neousmcswim Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I went to X Shop(remains nameless until I get my car back). I went to them back in July 2009 to build my 280zx with a $25,000 budget, wanting it to be completed by DEC 2010.I researched this company talked to the owner and had some minor work done by the shop without problem. So I gave them a spread sheet of what I wanted done. (I have pics of my car before I sent it to the shop and current pics in the garage part of the forum.) I told the owner that I would be out of the state for the next year and half because of my military training. I periodically checked in on my car to see how things were going. Nothing was getting done except minor body work. The body work was awesome exactly what I was looking for. I was told that there were other projects in front of mine, but mine would get started after the summer rush. I had my wife stay on top of things when I was gone on training ops. Well it is a week before Thanksgiving and all that is done on my car is body work, which I was told took 2 weeks. My wife was told 2 weeks ago that the car would be painted this week. My car is not painted and nothing has been ordered, except what I have personally taken care of. I have lost all confidence in the shop and I am now just wanting the shop to install an l28et get my car running, maybe have the interior done and that is it. I have now stopped paying the shop. This is the first time I have ever had a shop work on my car. I normally build all my own projects, but my military training has stopped that currently. I just bought a Quaife differential for my 280zx and was going to have it installed, but I will wait to get the car back and find a shop to install it for me, since I have never installed a Quaife. I am currently located in Fayetteville, NC and in January will be looking for a shop to take car of some of the custom parts I still need done on the car. Also possibly L30et build since I have a spare F54 block,p90, LD28 crank, and 240z rods. Below is a list of what I was going to have done now I need to see how far my mechanic will get. Thanks for listening to my complaining, this forum has been a ton of help in my research to guide my build. Part 1:Body 1.The whole car painted gloss black. 2.Fix frame rails to remove dents. 3.Have the undercarriage reunder coated to prevent rust. 4.Have all chrome painted black. -window trim -pillar -door handles 5.Replace side view mirrors with MSA california style black mirrors from thezstore. -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/EM/50-1157 6.Fiberglass hood vents painted black -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7BSA1/50-1610 7.Wing that looks like the one below available from thezstore. -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7RSW1/50-1574 8.Black window tint all rear windows, hatch & front drivers/passengers windows. 9. Wheels Rota RB Royal Lip Hyper Black - Front 16*8 offset +10 -Rear 16*8 offset +4 10.Tires BF Goodrich g-Force Sport 11.Keep the tinted headlight covers. 12.Remove battery tray from engine bay. 13.Have only the z emblem on the hood, no other emblem will be on the car. Part 2: Suspension and Brakes 1.Powder Coated Black -Front/ Rear Control Arms -Front/ Rear Subframe -Hubs -Tension/ Tie rods 2.Replace all bushings. Replace rear subframe bushings. 3.Front and rear camber adjustment -Front= http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PSDC07/23-4172 -Rear= http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PSDC07/23-4178 4.Tokico shocks & springs HPK kit 5.OEM rotors all 4 corners, stainless steel brake line kits, street performance brake pads. 6.Replace all bearings, ball joints, and tie rod ends. 7.Replace brake line plumbing. 8.Steering linkage bushing replace and paint linkage black. -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PSDC11/23-4160 9.Rebuild all brake calipers and powder coat black 10.Clean up brake master cylinder and repaint brake booster. 11.Keep brake shield repaint black Part 3: Engine 1.Install L28et 2.Valve Cover powdercoated black w/ only Turbo and trim showing in silver. 3.Eliminate all emissions hoses and equipment off the engine and engine bay. 4.Intake manifold w/ a 240sx throttle body. 5.Convert throttle linkage to a cable. 6.Replace all vacuum and coolant hoses. 7.Replace engine and tranny mounts. Part 4: Fuel system 1.Upgrade complete fuel system to handle 400hp. 2.Clean and repaint the fuel tank black Part 5: Turbo/ Exhaust System Starting hp of 300hp 1.Have the intake air filter outside of the engine bay to left side of the bumper 2.Have Intercooler pipes run shortest route 3.Install HKS BOV and routed back into the intake. 4.Intercooler what ever you think to handle up to 400hp 5. 3†downpipe from turbo on back. 6. 3†exhaust pipe minimal bends possible with Borla XR-s Muffler. Part 6: Cooling System 1.Electrical Fans this is the fan shroud that goes with my radiator. - - 2.Coolant overflow tank aluminum 3.Radiator hoses black Part 7: Drivetrain 1.Transmission specifically 1981-83 280zx non turbo 2.Upgrade/Replace Clutch to handle 300hp. 3.Steel braided clutch line. 4.If I have enough money R200 280zx turbo differential with axles and/ or quaife lsd -thmotorsports Part 8: Ignition/ Electrical system 1.Clean up all engine bay wiring and engine harness. Have the least amount of wiring showing in the engine bay. 2. Use VEI Systems digital custom gauge cluster. All gauges are red, w/ progress bar for tach. Have the tachometer come with some type of shift light if possible. http://www.veisystems.com/home.html -Speedo progress bar & odometer -Water temp & Fuel gauge with progress bar 3.I want VEI Systems blue gauges for the 3 center gauges, progress bar on all. -Oil Temp=Cup 1 -Oil Pressure=Cup 2 -Boost Gauge= Cup 3 4.Boost Controller goes in radio area HKS EVC-S 5.Turbo timer mounted in radio area HKS Type-0 6.Relocate battery inside the car and have a lighter one. 7.JimWolf 280zx turbo ecu. 8.Route Spark Plug wires around the front of the valve cover, not over the top. Black Spark Plug Wires. Part 9: Interior 1.Lower seat rail on drivers seat to lowest point to allow for someone who is 6ft tall refabricate seat rail. 2.Convert radio console into a flat front surface to house gauges and other electronics 3.Fix door locks and have door hinge that will not sqeek when opening. 