EDIT: go to 2nd page and read my post about hunting down Anthony and my non-existent oil pressure. Forget reading all this.
Here’s my story, it’s long, but please bear with me (skip to the 2 last paragraphs if you’re lazy, you’ll be confused a bit though). Thanks. These are all the details I can remember, I will try to be as unbiased as possible.
I agreed to pay 240coupe (SON member) to install the following parts:
-gas tank strap
-front lower control arms
-nismo power brace
-bing’s tc rods
-rebuilt KA24DE (will be covered later)
-Q45 front brakes
-SS brake lines all around
-Hawk HP+ pads at the back
-25mm spacers
-steering rack bushings
My stock brake rotors were touching the pad when not applied so this wore one side of my brake pad and rotor tremendously and I had metal to metal contact, so I took the car to 240coupe’s place after I gave him the Q45 rotors to be redrilled to 4 lug.
We tried installing the brakes, turns out the 4 lug redrilling was rushed and the holes didn’t line up. I had to leave the car there. About 2-3 weeks later of delays and whatnot, he said the engine that I paid a deposit for was rebuilt.
He installed the engine, then called me saying it started up quickly but felt weird when driving, then he called me back 10 mins later saying that he changed the spark plug gapping (mind you these are 2.5 months old NGK Plats from my older engine, possibly fouled by it’s oil consumption) and that solved the problem.
I asked if everything was installed, he said no, I was like wtf it’s been 3 weeks dude.
This is what he said:
“Your rad support seemed rusty, so I didn’t install the powerbrace, so I didn’t install the TC rods.” I was like “ok that’s fine. What else?” He said that he only installed 1 lower control arm…wtf? He did get the rotors fixed however. He said that the rear brake lines seemed brittle and he didn’t install the ss lines at the back. One of my tie rod ends seemed screwed too, so he used one from his pile of junk in the garage.
He drove the car back to my house with his buddy so he could go back. I went to the bank in my car before paying him. I was babying it since it was rebuilt so I barely touched the throttle and didn’t go over 2k. I paid him the money since he was being really anal about paying him. He wanted me to pay him the full price like 2 days AFTER I paid the deposit, way before the engine was even rebuilt because he “had to pay the engine builder up front”.
I gave him the money as soon as I saw the car running and told him to get me the 10,000 km warranty from the engine builder in writing in case anything went wrong, and for a build sheet so I know wtf he did to my engine. He didn’t have those ready, and said he’d get them after paying the engine guy. I was very very frustrated at this point but the only way to get my car back was to pay him, and the engine was installed, so I did. Worst mistake ever.
I took the car for another drive after he left, and it really felt weird, the engine just made noise and barely accelerated, felt like the timing was off or something. I tried calling him, but it was too late at night so he didn’t pick up. I parked the car for the night.
Upon getting out I noticed MY RIMS WERE ALL SCRATCHED UP!!! All around the lug nut holes like he used an airgun with a lose socket repeatedly or something I dont know. Even on the spokes, chunks of paint were scratched off. The damage was mainly on the front 2 rims, possibly when the Q45 brakes were being installed and the rims were put face down on the driveway, I don’t know. The rears had the same scratches around the lug nut holes, but less damage than the fronts. I was furious. I also found my gas tank strap in the car, uninstalled, and he told me he didnt install the spacers either because the brakes “magically cleared” my rims. About the gas tank strap, he “totally forgot to add that to the list of things to install”, even though all the parts were in my backseat when I dropped off the car.
Basically I paid him $1410 bucks and he installed an engine, q45 brakes at the front, new brake pads at the back, ss lines at the front, steering rack bushings and 1 control arm…My car also had strange new clunking noises coming from the rear when I turned. He quoted me $1200 installed for the engine, but then I ended up paying for all the fluids and whatnot, $60 bucks extra. Then $200 bucks extra for the other parts, most of which he didn’t install. Still, no problem, as long as I got my car back working properly.
I’m a nice guy and I appreciate that he worked on my car and did it for a relatively low price, I was willing to let all this go, seriously I am that nice lol. Then the next day when he came to see the damage to my rims, and to return the uninstalled parts that he “forgot” to install or said my car was unfit to install on, I wanted to take him for a spin and ask wtf all these sounds were and why my brakes felt shitty (Q45 brakes are supposed to feel STRONG as hell, he has them on his coupe…so he should’ve known before he gave the car back).
I started up the car to take him for a spin, the oil pressure light stays ON! I was like wtf, and turned off the car immediately. He had no idea what was wrong, he told me the engine builder took everything apart and put it back together saying it was to spec. Earlier he told me the engine builder bought all new parts and he was waiting for them to be shipped so he could assemble the engine (when he delayed over those 2-3 weeks). He came over in the next few days with no answers and no contact with the engine builder, he tried to use his ka’s oil pressure sender to see if that was the problem, but he didn’t have the tools to remove mine or to take off my overtightened oil filter (guess who installed that too? lol). There’s more that I don’t feel like typing, but you get the gist.
Now this is the situation, my car is sitting in the garage with no oil pressure, possibly due to a failed oil pump, my engine was running like shit before this issue happened, I have no receipt, no build sheet, and the engine builder has disappeared from existence, the phone number 240coupe gave me to contact the engine builder doesn’t work, it says “customer unavailable” without ringing. 240coupe accepts no responsibility for not getting me the receipt/build sheet/warranty, yet he was the one who paid the guy with my money. He is not willing to spend any money to get my car fixed at a shop because he claims to not have any money. I went through the possibility of this situation occurring with him over the phone, I said “what if the engine builder screws up and doesn’t honour his warranty?” 240coupe said, “well then you owe me nothing and you take your car to a mechanic.” That’s word for word. Now that this has happened, he accepts no responsibility. I will say that he is still trying to help me deal with the situation, I’m not bad mouthing the guy. He’s a nice guy and he’s been pretty helpful, but there has been 0 progress so far and a lot of inconsistency. I am getting really suspicious.
He didn’t install half of the parts, some because he forgot, and the others because my rad support was “rusty” or my brake lines were “brittle”. I’m 1400+ dollars down and don’t have a working car, and have been deceived, and my rims have been damaged. I really think you guys should be aware of situations like this. Make sure you get EVERYTHING IN WRITING BEFORE PAYING. Please don’t make the same mistake I made. I did not make this thread to degrade 240coupe, I did it to find that engine builder and get my car fixed at his cost. I also made this thread to get advice on what to do next.
The engine builder is named Anthony, drives a black pickup truck and his cell phone number is 416 262 9725. That is all I know.
Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciate it. I hope this gets resolved somehow.
I should never be a businessman lol.
but if not that sucks lol