americanmusl

This is a bit long and well overdue...actually a continuation from my previous thread "blew my stroker"...you can do a search if you if you want the specifics.

As far as I'm concerned, my business with LAPD is done...I feel I have given them(Al)...he is the person I comunicated with @ LAPD...fair amount of consideration(most especially finance and patience) in regards toward my car.

After the 9K I dropped into the Stroker and the wonderful 500mi and 1/2 warm up lap at Big Willow, I hauled the car to LAPD with the assurance that Al would have the Engine torn apart by the end of the week.I told Al that it had racing Fuel in it and to call me when he hears something...I had also requested that when an actual determnation was concluded that I have all original parts shipped/picked up to/by me again...three weeks and many phone calls later, the results: no parts, engine is out at Engine builder but no conclusion ...2 weeks and more phone calls to Al: bent forged steel Lunati Crank, Oil Pump malfunctioned, thrust bearing destroyed on side facing away from Clutch, crack in block, pistons/rods/cam/lifters and top end still good...Al's conclusion was either bad detonation and or Oil pump...After some deliberaton, I decide to pull plug and haul the thing home. Al states that he could put Stroker package together including labor for just over 2200.00(my cam, lifters pistons and rods and top end), since I just previously spent a small fortune and alluded to fact that during the first build he should have upgraded the Oil pump. I accept and state that I still want the orig parts and want the heads and manifold to be port matched and to pin crank. In addition, give the car a once over and replace(after calling me) anything need be. Al tells me 2 weeks...2 weeks later--- no parts, no progress...he is having trouble finding a crank for price we discussed...3 days later---no progress, no parts. Al does tell me the clutch assembly needs replacing so I purchase Centerforce and deliver it...Al then tells me that the project is looking to be under 3500.00 with clutch install but no labor for exhaust as engine will be out as well...I agree and ask Al to call me ASAP...I call one week later to find out parts are supposedly being cleaned and inquire on progress. Par for course, no parts, no progress but with extra labor for cleaning lines,Accusump, slave cylinder, Flywheel etc, he would try to keep the price under 5K At this point, I just want my car back but decide to take advantage of the LPE short block(346 as I could not afford the stroker currently), I saw on this forum and decide to re-use my top end and cam with the new set up...Al states I'll need some head work to which I agreed and it would take 2 weeks later after the engine arrive from LAPD...I ask him how much are we looking at and he a=states that he will make it worth my while...2 weeks later after Engine is there and assembled but not in car or complete I call and ask for update...Al being a bit long winded says 1 week. I tell him jokingly, will it be ready before Xmas...one week before Xmas I call and find out Engine is in car but...I tell Al if car is not ready by Friday 24th I'm trailering it home...Friday I arrive and it is not complete...stay there for 4 hrs for them to complete and Al tells me Accusumpi valve they had ordered is not slip fit like orig so Sump and Oil cooler is not hooked up. I still paid 200.00 for the uninstalled valve, however...I should have looked the car over more thorough but just wanted to get on the road. Oh yeh, still no parts I ended up paying him some, well well over the orig est...didn't care, just glad to be in the car again! While on the highway...ping,ping,ping and 1/2 doz codes PO 131,134,171,174, 1133,1153 and strong fuel smell...call Al and he states come back for tune next week...probably due to racing fuel he forgot! I take it to buddy's car shop that day and this is what we had found: Oil leaking from disabled Sump and lines to ground was dirty and had minute metal shavings, leak from transmission from cracked fill hole, rear diff oil cooler pump frozen, gas leak from fuel tank tube, idle stalls/rough/rich, the worst botch of this whole thing was that the pcv system had air leaks everywhere(one hose was actually held together (loosely) to another by a spark plug wire insulator ...since then a majority of issues have occured too long(yeh right) to list...lets just say intermitant limp modes and upshifts

6 weeks of trouble shooting and such, my vette compadres have convinced me to seek Andy's help as she is very ill

I have not been in touch with Al or LAPD since and since I am not looking for anything in return, I felt (with the encouragemnet of other vette owners aware of my misfortune) that I need to advise those that regardless of LAPD likelyhood of hiring a few shoddy people, it appears they have no quality control for there finished product.

Brandon Boomhauer

iTrader: (10)

Wow man thats horrible. I would be furious and tappin heads if a shop were trying to screw me like that.

You seem to be pretty calm about the entire ordeal however..

Boostaholic

iTrader: (4)

Sounds like you need to send your car to a shop that actually knows how to build a car like W2W or HPE.

strokedls1

iTrader: (1)

LAPD is the same morons that worked at MMS. I wonder why your having problems. lol A&A will get it done right but they are pricey.

HAMRHEAD

iTrader: (8)

W2W will get'er done right!

cyphur

iTrader: (10)

hell yea. i read over and over about people who have issues like this. if someone tells me "on my word it will be done in 6 weeks" that **** will be put in contract, and if he's not done, its free. i'll be damned if i won't haul his grease-covered *** into a courtroom that day he refuses to release my car....assuming i don't beat his *** with a crescent wrench first. you guys have more tolerance for people's lack of moral cohesion than i do, bending me over like that would be a favor gladly returned.

americanmusl

Thanx for the empathy...hard lessons...more pissed at myself for being so gullible...hopefully Andy come through...I'm starting the process of educating myself on theses Gen III motors however.

cyphur

iTrader: (10)

well good luck with it all man, hate to hear about this stuff. hopefully you stepping forward will help educate people further about LAPD and steer them clear. we always appreciate folks like you doin the community a favor even when it means sharing a frustrating moment like this. hopefully you can get her on the road soon and start tearin up some rubber to relieve some pent up anger!!

gwj

My oh my. I really feel for you. That just flat sucks.
From some of the posts I've read lately, it seems like the thing we need to really educate ourselves on is how to contract a deal, and then take these losers to the cleaners when they screw us.
Better luck to you in the future.
Gerald

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

Wrong forum.

americanmusl

Wasn't expecting all the positive feedback...really appreciate it ! They closed me out on both of those other vette forums(sort of expected that just not so quickly)...I guess I am old school...my word is my contract and I'm didactically clear with my requests, as I was with my car...however, I do know something of contracts and there was a "meeting of the minds" both in person and on the phone with Al. How that was communicated or not to the mechanics...who knows If it were a money issue, I would have treated it differently and documented from the start. But you have to be in a certain frame of mind initially and if that's the case, time to bail! I did observe several things odd with the car upon receipt, but it was day before Xmas3mo and 1week since I was in my baby! I was going through w/drawls...my fault in part!

Thing is, I just want to make people aware of the shoddy work done to my car...I'm not looking for any restitution...as I have no faith whatsoever in them ... or even in my own car ...just want to get it right!

I was accused of not giving them the opportunity to make it right on the other forums(why they closed the threads)...there is so much more to this story.So I ask, would any of you ?

Whether they hired a bad few apples or not, somebody should have caught the half *** work...pardon my french!

Regardless ---No quality control
Thanx for listening---Ed

wallstAL

I would have sat on the owners desk until I got satisfaction!!

americanmusl

Just a quick update.. after all that LAPD did/didn't do...it just keeps getting better...I had Andy do a comp test and found it to be 240+- each cylinder...if you recall, I had done all that engine work to run on pump gas in Ca...that's what, 11.5:1? Certainly not my requested 10.7:1 In addition, I found my upgraded rocker arms were stock...hmmm! , the EGR/PCV system was in(I'll be nice) disarray and before I took my car to Andy's, I ran a flashscan and found KR 7+...it just keeps on getting better! I feel like the foot!

DrkPhx

iTrader: (15)

First I'm sorry to hear about your situation. You've made the correct first step by posting here. This site is by far best in regards to Gen III and Gen IV technical information. Take a look at sponsor list here and you will see top notch companies here for a reason. Compared to other forums there is no drama, alot more tech content and factual, credible information that is relevant. There are two Gen III specific books out there to start with; Chevy LS1/LS6 Performance (older) and How to Build a High Perfomance LS1/LS6 V8 (current). These are a good starting point to gather some information. Another good book, while not Gen III-specific is an excellent source of EFI information is Fuel Management for Corvette 1982-2001.

BOWTIE

You may want to check the cam timing... If it is too advanced you will have excessive compression.

TomQ

man that blows

I don't know what LAPD has to say about this, but seems they are a bunch of bullshit artists, they should have stayed only with selling parts and not messing what they don't know...

C_Williams

I wouldn't paint the entire organization with the same brush, just yet. Remember, this is the organization that worked with Tony Mamo to get the AFR package sorted out and produced several other winners along the way.

Let's see what the management has to say and what their actions are.

TomQ

I'll appologize if the truth on their side

C_Williams

I think that where there is smoke there is fire but also believe in hearing the other side of the argument.

wallstAL

The Answer or response !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1037608