just to let you all know.... this is first hand as I speak to pat about once a fortnight. I'm a dealer for him here in Australia. I too get the machine, and was having trouble a few weeks back. Pat being the kind of guy he is, does as previously mentioned teach shop also. He normally has Casey there during the day to answer the phones, but Casey not always knows the details on all orders. However, the reason I couldnt get onto Pat recently was that his buddy who semi retired from teaching shop ( and Pat took over what he didnt teach) got shot and killed. Pat has since then had to take over all the teaching duties. So this has seen him not at Wilcap that much, except for later in the day. As for Nick79, nice language. but give him ago again. It seems you havent solved your problem and the alternative is going to hurt $$ wise more. You WILL have to wait, hell I had to wait near 12 months to get some intakes. BUT, the quality is A1, and if they say it will fit, IT WILL FIT. Its a one man show, I know he screwed you around. But at the end of the day you've got very limited places to go. If you dont want to go back, and I understand this as we all have had problems with places that we would not spend a cent at again. Then can I suggest finding a good engineering works local to you. as back in the day that is how people adapted different transmission to different cars. Their weren't the likes of Wilcap to go to. And you might be surprised and the $$ I dare say it would be much less than Berndstens adaptor/kit. Just one last thing, the HAMB is a big community, and dont you think its funny that so far your the only one who's had trouble? look up various other suppliers and there is nearly always a 50/50 of people who have had good/bad experiences. So thats the low down, and I got that from direct from Pat about 2 weeks ago.
I'll put in my 2-cents as far as my experience... I ordered a Wilcap extended-bell hemi adapter from HotHeads. It was out of stock, but was supposed to be in the next week, and ship. After 2-3 weeks waiting for the adapter (being patient, and giving them the benifit of the doubt), I call and asked what the hold-up was. They said that they never got any in the shipment. I checked a few weeks later...same thing. none in the shipment and I should call Wilcap myself, and see what the hold up was... Well, I called, and was told that they would be there next week. I said, that I had been told they would be there next week for a couple of months now...The response was "Welllll....that's because I have been telling them that." When a couple of them actually shipped to HotHeads...I was told by HotHeads that they indeed had a couple, but that I wasn't going to get one because a couple of people had been waiting for two months longer than me!!! I finally had to call every week to check on progress. It was "I welded the flexplate today, and will make the adapter tomorrow" Cool! I should finally have it next week or so! Two weeks later, I called to see what the hold up was..."I need to weld the flexplate...then make the adapter..." THAT...is the run-around! I finally got it. It was a nice piece. It did solve a problem for me. The tranny does leak out of the adapter bolts on the face of the adapter plate...but that could be the pump-face's fault as well. It was obvious that the man was busy...but telling your customers it's coming when it's not, and telling your customers that something was done when it wasn't has gotten a few other business owners a few nasty threads on here... He was a nice guy to me, and does make a nice product, but if it is going to take four months...TELL me it is going to be four months.
Pat's a great guy, and even came to my shop, very far away to verify an issue that he solved immediately
The problem with being a small business that actually is really good at what they do with obvious high demand is that sometimes the good success also causes problems of which growing to deal with the volume then becomes another set of problems that generally tend to lead to less quality and poorer products. Pat probably wants to do it himself because he knows how to do it right and doesn't want to have to train others and become a manager of employees that don't do it as good just so he can sell more. When you are so busy, sometimes it is hard to get help because all you can do is just try to keep your head above water and put out the hottest fires one at a time and even with the best very best honest intentions, deadlines slide. If his friend got shot and killed, that obviously can set you back on many levels. I don't make car parts and I have never had a friend shot and killed, but I am intimately familiar with all of the above, just a different line of work and death of a friend and business partner. Pat doesn't need to be defended, but I am sure he is doing what he can. Also, making adaptor plates isn't rocket science. If you just can't wait or figure out some other solution, go get some 1" alum. plate, take a few measurements, and make your own.
fortnight? Went back and reread my post. I am a dealer for Wilcap.Have been for a long time. I was averaging 4-6 adapters a month. Pat is great guy. Great product. Sometimes slow........ I was involved in the above deal. Normally everything goes smoothly,but in that case it didn't. I tried my best.
The way I read the post, the language, such as it was, was directed at the guy who slammed him first for supposedly being part of the instant gratification generation and implied that he was being a crybaby about the whole thing. I like Wilcap fine, but given the situation with that particular adapter, I'd be a mite upset too. If it's gonna take six months, or a year, that's cool, but tell me that upfront... On a different note... I have seriously thought about making adapters for the Lincoln Y & the various MELs, because there does seem to be a limited market for them...but there are some major issues with the 2nd gen MELs which take a great deal of thought, mostly with the starter....these issues will also, likely, prevent the adapter from being used to just upgrade the transmission in Lincoln Continentals, which will kill a chunk of the demand for the adapter. And the market's not that big in the first place.
Thanks for eloquently outlining this. 100% accurate. That is the total picture and has been my dilemma with this motor. I'm all for giving Pat another chance if he's up for doing it. I would like an accurate timeline though. Two, three, months ok. A year..I'll pay the $1k. My job is in sales and I know first hand it's better to give an accurate picture than to string my customer along. I would lose my job if I did that. Bad news is better than no news. Any professional sales person knows this. Sounds like there are some others coming forward that are pointing out the same experience. Some may be more comfortable with it than others I guess. For me, I deal with it on a daily basis and try to do just the opposite. I guess I expect the same being a business professional. Nick
I can attest to the challenge of being a one man show. Believe it or not, selling transmission adapters does not pay many bills. I too also try to keep one of everything in stock....but sometimes it just doesnt happen. There are additional costs involved with producing "one" of something, vs. 10 or 20 or more in a run. I know that at times I sell out my stock of adapters, and sure enough, I will get a call for one. At that point, the wait is 2-4 weeks, as the actual machining is farmed out. I only produce and sell one style Hemi to SB Mopar adapter. I cant imagine trying to keep the dozens of styles in stock as Pat does. Wilcap is a mainstay in the hotrodding community, and I suggest, if at all possible, you give them another try.
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