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I think that it's not an issue for problems to be discussed on the forum it's this type of feed back that a business requires to move forward albeit that printed words can sometimes come across a little harsh. I for one have been looking at this rebody for some time now but are holding back to see if the few minor faults are ironed out at the moulding stage, they certainly are not a massive issue however 5k for a body should mean it fits from the beginning without having to take a cutting disc to make it fit.
I am sure tribute are happy with what they have achieved and the examples I've seen in the flesh live up to expectations so hopefully tribute will take on board the few minor issues and develop the mk2 moulds.
This will be the last post from me on this, as I appear to be making things worse, rather than better.
I also agree that this sort of debate works better face to face over a beer, rather than in the written word.
So I will just modify Lucky@LeMans bath analogy and call it a day.
You see a beautiful roll top bath at a stately home, but this is effectively unobtainable/ludicrously expensive.
( The Ross Brawn 250 )
An architectural salvage yard can sell you similar original baths, but they too are beyond your financial reach.
( The Mirage 250 )
At which point you find there is an option of buying a cheaper bath from a small supplier & doing some work on it.
You then find there is a bath building forum where others will help you create something you can enjoy.
( Tribute 250 )
Or you can get professional help to take the small supplier’s bath to a whole new level, with a factory standard finish.
( E.g. A Tribute 250 prepped and painted by JeffH )
Given that B&Q has an annual turnover of £3.9 billion & over 25,000 staff, I don’t think it is a fair analogy for two men in a shed.
I can sort of see what you are getting at Paul L. You've mentioned all the options in your post above. I love the shape of the 250 SWB and will love the 275 for the same reason when it becomes available. I do admire the work done by Chris and Dan and they have lots of orders on the books.
Because it will only cost around £3995 ( same as the Kaliforina kit ) I will have to accept that the detail might be a little below par and some parts might not fit at all. Its a bit of a shame because I thought that aspect of the kit car business was long gone. The forum provides lots of help and advice so the problems can be addressed.
I suggest everyone comes along to the Tribute Owners BBQ to see the actual cars and discuss this over a pint and a hog roast.
Meat and Motors
The Tribute Automotive Owners Club BBQ is definitely on June 10th 2017
There will be just 10 show car places.
There will be room for other people etc but just 10 in the Car Show spaces of honour. Depending how this one goes I might arrange bigger things in the future in other parts of the country but I need this to be a success first.
The lucky people who are quick enough to book their space in the car show will get a free, yes FREE, BBQ Burger. Look at the menu on pub website and you will see these are great burgers with no added donkey meat.
The lucky people who are quick enough to book their space in the car show will get a free, yes FREE, Tribute Automotive t-shirt
The lucky people who are quick enough to book their space in the car show will get free, yes FREE, automatic entry into the public vote for the "Car of the Show" with a keg of beer as the prize!!
[COLOR="Red"] 11:00 - 11:30 Meet at the pub
11:30 - 13:00 Drive around Southampton / New Forest with photo stops
13:00 - 15:00 Official BBQ and Hog Roast talking bollocks session
15:00 - ??? Well I plan to stay at the pub and drink my fill, you lot can do what you like :-) [/COLOR]
Thanks for posting this Paul, I totally agree with what you have said.
I've seen so many negative comments on this forum and always been put off responding to them because I'd get drawn into arguing with the type of people who I would make every effort to avoid in everyday life.
For me it is very simple though, they have ruined this section of the forum and tainted the whole ethos of Tribute. If by any chance Chris is reading this then please accept my apologies on behalf of them, they just dont have the intelligence to understand your brilliance.
Should my comments be deemed so offensive that I have to be removed from the forum then it would be sad, however while the people I refer to are around I don't want to be here anyway.
What would be useful though is if anyone could just add a list of the kit manufacturers who offer better quality (classic) kits for the same price as Tribute charge for theirs, as that would be a useful resource to allow potential customers to make an informed decision prior to purchase.
