Discussion
Vez
Nice to see you are back. Your comments have helped others in the past and many of us would love to meet you and learn from your build experiences, driving and the general fun of owning an Ultima. Are you going to any PH meets in the near future as a potential builder I would love to have a chat. I was considering going to the Ultima factory open day. Is this worth it and are you going?
Cheers
MG
Nice to see you are back. Your comments have helped others in the past and many of us would love to meet you and learn from your build experiences, driving and the general fun of owning an Ultima. Are you going to any PH meets in the near future as a potential builder I would love to have a chat. I was considering going to the Ultima factory open day. Is this worth it and are you going?
Cheers
MG
Vez said: You are correctly assuming I aided AS in building his vehicle, and the factory is well worth a visit!
Yep I own an Ultima in the same way Stig has no connection to the factory
>> Edited by Vez on Wednesday 2nd April 14:43
Errr... other than being a customer, I don't have ANY connection with the factory? Site and this forum are totally independent.
Well, the only 'Dave' I can think of that's connected to the factory would be David McDonald.
If I'm 'connected' to the factory, then I'd like to know how???????
Perhaps you'd like to explain it to me when I'm up there for the open day?
>> Edited by stig (moderator) on Monday 7th April 23:01
If I'm 'connected' to the factory, then I'd like to know how???????
Perhaps you'd like to explain it to me when I'm up there for the open day?
>> Edited by stig (moderator) on Monday 7th April 23:01
I read the implication as being 'according to PetrolTed Dave', but I may be totally wrong (too many Daves and Teds about!).
But I know for a fact that he wouldn't have you as a moderator on an independent forum if he thought you had a connection with the factory (other than being a customer and enthusiast).
I think that could be the point - if Stig has ever been defensive of Hinckley, surely it has been from this point of view, and to ensure above board fair play in respect of the Ultima marque and their products.
But I know for a fact that he wouldn't have you as a moderator on an independent forum if he thought you had a connection with the factory (other than being a customer and enthusiast).
I think that could be the point - if Stig has ever been defensive of Hinckley, surely it has been from this point of view, and to ensure above board fair play in respect of the Ultima marque and their products.
If being supportive of the factory makes you "connected" to it then I am "connected" too. The factory is the reason we have a love for these cars and hence, a place to discuss them. The factory has built more Ultimas than all of us put together......maybe they know something about the cars and deserve a little more respect. I love Ted and Richard more every time I see my GTR! Stig has done a first class job of putting a website together for all of us to enjoy and takes his own time to mediate this forum. I say hats off to Stig and Ted. If you've got a problem with either of these parties......go find the "jealous wannabe" forum!
Brad Z
Thanks Dom/Brad
What I find amazing, is that people post here basically slagging the factory off or recommending competitive products (usually inferior, wheels are a case in point), then, who do they turn to if they've got a problem?!?!?
Now, I know that Vez hasn't got this problem as he doesn't have an Ultima, but what sort of response does Mark get when he calls Ted asking for a favour???
It doesn't take a genious to work that one out.
What I find amazing, is that people post here basically slagging the factory off or recommending competitive products (usually inferior, wheels are a case in point), then, who do they turn to if they've got a problem?!?!?
Now, I know that Vez hasn't got this problem as he doesn't have an Ultima, but what sort of response does Mark get when he calls Ted asking for a favour???
It doesn't take a genious to work that one out.
Why cant people recomend alternative products from experiences? Surely the whole ethos of building the car yourself and making it individual and trying something different is jeapordised.
Why cant someone fit an electric water pump and recomend it to someone else based on there experience, and those of others running these on there Chevy in other vehicles?
Why cant someone recomend a different manufacturer of wheels? After all wheels are a major cosmetic factor in the look of a vehicle, not just performance. Certainly all that have been recomended have a prestigeous racing heritage and are used in regular competitive motorsport!
After all this is an OPEN forum, I realise that the factory will only support what it knows and recommends, but without others trying new things, problems that they encounter for whatever reason cant be solved, therefore stifling the development of the vehicle for the better!
Why cant poeple fit differing engines, like yourself, you pioneered the Supercharge AS engine and have a unique product which is more than benificial to Ultima, and you took it off your own back to fit this engine!
Poeple have different views of the factory and are more than entitled to there views as are you regarding your post above.
You are completely pro factory which is good, but dont stifle others views, afterall this forum has nothing to do with Ultima as you have pointed out.
The owners club was brought inhouse to protect Ultima's investment which is understandable as many of the suppliers are know for many parts, but the owners interaction with each other isnt what it was.
Jeremy Clarkson has had his own views of Vauxhalls and the like, some positive, some demonsterously bad, he doesnt like Vectra's for example, and I think they are purposful!
Why cant someone fit an electric water pump and recomend it to someone else based on there experience, and those of others running these on there Chevy in other vehicles?
Why cant someone recomend a different manufacturer of wheels? After all wheels are a major cosmetic factor in the look of a vehicle, not just performance. Certainly all that have been recomended have a prestigeous racing heritage and are used in regular competitive motorsport!
After all this is an OPEN forum, I realise that the factory will only support what it knows and recommends, but without others trying new things, problems that they encounter for whatever reason cant be solved, therefore stifling the development of the vehicle for the better!
Why cant poeple fit differing engines, like yourself, you pioneered the Supercharge AS engine and have a unique product which is more than benificial to Ultima, and you took it off your own back to fit this engine!
Poeple have different views of the factory and are more than entitled to there views as are you regarding your post above.
You are completely pro factory which is good, but dont stifle others views, afterall this forum has nothing to do with Ultima as you have pointed out.
The owners club was brought inhouse to protect Ultima's investment which is understandable as many of the suppliers are know for many parts, but the owners interaction with each other isnt what it was.
Jeremy Clarkson has had his own views of Vauxhalls and the like, some positive, some demonsterously bad, he doesnt like Vectra's for example, and I think they are purposful!
Vez,
--Why cant people recomend alternative products from experiences? Surely the whole ethos of building the car yourself and making it individual and trying
something different is jeapordised.
No reason at all and I've never tried to stop you (or anyone else) from doing so. My only comment has been that 9 times out of 10 it's false economy. When I started my build I looked at alternatives for lots of bits (brakes, seats etc.), but when you weigh up the price of 'individuality' against resaleability, it's just not worth it. The thing is, there is a factory 'spec' and any potential purchaser will look for that. If you deviate from this for the sake of making the car your own, fine, just don't be surprised if it puts people off if you try to sell it. The market for these cars isn't exactly huge as it is!!
--Why cant someone fit an electric water pump and recomend it to someone else based on there experience, and those of others running these on there Chevy in other vehicles?
Again, no reason at all and indeed, I looked into the electric pumps when I started planning the build. What put me off was that it was then prone to both electrical or mechanical failure, whereas the standard pump could only 'break' (touch wood!!). I understand the point about pumping efficiency at low rpm (at idle for instance) but covered it with AS who were confident that it wouldn't be a problem. So far, it hasn't been.
--Why cant someone recomend a different manufacturer of wheels? After all wheels are a major cosmetic factor in the look of a vehicle, not just performance. Certainly all that have been recomended have a prestigeous racing heritage and are used in regular competitive motorsport!
You can, but I'd argue that the wheels are one of the most recognisable elements on the car and people look for them. I hate to say it, but I've yet to see a set of non-standard wheels on an Ultima that look anywhere near as good as the factory ones but hey, that's just my taste. Also, I've heard (and have pics) or cracked wheels, oval wheels etc. from aftermarket suppliers. I've yet to see any from Ultima.
--After all this is an OPEN forum, I realise that the factory will only support what it knows and recommends, but without others trying new things, problems that they encounter for whatever reason cant be solved, therefore stifling the development of the vehicle for the better!
You have a point, but personally I'd trust the factory's proven track record and umpteen years of development to anyone's (no matter what their background) who've just built a car and think they know better? I'm sure if someone came up with a great development for the car then the factory would try it, but I think you'll find that they've exhausted most avenues before defining the 'spec'. I know this is true for brakes, wheels, suspension, fuel delivery, cooling etc. You see, if you're 'developing' the car and then run into trouble, you've only really got yourself to blame haven't you? (mine is a case in point!). The factory is keen for builders to stick to a spec. because they know it works and also, will have no problems with SVA.
--Why cant poeple fit differing engines, like yourself, you pioneered the Supercharge AS engine and have a unique product which is more than benificial to Ultima, and you took it off your own back to fit this engine!
