I recently noticed this post and I wanted to add my two cents worth to this saga.
First, Jack (Zupan), Thank you for pointing out my post for everyone's perusal (You say: "...but just out of curiosity have you read the post (quite long) on Cavaliere Cars in this forum. E-M does not shine in that saga...").
Now, I want to go on the record - once again - about my experience with E-M, and their product. Let me tell you what I think of the Cobra "Kit" I have. It is a SOLID piece of work. The body is true, the fibergalss is - not flawless, but very good, the doors, hood, trunk, etc., do not sag, and close with a solid,
reassuring "thump", the chassis is not only very well built but actually "pretty" to look at. I have NO PROBLEM with the E-M product.
I expect that if I had had E-M build the car for me, and I'd dealt directly with them throughout the experience, their customer support (again, I expect) would have been a similar experience.
I met Brett Everett when I picked up the body to my car, and found him to be a very personable guy, a guy that, even being the #2 (or #3) big cheese owner of the company, did not even "sweat" getting down on his knees/stomach/back on the dirt helping us load my body on the truck. He allowed us to look anywhere, photograph anything, explained and answered any question I had in a friendly manner. I was thrilled to the bone to have decided - at the advise of Cavaliere - on an E-M product.
Now for the dirt. My beef with E-M is NOT because my car is a piece of crap. My car is a piece of crap because Candido Cavaliere of Cavaliere Cars, Inc., built my beautiful E-M Cobra with $1,500 worth of junk-yard parts - end to end, painted it in his backyard, and charged me $33,000 and change for it.
My beef with E-M is because that fine day when Brett was so friendly and cordial and helpful, he told me Cavaliere "was one of their preferred builders", that he'd do a great job for me, but when Cavaliere defrauded us, Brett did not even take the time to look at my car, ask for pictures, ask for details, or offer any assistance in "persuading" his preferred builder to get with the program.
E-M ignored every e-mail and phone call I made to them and had the gall to outright refuse a certified letter I sent them about my problem WITH Cavaliere. All I was asking Brett was "why did they modify my chassis; what was Cavaliere expected to do with the unfinished frame; did they recomend the proper components for the modification; did they offer him any coaching; were they comfortable with Cavaliere finishing a rear end/suspension mount on an unfinished E-M frame???"
The LEGAL answer to that is E-M was NOT responsible for any of it. E-M sold the kit to Cavaliere, and even the modifications they did - as ordered by Cavaliere - were no longer their responsibility. Nor was the fact that Cavaliere was (is) a major crook (and probably had NO INTENTION of building a good car for me) any of their concern the second we pulled out of their parking lot. "...E-M's preferred builder..." he said? I don't have that in writing - only my wife as a witness (and that your Honor, is hearsay). Cavaliere and his helper - Larry - built the piece of crap, not them.
The MORAL and BUSINESS RELATIONS answer should have been Brett doing his darned best to get Cavaliere in line, intervening for me (an E-M Cobra owner) to get my E-M Cobra rebuilt to specs; offering factory support/pressure to get my problems resolved with their preferred builder, offering to look at my car, telling me that they would NOT sell Cavaliere squat until - and IF - he resolved my problem, or even offering ME a discounted rebuild - forget Cavaliere - but nooooooooo, ladies and gentlemen, E-M chose to look at the legal angle and said "screw this guy", we're not responsible for any of it. Let him fight Cavaliere on his own. We GOT our money up front...
Now THAT's my experience with E-M. If you go to them and they build your car from scratch, you may have better luck. I can at least tell you their kit is very good. But it's just going to cost ME over $12,000 - above and beyond the $40K-and change I've spent so far on the car, AND fixing MANY things myself just so I can barely drive the piece of crap E-M Cobra that I have.
They are in the business of selling dreams, yes, DREAMS, but in my case, the nighmare I continue to have, is not their problem.
Santiago Fonseca
sefh@earthlink.net