Whats the worst thats happened to you car at a shop?
04-17-2005 | 03:50 PM
#1
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Whats the worst thats happened to you car at a shop?
Thought id post this up, curious of some of the horror stories out there... i know im not alone.
ive only dealt with one mustang shop that didnt up one of my cars, or do something near fatal to one of them..
Every other shop has horror stories, EVERY!!.
heres some ups shops have done to my ride:
1) dropped tranny fluid on the paint, had to be buffed out.
2) left car OUT of shop over two nights without me knowing, car broken into...i ended not only paying for the new window, i also had to install it myself.
3) sold me a blower that was new (but really wasnt).. then mysteriously couldnt remember my car when i was trying to get some service for the blower.
4) set my car on fire (yes, this is true)..
5) broke my alarm worth $1000
6) bent a skirt on the car
7) refuse to complete the car because it was too much work.
8) sold some of my parts there were there for my car
9) and the cake, in 1997 i had a shop try to steal my car, too which they actually were caught red-handed.
Unless you do the work yourself, you just dont know. Even for me, im not able to do all the work myself, but i try doing it before i take it to a shop.
nevermind mis-diagnoses.
ive only dealt with one mustang shop that didnt up one of my cars, or do something near fatal to one of them..
Every other shop has horror stories, EVERY!!.
heres some ups shops have done to my ride:
1) dropped tranny fluid on the paint, had to be buffed out.
2) left car OUT of shop over two nights without me knowing, car broken into...i ended not only paying for the new window, i also had to install it myself.
3) sold me a blower that was new (but really wasnt).. then mysteriously couldnt remember my car when i was trying to get some service for the blower.
4) set my car on fire (yes, this is true)..
5) broke my alarm worth $1000
6) bent a skirt on the car
7) refuse to complete the car because it was too much work.
8) sold some of my parts there were there for my car
9) and the cake, in 1997 i had a shop try to steal my car, too which they actually were caught red-handed.
Unless you do the work yourself, you just dont know. Even for me, im not able to do all the work myself, but i try doing it before i take it to a shop.
nevermind mis-diagnoses.
04-17-2005 | 05:30 PM
#2
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thats the advantage of having friends who are mechanically inclined to help you do the job at home if you can't do it yourself.
Of course, there are some jobs you CAN'T do at home, but you can certainly remove those parts and take them to a shop.
scott
Of course, there are some jobs you CAN'T do at home, but you can certainly remove those parts and take them to a shop.
scott
04-17-2005 | 08:33 PM
#4
GTcars Regular
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,437
From: Brampton
Rep Power: 0 
My car went to a shop ONCE. This was when I first got it and didnt know anything about Supras. The engine i bought the car with was ed so I was swapping it to a "jdm" engine. It took the ers about a month to do a very basic swap, which I had already dissembled and stripped the old block that was in the car. Well, after the month was up they call me and I go get my car. First problem was they didnt bleed the clutch after swapping it so I had to keep pumping the clutch to get any kind of pressure just to get it in gear everytime. Not so bad, next problem. When disconnecting the fuel lines they decided it was neccassary to drain my fuel tank too...so i had ZERO gas in the car when I got it back. Meh, not a big problem either.
Now for the fun part, taking the 401 west to get home durring rush hour. I am watching all my gauges when I notice the oil pressure start to rapidly drop down to zero....*clank clank* engine siezes. Great, now I am stranded on the side of the 401 with a car in worse shape than before i brought it to the shop. I had the car towed. My assumption to what happened is the oil pump seized. After a few heated phone calls they agreed to relace the engine free of charge. Week later I got the car back and it ran like a champ.
A month later I ended up pulling the engine myself to do get some machine work done to the head. The car will never again be in a shop for engine related repairs/upgrades. Live and learn.
Now for the fun part, taking the 401 west to get home durring rush hour. I am watching all my gauges when I notice the oil pressure start to rapidly drop down to zero....*clank clank* engine siezes. Great, now I am stranded on the side of the 401 with a car in worse shape than before i brought it to the shop. I had the car towed. My assumption to what happened is the oil pump seized. After a few heated phone calls they agreed to relace the engine free of charge. Week later I got the car back and it ran like a champ.
A month later I ended up pulling the engine myself to do get some machine work done to the head. The car will never again be in a shop for engine related repairs/upgrades. Live and learn.
Last edited by blackout_89t; 04-17-2005 at 08:35 PM.
04-17-2005 | 10:20 PM
#5
Junior GTcars Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 290
From: Brampton
Rep Power: 0 
Originally Posted by Nastyzed
Simple do it all yourself! you can even do an alignment at home if you wanted.
04-17-2005 | 10:21 PM
#6
www.1320drag.net -NDRA NOPI SPONSOR
Joined: Feb 2005
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sounds all good to do the work yourself but, unless you are very experienced and or very inclind i would say find someone that is good, as i am a mechanic i fix alot of peoples work that thought they could do it themselves, it seems alot of performance enthusiastes think they can be a mechanic also, but trust me about half of my side-jobs are from people that need me to re-fix there mistakes.i don't mind but it usually would have been faster and cheaper for me to do it in the first place.
