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I have a couple of questions. I have a 2016 stingray that is currently in a performance shop for a supercharged 416 stroker build with supporting mods. I understand patience is needed and I should not expect anything to happen overnight. My car has been at the shop for over a month and the owner has 15k cash that entire time. Actually, 10k since January. I try to not bother him for a week at a time just to get an update on any progress. He has told me that some parts are a 4 to 6 week wait and others may be longer. But when I call to order these parts myself, they say they are in stock, and they can ship them out the next business day. Some of this seems a little fishy to me and I want to trust this shop but some of the things don't all add up. I will admit I am not the most patient person but every time I have asked him for a proposed completion date and he dodges the question and never answers it. Should I be worried or is this normal practice for performance shops? I understand that some vehicles may be ahead of me and those must be completed first. I guess I was just hoping for better communication from the shop and am venting a little. This is my first experience with any performance shops, and I am not sure what the real etiquette is for updates and checking on your vehicle. I don't want to be that problem customer. Any insight or experience would be helpful and maybe I am reading into this too much. I don't want him to get pissed and rush the job or cut corners. Hell, maybe I should only check in monthly.
He may have a relationship with specific vendors or resellers to get the best price for himself, which may be why he has to wait to get the parts that are otherwise available elsewhere. You'd hope he isn't making that up and the real reason is that he has too many projects on his calendar and is behind on all of them. I'd hope for the former. I had a Mustang Cobra at a speed shop for only new heads and it was in for 10 weeks with me supplying the heads. I checked in once a week at first and then went to two weeks after that.
Maybe you should just go by there if it is close enough. Might give you some insight in to what is going on. Might give you peace of mind by going in person, or you might find out that you don't want to deal with them. To me in person is always better if possible. Also allows you to see how busy his shop looks.
He is about 2 hours from me. I have dropped by a few times and doesn't seem too busy but he did say today the he is working on 4 cars simultaneously. One of them is including mine.
Gotcha, well maybe since he stated to you today that he IS working on yours then you could stop by in a week or two and check progress. Did you get a receipt for the money paid?
Will,
Sounds like my experience with VR in GA....not good.
Owner thinks he "walks on water"
Ask him, specifically, what is the delay.
You have waited patiently and when will it be your turn to be completed.
Good luck. BTDT.
That's what I did today, and he stated that he will begin teardown of my car next week. It just makes me paranoid when people are not upfront about what is going on with a project when your so financially invested already. He has 15k, and all the parts except the fuel system parts.
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Man, sure hope that he is being upfront with you - but sounds like a lot better communication could be occurring.
Have you spoken to him about what you found out when you called the parts vendors? See if you could order the parts to not only take some pressure off him, but also to get your car done in a more expedient time frame.
I would make a surprise visit. Tell him you're visiting your grandmother and had to go through town to get there so you thought you would drop by while you were close. See what's been done to the car. If he hasn't started working on it, I would think strongly about another shop. I assume this person has a good reputation. Take a look at his shop. Is stuff scattered all around or does it look neat and organized? The best shops I've been in normally look like you could almost eat off the floor.
Sounds like the local shop to me, I was giving money and they were using the capital to complete other projects. 6 weeks turned to 4 years until they closed and left me with a messy expensive paper weight that required a ground up rebuild.
I started to tell him about what the vendor told me, but I am worried about any repercussions from being too nosey. I would hope he wouldn't be that way but you never know. I am spending way too much money for any BS to accidentally happen to my car or build. You just never know these days. The weird thing is everyone that has had him work on their stuff has had nothing but good things to say. Maybe he just took on too much at once.
Sounds like the local shop to me, I was giving money and they were using the capital to complete other projects. 6 weeks turned to 4 years until they closed and left me with a messy expensive paper weight that required a ground up rebuild.
id go there in person
God, I hope not. He has good reviews but I am worried he might have spent some of that 15k to fund other things and needs current work to fund my project. Robbing peter to pay paul kind of stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's not the case.
I would make a surprise visit. Tell him you're visiting your grandmother and had to go through town to get there so you thought you would drop by while you were close. See what's been done to the car. If he hasn't started working on it, I would think strongly about another shop. I assume this person has a good reputation. Take a look at his shop. Is stuff scattered all around or does it look neat and organized? The best shops I've been in normally look like you could almost eat off the floor.
