I can certainly understand your position and I would want to protect my hard-earned cash as well.
Personally, I would try to stay as local as possible so that I could stop by and check on progress from time to time. That would also give me a chance to watch for warning signs around the shop (supplies running out, fewer jobs coming in, less employees, phones not ringing, etc.). Communication, presence, and a written plan sound like the best way to protect yourself...

I have no money...Pissed it all away on cars. Weld has all the money. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security because you get a builder to sign a contract. A bad guy will sign whatever you want and still steal your money. Then you can spend a fortune with attorneys chasing him and end up with nothing anyway because he has nothing. The bad guys just want your money and will deal with stalling and double talking you later.

Well said..

Come on Charley we know better! You still have that ''secret'' compartment ! The contract thing isn't likely going to happen for that reason alone. I am going to deal local so I can keep tabs on progress. I started talking to Steve Morris and it looks like he'll be the guy. His payment structure is actually quite good it works perfect for both parties. So will see.

I sent my motor and parts to Casey and 4 weeks later he called and said the motor was ready for $1,000.00 less then he quoted me. Trust me that doesn't happen "EVER".

Then when we looking for help I sent him and e-mail and within an hour I had a response with a part number and even a link to get the part.

Casey and the guys at Wegner are Number 1 in my book.

and good news for you Mario they are only about 2 hours from us.

The only time a contract is worth anything, is in a court of law. If you get there, you already lost.

I agree with local services - continuous personal communication always helps to ease the stress during large projects.

Less? A vendor asked for less money than quoted? Surely this is a typo!
Or, maybe miracles do happen....just not to me.

$51K for an engine? Your crazy!!
Dude have you ever seen a twin turbo big block in a 69 camaro. It gets cramped in the engine compartment. Hey if you want a trailer queen, its your car. I think you should take half that and Get a MAST LSX with a supercharger on it. Then take the rest of the money and read the INVESTING 102 thread.

Good move dealing local, we both know how long distance deals can be. I hope it comes in on schedule so as not to hold you up.

Hey Mario,

Steve is a great choice, this guy has a killer resume when it comes to building/machining boosted engines. What a nice guy and his family, had him over for christmas dinner, long story short his dad has been dating my sister for years and came out to jersey for the holidays. Extrmeley nice people, being a car guy I felt like I had engine building royality at my house. Good luck and Im looking forward to watching the progress.

Rich