopping over a year ago (when I 1st joined CC). I had plans to buy one then and they fell thru. I kept my name the same, but continued to shop around. I could have easily changed to TerrysCSX, or TerrysERA had the circumstances been a little different. I didn't like the long wait for ERA, and I wanted to be able to see and drive a CSX for myself before buying one. That didn't happen before I ended up with a car (which happens to be an SPF......who, IMHO, puts out a nice product for the money).
I'm married to the "car" itself.......not the company who builds them. ....And, of course, the FUN that goes along with driving one (from ANY mfgr) !!