Manual ZR1 Stage 3X Katech Build
01-11-2020, 06:30 PM
#21
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Any chance you have a personal contact for him that you could PM me?
01-11-2020, 06:36 PM
#22
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Nov 2004
Location: Northcentral, Pennsylvania
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St. Jude Donor '09-'11
Here is a link to his Facebook page where you can message him. I don't have his cell number.
https://www.facebook.com/jason.harding.71
https://www.facebook.com/jason.harding.71
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ernhart333 (01-12-2020)
01-11-2020, 07:08 PM
#25
Yes this is very sad news. I assume that since my car is sitting in their shop I got an e-mail from the president (or new president...I'm not sure) yesterday that Jason and Kevin would no longer be with the company and that the company has some restructuring changes going on. Well to be perfectly honest, the main reason I chose Katech over the other great shops who seems to have more experience with the ZR1. But I chose Katech because I have followed Jason for so many years, I trust him, I trust he would oversee my build, I trust he would stand behind his word and make sure I was fully satisfied.
I have tried to reach out to Jason through e-mail because I don't have his personal cell number but have not been able to reach him. If anyone knows him and speaks to him please have him call me or message me or please PM me a way I can reach him.
I have a phone meeting scheduled next week with Katech to discuss my build since I am now extremely concerned and not even sure I want them to work on my car without Jason being there and during a time the company decides to reorganize and or make changes . The president assures me that there is no change with the engineers or techs who will be working on my car, but my concern is just how focused will these guys be when the company is making changes, going through this transition and have just lost 2 of the main faces of the company?
My car has been at Katech since 12-23-19 and nothing has been done except for the baseline dyno pull last week.
If Joe or NicD @Cordes or Steven@LMR would be willing to get my car picked up and shipped to their shop, please reach out to me. I may be very interested in having them rather do this build. I will know for sure after my conference call next week.
If any of you guys have first hand experience with Katech, (can they still do quality work without Jason & Kevin) or my other top picks were LMR or Cordes, offer up any tips, advice or suggestions please.
Please no advice from folks who have no personal experience with these shops.
Thank you in advance.
I have tried to reach out to Jason through e-mail because I don't have his personal cell number but have not been able to reach him. If anyone knows him and speaks to him please have him call me or message me or please PM me a way I can reach him.
I have a phone meeting scheduled next week with Katech to discuss my build since I am now extremely concerned and not even sure I want them to work on my car without Jason being there and during a time the company decides to reorganize and or make changes . The president assures me that there is no change with the engineers or techs who will be working on my car, but my concern is just how focused will these guys be when the company is making changes, going through this transition and have just lost 2 of the main faces of the company?
My car has been at Katech since 12-23-19 and nothing has been done except for the baseline dyno pull last week.
If Joe or NicD @Cordes or Steven@LMR would be willing to get my car picked up and shipped to their shop, please reach out to me. I may be very interested in having them rather do this build. I will know for sure after my conference call next week.
If any of you guys have first hand experience with Katech, (can they still do quality work without Jason & Kevin) or my other top picks were LMR or Cordes, offer up any tips, advice or suggestions please.
Please no advice from folks who have no personal experience with these shops.
Thank you in advance.
I do commend the president Steve for immediately reaching out to those of us with active projects at Katech to notify us of the change and he also immediately replied to my mail Friday night asking questions. Like you, I have a call with them next week to discuss my project. This isn't the first time Katech has gone through ownership changes and in the past it hasn't affected the quality of their work. It could be a healthy thing for the company other than the obvious loss of two great people. It also could have been a lot worse if they had gone bankrupt with both our deposits and our cars.
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01-11-2020, 08:20 PM
#26
Yes, this is very shocking to everyone and there are more questions than answers. I believe more will come in the coming days. I appreciate all the positive words that everyone has given me so far. This may be the beginning of an exciting new chapter as I have already realized how many opportunities could be out there. The dust has to settle first though. If anyone would like to contact me, they can reach me at jason@hardingmotorsportsllc.com.
