JPS Motorsports Build

Jerry:

 

Sounds like things are progressing well, so far.

 

John is a sweetie, but it would be prudent to line up someone from his area to drop in and check on things from time to time, just to be certain.  Someone from here might be able to help.

 

If you travel out there to do a pre-acceptance/pre-ship inspection and shake-down cruise (HIGHLY recommended), please consider using this checklist as your acceptance criteria minimum.  We've seen a few JPS cars delivered to the East Coast (do a search on here) that would have benefitted from both a pre-acceptance shake down ride (for a day or so, not just around the block) as well as checking stuff on the list to correct them before shipping.

 

Here's the list:

 

https://www.speedsterowners.com...acceptance-checklist

 

thanks Gordon -   and if anyone is willing- I would appreciate a drop by  at JPS in a couple of weeks as I am unable to leave NJ  and go out to N Hollywood-let me know and I will advise when the car is ready to drive..

You should send that checklist to JPS, with a checkoff box beside each item.

this is why I agreed to let John show my car in his booth at Carlisle-Im sure he will want to  make sure the car is right and I will be agreeable to taking prospective buyers for a ride.

Jerry, I can swing by next Saturday (3/29) and take a look for you.  Check your PMs.

Tom--that would be great--where do I see PM's-haven't gone there before

Click the "Dialogs" box at the top of this page in the upper right corner.

 

 

Great checklist.....Thanks!

 

Jerry, glad to hear your comments as I mailed JPS a deposit this week.

 

 

Jerry,

I will be visiting my JPS subie/speedster in progress on sat 3/29.

 

great- Dan-if you don't mind please take a close look at mine--what stage is yours supposed to be at--maybe you could call me from there  973-641-4142--you too Tom-thanks guys

Just finished paint.

I also added photo of the donor!

 

what color is that Dan, looks close to my vapor grey-what color interior?  could be an urn from my VS wreck-funny-- its a storage box that Ill keep on the shelf behind the seats...

Wow, that's really beautiful, Jerry.  Nice work.

 

Any interest in making more (with proper remuneration, of course)?  Perhaps an insulated one that could hold a six-pack of deeelicious... waters?

Jerry ,

As seen in the photos, your wide body is darker.

That's going to be a great color for your Speedster!  I have always admired John Steele's paint---as good as any from any company out there.  On his website you can see a selection of cars with gorgeous paint qualityif you select "makers" at the top of this page and select JPS. 

 

Tell john that you want him to do the fix to stop any water peneetration in the spaces in the front of the rear wheels that he can do.  He told me how to do this and It worked beautifully for me. My floor is always bone dry in any rainstorm which is not always true of a Speedster.

Don't worry about John, his work is the best!!!!!!!!!!

Tom and Dan--I spoke to John at JPS this morning--he felt that if you guys were going to look at my car, I was not trusting him-which is not the case-so tread lightly-I tried to explain that you were not dropping by specifically to look at my car

Wow, me thinks he doth protest too much.

 

Seriously? That's kind of a paranoid way for him to react. If they are going to be there why not have a peep at a car, especially if they know the owner / where it's going.

 

Just my dos pesos. I'll stay out of it, but that seems kind of like an odd way of thinking to me.

 

Ted

 

 

I had John build my little green coupe in 2007.  All I asked was that he make sure all the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed when he was done.  No deadlines, no phone check up visits or calls, just call me when he needed to.  I've had the car almost 7 years now and except for oil and filter changes and Larry Jowdy performed regular maintainance, I have done nothing but drive it.  Let John do his work under his terms and I think you have a good chance of being very satisfied.

 

Open door policy allows for potential new business

"he felt that if you guys were going to look at my car, I was not trusting him"

 

  

What kind of BS is this?  Anyone who is paying him a lot of good money to build a car for them, 3,000 miles away, should have someone periodically checking on progress.  That's just good business sense in this case.  

