Like I said I don’t know the history behind SAI and if they were trying to compete with Factory 5 or not. If they weren’t and wanted to remain small like the other specialized replica companies, then I cannot understand why they could not turn a profit? After all these years, they couldn’t figure out how to control the costs and market their product right?

Did they rely more on the name to sell it than good old-fashioned business smarts and marketing? I finally saw a recent ad in a kit car mag. UMMMMMM why so long to figure out that their customer base is within the “replica” industry? Think about what Shelby did. He in essence went after the people that loved him. I guess he saw the glass as half empty, rather than half full. Was pride a factor for some of these marketing reps for SAI? They can call it whatever they want, continuation or whatever but when you position yourself as an adversarial party against your fans nothing good comes out of that. Perhaps with new management at SAI, they will get a better perspective and attitude and conduct themselves in a more supporting or embracing of the people in the replica scene. Perhaps they will start listening to people like us on this Forum. Perhaps they will learn the rules when it comes to a buyer’s market. Factory 5 proved that they could produce a quality product for much less. There is no reason why SAI could not be on top or anybody else that wishes to be more customer oriented and business savvy.
*******************************


Seems SAI never had a clear vision as to where they wanted to go. That being said, Factory 5 does not need to buy SAI. SAI will die on its own or barely exist from year to year if they continue the same as the past. There is nothing wrong with existing year to year but if you want to play with the big dogs then you have to create your own rules and be successful or play by your competition’s rules and beat them at their own game. Presently SAI is 0-1 against Factory 5 after having to walk away from the lawsuit. I sincerely hope somebody has stepped in and stopped the Superformance suit. Nothing more dangerous or costly to a company than a person in charge with an ego and little brains.

So the question shouldn’t be is Factory 5 going to buy SAI, it should be will SAI be able to regroup and compete in business like Shelby did on the track back in the 60’s?

Real 1,

Not sure if you been over there, but check out the Spec Racer board at the FFCobra site. You could get real feed back on these cars. Also you can ask Gordon Levy, he also builds Factory 5's and Roaring 40's (GT-40).


I think Gordon has the fastest top speed time in a Cobra replica. I can't remember the exact time but I know it is over 170 mph on the straight at PIR. He has to hire a person to carry around his cahonies.
:LOL:

Hmmm. Not bad at all. Reasonable for sure.

When I have more time I am definitely interested in getting involved in some track work. Club racing.

Dan: Yes. I do play hockey have for years. Since 8 yrs old. Played hockey in college on a club team. The University didn't have an "official" school team. Been skating on those double bladed jobs for years. Are you saying they are beginner skates???? I was told all the REAL hockey players use them??? You mean....OH $hit! No wonder everyone laughs when I step out on the ice. :CRY:

Seriously, I love to play. Can talk hockey all day long. Playing Keeps me young and beautiful. I lke the physical aspect of the game and the speed. I still play in a local A league out of BSA and sometimes Mennen in N.J. in the checking league. Its my passion next to Cobras and well.. you know...:D I'm a pretty good defensemen. But will skate the puck down into the offensive zone if theres an open lane. I prefer to pass and take my shot from the blue line when I have the chance. My role model is Scott Stevens as to style. Love standing em' up at the blue line and pushin wingers around and making their life miserable down by the crease. (Kinda like what I do around here) Not to toot my own horn but I can still skate with the young bucks fresh off of the college squads. I may have lost a step on them over the years but thats OK. My defensive partner played Junior Hockey and was scouted by Boston and Calgary. Not taken due to his size. Too small. He's able to help out when I just can't get there in time. He's WAY fast! He saved a few times for sure. Several former AHL players in the league. Mostly former College and H.S players though.

My son now plays for the New Jersey Rockets. Former Nat'l Pewee Champs.

Sorry for the hockey rant.

Now back to the regulary scheduled program.

