Well...this is gonna be long winded, a bit of whining and a bit of ranting, but I am just sick over the whole mess.
I try to be a fair and honest person and admit many times I feel I am more careful than need be on trying to avoiding being cheated.
I have come to find many of you very savvy and some I regard are friends
I know when a person gets caught up in stress and emotions they can see things with blinders on to some degree, I am posting this for several reasons, I would like to know if I am justified or wrong, and if I am correct on how I feel I want to help others avoid my mistake at this shop in Jacksonville fl.
To be fair for now I will leave names out of it.

The original idea was I was going to buy an engine off the net and due to my health limitations have it installed, I wanted a BB but talked myself into a 383
I went with a fellow my dad in Jacksonville sang the praises of for the work he had done for my dad the last 20 years, Later I learned this wasn't much more than than oil changes.
I spoke with the mechanic and explained what I wanted and what I could buy online he assured me he could build me that or better and for cheaper ( yes, I know many times we get what we pay for )

Over several phones calls the engine was to be a 383 with mild cam and iron heads ( he never would tell me "what" exact heads ) I wanted street friendly.
I asked him to paint it black and during the tear down of my engine he informed me that my engine was junk...a cracked block and junk heads, spun bearings and cam with several bad lobes ( can you believe it did run )

I live in Orlando so Dad went by the shop to see my old junk engine and the new one being built.
My dad was all bragging that he was using all top end parts making a big deal about roller tip rockers that the mech said he was using, also the great rods pistons crank etc,

During the build the mechanic informed me that my flywheel and starter were bad and that my balancer and valve covers were also junk,
He also was to install a one wire 140 amp alt. which he did. ( I guess that's what that is...its a different alt I'll give him that )

I told him get a new starter which he suggested high torque and flywheel and he suggested that he likes to use fluid dampers, so I said go for it,

He threw in a old used set of MT valve covers and an Edelbrock performer intake with used Holley 600 carb,
I had a new edelbrock carb but he said Edelbrock carbs are junk and forced the Holley on me.
The Intake subject was also a big mess I wanted a RPM air gap but he insisted it would not fit under my hood and this intake he had was better, just to get it done I said fine install the intake you have,

At this point the price was at 3000.00...but it went up another 700.00 when they totaled the bill.

I stressed that the car needed to be checked out and fit to drive home to Orlando,
I had to wait an extra week to make the trip to pick it up and was assured by the mechanics wife, his secretary that is was fit to drive at least 3 times.

So me and my wonderful better 1/2 rent a car fri passed and drive up for a nice visit with dad and to get the vette and drive it home,

When I got to his shop which demanded only cash payment I waited for him to bring the car around, he blamed the odd tinny sound on the leaking side pipe, ( could be I guess )
The first things I see are a bright orange spray painted fuel pump and balancer I guess the balancer is stock GM not the Fluid damper I paid for.
I asked if there were any special things I should do to break her in ( you know every mech has "their" way" ) he said no, I asked should I take it easy on it a while he replied "Why , we didn't"

I get to dads less than a mile away, I park and freshen up a bit, my wife is put off on how ratty the engine looks, we all go out to dinner and come home to play with the car,
we try to start the car and it's stone dead,

I had no idea the history or status of the battery that came in the car so I took that opportunity to by an Optima battery, we take the car for a short drive unimpressed that it is a 383 as to me it doesn't have the get up and go of either my 327 or 86 vette with 350,

The next morning we wanted to fire it off and go for a spin, but we noticed a huge oil spot like a plate on the ground when I crawled under it wasn't oil, the fuel filter laying on top of the frame rail have been leaking from a crack in it, so I fixed that with a new metal filter...

At that time I saw what was a quickie orange spray paint job on the balancer and that it was in fact a stock one not Fluid damper.
And the car was again stone dead and wouldn't start,

Things started getting ugly between me and my dad at this point,
We jumped the car off and the idle was on the low side and when I removed the air cleaner I was greeted with this turd,

The rigging is what chaps me...






I bumped the idle and I limped it to the gas station, filled the tank and it almost didn't restart...we limped home from Jax to Orlando not once turning the engine off.

When I pull into the yard I try to start her, Again, the engine was stone dead and will not start,

I found this bolted to the starter,


That is the wire that goes over to the Alt, whoever installed the started had to see it like this and just twisted the ends together, they were barely together and fell apart when I touched it.

So I top off the dead battery with a charger...I notice on the engine it had the little puddles of coolant on the intake where some dolt didn't use sealer the bolts.
I will go look at a few things later today when it gets cooler out.

I have health issues and this has really aspirated my conditions,
In addition while on the phone with my dad I got fed up with him still harping that I am ungrateful for all the work the mech did for me and that don't tell him any problems to call the tech so for the first time in my life I told my dad off and hung up on him I am 45 he 85 and I feel like sht about that,

This morning, Monday I call the shop the wife takes down the whole story, assuring me this is not how they would let a car go out, that the shop is their livelihood,
I really stress issues like what if I had went straight on the highway heading home with that leaky filter the car could have caught on fire,
I asked about being sold a FD and getting a stock gm balancer,
I even asked about missing stuff in the car, trust me in a very calm way I covered it all in details,

An hour or so later I get a call back, her kind attitude is now a bit harsh and the first thing out of her mouth is that the mech is really mad as he was expecting a call to praise ( yes, praise ) him and commend and thank him for such a wonderful job. ( a car that won't start and that I would be embarrassed to raise the hood on )

She wrote down what he wanted her to say to me as she said he was too mad at me to even talk to me,
She went on to say that while we did agree on the Fluid damper and I did pay for one that he decided to just install a stock one, ( that he can't call me for every little thing ) which goes against all the things he told me during the build.

The fuel filter leaking is my fault according to him, he says that used one of those with the glass middle and they are not for cars, that he only reinstalled it because I had it on the car before,
(I bought it at the parts store, used them for years, If he deems that style filter unsafe why did he reinstall it only to blame me )

The roller tip rockers...while he admits he told me dad they were going on my car he said they do not fit my heads so hence they were not installed.

The alt is new so I shouldn't have any problems with starting or charging and if I do it is from my cars old wiring not anything he did.

The wire on the starter that fell apart in my hand, well, again that is my fault and my cars fault. the fact that whoever installed the starter had to see it in that condition and didn't do or say anything is beside the point.

By this point she was getting a tad bit pissy with me, I got tired of her attitude and being told it's all me and hung up on her,

So...go wild, I feel I was rear ended hard, the mech and his wife think I am ungrateful for the wonderful top end build and great engine I received, ( that I still cant drive ) would you guys hire him for an engine build?

My wifes point of view and questions include,
How do we know the engine he showed your dad is what went into the car,
If the outside of the engine is so Half-ast what is the inside like?
How do we know your old engine was as bad off as he claims?

Lets hear some feedback....

 

First, and most importantly, make up with your dad. Life is too short and you know he wouldn't intentionally lead you the wrong way.

Second, it sounds like their was a complete lack of communication between you and the tech, which is the tech's fault. You don't promise parts and then change without calling the customer.

Third, you catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar, so to resolve this (if it is still fixable) you need to try to get them (mechanic and wife) on your side, and not angry with you (by hanging up on them)if you want them to fix the problems you are having. Otherwise (unfortunately) you will have to get another person to fix (and or rebuild) the engine or take legal action (which is no fun) against them to get satisfaction.

I'd call and try to get the mechanic to address the problems. You need to say sorry for hanging up and getting riled up (even if you arent) and hopefully they will work with you.

I hope things work out for you and i know how frustrating that can be.

 

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Not only did you get screwed, you got screwed in ways you don't even know about yet. Stories like this & some personal experiences are why I do the majority of my own work. If its gonna be a crappy job at least I'm the one that did it.

Thank them for all their work???? That what the cash is for - they should thank you for the opportunity and the business. Did you get any type of receipt? Or documentation showing the work done and the parts supposedly installed?

Good luck

Jim

 

Dad owes you a big apology and needs to quit 'blowing smoke up your a$$" about how much he knows and who he knows. And, if he doesn't, you just need to ignore whatever he tells you from now on. Other than that, he is not responsible for your problem. You let your 'guard' down because of Dad's "he's a good guy" recommendation; but making sure you got what you paid for is your responsibility. Sorry about you getting burned by a con-man/mechanic. From now on, ask folks who have valid experience for advice...rather than relatives.

 

I'm not sure I could have been half as patient as you.

I don't have any experience directly with your situation, but instead I received the vette that was abused by the previous owner's mechanic.

I had purchased a car that barely ran from an owner that was at his wits end with the car. He had receipts from his mechanic totaling almost 8 grand and a car that he couldn't drive.

After hauling the car to my parent's farm I hoped that at least some of the receipts were true and the car wasn't in as bad of a shape as the owner had thought.

I've been going through the car and finding everything from exposed wires, improperly assembled parts, bad wiring, improperly installed parts, leaking fuel lines, and items that were on the receipts as being replaced that looked like they were original.

Its been enough to give me chills to think that someone could cheat someone of their money and not even at least make the car safe enough to drive.

All in all the car is almost ready to run and I've been debating on writing the previous owner and list out the issues that should have been corrected the first time. I'm not sure if he would want to know or be better off just thinking the vette was a lost cause.

Good luck Bats. I'm a fan of tasteful customs as well so I hope this doesn't dampen your spirits too much.

 

Just for clarification, this thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...you-think.html

...was this the previous owner or what this shop did?

 

Seriously?
The only person touching my engine is a experienced builder at a quality machine shop. When it leaves that shop, sealed, I then carefully install it myself, while going over my mental check list as I assemble it in the vehicle, doing my best to use the finest materials available and the most professional job possible.
I would never farm out engine work to some half *** mechanic at a shop. This is your big project Corvette? The one you shopped around for for years? What are you thinking??
Why not take the time to gather the parts needed for a quality engine, and bring them to a reputible Machine shop that has the proper equipment to build you a quality engine. Leave the vehicle parked untill you can do it right.. Or purchase a quality crate engine for 3k+ from a reputable shop with a warranty..
That is what I have been doing for the past 10 years anyway...
I am the same age as you also... Do it yourself and get the job done right. Take your time if you have to, a half hour here, a few hours there.. it will get done!

 

I would never go to someone like this. I think that all that mess about your old engine being cracked, and all that mess was a lie. Things should have gotten suspicious once he said all of that. "that the shop is their livelihood" Oh it's their "livelihood" alright, they are taking your money and throwing what is most likely used stuff in your engine and charging you full price. You need to get your money back and take your business elsewhere. Good luck.

 

Good Luck

 

You gotta love the tie wrap and the spring attached to the rad hose clamp...

What I don't understand why you drove it home...I would have driven it right back to his shop and had a nice chat with him.

 

You have every right to be outraged! I would be! This "mechanic" ripped you off! Didn't keep you abreast of problems, changes he decided on his own to make (outrageous!), took money for costlier parts & then used cheaper inferior parts than were promised, and so on. Who the hell is he to tell you what should go on the engine when you requested specific parts?! It's one thing if there's a major problem needing a different setup but you're the paying customer and he should follow your specs to the letter! What does he care if the manifold you wanted would not fit under the hood, as well as the carb choice. Did you get a receipt with everything done to the engine? The machine work, dyno runs etc...?
Thing is now, he has your cash, did shoddy work, and you have no proof what's inside that engine. To bad you weren't there to supervise the build. Did they even test drive the thing or run it for more than a few moments?
Take it back to him to do what you wanted and PAID for. If he won't then I'd threaten legal action, make a lot of noise, write letter's in the local news papers etc.
As far as your dad goes, you know he was trying to help, but he should have defended you and been on your side, not this jerks. Make amends with him though, life is short.
Sorry about your misfortune and hope it gets resolved.
Glenn

 

Would have been tough to not drive it home, but there's no way I would have done so...