4.Have black carpet installed throughout entire car. 5.Have panels made for the trunk area, black. 6.Black floor mats with UltimateZ logo. 7.Have MSA formula black steering wheel all black. -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/SWM/50-3101 8.Black leather shifter boot. -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/LSB/50-2516 9.Black leather pistol grip shifter knob, Corsa -http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/CPGK/50-3550 10.Refabric door panels, ceiling liner, and dash with black, keep simple. 11.Passenger seat Corbeau TRS and seat rail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTHALOSISM Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Sounds like alot of work, do you have a written contract saying what was needed done and when it is supposed to be completed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icice9 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 how much of that $25,000 did you give them? that sucks to hear notings been done to your cat but the body and theyve had the car since july... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neousmcswim Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 I was dumb and did not make a contract. Just kept all the billing statements and have everything documented with photos. The owner knows the situation and knows exactly when the car is supposed to be done. Problem is I am gone after Thanksgiving till Christmas for training with no communication with my wife to check on the status of the project. I so far have given them about $21,000. When I go home for Christmas I will deal with everything in person. I have already made arrangements for a shipping company to pick up the vehicle to have it shipped to North Carolina if the car is not running. Lesson learned never trust anyone with your car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 "Lesson learned never trust anyone with your car." (Does this mean your wife?) Never pay for work not completed is a better lesson! You have a lot of parts listed, which I could see account for the dollars expended, but you didn't break that out. Was the pricing of the individual pieces including labor? Sounds like you paid for parts AND labor in advance, which is a no-no. Parts is parts, you can always pile them in the car and tow it away. If you paid for the installation and it's not done...that is both a bit foolish and puts you in a hard spot regarding recovery of that cost. You have 8 Parts listed, did you intend this to occur in these stages? Did you pay for part one, before it was completed? Did you allow them to move on the Part 2 while Part 1 was incomplete (and paid for?) In a lot of these cases it takes two to tango. I'm having a problem following what exactly happened with all these "Parts" which seem to be benchmarks in need of partial payment, and the consent to move on to the next one before the prior was completed. There is someone here on the board with about 3X what you have in your ZX, and it's sitting in his garage...without a head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neousmcswim Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 My wife has been a champ when it comes to helping with my project. She is more upset about everything than I am. I and the owner priced all parts and labor together, mistake one. There are no parts purchased except for the parts I have supplied. What you see is the layout of the different sections that I wanted to have work done on specifically. I was giving monthly payments which was mistake two. I should have stopped the payments until I saw work being done. But problem was I was away on training and have to much confidence in people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 man i wish people like you would send me work like this, i love building customer cars where they are lax and let you work on the car in installments, BUT getting paid as each section is completed. I get the ones that want you to do everything then pay for it which ofcourse puts me in a bad spot but alot of people dont really care...im building 2 cars right now for guys in NY and they are great, timing, schedule, parts, payments everything. It just takes time and you have to get someone you can trust and that will send you updates on a regular schedule...and not pay in advance, the motivation is slowed/lost if they already have the money....hence why most of our projects are waiting lol because im busy making money/working on customer cars that when i have a few days....i really dont want to work on my own =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Unfortunately this is a common story. A lot of shops get stuck in the "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" mode. At this point all you've lost is time. If you pull the car out you've also lost money. I suggest you have a face-to-face with the owner and establish some new ground rules. The first would be weekly e-mails to you and your wife the pictures of the progress on the work. Make it clear that you expect significant progress each week, that your project is his number one priority, and that he has to ensure you and your wife are happy with the work. If he fails in that, make sure he knows that you'll create a web site and tell the whole story with a special emphasis on how he's ripping off a man in uniform. Your wife will