Topic: Build a Bandit

[jgodar]

Thanks Jupiter! Appreciate that! I do love my kids and hunting!!! LOL.. hope to love this T/A soon! Even DR Frankenstein loved his creation!

When I picked it up from Bob's I drove it right to my local shop. The power steering was leaking bad when I picked it up so I was not taking any chances. My shop has had it for 2 weeks. They have replaced a frozen caliper, one of the four was not new. Fixed the power steering issue. Brakes needed a new master cycl. Choke needed some work. Now they are test driving this week to check the engine and transmission. Details to follow.

Dennis from www.allmusclecars.com is helping me too! (Thanks George) He painted some grilles for me that needed replacing. The ones on there are a joke. I need a new console and some wet sanding and pretty much touch up on the paint. I will try to avoid a total repaint for a while. I want to get it home and run it and get it cleaned up and then take it to the body shop for some work soon.

Once I have it home, I will take pics and videos to show the good and bad.. From 10 feet it looks great! It was like coming home with a rock star when I pulled it home a few weeks ago. We had guys in gas stations, restaurants, coming over to see it. We have many people pull up next to us and honk and give us a thumbs up while on the highway.. if they only knew the whole story!!

Can't wait to get it running and looking decent and try to enjoy it..

I did get a car. Not as promised but it is 100% there. Things need to be replaced and worked on but I feel lucky to be in the position I am in. Hoping something can be done for all the others.. I will help on the sites as much as possible..

I was told by a local in NC the reason Bob tried to put me off picking up my car on the Friday I did get it was, he wanted to give or show it to Scott Smith, the guy in the TV spot about the Scam.. so it looks like I was close to not getting this car.. even with title and BOS in hand..my lucky day I guess...

[Flounder55]

Joe, i just had to laugh. Not sure if the Dr. Frankenstein comment was a good analogy. Was not Dr.Frankenstein killed by his creation? Of course if your referring to Bob as Dr.Frankenstein there might be some truth to that. LOL

 By the way glad I could help.

[JupiterBandit]

Thanks Joe G for the response. I know it's hard for people to see this situation from both sides and they judge too easily. I think you were smart in what you did. You put in the effort and you got something for your troubles. It was a gamble either way as you said, you almost didn't get the car in the end. So some people gambled by taking other avenues to deal with Bob, some got $2k out of him, Some got half a car, and sadly some got nothing.

Now I'd be happy to see this come to an end with Bob facing 12 of his peers!

[Vipermann]

Hello,

My name is Don and I have an unfinished, Black 1976 Trans Am w/T-Tops (original T-Top car, I have the PHS document on the car).

I am also among the victims of the Build-A-Bandit shop in NC, but unlike many of the other victims, I do already hold title to my car (and the local Sherriff's Dept. in NC is watching over the car now, until I can pick it up).

I have many pictures I can post, but as you can see from a couple below, my car also has custom 17" 'honeycomb' alloy wheels from Year One, which were custom powder-coated and machined in Gold (they do not come in anything but silver from Year One, so if you see these wheels on any other car, you can bet they are actually mine).

I will be picking up the car and finishing it elsewhere.  I also have a 1969 RS/SS Camaro show car, but looking forward to learning a lot about TAs from this forum.

[Flounder55]

Viperman, was just curious where you found the car ( congrats by the way!). There are others that are missing cars and have nowhere to look.

[Vipermann]

The shop in Black Mountain is locked up - the 'Bandit' is reportedly 2 months behind in rent - and now the locks are changed.  Sheriff went there and identified my car with my VIN # from my Title.    Sadly, only 1 other car is reportedly also still on the property...

According to the Sheriff, the motor is out of my car, but they have it there, and the driver's door is also not attached to the car, and little/no interior in place.  Aurthorities have been to the property multiple times inthe past week.

[kjkjkcjkcj]

Congrats on getting your car. I thought year one made gold 17X9s.

[Flounder55]

Gold honeycombs?

[Flounder55]

Viperman, I'm sorry Bob did that to your car. At least you have enough to salvage and rebuild. Some people have titles to cars that don't exist or can't be found.

[tawidow]

Viperman, are they allowing you to file theft charges for all the pieces that are missing and the money owed?  Sorry they did that to your car.  I heard they did that to at least a few others too. 

I'm glad that the police are looking into this a little deeper now.  I hope that means jail time is eminent for all the crooks.

[Vipermann]

To my knowledge, Year One only sells 17" gold wheels in the 'Snowflake' style.  "Honeycomb' come in silver, which is why I had to have them custom finished in gold with a machined lip.  If you see 'em in a pic anywhere else online, they are probably my wheels.

This is a pic right after they arrived after being shipped to the Bandit's address:

[Vipermann]

Viperman, are they allowing you to file theft charges for all the pieces that are missing and the money owed?  Sorry they did that to your car.  I heard they did that to at least a few others too. 

I'm glad that the police are looking into this a little deeper now.  I hope that means jail time is eminent for all the crooks.

They have a detailed listing of my parts that were delivered - the Bandit even confirmed back to me what he received when it first arrived.  (The authorities are definitely aware of the concept of destroying evidence - sending unfinished cars back to junk yards to disappear, and games like that - hypothetically speaking...)  So we'll see what is recoverable...

[Flounder55]

Viperman, I would suggest that you contact the Sherrif's office and find out who DID get cars from Bob and maybe you can backtrack that way. Maybe watch Ebay or Craigslist.

 I know of several victims who's car's interiors were stripped so your not alone!

[Vipermann]

Viperman, I would suggest that you contact the Sherrif's office and find out who DID get cars from Bob and maybe you can backtrack that way. Maybe watch Ebay or Craigslist.

 I know of several victims who's car's interiors were stripped so your not alone!

Thanks.  I would guess the Bandit reads all of this, so i won't go into too much that's going on...

[kjkjkcjkcj]

Sorry i misread the post.  I thought you said snowflakes, those honecombs look sweet.  You should start a thread on your build.  Tons of people would love to see it.