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Hot Rod Shop USA in Whittier,Ca problems

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by scumfuxcarclub, Mar 17, 2008.

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  1. scumfuxcarclub
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 105

    scumfuxcarclub
    Member
    from Anaheim,Ca

    Has anyone ever gotten anything done there? I took my 49 Merc there to get a new C4 ******, rearend and driveshaft put in. The owner charged me $3000 for everything. I took it there because the guy was cool and seemed like he knew what he was doing. He said it would take 1-2 months. It's been almost 4 months! What the hell? Does it take this long to get this done? Anyone else get disapointed from this shop?
     
  2. Mr.Musico
    Joined: Jan 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,645

    Mr.Musico
    Member
    from SoCal

    you should have negotiated the price and got it in writing before you had the work done, and rule of thumb is to double whatever time frame they give you.

    I agree sounds like BS, but don't be so quick to make this shop look like jerk offs
     
  3. da34guy
    Joined: Jun 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,708

    da34guy
    Member Emeritus

    Sounds like a 1 week job to me.
    1 - 2 months should have been a clue.
    Did ya give him bucks up front???????
     
  4. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 24,941

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    without any details I could see that being $3000.00. as for the time frame... well sometimes stuff happens.

    did they do a good job?
     
  5. scumfuxcarclub
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 105

    scumfuxcarclub
    Member
    from Anaheim,Ca

    I haven't gotten it yet. I don't mean to make them look bad. I just got the Merc. It's been my dream car since i was 16 so i thought I should do things right on it and not do mickey mouse jobs like i have with my other cars. i actually gave him 80% up front for the parts. I've been taking **** from my friends and car club.
     
  6. A buddy of mine was talking about stuff like this the other day and suggested that an escrow type account be opened on these projects/cars...it seems every town has one or twelve shops where the guy gets the deposit and strings the guy along, needs more bucks...blah blah blah...every trade has guys like this...ya gotta get references
     
  7. John Denich
    Joined: Nov 20, 2005
    Posts: 2,718

    John Denich

    Whats his excuse for it not being done????
     
  8. scumfuxcarclub
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 105

    scumfuxcarclub
    Member
    from Anaheim,Ca

    He said he couldn't find a rebuildable C4 transmission. Even though he had one on the floor.
     
  9. Nomadness
    Joined: Oct 26, 2007
    Posts: 462

    Nomadness
    Member

    I would think in that area (SoCal) you could go out and buy a rebuilt C4 or rebuildable core within a day or 2 of needing one.
     
  10. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 34,082

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    Without a written agreement, time line, etc you are in a tough spot. Especially since you have given him too much $$ up front. If you pull the car out you may never see the $. Have you taken an experienced buddy with you that maybe has a shop that might be able to talk to this guy to help get you out of this mess? Hang in there, life is full of hard lessons.
     
  11. 38zephyr
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 622

    38zephyr
    Member

    If you still need one , I think I still have the C4 out of my 67 Mustang fastback . It's at my Dad's shop in North Hollywood , worked fine , I put a 5 speed in the car . Give me whatever YOU think it's worth . No I won't give it to anybody else or sell it cheap , I hate seeing people get stroked and I feel bad for you . PM me if you want it . I think 1 or 2 months is way too long , forget about 4 months . Rebuilt trans , driveshaft balanced , new u-joints and fresh rearend with all labor , $3000 is more than I would pay personally . I guess if you just want to drop it off and pick it up turn key done at a "professional " shop and drive it home , that must be what it costs .
     
  12. scumfuxcarclub
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 105

    scumfuxcarclub
    Member
    from Anaheim,Ca

    well I'm in a car club where we do this kind of stuff all the time to our cars but I don't have the time to do it. That's why I took it to a shop. I thought It would be quicker than if I did it on the weekends. Jalopy Joker you're right, I'm always learning things the hard way. 38zephyr thanks but he said he got one and is rebuilding it. Then again that was 2 weeks ago.
     
  13. Gabacho_LBC
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 70

    Gabacho_LBC
    Member

    Check with Jerry's Transmission in Norwalk to price it out and timeframe. Bet he will smoke the price and have it back within a week or 2 max..
     
  14. 38zephyr
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 622

    38zephyr
    Member

    Offer stands if you end up needing it .
     
  15. Evilfordcoupe™
    Joined: May 22, 2001
    Posts: 1,832

    Evilfordcoupe™
    Member

    If you gotta pay up front for work, your at the wrong place.


    -Jason
     
  16. sean72
    Joined: Dec 20, 2004
    Posts: 452

    sean72
    Member

    I've been in Whittier for over 20 years and have never heard of them. Where is the shop located?

    Sean
     
  17. skooch
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 754

    skooch
    Member

    Been there done that. Makes you feel like a schmuck when this happens. Pull your car, get your money back and take it to someone else. Shops like this can string a guy along for a very long time.
     
  18. 35ratbstr
    Joined: Feb 18, 2006
    Posts: 491

    35ratbstr
    Member
    from Colorado

    Well if you do the math @ $40 hr x 40 hrs in a week thats $1600. If your $3000 included a used engine, ****** and a custom driveline and all ***ociated parts. $3000 should be reasonable. I think its a matter of taking too much time. Hopefully you and shop owner were on the same page for what you were getting for the money. You should probably try and firmly persuade them to finish the deal other wise you might not get what you thought you were suppose to get and it could get really ugly.
    just my $.02!
    good luck
     
  19. ///Juan
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 26

    ///Juan
    Member

    I think he might mean Speed Shop USA in La Habra off of Whittier Bl near Beach Bl. I have heard a few good and bad things about the owner and what I recommend you do is to stay on him regularly to get it done.
     
