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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
March 2004
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Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 01:22
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I am soooo fucking livid today it's not funny.
About two months ago i took my RA40 to a mechanic because sometimes when i drove it'd start "fluttering" (for want of a better term) and going at 10kph, 2000rpm, foot to the floor. First thing they replaced some gaskets and sent the head off for reconditioning. Head comes back and one of the mechanics fucking puts the cams in upside down and bends all the valves. So it goes back for reconditioning again. It'd been a month at this stage. I was so pissed at how long they were taking, he gave me his Skyline to drive in the mean time (only good part of the story).
Over the next month he was looking for people to tune the Solexes. Apparently he went to four or five carbie experts and noone knew how to do it. Finally goes to this guy in Cannon Hill who is apparently a Holley & Mikuni pro. Fucking $700 to rebuild the things. Anyway, long story short. I get my car back yesterday, after having spent WELL over a grand on "fixing" it... All my tools are missing out of the car (spanners, wrench, spark plug thing, 18RG tech manual, Haynes guide)... Drive home and it seems alright... An hour later i go out there to get some chips and stuff (we were going to go out to WWE last night) AND IT FUCKING DOESN'T START. Exactly the same problem as what i originally took it in for. Engine kicks over but give it gas and nothing happens, or it'll putter along at 10kph but as soon as you take your foot off the gas it stalls and you can't start it again.
I mean what the fuck? I am so angry. Two months waiting for this car and had to pay nearly a month's salary to fix it and it's still not done!? And now on Monday i need to be at work but now instead i need to get this car fixed? Do i get it towed back to the original mechanic? Do i just cut my losses and try to find someone in Brisbane who actually knows what the hell they're doing? Either way i lose time and money and i don't have either of that right now. My weekend was totally fucked up because of this, and now my whole week of work coming up is going to be fucked too. I swear i was almost in tears yesterday it was shitting me so much. What the hell do i do???
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 02:32
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i would call consumer affairs and ask them, also i would take it back to them and get them to fix it comepletely and not pay a cent at all...
if they refuse, then you can fall back on what consumer affairs advise you and take action accordingly...
your other option is to take it somewhere else but if you do that you have no legal rights against this mechanic other than to blow the shop up 
but call the ACCC, give them a run down and see what your legal rights are, but i believe you are entitled to free servicing till it is completely fixed... oh yeah do you have reciepts? get reciepts otherwise your gonna get jerked round HEAPS
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Location:
Newcastle
Registered:
May 2004
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 10:02
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sucks to hear man, but as above, call consumer affairs and ask them what u should do. Hope it all gets fixed with minimal time loss to ya.
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Location:
Potts Point, Sydney
Registered:
October 2003
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 10:15
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Hmmmm...what to do...
A few molotov cocktails would be handy if he refuses to fix it properly 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 11:29
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...ring mechanic on monday, saying he has to collect car at his expense as the repairs were ineffectual or incompetant as the car does't start and considing he's been paid, you expect the work to be re-done so the car runs as advised earlier. If you paid by credit card, ring up the bank and stop the transaction - saying the service rendered is in dispute.
give him a deadline of 48 hrs to respond - do not flag your intentions about the bank - or whom you will contact...
i'd suggest that you have a few options:
A- demand he fix it and return the mising tools
B- police advised that tools stolen by garage owner
C-contact department of fair trading (they're a piss weak lot, but it's a start)
or... and this is my favourite...
turn up with several beefy mates, get them to park cars across the entrance to the workshop and remain in vehicles until police ask them to move on, have a pair of these clearly visible in each car (but do not pick them up):
you then go an negiatote the return of tools and repair of engine...
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
March 2004
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 13:21
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Ha! Nice one  I'm feeling a lot better this evening. Was really stressed out about the whole thing this morning with all the other stuff i have on my plate at the moment anyways. But yeah, it's organized, the mechanic is towing the car back at his expense, and i'll be getting another loaner car until he's done. This is all happening tomorrow morning, when he'll be getting a few more harsh words from me face to face. I'm also going to talk to my boss at work about getting a letter written up by our company lawyer so there's a bit more behind it. This has just gone on way too long.
You know i just wish my mechanic had had the guts to own up in the first place that he knew nothing about 18RGs and wasn't going to be able to fix it. Then maybe i could've found someone better to start with. Oh well. Thanks for the support guys.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2003
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 13:33
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Glad it looks like it is working out for you.
In the future I would post on Toymods somewhere and ask about a good mechanic in your area, or ask people around that you know. The only 2 mechanics I've ever been too(I only stopped going to one because the guy retired!) have been recommended to me, I dont know how to pick a good mechanic otherwise "oh, he has a nice sign, I'll take my car there..."
Hope your beast gets fixed and on the road soon, 18-RG's are nice motors, once they are running.
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Location:
Melbourne - NthSubs
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Sun, 29 August 2004 13:39
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call channel seven! today to nite or some shit
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Banned by his request
Location:
moved to tamworth
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Mon, 30 August 2004 10:10
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give them a ring and give them the option of fixing it(sometimes best not to) or take it somewhere else and give the bill to the first mechanic, but make sure you ring the first one and tell him what you are doing. got to worry about a mechanic that cant tune solex carby and put the cames in wrong(how in the hell do you do that?). i would take it to another mechanic and send him the bill. if he dosnt pay it he has no chance with consumer affairs as he stuufed up big time. did he replace any pistons? as id imagine it left some nice imprints in the crowns. just go to another mechanic and send him the bill, but tell him you are going to take it somewere else and give him the bill. try and find one that has access or has a bore scope so can have a quick look down the plug holes.
mick
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
March 2004
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Re: Mechanic screwed me... what to do!???
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Wed, 01 September 2004 09:03
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Well i'm back in business, for now at least. The mechanic picked it up Monday and had it done Tuesday, with lots of apologies. It seems to be running pretty smooth, flat idle at 1000rpm in the day and 800rpm at night (with lights on). I'm still pretty scared and probably won't be comfortable till i've gone a few hundred km without drama, but very happy to have it back and working.
The fucked thing was that this guy WAS a recommended mechanic by a friend of mine. He tends to work on Supras, Z cars, Skylines etc so he's more of an EFI/turbo guy, but i would've thought an 18RG would be a piece of piss to deal with after that. I'm still pissed at how long they took, but if this stays happy for another year then i guess it's all good...
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