• Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.

Chris Harwood dba XtremeMotorsports, SportscarTech.com, and Arrive-n-Drive.com

Fatbum said:
I really don't know what to do because I'm deployed and I feel helpless and I just don't want anything to do with this crap anymore if it's going to be nothing but court battles for my family.
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You are not alone and not helpless here. If any sort of courtroom appearances are asked of you, it is my opinion that it will be as a witness for the prosecution in one or more court cases involving parties against Chris Harwood. Quite frankly, if Chris were to engage in something like this, then it will likely just accelerate other legal actions that others are considering semi-seriously, into the "seriously" category.

If Chris does not have the money to pay back the people he owes money and services to, then he certainly is not going to have the money that an attorney would demand to fight such an uphill battle as a "slander" case. Those are about the most difficult cases to win that any attorney can handle, and they know it. And they certainly would not take it on a contingency basis, because they would know they would be wasting their time. So that would mean a LOT of money up front, as a retainer, that Chris would have to know is pretty much just flushing that money down the hopper as far as he is concerned. And quite frankly, that just sounds like a HIGHLY unlikely step for him to take, to me. Heck, he hasn't been able to come up with the $3,950.00 refund he still owes me for the transmission and differential that he did not install as he said he did. A retainer for an attorney would be at least twice that amount, and only get him about 10 hours worth of work. Then the REAL legal bills start rolling in for him. He better have allocated at least $25,000 for this endeavor.
 
Well, I found yet another probable discrepancy between what Chris said I was getting on my car, and what it is I actually got.

On the original invoice I paid off of for the build, the clutch was supposed to be:
FIDANZA OR SPEC TWIN DISC CLUTCH (1300 HP CAPACITY)
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For which I paid $1,350.00.

Turns out, when I got a copy of the original invoice from Chris for my clutch, which happened VERY recently, the Fidanza clutch (part number FID 398575 - Fidanza 6.5 Twin Disc Clutch Kit) is actually only rated at only 625 ft. lbs of torque.

http://www.maperformance.com/fidanza-6.5-twin-plate-clutch-kit-camaro-corvette-firebird-gto.html

Now I know we are comparing a horse power rating with a torque rating, but is it likely that an engine producing 1,300 horsepower will only be producing 625 foot pounds of torque?

In other words, did I get what I paid for, or not?
 
Well, in all fairness, I have to admit to the likelihood that Chris made an honest mistake in purchasing this unit because of the text in the ad copy on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fida...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Not that it absolves him of the responsibility of making good on what I was SUPPOSED to have gotten in my car that I had paid in advance for. It was still his responsibility to research the clutch he intended to buy and to verify that it would meet the criteria stated within the quote he sent me for the build for my car. He selected the clutch and he selected who to purchase it from. I had absolutely no input in those decisions.

He is going to contact that Ebay vendor, but since the purchase date is 05/11/2010, I would be seriously surprised if the seller does anything about it at all. So this will likely be all on Chris's shoulders to make restitution for this mistake.

But no matter what happens, getting my car back is certainly going to be delayed even further because that inadequate clutch will have to be removed and replaced by a more capable unit. :banghead:
 
Someoneyoushouldknow said:
at least you found out now before it caused a problem.
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Not sure it matters. Every time I turn around I am finding that I did not get something or another that I paid Chris to do or get for my car. I have asked Aaron for an estimate of what he expects it will cost me to finish what Chris did not finish, and to correct when mistakes he knows of at this point that Chris has made. I then need to make a rational decision about what to do.
 
Last week, Aaron had to pull out the couplers and MAF sensor while doing the tuning, and I noticed that the MAF in my car is screened. Now, best I recollect, mine was UNscreened, as I believe the stock MAF for a C5 Z06 does not have that screen in place. I believe the stock LS1 MAF is not only screened, but is also smaller in diameter.

So the question is, why is that MAF in my car, and where did it come from?
 
So I called a shop here in Tallahassee, it's about a block and a half up the road, I was asking how much it would be to take a look at the engine and tell me what it was. I was telling him I never got an invoice for my engine, he asks if it was a shop here in Tallahassee, I tell him no Blountstown, He says and I quote "It wasn't that Harwood guy was it?" I guess he's heard of him too. :lmao::lmao::lmao:
 
He was really nice about it. He said he knew some people who had Chris work on their cars and none of them were happy. He's going to take a look at my car tomorrow and see if he can tell me what my engine is, and see what's going on with it.
 
I just got off the phone from talking with Aaron. He said he took my car out for a test drive but didn't go far. The differential is making a noticeable clicking noise, and he was afraid of it developing into something that would disable the car on the road. So there goes my plan of saying to hell with getting a new differential and living with the old one. Of course, with the number of instances noted whereby people got their parts swapped with someone else's, I do have to wonder whether I got my original differential back in or now have someone else's in place. Chris has admitted that I did not get the differential and transmission I paid for him to put in, but nothing was said beyond that. So I asked Aaron to put the trans and diff on a pallet and ship them both up to RPS to have them replaced with what I had originally planned on getting. The one difference is that I want to have the C6 Z06 gearing in the transmission.

So much for thinking only minor mechanical stuff needed to be done along with the tuning when it got to South Georgia Corvette. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if something major is found wrong with that engine and EVERYTHING needs to be pulled out again. I've been feeling like I'm constantly waiting for that other shoe to drop, but there apparently is a whole GANG of people in that room upstairs kicking off their shoes..... :banghead:

In any event, I need to keep on Chris to get that refund for those units that he promised me. Everything that comes out of my pocket now to go into this car comes out of our retirement fund. Which I am NOT going to be happy about at all.

Aaron also said that the clutch is definitely slipping at high power levels. Chris told me that the new clutch disks are supposed to be shipping out today but I haven't gotten any verification that this has actually taken place.
 
That sounds like the old checks in the mail saying. How many times have I heard parts on on order from Chris. I sure hope he's telling the truth on that Rich.
 
So I got a call from the licensed mechanic who is looking at my car and he said he's 98.99% positive my engine is either from a junk yard or rebuilt. It was not a new crate motor like Chris told me it was. I am calling the state again tomorrow. Since now I have proof of fraud.


Now who's laughing.
 
Someoneyoushouldknow said:
So I got a call from the licensed mechanic who is looking at my car and he said he's 98.99% positive my engine is either from a junk yard or rebuilt. It was not a new crate motor like Chris told me it was. I am calling the state again tomorrow. Since now I have proof of fraud.


Now who's laughing.
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That mechanic doesn't have to be able to say what that engine IS. He just has to be able to verify that it ISN'T a crate motor.
 
vetteguy61 said:
That sounds like the old checks in the mail saying. How many times have I heard parts on on order from Chris. I sure hope he's telling the truth on that Rich.
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I still have not received a reply from Chris stating WHO the disks are coming from, nor have I gotten a tracking number.

I got a call from Aaron today with more bad news. He says the input shaft on the carbon fiber driveshaft (yes, I do have that in the torque tube) is bent and needs to be replaced.

The transmission and differential are out of the car ready to be shipped to RPM Transmissions.

Still no word from Chris about the refund check he owes me for those units.
 
Oh, speaking of the differential, I asked Chris about that, as Aaron had told me there was a clicking noise coming from it when it took it for a test drive. I was concerned that perhaps I didn't have my original differential back in the car. Well, as concerned as someone who DIDN'T get the built up unit he paid for originally SHOULD be, I guess. Anyway at least I did get an email from Chris stating that my ORIGINAL transmission and differential are in my car.

