Your car builder rapes you...what would you do?

[Hank Williams Jr]

"What would you do?"

Id gather up all the paerwork I had. Any 'estimates' checks, statements. written approvals you gave him. And id make notes on as much as you can about the transaction. Any conversations, phone calls. Etcetera.

ID collect it all, and have it ready for a lawyer. Better Business Bureau, and Id talk to others in your city.

On a smaller scale my neighbour went through the same thing this summer. It was an engine though - from a 'top level' shop. They did nothing but jerk him around. When he finally rec'd it. before he could even use it - we discovered a massive crack in it.

He was able to get a very small amount of cash back from them. He decided against a lawyer b/c it wasnt worth it in his case...but it sounds like it would be in yours.

[SMGCO]

First thing you need to do is learn from it.

Secondly I'm sure during the process you knew things were not going along as they should of. As soon as you realized that things were not going well you should of stopped him and had a serious discussion. If the discussion did not work and there of been an immediate change you should of immediately removed your car from his shop. " Immediate " and " immediately " are the key words.

I've been through a similar situation a couple times. Trust me immediately removing the car is the answer. If you need a lawyer after you remove the car then you can do that but usually that is just throwing good money after bad.

[John Brown]

Ray, sounds like you found an engine builder like just Terry Pennington use to have. Every time the car went to the track it was a crap shoot on how many runs he could make before it started blowing oil. Each time he took the engine back there was a pile of "$$ tricker than trick $$" parts waiting that were promised to cure the problem. The engine builder even ground all the i.d. marks off the pistons and cam. After three years of this Terry finally pulled the engine apart himself and found that the ring grooves weren't right for the special made rings, and the rings were sticking in the bottom of the grooves. How could an engine builder miss that every time he tore the engine down?? No wonder the engine was detonating and blowing oil. Bottom line was finding an engine builder that was through and competent, and not using his customers as an unpaid test bench. Good luck.

[GRB]

Thanks for your input...all of you. I'll address SS Junkie, King Midas, Pete, John and SMG's questions and observations. Keep in mind that I am doing this as a means of 'due diligence'. Having spent 30+ years in the automotive business and having fought dozens of these relatively small wars and one multi-million dollar one, I learned that 'DD' is a must and CAN NOT be overdone. That's why your opinions and questions are important to me.

I will have to reveal more about this in order for you to understand how I got to where I am, but I do want to leave a few specifics and names out because this is pending litigation and although the 'truth' is an absolute defense I don't want to start premature mud slinging unnecessarily.

I have known the man (he actually got my brand new 1970 LT1 Corvette to run great when the chev. dealer had given up) who owns this shop for more than 35 years. His reputation is absolutely untarnished and his name is highly regarded. I'm sure there are many people who belief he could walk on water! Those of you that have been here for some time already know who it is. Until this inexplicable experience (I may still be in denial) I would have trusted this man with my life!

Keep in mind that even though I have requested an invoice, which my insurance company now insists on, there was always an excuse for why it 'wasn't quiet ready yet'. The car has been in my possession for about 5 months now and I have politely requested, even faxed requests for an invoice. My phone calls are not returned even though the owner promised to mail me one after I FAXED him my request and new address!). This is irrefutable. The condition, false dyno sheet, state of repair, horrendous, amateurish tune and chronic drive-ability and other issues are also irrefutable.

For some reason this shop does not, virtually refuses, to test drive customer's cars. Seems outrageously inept to me, but that's their policy. (Or at least it was with me) When the car went back the second time, I never kept it during this period for more than a week or so, I begged them to drive the car home, test drive it or whatever it took to get it fixed. I wanted the car fixed right once and for all at this point.

Finally in desperation I suggested removing the super charger which seemed to be the root of "their" problem, although they have done many identical installs (provable) with no problem. After six months of nothing happening I suggested, since keeping "the flame lit" and tuning without absolutely perfect weather conditions seemed to be related to the SC, that we just put the car back to our original NA plan. Down the tubes went what would have been the most powerful car of it's type, magazine articles (one was printed) and a record ET for this particular class of vehicles. But, it was clear to me by this time that "they" could not make the car run with the SC installed.

