[Robert Logan]

Hershal, and all our SA built car Owners,

I have GOOD news to pass on regarding the completion of our South African cars.

The bodywork is now being made and all moulds finished. This has taken much longer than I expected but the quality is exceptional. There were a few blemishes and other small errors that are on our moulds in Australia. These have been removed / repaired before the new moulds were made. The major problem with the GRP was that our initial company doing our work took on to much other work and the progress on Roaring Forties work slowed down to a unacceptable level. This ment that a suitable company with the correctly skilled staff with the capacity to do our work was to be found. This was imposible to find (spare capacity part anyway). The company we chose to use have a wealth of experience in the car area and associated work but their owner insisted that he prepare all the moulds . This ment that a substancial ammount of work was wasted and had to be started again. More bills !!!!!

The next major hurdle we had was that I insisted that we get 17" BRM pin drive wheels specially made for our cars. I originally intended to use the "Vintage Wheels" that you see on this forum (banners above) but they did not fit our cars and to my suprise they were unavailable for our cars. This ment that I would have to commission a new set of front and rear moulds to be made and at this point I decided that our wheels would look like the original as much as posible. This ment a lot of drawings to and from South Africa with amendment after amendment and eventually what I wanted. This takes time but I am very happy with the results (our first machined samples are to be delivered this week to Cape Town). The rest of the first four cars parts are more or less there so the hold up is bodies.

The first pair of cars are (my luck) a pair of Quick Build that are going to the UK. The reason I say my luck is that when we get the body parts (they have just started to flow), and they take a week for a car set to be made, we have to fit them. This process will take almost another week so and this is exactly where we are. The second pair of cars which are going to the USA are Turn Key cars and additional to the fitting of the bodies, they need painting and trimming. The trimmers have done the dashes and seats but need to fit carpets etc and the paint shop has been ready and waiting for weeks and weeks (as our first owners have). Once these first cars have been sent to the UK then the expected turn round time of our cars is the time to produce the bodywork. I expect to be able to send four cars from Cape Town every month.

I believe that my company has a reputation of supplying a good car. I take emense pride in that fact but I also refuse to send out a car that is not right. These first cars in South Africa have taken much longer and cost much more (never heard that before) but we are so close to the first cars leving and most importantly CORRECT.

I have some business (I am playing for my state at hockey (field) in the Australian Championships next week) and I will be in South Africa the week after that. I will be staying in South Africa for many weeks and this is to pack the first cars into the containers MYSELF. Over the last four to five months I have been breaking in a manager to run Roaring Forties Australia for me. I interviewed him in February this year but it took almost four month to get him here. Robert Sharples is his name and he has proved to be a great asset to the Australian part of our business and this has allowed me to get to South Africa to do what I need to do. To keep a close eye on what is going on over there. I have also been helped out by our friend on this forum, Andre (Andre40), who is my "eye and ears" in Cape Town while I am not there. Andre has reported on all aspects of the business and has sent me numereous photographs of the progress of all aspects. He is a great guy with a heart of gold. Andre is preparing a detailed report on the first cars and this is overdue to me and will be passed on as soon as I receive it.


The first TWELVE chassis have been built. Almost all the parts are in South Africa for the first EIGHT cars (4 in UK and 4 in USA) and the bottleneck of the bodies is all but broken.

Is this the last problem we will come across, never, I have problems appearing in Australia all to often. What we can do is ensure that we deal with the ones that come out of the blue and minimise the ones that we control.

Again I thank you all for you continued support of this VERY difficult task. The first cars are only days away and as much as all our new owners, I am also that expectant father waiting for the birth.

Best wishes to you all,

Robert