What is the build and delivery time of your RF?

[John B]

Thanks for everyones input. Alot of question have been anserwed. Now it is up to Robert to and his team to be communication experts. As I stated,if we have the information regarding our cars will only further the progress of the RF company. I as well as others will look foward to the photo's
and the progress of our cars....

Best regards

Oliver

 

[Robert Logan]

Well here goes again.

I spent over three hours trying to get ALL I wanted to pass on to all our customers yesterday morning and then the computer shit itsself and nothing. I spoke with Rick close to midday, SA time, and I was involved with meetings till after eight last evening (business meetings).

I will break down this thread response to a series of 'chapters' and post them that way.

So what has happened in South Africa.

In August this year I employed Andre to keep me informed on a weekly basis as to the progress of the cars. I was paying him from Australia. I had been acutely aware of the justafible wories of our customers and the progress reports were to alieviate those worries. The reports that he sent were of a 'general' report in that they were of the progress of outside contractors, like the glass work and shots of the moulds being made. I had requested specific reports on the individual cars and so I dispatched Sam (one of my staff from Australia) to see how things were going. He made a template for the reports and came back to Australia with a detailed report of the position of the first four cars build. I reconfirmed my requirements for the reports and the type of report and to use the template that had been given them. The reports continued in their OLD style and no amount of jumping up and down by me was able to change the style or content of these reports. I eventually threatened to sack Andre and low and behold a functional report in the style I had requested. The problem was that it was not nice reading. The had not been the progress I would have hoped for.

At this point I was a couple of weeks away from playing for my state team at the Australian Masters Hockey Championships and as I was obligated to play and had given my word that I would play I arranged for flights to Cape Town as soon as the finals were over.

On arival into Cape Town I had discussions with Andre regarding the reports. Andre has been very closely linked to the staff at Cape Town and confessed that he had used his discression regarding the content of the reports. His loyalty , in my opinion, was misguided.

So what was wrong?

There was a lack of a business manager and therefore CLEAR dirrection. Let me say here that I am not a director or shareholder in the South African company Cam Co, that makes our cars . They are only a supplier of mine and therefore I needed to tread carefully. To his credit Robbie Senekal had been working very hard but without the requisite background in management. His skills building the cars is exceptional but 'horses for courses' as they say. Robbie has allowed me to take this very important role of production / business manager with Cam Co. This role I will be doing as we train up a full time person for the post. Together with this I have been forming a new company with some excellent backers with all the skill sets required to drive a project of this size. I am very happy with the new company structure and even more happy with the personal that are now around the table.

End of chapter 1

Robert

 

[Robert Logan]

Chapter 2.

So with a new company and a manager working with great assistance on all the planning where are we and what are the expected deliveries of our cara.

I made a full infentory of all the parts in hand, the parts fitted to cars, the parts ordered and therefore the parts that need to be ordered. I have made a detailed plan for the first 2 cars (quick builds to the UK) and the second 2 cars (turn key's to the USA) and I am just finishing the plans for the next 4 cars also. I will obviously continus past the first 8 cars but I need to implement these plans first and moniter them and even change them if required.

The first 4 cars have been skinned with aluminium and the first UK car is having the bodywork finished as I write this (photos as soon as finished). The next 4 cars chassis are all made and powdercoated and the following 4 cars have had their chassis made but not powdercoated. Most of the parts are completed for the first 8 cars.

Delivery dates.

As I have always stated, I would like to produce 4 cars a month. It is only at this number that the numbers match up and truethfully I do not want to be much bigger than that as "I want a life" and have no asperations of driving the Roaring Forties brand to the position of Superformance. That said, I have the greatest of respect for Jimmy Price but I do not want all his headaches.
With a production aim of 4 cars a month, I believe that we need time to steady the ship and make sure that the production schedules are correct and managable. We have to grow with staff and I must place the correct protocols in place. This being said all I have to do is transfer them from Australia so I am not inventing the wheel or anything. I have combined the first 8 cars and set a deadline for those cars. They encompass all the different types of cars we build here in South Africa and even encompass many of the options. The time I have allowed for the first 8 cars is till the end of Jan '06 as you will see below and there after 4 a month. I believe that these are attainable goals and with the additional time allowed for with the first 8 cars than the Cape Town operation should be on a sound footing to continue with 4 cars a month.

The list below shows shipping dates, type and chassis number for the first 24 cars. We have some additional cars ordered but I do not have these details with me in South Africa.

#118 Q UK Nov'05
#119 Q UK Nov'05

#108 TK USA Dec'05
#109 TK USA Dec'05

#120 D UK Dec'05
#137 D UK Dec'05

#110 T USA Jan'06
#115 T USA Jan'06


#124 T UK Feb'06 UK Demo
#132 T UK Feb'06

#126 D USA Feb'06
#135 D USA Feb'06

#125 D UK Mar'06
#142 T UK Mar'06

#121 T USA Mar'06
#122 T USA Mar'06

#128 UK Apr'06
#160 Q UK Apr'06

#127 T USA Apr'06
#129 T USA Apr'06

#136 T USA May'06
#116 T USA May'06

#139 T USA May'06
#150 T USA May'06



More later,

Robert

 

[Robert Logan]

Chapter 3.

In conclusion, I think that the South African project has been a great deal harder than I ever expected and I had started Roaring Forties in Australia from scratch. I supose that age dims the reality of just how hard that Australian project was and that I am enjoying the Roaring Forties Australia experience so much that I forgot the hard yeards that my staff and I put in some eight years ago. I am glad that my sences were nummed as I supose with hindsight I would not have taken on such a large project but it was done to offer the Roaring Forties at the RIGHT price. As I have heard on so many occasions lately, nothing worth having comes easy, I supose I just did not expect it to be so hard.

There are various people that I need to thank for all their support regarding the South African project. I simply could not have done it without them. Hershal (in the USA)and Rick (in the UK) have had to field many enquiries. They have passed on questions and much advice over the last six month and before. They have and continue to have full faith in the project and for this I thank them. To Ron Earp and the many other members on the forum that have contacted me with their support and understanding, again I thank you. For our customers who have remained faithful and patience I particularly thank you. Without customers non of us have businesses. I am sorry that information has been slow in coming out of South Africa but with six visits to Cape Town by either me or Sam and almost daily telephone conversations I believed that I was doing all I could. I was wrong and NOW I am doing ALL I can.

To my staff in Australia and in particular to Rob Sharples who is running the show and to Sam, again I thank and I look forward to having a'cold one' at Christmas.

Best wishes,

Robert

 

[John B]

Robert,

Thankyou for the detailed report. The shipping dates are great but are subject to change for earlier delivery because your gaining momentum .

Oliver

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Well, most of this is news to me. I am glad that Robert has gone to South Africa and was able to get a handle on things and give this report. However, the list that he has posted is inaccurate. There are several cars near the bottom that do not belong there. My car is #127. I removed it from the line and it should be at the bottom. I'm sorry but I'm leaving for the SEMA show in Vegas as soon as I finish this post. I will have Robert correct this list as soon as I return on Thursday.

Hersh

 

[John B]

Good point!

I did not click in my mind until after your post. I orderd my car June 2/05 with the shipping date promised in Febuary/06. Per your e-mail/converstations, you told me that my car was skinned and that you were just waiting for the fiberglass; and that I will get the car in april. Looking at the list from robert Im 3rd from the bottom. How can this be? The order dates must have been confused because you told me that several people have place orders since mine...not including the UK.
If the current list is correct, I can pretty much forget about next summer.Please get with robert and correct the confussion because i'm sure other people are thinking the same thing.


regards

John

 

[John B]

Robert,

To clear up the confusion, please post the order dates and reference the date to the chassis # so the buyers don't think that they are being put on the back burner. I was given #116 as a result of a cancellation. This also pushed up the line for completion as I understand that when somone cancells, the new buyer goes to the end of the line.
regards
john

 

[Dan W]

[ QUOTE ]
Oliver :
When I first ordered my RF, I was told It would take 9 to 10 months for delivery. I orderd My car On 6/2/05

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
#116 T USA May'06



[/ QUOTE ]
This doesnt sound far off of 10 months when you figure the delay for the Fibreglass rework .
Good luck and congrats Robert on getting the ball rolling and take care of yourself, Dan

 

[John B]

Still waiting for the reason why the UKk cars are in front of the usa cars due to the UK operation
was'nt activated to well into 2005. In addition a few people emailed me that they cancelled their orders so the list for deliveries SURLY is incorrect. Thanks for the picture of the rims...Can we see pictures as promissed of the cars that are due to be shipped in November.

Regards
Oliver

 

[Ian K]

[ QUOTE ]
Still waiting for the reason why the UKk cars are in front of the usa cars due to the UK operation
was'nt activated to well into 2005. In addition a few people emailed me that they cancelled their orders so the list for deliveries SURLY is incorrect. Thanks for the picture of the rims...Can we see pictures as promissed of the cars that are due to be shipped in November.

Regards
Oliver

[/ QUOTE ]

Rick Chattell was involved with RF in mid 2004 in the UK.
The first UK RF (#99 I believe) was delivered Sep 2004,
and the Exeter show in Dec 2004 saw 3 orders placed.

Ian

 

[Chris Simpson]

Hi Oliver

I am one of the first due to receive a kit in the UK. Roaring Forties in the UK (via their agents Thruxton Sports Cars) was very much up and running at the Exeter Kit Car show here in November 2004. I even met Robert there. I said that I would like to order a kit at the end of November 2004. Doesn't that put me before you in the delivery chain?

Chris
Kit # 119

 

[John B]

Yes it does! But you orders were for the oz plant production and not S.Africa. I will let Robert explain... But don't be upset with me... these question were given to me by e-mails from other Rf owners that have there car on order.

regfads oliver


Also...I should have been more specific... I should have stated Some but not All UK orders.

 

[Ian K]

[ QUOTE ]
Rick Chattell was involved with RF in mid 2004 in the UK.
The first UK RF (#99 I believe) was delivered Sep 2004,
and the Exeter show in Dec 2004 saw 3 orders placed.

Ian

[/ QUOTE ]

Ron PM'd me, so I should clarify - the above statement is not
meant to imply that those 3 orders are going through the
SA facility, I just wanted to point out that
Rick Chattell and RF have had the UK operation in place
as early as mid 2004, and definitely by Dec 2004. So it is
possible that there are UK orders in the pipeline at the
SA facility ahead of US orders.

Anywho, I expect to see some official reply from Robert, Hersh,
or Rick at some point.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Chris Simpson]

Hi again Oliver

I'm not upset with you - just wanted to put the record staight! I have always assumed that kits will be delivered according to when the order was placed. Where the kit is manufactured is, I think, immaterial to the customer - although the transfer of production to South Africa meant that there was a very welcome reduction in the cost.

I am still waiting patiently for my kit. I would rather it is delivered late with first class quality than rushed out just to meet some previously promised deadline. When an operation like this is set up from scratch, it seems to be a law of nature that things will not go according to plan and it will cost more than originally envisaged.

Regards

Chris

 

[John B]

I agree as long as communication is fowarded to the buyer.

oliver

 

[Robert Logan]

Oliver,

The UK cars are before the USA cars because they are KITS and the USA cars are TURN KEY. This means that if started together the kits are finished FIRST therefore they would be shipped first. There is NO other reason.

Regarding the first UK cars or that matter any of the UK cars on the list and to that matter the first four US cars, all these customers were offered the large discount from the Australian manufactured car price to the South African price when I announced that we were manufacturing our cars in Cape Town. The order is correct and both of the first two UK cars are in the correct position.

Best wishes,

Robert

 

[Jonathan Strain]

Robert,

My car, #150 is incorrectly listed as a turnkey. Mine is a delux kit. Does that change my delivery date?

 

[John B]

OK...!!!!

WOW!!!

No problem robert..Thanks for the Reply..Now can we see the new list due to cancellations?.

And the pictures of the progress as promissed for the us to see. Gee! I have asked for a month now and all the pictures this forum has seen are Rims. It's nice to see wheels NOW HOW ABOUT THE FRICKEN CARS AND THERE PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oliver

 

[Tim Kay]

Gee Oliver, why not consider getting your money back and buy a completed turn key from someone who's already sorted their car? You'd be on the road driving\racing and enjoying with a smile on your face within a couple weeks/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Just a thought /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif