There are a few issues that I've found and have been noted before on the new rack and pinion kit by CP racing.

1) I bought the kit before it was up on the website. The price was $625. When it showed up on the website, it was listed at $600. They told me the $600 was a type-o and the price really is $625. For anyone who's purchased it, how much did you pay? I'll be pissed if I got ripped off.

2) MAJOR DESIGN FLAW! The brace blocks the oil drain plug. How in the world did they start selling these things without checking that? You have to pull the oil out of the dip stick hole to change it. Absolutely unacceptable. I've had no response to requests for a fix.

3) They still disable the collapse-able steering column. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. They need to figure out a way to keep this operational.

Until these issues are fixed, I'd recommend against buying this kit.

 

There's no way I'd drive a car without a collapsable steering column, that's madness.

 

I know there are people here who've bought the new, oil plug blocking kit. How much did you pay?

Although there are clearly design flaws, I've driven the car for a while now and I have to say, it's really nice to have R&P steering. Road feel is much better, response is immediate, and it feels perfectly natural. Now they just need to fix a couple of design things...

 

I have it but haven't installed it...

I know they have a little roll pin that you install... Perhaps swapping that out for a cotter pin or plactic would work... Something that'll shear off on impact...

I have to crawl under and check it all out on install.

 

How much did they charge you?

 

$500 shipped... Over a year ago. I received it near Christmas of 2003.

 

That's not the new kit. It was released about 4 months ago.

 

I never said I had version 2... And I'm thinking maybe I should be glad about it...

Now I've gotta figure out what rack they used on the new one an dsee if it can be retrofitted in to the old crossmember.

 

It's the whole point of this thread.

 

I JUST HAD MINE INSTALLED. MY MECHANIC HAD MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING THE OIL PLUG AND SOME ISSUES WITH THE OVERALL WELDING OF THE ASSEMBLY. WE CONTACTED CP AND THEY WERE PRETTY USELESS. THEY WANTED THE ORIGINAL ASSEMBLY BACK BEFORE THEY WOULD SEND A NEW ONE. WE DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT CONSIDIERING THE FIRST ONE TOOK OVER TWO MONTHS TO GET. IT IS LISTED AS A PROJECT CAR ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE, http://www.rx7world.com/, LOOK IT UP AND HE GOES THRU WHAT HE DID TO GET THRU THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE THE CAR BACK AND IT DOES HAVE THE "BUMP" AS STATED BUT IT ONLY EFFECTS ME WITH SPEED BUMPS AND/OR RAILROAD TRACKS, BOTH OF WHICH I GO OVER SLOWLY. FEEL FREE TO REVIEW THE WEBSITE, ERNST IS VERY EASY TO WORK WITH.

 

I JUST HAD MINE INSTALLED. MY MECHANIC HAD MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING THE OIL PLUG AND SOME ISSUES WITH THE OVERALL WELDING OF THE ASSEMBLY. WE CONTACTED CP AND THEY WERE PRETTY USELESS. THEY WANTED THE ORIGINAL ASSEMBLY BACK BEFORE THEY WOULD SEND A NEW ONE. WE DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT CONSIDIERING THE FIRST ONE TOOK OVER TWO MONTHS TO GET. IT IS LISTED AS A PROJECT CAR ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE, http://www.rx7world.com/, LOOK IT UP AND HE GOES THRU WHAT HE DID TO GET THRU THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE THE CAR BACK AND IT DOES HAVE THE "BUMP" AS STATED BUT IT ONLY EFFECTS ME WITH SPEED BUMPS AND/OR RAILROAD TRACKS, BOTH OF WHICH I GO OVER SLOWLY. FEEL FREE TO REVIEW THE WEBSITE, ERNST IS VERY EASY TO WORK WITH.

 

How much did they charge you?

I can honestly say that there is no bump steer on mine. The rack feels really nice.

I too am having trouble getting through to them now to get a brace that doesn't block the oil plug. I'd like to report good things about their customer service but I can't.

 

Here's the full link for rx7mms' car...
http://www.rx7world.com/mike.htm

 

Well, I'm getting mine installed by CP next month, so we'll see how it goes...

 

Tell them to answer their e-mails and fix the drain plug design flaw.

 

I did earlier today when I posted...

 

Just sent them $600 I hope I get it as fast as I got the light kit.

So will mine come with the new brace?

 

I'll be talking to Chris in a couple days, and I'll ask him...

 

thanks

 

I just got an e-mail back after a couple of weeks of trying. Chris says he's sending out non-interference frames to anyone who wishes to replace it.

I REALLY want to like CPRacing. Every time I DO correspond with Chris, it's a very pleasent experience. They just make it so hard to do with their slow responses. They clearly have entusiasm for our cars and make some cool products. 1st gen owners have been bitching about the recirculating ball steering since the car came out and as far as I can tell, these guys are the only ones to ever have offered a kit commercially.

 

I think he mighta bit off more than he can chew...

It was mentioned in another thread that CP Racing consists of Chris Campitelli and Pat Plante, an office, a shop, and a couple bay garage...

Now look at their catalog and listing of parts for various cars.

I know how it is. I work for a 7 employee company (including me), consisting of a CNC Milling machine, three test benches, four assembly benches, and a small office. All crammed into a <1500 SqFt commercial suite.

We get backlogged like a **** all the time because we simply don't have the man power, and we can't hire more people because we don't have the real estate...

He might have to outsource some things or hire a couple people. Perhaps a secretary for responding to the correspondance and to track supplies and orders, and a mechanic for helping with the installs in the shop.

Outsource some of the product assembly to a local metal/machine shop... Not all the assembly, but for example, repetitive things like cutting of the bars for the rack subframes and such...

Those are the kinds of things I've done around my company to help streamline production... And we still don't have time for R&D.

BTW, Chris, if you read this, I'm not knocking you and I have zero education in business management. They're just ideas.

 

I agree. I would really consider a kit if it was demonstrated to actually fit and perform as originally advertised. To date it has been cursed more than admired.
I admire him for the effort, but am still leary that it actually works *well* enough to buy.

 

Like I said, I'll let you all know how mine goes.

BTW, I saw one a few weeks ago that they had installed, and didn't notice any drain-plug fitment problems... but I wasn't looking for it at the time.

BTW, Chris has read this thread as well as all the other circulating threads on the forum.

 

Please don't forget about me. I want to install this before I install my engine.

Thanks

Luis

 

I won't forget... Haven't had a chance to talk to Chris yet...