_JASON
_JASON
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01-12-2020, 10:24 AM
#27
Melting Slicks
Wow, this is beyond a jaw dropper....I took the opportunity to have Jason personally tour me through Katech years ago....class act and as knowledgeable as they come....Company credibility is ALWAYS at risk when not just one but TWO of their best "have to go" without a good explanation that is certainly due to the employees.
The simple fact that your car has had nothing physically done other than a dyno is concerning.....I wouldn't wait another minute since unlike "Poor-sha" (now I know why he clairvoyantly selected that name, sorry couldn't resist lol) your car isn't torn apart, I would 1st contact Katech and put a cease and desist on any further work and then 2nd, call Joe@CPR and seal the deal....I personally guarantee you'll reflect back and say "dang, it was tough but glad I now I don't have to look back". Joe just posted where their latest modified ZR1 ran mid 8's @ 161+ so clearly whatever your ZR1 goals are, they can achieve it!
Sorry for your situation and good luck!
The simple fact that your car has had nothing physically done other than a dyno is concerning.....I wouldn't wait another minute since unlike "Poor-sha" (now I know why he clairvoyantly selected that name, sorry couldn't resist lol) your car isn't torn apart, I would 1st contact Katech and put a cease and desist on any further work and then 2nd, call Joe@CPR and seal the deal....I personally guarantee you'll reflect back and say "dang, it was tough but glad I now I don't have to look back". Joe just posted where their latest modified ZR1 ran mid 8's @ 161+ so clearly whatever your ZR1 goals are, they can achieve it!
Sorry for your situation and good luck!
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ernhart333 (01-12-2020)
01-12-2020, 01:01 PM
#28
Wow, this is beyond a jaw dropper....I took the opportunity to have Jason personally tour me through Katech years ago....class act and as knowledgeable as they come....Company credibility is ALWAYS at risk when not just one but TWO of their best "have to go" without a good explanation that is certainly due to the employees.
The simple fact that your car has had nothing physically done other than a dyno is concerning.....I wouldn't wait another minute since unlike "Poor-sha" (now I know why he clairvoyantly selected that name, sorry couldn't resist lol) your car isn't torn apart, I would 1st contact Katech and put a cease and desist on any further work and then 2nd, call Joe@CPR and seal the deal....I personally guarantee you'll reflect back and say "dang, it was tough but glad I now I don't have to look back". Joe just posted where their latest modified ZR1 ran mid 8's @ 161+ so clearly whatever your ZR1 goals are, they can achieve it!
Sorry for your situation and good luck!
The simple fact that your car has had nothing physically done other than a dyno is concerning.....I wouldn't wait another minute since unlike "Poor-sha" (now I know why he clairvoyantly selected that name, sorry couldn't resist lol) your car isn't torn apart, I would 1st contact Katech and put a cease and desist on any further work and then 2nd, call Joe@CPR and seal the deal....I personally guarantee you'll reflect back and say "dang, it was tough but glad I now I don't have to look back". Joe just posted where their latest modified ZR1 ran mid 8's @ 161+ so clearly whatever your ZR1 goals are, they can achieve it!
Sorry for your situation and good luck!
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ernhart333 (01-12-2020)
01-12-2020, 03:59 PM
#29
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Thread Starter
My car has been up at Katech since early November and they have the motor out and torn apart so I am definitely committed at this point. I've known Jason since 2007 and had them do a lot of work on my 2008 Z06. Yes, it is a real loss to have Jason no longer with the company but let's see how the company handles this.
I do commend the president Steve for immediately reaching out to those of us with active projects at Katech to notify us of the change and he also immediately replied to my mail Friday night asking questions. Like you, I have a call with them next week to discuss my project. This isn't the first time Katech has gone through ownership changes and in the past it hasn't affected the quality of their work. It could be a healthy thing for the company other than the obvious loss of two great people. It also could have been a lot worse if they had gone bankrupt with both our deposits and our cars.
