I have been trying to contact Steve Lawing at Specialty Auto Inc. In New Tazwell TN. It goes into voicemail. Here is the number I have 865-925-2500. Can someone help me. Thank you.
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I sent an email, and he called me back within a few hours.
Run Forest, run....
Jetro can you give me the email address. The one I have is invalid. Can you give it to me. Thank you.
I just called
Whisperboo posted:I have been trying to contact Steve Lawing at Specialty Auto Inc. In New Tazwell TN. It goes into voicemail. Here is the number I have 865-925-2500. Can someone help me. Thank you.
I just called Steve at that number and hung up on him and he called me right back. Smooooth talker as always. Build time estimated at 24 months.....$10K down and four more equal payments as things progress along the build process. He has a coupe almost complete right now that he'll show me later in May when we visit. What could go wrong with that ? Hey...I'll have my check book out and ready, Man... :-)
Whisperboo:
I think that some here would encourage you to take a look at the many threads on this site relative to SAS and the business tactics of Mr. Lawing before plunking down any money. Please, do some research! It may save you going from a whisper to a scream.
Caveat emptor!
Here we go again.. I will say it the way it is, not politically correct. That dude is a thief, please do your homework and run don't walk away from any deal! I don't get how anyone with simple search skills cannot do their due dillegence or just read thread after thread after thread on the SOC. It took me all of 30 minutes when I started looking for my first speedster 4 years ago and figured it out. Good Lord people reading is a skill.
Our Latin Lesson for today...." Caveat emptor "
latin.. umum gettus screwdactus
Whisper boo.....is this a joke?
I HAVE A FEELING MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN PUT DOWN!
Oops, cap lock.
That's ok , Bill, sometimes you need to yell.
Is that damn Bridge in Brooklyn up for sale again !
Gee, I've got some property about 30 miles West of LA for sale too!
SALES@specialtyauto.com
I bought an existing SAS cabriolet, and sent Steve an email asking a few questions about the car. He returned the call within a few hours.
Not to be an a$$ Jethro but didn't you go the used route once you realized a new build within a reasonable time frame would be impossible.
If you're seriously considering a new car from SAS, read this thread from last year (click on the blue letters). You can look up Lawing with the search function for more reading (and there's a lot, as it's been discussed a number of times over the years) but the one I gave you the link to pretty much sums it up. Yeah, there are people that feel he's a good guy and really like the cars he builds, but the problem is he's not building cars these days.
If you've already given him a deposit, contact your lawyer and GET IT BACK!!! Al
Call your bank and stop payment now!
"There's a sucker born every minute." This was attributed to P.T Burnum. Human nature being what it is, trust and belief is inherent in the species. Hence the survival of so many religious beliefs and myths and the status associated with being a member of the sucker class in spite of undisputed proof to the contrary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...er_born_every_minute
Read it and weep:
http://sasowners.freeforums.org/the-queue-t102.html
One guy has been waiting 14 years for his car. Actually he ordered a '32 Ford Coupe but switched to a Speedster in 2008 when he found out SAS quit building '32 coupes. Another man passed away while waiting, not sure what the family did with his spot in the queue. There was talk of it somewhere in the blog but I forget now what they did. Either way, that sucks.
I heard that Bernie M. just invested all his $ with SAS:}
Robert M posted:
One guy has been waiting 14 years for his car.
And after the bankruptcy proceedings and all this time he still thinks he's going to get a car?
Joe Fortino posted:Here we go again.. I will say it the way it is, not politically correct. That dude is a thief, please do your homework and run don't walk away from any deal! I don't get how anyone with simple search skills cannot do their due dillegence or just read thread after thread after thread on the SOC. It took me all of 30 minutes when I started looking for my first speedster 4 years ago and figured it out. Good Lord people reading is a skill.
He isn't the only thief in this business. I paid $1000 extra and was invoiced for a freeway flyer transaxle and got a stock VW box with 4.12-.89 gears. Now what do I do? It's been 3 years since I got the car and just now found out about it.
Judging from the post on the SAS owners/ would be owners, whatever site, Lawlings average delivery time from the sampling of people in the queue on the site has been about 4.75 years and he hasn't delivered a car to anybody on that list in several years. The shortest wait has been 2 years and the longest, as noted above is a guy who has been waiting for 14 years. I truly feel for those folks and I'm glad I didn't fall into that trap. When I first started considering a Speedster I looked hard at his site, but found the SOC and was treated to the frustrated posts of his customers/victims.
People can rationalize all they want about the high quality of the product he occasionally puts out as some have done, but there is no excuse for what he is doing. The BEST handmade cars in the world don't take anywhere near 4.75 years to produce. And he still produces cars that have problems when delivered.
What a shame.
FPCOPO: Who was the culprit who sold it to you?
Fpcopo VS posted:He isn't the only thief in this business. I paid $1000 extra and was invoiced for a freeway flyer transaxle and got a stock VW box with 4.12-.89 gears. Now what do I do? It's been 3 years since I got the car and just now found out about it.
No, no, no: that's just the "teething" you hear so much about. You have to expect a certain amount of problems with a "hand made product". Blah, blah, blah.
Seriously: ridiculous.
Bob, looks like he has a VS...
Stan Galat, '05 IM, 2276, Tremont, IL posted:Fpcopo VS posted:He isn't the only thief in this business. I paid $1000 extra and was invoiced for a freeway flyer transaxle and got a stock VW box with 4.12-.89 gears. Now what do I do? It's been 3 years since I got the car and just now found out about it.
No, no, no: that's just the "teething" you hear so much about. You have to expect a certain amount of problems with a "hand made product". Blah, blah, blah.
Seriously: ridiculous.
Stan that is what gets me as well. I purchased a used speedster from Special Edition May of 2012 and had zero issues with sorting, heck I drove home 150 miles mostly highway miles. Over the next 3 winters they picked it up, stored it and added an upgrade or two. Carey sold it for me last winter and I am taking delivery of a new build to my (quite detailed) specs in the next month. So in less time than all of the SAS folks have been in the queue I bought, sold, built and expecting little to zero "sorting" issues.
OK, so if FPCOPO doesn't have what he paid for (and can verify it), he has two options - maybe three:
1. Contact Kirk at VS and verify, with him, what you've got against your sales contract or invoice. He has a reputation for making things right and may agree to a swap for what you want/bought. You will still have to the pull the transaxle and ship it to either VS or Rancho Transaxles and get one back. This involves draining it, removing the nosecone (for safety) and making a suitable shipping container for protecting the gearbox within (I/We can help you with this).
2. If you can verify that it is a Rancho box, you could contact Sam at Rancho Transaxles and see if he'll do a swap for what you want. I would contact Kirk Duncan, first. You will still have to the pull the transaxle and ship it to Rancho Transaxles (Fullerton, CA - Around $125-ish ) and get it back, plus the shipping container.
3. Live with it.
Fpcopo VS posted:...I paid $1000 extra and was invoiced for a freeway flyer transaxle and got a stock VW box with 4.12-.89 gears. Now what do I do? It's been 3 years since I got the car and just now found out about it...
FPCOPO, as I've posted before here, the same thing happened to me on my new 2013 VS. The 4.12 ring and pinion we took out of the transaxle are now in my garage. They're not completely useless, though. I'm thinking of making one of those industrial-look post-modern wall hangings out of them.
You can send me a private message if you'd like to discuss, but in the meantime, do you have any beer in the fridge?
I appreciate the advice guys. I pulled the transaxle because it was leaking oil and it seemed like for a freeway flyer it was winding awful tight in 4th. I sent it to a builder in NC who has an impeccable reputation for quality and honesty. He pulled it apart and found that the box was basically worn out junk with new oil in it. I.E., pinion bearing had never been pulled off, used super diff that was flap wheeled inside to clean up galling. Ring gear never pulled off diff as evidenced by old black oil under the gear, and lastly the stock 4.12 gears. Heck they didn't even put a .82 fourth in it that would have at least given me a little higher gearing.
Now I didn't say who the thief was. I'd say there is a better than even chance that the transaxle purchased for me by the car builder was sold to them as something it was not. There is also a chance that this trans was installed and there was knowledge of what was in it and it was put in anyway, I hope that wasn't the case. I don't know for sure, but I can tell you for certain it isn't a Rancho product. Then again I didn't request a Rancho box I just requested a freeway flyer. Whoever is responsible for doing the work, the bottom line is my beef is with the guy who sold me the car. I guess I could make a call and discuss it. I'm afraid all that is going to happen is I'm going to end up getting nothing but hacked off.
No offense to him, but I would sooner have Wolfgang build my Speedster.
Hey - my freeway flyer (6 speed manual w/ 2L) is speeding along! AC, heat, defrost F&R, top down from driver's seat, no air/H20 leaks - even lane change warning and BOSE surround sound! Crystal pearl white w/ black leather stitched in red. Haven't totally given up on Speedie.
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It would be nice to know who built it so others can avoid being screwed...but maybe after giving the builder a chance to make it right.
edsnova posted:No offense to him, but I would sooner have Wolfgang build my Speedster.
*that was awesome!*
Joe Fortino posted:Not to be an a$$ Jethro but didn't you go the used route once you realized a new build within a reasonable time frame would be impossible.
That's why I said I bought an existing one. I was either going to find a SAS that was already built, or go with a new build from Special Edition. I posted a WTB ad over on the SAS owners forum, and came across one that someone in the queue had bought to enjoy while his was being built.
I really wanted the SAS because, 1) it is mid-engine, and 2) it has all the bells & whistles of a Subaru such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, cruise control, OBD II, ECU, heating, AC, etc. It even has a power assisted top, and has the handbrake where it's supposed to be.
I would never endorse anyone getting into the queue for SAS until SAS demonstrates reliable and consistent production. I will say, however, that Steve has been very responsive and helpful whenever I have contacted him.
Whisper, sorry about hijacking your thread.
Alan Merklin posted:Our Latin Lesson for today...." Caveat emptor "
Doesn't that mean fish eggs for the Emperor?
Apparently there is a cave at some place called emptor.
Elvis has left the building.
So sad to have this topic continue every year...