Jim Mills

Yes I've seen that car, Daren's car and that 30th T/A that was a turbo car but ended up a solid roller I believe. It's a bad situiation all together....

Jim Mills

Ok well it wasn't clear if you were talking about the H/C job or when they helped me fix up my new car. I didn't know you had experience with ARE. I still feel that people post up on these boards without the direct knowledge of situiations... like a "well my buddy this my buddy that." But I'll go back to my other statement ...

Pro Stock I know you help people out and I know you call shops and try and get issues resolved as I've been at ARE when someone from LS1tech has called them(possibly you) but honestly is there a shop on the list of sponsors that you don't think has had some customer or customers pissed off or cheated or had stuff stolen. I've only got into the modding of cars 5 years ago but when I talk to guys who have been doing it for 20-30 years everyone has a story about how some shop has f'd them over at some point. The problem is these guys who rip people off just shut down, move locations and start the same stuff all over again. Wade has contacted me several times as he know's I'm looking to build a motor for my new car but after my experience with shops I'm almost inclined to buy a crate motor from GM like the LS7 when it comes out as a crate motor and just have my friend who's a class A do the swap.

Race Car Driver

I really can't believe that could be any doubt in any users mind at this point regarding ARE's business practices. I guess LS1tech could create a section where unhappy ARE customers posted their specfic problems, but that's really not neccessary. On the other hand, this site probably has some type of legal obligation to make unknowing customers aware of these ARE issues. JMO.

minty

I know for a FACT that there are shops that have never stolen or cheated people.
Speed Inc is one and I have known them for years...
Thunder I have heard tons of good things about them....
Just 2 shops that I know of...1 I know the owner personally(tom at speed inc) and he would never rip off anyone. He has lost a ton of money that he didnt have to lose at times just to make the customer happy.... I can tell you many stories of him and the customer service at Speed.....
Each shop handles situations differently.....Its how you handle people that prevents a post like this from happening....

Race Car Driver

I've done business with LPE and had and have absolutely no complaints. They were/are a first class operation. I cannot and will not say the same about some Denver shops.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

I have a moral obligation to help folks whenever I can, no matter what the context.

And where possible, assuming I have the information, I keep track of big problems.

There have been situations where I have tried to get a user to see the shop's view, or vice versa. In the case of Rex Kaufman, he was last owed a refund from ARE, the final amount was maybe <$4000. I do not know the current status. In the case of Dave Underwood, he picked up a car with a leaky messed up engine. In the case of Daren, well he got a car without an engine (at a minimum).

taner

iTrader: (6)

i too am buddies with Daren, if you have met Daren then you know what a laid back and easy going guy he is.

Nick also said we could work something out, that never panned out, then Pete contacted me after I made a post on ls2, and he suggested I buy the material to do what we planned on, what does that tell you????? yeah there are sponsors that have had issues, however when you look at the number of people that been put it into shitty situations, it is more than 1 or 2 individuals, hell roman and I equal that alone! goto CZ and do a search or do one here, start a list.... it is amazing when you start to dive into all of the problems that people have experienced. like i stated on ls2, not like I am going to get anything straightened out

i hope for your wallet's sake you do get treated well! I am sick of shutting my trap about getting dicked around. I have nothing to gain by speaking my mind, except for the therapeutical aspect of discussing it. if you had spent as much as Daren, Dave, Roman, myself and a number of others ave then maybe this would mean more to you, dunno, and don't really care at this point. It goes well beyond money, it is also not the months but years LOST enjoying the car! i think if you add up time lost between Dave, Roman and Daren you would be over five years! and that is over the last 2 to 3 calendar years.

the beauty of this is you know all parties are reading this

WIKIDTA

Thanks Jim for the info. I remember seeing your car on the dyno there that day. Glad you had a good experence with them. Some of us who are too far to check on things daily, in the USA, had a different experence.

Jim... I've been lied to by everyone at ARE sooo damn much, I can't tell who over there has any truth to them. I'm just posting about my experence. As far as friends go, I think they posted there own experences on here.

