Superformance - Likes and dislikes

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by fordracing65

Changing the rear gear ratios is a ***** the parts are from Australia GTO...

No,
That was the previous BTR differential. The current diff is a ZF and is used in the Camaro and Caddys, etc.

Besides your car lived for hours at high revs or so your sig used to say..............

[mikiec]

I'll make this simple. It's a great car. I looked at them when I was starting out. For me I wanted the full experience of building my own car. I'd say go for it.

Mikiec

[AZLimey]

Thanks everyone for the comments about Superformance. It is refreshing to hear that there are very few issues other than appearance (roll bar? and radiator) both of which are not a concern to me. After meeting the AZ Cobra Club and seeing the different brands I've settled on the Superformance as my choice.

[Karl Bebout]

Simon,

You won't go wrong with an SPF.

I've got a windshield decal for you, when you get your car.

Nice meeting and talking with you today.

[madmaxx]

I have owned 3.

Likes
1) resale value is very good.
2) solid car as compared to other "replicas" not as solid when compared to dailey modern cars

Dislikes
1) Paint chips very easy on the front.
2) All replicas have a paint issue's one place or another on the car. My SPF's were no different
3) Brakes are acceptable but nothing compared to a modern vehicle
4) All replicas are fragile if you want to keep in "like new" condition. I was loosely classify SPF as splash proof at best.
5) although smith instrumentation is period correct for the most part they are junk gauges.


Make sure your drive installation is done by a competent person who will warrant their work in close proximity to you house. It takes a year to sort, if you are not mechanically inclined I suggest a viper or vette as you will tire of chasing gremlins on a new car.

[fordracing65]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

No,
That was the previous BTR differential. The current diff is a ZF and is used in the Camaro and Caddys, etc.

Besides your car lived for hours at high revs or so your sig used to say..............

When I changed them in my spf it took me months to get the parts, and shipping was expensive...

[vatdevil]

My thoughts:
Body/paint: Excellent
Interior: Excellent
Wiring/Instruments: Poor ....quality, design and installation
Frame: Excellent
Steering: Poor quality...ball joints and steering column
Cooling: Good... but surge tank is low quality
Brakes: Good to poor... parking brake handle is a joke and many have upgraded the factory brakes
Suspension: OK for street use.... shocks, springs, sway bars need upgraded for aggressive driving.
Drivetrain: OK for street use.... bushings need replaced for aggressive driving.
Exhaust: OK...but factory pipes are too restrictive
Wheels/spinners....factory spinners are junk


A good car overall, but factory skips on quality components in numerous areas, mostly areas that are hidden. SPFs are overpriced, especially considering all the upgrades many do after purchase. Parts pricing from the factory are insulting. Purchased mine used for 31K. Love it, but would never buy one new, could get a Z06 instead.

[Brooklyn-427]

There certainly over priced . its possible to build aa painted ff5 or shell valley roller for a lot less using top line parts with IRS and wilwood brakes for a whole lot less.

[madmaxx]

Demographics dictate market will be flooded with used in SPF in the next 2-4 years. Most owners are pushing 70 plus years.

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn-427

There certainly over priced . its possible to build aa painted ff5 or shell valley roller for a lot less using top line parts with IRS and wilwood brakes for a whole lot less.

How do you value the labor?

[jhv48]

I concur with some of the above criticisms.

Overall appearance of quality is very good. However, I found the car needed several replacements/upgrades to meet my requirements. Your needs may vary.

1. Car felt soft and disconnected. Replaced sway bars, shocks and springs and ball joints with Cobra Valley options. Object: more settled car and firmer ride.

2. After 12,000 miles of street driving, my front end paint looked like it had been shot with a shotgun. Every little grain of sand seemed to leave a paint chip. After a minor front end occurrence, and a repaint, not a single chip in another 12,000 miles.

3. I have replaced the oil temp gauge three times, oil pressure line to braided steel instead of the supplied leaky plastic line.

4. Sidepipes were extremely quiet and restrictive. Measured 1 3/4" ID when examined. Fine for a small 302 at best. I Replaced them with 3" ID pipes and woke up the engine and my neighborhood.

5. Replaced the quick jacks with overriders because I got tired of hitting my shins on them every time I walked around the car.

6. Replaced the stock wheels and tires because the supplied Sumitomos drove like banana peels. And I really wanted polished wheels.

7. Replaced over-flow plastic bottle for a better looking billet container.

After 6 years, and 24,000 miles, I have had three different engines, three different sets of wheels and tires and two different transmissions. I think I'm about done tweaking this car. It's exactly the way I want it.

For now!

[madmaxx]

Another gripe is the plastic oil pressure sending tube and push connector. What a roller cost now $50K.

