Know the mechanic you take your car to!...........>>>

[Johnny SixPack]

Well, some of you might remember the fiasco my "69 has been since day one.

One more story for the whole sordid drama.

I took my car to a local trans. shop to do a simply linkage adjustment, fit an hi-cap. pan and run hard lines to my new external trans cooler. I asked the guy up front whether or not this would be somthing he could handle, and he told me to rest assured that it was, and that he was working on these cars back when they were new (he's been in business since "71). OK, first things first, he took double the amount of time he said he would. Dude wouldn't even answer his phone at the end of the second day. In fact, I had to drive to his house (where his shop is located) to get any idea what was going on. He said the only thing that needed to be done was that the fluid had to be put in (a 20 min. job), and that it would be ready 1st thing the next day. I said that would work, 'cause I needed the car ASAP that next morning so that I could have the exhaust system put in.

Well, it rolled around to noon the next day and I still had no word. I call, and dude finally showed up around 1:30 pm. After going back to his shop (he drove - 2nd dumbass mistake on my part [first was taking to him!] since I figured I'd be nice and let him enjoy the car after his "hard work") he gives me my old pan and BS's about the old days. The troubles began just soon as I get onto the main road. That's I realized you can no longer put the car in 1st (auto trans.). The lever simply wouldn't go back far enough. I was puzzled, as I had 1st when I brought the car in. You just couldn't start the car in Park. At that point I wrote it up to the guy not knowing as much as he claimed to. And I sure as hell didn't want to take back so he could take another three days!

I get the car home and notice he didn't run the hard lines, and he in fact screwed up the high pressure rubber hose I had run. Looked like the hose he used came out of his backyard after about a month's worth of being chewed on by a large dog. So needless to say, it leaked, and naturally I was totally pissed at that point. I then called up the resto shop I use, and Smitty agrees to take the car and fix it right.

Fast forward to today, when I hear from Smitty that 3 motor mounts are broken and the whole motor/trans. is sitting on the K-frame and is about 2" towards the rear of the car. Well that kinda explains why the shifter won't go into 1st!  He also said the TCI pan the idiot mechanic installed was screwed up and leaking already. And before anyone asks, the motor mounts weren't broken when I brought it to him. I know, cause the oil was changed the day before the Charger went to him, and now the oil filter is sitting up against the rad sup. I have no way of proving that this SOB broke them, but his dodging me and the totally half-assed at best work (plus the fact that he took 3 days to do said work) leads me to be suspicious. For all I know he was rallying the car and snapped 'em. Sure won't put it past him. Especially look he had once I dropped the car off. I know I should have written down the fracking odometer reading. So, to recap: I paid $125.00 for this pr*ck to f*** up my car worse! Cheezus!

The moral of the story is, don't use people you don't know.

or.....

Living in a small town is a PITA for finding competent help.

I'd never had anything like this happen with anyone else around here, but it just proves that you have to be on your guard at all times

Well, thank for reading my tale, and I hope it helps someone!


Johnny

[hemi68charger]

Johnny,
Man, I'm sorry to hear about that.. I saw the car today when I went by to get my carbs and he showed me the drivetrain... What a bunch of bozos..... If it makes you feel any better about the whole ordeal with the car from the very beginning, it's a very nice car body-wise.. You should be able to keep that car for a long time....  I have your carbs at my house.. For some reason Don put them on my intake.. So, hopefuly you'll be able to get some change out of them...........  Are you going to make it to AutoRama this weekend?

Troy

[RD]

sorry to hear that Johnny, I would document everything, have your resto shop put up a invoice and sue the dumbazz guy to pay for the repairs.

[Johnny SixPack]

Troy, thanks for the support, man. You know how this whole deal went down, and has continued to go down, so I'm pleased to hear your take on the body. I'm going to try and make AutoRama, but it all depends on when Smitty is done with the "69 (supposed to be Sat.) and whether or not my aunt comes up for the weekend. No big rush on the carbs. I gots no use for "62-63 Ford Tri-Power carbs.