Yes and to explain things.... I made a post on 3-27-04 when ARE WAS STILL A SPONSOR! I TOLD EVERYONE I WOULD LET THEM KNOW THE OUTCOME WHEN ALL SAID AND DONE. 10months later...sorry if I was too late to post this

Check my prior posts and you will read for yourself.
Here is the post I was refering too. Dave Underwood was tricked into a stall tactic and taken also.. PLEASE READ IT.. You will understand.

Prior post telling everyone I would comment later on my situation when all was over

I WAS WRONG WHEN I MADE THAT POST ABOVE... THINGS NEVER CHANGED FOR ME....

I FEEL THE WORST TOO NOW. REASON: Because I lead people to trust ARE by my experences there. TANER, ROMAN, TONY,... and YES PRO STOCK JOHN...all people I know personally and all have issues with ARE. If you read my prior post..you can see why I feel this way. I lead everyone to believe they were changing....but in fact all I got was 7 more months of stalling...while this issue faded away.

I said I would tell my details and I appreciate LS1Tech for allowing my voice to be heard.....even if it's 10 months later and ARE is no longer a sponsor here. For some of us, this is a BIG ISSUE.

I did get an email from an ARE worker who is in contact with Nick offering a few things. I'll see what comes about of it and post my results about that too. Untill I hear directly from Nick or get some kind of compensation from him, I'll continue to post my details for others to read(Good or Bad) even if it's 1 year from now.

I am also sick of shutting my trap about getting dicked around like Tanner mentioned. I have lost everything basically because I kept my mouth shut and waited to see Nick make things right.

Hardtop00SS

iTrader: (17)

Update for me: Peter from ARE called me yesterday and left a message on my machine about getting in touch with him about my heads, called him today and they answered the first time I called! We talked some, they are in the new shop now, still setting things up but should be back in buisnes fully in a few weeks. He told me that my heads will ship out the first of next week, I checked my credit card history and it was never charged by him and I asked him, he said he's not going to charge it until my stuff it out of the shop and on the way to me. He told me that he's going to call me the first of next week to go over everything to make everything is taken care of. I think that ARE is trying to turn things around for the better, I'll keep you guys updated as soon as next week.

Jim Mills

Daren I'd talk to the guy who sent you a note.... I know who sent it. It's also my understanding that Nick cannot contact you as per your lawyer.....

tlaselva

Wow.

Didn't realize how bad things at ARE have become.....

What's scary is I was contemplating getting the 422 ci done by them about 18 months ago.

The biggest reason why I didn't was I just never had a good vibe about ARE when I was there. Considering the large amount of $$ I was going to spend, I wasn't going to take a chance, so I shopped around some more.

It really is sad ARE has gone to the toilet. They did come up with some excellent motors & innovation in their prime.

WIKIDTA

LMAO.... YA RIGHT.... That's his new bs excuse. Nick can call me anytime... he knows that and that's just an excuse about my lawyer told him not to call me before. That was a long time ago. Nick has my numbers....has my lawyers number. He could call either one of us to get any info to me. My lawyer told him that statement before when things were being worked on...while my car was still at his shop..7 months of BS working on things...My lawyer at the time said do not call Daren until the job was finished and the car was ready to be picked up, but to call him to relate any info on progress. Nothing happend for 7 months. Neither of us got any calls..no progress... After all the BS, I then had picked up the car. That time passed 4 months ago...That was then.... not now. When I was picking up the car, I called Nick and left a voice message on his phone to call me several times since then at the shop and his cell. When I was picking up what was left of the car I even told the guys there to have him call me.
Ray.S know this exactly and told Nick on the phone when I was there.

taner

iTrader: (6)

Jim,

since you are speaking with Nick, tell him I can forward an TD Canada trust account # he can transfer $3,000 into, then I 'll shut my trap about my experiences, oops i know get in line. i can just imagine the lovely things coming out of his mouth about me. oh i forgot he did get me a set of heads gaskets earlier last year, that made things all better....unfortunately not. it was a step in the right direction but that was it. other than not replying to my pm's to him about making things right or as he put it "offer to assist".

Dave@Ramchargers

Taner,

Shoot me that TD Canada # in an email, along with some other info like your canadian version of your social security # and such. I just won 72 million(USD) from a bank in Nirobi and need a place to transfer it.

minty

LOL.....Anyone want to go in halfs with me? I can get my hands on some dead kings fortune.......just need a bank account number

romanss

iTrader: (3)

I bought my car brand new in the summer of '99.

