My builder and I were told the heads were done on Wednesday. I went this morning to go pick them up so that we could get the car all back together today ... and ... yes....... "We're sorry sir, the heads aren't done yet. I'm not sure why, but hopefully they will be done on Monday for you" ... WWWWHHHAAATT?!?!?!?!? :mad :mad
SOOOooooo... all we did this morning was put the block in and get everything we could hooked up. My builder is going to go in to the machine shop monday morning and pretty much watch them do the work on the heads right there. So, hopefully we will be able to finish this up on Monday evening.

And BTW, they have had the heads for over 3 weeks!!! Took about 2.5 - 3 weeks on the block !


[Modified by Glock'94, 4:24 PM 1/19/2002]


[Modified by Glock'94, 4:25 PM 1/19/2002]

 

Hopefully you'll calm down before you speak to the machinist. The times you are talking about are pretty normal for a popular machine shop. If they are really that good, they are probably pretty busy, especially this time of the year. Also, machining a block takes more time than you realize. If they do a good job, rather than just try to rush it through, there are a couple of steps along the way where they will allow the block to cool down while boring it.

A good machinist is a hot rodders best friend. If he does good work, and his prices are reasonable, you just have to expect that there are going to be times when they take longer to do something than what you expected.

From prior experience, I always just assume it's going to take twice as long for them to do something than what they initially tell you. It hardly every takes that long, but it saves you from being disappointed.

 

Yeah man take a breath I understand your pissed but thats how machining goes sometimes, I hate having to give out a deadline time, hell I dont know it will be done when its done its done??? The machine could break parts might be bad or late????
who knows but i totaly am with you on this.. kick em in the jimmy just wait untill you have all of your parts :yesnod:


[Modified by phrogs, 12:48 PM 1/19/2002]

 

Monty is dead RIGHT... 2 - 3 weeks is not bad especially if its a RACE only ship, & they do GOOD work..

There are a few GOOD shops here that wont even accept work now, unless you agree to accept the heads after MARCH

If the work is top shelf, I'd pay & thank them ! Besides out here its snowing now so there is no driving a Vette now anyway..

 

I feel your pain glock,but dont sweat it,thy will be done soon.I guess because they told you it was already done and then it wasnt goes to show someone screwed up or gave you a BS time.it can make anyone mad.

I got the run around in the past..the guy promised the motor done in 2 weeks and a month went by and he didnt even touch it..he began getting more expensive engines coming in for work and decided my rebuild could wait.
I was mad and went there and told him either to finish the engine or Im taking it home with me.
He finsihed it in a few days after that but the engine wasnt right...it had a few problems down the road.I should have taken the engine instead of letting him finish after that long.

2nd time around for a different rebuild, I specifically stated when I wanted it and told the guy nicely about my past experience and said I wouldnt rush him but will only agree in writing to give him the business if he is able to meet my deadline for 3 weeks time or take off 500 bucks.He promised and came through.it had worked.Everybody was happy.Truth is he wanted my business more then anything I stated and the writing I had was just to see how far they stood behind their work and words.

For the time being, find other things your car can use or need while you wait.
Im also kinda suprised you put the block back in the car..I wouldve waited and assembled everything on the engine stand first and then drop it back in,its alot easier this way and saves your back.Dont rush your jobs now..it will be done soon and youll be happy.
:)

 

yeah, I'm just mad because they are taking forever, and they keep BS'ing their way out of the real time they will have them. When they said "they'll be done tomorrow" about the 5th time, I just about had it and was going to go over and tell them to give it to me and I'm taking it elsewhere for the rest of the work.

Unlike most of you, this is my only car, and I haven't had it since Dec. 5th! Luckily campus bus takes me to/from school, and my roommates have been really nice and let me borrow their cars to get food and small things. It's been nearly months and I'm just frustrated that the machine shop is taking a LOT longer than they said they would. And I don't know HOW they got so messed up that they said they were DONE when they weren't... ARG!

Actually, the builder said it was a LOT easier for him to take the heads off first, then pull the block. So he said he would do the same putting it back in.

 

Monty, yes they are apparently more popular than I thought, because I found out today that they do lots of ship out work even to other countries. Not bad for how small this business looks.

Hopefully I'll just be so excited to get it together that night that I won't go off the wall. If they don't have them on Monday, I can't be liable for what I might do :jester (j/k)

 

I had a similar experience with a machine shop in Atlanta. I was in Florida and my Pontiac Trans Am block and crank were getting some work done on them by this guy who raced and had done work for me once in the past. My dad went over on a Friday to get the block and crank when they were supposed to be ready. I show up late Friday night and find out the shop was closed and the owner had gone racing for the weekend. No one from the shop had told me this in advance. I decided to find another shop after that experience.

I have had some miss the date by a few days because of unexpected problems but nothing real bad. Frankly, I don't care how good a place is if they can't get the stuff done to on time. If they miss it by more than a week or put my stuff aside for bigger jobs. they can forget about my business.

In general, I have given up on expecting an engine replacement to get done on a tight schedule. Something always seems to go wrong to delay it.

 

Try to talk to an owner or manager. I know the feeling you had, i've been there, but try to resist the temptation to do a butt reaming, at least at first. I've found that if you go in easy, ask for their opinion or their help, often they will make it right. I've also seen many situations where a person came in so hot, that other party twisted off also. When that happens, no one wins. Sometimes you need to call, "Bulls..t!", but save that for the last, when you know you are being screwed. Often, things are not what they appear to be.

I'm laughing right now cause, i just went in to do a minor edit to my post and i noticed that it changed my bulls..t to bullpoopie. That's pretty funny, but somehow looses something.


[Modified by Darrell G, 1:46 PM 1/19/2002]

 

I know the feeling well. When my IROC was my only driver the guy doing the headers took over a week instead of a copla days. Each extra day was eternity. However it sounded so good when I picked it up that I still had a smile.

Hope your heads come out very well and it's worth the wait.

 

yeah, this was just a rant... i hope they come out great too.. now I'm excited for monday to come .. just like I was excited for today.

 

At least when you guys do your OWN work you don't have to wait like I do. My junior year of high school ('99, yea I'm young) when I first had my '81 Vette the timing chain went out on Thanksgiving day! Took me through Christmas break without a car and into mid-semester '00. I mean we did take time to do other things in the process like fixing other problems and putting new parts on and such and I painted the engine chevy orange too :), but WOW, talk about frustration! I wanted to beat my own a** for promissing a finish date sooner than was actually true. Between school and 2 jobs time was slim. When it's all said and done though, you'll be happy with your results. :yesnod:

 

Has anyone heard of customer service? Setting up a customers expectation
by setting a time line and then not adequately contacting the customer when that time line can not be met is simply bad business. This is where the competition can move in and capitalize on many businesses down fall.
It's a shame that we're conforming to this kind of treatment. I'd say
give them or any business for that matter, a piece of your mind.
Not in a confronting or abusive manor, but definitely give them some constructive feedback! Hopefully they'll make some adjustments to there policy.
My .02 cents worth
Hank


[Modified by 93LT1, 3:51 PM 1/19/2002]

 

Dude

3 weeks for the block work is very good.

Try 3 months, that's how long I waited for my block to be machined for my Iroc project years ago.:mad

Vic

 

Just curious, how come this post doesn't get Locked, sure sounds like Glock is Flaming Boyds Machine Shop. I guess there are no Boyds Employees here.
Seriously good machine shop work is hard to come by. If you find someone who is good, don't burn your bridges, you may need them again.
Barrier :) :)

 

Well, if you've had the experience with them I have had so far, you would be as frustrated as I am. The block work looked pretty good to me, but I don't have much to reference to. I'm just really frustrated at how i keep getting told things are done or "will be done tomorrow" .. which is a complete lie. There is nothing wrong with me complaining about poor customer service.

I am VERY particular with customer service. I always expect to receive excellent customer service, and if I don't, I get mad very easily. Working at circuit city, I received numerous awards for excellent customer service directly from the CEO, and I expect to receive the same type of service from other businesses. Anything less is not acceptable.


[Modified by Glock'94, 4:42 PM 1/19/2002]

 

See? You now join the ranks.

 

hey cool, i havent checked on here regularly lately. last time i was reading through the threads on here you had just heard rod knock from the bottom of your engine. cool to see your going 383. whats the details of the motor?

 

SCAT 9000 crank, SCAT forged 5.7 rods, SRP forged & silicone injected piston, 11.5:1 compression, 3 angle valve job, 1.6 RR's, LT4 springs, LT4 HOT cam, .. and that's all the major parts.

 

Good Luck http://www.projecttransam.com/ubb/ub...ML/000159.html



[Modified by LT4POWR, 11:37 PM 1/19/2002]