Unless of course anyone here knows someone with a "62-"63 390 Thunderbird?

RD, thanks! I've already contacted the dude, and he swears up and down that it was like that. Well, if it was, you'd think he'd have pointed that out, as that would have negated him being able to adjust the linkage correctly, no?   Will definitely be having Smitty detail me the cost of the mounts and labor to install 'em. Don't know if it'll help me get any money back, but it'll make a fine addition to my personal "Dumbass" file.  

[hemi68charger]

... but it'll make a fine addition to my personal "Dumbass" file. 

Man, alot of us have been down that road and that's how we've learned... But, unfortunately, you live so far away from Mopar-civilization.

I just thought about something... You have a v-code Charger built on the 2nd day of production and I have one built on the last.. 

it'll be cool to have our cars together, but yours will out shine mine big time.......

[472 R/T SE]

Johnny, you got to put a Schumacher torque strap on that bad boy.

[Ghoste]

Good trans mechanics are probably some of the hardest mechanics to find.  Sorry to hear about your ordeal.

[Johnny SixPack]

... but it'll make a fine addition to my personal "Dumbass" file.  

Man, alot of us have been down that road and that's how we've learned... But, unfortunately, you live so far away from Mopar-civilization.

I just thought about something... You have a v-code Charger built on the 2nd day of production and I have one built on the last..  

it'll be cool to have our cars together, but yours will out shine mine big time.......

Thanks, bud!

She's just my little slice of happiness.

The 464 going into her will just make me that much happier.

It definitely sucks being 40 miles from anywhere, but it's great for cruizin' when the cars run.  

Didn't you own another 710 build date 6-pack Charger?

I seem to remember that from the birthday list I started (and need to get back to).


Mike, the plan with the "69 is to maybe go with elephant ears when the 493/496 is installed.

I'm going with an Alter"K"tion k-member, and IIRC you can use standard motor mounts, but if I do, I'll definitely be looking at something along those lines (torque strap/elephant ears).

Right now though the stock 383 isn't that crazy, but 36 yrs worth of wear and tear, and whatever went down in those three days the dude had the car, was just too much for the mounts.


Ghoste, thanks.

I shoulda just sent it to Smitty in the first place I guess.

[moparguy01]

im lucky enough to know my mechanic, my engine builder, and body guy, and my chassis guy quite well. oh wait, thats me. 
There are a few people I'd let work on my car, but not many....
sorry to hear he screwed up your car, hopefully you can sue him for some of the money back

[Johnny SixPack]

Thanks 01

Yeah, too bad you're in Fargo now, eh?  

I doubt I'll get any money out of this, but I'll damn sure it doesn't happen again.

I guess I need to learn about transmission repair next.  

[cudaken]

 Johnny you are preching to the chore in my case, but with you getting the water neck you are all ready know my woes.

I will guess this on the idots defences. When doing Tran's work it is not uncommon to power break the car in foward and reverse. That could account for all the broken mounts. If they where a little weak that could finshes them off.

If he was a stand up guy, he should have called and said they broke. But dealing with customers at the body shop I sort of understand. Had what looked like a descent 85 SS MC come in for some minor body work and paint. When the owner came in, colume shifter would not go in revers or hadly move peroid. Well we must have broke it my moving the SS. Could not be the fact the whole colume could be moved 360 degress around? Was not till a repair shop told him that it just plain wore out that he got off my ass. If it had happen before he got there I would have called and told him there was a problem. There is a very remote chances and very remote they might have shifted when you moved the Charger. As far as the lines, I cannot say a thing for him.

Not trying to sound like I am on his side. But after 24 years I have been blamed for every thing from a starter going bad, car won't start, battery going bad, carb going bad and catching fire while I was painting the dam POS Thunderbird. New stereo, go figuer? Installed by them.