I do commend the president Steve for immediately reaching out to those of us with active projects at Katech to notify us of the change and he also immediately replied to my mail Friday night asking questions. Like you, I have a call with them next week to discuss my project. This isn't the first time Katech has gone through ownership changes and in the past it hasn't affected the quality of their work. It could be a healthy thing for the company other than the obvious loss of two great people. It also could have been a lot worse if they had gone bankrupt with both our deposits and our cars.
Which car do you have there getting worked on and what all are you having done?
I have a phone discussion scheduled for Tuesday and Steve the president assured me that my car will not be touched until I am 100% confident.
Last edited by ernhart333; 01-14-2020 at 07:16 PM.
01-12-2020, 08:00 PM
#30
Hello Poor-sha and thank you for your reply. Yes Steve has reached out to me as well and seemed very willing to answer some of my concerns which I also commend.
Which car do you have there getting worked on and what all are you having done?
I have a phone discussion scheduled for Tuesday and Steve the president assured me that my car will not be touched until I am 100% confident.
Hopefully things are not as bad as they appear to me, but I just have to believe the morale in the shop can not be good right now which regardless what anyone says, ALWAYS has an effect on quality. And surly NOT an environment or atmosphere one would choose for building motors.
Which car do you have there getting worked on and what all are you having done?
I have a phone discussion scheduled for Tuesday and Steve the president assured me that my car will not be touched until I am 100% confident.
Hopefully things are not as bad as they appear to me, but I just have to believe the morale in the shop can not be good right now which regardless what anyone says, ALWAYS has an effect on quality. And surly NOT an environment or atmosphere one would choose for building motors.
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01-12-2020, 08:14 PM
#31
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Thread Starter
My car is the blue one in the foreground of your picture. It's getting a 427 track attack motor and a sequential transmission so it is a very complex and expensive build. One thing I will say is that I've seen the level of engineering and reliability testing that Katech puts in to their motor packages and it is far above the shops that just bolt parts on (I am not referring to the shops that replied this thread as I've never spoken to them and have no experience with them). It's tough to say what effect this has had on morale there, it's possible that having a new owner could be an improvement. I guess we'll see.
Lets hope for the best and see how things go on Tuesday..
I sent you a PM
Last edited by ernhart333; 01-12-2020 at 09:00 PM.
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Poor-sha (01-12-2020)
01-13-2020, 12:10 AM
#32
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Member Since: Apr 2001
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St. Jude Donor '06
Hello Poor-sha and thank you for your reply. Yes Steve has reached out to me as well and seemed very willing to answer some of my concerns which I also commend.
Which car do you have there getting worked on and what all are you having done?
I have a phone discussion scheduled for Tuesday and Steve the president assured me that my car will not be touched until I am 100% confident.
Hopefully things are not as bad as they appear to me, but I just have to believe the morale in the shop can not be good right now which regardless what anyone says, ALWAYS has an effect on quality. And surly NOT an environment or atmosphere one would choose for building motors.
Which car do you have there getting worked on and what all are you having done?
I have a phone discussion scheduled for Tuesday and Steve the president assured me that my car will not be touched until I am 100% confident.
Hopefully things are not as bad as they appear to me, but I just have to believe the morale in the shop can not be good right now which regardless what anyone says, ALWAYS has an effect on quality. And surly NOT an environment or atmosphere one would choose for building motors.
I don't know brother, but if it was me and with Jason being gone and all the shakeup at Katech, and the car just sitting since Dec. 23rd, I would probably get it back in my possession asap and go to plan B. Best of luck with everything, sorry about your hardship on this topic.
Last edited by Mopar Jimmy; 01-13-2020 at 09:05 AM.
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01-13-2020, 09:52 AM
#34
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17, '21
Lingenfelter is right in the same area .................................... I prefer to have someone I know watching over the progress of my car, without Jason at Katech IDK 
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01-13-2020, 10:48 AM
#35
Safety Car
I would have sent it to another shop from the beginning but yeah get it back in your possession and sent it to Cordes. You will actually get your moneys worth of customer service, technical ability, and performance.
