LAPD-No quality control!

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This is a bit long and well overdue...actually a continuation from my previous thread "blew my stroker"...you can do a search if you if you want the specifics.

As far as I'm concerned, my business with LAPD is done...I feel I have given them(Al)...he is the person I comunicated with @ LAPD...fair amount of consideration(most especially finance and patience) in regards toward my car.

After the 9K I dropped into the Stroker and the wonderful 500mi and 1/2 warm up lap at Big Willow, I hauled the car to LAPD with the assurance that Al would have the Engine torn apart by the end of the week.I told Al that it had racing Fuel in it and to call me when he hears something...I had also requested that when an actual determnation was concluded that I have all original parts shipped/picked up to/by me again...three weeks and many phone calls later, the results: no parts, engine is out at Engine builder but no conclusion ...2 weeks and more phone calls to Al: bent forged steel Lunati Crank, Oil Pump malfunctioned, thrust bearing destroyed on side facing away from Clutch, crack in block, pistons/rods/cam/lifters and top end still good...Al's conclusion was either bad detonation and or Oil pump...After some deliberaton, I decide to pull plug and haul the thing home. Al states that he could put Stroker package together including labor for just over 2200.00(my cam, lifters pistons and rods and top end), since I just previously spent a small fortune and alluded to fact that during the first build he should have upgraded the Oil pump. I accept and state that I still want the orig parts and want the heads and manifold to be port matched and to pin crank. In addition, give the car a once over and replace(after calling me) anything need be. Al tells me 2 weeks...2 weeks later--- no parts, no progress...he is having trouble finding a crank for price we discussed...3 days later---no progress, no parts. Al does tell me the clutch assembly needs replacing so I purchase Centerforce and deliver it...Al then tells me that the project is looking to be under 3500.00 with clutch install but no labor for exhaust as engine will be out as well...I agree and ask Al to call me ASAP...I call one week later to find out parts are supposedly being cleaned and inquire on progress. Par for course, no parts, no progress but with extra labor for cleaning lines,Accusump, slave cylinder, Flywheel etc, he would try to keep the price under 5K At this point, I just want my car back but decide to take advantage of the LPE short block(346 as I could not afford the stroker currently), I saw on this forum and decide to re-use my top end and cam with the new set up...Al states I'll need some head work to which I agreed and it would take 2 weeks later after the engine arrive from LAPD...I ask him how much are we looking at and he a=states that he will make it worth my while...2 weeks later after Engine is there and assembled but not in car or complete I call and ask for update...Al being a bit long winded says 1 week. I tell him jokingly, will it be ready before Xmas...one week before Xmas I call and find out Engine is in car but...I tell Al if car is not ready by Friday 24th I'm trailering it home...Friday I arrive and it is not complete...stay there for 4 hrs for them to complete and Al tells me Accusumpi valve they had ordered is not slip fit like orig so Sump and Oil cooler is not hooked up. I still paid 200.00 for the uninstalled valve, however...I should have looked the car over more thorough but just wanted to get on the road. Oh yeh, still no parts I ended up paying him some, well well over the orig est...didn't care, just glad to be in the car again! While on the highway...ping,ping,ping and 1/2 doz codes PO 131,134,171,174, 1133,1153 and strong fuel smell...call Al and he states come back for tune next week...probably due to racing fuel he forgot! I take it to buddy's car shop that day and this is what we had found: Oil leaking from disabled Sump and lines to ground was dirty and had minute metal shavings, leak from transmission from cracked fill hole, rear diff oil cooler pump frozen, gas leak from fuel tank tube, idle stalls/rough/rich, the worst botch of this whole thing was that the pcv system had air leaks everywhere(one hose was actually held together (loosely) to another by a spark plug wire insulator ...since then a majority of issues have occured too long(yeh right) to list...lets just say intermitant limp modes and upshifts

6 weeks of trouble shooting and such, my vette compadres have convinced me to seek Andy's help as she is very ill

I have not been in touch with Al or LAPD since and since I am not looking for anything in return, I felt (with the encouragemnet of other vette owners aware of my misfortune) that I need to advise those that regardless of LAPD likelyhood of hiring a few shoddy people, it appears they have no quality control for there finished product.

