My first drive... sort of!

[2ndgen]

I picked up my car from the shop doing the custom exhaust on Saturday... and I drove the car for the first time to position it for the tow truck and the ride home! It was a rather mixed experience though.

The shop did a great job modifying the Magnaflow system for use with the TCP cross brace; the welds are beautiful, the bends are beautiful, the system is tight to the bottom of the car, and everything looks level and even. They fit the Pypes 2.5 inch split tips about as well as can be done with the spring hangers and the GT valence too; I really like the looks of the system.

There were several disappointments though... The price came in twice the original estimate, and they did not put in an H-pipe as requested. They also did not even try to start the car and test for exhaust leaks - ask me how I know. When I started it up there was a significant leak from the headers - it turns out that there is a machining boss on the block that is preventing the #5 cylinder from sealing flush. Given the lack of follow through and inflated price (the bill indicates 11 hours of labor to adapt the system - I feel totally ripped off!) I doubt I will ever recommend them or use them again. Did I mention they got plastic dust all over my car from the new signs they were making for the shop? They offered to wash it for me (no glass in the car yet!) but frankly I just wanted to get my car out of there at this point - they had the car for two weeks.

So I towed the car home and dealt with the defective lower control arm (thanks again to opentracker - their service is first class!). I then took off the bolts attaching the driver's side header and took my die grinder to the indexing boss on the block. Talking to the header manufacturer (JBA), apparently this boss is only on the late model roller 351w blocks... take this into account if you run JBA shorties on a late model block and look for interference on the #5 tube. I ran out of time before I could button up the exhaust again.

Hopefully I can finish the exhaust system next weekend and I will post pictures and a sound clip. I'm not going to worry about the lack of an H-pipe until I get everything else finished...

-Rory

 

[rsalway]

Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and deal with it later. It will work out in the end though. Good luck.

 

[tarafied1]

the H-pipe deal is quite common... My guy did the work while I was there watching but he ran out of time (I had to leave and take the car). I think Dave's guy didn't get the H-pipe done on his also.

 

[2ndgen]

the H-pipe deal is quite common... My guy did the work while I was there watching but he ran out of time (I had to leave and take the car). I think Dave's guy didn't get the H-pipe done on his also.

Fascinating... that's the exact excuse the exhaust guy gave me: "I ran out of time"... How does one run out of time when they bill twice the hours of the original quote, have the car two weeks for 11 hours of work, and say the job is done?

I'm past it - and just glad to be back to doing the work myself. I can't imagine what it is like for people that pay for total restorations... I do everything myself except bodywork/painting and bending exhaust tubing. Both of which seem to run over budget and take far longer than originally estimated. And this is with reputable shops!

-Rory

 

[Horseplay]

Hold on a minute. If you enter into an agreement to have specific work done and they fail to complete such work why in hell would you accept it and move on? Worse, the final tab on the unfinished job was double the original estimate?! So basically, they didn't do what you hired them to do and you paid them twice what you were told doing the job you requested would cost. Am I the only one here who sees a problem with this scenario?

So let's say you hire me to finish your basement including a wet bar and a bath. I'll take much longer than quoted to finish, skip building the the whole bar thing and only bump the final price by say 50%. You good with that too?

How about maybe I build you new rear end complete with 4:11 gear and Traction-Loc...only in the end I'll slap in a different gear and a peg leg. We still good? Why is the exhaust work any different?

I can see being a bit off on the labor estimate given the challenge your particular set-up may have caused them (unless they inspected it prior to quoting). Not double. Not even close. But you specifically hired them to do a job that included a cross-over pipe. Not maybe if they felt like it. Unlike a couple other examples here you can't say they didn't have time. And besides, it was part of the original work request and quote.

You should go (don't call) talk to the owner, explain the issues and what you want them to do to correct the situation. In this case, that is to install a cross-over pipe to your satisfaction. Give him the chance to make it right...make them do what they were paid to do.

 

[RyanG85]

Hold on a minute. If you enter into an agreement to have specific work done and they fail to complete such work why in hell would you accept it and move on? Worse, the final tab on the unfinished job was double the original estimate?! So basically, they didn't do what you hired them to do and you paid them twice what you were told doing the job you requested would cost. Am I the only one here who sees a problem with this scenario?

So let's say you hire me to finish your basement including a wet bar and a bath. I'll take much longer than quoted to finish, skip building the the whole bar thing and only bump the final price by say 50%. You good with that too?

How about maybe I build you new rear end complete with 4:11 gear and Traction-Loc...only in the end I'll slap in a different gear and a peg leg. We still good? Why is the exhaust work any different?

I can see being a bit off on the labor estimate given the challenge your particular set-up may have caused them (unless they inspected it prior to quoting). Not double. Not even close. But you specifically hired them to do a job that included a cross-over pipe. Not maybe if they felt like it. Unlike a couple other examples here you can't say they didn't have time. And besides, it was part of the original work request and quote.

You should go (don't call) talk to the owner, explain the issues and what you want them to do to correct the situation. In this case, that is to install a cross-over pipe to your satisfaction. Give him the chance to make it right...make them do what they were paid to do.

Couldnt agree more! Did they at least call you beforehand and tell you they were going over the estimate? I own a repair shop and hand out estimates everyday. If I'm going over the estimate, I call the customer to explain before any more work gets done.

 

[2ndgen]

I am, in fact, in the process of writing a letter to the owner of the shop. I wanted time to get under the car and fully inspect the job as well as to document any/all issues with the workmanship (It is pretty hard to see everything under there with the car on the ground). And I must reiterate the work performed appears to be very good.

It is unfortunate that I have very little time/opportunity to work on my car and once arrangements were made based upon being told that the job was complete it was not a simple matter to refuse acceptance. I also have personal reasons for wanting the car out of their facilities, not the least of which was the plastic debris I found covering my new paint job.

As to making the situation "right", I have very little faith in this happening. Based on the lame comments/excuses the owner made when I picked up the car and commented about not testing the system for leaks I have a pretty good idea what the outcome will be. And based on the scarcity and value of my time, small claims court is probably not worth it either. More than anything I am disappointed; this is a very well known shop that performed the work. Note that it is not my intent to drag out the resolution of this in public; I have intentionally not named the shop.

As I said before, I would not recommend this shop to anyone based upon my experience... and reputation does matter locally. Can they get away with ripping me off? Sure. Fortunately I am in a position where the sums involved really are not that important to me... But will I let my treatment be known to people who ask about my car locally? Absolutely.

-Rory

P.S. To be quite honest, I have absolutely no way of knowing if it really took them 11 hours or not... and if so then I was not ripped off. But looking at the amount of welds and bends involved, 11 hours seems like quite a stretch to me. And yes, the car was inspected prior to the original quote which was 5-6 hours, including the H-pipe, and the shop/exhaust guy claimed to have worked with the TCP cross brace before.

 

[Horseplay]

Don't waste your time with a letter. Face to face is your only shot at getting this resolved short of legal actions. Be firm, be reasonable (to an extent) but you have the right to demand that the work you paid for be completed to your satisfaction. A shops reputation is all they have to bank on. A wise business man should not put it at risk over such a small thing as installing a "H" pipe. Let it be known that is what is at risk...subtly. Threats will not work on what I am guessing is his type.

You're a car guy. Belong to a club, internet forums, etc. and make the rounds to all the local cruises/shows. I wouldn't want you talking negatively about my business. Right? Think of all the business you could steer his way if you were confident he would treat your friends well.

 

[daveSanborn]

I think Dave's guy didn't get the H-pipe done on his also.

Nope, and I still haven't corrected this either.

Big difference between me and the OP though.... my car was on the lift maybe 1.5 hours and my bill was only around $50.


11 hours to install an exhaust system.... that was already provided in a kit.... albeit one that probably had to be modified.... is in my opinion about 7 hours too long. I'd have made out a check for less than their original estimate (due to the missing H-pipe) and driven the car out of there with my finger extended out the window.

 

[Fast68back]

If you used a credit or debit card file a dispute with mastercard/visa. When you do that the company stops ALL payments to company. I had to do this once with a trans shop that took three days longer and added a few hundred to the estimate. I paid half with check and half on credit card. As soon as they got the dispute the owner called me and wanted to talk. He ended up cutting about 400 bucks off the bill so I would drop the dispute.

 

[2ndgen]

If you used a credit or debit card file a dispute with mastercard/visa.

Bingo. My letter is sent and I am awaiting a response... I really do hope to not have to resort to this; once again this shop is well known and the actual work performed is well done. As pointed out above, the problem is that it is not what I asked for and I was given no warning of a massive cost overrun. The lack of testing and getting debris on my new paint are of lesser concern since there appears to be no damage.

-Rory