Way back in April, I dropped my MG off at a local shop that specializes in older cars(both American and British) but also works on anything and does everything from simple jobs to full rusted top->concourse(or in between) restoration. They've worked on my car before, and I've seen the quality of MGs and other cars rolling out of the shop to trust them.
In any case, I'd had a overdrive transmission-tested and working-kicking around for a little while, but at the time didn't have the space or really time to install it myself. I also wanted to change the front and rear main seals and put a new timing set in it. We agreed to a price up-front for the job, of course with the handshake verbal agreement that if any issues came up, they'd be addressed and priced appropriately. For reference, that agreed price was $1K. They also said that the initial 1 month timeline I requested was more than doable.
Fast forward, and before yanking the engine they call me down to show me compression test results, which were bad(75psi #2, 90psi #3, highest 130psi in an engine that should do 150+ psi). I gave them the go-ahead to tear into the engine and look for issues.
A week later and another visit to the shop(at their prompting), and I see a cracked cylinder head plus serious ring issues and visibly ovaled bore on #2. I gave the green light to a full rebuild. At this point, we had discussed a new time table. I had accepted a job two states away and would be moving mid-August, so I asked for it to be done by the end of July. They agreed that it would be no problem.
At the time, the machine shop my mechanic prefers was just opening back up, but the normal British parts suppliers were not going. My mechanic pulled a favor with the machine shop and I called in a parts supplier I knew could take care of things. I got a call with sizes the next day, called immediately and ordered, the parts arrived by the end of the week, and the following Tuesday he picked up the bored block, ground and straightened crank, and resized and balanced rods with pistons fitted to them. I paid the machine shop bill, which was a few bucks short of $1K, and of course at that point had paid for all parts, so the shop's only expense now is the(I know not insignificant) cost is labor.
While they assembled the engine, I pulled in another favor and managed to get a ready to go ported and polished cylinder head in to them. That was totally out of my pocket at $1250.
They start putting the engine together, and mostly to reduce my financial sting at the end, I start paying a bit every couple of weeks. By middle of July I had paid $1500 over top of all of the above expenses(they'd received $2500 total in cash from me, plus had not spent anything on parts). At that point I'm pushing, and it becomes apparent that the job isn't going to be done by the end of July as agreed, as they hadn't even finished assembling the engine.
I discussed another deadline with them-mid-September as I'd have another opportunity to move it then, plus I wanted it back before my wedding the first weekend of October. They agreed that was more than reasonable given their current progress, and away I went.
Mid-September comes and goes, and I don't even get an answer until after the wedding, when I get a text with a long apology of "not putting two and two together" that I wanted it before then, and also asking me what color to paint the engine before they drop it in. I give another deadline-mid-November since I know I'll be in town, and get promises that it will be done.
Again, mid-November arrives, I visit, and I'm told they'd just started it up the day before, hadn't yet finished the break in, had a few other issues to chase, but started and ran it for me(it sounded great, BTW). I say that I absolutely, positively need it by Thanksgiving since that's going to be my best chance to actually move it. I get an "absolutely no problem."
They keep me updated by text about test drives, etc. Finally, I text on Friday while on the way in, and I'm told that they hadn't hooked the overdrive up right and it wasn't working. I finally get a report at the end of the day that it's working, and a test drive on the interstate is coming that night and for me to contact in the morning when I was ready to pick up as it would be "ready to go."
The next morning(this past Saturday) I call and text multiple times with no answer. Finally, I go down to the shop, manage to talk to him, and he tells me that he had taken it out the night before and it had "no power" and that he was going to retune it and was sure that would fix it. Since I was going to be tied up the rest of the day, he agreed to drop it off that evening. I text him about 6:00PM and he says that he's still fighting it and will keep at it until it's running.
Finally, Sunday we have to head back, and I finally hear Sunday afternoon that it's still "not right."
At this point, I'm frustrated to say the least. I've known this guy for a long time and trust his abilities. I consider him a friend and really don't want to damage that relationship. At the same time, though, we're now on multiple deadlines that he's missed, and the last few seem to me like they've been the result of procrastinating/bumping other work ahead of my car. I don't feel like the deadlines have been unreasonable, and they've been there for good reason(primarily when I'd be able to have someone follow me back for a 300 mile drive). I'm considering asking for it back as is, but that's either going to involve hoping I can fix it at my parents' house before driving it home and assuming there are no internal engine problems from the build, or alternatively flat bedding it 300 miles and fixing it here, again with the same worry. I don't WANT to do that, but I'm beginning to worry that I may never get the car back.
