I'm not posting this to get into a pissing match or have it deleted because the board doesn't like my post.
I am only posting this to air my legitimate gripe with a well known shop who shall remain anonymous at this point. (links to claims will be made public if this is not resolved to my satisfaction at a later date). I am posting this so board members are aware of what I've been through and I'd value their opinion on this matter.
8 months ago I dropped my motor off at a premier shop to have my Grand National motor short block rebuilt.
They looked at it and determined it needed a cam, a crank, honed, re ringed, all new bearings. Simple re build, no rocket science here.
Time frame I was promised came and went. Called to inquire and owner couldn't even remember who I was or what my engine was there for.
He was very annoyed with me for even asking about the progress and said he'd look into it. I treated him with respect and didn't complain.
About a week later I get a call to come and pick up my motor. I was told I could run in the cam. No, that is part of the rebuild price. Motor had my Gessler heads on it (installed by them) so they threw on an intake and exhaust manifolds on and broke it in. A couple of days later I pick up a totally brand new motor and pay the man $4,100 CASH for his work. I take it back to my mechanic who maintains this GN and he installs primes and fires up this new motor. (he has taken this car apart many times and knows what he's doing). GUESS WHAT...................instantly upon start up we now have a lower engine knock. 15 seconds engine is shut off. We send a video to the shop owner and he says, "sounds real bad bring it back". Motor comes back out and now I haul it back to the shop.
When I arrive immediately the shop owner starts insinuating that we must have done something to this brand new motor to cause this knock. All we did was install his new rebuild and fire up what he made NEW. Trans and Torque converter installed correctly, motor re primed, all sensors, oil lines, vacuum lines and electrical connections were installed correctly. Now I'm promised they will fix whatever is wrong with this rebuild on them.
A month goes by and I inquire about my motor and they haven't looked at it yet. (very annoyed I even called) I still haven't complained as they promised to fix this knock and I trusted them at their word. This was starting to stink, just the way I was now being talked to. A few days later a text, "engine done, pick up ASAP".
Haul myself all the way back to shop (5 1/2 hrs.) to pick up motor and ask what was wrong with motor, NOTHING was his reply. Am I stupid, am I and 4 other mechanics that heard this knock deaf and dumb, does my video lie. Now he wants $1,200 for inspecting the 2 center rod bearings and gave up there. He should have continued inspecting complete engine until he found what was wrong. (he built the damn thing). He is still trying to blame my mechanic for doing something to cause the internal KNOCK. I refuse to pay his last charges as he has told me nothing is wrong and engine is fine. I had a funny feeling he was trying to scam me for more money on his BRAND NEW rebuild.
I haul this motor back to my mechanic, he re installs the motor videoing every aspect of the installation and guess what ? ? ?
SAME KNOCK, SAME SPOT, absolutely nothing was done to find and fix this KNOCK. When I call the shop owner he screamed at me and told me this was impossible as he found NOTHING wrong with the motor. All he kept yelling about was his $1,200 that he didn't get for doing nothing.
Now he wants me to bring my whole car back to him and his ultimatum is, "if I find something we did wrong I'll fix it, if I find something you guys did you will pay me to fix it".
After all the mystery, lies, rude attitude, screaming at me, no straight answers, scams being pulled and 2 attempts to make this motor 100% there is no way that ME, MY MOTOR or MY CAR will ever set foot on his property again. I demand a full refund as he has ruined my motor and has devalued my one owner pride and joy by about 50%. I have had 5 motors, 3 trannys and 2 rears done for this car over the years when I raced it. I've been to this rodeo before. Duttweiller, Art Carr and Strange have made errors on things they've built for me and always made them right and always treated the customer with due respect. I am appalled at the absolute horrible treatment I've gotten from this shop owner, there was no respect or customer service, only finger pointing.
I would like to give anyone who has an opinion on this matter to post it here. Like I said to the owner, "REFUND MY MONEY and I'll have someone else fix this motor" and all my posts here and elsewhere about this will be removed. Like I said, I will not divulge the name of the owner or the shop hoping they will do the right thing. If he chooses to ignore me I will link all the complaints I've made on all the Buick sites so no one else gets burned like I have.
Any thoughts ! Lets see if the shop owner responds, but I doubt that he is man enough !
P.S., please don't post who you think it is, I'd like to give the shop an opportunity to expose themselves at this point and discuss this matter.