 

Wow. That's just plain terrible.

I suggest learning how to do your own work. 90% of the shops out there are just as shoddy.

Dope

 

 

Damn.

Well they sent me my Vararam on time.

 

 

That's unbeliveable!!! Sorry to hear of your PAIN but thanks for the heads up. I haven't done any business yet from LAPD but was considering it. I will certainly have to re-think it beofre I do.

 

Yeh, Dope!

Starting to educate myself slowly...I'm really more upset with myself for going along with it for so long so I might save a few bucks...expensive lesson! I'm trying one more time with Andy of A$A corvettes...hopefully nothing major is wrong and he does me right!

 

Everything I've ever read about A&A has been good. I've not used the shop for work but, I would not hesitate if he was closer to me.
Sorry to hear about all your troubles with LAPD. That just plain sucks. I've purchased parts from them before but, that is the extent of my dealings.

 

"WOW" sorry for all the trouble you had to go through with your car!!! I wonder what happened?
I have dealt with LAPD on a number of occassions and they have been VERY helpful. I REALLY believe their mechanics are the best out there. They are the only ones I trust around my car. I have never had to go back for anything!!! Good luck!
Ray

 

Don't you think you should have contacted them first and gotten a response, before posting this since they are a supporting vendor?

 

never had tuning as I live east coast but Shawn and staff have always done right by me

 

 

I can understand your frustration from what you explained. I'll just throw this in for thought. Last summer LAPD did the ATI blower, cam,Boost-a-pump, water pump,radiator and a bunch of other mods on my 02Z. I can't complain cause I haven't had a problem.

 

You've got to be kidding. The man spent WELL over $12-14K when the original $9K SHOULD have gotten the job done just fine. IMO LAPD should have gotten his car fixed for $9K and made everyone happy. He gave them the car because of their knowledge and expected a monster in return and instead got what..500 miles?? They're probably a good company and this is just one of few bad overall experiences, but that's a lot of money to have basically go to waste. The business they may loose simply because of this one incident would have probably made it worth their while to fix it right the first time he brought it back in. Not trying to fight with everybody here but this guy got ****ted on pretty bad

 

something fishy here
who's Al ?
Only guy I've ever heard of is Shaun.

 

Holy crap thats alot of damage, do you know how much force it takes to bend a forged crank ...especially a quality forged crank like a lunati

 

I agree but, I believe there are forum rules about posting negative comments at supporting vendors without trying to first resolve the issue, so they can offically respond.

AMERICANMUSL stated "I have not been in touch with Al or LAPD since". I would suggest he get in touch with LAPD, get a response, then post about it.

 

Al is the guy that worked for MMS and treated my request for my original parts like I was asking for the world. I felt he was a chip off the old Block (Mike @ MMS) and finally gave up. When I heard he went to LAPD they went onto my "hands off" list of vendors.

 

I don't owe them anything as I do not want anything...I realize there are those satisfied customers I'm not one of them and as far as parts ordering, not an issue for me in the past...I'm a Firefighter by trade and I give credit where credit is due but again no quality control...I'm a back yard mechanic at worst and my forte is in the first gen motors...these comp controlled engines are a mystery to me which is why I let others work on them...after a thorough inspection of my car, it was clearly rushed...there is absolutely, completely no excuse for the botch work that was done to my car(it took 5 hours on the rack to re-route oil lines and D/C Accusump just to get oil cooler functional)...again, I do not owe LAPD any consideration whatsoever...I do appreciate the feedback and expect the rest but take note of your cars---no quality control!

Who is AL? Al is the Engine tech at LAPD who oversees all projects...he is also the Ex engine tech of MorganMotorSports!

 

Who said you owe them anything? An explanation from them would be good to hear though. It's understandable that you are upset, I would be also. But we need to hear both sides of this issue.