Beware Dumb Hot Rod Shops

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rumblefish360 said:
So you’re allowing others to get screwed too!
Nice!
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If you live in San Diego you would know there are only two major classic car shops. If you live in San Diego and don't know which shop I am talking about you can message me. Apparently, most of the staff quit and they now have new staff. Maybe the shop has improved in the last three years so I am not going to openly badmouth them on the internet.
 
It's not just 'hot rod shops' and it (goobered work) isn't new, either.

One of my engines, a local NHRA-holding machine shop that did the machine work ordered a set of custom pistons. Come assembly time and checking clearances, the head was pushed 1/2" off the deck with one of those 'custom' made pistons.

Had a rig (cute Rampage with a 2.2) that would sometimes stall on hard right turns. Eventually, it 'stalled' bad enough to not start. Towed to a reputable repair shop. Problem: A fusible link that acted like a fuse. It was 'repaired' by said shop. It was hitting something evidently...'cuz some months later the car caught FIRE after a right-hand turn. Totaled. The 'reputable shop' had replaced the fusible ink with hunk of wire. When I told them about it, SHOWED them the harness they said, 'We would never do anything like that.' I guess a gremlin snuck in after they 'properly fixed' the failed link and put the wire in 'cuz of course, they wouldn't LIE about doing it, right?

I've got a list as long as your arm of similar examples. The above two were decades ago.

Moral of the story: Do your own work. Don't know how? Learn. Don't have a garage, don't have room in your garage to do the work? That's what living rooms and kitchen sinks are for! What's an engine stand for if not to hold your being-built engine in your living room? Worked for me!

As bad as your 'boo-boo' was, no one died. That's a good thing.
 
Lord Sparky said:
If you live in San Diego you would know there are only two major classic car shops. If you live in San Diego and don't know which shop I am talking about you can message me. Apparently, most of the staff quit and they now have new staff. Maybe the shop has improved in the last three years so I am not going to openly badmouth them on the internet.
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thanks for keeping it classy.

sometimes you can judge a shop by a person or people that work there: owner's a grumpy asshole, but they do good work and the guys that work there are nice to deal with.

other times, it's the doing of one bad actor that torpedoes the rep of a place. i worked for a joint that had a guy who consistently did terribly, shoddy, half *** work and it reflected on not only the business but the rest of us as well (especially as we each left to go find work elsewhere). of course that guy was the brother in law's step kid or some nonsense, so he couldn't get fired.

anyway, i'm not saying what happened is excusable. but sometimes **** happens, and it may not be the shop that's bad but one rotten apple in there stinking up the joint. either way, though somebody should've had eyes on those brake lines before it went out the door. your line in there about the staff turnover makes me think that it's "an institutional problem" with the mechanics probably being decent but somebody up the chain telling them to just do as they're told and ship it.
 
I've always thought it would be fun to completely disassemble a Volkswagen bug, rent an apartment,carry it in peice by peice over time, reassemble it completely in the living room then move out...:)
 
IMG_0862.jpeg

Here’s the end of the Nitro axle. Amazing they held on for 4000 miles.
 
It sounds like the individuals you dealt with couldn't spell mechanic, much less be one. "Yesterday I couldn't spell Mecanik, today I are one". LMAO
 
junkyardhero said:
your line in there about the staff turnover makes me think that it's "an institutional problem" with the mechanics probably being decent but somebody up the chain telling them to just do as they're told and ship it.
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I agree, but with a caveat.

As bad as this may be I don't see it as "institutional", or even "industry wide", but rather "generational", if I may use that term. The Boomers are retiring, and more often than not taking their knowledge and experience with them. Not because they want to, but because there isn't anyone following in their footsteps.

As an example, at our shop (Mechanical Contractor) we simply can't find the bodies to do the work. The older guys are retiring one by one, but there's no one available (or interested?) in taking their place and gaining their knowledge. We have two Unions in our shop (Sheetmetal and Pipefitters), and while even for Pre-Apprentices the pay is pretty damn good, we still can't seem to find guys interested in joining the Trades, Union or not.

And with the Knowledge Base retiring....

But the Owners and Managers still want their EOY Numbers, so the work gets "pushed", and sometimes it's shoddy and/or things are missed.

Sadly, "Numbers before Quality" seems to be the Rule of the Day these days, in my opinion. (Hmmmm! So maybe it is institutional after all!)

Anyway, just my $0.02.
 
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RustyRatRod said:
Just try and find an actual GOOD alignment shop. All these "modern" shops know how to do is "set the toe and let the **** go". I best most couldn't even tell you what S.A.I, included angle and scrub radius are.
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Or one that can even mount and balance without scratching rims. It's a joke.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
I've always thought it would be fun to completely disassemble a Volkswagen bug, rent an apartment,carry it in peice by peice over time, reassemble it completely in the living room then move out...:)
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An old timer did that around here 50+ years ago with a Model T. He had it all reassembled and running on the second floor. He passed away and the car just sat until about 15 years ago when they went to knock the building down. I don't know what they did with it after they took it out through the wall.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
I've always thought it would be fun to completely disassemble a Volkswagen bug, rent an apartment,carry it in peice by peice over time, reassemble it completely in the living room then move out...:)
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Early 80's, I rebuilt a VW bug engine in the apartment's bed room. Took it for a first drive and a little tube on top of the carb fell into the engine and got stuck in a valve. Had to take the engine out and carry it back up the stairs to the bedroom and take it apart again. Fun times.
 
I don't know about You Guy's But when something like that happens to Me i take them to Small Claims Court . I know it takes some time but I'm not going to let them get away with doing Me that way. Of the 4 times I took that kind to Court the Judge seen things the same way as I did and I got My money back and I started doing the work Myself . I found it gratifying knowing I did it Myself:steering::thumbsup:
 
Johnny Mac said:
Or one that can even mount and balance without scratching rims. It's a joke.
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It's kind of scary going into a shop these days you dont know what you will get, or how much its going to cost. I have a 97 Merc Sable, the rockers rusted out and I put slip on rockers on it. Just the sheet metal and re attached the plastic ground effect trim. I took it in for inspection and the guy acted like I was trying to pull one over on him. He said "the body is too far gone around the pinch welds" I said "I had a floor jack under it yesterday on the front corner lift point and had the whole side of the car lifted , both wheels off the ground on both sides, the floor and unibody are still solid..." he didnt want to hear it. Car runs fine but no state inspection sticker because the guy didnt want to work on it. Its like hey were in the rust belt and the car is safe c mon man...
 
Its actually amazing i still like this hobby as i have been sc#$@&d by "experts" aplenty, always thought about writing a book, can you name names? Last time i did there were threats of a lawsuit.
 
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