How bad has someone tried to rip you off???!!!

sic 'em mac . when i read your first post i gotta admit i got a chuckle out of it . even gave you a "cool , good for you" .

had you done this to WORDEN MARTIN in champaign il. , i would be sending you a box of cigars ....a couple cases of beer , whatever you call your vice.

some dealerships need the fuck'in reversed back on them

 

This is sage advice for all.

I did pass on doing any work for him. This rotor and his general attitude during our discussions were the reason why. This very sort of thing is why I "interview" my customers. They usually don't realize that I am doing it. I have had to turn away quite a bit of business, but it is for the best. He and the world were left safer when he left my shop.

 

Years ago when I worked at a parts store I had a guy bring me in a pair of rotors like that off his big Merc. He actually wanted them "turned". He had NO idea that wasn't normal wear. Amazing.

 

when i was 16 before i had picked up a wrench even, i was driving a 98 honda prelude. Fun little car, but i was pulling about 7k up a hill on a windy road and threw the rod out the bottom of the oil pan. Took it to a local mechanic my mom had been going to for the last 25 years. He told me he'd put a rebuilt motor in the car for 2500 (i thought that was a pretty killer deal so i went with it). The bill was 4700 when i picked it up, mom shit a brick, (he gave me a part time job there to help pay off my debts) and on the way home (Not pulling hard at all, since i was scared of blowing it up) it tagged a valve. The next day part of my training was taking the head off. When i pulled it off there was so much fucking carbon and shit on the pistons and valves...which doesnt happen after less than 10 miles worth of driving. He put a used motor in it, charged me for rebuilding an engine....

I called him out on it. He was embarrased. needless to say after the job was done with dont bring anything there any longer. Hes still a nice guy, and we are friends. But, i wont ever trust another mechanic after that shit. Id rather roll around in my dirt front yard figuring it out than deal with that again. I could have bought another prelude for 4700

 

That's terrible.
In my case, I ordered $6300 of parts for my '49 Mercury from what I believed being a serious shop and payed everything (with shipping to Italy) back in january...still trying to get the parts.
I have called a few friends over there too...I'll se how it will work out

 

Many moons ago, I brought in a GM 12-bolt posi rearend to a local auto machine shop to have a new set of ring and pinion installed. A friend was with me when I dropped off the complete rearend. A couple of days later, the shop owner calls me and says that I needed a posi carrier housing for "small ring gear" and that I had a housing for "large ring gear". I cleared this with knowledgeable friends of mine that this was a fact, so I got a quote from the shop owner and agreed for the price for the "small ring gear" housing.
A week later, he calls back and says everything is done and ready for pick up.
I walk in with some friends and see the rearend sitting there with no axels. I asked "where's the axels?" He replied, "there was none" and then added, "I can sell you a set". My friend who was there when I dropped it off immediately said "no, the axels were in the rearend". So the owner said, "I'll check in back of my shop". He comes back with a set of junk axels and says "that's what was in there". I said, "Bullsh*t, I took the rearend apart and checked everything before I bought it in, the axels were fine!". After seeing 3 pissed off guys standing in front of him, he brings in my set of axels and claims that "this was a good set I had sitting in the shop and could use them for a rebuild, but I'll be a good guy and give you them for free".
I said, "why don't you install these axels back into the rearend, isn't that part of the price?" He kept his ground and said that he gave me the axels and would charge more to put them in. I was way pissed now and asked "where's my old large ring carrier housing, I want that back?!. He replied, "I threw the housing out, it was junk and the garbage man picked it up, so I can't show it to you".
I think I told the whole town about this sleazy shop owner and other people talked about their experiences with the same guy. Years later, the owner went under and closed his doors.
I guess word of mouth is the best revenge on someone who tries to rip you off.

 

Another thing, *never do bodywork for a friend or friend of a friend...lesson learned about getting ripped off.
*Make more money flipping burgers.

 

Having been 'taken' a few times when I was younger I came to the biggest realizations regarding anything in life.

EDUCATE YOURSELF -

Not rod related but close...

I had a 4x4 truck, wanted big tires and needed a gear change,

Paid for it and the shop never set proper carrier bearing preload, gears broke within the year. Fed up I learned to setup my own gears. I researched, read and asked questions learned to 'weed out the B.S" I've run them for over 5 years over some of the nastiest trails on the east coast.

I do all my own work mainly because Im just plain 'cheap' and when I can't do something myself I learn all I can about the process, what should be done, and be prepared to ask educated questions and do my best to try and understand when Im being fed a bunch of crap and not just take somebodys word for it.

I NEVER let my wife even take the vehicle for an inspection because there will always be 'SOMETHING" that needs to be fixed or looked at.

Not saying all shops are bad, I just prefer to do all my own when I can and if I can't I'll be prepared to take my time and not rush just to get it done and back on the road. I may not always be able to follow this if I am travelling but at least they know they aren't dealing with a dumbshi* and can try to take advantage.

There is definitely truth to the adage. "If you want something done right, do it youself"

Even if you don't want to do it yourself, at least take the time to educate yourself the process.

 

haha... the difference in this story is that you KNEW the car was worth 3X more! =)

By the way, the man in Denmark is STILL the talk of the town with the yellow coupe! Also, tell your dad that everytime I open that bag of tools he gave me, I'm reminded of both of you guys and how straight-up and honest you guys are. Hope you're both doing GREAT!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

We still both feel bad you lost that brakeline on the way back home... Heroic road trip to keep it on the road. Would love to see pics of the coupe now that it is a Denmark

 

I try my best to treat all of my customers like family and it realy twists my nipples when I see others taking advantage of people. I had a pos at the dealer ship rip people off all of the time selling them leak repairs and front end repairs and brake repairs that were not needed. I have some pull and we got that pos crap bag shit caned. I am glad I do all of my own work!!!! Good word of mouth kept me afloat when the economy dropped I like customers that come back to me, request that only I touch there cars. That lets me know that I am doing good by them! The Theo has spoken!

 

I've saw 2 rotors like this when I had a towing company. One was on a car a guy bought THAT morning from a slezzy used car lot. I noticed it when I picked the rim up to throw it on the truck, a bearing had siezed and snapped the spindle. I ask the guy if the brakes were making noise and he said no. That's when I noticed the vise grips clamping off that brake line.
The second time was on my tow truck itself the day after I paid to have the pads and rotors replaced. I had called the mechanic once and even took the truck back because it sounded like metal to metal when I stopped. He srugged it off, saying they sound that way due to metalic pads. After the new rotor went away he discovered he put a pad in backward, red faced, he fixed it right away.

 

I repair a car with brakes like that every 3-6 months or so.....real scary shit....

 

i guess im lucky living in a small town. my mechanic always looks after me and takes the time to explain all the work he dose. it helps that im a car guy and know what needs doing and he usually only charges the bare minimum.
i had an out of town experiance where i had some engine work done and the car came back with some shitty battery in it. id just put a new one in, so i race back down to their workshop and demand my good batt back. they try to deny it, but i get angry and what do you know, the idiot finds my good batt straight away. never went back there.