His shop is pretty messy, honestly. He has a good reputation, but he seems slow as hell about everything. Kinda dodgy on questions about timeframe and such. I just don't do well with sketchy behavior. I am going to try to be patient with him and see how the next couple of weeks progress. This is my first time getting any work done at a performance shop so I didn't know how things really work. I knew it wouldn't be a quick job but I didn't think it would be months.
The problem is, once he has it taken apart, you are pretty much stuck. You'll have to pay him to get it back in pieces and then pay to haul it in pieces somewhere else. Be careful about handing over buckets of cash and not checking up. You're paying, you have the right to see what is going on. The relationship should be one of total transparency. If he gets angry about you wondering about where he is with the build, or gives you answers that don't really make sense, you probably have the wrong shop.
Job float is normal. He used your down payment to order parts and fund other projects until he receives final payment.
Since it sounds like he is building you a new 416ci stroker engine, is he using your current block which is why he needed the car early? Otherwise, why couldn’t he build the new engine and then you bring your car in and complete the swap and shakedown in a week. Final question, when you agreed to this deal didn’t he give you an expected timeframe for completion? Assuming your car is currently drivable, why couldn’t he source all the parts while you continued to enjoy the car and then when he is ready you bring it in and he gives you a three or four week window for completion? What I would not do is directly tell him you called vendors and got a different ship date for parts. That is an in your face, calling him out approach doomed to fail. The best way to approach this is to call and ask how you can help expedite parts. Perhaps you could call and order or research sources to acquire parts faster.
Finally, to the comment above about Vengeance Racing. They are one of the best with a long backlog. You have to know that going in. Some of the best are like dealing with a stressed or temperamental artist and VR is one of the best. Doesn’t help those of us who are more structured with expectations for schedule precision, but that is the territory. If it helps, their work is first rate!
VR built the entire drivetrain in my ZR1 and it is awesome!
You gave him $15k up front? Unless he ordered $15k in parts for you I'd call that more than sketchy.
I gave him about 10k up front and then once we sold my factory engine, that was $5100, that totals 15k. Mind you he didnt request it, i gave it to him hoping that would expedite the process so he could order parts and such. Heads, cam kit, port injection, intake manifold, TB, LT headers and x pipe, injectors, etc. I also brought him a new 416 stroker shortblock around January.
Job float is normal. He used your down payment to order parts and fund other projects until he receives final payment.
Since it sounds like he is building you a new 416ci stroker engine, is he using your current block which is why he needed the car early? Otherwise, why couldn’t he build the new engine and then you bring your car in and complete the swap and shakedown in a week. Final question, when you agreed to this deal didn’t he give you an expected timeframe for completion? Assuming your car is currently drivable, why couldn’t he source all the parts while you continued to enjoy the car and then when he is ready you bring it in and he gives you a three or four week window for completion? What I would not do is directly tell him you called vendors and got a different ship date for parts. That is an in your face, calling him out approach doomed to fail. The best way to approach this is to call and ask how you can help expedite parts. Perhaps you could call and order or research sources to acquire parts faster.
Finally, to the comment above about Vengeance Racing. They are one of the best with a long backlog. You have to know that going in. Some of the best are like dealing with a stressed or temperamental artist and VR is one of the best. Doesn’t help those of us who are more structured with expectations for schedule precision, but that is the territory. If it helps, their work is first rate!
VR built the entire drivetrain in my ZR1 and it is awesome!
So we began talking in 2023 about what to do. In January I purchased a TSP 416 stroker shortblock and gave him 7500 to start ordering parts. I also bought some parts when I found deals on them. I sold some XDI +65 injectors and gave him the 2500 due to goimg port injection. I knew he was backed up and basically wouldn't start my job until we sold my old engine. Sold my old engine at the end of March and he pulled it in the beginning of April. Since then he really hasn't done much. I have asked him multiple times for an estimates date of completion but he kinda dodges the question. We didn't have a hard date for completion and I am trying to be patient. I honestly think he has taken on too much and doesn't have the staff to keep up. I get that but to me there is no reason not to be organized and be able to tell me when he can get to my car. I asked him that directly ans he told me there are 4 cars he is working on continuously. Mine being one of them.
05-09-2024, 01:40 PM
Build at a performace shop