  20. Have you been there since you dropped it off? Is there a decent reason as to why it's not done? Is it a very busy shop? Seems like a pretty long time, but you never know. I would say let him know that you need it back asap, maybe get a little pushy. I've known people that have had their lawyers draw up something stating that if their vehicle isn't returned by such a date, with the agreed upon work done, that they will be looking at a lawsuit. Amazingly, the work was done very quickly after that. Good luck
     
  21. so between your friends and car club members you took the car to someone you dont actually know? im not knockin you man but it just appears a little odd , over here i would have just bought the parts rounded up the redneck mafia scored some hotdogs , hamburgers , and about 6 cases of beer would have gottin the job done but then again perhaps things work different over there in your world..
    btw the guys name aint nixon is it? :D
     
  22. gnarlytyler
    Joined: Feb 2, 2007
    Posts: 1,004

    gnarlytyler
    Member

    I say if it takes another month, pull your car OUT and get your money back and do it yourself.. cause its just gonna take LONGER and LONGER and LONGER.. trust me.. i know from experience..
    -Anthony
     
  23. While I would never let another shop touch one of my cars, I can understand where he's coming from. People ***ume that when someone does this stuff for a living, that they will get a much better finished product, and it will be done quicker. Unfortunately, most shops out there don't do anything different then the majority of the people on this board. No offense to anyone, I see lots of people that think shops perform "magic" (and the reality is that a select few actually do).
     
  24. 60'coupe
    Joined: Dec 21, 2006
    Posts: 874

    60'coupe
    Member

    Hey S***, Did you ask about this place on the HAMB before you took your car to this guy ? That's the kind of question that should be asked here on the HAMB, I hope it all works out for you, you can't leave your ride at a place because the guy is cool !
    Gook Luck !
     
  25. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,036

    belair
    Member

    Everyone knows cool guys won't rip you off.
     
  26. sean72
    Joined: Dec 20, 2004
    Posts: 452

    sean72
    Member

    OK, now it makes sense. I live down the street from them. I went there once in the late 80's. Saw the crazy high prices for the parts and they all had a layer of dust from sitting there. Never been back since and still surprised they are open, they must own the building or something.

    Sean
     
  27. Bad Bob
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 24,341

    Bad Bob
    Member
    from O.C. Baby

    Speed Shop USA on Whittier are ***HOLES!!! I wouldn't take my lawnmower to them! Get you car out of there and take it to the place Gabacho suggested. 3K is WAY too much for what you want done...
    NEVER take you car anywhere that isn't recommended by a friend that you trust!
     
  28. lotus
    Joined: Sep 7, 2002
    Posts: 1,119

    lotus
    Member
    from Taft, CA

    The work I had done on my 52 I pulled it out of one shop. That situation was really both of our faults. He was giving me prices that were too good to be true and he had another job...so my car was a lower priority and I wanted the car done NOW. I pulled it out of the shop.

    With my house I am in a similar situation. The guy that is doing some of the remodeling on the house does this for a living at a job and does it on the side. My jobs are on the side so it takes longer to get done but the prices reflects that too. It is a lot cheaper. I just stay on him and it gets done.

    only advice i have is...go there everyday if you can and ask to see the progress...they will get tired of seeing you and either finish the project quicker or pay you to stop coming there and get your car out of there.
     
  29. Kilroy
    Joined: Aug 2, 2001
    Posts: 3,232

    Kilroy
    Member
    from Orange, Ca

    They do decent work from what I've seen (I used to live in Whittier and went there a few times) but I've also seen that they are slow as mol***es...

    Did you look at the other cars in the shop? Everytime I was there they had basically the same cars in the shop and there was a section of the shop that never looked like anything changed... For years... It looked like the Munsters house in that one corner...

    The guy who does the work is a salty old dude that takes smoke breaks all the time and I bet if you pushed him, he'd never ever touch your car again.

    I wouldn't bother trying to get them to finish it at this point... I'd give them another week or so and take a day off work. I'd just show up and hapily say, "I'm hear to pick up my car." All smiles... Don't offer an explanation unless they demand one. Then just tell them "My club is going to do it."
    Just get it and if they haven't done **** on it, get your money back. Don't leave the shop untill you get the car and your money. If they say they can't get to the car right now, say "What can I do to help?"
    From my experience, you want it all done in a day. You don't want to come back tomorrow, next week or whatever. You want to show up with a trailer, unannounced and just pick it up. Be polite. Don't bring "****o" with you as a threat... Having him in the truck might not be a bad idea though. Don't argue. But DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER...
    If they have done some work on it, then it gets stickier. But I say pay them what they want for the work... Within reason... And get your car.
     
  30. ramrod2624
    Joined: Dec 19, 2006
    Posts: 652

    ramrod2624
    Member

    If This is spped shop in La Habra I live right down the street from it as well and will never step foot in there. I too stoped in there in the late 90's with my 2 boys when I was building them a Chevelle. I asked for a price on a part and the guy says this is a big boys store you cant afford it! these where just some valve covers but I said ya your right I cant walked out and never been back since. Ill drive 100 miles before Ill go there.

    Just my .02

    Good luck!
     
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