On 10/12/2010 10:10 AM, Chris Harwood wrote:
> MAF apparently you forgot that the IAT that is built into the maf was bad and I had to buy a new one I bought a stock replcement.I have been working for someone else and have not been able to respond to you.That is your original Trans and diff there should be no noises coming from them.I do not know if the disc are coming from Modern Performance or Fidanza if he is having a trans and diff built they will be there way before he will need them.I will get together what monies I can Rich
>
> "All SCT quotes are formal, before any parts can be ordered or any work can be started a deposit and work order form must be completed."
>
> Chris Harwood-Owner
>
>
> Sports Car Technologies
> 16119 Hwy 71 South
> Blountstown, Fl 32424
>
> Phone-850-907-9100
> Fax-850-893-2345
> www.sportscartech.com
> "Racing: because football, soccer and basketball only take one ball "
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The discussion about the MAF has to do with me noticing that the one in there now has a screen across it, whereas the stock 2002 Z06 MAF does not have a screen. So obviously I do not have the unit that is supposed to be in there.
 
Well, I was looking over the original invoice from Chris pricing out everything for this build of mine, and noticed something that I didn't recognize. Something called a "DTE TRANS AND DIFF BRACE". I looked it up on the net and found this website describing it -> http://www.dynotech-eng.com/dte_c5_diff_strut.htm

Well, I definitely don't have that device on my car. So it looks like there is something else that I paid for that I did not get.

And I STILL have not gotten an tracking number from Chris for those clutch disks supposedly on the way to Aaron. Actually haven't been getting much correspondence out of Chris at all lately. :toetap05:
 

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Received a call from the shop where my car is at. It seems that I didn't get what I paid for in my stroker motor. My paper work from Chris says I was getting all forged pistons,rods and crank. The motor was checked today and it was found to have cast rods and pistons. Plus the ring gaps were too close and the rods are very close to hitting inside the block. The cylinders were not bored just honed.Two rods were found to be oval and not round where they attach to the crank. So now it's another complete tear down with new rods and pistons along with the needed machine work.So here is another Chris Harwood defrauding of a customer.Going to call Bucholz in the A M and let him know my statement is ready for him.
 
He put a rebuilt short block in my car and not the crate motor he told me. See email below.

No liz ,I am not going to put a sub-grade engine in it it will be a crate motor just like I told you and I will take pics to document the install same as I did for Daniel.Think what you want about why I am doing this I am doing this for the right reasons and it will be done the right. I have come through on the other issues I will come through on this as well I dont want any dark clouds hanging over me or my business anymore. What is lined up is an engine for your car and as far as time goes it will take 4 or 5 business days for it to get here and about 4-5 to get it back together.

Chris Harwood-Owner

Xtreme Motorsports
16119 Hwy 71 South
Blountstown, Fl 32424

Phone-850-907-9100
Fax-850-893-2345
www.motorsportsxtreme.com
"Racing: because football, soccer and basketball only take one ball "
----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Kelly" <lizwondr@aol.com>
To: "Chris Harwood" <chris.harwood@motorsportsxtreme.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 11:34 PM
Subject: [SPAM] Re: [SPAM] request for refund


Chris,
Honestly I don't trust anything you say anymore. It's been almost a year and if you were going to fix it, it would be done. I am not going to drag this out for additional weeks while you give me excuse after excuse. I don't think that you fully understand what this has cost me monetarily as well as the emotional toll. I don't have time for your epiphanies or sudden changes of heart. I believe the only reason you want to " make it right" is because you know I will tear you apart in front of a judge, and because it's probably a cheaper fix for you to put in a sub-grade engine instead of what I paid for. Also because you didn't care enough to even send an email prior to the deadline given. It took a stranger from a website to even get you to contact me. Really? You want me to give you more time, is 11 months not enough? Your email doesn't even provide a time frame. It took a month and a half from the time I came to the shop to now for you to "change your decision" , I also think by emailing instead of talking to me directly you took the cowards way out. I don't think anything has changed I think you are just trying to save your ass. What is lined up? How long am I looking at? These are all things that you can say but I doubt will be delivered.
 
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