I'd also like to know how much DNA charge for a kit at the moment as I can't find a price list on their website and might like to build one myself -
As for the price/quality complaints regarding the 250SWB body from Tribute, perhaps it's time to ask whether five thousand pounds in 2017 actually is a lot of money? After all, it's only what a pro will charge to paint it for you.
Looking forward to seeing the list of alternatives that are better value.
Did I mention I am sorry I ever started this thread?
I certainly didn’t want it to involve trading insults.
So may be this quote from the original ericholm debate is a better way of explaining it.
… It doesn't help when Tribute display unfinished cars for sale on Ebay. That unpainted 250SWB in black doesn't do the current product any justice. Put up a photo of one of the stunning finished cars…
The photos Tribute use are a fair representation of what you are buying from them, a great kit but with some flaws.
As neither of these cars have modern production standard panel gaps and both have clips holding the bottom of the bonnet.
These photos show what you should be able to put together “out of the box”.
( I am honestly not sure why some builders have more fitting issues than others. )
Whereas this is an example of a photo used by Nubodi to advertise their services.
What you are paying Richard and his team to do is bring the basic kit Tribute that supply up to a factory level standard.
So, to me at least, this debate boils down to people expecting a Nubodi standard at a Tribute price, which is fundamentally unfair.
As if you want a production car standard kit, then you need to paid DNA/Mirage prices.
Does that make sense?
Anyway, its not raining at the moment and I've been working on my own car since 8am, so I've got to go...
What would be useful though is if anyone could just add a list of the kit manufacturers who offer better quality (classic) kits for the same price as Tribute charge for theirs, as that would be a useful resource to allow potential customers to make an informed decision prior to purchase.
I'd also like to know how much DNA charge for a kit at the moment as I can't find a price list on their website and might like to build one myself -
As for the price/quality complaints regarding the 250SWB body from Tribute, perhaps it's time to ask whether five thousand pounds in 2017 actually is a lot of money? After all, it's only what a pro will charge to paint it for you.
Looking forward to seeing the list of alternatives that are better value.
Hi Towed,
No wish to get in to an argument with you over this, however a better value kit on the market at the moment for less money would be the Formosa Gr from Gary.
£4250.00 for the body and frame, Gary employed a professional pattern maker with decades of experience to make the plug, so you can be assured that it is square without the dips and dives that come as standard on the Tribute.
He is also using a professional laminator to make the bodies so you can be assured that it wont come with all the voids and dry matting under the gel coat that mine had.
I think you are missing the point by saying is 5K a lot of money today ? it doesn't end at 5k does it ? you then have to spend even more to get it corrected before paint.
I could not paint a Tribute for 5K and make a profit, I would lose money at that price.
The whole Sammio ethos was to get a cheap as chips kit out there on the market, and it worked, are you guys really saying the Tribute products are the same ?
Seriously guys is it acceptable to spend 5k on a kit and then have to cut n shut it ? to have to add glass to the edges of the bonnet ? to have to use tons of filler to get the flash lines to line up ?
These are not "Minor" issues that need sorting, I really do like Chris (I guess he hates me now),l I know him and Dan work bloody hard to get these kits made for people, but eventually the word will spread that actually they are not value for money and they come with problems.
The final result looks great, but don't kid your self that it was an easy journey to get them looking that way.
Finally, if you have never owned one of these , worked on one, and had to sort out the issues the kits have your opinion is just that, an opinion, of course you are entitled to it but you will be wrong, I know that sounds harsh but it is true.
At least now I can understand why Nubodi quit this forum and why Chris and Dan don't seem to bother with it any more either.
Bye now and could the last person to leave this forum please turn the lights out.
LOL @Towed.
No constructed reply then ? so you flounce, brilliant.
FYI Nubodi has been banned from here by Tribute as Chris felt the arguments were not helping , I bet he is delighted Paul started this thread ?
I have said it before, the cars look great finished and done to a good standard, I admire what Chris has achieved, don't forget he has no body work experience to fall back on.