- I came back and edited this post because this thread is really stupid. The more it goes on, the dummer it gets.

what a waste of disk space.

What is hockey?

Is that the same as bull riding or cow chip tossing?:LOL:

We all know it was a rumor as a joke but it sure is fun to talk about!

Down groupie!!!!!:LOL:

Jason: Come on over and put on some skates and buckle your chin strap. I introduce you to some hockey!

You'll discover what it is REAL fast!

:LOL:

Ottawa 3, New Jersey 1. Devils were up 3 games to 1. Now up 3-2. Doesnt your team WANT to play my Mighty Ducks? !!!LOL!!!

- I came back and edited this post because this thread is really stupid. The more it goes on, the dummer it gets.


what a waste of disk space.

Duane,

It's gonna happen!!!!!

Man I will have to pass. I skate as well as I golf and that means I am the comedy entertainment. It would be more fitting to put a clown suit on me with some skates. At least the people watching would think it was planned.

Before I screwed up my back I used to ski. I used to love to tuck and go as fast as I could until I A. Hit a tree, B Hit a builder, C Went off a jump and flipped or D the forces were so great from going to fast that simple lost control. All of these I have done and no broken bones! Of course I learned how to out run the ski patrol as well. About the time I screwed up my back, snowboards came onto the scene. I always wanted to do that and never got a chance to do the helo drop thing on top of a mountain.

I have great respect for hockey players they are as big as they are scary looking. When they retire does any of them ever spend a few thousand and get a set of decent looking teeth? Just kidding. I do wish they would open hockey up more to allow more scoring and more physical contact with the sticks. MORE ENFORCERS!!!!! I still haven’t figured out how they can see that puck flying by them at 100+ mph.

Man don't go to sleep around here!

You miss something for sure.

Jason,

How bad is your back? I've been living with a couple herniated, desicated discs and an unstable sacrum (what the heck, include the stenosis as well) for over ten years now. I know DV suffers as well. I think we need to all get together for a pain management session, JD and beer work well for me.

TT

Edley: Don't worry. The Devils are just making it interesting. Toying with their prey. :eek:

I think my scrotum is unstable AND herniated but the beer is a definite source of pain management.:CRY: :3DSMILE:

Well I had herniated discs at L4-5 & L5-s1, had to get the shots. I asked the doc if I could still ski. He said sure and my chances of ending up on the operating table were very high. To top it off I also blew my knee out in the service. Doing night patrol during a war game and I stepped off an area where the ground ends and the air begins. End over end down the side of a mountain. The moon wasn’t out and for obvious reason, no flashlights. I could barely ski with my bad knee before my back problems.

I have to be very careful what I lift and do. They almost decided to cut me to begin with but I wanted to at least try the shots. I guess it is just a matter of time before I go under the knife. Damn I just turned 33. I got my back injury from sleeping in the back of a van and my buddy falling a sleep with the cruise control on 75 MPH. Lets just say we hit a guard rail at a 45 mph angle. I was long ways and my head hit the back of the seat first then my whole body compacted like an accordion and my legs flipped over the seat and I was just about to go through the windshield feet first when the van then slammed sideways into the guard rail. I was upside down in the air and shot over to the sliding door, I bowed the whole door out and fell down in the step. They couldn’t figure out how I didn’t brake my neck or shatter my hip.

Anybody familiar with Arizona and the Queen Creek area, the accident happened on a bridge going over the river or wash and the van impacted about a foot after where the guard rail starts. When this accident happened, the river was overflowing due to the heavy rains. If he had drifted any sooner we would have missed guardrail and would have went straight into the river, which was freezing and fast moving. I suspect I wouldn’t be here if he had drifted off about a foot sooner. Interesting the difference a length of a foot made in my life. Of course I was young and not in the insurance biz so I didn’t know that I could file a claim against him. I gave up about $300K by not knowing.

I had just got out of the service and I think the reason why I wasn’t injured any more than I was, was due to the shape I was in. After the accident, it has been all downhill…… can't wait to see what I will be like when I hit 40
:CRY:

Jason: To play hockey at a high level your skating must be second nature. In short you can't be thinking about your skating. Took years of practice and 1000s of hours practicing and playing to get to that point before I started playing in college.

Its a great sport but to play at higher levels its limited as to those who can really play. It looks easy on T.V. but probably the most difficult sport to play at a high level.

But even if you can't really skate that well its still a hoot to play in a beginners league. Try it. You might like it unless your back is really a problem since falling is part of hockey.

Fortunately I haven't lost any teeth over the years so I still have a beautiful smile ; ). I have had teeth chipped from getting hit though (one time from being punched in a "spirited disagreement"), stiches in the inner lip, fractures of the metatarsals in my feet (both feet each at different times, the right foot twice!) being hit with slap shots causing said fractures and multiple bruises (comes with the territory as a defensemen), concussion, multiple times having the wind knocked out of me and my latest achievement (5 weeks ago) diving to save the puck from going out of the offensive zone and hitting the boards with my head and shoulder first and partially tearing my left rotator cuff. That was a treat. :JEKYLHYDE . All this in only the past 3 years.

Lets just say I buy the top of the line cup. :LOL:

My slap shot sucks. Maybe 60 mph approx. Best on the radar gun last summer was 64 mph. 70mph if I blow my shoulder out. Most of the guys in my league are good for 80mph shots. Some former AHLers and my defensive partner are good for 90mph! My snap shot is better. My wrist shot is fair. I'm not a big goal scorer. Maybe 5 goals a season over 25 games. My strength is that I am a very strong backwards skater if I don't say so myself (kinda like my thinking on Cobras : ) and am good at standing forwards up at the blue line or forcing them to the outside corners and into the boards. My major thought offensively is to pass the puck up to open center or wingers or dumping the puck out of the zone.


As to the NHL they were actually thinking of increasing the size of the rinks in the NHL due to the ever increasing size of the players. I'm 5'8" (well almost ;) ) and 205lbs.and pretty fit. I work out every other day and skate and average of 8 hours a week when I'm not playing hockey. I'm borderline as far as size for NHL scouts today. I would have to have super skills to be drafted at my size. Any smaller than 190lbs your probably not going to cut it for the NHL scouts.

As far as openning up the scoring in the NHL they did make some rule changes to help in that department. For instance overtimes are now 4 on 4. Much faster and more wide open.

Also I understand the NHL institued a policy requiring player to put their false teeth in during t.v interviews to help the image of hockey.

I don't think sticks will ever be allowed to be used in fights. That went out with the Roman Gladiators but most hockey players I know would probably welcome the idea!

Seeing the puck at speed and keeping track of it in a game is part of the difficulty of playing hockey. Takes practice and effort and concentration and good health insurance. Man those suckers hurt when they hit you!

You don't have to be crazy to play hockey. But it helps. :JEKYLHYDE

Sorry for the hockey rant (again)

Evan, Please explain "icing." What if there were no "icing" penalty? Would that not open the game up; ie losing a potential defenseman and gaining a possible "breakaway" scorer?

"I don't think sticks will ever be allowed to be used in fights. That went out with the Roman Gladiators. "



Oh but htose were the good days when athletes earned their pay or freedom! I think our prisons are an untapped. The proceeds would go to the victims and their families after costs. Live fire training for our military???


Running Man!!!! great movie!

Edley: Generally icing is passing the puck over two lines into the opposing offensive zone where it ends up behind the goal line and is first touched there by an opposing player. Taking away icing would certainly pick up the pace of the game because there would be no stoppage of play. However the stoppage of play on an icing is balanced off by a face off in the offending teams zone.

Jason: Good idea. But I would rather see thunder dome matches ala' the Road Warrior. Yeah! Now were cooking! :cool: :LOL: