Pilgrim Sumo Cobra - Any Good?
dfon...@cwjamaica.com
I'm pretty new to kit cars and was wondering whether anyone had any opinions
on the Pilgrim Sumo Cobra range. I'm particularly interested in the Sierra
based car, but would welcome comments on any of their models. Can anyone
offer comments on their build quality, ease of assembly, etc and perhaps
offer comparisons with other more expensive makes - Gardener Douglas, Dax,
etc. Please email me at dfon...@cwjamaica.com with comments.
TIA
Daryl Fong Kong
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Dr. Alan T Gower
First to answer your question with a question. What are you looking for? Is
it a) A Cobra looking car? or b) a Cobra replica?
A Cobra looking Car:
The Pilgrim Cobra is a fair reproduction which is based on Fords, Granada,
Sierra and the good old Cortina. It will also take the American V8 engines.
Pilgrim have been in business for many years and produce a very good quality
kit. The Plus points are: Very Good Value with High Quality Glass Fibre
mouldings. Against: Not fully authentic. Expect to pay anything from
Ł6,000 to Ł12,000.
The Gardner Douglas
GD427: This is quite a true replica and uses Jaguar components. It uses a
semi-monocoque Chassis. Plus Points: This is probably the best handling
Cobra replica with superb engineering and race proven ability. Expect to
pay over Ł16,000.
DAX Tojeiro
This is another excellent Replica. The DAX is based on the Jaguar and uses
engines from either the Rover or USA's V8 and can also use the Jaguar V12.
Plus Points. Probably one of the best. A very accurate replica. Expect to
pay around Ł18,000 for a good one.
All the above companies have been established for a long time.
Kit Car manufactures produce the Kits. The owner produces the car. The car
can only be as good as the person who built it.
Some useful numbers:
Pilgrim Cars: +44 (0) 1273 493860
DJ Sportscars International (DAX) +44 (0) 1279 442661
Gardner Douglas +44 (0) 1949 843299
I hope this helps:
dfon...@cwjamaica.com wrote in message
<7besla$3i9$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
Ant
<ad...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
A brillianr reply
>
>Kit Car manufactures produce the Kits. The owner produces the car. The car
>can only be as good as the person who built it.
How true, how very true
>
The GB Kit-Car www site: www.poggo.freeserve.co.uk
www.kit-cars.com
Possibly the best Kit-Car magazine site ?
Geoff
wrote:
>On Mon, 1 Mar 1999 21:45:21 -0000, "Dr. Alan T Gower"
><ad...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
>A brillianr reply
>
>>
>>Kit Car manufactures produce the Kits. The owner produces the car. The car
>>can only be as good as the person who built it.
>
>How true, how very true
>>
I totally agree but there is another saying "a workman is only as good
as his tools" and having personally built a Pilgrim Sumo I wouldn't
build another one from this company!! The quality of the kit is poor
[1] and the level of support from the factory (advice + trying to get
promised parts delivered) is next to useless unless you actually turn
up at the factory during a tea-break and talk to the mechanics on the
factory floor.
G.
[1] the off-side length was 1.5 inches longer than the nearside (wheel
arch centre distance) and the off-side door opening was 12mm narrower
than the nearside!! To build the suspension square, one wheel fouled
the bodywork on full lock while the other one had 2" clearance!!
Keith R Baker
here. The quality of the kit is not great. And the amount of parts you need
to add to a kit (not just this but nearly all kits) far outway the actual
body and
chassis cost. So why hang all those nice bits on a bad body/chassis, you may
as well go for a good one and make a car that you can sell later !
Geoff wrote in message <36e3a852...@news.demon.co.uk>...
Ant
(Geoff) wrote:
>
>[1] the off-side length was 1.5 inches longer than the nearside (wheel
>arch centre distance) and the off-side door opening was 12mm narrower
>than the nearside!! To build the suspension square, one wheel fouled
>the bodywork on full lock while the other one had 2" clearance!!
Whilst accepting what you say, did you talk to them about it ? Did you
take the finished car to them and show them ?, come to that, if you
measured it all and found those mistakes you should have returned it
and asked for another.
Companies cant rectify problems if they dont know about them.
Richard Alderton
Geoff wrote in message <36e3a852...@news.demon.co.uk>...
>On Wed, 03 Mar 1999 16:49:34 GMT, a...@poggo.freeserve.co.uk (Ant)
>wrote:
>
>original posting snipped
>
>I totally agree but there is another saying "a workman is only as good
>as his tools" and having personally built a Pilgrim Sumo I wouldn't
>build another one from this company!! The quality of the kit is poor
>[1] and the level of support from the factory (advice + trying to get
>promised parts delivered) is next to useless unless you actually turn
>up at the factory during a tea-break and talk to the mechanics on the
>factory floor.
>
>G.
>
>[1] the off-side length was 1.5 inches longer than the nearside (wheel
>arch centre distance) and the off-side door opening was 12mm narrower
>than the nearside!! To build the suspension square, one wheel fouled
>the bodywork on full lock while the other one had 2" clearance!!
I am surprised at your Sumo Problems - was it an early one ?
I had no trouble with mine (built 1995 -1997) everything fitted 100%
and the doors were fine after spending some time lining up the
hinges. I keep in contact with 2-3 other Sumo Builders and their
cars have gone together OK.
When I was building my car, and I had cause to ring the factory, the
phone was usually answered promptly, and most times by Den Tanner
the MD of Pilgrim. The advice I got was generally OK - I had to rely on
telephone advice since it was not very convenient to travel from
Sheffield to Brighton very often!
Richard Alderton
co...@richald.force9.net
Sheffield, U.K.
Geoff
wrote:
>On Sun, 07 Mar 1999 16:35:06 GMT, cool...@chilling-out.demon.co.uk
>(Geoff) wrote:
>>
>>[1] the off-side length was 1.5 inches longer than the nearside (wheel
>>arch centre distance) and the off-side door opening was 12mm narrower
>>than the nearside!! To build the suspension square, one wheel fouled
>>the bodywork on full lock while the other one had 2" clearance!!
>
>Whilst accepting what you say, did you talk to them about it ? Did you
>take the finished car to them and show them ?, come to that, if you
>measured it all and found those mistakes you should have returned it
>and asked for another.
>
>Companies cant rectify problems if they dont know about them.
>
Yes fair point. However, IMO, they should have better quality
control than to send them out like that in the first place.
Geoff
Geoff
<ric...@richald.force9.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Geoff wrote in message <36e3a852...@news.demon.co.uk>...
>>[1] the off-side length was 1.5 inches longer than the nearside (wheel
>>arch centre distance) and the off-side door opening was 12mm narrower
>>than the nearside!! To build the suspension square, one wheel fouled
>>the bodywork on full lock while the other one had 2" clearance!!
>
>
>I am surprised at your Sumo Problems - was it an early one ?
>
>I had no trouble with mine (built 1995 -1997) everything fitted 100%
>and the doors were fine after spending some time lining up the
>hinges. I keep in contact with 2-3 other Sumo Builders and their
>cars have gone together OK.
>
>When I was building my car, and I had cause to ring the factory, the
>phone was usually answered promptly, and most times by Den Tanner
>the MD of Pilgrim. The advice I got was generally OK - I had to rely on
>telephone advice since it was not very convenient to travel from
>Sheffield to Brighton very often!
>
I built mine in 1995-96. Yes if Den answered the phone you got a
brilliant reply but very often (9 times out of 10) he was already on
the phone and he never returns calls. The best method seemed to be to
fax him my questions/whatever and he would fax an answer back- very
often the same day! For some reason this didn't work with letters!
He is very willing and obviously knows the car inside out and
backwards but he needs (or needed - he may now have it) help since
there isn't enough of him to go around! To his credit once he was
aware of a problem he would fix it bl**dy damn quick.
Geoff