BTW - this was clearly understood to be a 'cost is no object' project. There were no trick parts, short cuts or cheap parts used. And nothing experimental!

This past June the car was finally ready after several months of simply removing the SC and allegedly putting the car back to a NA C5R 427. I was given a dyno sheet that showed 620RWHP, and a dirty, excuse me, filthy car that backfired within 200 yards. By this time I had moved to Cumming which is 35 miles from the shop (rather than the previous 10 miles) so I headed home disgusted and naturally barely made it. This was when I finally began to get, let's say 'difficult to get along with from their perspective', and communications other than my weekly calls to ask for an accurate and COMPLETE invoice, stopped.

I'll add more meat to the bones as we go. Anybody barfed yet???? Wait until you hear about the epoxied 090 C5R head!!

[Hank Williams Jr]

Holy Jesus. What a mess.

[GRB]

A good example of what happens when you rely on a man's lifetime good reputation and to make it worse, have known him personally most of your life. It is bizarre.
You should know that the length of time that the build took was not a big deal to me. Of course I expressed concern when it went into it's third year but the last thing I wanted to do was rush any phase of the build and garage space, before I built a new house, was an issue.

Even more perplexing is the question of why a shop with an immaculate reputation would risk suffering immense damage to their reputation (not to mention monetary losses)and the wrath of a judge who will be blown away by the pile of FACTS!

[67 GTO]

[ QUOTE ]
For some reason this shop does not, virtually refuses, to test drive customer's cars.

[/ QUOTE ]
Might want to try and find out WHY - if there's a paper trail it might speak volumes (keep in mind that it could've been settled out of court) but if someone else has gotten burned then it's not an isolated incident?

[69LM1]

That Sucks.
Good Luck with court. Make sure you sue him before he sues you. You will in most cases be pressured to "settle" out of court. If he sues you first, then you may even have to pay him! Make sure that your lawyer is connected.

I was once screwed by my homebuilder. Turns out he was not a LA licensed contractor (400k house), screwed up my new home with a 50,000 error, and still wanted 15k to leave the job site. He sued me first, using a local lawyer. I have several "high" profile law firms as customers, in New Orleans (this new house is in the burbs). Long story short, I wound up paying him the 15,000 even though by law he was supposed to be a licensed contractor. His lawyer was a connected ambulance chaser, and the judge thought that the case should be "settled".

Don't let a little thing like facts and the truth get in the way of losing a case!

My .02, Make sure you sue him first, get a local and connected lawyer and ask for three times what you want so that you can "settle" for what is fair...........

Best of Luck,

Rich

[GRB]

SS 427 COPO, I guess my reaction to this is as inexplicable as the story itself. I can't muster the anger, or at least not for long, to want to hurt this person. I'm too disappointed and perplexed by what he has done to do anything other than what I have to do.

I'd like to just forget it but I can't live with myself knowing I've let someone maliciously steal thousands of dollars that could I could give to one of my kids, a needy person or whatever.

I'm far from perfect but I inherited a strong sense of right and wrong from my father. What was done to me was wrong. A judge will see that in no time. The defendant in this case has no excuse whatsoever. And God help him if a judge has to issue a court order to force him to finally give me an invoice.

Rich - he has no grounds to sue me. Before I sue I will have to give him a chance to make restitution. And I'm sure a judge will order binding arbitration. I now doubt he has the common sense or good judgement to do the right thing.

[rich p]

Didnt you take the guy for a ride and slam some gears with him in the car ?????

Sounds like he didnt want to drive it cause they already messed it up !!

A guy down here has had three fires at his shop.I dont think they like him either.
It was quite funny when you drove away and come back. The guy would get real pissed and ask: What the Hell did you do to it,it ran fine before you took it !!