UDPride

Two comments:

How to remove a head would have been of no service to me. I dont disassemble my cars, I dont plan to, I dont ever want to. I dont want to do ANY extensive work on my Porsches. Im not good with tools and I have enough hobbies as it is and adding automotive repair is simply not going to happen unless I change my lifestyle. Therefore, I pay people to make sure they do it for me and do it right and honor the work they did if it fails to meet expectations. So other threads that may seem trivial to gearheads apply to me. I need to know about whether a turbo emblem is glued on or taped on. Because I dont know. And I need to know how much a new set of brake pads is gonna run me. Or what a good product is to clean the tires. Or why my stock headlights suck.

Second, public opinion is just the cost of doing business. Its as simple as that. Here or anywhere else. For any business. My business, Rennlist, yours, or anyone elses. If one cannot afford to swim through public opinion of their own lifeblood, then one cannot afford to be in business at all. Good business speaks for itself, and when a couple derelicts speak otherwise, good business and satisfied customers support you and remove any doubt for those undecided. Every company makes mistakes and every company has a few pain in the *** customers. The companies that suceeds though so impress their customers overall though that the brand itself carries weight. Lexus is a fine example. Car companies for years have been using the adjective Lexus-like in their customer approach.

Im preaching a bit. Good luck to you man. It sounds however that a separation was indeed probably best -- for both you and Rennlist.

Devia

Now it has popped up in my head, that I recall that John D. will try to mediate for actual Rennlisters. John A. is a paying member, and so is Dave.

It seems to me that Dave and/or John A. could ask John D. for help, in solving this, rather than everyone getting all upset, and torching each other.

Also, John A. could ask John D. for help in mediating a peaceful outcome with Jonas.

John D. has helped people out this way, over the last year. Give it a chance, but you HAVE TO ASK, not me!

It's all in your hands, guys.

Yes, I posted the same thing on the other thread, because I feel this is important.

- Julie

SamGrant951

Devia...what?!

Devia

Sam, John D. posted it last year, that anyone that is a paid Rennlist member that is having a problem with a vendor on Rennlist (Sorry, paraphrasing from memory), has a right to ask John D. to help resolve things peaceably between the two parties involved.

But you have to ask him for help. It has helped people to resolve things in the past, instead of flaming and slamming each other.

Or, did I miss your point? Not sure these days, heh.

- Julie

M Danger

Right on John atleast 5/8ths of it!,
Its all going to hell, Whataya gonna do?

ljd-924SE

this kind of true emotion can only be found on the rennlist.

dgz924s

A note on John's rant....He mentioned all the 21 year olds and that they bitch over a 9.00 part and these are the type of owners that will never have a need for his type of shop. Now I understand why many vendors do not reply or take customers requests seriously. They have no future for the biz because they can't or wish not to spend thousands! SELECTIVE clientele! " He has no job and is broke so screw em"! And there are many shops with this attitude and as time expires so do their reputations and business.

Another observation...notice the posts for are mainly turbo owners and against are NA's..............

I will have to say that this issue could have been avoided by proper "customer service". Be prompt and courteous and remove any doubt in the customers mind they are about to lose money and no flaming or other emotional issues will arise! The second a person feels their money is at stake is a precursor to violence. Dal

Luke

two years ago, my buddy had sent his S2 head to huntley. They destroyed it. Derek told my buddy that it was "turbo tim" that had done the work. He denied it.

Thank you the confirmation

LUKE

K27

List rage. road rage, it's all the same. It's called human nature, people just don't do it up close for fear of a punch in the nose
The bravery of being out of range.

EZRider

The above speaks pretty well for me. John, this will come across harsh. But your steaming rant is the result of your own failure to live up to the standards. Much easier to tuck tail and run than face the storm. As an an individual you are a great person, very valuable member of this 944 community. Obviously you've earned the friendship of many. Indeed, on a personable level I am certain we can all be wonderful friends. You, Derek and the rest of the bold pioneers of the budding 944 technology. However, when you switch "hats" into the professional mode be prepared to earn it. Turning the table against customers or potential customers will get you no sympathy. Criticizing listers for their lack of money or lack of substantial spending will earn you no sympathy. OT posting on nude girls or whatever never harmed anyone's financial account or the ongoing engine rebuilds. I respect an individiual who stands up to unresolved issues like a man deals with it like one. I make no exceptions not even for myself.

I am sorry to see things unravel this far. We will be losing a valuable Rennlist member...unless you reconsider and resolve the issue.

badass951

I tried calling and no one answered.

SamGrant951

Ive called plenty of times, never got a human...

jonnybgood

I entered this list with a splash. "$5,550 Head Job" actually it turned out to be $6.2k. I don't think I started by flaming the mechanic but I did mention his shop and his name. I am still mad that he went into the connecting rods for no good reason except to look for a complete rebuild. That added at least $1k to the bill in labor. I would like to blame the PO for not telling me that the 1500 mile retension had not been done. I would like to blame the mechanic who retired after my job but ultimately I must accept my decisions that led to all of this. Actually the freshened engine is running quite nice, Thanks Helmut.

