Backdraft to New Zealand

vercoe5 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 02:08 AM

Hey you BDR guys,
Well I finally went and took the plunge. After many months of scrolling through the Club Cobra forums researching all of the makes avaliable ( and fifteen years of drooling over Cobras ) I am soon to be the PROUD DAD to a Backdraft Cobra.
One of the final processes in the decision making was looking for a manufacturer with a really strong dealership network and more importantly in my case listening to you guys rave about your experiences with the Backdraft brand.
And how COOL is this. I am going to have the first and only Backdraft Cobra in the New Zealand. I have ordered my car directly from the factory in South Africa - sorry to you yanks, but you've put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car.
One thing I would like to say is the experience I have had with Tony in South Africa has to date been nothing short of fantastic. Talk about go the extra mile for a customer. I can not talk this guy up enough. Even though I am just a single purchase and considering NZ is a million miles away from tonys traditional marketplace I can tell you this guy could own the book on customer service.
Anyway I'm EXCITED. My car is going to be ready just before the end of May and I am travelling to SA to see this marvell of human ingenuity on June 3rd.
I would like to share some of my build photos with anyone that is interested so if someone can explain to me in detail how to get photos on to this forum I would be grateful for the advice.
I expect to have delivery into Nelson, New Zealand around mid to late july which unfortunately is the middle of Winter, rest assured a little bit of cold weather, nor a bunch of wild horses, would stop me from going cruising.
Anyway thanks for listening to me rave on, and if any of you cobra conisuers are in my part of the world at any time come to Nelson and see what it is like to drive on the right side of the road - in a cobra of course.
I now look foward to many years of Cobramania.

Graham Vercoe

SACoupe · #2 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 03:58 AM

Hey Graham, Way to go bud,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I got your mail and yeah NO problems........got to run now..........so this is just a kwikky reply

Doug I · #3 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 06:39 AM

Nelson doesn't have winter !!!

I've spent enough holidays there over the years to know

Also have relatives that live there. You'll have virtually a year round driving season, and you do have some great places to go. A trip to Takaka over the hills would be a blast (used to do that on bikes).

Enjoy the Drive Graham.

Doug I

vercoe5 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 12:16 PM

Hey thanks guys.
Doug the drive over the takaka hill certainly will be an experience to savour although the one I am really looking foward to is from Nelson to Christchurch via the Lewis Pass, imagine that one with its wide open spaces fast curvy bits and long straight runs. mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Doug how far away from relising your dream are you with the prospective BDR purchase ???
I will post up some photos as soon as I figure out how.
Later

Doug I · #5 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 06:13 PM

MacKenzie Basin .... now there would be a good run. Just have to watch for rabbits

Church of the Good Shepard in Tekapo would make a good photo shoot

The old stomping ground ......

JUS BIT · #6 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 09:35 PM

Graham, a BIG CONGRATS to you!!!

Welcome to the BDR club. You'll love the car and how it drives... Any motor ideas???

Take care, James

vercoe5 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 01:44 AM

Yeah Doug,
I can certainly imagine anyware down south around the Wanaka, Tekapo, Queenstown, and Central Otago areas will feature very high on my list of places to go for the sheer isolation and driving pleasure.

vercoe5 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 01:54 AM

Thanks James,
I am going with a 342R from roush with T5 tranny. Doulbe roll bars, cover , soft top, fire extinguisher, and 17" rims.
As a cobra virgin I don't want to over power this car so once I am used to the power and handling and have the car sorted I will probably stat to then think about another car.
Cheers
Graham

uncltodd · #9 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 02:06 PM

Blessings on you for going with dual rollbars, I have no comment on the softtop.

A Roush engine with a T5? Think quickly about the new Tremec trannies.

This is the 21st Century, your 17's are not contemporary, but neither is the technology. Stay with the 17's at 18Lb.

I'm happy for you, Brudda.

The twin roll bars give a certain... symmetry... that many other Cobra drivers do not enjoy.

The next time you fly around the world, stop and see me.

