in total, he had Blanca in his shop for over a month! A frigging month! He did not offset the price, but he did eat the 2nd transmission shop bill.. Long story short, I denied paying the last $400 of his bill, went to magistrate judge (my Uncle), got a court order in support of me (we did have to go before the judge) and I reported his ass to the better business folks. He is incompetent and running a
ty ass business. I had a buddy of mine redo the clutch, bearing, etc and she's now running like a top! It wasn't even just a tech, it was the actual shop owner who had this big sign hanging up saying "Master Tech" from some technical college. I think it was a printed BS poster he got off of Google Images or Photoshop. Now, the AC that he "fixed" before the clutch job has stopped blowing cold. I'm calling my Uncle again tomorrow to see what avenue(s) I can take to make him pay the repair bill at another VERY reputable but expensive shop in town. I was trying to save a few hundred bucks but in the long run..... it was SO NOT WORTH IT!
Hi,
Well- like the old adage says” You get what you pay for”.. You’ll LOVE this.
Around 2004, Very busy at my primary job (in VT., lived in Mass- 120mile daily commute). Shop was only side work at that point- so, I’d reluctantly brought my 96’ Cobra to a tranny Shop, friend recommended- new shop.Kept getting stuck in reverse.
Got jammed 4-5 times, one day, I stopped at a Store & it got stuck to the point every trick I knew wouldn’t free it! Angered to the core, I drove it to the Tranny Shop 12 miles down a thickly settled area with lots of traffic, many stores, roads, lights, etc, BACKWARDS!
Shop watched me pull in to their lot, backwards..
Not sure if I’d received more thumbs up or middle fingers during the drive, pretty even I’d say...but I didn’t care, was fuming!... had 5-6 traffic lights I had to get through, the faces people made as I’d pulled up aside them at lights, passing them- backwards- were PRICELESS!
Wish I’d had a Camera in retrospect....
I passed cars, through traffic lights, went around a 1/2 Rotary, good thing I had stock Gears (1st is almost identical in ratio to Reverse), I have no idea how there wasn’t one Cop out, normally crawling with them, Staties, too- that would have been fun to explain, lol!
DID use my directionals, speed limit at 6,000 was 45mph, if that matters!
My buddy’s shop was overwhelmed, was trying to help a new shop out, guy fresh out of Devry.
Well, he should have installed studs & wing nuts as it took (3) times before it no longer stuck in reverse when he reassembled and tested it. pulled the Shifter pod, exhaust, crossmember & Trans, dropping the driveshaft, then tearing down the Trans, plus reassembly, gaskets and Oil, his work caused more failures...
Initially now shop owner said it was the gear, I thought fork, regardless- he was so cocky he set a price of 500$, even wrote up the slip & i’d paid for it! After the completed job, (9 Days later, 5 Trans removals) he now handed me an additional 2,100$ bill!
I blew up & after I was done, he caved & i’d fairly said I’d pay for the Parts (at cost), so I’d paid 220$ more for Ford Bearings & Fork, Thrust, Gear, snaprings & Shims, slightly more than agreed up front, but one time R & R, tear down- all it should’ve been...
Wasn’t my fault he was a moron & repeated this trait..arrogance faded quick to real world stress..
Turned out cheaply made reverse Gear(s) he bought (18$ cheaper than OE) were inconsistent, his oversight(s).
Bearings were actually broken, fork slightly bent (he tried straightening it in a press, broke it).
Once he finally removed the Bearings, buying an OE Ford Gear, Fork, rather than being cheap, REVERSE worked correctly....Then...
During the 4th Install, he crushed the Pilot bearing reinstalling the Trans.,Then TEST DROVE it that way! Then, Tear down #5.
My buddy swung by & caught them using an orbital sander on the flywheel to remove burn marks from driving w/a broken pilot bearing, burn marks on the flywheel & Pressure plate. Both Work hardened. Clutch Disc covered in Oil..At that point, it’s not worth it’s weight in scrap! He bought/installed a new Centerforce Clutch, and a new Flywheel, on his coin.id installed it a year before.
So, (5) times before he got it right, losses about 400$ Clutch, all extras, (8) days of labor., and the ridicule- he hired an experienced Transmission Tech., now it’s flourishing. He would’ve taken some poor guy/gal for a real ride, if they went along with that- no doubt.
Nothing against Devry, just experience vs education, really need both!