Problems with the quality of work done by Virginia Speed
08-22-2011, 06:47 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Problems with the quality of work done by Virginia Speed
I’m about as frustrated and upset about the quality of work that Virginia Speed did on my car as you can get. I wanted to share my experience so everyone is aware of this shops attention to detail.
I original took my car to Virginia Speed to have them help diagnose a drive line vibration in early April 2011. Within a few days they found my engine to have a bad thrust bearing. I decided to have them build me a new motor built for boost with a RHS block, Mast heads, Lunati pro series crank, Callie Compstar I beam rod, and all the other good parts sparing little expense. I paid a deposit on the build at the end of April and informed them that I needed the car done by the middle of June because I was the area. Well, they had the new motor in the car by 15 June, the vibration wasn’t gone though…
I left the car with them and paid the balance due on the engine build. Early July I called to check the progress, I’m told that my torque tube housing is bent by a person who works at the counter and that that one of the mechanics will call to confirm. 16 July I get call that confirm they believe the housing is bent. I get a new one to the shop 20 July. I make several calls over the next few weeks to get a status and the car and each time the car had not been touched. After 3 weeks of the car setting I tell them I’m going to pick up the car due to them not working on it. They promptly assure me they are putting it on the hoist that day to change out the housing.
I made plans to drive from Florida to Virginia to get the car and give them 3 week days and a ½ day on the weekend to tune the car AFTER they told me the torque tube was changed. I show up to get the car and the pictures below show what I got. Keep in mind the engine R&R was completed mid June and the car sat with them until 16 August.
These pictures are the highlights of what I have found. There are many more issue.
Control arm bolt fell out on trip back to Florida while car was in the trailer
Nut not installed on tranny brace
Super charger mounting bolt and 2 spacers not installed
Both fuel rails against top of cowl
Fuel line going into fuel tail tight on fire wall
Left
Right
Oil leaks
Hobbs switch for external fuel pump turn on was relocated from battery box area to outside battery box and found with holes melted through vacuum line.
3 radiator mounts not secure
Missing cap and A/C system not charged
Marred rims from dyno straps
Wiring not secured
I original took my car to Virginia Speed to have them help diagnose a drive line vibration in early April 2011. Within a few days they found my engine to have a bad thrust bearing. I decided to have them build me a new motor built for boost with a RHS block, Mast heads, Lunati pro series crank, Callie Compstar I beam rod, and all the other good parts sparing little expense. I paid a deposit on the build at the end of April and informed them that I needed the car done by the middle of June because I was the area. Well, they had the new motor in the car by 15 June, the vibration wasn’t gone though…
I left the car with them and paid the balance due on the engine build. Early July I called to check the progress, I’m told that my torque tube housing is bent by a person who works at the counter and that that one of the mechanics will call to confirm. 16 July I get call that confirm they believe the housing is bent. I get a new one to the shop 20 July. I make several calls over the next few weeks to get a status and the car and each time the car had not been touched. After 3 weeks of the car setting I tell them I’m going to pick up the car due to them not working on it. They promptly assure me they are putting it on the hoist that day to change out the housing.
I made plans to drive from Florida to Virginia to get the car and give them 3 week days and a ½ day on the weekend to tune the car AFTER they told me the torque tube was changed. I show up to get the car and the pictures below show what I got. Keep in mind the engine R&R was completed mid June and the car sat with them until 16 August.
These pictures are the highlights of what I have found. There are many more issue.
Control arm bolt fell out on trip back to Florida while car was in the trailer
Nut not installed on tranny brace
Super charger mounting bolt and 2 spacers not installed
Both fuel rails against top of cowl
Fuel line going into fuel tail tight on fire wall
Left
Right
Oil leaks
Hobbs switch for external fuel pump turn on was relocated from battery box area to outside battery box and found with holes melted through vacuum line.
3 radiator mounts not secure
Missing cap and A/C system not charged
Marred rims from dyno straps
Wiring not secured
08-22-2011, 06:58 PM
#4
WOW! Please tell me this is a joke. If this was my car after I paid to have it worked on and built.... ohh the things I would do....
Time delays happen from time to time.... That kinda stuff above is just not acceptable.
Time delays happen from time to time.... That kinda stuff above is just not acceptable.
08-22-2011, 07:02 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jun 2009
Location: Concord NC
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St. Jude Donor '10
Wow. Glad you trailered it back rather than driving it, with that control arm bolt like that it would have been a matter of time before a rollback was scooping it out of the pine trees.
08-22-2011, 07:13 PM
#7
Tech Contributor
Not the first time I've heard something like this. Just the first time I've actually seen it. Things aren't always what they seem. Wondering if they've had the opportunity to address these issues. Or if you even trust them to fix this mess.
08-22-2011, 07:16 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
they are **** poor
Mike thats poor work!!
they must want to kill you!
(law suit!!) I was wondering where you were have not seen you here much!
will they be man enough to fix there mistake and try to save face because i know your a stand up guy and would never lie 
they must want to kill you! (law suit!!) I was wondering where you were have not seen you here much! will they be man enough to fix there mistake and try to save face because i know your a stand up guy and would never lie
08-22-2011, 07:20 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
I had a bad experience with va speed as well along with a couple friends of mine which i cannot speak for them but I now use mayhem motorsports for all my speed needs 
When I posted back when I had my tune done at va speed i said i was really unhappy with my tune and didnt say who tuned my car and after being asked over and over who did the tune i stated va speed then got bashed on the forum about it had to be my car and not the tune then come to find out i got pm's from others who had the same experience with their tunes and then local friends as well but I am guessing it was their cars as well and not the tune....
needless to say what va speed could not seem to accomplish in the 2 days they had my car to quote "get the best tune" done Frost fixed in 1 hour!!!
