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Make sure you have a written contract before you plunk down any money. There should be a strict meeting of the minds on your build, specifying exactly what you want in suspension, drive train, body, paint, engine and any options, plus dates of expected finish, and penalties if the car isn't finished by the date promised. Also, try to get a warranty and have it checked by an attorney who knows what he is doing. If you don't have it in writing, it will be a "he-said-she-said" situation should you get into litigation at a later date. I won't tell you the problems (involving thousands of dollars) I had with TR. Vintage Spyders also has had a long-lasting reputation of customers paying for orders, then not getting those paid-for items shipped unless they screamed their heads off. After having been a supporter of VS, I almost got screwed and had to threaten court action before I got what I was promised.
If I had to buy a Spyder over again, I would look to Fibersteel or the company run by Carey Hines. Some companies rob Peter to pay Paul (i.e., they take your deposit, then use that money to build a car previously ordered by someone else). Some of these so-called companies are operating on thin margins, and if they go bankrupt or if the owner gets sick and dies, your deposit might not be retrievable. So....as it has been often said, "Caveat Emptor." The biggest problem I ran into was that the owners of the two companies I had dealt with had no clue as to how to run a business or communicate on a business-like level with customers.