Mechanic? Not even. Bubba? ABSOLUTELY!

 

 

This is what $3900.00 plus shipping gets you...
3 year 30 thousand mile warranty...
Jegs 383 crate engine 405 HP 440 TQ

 

Sorry mate but you got shafted and I think you know it. Now you need to deal with it.
Did you get any paperwork to show work done or do you have anything written down about specs agreed?

Call your dad, the engine can be fixed...hurt feelings are harder to mend.
Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

 

When life tosses rotten lemons at me I do try to make lemonade even if it takes a pound of sugar...but when life throws poo at me no matter how I polish it poo is still poo.

Drizzle,
I know I am long winded but appears you missed entirely that the shop blames me 100% going as far as to be mad at me for not calling to praise and thank the mech,
I leave "praise" for things like "God"
In other words the mech/shop stand behind the job and the work they did as being top rate. and any "issues" are some way mine and or the cars fault.

I agree life is too short and the wedge between me and my dad sucks out loud,
But my dad recommended this mech then when my dad a retired jet tech sees the crappy work with his own eyes he makes lame excuses and he tells me I am ungrateful...sorry when family lets you down who can you count on?
I tried to make that right and my dad has to harp I am ungreatful of what this mech did for me.



70BBvert

I agree...you and my wife are on the same page,
I really was gonna do it myself...it would have taken longer but...
The receipt is a nice generic one says "Engine rebuild"
I would say I am mucked on this one...


7T1vette
I agree with all that...I didn't even want dad fighting the battle for me or with me all I wanted was him to admit that I got hosed and the job is crappy....

gq82
By the time I picked the car up and got it to my dads the shop was closed for the weekend,
Due to many of lifes demands including my own health issues and taking care of an elderly parent we had to come home on Sunday,

jordan89
I am that way too...I go to the extreme worse possible case like you just did,
I suspect and of course could be wrong that when I pull the pan I will see a 2 bolt junker,
Lets hope not.

Mewn
Not need to scold me too much,
Trust me I am beating myself up pretty good over this one because I do agree with how you feel on builds, and I do try to do it myself and right.
But just because you and I are the same age doesn't mean I can keep up with you, I stopped making excuses for health limitations they are just part of the shipwreck of growing old,
In hind site I wish I had bought that 502 I wanted and installed it myself...

1ARACE
What you are seeing in the carb pictures is NOT what came on my car it is what I paid for from the mech I am talking about in this thread....
He sees nothing wrong with the spring or linkage...


Guys...thanks for the replies in a way it helps me feel better that I am not "crazy"
After my dad who I deeply love and respect tells me I am ungrateful and makes excuses for that mess you see in the pictures and then the shop tells me basically the same thing...that the build is great and I am some nut, if a phone call isn't going anywhere I hang up.
Take a long look at the carb picture, then understand that this shop sees nothing wrong with that set up....

I have a big question ...
Should I send the shop a link to this thread...let them see that others also feel this is not right.

 

I think it's a total loss. You were ripped off, but how can you go back to that guy? I think he has shown he is incapable of doing decent work, and that carb pic is downright scary. Sorry.

 

I agree,
I find posts telling me to go back and force him to make it right meaning well but ludicrous this mech proved this is they type work he did and is proud of,

 

I wasn't suggesting you bring the car back to have him make it right but rather to refund some of the monies paid.

 

Bats that is too bad!!! I guess would have could have do not count at this point. the best thing to do is make up with your dad as others have said life is too short. as for the engine..... talk to the shop and try to come to an agreement (money back) if all fails then i would take the engine out and start all over. BTW i loved the return spring on the hose clamp. unreal.

Good luck on this one!!