Does anyone have any input on this? Am I being unreasonable in my expectations? I know that this has been major work and that doesn't happen overnight, but at the same time there's been no parts hold up as everything needed since then the big engine parts order has been generic always-in-stock stuff and they've received a good chunk of what the final bill will be.
In any case, I'd had a overdrive transmission-tested and working-kicking around for a little while, but at the time didn't have the space or really time to install it myself. I also wanted to change the front and rear main seals and put a new timing set in it. We agreed to a price up-front for the job, of course with the handshake verbal agreement that if any issues came up, they'd be addressed and priced appropriately. For reference, that agreed price was $1K. They also said that the initial 1 month timeline I requested was more than doable.
Fast forward, and before yanking the engine they call me down to show me compression test results, which were bad(75psi #2, 90psi #3, highest 130psi in an engine that should do 150+ psi). I gave them the go-ahead to tear into the engine and look for issues.
A week later and another visit to the shop(at their prompting), and I see a cracked cylinder head plus serious ring issues and visibly ovaled bore on #2. I gave the green light to a full rebuild. At this point, we had discussed a new time table. I had accepted a job two states away and would be moving mid-August, so I asked for it to be done by the end of July. They agreed that it would be no problem.
At the time, the machine shop my mechanic prefers was just opening back up, but the normal British parts suppliers were not going. My mechanic pulled a favor with the machine shop and I called in a parts supplier I knew could take care of things. I got a call with sizes the next day, called immediately and ordered, the parts arrived by the end of the week, and the following Tuesday he picked up the bored block, ground and straightened crank, and resized and balanced rods with pistons fitted to them. I paid the machine shop bill, which was a few bucks short of $1K, and of course at that point had paid for all parts, so the shop's only expense now is the(I know not insignificant) cost is labor.
While they assembled the engine, I pulled in another favor and managed to get a ready to go ported and polished cylinder head in to them. That was totally out of my pocket at $1250.
They start putting the engine together, and mostly to reduce my financial sting at the end, I start paying a bit every couple of weeks. By middle of July I had paid $1500 over top of all of the above expenses(they'd received $2500 total in cash from me, plus had not spent anything on parts). At that point I'm pushing, and it becomes apparent that the job isn't going to be done by the end of July as agreed, as they hadn't even finished assembling the engine.
I discussed another deadline with them-mid-September as I'd have another opportunity to move it then, plus I wanted it back before my wedding the first weekend of October. They agreed that was more than reasonable given their current progress, and away I went.
Mid-September comes and goes, and I don't even get an answer until after the wedding, when I get a text with a long apology of "not putting two and two together" that I wanted it before then, and also asking me what color to paint the engine before they drop it in. I give another deadline-mid-November since I know I'll be in town, and get promises that it will be done.
Again, mid-November arrives, I visit, and I'm told they'd just started it up the day before, hadn't yet finished the break in, had a few other issues to chase, but started and ran it for me(it sounded great, BTW). I say that I absolutely, positively need it by Thanksgiving since that's going to be my best chance to actually move it. I get an "absolutely no problem."
They keep me updated by text about test drives, etc. Finally, I text on Friday while on the way in, and I'm told that they hadn't hooked the overdrive up right and it wasn't working. I finally get a report at the end of the day that it's working, and a test drive on the interstate is coming that night and for me to contact in the morning when I was ready to pick up as it would be "ready to go."
The next morning(this past Saturday) I call and text multiple times with no answer. Finally, I go down to the shop, manage to talk to him, and he tells me that he had taken it out the night before and it had "no power" and that he was going to retune it and was sure that would fix it. Since I was going to be tied up the rest of the day, he agreed to drop it off that evening. I text him about 6:00PM and he says that he's still fighting it and will keep at it until it's running.
Finally, Sunday we have to head back, and I finally hear Sunday afternoon that it's still "not right."
At this point, I'm frustrated to say the least. I've known this guy for a long time and trust his abilities. I consider him a friend and really don't want to damage that relationship. At the same time, though, we're now on multiple deadlines that he's missed, and the last few seem to me like they've been the result of procrastinating/bumping other work ahead of my car. I don't feel like the deadlines have been unreasonable, and they've been there for good reason(primarily when I'd be able to have someone follow me back for a 300 mile drive). I'm considering asking for it back as is, but that's either going to involve hoping I can fix it at my parents' house before driving it home and assuming there are no internal engine problems from the build, or alternatively flat bedding it 300 miles and fixing it here, again with the same worry. I don't WANT to do that, but I'm beginning to worry that I may never get the car back.
Does anyone have any input on this? Am I being unreasonable in my expectations? I know that this has been major work and that doesn't happen overnight, but at the same time there's been no parts hold up as everything needed since then the big engine parts order has been generic always-in-stock stuff and they've received a good chunk of what the final bill will be.