No reason at all. I think it's great having all the diversity of powerplants out there. But, as I just said, I wouldn't then expect the same level of support should things go awry. Afterall, the factory are learning at the same time as you are. This was certainly true of my 'charger installation.
--Poeple have different views of the factory and are more than entitled to there views as are you regarding your post above.
Absolutely, I've never said otherwise. This thread started to kick off because you implied that I was in some way connected to the factory which devalues my contribution to the forum, as people then think that they're just getting chapter and verse from Ted. This is bollocks. Remember Vez, my site has had over 40,000 visitors and that carries some responsibility on my part to be fair and impartial. Not to mention the threat of legal action should my comments be libellous etc.
--You are completely pro factory which is good, but dont stifle others views, afterall this forum has nothing to do with Ultima as you have pointed out.
I am pro-factory, because I've not had reason to be otherwise and they deserve the recognition for the level of service they provide. I'm in no way blinkered to the fact that things may not always be so rosy, especially now that the car is on the road (and paid for!). But I don't see how you've come to the conclusion that I've stifled other people's views.
--The owners club was brought inhouse to protect Ultima's investment which is understandable as many of the suppliers are know for many parts, but the owners interaction with each other isnt what it was.
Well that's a bit ironic then isn't it! The owners club is therefore far more 'connected' than this forum or my site. You say that owner interaction isn't what it was - so why isn't it? Did you, or any other make any attempt to get them to interact? No. So think before you start throwing accusations at people who've put the time and effort into providing information and a forum like this.
--Jeremy Clarkson has had his own views of Vauxhalls and the like, some positive, some demonsterously bad, he doesnt like Vectra's for example, and I think they are purposful!
Not quite sure what you're saying? This IS the Ultima forum after all. It's bound to be pretty pro-Ultima!!!
To summarise, it's just that your postings are usually more protagonistic than constructive. I'm sure you've got something useful to say, it's just that I've never seen anything from you to confirm it?.
--Why cant people recomend alternative products from experiences? Surely the whole ethos of building the car yourself and making it individual and trying
something different is jeapordised.
No reason at all and I've never tried to stop you (or anyone else) from doing so. My only comment has been that 9 times out of 10 it's false economy. When I started my build I looked at alternatives for lots of bits (brakes, seats etc.), but when you weigh up the price of 'individuality' against resaleability, it's just not worth it. The thing is, there is a factory 'spec' and any potential purchaser will look for that. If you deviate from this for the sake of making the car your own, fine, just don't be surprised if it puts people off if you try to sell it. The market for these cars isn't exactly huge as it is!!
--Why cant someone fit an electric water pump and recomend it to someone else based on there experience, and those of others running these on there Chevy in other vehicles?
Again, no reason at all and indeed, I looked into the electric pumps when I started planning the build. What put me off was that it was then prone to both electrical or mechanical failure, whereas the standard pump could only 'break' (touch wood!!). I understand the point about pumping efficiency at low rpm (at idle for instance) but covered it with AS who were confident that it wouldn't be a problem. So far, it hasn't been.
--Why cant someone recomend a different manufacturer of wheels? After all wheels are a major cosmetic factor in the look of a vehicle, not just performance. Certainly all that have been recomended have a prestigeous racing heritage and are used in regular competitive motorsport!
You can, but I'd argue that the wheels are one of the most recognisable elements on the car and people look for them. I hate to say it, but I've yet to see a set of non-standard wheels on an Ultima that look anywhere near as good as the factory ones but hey, that's just my taste. Also, I've heard (and have pics) or cracked wheels, oval wheels etc. from aftermarket suppliers. I've yet to see any from Ultima.
--After all this is an OPEN forum, I realise that the factory will only support what it knows and recommends, but without others trying new things, problems that they encounter for whatever reason cant be solved, therefore stifling the development of the vehicle for the better!
You have a point, but personally I'd trust the factory's proven track record and umpteen years of development to anyone's (no matter what their background) who've just built a car and think they know better? I'm sure if someone came up with a great development for the car then the factory would try it, but I think you'll find that they've exhausted most avenues before defining the 'spec'. I know this is true for brakes, wheels, suspension, fuel delivery, cooling etc. You see, if you're 'developing' the car and then run into trouble, you've only really got yourself to blame haven't you? (mine is a case in point!). The factory is keen for builders to stick to a spec. because they know it works and also, will have no problems with SVA.
--Why cant poeple fit differing engines, like yourself, you pioneered the Supercharge AS engine and have a unique product which is more than benificial to Ultima, and you took it off your own back to fit this engine!
No reason at all. I think it's great having all the diversity of powerplants out there. But, as I just said, I wouldn't then expect the same level of support should things go awry. Afterall, the factory are learning at the same time as you are. This was certainly true of my 'charger installation.
--Poeple have different views of the factory and are more than entitled to there views as are you regarding your post above.
Absolutely, I've never said otherwise. This thread started to kick off because you implied that I was in some way connected to the factory which devalues my contribution to the forum, as people then think that they're just getting chapter and verse from Ted. This is bollocks. Remember Vez, my site has had over 40,000 visitors and that carries some responsibility on my part to be fair and impartial. Not to mention the threat of legal action should my comments be libellous etc.
--You are completely pro factory which is good, but dont stifle others views, afterall this forum has nothing to do with Ultima as you have pointed out.
I am pro-factory, because I've not had reason to be otherwise and they deserve the recognition for the level of service they provide. I'm in no way blinkered to the fact that things may not always be so rosy, especially now that the car is on the road (and paid for!). But I don't see how you've come to the conclusion that I've stifled other people's views.
--The owners club was brought inhouse to protect Ultima's investment which is understandable as many of the suppliers are know for many parts, but the owners interaction with each other isnt what it was.
Well that's a bit ironic then isn't it! The owners club is therefore far more 'connected' than this forum or my site. You say that owner interaction isn't what it was - so why isn't it? Did you, or any other make any attempt to get them to interact? No. So think before you start throwing accusations at people who've put the time and effort into providing information and a forum like this.
--Jeremy Clarkson has had his own views of Vauxhalls and the like, some positive, some demonsterously bad, he doesnt like Vectra's for example, and I think they are purposful!
Not quite sure what you're saying? This IS the Ultima forum after all. It's bound to be pretty pro-Ultima!!!
To summarise, it's just that your postings are usually more protagonistic than constructive. I'm sure you've got something useful to say, it's just that I've never seen anything from you to confirm it?.
usagtrman said:
If being supportive of the factory makes you "connected" to it then I am "connected" too. The factory is the reason we have a love for these cars and hence, a place to discuss them. The factory has built more Ultimas than all of us put together......maybe they know something about the cars and deserve a little more respect. I love Ted and Richard more every time I see my GTR! Stig has done a first class job of putting a website together for all of us to enjoy and takes his own time to mediate this forum. I say hats off to Stig and Ted. If you've got a problem with either of these parties......go find the "jealous wannabe" forum!
Brad Z
I must be connected too, as they've always been extremely helpful towards me, and always offered as much free advice as I can eat. Ted occasionally bollocks you too, but that's only when you act like a twat
James
Okay so my source MUST BE WRONG, and will not go down that avenue any further!
I think Piston Heads is doing a great job hosting this forum, and incidentially have just had it pointed out to me you hot link (with permission so maybe the term "hotlink" is a little harsh) it to your website, which now clears up a few things about your above statements.
Im glad to see that you are pro-individualism and pro-free-speach, but if someone starts a debate thats not to your liking then dont close it, express your opinion like another individual! But enough said about that as I think between us we have now covered it to death.
Im fully behind Ian Nobel's creation's and realise the genius behind them most notebly the Ultima (which little has changed over the years) through to the M12.
This whole post started with probably what was viewed as something to stir things up, and I took the bate hook line and sinker! So I apologise for this.
ta.
I think Piston Heads is doing a great job hosting this forum, and incidentially have just had it pointed out to me you hot link (with permission so maybe the term "hotlink" is a little harsh) it to your website, which now clears up a few things about your above statements.
Im glad to see that you are pro-individualism and pro-free-speach, but if someone starts a debate thats not to your liking then dont close it, express your opinion like another individual! But enough said about that as I think between us we have now covered it to death.
Im fully behind Ian Nobel's creation's and realise the genius behind them most notebly the Ultima (which little has changed over the years) through to the M12.
This whole post started with probably what was viewed as something to stir things up, and I took the bate hook line and sinker! So I apologise for this.
ta.
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