The guy ships at least two cars to the East Coast with major issues - some of them safety related - which were all documented on here and had to be corrected either by the East Coast SOC "Swat Team" or through local mechanics and he thinks that we might not "Trust him"??

 

It's a business relationship!  He's only upset because he read this thread (among others) and knows we have reasons not to "trust him".

 

He lets the West Coast guys drop in and check on progress, because we hear from them on here that they're doing it.  What's the difference?  The difference is that they are close enough to visit.  Often, if they wish, especially after delivery, so he has to keep them happy.  And if he's doing a good job, what has he got to hide?  All someone else's eyes and ears would do is confirm his workmanship (or maybe THAT is the issue?)

 

All the more reason to have someone independent (or you, yourself, but not JPS) go over the car with a fine-toothed comb against that checklist I published before you make the final payment and/or take delivery of it.  Once you get it delivered it will be far more difficult to get things corrected.  Past experience is a great teacher, here.

 

There's nothing like knowing exactly what you're getting versus what you contracted for, before you pay for it, before it ships 3,000 miles from the builder and before you're stuck with it.  

x2.  When I picked up my car @ S.E. I got another tour, whether I wanted it or not ;-).  Of course, it's always fun & I never get the sense that anything has been staged for my visit.  I get to see the shop & meet the people as they are.  I never really thought about it before, but the open shop policy definitely increases the trust factor.

John has to be John. He can't be anybody else, which is to his own detriment.

It's a pity.

I know I started this thread and some goods points have been voiced-- I have reason to want to know how the build looks so far--and that has to do with the disappointment I had with my VS and was actually not to upset when it was totaled--but lets ease up a bit on John-- the  build will speak for itself in the end.

It's prudent to keep abreast of progress and take nothing for granted. This with certainty is good for all parites involved and avoids misunderstanding(s) and or disappointment.

i.e. ...building a home, renovations etc. hey, even building a speedy.

Yes, the build will certainly speak for itself! X3 what Gordon said. I'm not looking to start a war, I know there are some very nice cars that John built. And some not so much, as I was on the East Coast team of hooligans that banded together and fixed a certain car. Why the hell would a builder have a problem with one person coming in to look at a car for someone far, far away?

If you are paying, you should be invited to see what is happening.  This is not only good business, but good PR.  Prima donna's are best at the opera, not at a bespoke carrozzeria!

The thing I like about Henry at Intermeccanica is that he constantly sends photographs of the progress of a build.  He is more than glad to have anyone drop in to see a car that is being built for someone who lives far away.

 

And yes, Vince, I know an IM costs too much....

 

 

 

"...not too upset when it was totaled"

 

Jerry, when you announced that incident with the VS my very first thought was that the accident mercifully solved all of your niggling sorting headaches!...and that, at last, you'd be getting a good night's sleep. 

great instincts!

I was just at JPS last Friday, he's a very busy guy, very responsive, attentive and a dear friend.  His business is doing well.   I have a 1986 Carrera i drove up there from south orange county it took me 2 hours in traffic to get there then came home another two hours, my leg was sore from downshifting  but well worth the trip.  John is a very unique individual who can do alot of things you ask him to do, it's just money.  Now many builders can do that.  I am in the hunt for one, i use to have one many years ago, and i want to get one now . Anyone know what the ongoing price is for a turn key with Kirk at Vintage Speedsters?

I like to comment on this as well checking in and out from time to time during a build.  I had bought a VS speedster years ago, i did check from time to time , you have to. You want to make sure the process is going good and if you had special request done, to make sure that is taken care of also.  When i bought the car, i found out there were things that i needed done so i waited at the shop til they were done when i paid the final bill.  Sometimes, people can go on vacation and another employee takes over since they can become so busy, and thats what happened .Kirk was on vacation for a few weeks, had he been there, none of this would have happened.

I believe the base price for turn-key car at Vintage is $23,500 (not including the many available upgrades). 

...of which you will share with us soon.

Jim- How close is it to being finished? And don't we get at least a couple of sneak peaks?