The buck needed more time spent on it, this has been admitted by Chris himself, I have spoken to Alan who painted Nubodi's NO7 car which by the way I thought was really well done apart from the inner bonnet gap, Alan will tell you they need a ton of work to get right.
I think I will bow out of this now, it seems if my opinion does not align with yours then I will always be the bad guy.
The Formosa isn't perfect either ...and wouldn't be authentic if it was ...its not bad though !
I am in a slightly different place to some on here ...The S*mmio's were in need of a lot of straightening out ..no secret ..but definitely priced accordingly .... The Formosa is my attempt to up the game on previous renditions sticking to my re-body technique that I love .. ...its a bit difficult to make the comparison with the 250 SWB , they are different concepts really , very different builds , very different outcomes ...
The nearest comparible , in my view is the DNA ...But as you say not available anymore in kit form ...they were around the 7 grand mark I think and are a really nice bit of kit ...as they should be ......3 grand dearer than the Tribute should buy a lot of reduced effort.
But , I actually think they are too good ..super crisp gaps and swage lines that look 'manufactured' ..if that makes sense ...almost too good to be original ...and thats why I can't comment really ..as I prefer the warts and all styled cars from an original aspect but fully understand current builders wanting to build to the highest standard achievable ....
Out of interest ....and I know your answer Jeffy baby ....but if Tribute addressed all the issues , got the panel kit arrow straight , dealt with all the issues , perfect fibreglass etc... would you all be prepared to pay the equal 7 grand for the Roadster and a comparable , say 8-9 grand for the hardtop ?
I suspect many of you wouldn't , but would choose taking the option of the cheaper version and dealing with the issues yourself rather than spend the extra bunce .....
Considering the high prices being quoted to build the cars and also being asked of cars for sale , insurance values etc....and the reduced bodyshop bill or agent build bill starting with a higher priced , higher quality kit ... you'd all still be onto a winner .....
I do apologize, I just used your latest creation as an example of a kit that looks to me to be of a very good standard. and priced very competitively.
Would I pay more for a well done kit ? yes, any thing that cuts down the laborious task of body work is a good thing in my book, it also means their is less chance of any sinkage in the future.
No constructed reply then ? so you flounce, brilliant.
FYI Nubodi has been banned from here by Tribute as Chris felt the arguments were not helping , I bet he is delighted Paul started this thread ?
I have said it before, the cars look great finished and done to a good standard, I admire what Chris has achieved, don't forget he has no body work experience to fall back on.
The buck needed more time spent on it, this has been admitted by Chris himself, I have spoken to Alan who painted Nubodi's NO7 car which by the way I thought was really well done apart from the inner bonnet gap, Alan will tell you they need a ton of work to get right.
I think I will bow out of this now, it seems if my opinion does not align with yours then I will always be the bad guy.
Just to set this record straight. We have not been banned by Chris at all. We do not have time to post and have no incentive to, especially when the forum degrades to this level.
Just to set this record straight. We have not been banned by Chris at all. We do not have time to post and have no incentive to, especially when the forum degrades to this level.
Ahh,
No worries Richard, and thank you for the email, appreciate it.
Have been away for a few days so just catching up.
As long time users will be aware I've had to close down threads in the past for various reasons to protect the forum from sinking to lows I don't want it to go to (plus the forum is not here to air legal disputes)
I've read this thread through and I personally only see peoples opinions being aired, and so far in a non confrontational way, so not sure why there is a bit of vibe from some.
Before someone blows, remember, this is just a forum to discuss the good and bad of kit building and enjoying the results there after. Sometimes it seems a bit like a football fan site where you are either Man U or Arsenal and nothing in between.
Chill chaps, summers coming .
Now I'm going to get some popcorn and will see what Chris has to say op2:
The inner skin mould for the front end section of the SWB had additional steel bracing added over 12 months ago, meaning that the completed front ends since then fit without any modification.
The 275 door skins/moulds are longer on the leading edge and could be used on the SWB kit with modification the existing front end mould.
) 
op2: