My Experience with Richard...
Dropped 180sx off there November 2006. Many of you may have seen my car in there, it took them 12 months to build a boat anchor so in that time it collected its fair share of black carbon dust and scratches.
Had spun a big end bearing due to wrong type of filter blowing off on another dyno.
Wanted him to rebuild engine, with darton sleeves and 90mm CP pistons.
Supplied him the sleeves and pistons on day 1. Give 1000 cash deposit.
2 weeks later drop off Pauter COnnecting Rods
2 months later (this is how long it takes obviously to inspect engine) he tellsme the crank is scorched and will need a new one.
Phone Japanese Garage, grab Brian Crower stroker crankshaft, Milos drives the thing up to my house the same day and ATS have it the day after.
Work again begins on the engine.
Now... it takes them 6 months to get the machining done. Then another 2 to assemble the engine. I have paid 5000 in cash, and the only parts they needed to supply were a set of ARP main/head studs, which apparently are 700 all up.
The engine blows smoke like a bitch and Richard starts saying it could be the head/sleeves/rings (which they had the work done on).
After another month they have pulled apart the engine to see what is wrong.
"Oh the darton sleeves you supplied arent suitable for turbocharged engines and failed..."
Oh Richard, aren't those the same sleeves used in this ...
<--- 11,000rpm 1400hp gt45r s15which were also handed to you on day 1, 10 months ago? (dont rememberyou mentioning anything about darton being NA sleeves then)
He then has the gall to send mean updated invoice requesting ANOTHER $9000 in labour, which includes the cost of pulling apart the engine to see what went wrong, and the cost of over $1000 dyno tuning a stuffed engine.
You be the judge.
Luckily now I have letters from darton, mazworx, jack bros. and other 'reputable' shops showing his incompetence.