I have learned quite a bit over the past few months. Like don't flame your mechanic when your car is in his work bay!! I will be 50 at the end of March and yes I am bottom feeding on the Porsche line because I am paying child support and so on. My stereo plays Pink Floyd fine without a sub woofer and I don't get excited about side marker clear lenses, what is wrong with yellow in front and red in back?? Oh and last time I checked I had more than 3 brain cells. I have remained employed during the worst downturn in Silicon Valley history and that requires many brain cells.

Now that I have established my credibility. Oh and you replied to one of my posts about regular fuel in the tank and I really appreciated that a major tuner would post to help a newbie. Now we come to what I see as the major issue that you have not responded to by blaming everyone else and not looking at your actions that my have placed you in this situation.

Did second rate rebuild parts leave your shop in San Diego and arrive for Dave's rebuild back east? Things like warped heads with broken cam tower bolt holes, short blocks with mis matched pistons and a blued connecting rod and a short block with a missing wrist pin retainer??? If those things happened to a high dollar paying customer and you are not making it right with Dave then as was said earlier, don't let the door hit you on the *** on the way out.

badass951

I call John once about buying an engine from him. I am sure John classified me as one of the people that had "no intention or a complete lack of cash to even entertain the thought of a supercharger kit, or a new motor."

Well, I am a twenty year old at Penn State University that works as much as physically possible delivering pizzas for Papa John's to afford the car I had (the red 951 in my avitar) and the car I will be getting to replace it (of course another 951). Guess what the new 951 will have in it John - a new engine!

What I am saying John is, do not bash a group of people that you do not know, because well, you make yourself look like an ***.

Aside from this I am sure everyone will miss your help on this board, as it is impossible to argue with free help. I personally always respected the tuners posts more. Also, thanks for answering my questions regarding an engine build from you. This was my only communication with you, but I must say you did a fine job.

The way you left this board was not the proper way to do it though. Sorry.

Jon Moeller

badass,
I'm impressed that you actually got through. Last fall, I left 3 messages with the secretary that did answer the phone, and sent a number of e-mails to John, and did not receive one response, even though my phone number was taken, and I was promised a return call. Amazingly, this was for an engine that was already rebuilt.

I was looking to purchase an engine that John had already put the time into, all he had to do was contact me, and he could have gotten the balance of the money on it. But, no phone call.

John,
Maybe you are answering the phones, now, and maybe you're even returning calls. If so, more power to you.

But, as I have not dealt or spoken directly with you, yet, here's my take on things, as I've interpreted them from the 'list, and my attempts to contact you:

1) You dicked over Dave. You've never even attempted to contest this. Nor have you made things right with him. His story made me ill, and I would have called a lawyer (justifiably), well before now.

2) You're quite likely getting screwed by Jonas. For this, I'm sorry, but unless I hear otherwise from Jonas, I'm going to assume that your poor business practices (not charging for work) and misplaced trust caused this. I would strongly suggest (using all 3 of my braincells in unison) that in the future, you no longer provide extreme discounts to charity cases, when paying customers are being placed on hold. This is a bad practice, but you in no way deserve a law suit, if your story is true.

3) Your customer service/business skills need/s some serious work. The engine I was looking to purchase was being sold because you didn't get it done in a timely fashion. The owner had resorted to having his existing engine worked on, due to the fact that you had not completed the rebuild in the time promised.

4) You need to work on your business skills. When I suggested that Will Howe visit your shop (when you were seeking a new mechanic), you turned him away due to his lack of skills. You were so damn busy at this time that you postponed meeting with him for a number of days.

Now, maybe a newly graduated mechanical engineer with plenty of wrenching time and some welding experience did not meet the qualifications that you required (you were looking for an entry level person, as I recall), but at $15/hr with no benefits and no paid lunches, I'm really interested to know who you filled that position with.

To update you, Will Turner (some may know him better as "the guy that owns Turner Motorsports") offered Will a job at his shop (admittedly, Turner had to later postpone this offer, due to inadequate time to train Will Howe to work on the Grand Am cars, as an engineer). Rather than wait for Turner to have time, Will took a position with another firm for significantly more than $15/hr, full benefits, and a company car.

So, from this limited interaction, the opinion I've formed is that your customer service for paying customers is poor and your expectations of your employees (or prospective employees) are totally unrealistic, but your commitment to and charity for the group for which you expressed so much animosity (the 3 brain-celled, broke-*** ricers) is without bounds.

For reference, I'm relatively new to the board, 26 years old, and so far, I've dropped >$4k on the suspension of the 951 that I acquired Spring of 2003. My recent engagement, upcoming marriage, and plans to buy a house have curbed my car spending, lately, but I expect to resume with my plan of spending $5k on the areas of safety, drive-train, and engine (which will be done somewhere other than AMW), respectively, as soon as these major purchases/events have transpired.

Oh, if you want to correct me on any of these issues, your secretary should have my phone number. Otherwise, a PM or an e-mail can get my attention pretty quickly.

-Jon