anyone having trouble getting cars/parts from SAI ? - Page 5

Dan Semko · #81 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 05:47 AM

Why don't you contact Dream Master and make a deal on a new Superformance?

Dream Master · #82 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 08:32 PM

What a shame. Lesson learned. To bad this didn't happen to Conrad Hilton or Jay Leno, they could laugh at this kind of money, but this poor guy made a loan on his house to buy his dreamcar, and over 20 months later he's owning up to his responsibility by paying his notes (basicaly all interest), but he has no car.

Others are lining up to but down deposits with this same company, on mystery cars that no one has even seen a picture of.

Someone told me today that their was one car, but it was totaled out, and now they don't have any at all. No wonder no pictures. Maybe they are smart enough to know that a digital picture contains the date info and that would sink this enthusiasm for "possiblly to be built sometime in the future cars"

Tom T. · #83 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 10:26 PM

Somehow I doubt that. I'm no fan of SAI, but they're coming after you since they couldn't beat you in court, and it's doubtful that the cars will be imaginary, or, if not imaginary, crap. SAI is targeting your price point on purpose, obviously. They mean to give you a run for your money. The situation you just happened to come across and comment on some time after the thread had died is a mess, no doubt about it. Like someone else said earlier, however, the more you continue like this the more you actually diminish yourself and your product. We know you're pissed, so take that energy and beat them in the marketplace. This is no way to do it.

TT

csx700? · #84 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 10:50 PM

Tom T.
I beg to differ with you this is NOT a "dead thread". I happen to be the customer that purchased this vehicle and still have NOT come to an agreement with sai on this situation.........the nightmare continues.........just tonight I talked with another sai purchaser (will not give his name, lives back east) about his misfortune with sai........

p.s. i'm in no way affilated with "dream master" or "spf"

Turk · #85 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 11:02 PM

So one customer has a difficulty with a car bought from Shelby, Kirkhams and Shelby are working on making it right, up to and including shipping it back to Poland for whatever needed to be done, now the whole company is bogus!

"deposits on mystery cars"!!!
Easy there!!

I think CSX700? has all the reason in the world to be livid! He is getting the royal runaround. He should be compensated for his inconvenience. I thought at one time they offered to refund the purchase price. Am I wrong on this?

How tacky is to take advantage of the situation with a slander against the company who have delivered cars to everyone else as promised and on time?
If CSX700? was doing the attacking it would be understandable, when someone else who doesn't have a pony in that race does it, it is just plain wrong.
What if he listened to you and bought an SPF. He would have an SPF, not a CSX.?
Doesn't sound good does it?

If it were me, I wouldn't care too much about the company's fulfillment of other owner's orders, I would be demanding that they take care of me.
I would be on the next plane to Las Vegas.

csx700? · #86 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 11:18 PM

turk
as for the refund issue. the only thing i was offered was the option of letting the dealer that i bought the car thru try and resell it and then they would return my money. as for the trips to sai (my dealer which is about an hour away and many long distance calls, or las vegas) there has been many.........as for the kirkhams, they have been VERY standup about this situation......

decooney · #87 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 11:25 PM

csx700?,

does the original receipt (where you paid someone in full, and hopefully it was dated and signed) state anywhere that you would receive the car from them within two weeks time?

If so, IMO that individual or the related company named on the receipt could be held liable and accountable for recovery of your losses... Or, that person/company in good faith could have arranged for a replacement while what you purchased was sent back to the refurb line in Poland. Wow, what requires that kind of fix to have to be shipped back to Poland?

Or,
you could think of it this way... It takes up to a year and a half on the list to get a quality ERA, so if you get it within a year you are still doing pretty good! Good Luck.

Turk · #88 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 11:28 PM

CSX700?
Please don't think for a moment that I am suggesting you should sit still and turn the other cheek. I believe you have done that over and over.
My comments in no way meant to negate your inconvenience and your gripes. You should be free to do and say whatever.
If it had been me, I would have made enough noise to be heard all over. I think (considering the time this whole thing is taking) you have been very nice.

I am in disagreement with others who have an axe to grind using your misfortunes to plug their own opinions regarding an entire company. As if SPF never had a single disgruntled customer.
I think it is tacky.

I would be saying the same if it was the other way around.

There is only one person in here who has Carte Blanche to say whatever. You know the circumstances first hand. We don't.
Maybe folks from SAI would come back and try to clear the air, since this issue is very much in the public domain. If they don't others are capable of forming their own opinions without any help from the competitors.

mr bruce · #89 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 03:42 AM

Why did the vendor send a substandard car to SAI in the first place? If it wasn't rite ,it shouldn't have been shipped from the git go.