also contact the local news stations and work the military wife angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldlion Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I agree with John. I don't think pulling the car out and writing off the money spent is yet justified. Try to hold this shop accountable before you do that. You've got a lot of money at stake here and I don't know if losing that is worth having the car done that much sooner, at least not yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neousmcswim Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 I agree with you John. I had already planned on leaving the car in there till end of Dec, trying not to make this a complete lose. After December I will not be coming back to the state and will be relocating to Florida a few months later. I have spoke to the owner and explained my frustration. Problem is I can't do it in person because of my training. I will have my wife go in with a revised project list, that is doable in a month, and have a talk with him about the budget and what is expected with the time line. She will also be getting twice a week updates from him and be stopping by every weekend to verify the work. In the end this is my fault because of my lack of experience with working with shops and not knowing how this works. From now on I will do all the work myself like I used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismiller5157 Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Dam, hate shops like this. Just dont send it to any shop. Do the work your self when you have the time it will get done in time and you wont be trashing your money. OR Get to know a local shop that you can have 110% confadence in and try them out. P.S. Dont ever give a shop 100% down, pay as you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj280z Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 (edited) I agree with you John. I had already planned on leaving the car in there till end of Dec, trying not to make this a complete lose. After December I will not be coming back to the state and will be relocating to Florida a few months later. I have spoke to the owner and explained my frustration. Problem is I can't do it in person because of my training. I will have my wife go in with a revised project list, that is doable in a month, and have a talk with him about the budget and what is expected with the time line. She will also be getting twice a week updates from him and be stopping by every weekend to verify the work. In the end this is my fault because of my lack of experience with working with shops and not knowing how this works. From now on I will do all the work myself like I used to. Since NC is not "that" far from Florida I'd consider holding him to his commitment and trying not to take a loss - I agree with John - it's only time at this point. I realize that it will be harder to manage the project from farther away, but pictures and email should help. If the guy is truly honest and reputable he should make good on it. I also LOVE the idea of contacting the local news (or at least keep it in your back pocket as leverage when you need to push him) - they would definitely run that story for you! If they don't, let us know and all us hybridzers will call/email the station and help convince them Edited January 6, 2011 by kjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgeezer Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Since NC is not "that" far from Florida I'd consider holding him to his commitment and trying not to take a loss - I agree with John - it's only time at this point. I realize that it will be harder to manage the project from farther away, but pictures and email should help. If the guy is truly honest and reputable he should make good on it. I also LOVE the idea of contacting the local news (or at least keep it in your back pocket as leverage when you need to push him) - they would definitely run that story for you! If they don't, let us know and all us hybridzers will call/email the station and help convince them Count me in on that, I'll volunteer an email, a personal letter (On letterhead), and a telephone call to both the media and the shop. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernS30 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Count me in on that, I'll volunteer an email, a personal letter (On letterhead), and a telephone call to both the media and the shop. G All in here as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Time to clean this thing up. Please focus on the issue at hand, not on whether spending money on a car is a good idea or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruchtnicht Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Hey man what's the update ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMAC Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I got the car back with spending $15,000. All that was done was the body work and engine install. Lesson learned, but time to move on. Things are looking up. Parts for the build are building so far I have the following: R200 280zx turbo differential and axles Z32 transmission Megasquirt 3.57 ECU/ boost controller/ Harness 11mm fuel rail T3/t04e 50trim turbo Spare l28et engine. Autopower Roll bar. Painless chassis harness Some good things come out of hard lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwdawg2 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 BMAC: Keep us up to date. Maybe some pics would be nice. I'm getting my car back from the paint and body guy here within the next month and have about the same parts you do going into mine. So I'd like to see someones progress. Really interested in the Megasquirt install and chassis harness. Thanks, and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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