Two days ago, I had a very long post written, and up on the site for about 5 minutes before I took it down. I'll try to sum it up without getting too deep into it.
In 2002, I too was an out of state JPS customer with some special requests (a Fibersteel Glaspar hardtop custom fitted to the car). In defense of Tom-- when John Steele starts with his pitch, he is very persuasive. I too was very disappointed. I too vowed to use all my tools of persuasion to get the situation resolved. But, in the end-- I took a good hard look at the car, and realized that it would NEVER be what I hoped it would be.
I also remember the run-up to the delivery of Tom's car, when enthusiasm and anticipation and hyperbole were running high. It was the season of the JPS tech-bubble. Several people (me included) DID try to warn Tom. I've been posting about my JPS "hardtop fiasco" for 5 years, to the point of nearly being a one-note-Johnny. Several of us also posted at length about the ABSOLUTE IMPERATIVE of going to California and doing a pre-delivery inspection. We posted from experience, with nothing to gain by it.
However, everybody assumes that they are different when they have their dream-car in the sights. Everyone truly believes that THEY will be the one to get JPS to build the car-of-their-dreams, rather than the car John Steele is satisfied to give them. It rarely (never?) happens for out of state buyers. At the time, I said, "John Steele is at his best when the option list is kept short". It was true then, and I assume it's true now. When I offered that particular observation, Gerd claimed I wanted to stick an ice pick in John's ear. That part wasn't ever true. I DID wish John had given me the car I paid dearly for back in 2002, but wishing can't change the past, and it's water over the dam for me now. I've moved on.
John Steele builds cars the way he wants to, as he always has. He puts time and effort into the things HE thinks matters. If a customer's priorities line up with John's he'll end up happy with the end result. If not? Tom could send that car back to JPS 100 times, and the stuff John didn't think mattered would still be left undone.
The bottom line is: John Steele will always be John Steele. He cannot be changed by threats or persuasive arguments. The car Tom got is the car JPS builds-- a good looking, fundamentally flawed fair weather toy. The world doesn't need a leaky replica coupe, but that's what JPS will always build, whether it's #2, or #222.
As I've said many times before during and after this whole episode: forewarned is forearmed.
PS: This would be the part where I pontificate about how much I like my Intermeccanica, but I've been told no one wants to hear it. Dealing with Henry Reisner was everything dealing with John Steele never could be. Henry is a man of his word, and a real craftsman. It didn't cost that much more money. It was worth every hard-earned, blue-collar penny.