Excaliber · #90 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 09:00 AM

Let me review the history, see if I've got it right.

This is one of the new (the first?) 289 FIA cars? Shipped from Poland to SAI. During the build some major problems were discovered with the car, so major it had to be shipped BACK to Poland for repairs. Repairs completed and the car is shipped back to SAI for completition.

So the car is in Las Vegas and the build is once again underway?

Ernie

Tom T. · #91 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 09:54 AM

CSX 7000,

Okay, not a "dead thread," but rather one without any posts from July 1, 2003, until August 18, 2003, when, through pure coincidence following the SAI announcement concerning the new roller manufacturing and pricing strategy, Dream Master just "stumbled" across the thread. As to your situation, I've already said it's a mess; nobody should have to go through what you've had to endure. I apologize if I gave you the impression I was unsympathetic to your situation--it's awful. And, it does not speak too well, to me at least, about SAI. I've never been a fan of SAI--when the company went after Factory Five and Superformance I posted a lot against its tactics. Along with others I wrote a lengthy letter to the federal patent and trademark office, setting forth numerous reasons why the trade dress allegations were, to my mind at least, nonsensical. I provided a copy to someone sympathetic to the SPF cause--he was going to use it to help in defending the lawsuit, as I recall. Unlike you, I never bought an SAI car, and likely never will. You deserve much better treatment and a much better result than what has happened to you so far. But it's very difficult to keep a straight face around here when Doug attempts to characterize his involvement as somehow coincidental, and motivated only by his desire to be sure all are adequately warned, counseled by him, whatever. That's just ludicrous.

Best of luck with your car, you deserve much better.

Tom T.

Dan Semko · #92 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 10:23 AM

Dream Master,
I am fortunate in that I enjoy the privilege of owning BOTH a Superformance and a CSX. In addition, I have had excellent dealer service and maintained a good rapport for several years.

If you are stating that Superformance has not experienced similar problems with their customer base, I believe that you are incorrect. Want me to name a few? Your continued stabbing at Shelby American is unprofessional and certainly NOT exemplary of the Superformance philosophies. I know several SPF dealers and they have avoided this type of internet interaction because they know that it is unbecoming of their marque and because they realize that they will be subjected to a public roasting.
You should be just about well done about now. Come on Doug, what the hell are you trying to accomplish?

csx700? · #93 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 12:12 PM

it looks as though this thread has been closed ?? please read the following though.
abought 3 weeks ago i went and picked up my car from mccluskey's. i was very impressed by the quality of work of both he and the kirkhams had done. i finally felt that this project was heading in the right direction. that was until a few days ago when i was contacted by someone (i will not disclose who but thank you for letting me know) and told that i needed to check the play in the wheel bearings of my car.
it turns out that 3 of the 4 wheels have about a 1/4 inch of play in them , potential problem? well i figure i need to remove the suspension from the frame anyway to repaint it (how many of you "spf" owners have had to do this on your "new" car?). during the suspension removal i notice that the pivot bolts for the control arms have washers haphazardly installed on them, some have washers, some don't, some have washers stacked on yop of each other? i'm not sure what to expect as i start removing the suspension at all 4 corners. i'm distressed at what i find, some of the washers are the wrong size (inside diameter of the washer is larger than the outside diameter of the pivot bolts they are on. this has caused the washers to gall into the suspension bushings and steel sleeves causing damage to both and the washers. all this on a car that has not seen a mile of pavement under it's own power. i called my "sai" dealer and they asked if i could email them photos of the damage? i emailed them and "sai" at the same time. the next thing i hear from "sai" is that they want to pick the car up and take it back to las vegas (after i put the car back togther) so they can repair it at no charge to me, DAAAAAA. i feel like i've bought a yoyo at this point. i emailed bob marsh and suggested that he call me so that we can talk person to person, no phone call but i do get a an email repeating the same repair offer and wanting to know what i wanted to do. i submitted an offer to him about wanting to install the correct heim joint style control arms that kirkham originally built the car with (it would be nice to be able to align the car properly). bob marsh emailed me back the next day and said the repairs i suggested were out of the question because "sai" could not and would not guarantee the quality of the repairs and the parts not meeting "sai" high standards. at this point i don't think "sai" should be talking about "quality" and "high standards". i suggested to bob that i would be willing to sign a waiver for both the parts, repair and the vehicles warranty. i also was willing to perform all the repairs myself, (i'm a certified technician) at no cost to "sai". i think he liked the idea of me doing the repairs versus them shipping the car back at thier expense because he offered to ship the damaged parts back to "sai" for inspection and then they would replaced and damaged parts and send them back to me. at least i would be at ease knowing the car was put back together properly! we finally arranged a conference call between bob, my "sai" dealer and myself that really amounted to nothing but bob's original offer of replacing damaged components and me doing the work. bob marsh stated that during the cars body work repairs that the car had been out of thier control and that "sai" should have checked the car over before releasing it to me. mind you "sai" had already released this car to me back in feb. i know that when the body work has nothing to do with the suspension.
i'm so reassured at this point that i decided to get the "component" package rather than the "roller", who knows what would be under me driving the later?
i have lost sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much confidence in the quality and components that "sai" is supposed to stand for that it makes me ill to think of how much money i have spent on this restoration project.
if your a potential "sai" purchaser please do yourself a favor, save your time, your money, your interest on your money, your phone bill, heart ache, your sanity, etc............and if you must have an aluminum body cobra buy it from "kirkham" and then if you really need a "csx" number take the 20k to 30K you saved and buy a "csx" number from "sai", they will sell anything.