I am only stating what I know and my opinion and because of that I sought out another speed shop for my needs
When I posted back when I had my tune done at va speed i said i was really unhappy with my tune and didnt say who tuned my car and after being asked over and over who did the tune i stated va speed then got bashed on the forum about it had to be my car and not the tune then come to find out i got pm's from others who had the same experience with their tunes and then local friends as well but I am guessing it was their cars as well and not the tune....
needless to say what va speed could not seem to accomplish in the 2 days they had my car to quote "get the best tune" done Frost fixed in 1 hour!!!
I am only stating what I know and my opinion and because of that I sought out another speed shop for my needs
Last edited by Gitusum; 08-22-2011 at 07:32 PM.
08-22-2011, 07:27 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
Same here. Just a matter of time before someone it hurt, or killed, by this negligence. I hope VA Speed has a good lawyer.
08-22-2011, 07:48 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
08-22-2011, 08:23 PM
#16
Former Vendor
Member Since: Nov 2008
Location: Virginia Beach Virginia
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no mention that the car wasn't finshed. Had we told you the car was done i could see the complaints. But we had a discussion when you picked up the car that it wasn't finished and there would be things that needed addressed. We both agreed that it was good the the bulk of the drivetrain was installed and you could debug it yourself.
Also keep in mind that we kept disassembling and reassembling things to figure out things like low boost on the dyno. The reason the car sat was that we had other customers work to do and you were put back in line behind them. There was no use in finishing anything until we could solve the vibration concern and finish everything.
Also keep in mind that we kept disassembling and reassembling things to figure out things like low boost on the dyno. The reason the car sat was that we had other customers work to do and you were put back in line behind them. There was no use in finishing anything until we could solve the vibration concern and finish everything.
08-22-2011, 08:29 PM
#17
Melting Slicks
Whats it take to be a sponsor here? Hate to see people from Florida taking they're cars to other states,..when they could have work performed on they're cars right here by someone who actually cares.
08-22-2011, 08:30 PM
#18
Le Mans Master
No excuses for all that, very poor. Is the engine at least built right? I would really worry about that, after all the screw ups. Did you see if they remembered to put the crank in it? !
08-22-2011, 09:00 PM
#19
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I have no I'll will toward Shawn or the rest at Va Speed. I found the staff there to be helpful and seemed to care about getting my car done. My car was there a very long time and in the end I did push to have it finished.
I do expect that the engine installation would have been done and completely wrapped up since it was finished in June and it was paid in full. There were way too many loose ends still in the engine compartment that should have been noticed long before I picked the car up in my opinion.
Missing bolts for the SC mount, both fuel rails and lines tight against the fire wall, and the oil leak near the filter are just too obvious not to notice if the car was looked over after it was assembled.
As Shawn said above the car wasn't finished but had made several dyno pulls. I believed not finished to mean the tune. I was fine with that aspect of it, since there LS tuner tuner I was familiar with, Ed Hutchings, was no longer working there. I didn't expect the R&R of the engine that I paid for wasn't finished. I would have been OK with a few minor issues due to the car not being the average vette. Right now I'm going to have to go back and check all the bolts of the install short of the engine and a lot of other things.
As for the car not making boost, the belt wasn't close to tight enough. I repeatedly told personnel there on the phone it had to be tight. I tightened it for one dyno run and it did build boost until another issue came up that ended the run.
In the end I expected more, I too had heard many negative things about Va Speed through PMs and emails. I gave them the benefit of the doubt anyways...
I do expect that the engine installation would have been done and completely wrapped up since it was finished in June and it was paid in full. There were way too many loose ends still in the engine compartment that should have been noticed long before I picked the car up in my opinion.
Missing bolts for the SC mount, both fuel rails and lines tight against the fire wall, and the oil leak near the filter are just too obvious not to notice if the car was looked over after it was assembled.
As Shawn said above the car wasn't finished but had made several dyno pulls. I believed not finished to mean the tune. I was fine with that aspect of it, since there LS tuner tuner I was familiar with, Ed Hutchings, was no longer working there. I didn't expect the R&R of the engine that I paid for wasn't finished. I would have been OK with a few minor issues due to the car not being the average vette. Right now I'm going to have to go back and check all the bolts of the install short of the engine and a lot of other things.
As for the car not making boost, the belt wasn't close to tight enough. I repeatedly told personnel there on the phone it had to be tight. I tightened it for one dyno run and it did build boost until another issue came up that ended the run.
In the end I expected more, I too had heard many negative things about Va Speed through PMs and emails. I gave them the benefit of the doubt anyways...
Last edited by Mike04; 08-22-2011 at 09:34 PM.
08-22-2011, 09:01 PM
#20
Le Mans Master
no mention that the car wasn't finshed. Had we told you the car was done i could see the complaints. But we had a discussion when you picked up the car that it wasn't finished and there would be things that needed addressed. We both agreed that it was good the the bulk of the drivetrain was installed and you could debug it yourself.
Also keep in mind that we kept disassembling and reassembling things to figure out things like low boost on the dyno. The reason the car sat was that we had other customers work to do and you were put back in line behind them. There was no use in finishing anything until we could solve the vibration concern and finish everything.
Also keep in mind that we kept disassembling and reassembling things to figure out things like low boost on the dyno. The reason the car sat was that we had other customers work to do and you were put back in line behind them. There was no use in finishing anything until we could solve the vibration concern and finish everything.
he agreed so that he could get the car back with out you charging him full price he was at the shops mercy!
you never leave control arm bolts out!! that could be the vibration or the fuel rails touching the body of the car! that's what happens when you hire cheap help! im sorry but im mad for mike this has happend to me before and it sucks!! and no one cares how about a refund to save face!