In the summer of 2000 I called Nick at ARE and decided to get a iron block monster built by ARE. I sent him half in september so that they could start on my motor "which will be done by christmas" Well I went up between xmas and new year to see my block laying in the corner and my heads in the port room. The motor was done in March. I brought my car up and got it back in May. I raced once at SLP day at Milan in June 2001 and then 2 times at St.Thomas. The forth time I took it to Grand Bend (with ARE support) to spray for the first time. I did everything that I was told by the pros. Well, I made 2 runs (the first I let off after shitting my pants) the 2nd I melted 1 valve and 5 spark plugs and couldn't get one out of the head. Nick announced there "I will take care of you" I will have my car back in a month. I now know this was a big show for the crowd. This was July. I went to pick it up at Christmas. In this time the motor was rebuilt 2 times because of the heads lifting off of the motor on the dyno.

In 2002 I raced at the first f-body event at St.Thomas. Again had the pros there helping me. I did what they told me to do. Again I fried half of my plugs and this time ran a 9. Woopdy f@#$ing doo. My motor was hurt. I was now puffing smoke. I decided to start doing some pre-liminary work myself. I did a leak down and found one cylinder leaking through the intake. I pulled the heads and had ARE look at them. The intake valve was bent. I got the heads back and put it on the car and it still smoked. I decided to run motor. Later in the year Taner and I did our own nitrous tuning (on a hurt motor) and found that with the proper tuning we can make it live.

During the winter I sent the motor to ARE for a rebuild. I got a call back that I bent a connecting rod and it should be replaced. I agreed. I went to pick the motor up in the spring and found that there wasn't a new connecting rod on my bill but a charge for "straightening" the rod. I was definately surprised but assured this to be normal practice.

in 2003 I wanted to go fast. So I went to Nvs S with my new motor and automatic transmission. I was set for kill, I had 2 stages of nitrous and ready to use them both. I tried the small shot out. Ran a 10.1. I tried out the big shot, it didn't turn on for about 300' and I ran a 9.97. Wade said 'dial up the nitrous to 350 and lets go" So dial up we did. Well the next run was my last for the year. it blew up as I lifted going through the traps. All I had left was a crank and heads.

2004 I selected every part myself and had a local builder "Harshaw racing engines" build my motor.

2004 has been the first modifed year that I have driven my car for more than 6 weeks. In 2001 as I put the motor into the car I had 18000 kms on it. The following 3 years I put on another 4000 kms. This year I have put on 7000 kms on it.

Even though 2004 was a good year I still had ARE haunting me. I snapped a rocker. How could this be their fault you ask? Well Im sure that it would have been fine if the didn't grind the nose of my jezel rocker arms to clear the heads. Guess what, that's where it broke. Also I had my k-frame where the engine mount bolts to break off. And just when I though that I was clear.

One thing is the money that I have thrown into the garbage. Or scattered all over Kentucky. The lost time of enjoying the best hobby in the world, is a lot worse. The worst is probably the flat out lying and bullshit that we lived through.

That is the "short" version of my experience.

Roman

Race Car Driver

Roman, I have wondered where you have been. I knew you had an ARE motor and I should have guessed that it hasn't worked out for you. These kind of customer testimonials should help to put a knife into ARE.

taner

iTrader: (6)

roman don't lie now....that was not the short version but rather the extremely short version! lmao!!! there goes your entire lunch hour. tune in for next week's for previews to Real life stories of mechanical mayhem

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...gostino+racing

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...gostino+racing

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...gostino+racing

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...gostino+racing

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...gostino+racing

that took all of about 3 minutes to pull up. hmmm i guess everyone made that up!

so dave that is like 73 millions canadian now

Daren,

don't feel bad Roman actually dragged me there, lmao!! he read the ad. in the magazines! i have learned a ton sinced being bent over by them.

WIKIDTA

Well, I got a call from Nick Agostino today and we discussed some options on how to make things right on my end.

I'll keep you guys informed if we settle on something after the weekend.

Dave@Ramchargers

Thats great news Dern!



As our beloved Rev. Jessie Jackson would say... "Keep hope alive!"