04-17-2005 | 10:34 PM
#7
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Originally Posted by mark of tsr
sounds all good to do the work yourself but, unless you are very experienced and or very inclind i would say find someone that is good, as i am a mechanic i fix alot of peoples work that thought they could do it themselves, it seems alot of performance enthusiastes think they can be a mechanic also, but trust me about half of my side-jobs are from people that need me to re-fix there mistakes.i don't mind but it usually would have been faster and cheaper for me to do it in the first place.
1) i want a hoist
2) i want more tools
and then i would try.. worst case scenario.. ask for help
04-17-2005 | 10:36 PM
#8
Junior GTcars Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 319
From: Toronto, Ontario
Rep Power: 727
Originally Posted by Daley
You have to remember that not everyone has the skill/ability/space to do such things. You're right - it's not hard but it depends on so many things that lots of people don't realize.
04-17-2005 | 10:50 PM
#9
Average GTcars Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 620
From: Toronto
Rep Power: 733
i do my own work... and if i dont know how to do it.. ask on the Net or jsut as someone at the shop how to do it....
I need a hoist... but i basically have every tool i will ever need. I will take pictures one day, i even have a tire mounting maching but i sold my balancer :/
I need a hoist... but i basically have every tool i will ever need. I will take pictures one day, i even have a tire mounting maching but i sold my balancer :/
04-18-2005 | 01:50 PM
#10
~~ Hardcore Newb ~~
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 50
Rep Power: 719
Happened to my friend:
The car was permanently at the shop for almost one year and half (maybe a month short). They had to replace the roof, fix a few dents and do a paint job.
My friend made one mistake he paid almost full due up front!
The car was permanently at the shop for almost one year and half (maybe a month short). They had to replace the roof, fix a few dents and do a paint job.
My friend made one mistake he paid almost full due up front!
04-18-2005 | 02:35 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by RR-942
Happened to my friend:
The car was permanently at the shop for almost one year and half (maybe a month short). They had to replace the roof, fix a few dents and do a paint job.
My friend made one mistake he paid almost full due up front!
The car was permanently at the shop for almost one year and half (maybe a month short). They had to replace the roof, fix a few dents and do a paint job.
My friend made one mistake he paid almost full due up front!
this guy had his 65 mustang over at another shop near Guelph, where he paid near 10 g's for a built motor install etc etc... motor was coming with cam, heads, strong forged internals, the works. The car was there for months!! So this guy pays the shop 10-13 g's for the car but doesnt get a receipt, but hes not too stressed cause its near summer and he wants to cruise, he says hell return for the receipt. This guy is in his 40s...
He then goes to the shop im at where theres a Dyno and wants to see the output of his new built N/A motor. Upon first inspection the shop says "there is no way this is a built motor, you wont make more than 200 RWHP." The guy explains all the work done and cost involved, shop says "ok, we'll see".
They toss the 65 on the dyno, first pull, clutch slips a bit. They let the car cool down. They register some silly number like 23 RWHP. 2nd pull starts off well until the tranny lets go exploding peices all over the shop. Final #'s, 73 RWHP.
The shop yanks the motor and tranny. The motor also let go so upon disassembly they see, stock cam, heads, internals.. 0 has been modified on this motor which cost 10K +. They take pictures and document.
Now this guy is screwed.. No receipt. So he returns back to the shop where they built the motor and asks for a receipt, the shop asks why. Thinking quick he says insurance needs it so they can insure his 65 mustang at full value. The shop owner sits down and writes up a receipt documenting all these supposed parts that have gone into the car. Upon leaving the shop owner makes a comment towards the guy about now having to pay taxes ontop of what hes already spent, and that he would like the money in a week. So the owner of the 65 turns around and says, "my cars in peices at another shop, ill see you in court". Shop owner says, "i am putting a mechanics lein on the car if you dont pay the taxes now"..
Long story short, its going to court. The guy with the 65 had to buy a new motor and eat the costs so far, but hes taking the previous scam shop to court and is suing for everything from labour and the new shop to towing, to parts to gas....
It sucks, everyone can get scammed. Ive noticed shops nickel and diming people for some time.
04-18-2005 | 02:59 PM
#12
Junior GTcars Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 241
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I have always had most of my work done at shops i know people work at or friends. Only problem i had was leaving my stang at a ford dealership all night (just cause my friend worked there) and some dumb *** mechanic decided to take it for a ride since he got in early before anyone else. Just so happens i decided to take his boss (my friend) out to breakfast for helping me out and saw the *** pulling it back in to the lot. Long story short all work was done for free and that *** hat who took the car to for the drive got to walk home half hour later with no job.
But i have a friend with a twin turbo stealth who has more problems than you can imagine. Between shops doing all to the car to them rebuilding his engine but not checking the timing belt.....Boom. You will all see soon enough the write up about what shops did what to his car when the court dates are all over.
On the positive he is now going to put TAG up to the test and will be doing dyno, tuning, stand alone engine system etc etc so hopefully something good will end up happenning after all of the he has gone through. :thumbsup
Zexhuffer
But i have a friend with a twin turbo stealth who has more problems than you can imagine. Between shops doing all to the car to them rebuilding his engine but not checking the timing belt.....Boom. You will all see soon enough the write up about what shops did what to his car when the court dates are all over.
On the positive he is now going to put TAG up to the test and will be doing dyno, tuning, stand alone engine system etc etc so hopefully something good will end up happenning after all of the he has gone through. :thumbsup
Zexhuffer
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