Oh -- there's two choices here... he can try to stand toe to toe with me.... he wouldn't be the first or the last... or he can just do what he should as a good businessman and make the little POS right and get his paycheck. Some guys just have a hard time understanding that making the right choice is paramount. At this point it can go either way. While I hope he chooses to just get busy and fix the couple things that aren't right - and get some billable hours for the couple other things I asked for them to do... I expect the worst and that I'll have to turn it over to my attorneys and just let them write letters back and forth with his attorneys - the deal is there - I don't really care what that all costs and I'm thinking he probably does. It's a no win for them either way. They've lost a customer - they've lost any referrals - I'll be telling this story to every Tom Dick and Harry at every show for as long as I own the car... He can turn that around or he can run the ship aground. I can only react at this point. Every action gets a reaction -- fix it - get paid - or play a game of chicken which just raises the stakes. Play that game and the stakes can get real high real fast. He'll just have to ask himself what is the easier road - fix it and get er done and gone - or be a 'big shot' and let his ego get in the way of running a business.

Thanks Greg, I really appreciate it. Just let me know when.

I hear what you're saying but the conundrum I see here is that you have quite clearly shown that they are incompetent and very possibly INCAPABLE of fixing the POS to your standards... from a mechanical standpoint.

I'd pull it and send it somewhere who has proven they can handle the mechanical issues you keep uncovering.

Greg, that had to be one long ride back to Portland. I know how my mind works when I'm fuming over being ripped off no matter the dollar amount and let me tell you it's not good! At times, what's going through my mind and what I print are two different tales only because I'm trying to be an honorable citizen in our great country. Stealing is stealing, doesn't matter how one tries to twist a story to justify their means. Best of luck to you, hopefully they choose the honorable path and it is quickly resolved.

Perhaps it is none of our business, but since you've been airing everything else out, it got me wondering. Of the 19k that you've held payment on, how much of that amounts to blatantly defective work, like improperly installed parts? SAR is a small shop now, and that amount of money, or lack thereof, can interrupt cash flow, so I can definitely understand why he would ask for 16k (even though that seems bold considering your track record with billing - it isn't like he would have to worry about getting the money). Threatening you for it though, clearly wasn't a good business decision.

I'm with Dave. If it were me, I'd just pay what was fair and walk away. Maybe you're not as big of an A-hole as you give yourself credit for being. Not many of us would stick around to see if things could be made right on the third attempt. Then again most of us wouldn't fight it out until the end with lawyers. So, maybe you're just more stubborn than the rest of us.

If you're dealing with a similar ego to the Riddler winning one that I've dealt with, then if things get ugly I will be living vicariously through you. :rofl: I hope it never gets to that point though.

Matt

Funny it sounds like he needs money bad, yet it was not to long ago he was bragging about getting many brown paper bags full of money.

Greg it has been very entertaining. I bet when you started this thread you never imagined it going this far.

That statement is the truth! :thumbsup:

When we meet, please introduce yourself as bungholio. I will try to duplicate the exact laugh I just had at your expense. :rofl:

That car is like a red headed stepchild. You should hang a picture of it in the "shed", point to it and say "oh... and that ones mine too".

Coming from the other side of the coin (one of the "guys" who has been trudging away), that's not always true. The problem is the relationship between owner and builder is a special one and it's probably second only to finding the right husband and wife combo in level difficulty. When you get it right it's (relative) bliss, when it's not it's a living hell for both...

From the (financially) broken builder's point of view, there is nothing better than having a compatible customer who's willing to (financially and mentally) go where you are. It's freedom, because you can pour your heart and soul into the vehicle, and then move on to the next one. For some of us, the "experience" is in the build, not in the "ride". The magic is gone soon after the vehicle is "finished" so having someone waiting in line to do it all over is golden. My problem is my customers were almost as broke as I was. :lol:

Greg just got in bed with the wrong one, but I love how he's playing the game. If I was (the builder) on the other side of the table from him, I would just hire someone to come in and help get the car running right, and move on... He's right, you just have to stick a pin in your ego, at that point, and get the issue resolved. I've been there. It hurts a little, but not nearly as much as trying to dig in and fight it out.

Mattman....


Just to show I have my balz in the right place - I wire transferred $15K to the shop this morning.... so he'll have that in his account TODAY. As is the case in most of these sordid stories - there are things that have not been told. I'm holding some very important info back. I'm only letting you peak behind the curtain.

I've always trusted the shop to do the work - to make it right - etc. There was never any question in my mind about that. These are good hard working very talented, honorable folks. I do - however - question the ability to get it right on CERTAIN portions of the build. And with a build of this quality - I do not "expect" to have to have recurring issues. It should be a "fix" - move on - oh another issue - fix it and move on. What I don't like is the "attitude". But then again - I'm only a good paying customer.... and apparently there's lots of us around. :rofl:

My mistake was not dropping the car off in So San Fran at Brizios on my way home from Santa Barbara... they told me it would be 3 weeks before they could even start to look at the car... they're SWAMPED with builds.... I wanted the car DONE for Pleasanton - so after discussing this with both shops via cell phone (a no no while driving and pulling a trailer I know!) I chose to take it to the builder and give them the chance to make it right. And they did make many of the items right and I'm happy with those results. But even in that discussion --- when I asked that the car be repaired and available for Pleasanton (there was plenty of time) I was told "it'll be done when it's done". The PROPER response would have been and should have been -- We'll be on it immediately and will do everything we can to get 'er done. Can't promise that because we might need parts etc that can hold us up but we'll do everything we can. DOH!

So my balz are in the right court - I sleep well at night. :woot: