Motor Work Gone South

[Formula Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Formula Outlaw

Sarasota / Mid West Coast Florida

Corvettes West / Tommy Moller - Owner
6175 Clark Center Ave.
Sarasota, FL. 34238
941-922-2300
941-922-2448 fax
www.corvetteswestinc.com

Full service facility. All models of Corvettes, particularly Midyears, and other high end autos. Excellent Paint and Engine Work.


Visit their website.


Tell him I sent you and get charged 25% more....

He's the only one that touches my car....known him for 32 years....would trust him with my bank account.

There may be a VERY serious reason that I, regretfully, may have to retract this referral. I want to give him a chance to make things right. If this does not happen I will elaborate complete with pictures. Hopefully, Tommy will make things right.

This is my "wrong" camshaft after less than 500 miles.

[Formula Outlaw]

Well it's been eleven days now and no reply from Corvettes West. I guess I'm being ignored......

[98 softtail]

That is some nasty wear on those cam lobes. I hope you get things cleared up, Soon.

[63GSreplica]

Originally Posted by Formula Outlaw

Well it's been eleven days now and no reply from Corvettes West. I guess I'm being ignored......

I consider the Corvettes West crew good friends. Normally I prefer to get along with everyone, so for the time being I'll be polite, but maybe you should tell the "whole" story.

[63GSreplica]

Well it's been eleven days now and no reply, I guess I'm being ignored......

Now, I'm not opposed to calling a shop on lousy work, if I get bad service or work I'll be sure to let them know right away to give them the chance to make things right, if that doesn't happen then I'll take another route. But, I've known Tommy, Roger and Keith since '97 when I bought my first Corvette, they have been nothing but great to deal with and have gone out of their way to take care of my 81 and 63. Tommy actually lent me the shop engine hoist along with HIS truck to move it and came to my house after closing to help drop a motor into my 81, so I know they like to make things right.

So, let's take a look shall we......

On 06-17-2006, 03:13 AM Corvettes West gets a glowing review.

Then on 02-04-2008, 11:45 PM there's a "VERY serious reason that I, regretfully, may have to retract this referral."

A post on 02-05-2008, 12:21 AM and another on 02-07-2008, 12:29 AM, then nothing. By the way, Last Activity: 02-14-2008 12:28 AM

4 posts and 12 days later I guess it's time to make another post.

If I owned a shop, did work on someone's car in good faith and was paid with a rubber check for a couple thousand bucks then was ignored by the check writer/customer for well over a year I would have them prosecuted to the FULL extent possible. If it was possible I would also put a lien on the car that was worked on. I'm a really easy going person, but if someone screws me I believe in dishing out instant karma. That's the nice version since there might be kids viewing and I read a post here about swearing.

Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast......

[Formula Outlaw]

Originally Posted by 63GSreplica

Well it's been eleven days now and no reply, I guess I'm being ignored......

Now, I'm not opposed to calling a shop on lousy work, if I get bad service or work I'll be sure to let them know right away to give them the chance to make things right, if that doesn't happen then I'll take another route. But, I've known Tommy, Roger and Keith since '97 when I bought my first Corvette, they have been nothing but great to deal with and have gone out of their way to take care of my 81 and 63. Tommy actually lent me the shop engine hoist along with HIS truck to move it and came to my house after closing to help drop a motor into my 81, so I know they like to make things right.

So, let's take a look shall we......

On 06-17-2006, 03:13 AM Corvettes West gets a glowing review.

Then on 02-04-2008, 11:45 PM there's a "VERY serious reason that I, regretfully, may have to retract this referral."

A post on 02-05-2008, 12:21 AM and another on 02-07-2008, 12:29 AM, then nothing. By the way, Last Activity: 02-14-2008 12:28 AM

4 posts and 12 days later I guess it's time to make another post.

If I owned a shop, did work on someone's car in good faith and was paid with a rubber check for a couple thousand bucks then was ignored by the check writer/customer for well over a year I would have them prosecuted to the FULL extent possible. If it was possible I would also put a lien on the car that was worked on. I'm a really easy going person, but if someone screws me I believe in dishing out instant karma. That's the nice version since there might be kids viewing and I read a post here about swearing.

Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast......

A FULL story will be posted in the Board of Inquiry section complete with photos. I've known Tommy since 1975 when he moved here from New York, and I don't blame Tommy for my motor problems cause he was at a family reunion in SC at the time. Up until this incident I had only praise from him.

But allow me to address a couple of issues you brought up....

In Jan of 07' I was in a near fatal car crash and took over ten months to recover from.

I had written Corvettes West a check for a little over a grand which was the final payment on the motor work done. My seperated wife got her backside in a sling with the IRS and because we were still legally married, the IRS froze my bank account on which that check was written. After two meetings with the IRS they agreed to unfreeze my bank account. There was enough money in the account to cover Tommy's check along with two others. Then I was in the accident. For three months I was in a hospital/trauma center and had no communication with anyone from the outside world. The bank, not hearing from me, took the money out of my account, closing it, to apply to the VISA card balance I owed. I had left a message with Corvettes West that the bank account had become unfrozen but apparently the check was not deposited in time. I did what I could to let Tommy know to deposit the check, why he didn't I don't know. Had he done so when I notified him he would have gotten his money. Why he procrastinated only he knows. I did NOT write him a rubber check. I will fully admit that after everything, I just figure I saved myself some money rather than simply just throwing it away, like the first two thirds of that work. I love people like yourself who just mouth off without knowing the facts. I can appreciate coming to someone's defense, I'm usually the first to do so, but I know my facts first, something you need to work on.

Tommy sent me an email which I will post on the board of inquiry along with the photos of my parts. After about nine paragraphs of gobblity goop of trying to pass the buck, HE NEVER EVER ADDRESSED THE ISSUE, NOT ONE SINGLE WORD, OF WHY A ROLLER CAM WAS NOT INSTALLED IN MY MOTOR WHEN IT WAS REQUIRED. NOT A SINGLE WORD.

Now I've had three different mechanics, who build engines for NASCAR, tell me the reason, AND THE ONLY REASON, my engine went south was the failure to install a roller cam with the roller lifters. Tommy had nothing to say. Again, only he knows why.

In my communications with Tommy, I never got mad, I only asked a question that was never answered. As I said previously, I'm not as mad as I am disappointed.

And that is the real story.

So the next time you're talking with Tommy, ask him why he didn't install a roller cam in my car when it was required. If you get the answer, do me a favor and let me know would you? Thanks.

[63GSreplica]

Originally Posted by Formula Outlaw

I love people like yourself who just mouth off without knowing the facts. I can appreciate coming to someone's defense, I'm usually the first to do so, but I know my facts first, something you need to work on.

I love it when people post about how a vendor did them wrong WITHOUT first posting their version of the story, I guess it's my fault for not flying in from Iraq to break into your house to look over your financial records and interrogate you so I can GET THE FACTS before shooting off my mouth. I posted what I knew of the situation, don't like it, tough crap. Here's a clue, this is the internet and it goes all over the world, if you aren't adult enough or smart enough to put your facts out there then prepare to get your feelings hurt. If a vendor did something to me that I thought was wrong, I would do everything possible to resolve the problem like an adult FIRST before I made a half-assed post on the internet.

I can understand people have problems, stuff happens that you have no control over, perfectly understandable. But by your own admission you've had time for "three different mechanics, who build engines for NASCAR" to check out your motor, but you can't get on the phone or better yet just drop in and talk to Tommy. Well, like you said, "I will fully admit that after everything, I just figure I saved myself some money rather than simply just throwing it away, like the first two thirds of that work."

All I can say is suck it up and quit whining about it or go be a man and talk to Tommy face to face and resolve the problem.

[pewter99]

Well I guess the Mods need to lock this one up since you guys decided to HIJACK it from its intended purpose.....start another thread or take it to PM but don't hijack my thread to argue

[Formula Outlaw]

Originally Posted by 63GSreplica

I love it when people post about how a vendor did them wrong WITHOUT first posting their version of the story, I guess it's my fault for not flying in from Iraq to break into your house to look over your financial records and interrogate you so I can GET THE FACTS before shooting off my mouth. I posted what I knew of the situation, don't like it, tough crap. Here's a clue, this is the internet and it goes all over the world, if you aren't adult enough or smart enough to put your facts out there then prepare to get your feelings hurt. If a vendor did something to me that I thought was wrong, I would do everything possible to resolve the problem like an adult FIRST before I made a half-assed post on the internet.

I can understand people have problems, stuff happens that you have no control over, perfectly understandable. But by your own admission you've had time for "three different mechanics, who build engines for NASCAR" to check out your motor, but you can't get on the phone or better yet just drop in and talk to Tommy. Well, like you said, "I will fully admit that after everything, I just figure I saved myself some money rather than simply just throwing it away, like the first two thirds of that work."

All I can say is suck it up and quit whining about it or go be a man and talk to Tommy face to face and resolve the problem.

I gave Tommy almost four weeks to respond to multiple emails. I never got mad at him, I only wanted an answer as to why to a roller cam was not installed in my motor when it is required with roller lifters. HE was the one who never answered the question. He threw everything else but the kitchen sink at me as to why it wasn't his fault, but yet NEVER ANSWERED THE ORIGINAL QUESTION. He commented on how he had done other work, which he had, besides work on the valve train, but it was the work on the valve train which was the issue. An issue he NEVER EVER addressed.

I now live in TN. It's not exactly convienent to just drop in and talk to Tommy, and I prefer email over phone conversations because YOU HAVE A RECORD AS TO WHAT WAS SAID.

No, I don't expect you to examine my financial records, but you were the one who kind of jumped the gun as to what actually happened. It was you who made an incorrect assumption by not knowing the facts. You jumped me because of what apparently Tommy told you, and I fully admit that here I am guessing for I do not know. However, likewise, you did not know the whole story yet you jumped on me.

I can't figure out what you mean by a half-assed post. I wrote it as cordial as I could without anger, complete with photographs of the damage, and the names and telephone numbers of the mechanics who saw the damage and are doing the repair work now required. I'd say that was a reasonably responsible post. You say you posted what you knew of the situation and if I don't like it tough crap. Well here's a news flash. You might have considered ASKING what the full story was before you jumped on me, rather than just jumping in headfirst and defending Tommy about something that you did NOT know what the story was. You are the one who is looking like the jackass here, not me.

And hurt my feelings????? You can't possibly be serious.....I doubt that I could find one person in a thousand who has a reasonable command of the English language who would consider anything I've written, or posted, as whining. All I did was, without emotion, post an incident that happened to me, no more no less. And then you come in the like 84th Airborne to rescue Tommy.

I've already "sucked it up" and resigned myself to the fact that I got screwed, by someone who was supposedly a friend. Heck, all I ever really wanted was some type of explanation, or maybe even an apology, but I got nothing but a gobbility goop runaround. Okay so be it. I have a life to live and I'm not losing sleep over this. I'm only posting about an incident that happened to me with one certain shop. That's all. What I posted was the truth, after that I really don't care.

Be careful and best of luck to you in Iraq.