Last edited by Detoxx03; 01-13-2020 at 10:49 AM.
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01-13-2020, 11:52 AM
#36
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01-13-2020, 11:56 AM
#37
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Thread Starter
Do they still do good work and do they work on the LT5's?
01-13-2020, 12:20 PM
#38
Everyone has to do what is right for them and honestly I don't have much of a choice at this point since my car is apart and they have a very large deposit from me. However, as I said earlier this isn't the first time they have been acquired and it doesn't appear that the quality went down the last two times.
2014 - Katech is purchased by EcoMotors - https://performanceracing.com/news/e...-manufacturing
2017 - Katech is purchased by Braemar Energy Ventures - https://katechengines.com/katech-bui...g-acquisition/
2020 - I guess we'll find out who the new owner is...
2014 - Katech is purchased by EcoMotors - https://performanceracing.com/news/e...-manufacturing
2017 - Katech is purchased by Braemar Energy Ventures - https://katechengines.com/katech-bui...g-acquisition/
2020 - I guess we'll find out who the new owner is...
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01-13-2020, 12:20 PM
#39
Premium Supporting Vendor
All,
I have been monitoring this thread in particularly due to the level of discussion that is going on about the future of our company Katech. In the near future, there will be a statement coming directly from our President, Steve Spurr, on the state of our ever-growing company. From myself personally, I can tell you that the heart and driving-soul of the company remains intact and we will continue to provide customers with the best product one can buy. The engineers, vehicle technicians, engine builders, CNC operators, technical specialists, purchasing agents, and dyno operators are still at work continuing to produce for our loyal customers. The competence and depth of our team gives us all the confidence in the world (and more) that will not only meet, but exceed all expectations of our customers going forward.
I am the lead engineer of this project and designed the camshaft package for this particular application. Although the rumor is that the car has been sitting since December 23rd, that is simply not the case. The car has been baseline tested and inspected, all of the parts are here, and the vehicle was next in queue in our jam-packed car shop. The custom-grind camshaft that is going into this vehicle is ground, cam-doctored, and spintron validated to 8200rpm as far as stability is concerned. It takes time to deliver one-off packages that we are willing to stand behind our 3 year, 36,000 vehicle warranty, especially with custom components that have long lead times. We are certain that we are going to blow away ernhart333's expectations and will continue to keep a close eye on this vehicle build as it goes through the shop.
If there are any further questions about this build specifically, feel free to reply to this thread or reach out to me directly.
Best Regards,
Zach
I have been monitoring this thread in particularly due to the level of discussion that is going on about the future of our company Katech. In the near future, there will be a statement coming directly from our President, Steve Spurr, on the state of our ever-growing company. From myself personally, I can tell you that the heart and driving-soul of the company remains intact and we will continue to provide customers with the best product one can buy. The engineers, vehicle technicians, engine builders, CNC operators, technical specialists, purchasing agents, and dyno operators are still at work continuing to produce for our loyal customers. The competence and depth of our team gives us all the confidence in the world (and more) that will not only meet, but exceed all expectations of our customers going forward.
I am the lead engineer of this project and designed the camshaft package for this particular application. Although the rumor is that the car has been sitting since December 23rd, that is simply not the case. The car has been baseline tested and inspected, all of the parts are here, and the vehicle was next in queue in our jam-packed car shop. The custom-grind camshaft that is going into this vehicle is ground, cam-doctored, and spintron validated to 8200rpm as far as stability is concerned. It takes time to deliver one-off packages that we are willing to stand behind our 3 year, 36,000 vehicle warranty, especially with custom components that have long lead times. We are certain that we are going to blow away ernhart333's expectations and will continue to keep a close eye on this vehicle build as it goes through the shop.
If there are any further questions about this build specifically, feel free to reply to this thread or reach out to me directly.
Best Regards,
Zach
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01-13-2020, 01:29 PM
#40
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Thank you for chiming in and I sure hope so Zach!