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Beware of Dodgy Backyard Performance Shops in the South East 

 

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 Post subject: Beware of Dodgy Backyard Performance Shops in the South East
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:16 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Age: 40

Posts: 490

Joined: 7th Jun 2010

Ride: Turbo VT, VL Calais Trubo, HQ SS

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

Hi Fellas I just wanted share my bad experience with you all so hopefully you all don’t fall into the same trap.
Around almost 5years ago I embarked on a journey of (slightly modding EL falcon as it was going be a daily)
I got wind of the snort performance supercharger kits and thought I give them a crack and then Geoff talked me into upgrading into a whipple set up and it was going to be one of a kind (at this stage I had already given him $10k for all the bits and pieces)
It was all a very slow and painful process (I am sure others can relate to this) There was always numerous promises from Geoff but he never came through, however it was my fault for trusting him (first it was his divorce, then his health) it was just never ending. He recommended I take my car down to his counterpart in Vic for the below mods prior to getting the supercharger fitted from Geoff.
So finally the time came when I thought everything was going to finally fall into place. Geoff put me touch with his affiliate in Melbourne who did the following work on my car
1. Install a new head with all new gear cam etc (I supplied a brand new ported and polished head)
2. Supply and fit a wolf 550 ecu
3. Transmission cooler
4. Performance harmonic balancer
5. Ice ignition system
6. Custom billet camshaft
7. I also paid him upfront for a tune $1000 (this was meant to be completed once the supercharger was put on)
(I paid around $8000 for the above)
Please note all the money was transferred prior into this persons account (I was told I would get a receipt when I pick up the car). When I picked up the car I was never given any receipt (My fault for being too trusting)
I dropped the car off to this (Backyarder) and he supposedly completed the job. When I picked up the car it was running like crap (but I was told not to fuss as it was just a rough tune as it was going to get a proper tune once the supercharger was fitted)
I got home and went to check the oil and water as Geoff was going to be taking the car to Wadonga to fit the supercharger I noticed engine oil had not been changed it had the same milky residue (The car had blown a head gasket prior and I informed this so called backyarder (when I called him and asked him about it he simply said he forgot to change the oil (despite having me pay for the job he never offered to refund the cash etc). At this stage I just took it as an honest mistake and didn’t think much of it.
Then the time came for Geoff to pick up the car as soon as he saw it, he said something was wrong (again I told him the same message that the car had a crappy tune and was all going to be sorted once the supercharger is fitted. Geoff called me 100 meters from his house to say the car had died and was going to inspect further and give me a call.
Geoff had a qualified mechanic come and have a look at the car and the timing chain had snapped off due to poor cam installation causing ridiculous amount of damage (basically I needed a complete whole new motor)
Again I did not point any fingers and just sucked it up as bad luck. I have already posted another thread about Snort Performance & Geoff how he screwed me around and took my money without sending me any parts and gave me nothing but excuses for 5years.
I have finally taken my car to a real workshop that far exceeded my expectations than I could imagine in terms of quality and results. Moving forward this particular workshop will be the only one working on my car providing me with a complete drive in drive out package (the engine is already done)
Now back to this backyarder! Because I didn’t want anything to do with the previous builds or run into any problems I decided to sell all the old gear and recoup some cash and this is where I noticed more issues.
I was promised a brand new Wolf 550 ecu (that’s what I paid for with this dodgy backyarder) when I pulled out the ECU it turned out to be a Wolf 500. I had already even sold it to another forum member on the basis of it being a Wolf 550 (I felt terrible about this). So again I decided to contact this dodgy backyarder. I asked him if he remembered what ECU he installed in my car and he said a wolf 500 (I told him I paid him for a Wolf 550) his response was “”if that what it was then that is what it was, sorry I am at a restaurant ATM and this was a while back” (this was 3year ago)
Again I gave him the benefit of the doubt and asked if he had a copy of the receipt he promised me (but then he said his computers where stolen and he had nothing to offer me). I asked him if he could tell me where he purchased the ECU from and his response was he has numerous sources (at this point I knew he was talking s**t) At the end of the day an ECU is not an daily over the counter item you can purchase from anywhere and I know workshops have their own suppliers for performance parts (maybe 1-2 as a backup). So I decided to ring Wolf myself and they confirmed a brand new wolf 550 ecu was brought at the time of my installation and the ECU in my car was second hand. When I confronted the backyarder he said Wolf was going under so he had to use the Wolf 500 as I was in a hurry to get the car back (mind you I have 8 cars and had no hurry what so ever I even have the emails to prove it telling him to take his time).
Because I had been burnt so badly in the past and messed around I was straight up with what I wanted. I told this backyarder I wanted a full refund for the amount I paid $2250 he then offered to upgrade the software to a Wolf 550 but I refused. I told him I paid for a brand new Wolf V550 not a second hand one!
So I finally got him on the phone and gave him an ear full. He gave me a sob story about not having any money (despite having numerous high end cars, and when I questioned him around this he had no response)
I then even asked him to refund part of the money I paid him for a dyno tune my car with the supercharger and again he refused. I told him then and there that I will be sharing me story with everyone I know, at this stage he paused and said he needed time to think things over.
In the end he refused to refund my money or give me the cash for the Wolf 550. In the meantime I had sold the Wolf 500 to a fellow forum member for a pretty hefty price thinking it was a Wolf 550. So I contacted the backyarder again and told him to pay me $300 (the cost of the software upgrade of a Wolf 500 to a Wolf V550) he said he will transfer me the money on the basis of me signing a document stating I will not hold *********** or *** Performance for any work performed for me prior to 12April 2016 (hence the reason for not using his name). I transferred that $300 into the fellow forum members account as I felt bad about what happened.
Sorry for this long a** post! But just wanted to let all you young blokes know so you don’t lose your hard earned cash. Since being burned I have heard so many other stories about this backyarder it’s not funny!
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 Post subject: Re: Beware of Dodgy Backyard Performance Shops in the South East
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 5:33 pm 
Oompa Loompa
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Age: 43

Posts: 38

Joined: 14th Jan 2011

Ride: Series 2 ea

Location: nagambie
VIC, Australia

Paul
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