Me And An Unfortunate Series Of Events...

[lfc]

Hello Everyone,

I thought I would relate to you a story about an ongoing series of problems I've had with my pride and joy in the last few months...

I bought my car about 3 months ago and to date, have probably driven it for a total of 5 days. Shortly after buying the car, I discovered during a tune up that it had a screwed engine, basically number 1 cyl was showing 50psi on a compression test.

I did a bit of phoning around and found a good deal for a 2nd-hand RB20 fully installed and they were also going to remove all my special bits and pieces (turbo, wastegate , catch-cans etc etc) and transplant them across to the new engine. I won't mention the name of the workshop, but as a hint, I'll say that I think 4 brothers worked there.

Anyhoo, I took the car in on a Tuesday morning and was told that I would have it back by Tuesday of the following week. The week progressed, and I did not hear a thing from any one of the four brothers so I called them on the Monday afternoon. They told me the car wouldn't be ready for pick up because they had problems removing alot of the bolts because most were rounded off and they all needed to be done by hand. "No worries" I though, these things tend to happen... They told me the car should be all good to go by the end of the week.

Come Friday, I heard nothing again from these 4 brothers who import vehicles. I phoned them up again and they told me it was progressing slower than expected and it will probably take another week... Hmmm, ok so now that's 2 weeks so far to drop in a new engine and bolt on some extras. Ok I thought, as long as its done, then I can wait another week.

Fast forward to Friday the following week. I got a call from the workshot and was told car was ready to be picked up. I got down there just as they were starting it up to it out of the workshop... BANG, the radiator blows! Fast forward an hour while they replaced the radiator. Car starts up first time, but is blowing a HELL load of smoke. The four brothers tell me they managed to spill some oil into the exhaust and that's why there's heaps of smoke and that is should clear up in about a week. Righty-o... I take the car home and drive over to my brothers place so we can take it for a test drive. We drove the car and came back but noticed there was HEAPS of oil all over his driveway where my car was parked, we popped the hood and notice that the engine dipstick was half blown out of its hole. We put it back in and started the car, BAM! the dip stick flies out of the stalk and oil spatters EVERYWHERE!

Turns out the four brothers had hooked up the Vac hoses backwards (??) and were pressurising the oil in the sump instead of filtering it... that's what they said anyway. They said DO NOT drive the car and we come tow it back to the workshop.

2 days later and I get a call from them saying that they've fixed up the hoses but that the my turbo is gone... My response was, "right, so it's all of a sudden f%&ked, by any chance could this have occurred as a result of THE OIL NOT CIRCULATING THE ENGINE PROPERLY!?!?!?!" After much to-ing and Fro-ing, We came to an arrangement about the turbo and I left the car in the shop for them to fit the new turbs. They told me they'd start working on the car on Monday and it should be done by Wednesday at the lastest... Week 4 of my ordeal with these clowns.

I called them on Wednesday morning only to be told that it was taking longer than expected (again) and that I should go in on Friday at 5:00pm to pick up the car cos it will definitely be finished. F@#ken bullfish!

I rocked up at the import yard at 2:30pm on friday unexpectedly to see how the car was going... ONLY TO FIND THE PLACE CLOSED!!!! I did a bit of investigation and a nearby business told me that the guys from the workshot are normally at the local pub on friday afternoons.

I go to the pub, AND 3 OF THE *milkshake*Z ARE THERE DRINKING! I freaking blew my top saying that I had been screwed around for long enough and what the F*%k was happening with my car! They told me they had not started the work on it yet to change the turbo over.

I went in on the Saturday to speak with the boss (he was interstate during the week) and he had no excuse or reason as to why my car was still not anywhere near finished even after all these delays. He told me he would start working on the car himself and that I should go past on Monday afternoon to see how it was progressing.

Fastforward to Monday. I rocked up there at 9am! THE F#$^ING PLACE WAS CLOSED! I tried calling the shop, nothing, I tried calling the boss on his mobile, no answer... funnily enough 3 other guys were there aswell waiting for the place to open so they could get their cars after work was done to them.

Tuesday, I went past again, still closed, still no answers from any contact numbers. I called the Office of Consumer Affairs and talked to them about it, they told me that this was the 3rd complaint this week they had receieved regarding these four brothers. The said they would investigate and get back to me. Consumer affairs called me that afternoon saying that the four brothers had been locked out by their landlord and that I would need to contact him to try and get my car back...

I'll spare you the rest cos this post is long enough, but I only just got my car back yesterday, the turbo is off, engine is half pulled to bits and I am seriously now about ready rip someones face off.

When it rains, it pours...

Edited April 11, 2006 by lfc

[Bl4cK32]

ring today tonight. Isnt that what these 4 brothers did when they got ripped off??

[TurboX]

Hmmm... when I accidently hooked my breathers up backwards all it did was pour smoke as the oil was being forced into the turbo exhaust turbine.

Just reversing it fixed the problem quickly. The dipstick stopped blowing out as well.

The oil would have been still circulating as it should through the engine oil galleries under this condition I would have thought.

This is why when its time to do my RB20 I will do it myself with some help from mates as I can stuff it up just as well as anyone else can.

Least I will only have myself to blame.

[raz0r$harP.UK]

http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/consumeradvice/c...ints/index.html

Have used the respsective services in NSW, and it does help in some situations..

[lfc]

Yeah ive spoken to them they are sending out some sort of complaint forms or something like that for me to fill out and send back to them.

[DC_GTST]

That's screwed mate!

[NXTIME]

Hard luck with this 'workshop' and all the best with getting things sorted out. I know exactly what you are going through. However, you might take some comfort in the fact that there is always someone else worse off than you. And in this (SAU microcosm) instance, their are quite a few. I've owned my car for 3 years and have driven it 5 times.

[lfc]

I've owned my car for 3 years and have driven it 5 times.

Ouch, thats gotta suck. BADLY!

[HOSTILE]

Bad luck buddy, that sucks dogs balls!! I got f#$ked once by a shed company doing similar thing with supply... contacted consumer affairs and was told that I was the 36th complaint! Unfortunately they went bust and I got F#$kall out of them, but definitely call Today Tonight and proceed with consumer affairs. These bastards cant get away with sh#t like that.

[heslo]

Woah, that's heavy shit! I went to these people and got my clutch replaced a couple of months back, all was fine. Went for a cruise on the weekend and my clutch seemed to slip, albeit only once and hasn't happened since. I decided I'd take the car back anyways for them to have a look at it and lo and behold they were closed and I wondered what happened. Guess I know now!

[DriftR_33]

dude, thats f**ked up. i dont trust anyone working on my car, i do it all myself [with help]

SINK THERE BATTLESHIP

[ISC-Performance]

hrmmm....good luck getting your car back together etc....not the first complaint ive heard from that certain company......

[vange]

unfortunate chain of events mate. I've had stuff like that happen 2 me b4....can u pm me the workshop name? cheers and hope it all turn out ok...

[(OO Black 33 OO)]

that is pathetic that these people can even keep up the bull for as long as they did, need a good punch to the head or something. Who are these guys? PM me if possible but yeah definately get them done for stuffing you around and everyone else. Best of luck getting it back on the road.

[siba33]

hey man thats tuff luck but really if u had got an RAA check on the car b4 you bought it you wouldnt have gone through all this but hey thats just my opinion. good luck with gettn it all fixed

[chops]

I live not far from this workshop and I haven't seen any action there for a few days now - looks all locked up and no cars out the front like normal.

[heslo]

If you fellas can't work out the workshop name, you're a bit slow I think red is the key

[lfc]

I think red is the key

Correct, read the name in red in the original post

[Boof]

Yup, went past there yesterday on my travels and they were loading the last car onto a trailer and it all looked packed up and empty to me...

[bixby]

Really sorry to hear that mate! I thought dealing with an idiot who had my boost controller vac hose connected wrongly was bad enough. Man.... looks like those morons are worse. Good luck with getting your car parts back mate.....

If you don't mind, please PM me the name of the workshop. Shouldn't let them survive at all in this industy(cars)!