UT

Doug I · #10 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 04:43 PM

Graham .... thinking about it .... consider what UT says about the tranny. A T5 is ok, and could last a good while behind 450hp/420tq with only 2400# holding it back you'll be traction limited. Put a set of sticky tires on and the T5 could be working hard to keep up. I'm with UT in suggesting one of the TKO's. That'll be the last tranny you put in.

regards
Doug I

ROUSHAC · #11 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 06:09 PM

Graham,

Congratulations on joining the madness.

I agree with Doug and UT that the T5's durability with the 342R and sticky tires may be a bit iffy.

Many fun safe miles to you!

Cheers!
Dave

vercoe5 · #12 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 06:56 PM

Thanks Guys for the advice. I'll email Tony at Backdraft in SA and query the choice and see if maybe he can't look to change to a tremec. I did initially suggest a TKO600 ?? ( i Think that's right ) and I believe it was at Reg's suggetion ( dealer in US ) that the T5 was recommended.

Dave - what do you have hooked up to your 342R ???????

Uncle Todd - I think I must of been having a bit of a girlie moment when I ordered the soft top, so I'll probably just tuck it away and use only in emergencies. As for the twin bars, I sort of like the symmetry of these and while I realise they are not part of the original look those I have seen, including yours with the double bars have always appealed to me.

Anyway great to talk to you guys, I'll keep you informed of the tranny decision once I have discussed it with Tony at Backdraft.

One other thing can any of you tell me how to get photos on to this site. I'm a Builder not a Techy so detail would be good.

ROUSHAC · #13 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 07:32 PM

Graham,

I'm running an modified AOD automatic (bad left leg and I'm tall, so not much choice on trannies, if I wanted a Cobra that I could drive).

For pic posting to your gallery here on Club Cobra, go here: http://photobucket.com/register.php , and sign up for a free account at Photobucket. You can upload pics from your computer's hard drive to your gallery there. JPEG's seem to work best for most pics. Then you can post to your galley here and into you posts with no problem.

You may have to reduce the size of the pics on your hard drive to something like 640X480 with something like Microsoft PhotoED so that the pics display well in posts. Make sure that you save the originals and rename the resized ones something similar (but different than the original) so that you don't lose the full sized originals.

Cheers!

Dave

Doug I · #14 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 07:49 PM

man ...... there I am doin' my 'seek and destroy' typing to explain how to include pics in a post and Dave beats me to it.

h2oman · #15 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 09:05 PM

Congrats!
First BDR in New Zealand, too cool. Any idea if and how many other Cobras in your neck of the woods?
You might be starting something.

vercoe5 · #16 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 12:07 AM

Ned
Thanks mate.
I have seen one but no idea if it is local or was jst visiting over the summer. Unfortunately I couldn't catch up to it let alone try and get the guy to pull over for a chat. I know there is one Superformance in Auckland which the guy up there bought froma dealer in Melbourne Australia as a turn key minus and had shipped in from the factory in SA.
Other than that there is a manufacterer in Wellngton that makes one out of all sorts of parts and there are a few of them around the country.
Certainly I do hope I start injecting some interest around the town and sooner than later get some others interested in the idea of purchasing one themselves. I guess someone has to break new ground so here's hoping.

Dave - I'll give that a try so here's hoping, as my computer skills are pitiful at best.

Doug I · #17 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 07:50 AM

I think those guys in Wellington have been building them since the 80's, obviously not in any numbers though.

ROUSHAC · #18 (**permalink**) 05-02-2007, 07:06 PM

Graham,

If you run into any problems, just PM me and I'll be happy to walk you through it, or just ask for some help here.

Once you do it, it'll be easy. We've all "been there and done that" ourselves.

Cheers!
Dave

vercoe5 · #19 (**permalink**) 05-03-2007, 02:15 AM

Thank Dave.
I'll give it a go, and thanks for the offer of help. Sometimes it's a pain using something that I know so little about, but never fear I'll either PM you for a set of detailed step by step instructions, or if all else fails I'll have my youngest daughter help me.

ROUSHAC · #20 (**permalink**) 05-03-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vercoe5

Thank Dave.
I'll give it a go, and thanks for the offer of help. Sometimes it's a pain using something that I know so little about, but never fear I'll either PM you for a set of detailed step by step instructions, or if all else fails I'll have my youngest daughter help me.

You've discovered my secret fix for computer problems that I can't solve myself.