p.s. for those of you that are interested or in dought about what i've said i have emails and photos i would be happy to share with you about my restoration.

LateApex · #94 (**permalink**) 09-05-2003, 01:26 PM

You know, I checked this out as it was linked in so kindly by Doug Reed. Doug, we were lucky to get you to respond to any tech questions on SCOF when I was a member. I must say you have become quite internet savvy as of late.

I have two comments to make, well maybe more.

1. CSX700?, your situation is a sad one and I feel for you. Knowing about how many 289 FIA cars and bodies have probably been sold since you got yours, I have to scratch my head why SAI did not offer to just swap your car for another that Kirkham may have had in inventory. If there is a good reason why this didn't happen, I'd love to hear it from you or they. Seems it would have been the right thing to do, rather than have you wait for the fix.

2. You have not posted anything tangible about the status of your car since end of June. Rather than rant and rave in generalities, what has been the progress since then and what have you been told.

P.S. CSX700?, If it were I, I would have tried the offline approach to getting it fixed, and then gone straight to legal action. My lawyers would be doing the correspondance at this point if it had been me. Unfortunately once you go public like this, it can be used for or against you should it go to court, so be mindful of what you say.

daltondavid · #95 (**permalink**) 10-18-2003, 08:19 AM

Wow! I just saw this thread. Nightmare cannot describe this situation. In the court of Public opinion, you should have been refunded your money or offered another product once SAI realized there was a big time issue involved. I am glad I found this as I am Doing my homework now on these cares. I was at the SAI plant/factory for a Shelby convention and I liked what I saw. I am a Brand loyalist. I will certainly use the knowledge gained here in my conversations with the COBRA dealer I see next week!

csx700? · #96 (**permalink**) 10-18-2003, 10:39 PM

as a former owner of both a '67 and a '69 GT 500 (owned in the early 80's), i know where your coming from and felt the same way. unfortunately the "csx" number is what i wanted. i originally posted on this website not to bad mouth anyone but to inform others about my dealings with "sai" and thier product. i must say that at this time i have replaced everything that "sai" provided with this car except for the suspension, but it looks like most of that is next on the list. i expected a premium product (this is what "sai" keeps telling everyone) for premium price but that is far from what i got not to mention "sai's" attitude to what should have been considered a "loyal customer".

p.s. maybe "sai" should just start selling " shelby signature series snake oil " ?

Dan Semko · #97 (**permalink**) 10-19-2003, 08:13 AM

If you're tired of waiting for a CSX number, my CSX is listed on ebay. The car is exceptionally well sorted and has more NOS parts than many that have sold for much more in the past. Check it out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2437911032

csx700? · #98 (**permalink**) 10-19-2003, 08:42 AM

hi dan
it looks like a beatiful car. i'll have to pass on it though as mine sits in my garage with the suspension removed and waiting for the frame to be repainted. i do have to ask though, why are you selling such a nice car?

Dan Semko · #99 (**permalink**) 10-19-2003, 09:39 AM

Number 3 is in negotiations and my wife said that she'd be driving the next cobra. Since she doesn't drive stick, the thought of an automatic just doesn't seem "right"

Excaliber · #**100** (**permalink**) 10-19-2003, 09:45 AM

Well, some of the originals did have an automatic......

wait, I ain't going there, your right Dan, some how it don't seem "right". ha ha

Ernie