I love the deep sound of the spf stock pipes. I had tried others but the high popping sound like a top fuel dragster drove me nuts. I will say the ceramic coating on the stock pipes showed rust within 6 months and the cars never saw rain. Oh, the headlight bezels showed some rust also. I had rechromed, obviously this time with nickel first and then chrome.

ground cable in truck by battery broke at terminal. elongated the hole so cable was not stressed. The aforementioned easily corrected for under $100 except the ceramic recoat which was $800. My ceramic lasted 3 years and still looked new when sold.

[keezling]

It's interesting to hear several posts about broken battery cable terminals. My sole experience with a SPF was helping a fellow with one on a group drive. The battery in this case had some movement which worked the cable until it broke off. Looked like battery was not secured properly. Lacked a hold down...

[Brooklyn-427]

That's what splits this hobby down the middle .. The guys that self build and the guys that just sign the check!

[blown871]

... not to get off tangent.. .as the original post r did ask good qustions....

However I had to laugh about the batter cable. My Experience was a funny one. I was running late meeting a bunch of people for a meal at local establishment. I was passing and driving way out of control.. (not saying it was right. .) I came into the restaurant parking lot like a rocket sideways.. parked it. (lots of elderly people were trying to figure out what the blur was)...

I came back out to find the car would not start. Immediately for some odd reason I checked battery terminal. Found the ground to frame broke!! I felt like McGyver getting it started and getting it home so fast.

[jhv48]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn-427

That's what splits this hobby down the middle .. The guys that self build and the guys that just sign the check!

I disagree. My first cobra was a FFR. My current car is a SPF and money had nothing to do with my choice. I just wanted to be able to drive the car the day I bought it. Building one, though extremely satisfying, just takes too much of my time.
I have nothing but respect for anyone that builds one of these cars in their garage. Some are crap, some are works of art. I appreciate both of them and don't hold my car above or below any of them. Well, OK, I guess mine is better than the crappy ones. Converting dozens of boxes of parts into a race car takes unlimited patience, money and a forgiving wife. To me, all SPF, BDR, CSX, ERA, Kirkham, etc., are pretty much the same build quality. All are good. FFR's are all over the map. That's why I like to inspect all FFR's as no two are the same.

And, finally, just signing the check doesn't guarantee you'll never have to turn a wrench. It usually takes a full year or two to completely sort out your new car to work out all the inherent bugs. Then the fun starts!

[AZLimey]

Thanks everyone for the informative and sometimes entertaining responses. I'm not against spinning wrenches or getting grease under my nails, but have no desire to build a car from a kit, I'm looking forward to driving. I'm a motorcyclist by nature and have bikes with quirks, issues, weirdness, strengths and weaknesses, and they all are fun. I'll take a look at some of the issues folks have mentioned, but there doesn't seem to be anything with Superformance that I won't be able to live with.

[buddyg]

I am on my 3rd SPF, I love the fact that they are built in a factory and have very good consistent quality. They are fairly reliable and the only real complaint is the parking brake sucks on mine. Also a much better car after upgrading to RT shock tower mounts, sway bars, ball joints and shocks.

[Detroit Bill]

One thing that must be pointed out. A Superformance MKIII varied over the 4,000 +/- units produced. So chassis 1,000 is different in many ways then car 3800. Some of the things people do not like have been changed long ago.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by vatdevil

My thoughts:
Body/paint: Excellent
Interior: Excellent
Wiring/Instruments: Poor ....quality, design and installation
Frame: Excellent
Steering: Poor quality...ball joints and steering column
Cooling: Good... but surge tank is low quality The factory option surge tank is stainless and very high quaility. Perhaps your car has an installer supplied tank?
Brakes: Good to poor... parking brake handle is a joke and many have upgraded the factory brakes Parking brake design has changed to integrated Wilwood caliper units that work pretty well. Previous driveshaft system was problematic at best
Suspension: OK for street use.... shocks, springs, sway bars need upgraded for aggressive driving. Again fine for most on the street. If you are seriously tracking the car yhey do need upgrades
Drivetrain: OK for street use.... bushings need replaced for aggressive driving. What bushings are you referring to?
Exhaust: OK...but factory pipes are too restrictive For huge HP setups, yes. For what may owners are running they are adequate

Wheels/spinners....factory spinners are junk


A good car overall, but factory skips on quality components in numerous areas, mostly areas that are hidden. SPFs are overpriced, especially considering all the upgrades many do after purchase. Parts pricing from the factory are insulting. Purchased mine used for 31K. Love it, but would never buy one new, could get a Z06 instead.

I would postulate that for most "Cobra" people a Z06, while a great car, is not interchangeable