yoyoguy2

So, this has been posted in part before, but for those interested here's what i've been doing since last summer....

Late in the summer my car developed an oil leak, pretty intense. took it to the shop that's done the work on my audi, Eurotech in South burlington VT. They say it's my front end seals, leaking everywhere, all over the belts, etc. so i'm like OK, fix the leak, do all the belts, and a water pump while you're in there (don't know when it had one last). So i get the car back, and now it makes a high pitched whine sound with engine revs. they say it's "the belts breaking in" but i'm skeptical. i take it to another shop that suggested it's a balance shaft bearing, should get it taken care of. so i take it back to Eurotech and tell them i'm worried about the noise. So they take it apart again and it turns out it was a bad water pump (brand new). So they fixed that for free. Did i mention it still leaks oil? it does. exactly the same as before.

Enter shop #2, The Automaster in shelburne vermont, the local porsche/bmw dealer. I had been planning to store the car for the winter and deal with this in the summer, when i'd have time and money to take care of it. My father however said he would pay for the repair as my christmas present if i took it to the automaster (his shop for his bmw). so i'm like HELL YEAH, that's more than i've gotten from him for the last 10 christmases combined. So off it goes, i get a call from these guys after it's been there a few weeks to the extent of "looks like you need an engine block" (that's literally the answering maching message). So i finally get down there ( i live in boston, so it's a hike to go visit this shop) and they're like, the last time your waterpump was replaced they broke off a bolt in the block. for us to fix this requires that we remove the engine, completely strip the block, send the bare block to a machine shop, have them drill it out, and bring it back and rebuild your engine. i for some reason believe this, and their suggestion that it would be cheaper to get a new, rebuilt engine and just swap it in. book time for this is like 30 hours, but i'm like, whatever i'll have a new engine, my dad's not paying for this but he'll probably help out. Also, they decided every oil line i had was bad, and ordered up a million parts. i told them to write me up an estimate of all this, and the engine install.

SOOOOOO i talk to john anderson, arrange for a new rebuild (stock but with his knife edge/drilled crank). shell out the cash for a 75% deposit. i figure i'll get this, the shop will install it for whatever, and then i'll be done. No such deal.

i go back down there a while later, and the estimate they said would be done the same day is a ^&*%$@(^&*% piece of **** on the back of a dead chicken's *** after like 4 days. They finally get something worked up and they want to charge me 90 to 100 hours labor plus this other ****, total like 9 grand. that's not including the engine, which i have to buy myself. so by the way, they have the whole front of the car apart, and won't put it back together. so i tell them to get it rolling, push it out of their shop, i'm taking it elsewhere. i get all the parts and leave the car on their lot end up paying more than a thousand bucks for them to make my running car not running.

i arrange to get the car towed to here to massachusetts($600) and they drop it at European Performance Engineering. they fix the oil leaks and the waterpump bolt for like 3 thousand bucks.

and in there i got an alternator from alternator starter express and put in a voltage regulator from dan wray (iceshark). gave the alternator to the shop, it doesn't work at all, they put in a new bosch one. don't know what's up with that, will have to investigate.

so there it is, now my car runs, it cost less than a tiny part of the first estimate, and i have an engine on order that i don't need. if anyone wants to buy a new long block let me know, i have to talk to john anderson and get this straightened out in the next couple days, i'm thinking of selling my deposit (here, ebay, somewhere), then whoever buys it can pay john the rest and get it shipped to wherever they want.

my car is now resting comfortably in a StorageUSA facility in shrewsbury mass, and will make a reappearance in a few months when the snow's gone. there it is, hope this doesn't happen to you!

dand86951

The value of a competent and trustworthy shop is usually a lot more than most of us think on the front end. Sorry to hear of your troubles and regretfully your story seems to be occurring more often than it should.

User 41221

Hmmm... let's talk about that engine, I was going to tear mine down (the 86 951), but putting in one of Johns would certainly be a lot easier.

Post the details, or email me at sh944@rennlist.com.

Regards,

951Racer

You really should give Scott Gomes a call. He lives in New Bedford, MA (about 50mins from Boston) and probably has more knowledge about 951's than all the other shops in the Boston area combined!

Danno

Wow sorry to hear about your troubles, what an awful story. No one should have to go through that kind of an ordeal. We hear horror stories about auto shops all the time, especially if you're female. I think it might have something to do with them hiring high-school kids part-time afterwork or their full-time high-school drop-out crew...

"probably has more knowledge about 951's than all the other shops in the Boston area combined!"

How about most if not ALL of the other shops, period! Check out his website: <a href="http://www.area951.com" target="_blank">http://www.area951.com</a>

shaheed

so how much is your deposit and how much is the remainder for the engine?

mark944turbo

Yoyoguy, I live in Milton and my car has not run for quite a while either, I feel your pain. However, I have been doing all my work myself, so I have nobody else to blame. There are plenty of good mechanics in the area, so why did you go to Vermont? Also isnt there anything you can do about the shop that broke the waterpump bolt off then didn't tell you? It is such a sad thing to read stories like these, there are so many bad mechanics out there. Hopefully your car will work well for you this spring. Good Luck!

Matt Sheppard

"Keep your freinds close, keep your mechanic even closer"

. . . or something like that

I just cringe hearing stories like that! Bully for you towing it out of that shop, I have yet to have a good experience at a Porsche dealership.

yoyoguy2

So the details on the engine, for those interested is John charges $2700 for a stock rebuild long block, and 800 for the crank work option i got. shipping depends on location, he says about 300. I left a deposit of a little over 75%, $2800. if you're interested let me know, and we can work everything out. i'll probably throw a listing up in the rennlist classifieds in a few days... drop me an email if you're interested....

John Anderson

YoYo,

I'll work with you on this, or anyone who offers to get you out of the motor. Email me privately, I'll give you my cell number..I'm easier to reach there after hours and we can work something out. You should not get stuck with the motor,and we have to be carefull about the inventory we keep...but I know between you and I, there is a solution.

Take Care!

Luis de Prat

John,

I'm not a customer, but as a Rennlist member for quite some time, I have a lot of respect for what you just posted.

Keep up the camaraderie. Yoyoguy has been through a nightmare and your response was first class.

yoyoguy2

email on the way john, thanks for your cooperation. I do have to say you've been easy to deal with through all this, i'm sure many other shops would be pissed off at the constant pain in the *** i've been

it hasn't been the easiest deal for either of us, but i think we can get this finally squared away shortly...

John Anderson

Thank you Luis De Prat :-)

YoYo,

Email me at lepus3000@aol.com Thats at the shop, ok?

Take Care!