                                       Cuda Ken

[rt green]

to bad  what happened to you. wish i could have donr the work for you, i live in sioux falls.    least it would have been done right.   bruce

[moparguy01]

Thanks 01

Yeah, too bad you're in Fargo now, eh? 

I doubt I'll get any money out of this, but I'll damn sure it doesn't happen again.

I guess I need to learn about transmission repair next. 

bring it up here. drop the trans off in kansas to get it done, and i'll do the rest here. haha

[Johnny SixPack]

Thanks Ken, and good point.

He swears he didn't do it, and I can't prove it one way or the other.

If he had indeed broke them, and come clean then we could have worked out a solution.

If that had been the case I don't think I'd be p*ssed at him at all.

But next time you better believe I'll have my fat @$$ on the ground checking everything.    


Bruce, I appreciate the offer.

Smitty does good work from everything I've seen, and Troy knows him as well.

Only problem is that Smitty's about a 2 hour round trip from me.

It'll make for a fun trip back though.

[RD]

Thanks 01

Yeah, too bad you're in Fargo now, eh?  

I doubt I'll get any money out of this, but I'll damn sure it doesn't happen again.

I guess I need to learn about transmission repair next.  

bring it up here. drop the trans off in kansas to get it done, and i'll do the rest here. haha

yeppers, bring it to kansas.  the mafia will hook u up just right if ya know whada mean.

[Brock Samson]

 sorry to read of your woes Johnny,.  that sucks big time! 
i've been there too,.at least twice in fact.. with bad paint and body work..

[Blown70]

Well, tranny lines do the yourself.  To be honest try it first.  I know it sounds like a pain but I did mine when I put the car back together... Got a bender and went to town.

I hope you have better luck....

Very few people I trust unless I see some of the work they have done.

Tom

[firefighter3931]

Geez, what a mess ! in all likelyhood some of the mounts were broken and the rest were fineshed off during the "test drive" at Billy Bob's tranny shop.   Sounds like it's in good hands now Johnny.  

Ron

[Blakcharger440]

Sorry to hear about that stuff. Sounds like the guy was a complete hack!

[Silver R/T]

shit that would piss me off, might as well hire some hitmen dude, do some 'convincin'

[6pkrunner]

Get a shop manual if you don't have one and do the work yourself. Then you know its done right and there's no one to vent to but yourself. These cars are not difficult at all to work on. Machine shop work, granted has to be farmed out, but the normal wrench swinging is easily within your grasp.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The old addage applies.....you want it done right do it yourself.

I cringe at the fact that I have to bring the car somewhere to get an alignment done.......

On second thought To heck with that!!   Wheres my string & tape measure!!   

[Johnny SixPack]

Thanks guys!

Mike, after having talked with a friend about it, buying a donor trans. to learn on makes sense.

One I could tear apart and learn from would be the way to go.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

any chargers need work bring em on here in north van our mechanic/good buddy is the best mechanic around these parts and is also a charger fanatic(he owns 2 second gens a 68 and 70 r/t 6-pack 4-spd) and has a 2 garages full i mean full of second gen charger stuff-MATT

[Doc74]

im lucky enough to know my mechanic, my engine builder, and body guy, and my chassis guy quite well. oh wait, thats me. 
There are a few people I'd let work on my car, but not many....

Yep same here and we're damn lucky in that aspect.
Sorry to hear about that adventure Johnny, Like Chris said, if you want it done right.....but of course you don't always have the choice of doing it yourself, even when you have the knowhow.
I'd say lesson learned but I'm not gonna be a hypocrit, I'd pay him a visit Sopranos style 
I honestly can't count the horror stories like yours, you wouldn't believe what happens in autoshops and dealerships.
In any case, your 69 will show 'n' shine before long and you will enjoy it darnit !   

[Johnny SixPack]

Doc, thanks, bro!

You're right though, this definitely impresses on me the fact that I need to learn more.

It's so nice going to Smitty's shop and he's pointing out things and suggesting different ideas/ways of doing things.

Shoulda gone there from the get go.