Can anyone recommend in CANBERRA area.
Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:28 pm
Hi Folks,
Its been a very long time since I have last posted and it's has taken a bit to finally get back here and remove the cover off my EK and gain interest again.
The short story:
I need to get my car on the road and start enjoying it, it's almost there.
Can anyone recommend in the Canberra or surrounding area a custom exhaust centre to bend me up a decent exhaust system? It's relatively simple, just from the CAT back (V6 motor). I also need someone who can align panels, my bonnet needs proper alignment. I can't workout if the guards are out and if so, are the doors out etc. The car was fully stripped a while back, but not put together as well as I had hoped or paid for.
I'd appreciate any feedback.
The longer story for those bored: (helps me vent also):
I have/had a really nice Ek with FB trim that I managed to purchase back in 2006 or thereabouts. I decided to have it freshened up and get it stripped to bare metal and painted. After a search for a decent custom shop, I was recommended a place in Victoria, who turned out to be the most dishonest crooked people on earth. I won't name the players, but the business was known as Motorace in Ringwood (it's gone now).
After stripping my car down it sat for ages with delay after delay after delay, not a big issue but as I know these things can take time. Anyway, it turned out the business was going bust and instead of just letting me and other customers know, the crooks, as they do, kept asking for progress payments and took some nifty photos to declare work done. Unfortunately for me, I was interstate and my contact was photos, emails and phone calls. Suddenly it all stopped - my car was in the shop for over 3 years as every time they stripped back something, the old nutshell "whilst we have this apart, we should do this". It worked out OK and I agreed as I figured, well when it's all done, it will be a damn good vehicle. So the contact stopped.
A trip to Victoria was in order and I rocked up at the workshop. it was close to Christmas and the doors were locked. It was a warehouse, so no real windows to see into. I asked other neighbouring businesses but most of them had their heads up their butts and couldn't remember if it was open or not. Luck would have it, the crooked owner turned up. I watched from over the road as he opened the doors and went in.
I went over and cornered the dog. He was all apologetic and said his website crashed and that he'd dropped his phone and changed his number yada yada yada. The workshop was totally cleared of vehicles and cleaned out. He said he was in quiet period and only had a few cars which were getting some minor work subcontracted. Mine was at the auto electricians, which was where the vehicle was supposed to be as it was getting wiring done. He said it was almost complete, just the wiring and it would be good to go. He said he had cleaned out the workshop to redo all the floors for maintenance and get it ready for a big year. This guy is a slick conman and I asked him if everything was OK and he said yeah definately. Turned out it wasn't but I had no real reason not to believe him. If the dog had of just said I'm having problems financially and looks like I'm out, it could have been solved then and there, but he ensured me that everything fine and on track. He even "tried" to ring the auto electrician whilst I was there, but said it looks like he has closed up for Christmas. I got new phone number from him and went away thinking all was OK.
That was the last time I saw the dog or my vehicle for nearly 12 months. I wish I just claimed insurance now and be done with it, but as a stubborn fool, I rang around following different invoice leads and after some months of searching, I eventually found an auto electrician in the area who had the car. He was fuming also, saying Motorace owed him $$$ and he also couldn't find the owner either. He didn't know who owned my car and was preparing to sell it to recoup costs.
So another trip to Victoria to sort out everything. When I got there, I was devastated. The car was nothing but a shell. Poorly prepped prior to being painted, glass missing, panels hanging off and probably over $20k worth of parts and trim missing. After paying off the sparky, I organised for the car to return home were it has sat for the last 3 years in my garage where I could not go near it, but the time has come to get moving.
The owner dog of Motorace seems to have escaped prosecution. Something to do with bankruptcy and other things I think. I know there were at least 6 other people affected and someone with a really nice custom EH. Not sure what their story is. There was also a young bloke who worked there named Shannon who was doing up his own EK wagon. If you read this Shannon, if we cross paths one day be prepared, I know what you look like and I know you took a lot of my parts.
8 years of "joy" I'm ready to face this project again.. Thanks for reading..
Its been a very long time since I have last posted and it's has taken a bit to finally get back here and remove the cover off my EK and gain interest again.
The short story:
I need to get my car on the road and start enjoying it, it's almost there.
Can anyone recommend in the Canberra or surrounding area a custom exhaust centre to bend me up a decent exhaust system? It's relatively simple, just from the CAT back (V6 motor). I also need someone who can align panels, my bonnet needs proper alignment. I can't workout if the guards are out and if so, are the doors out etc. The car was fully stripped a while back, but not put together as well as I had hoped or paid for.
I'd appreciate any feedback.
The longer story for those bored: (helps me vent also):
I have/had a really nice Ek with FB trim that I managed to purchase back in 2006 or thereabouts. I decided to have it freshened up and get it stripped to bare metal and painted. After a search for a decent custom shop, I was recommended a place in Victoria, who turned out to be the most dishonest crooked people on earth. I won't name the players, but the business was known as Motorace in Ringwood (it's gone now).
After stripping my car down it sat for ages with delay after delay after delay, not a big issue but as I know these things can take time. Anyway, it turned out the business was going bust and instead of just letting me and other customers know, the crooks, as they do, kept asking for progress payments and took some nifty photos to declare work done. Unfortunately for me, I was interstate and my contact was photos, emails and phone calls. Suddenly it all stopped - my car was in the shop for over 3 years as every time they stripped back something, the old nutshell "whilst we have this apart, we should do this". It worked out OK and I agreed as I figured, well when it's all done, it will be a damn good vehicle. So the contact stopped.
A trip to Victoria was in order and I rocked up at the workshop. it was close to Christmas and the doors were locked. It was a warehouse, so no real windows to see into. I asked other neighbouring businesses but most of them had their heads up their butts and couldn't remember if it was open or not. Luck would have it, the crooked owner turned up. I watched from over the road as he opened the doors and went in.
I went over and cornered the dog. He was all apologetic and said his website crashed and that he'd dropped his phone and changed his number yada yada yada. The workshop was totally cleared of vehicles and cleaned out. He said he was in quiet period and only had a few cars which were getting some minor work subcontracted. Mine was at the auto electricians, which was where the vehicle was supposed to be as it was getting wiring done. He said it was almost complete, just the wiring and it would be good to go. He said he had cleaned out the workshop to redo all the floors for maintenance and get it ready for a big year. This guy is a slick conman and I asked him if everything was OK and he said yeah definately. Turned out it wasn't but I had no real reason not to believe him. If the dog had of just said I'm having problems financially and looks like I'm out, it could have been solved then and there, but he ensured me that everything fine and on track. He even "tried" to ring the auto electrician whilst I was there, but said it looks like he has closed up for Christmas. I got new phone number from him and went away thinking all was OK.
That was the last time I saw the dog or my vehicle for nearly 12 months. I wish I just claimed insurance now and be done with it, but as a stubborn fool, I rang around following different invoice leads and after some months of searching, I eventually found an auto electrician in the area who had the car. He was fuming also, saying Motorace owed him $$$ and he also couldn't find the owner either. He didn't know who owned my car and was preparing to sell it to recoup costs.
So another trip to Victoria to sort out everything. When I got there, I was devastated. The car was nothing but a shell. Poorly prepped prior to being painted, glass missing, panels hanging off and probably over $20k worth of parts and trim missing. After paying off the sparky, I organised for the car to return home were it has sat for the last 3 years in my garage where I could not go near it, but the time has come to get moving.
The owner dog of Motorace seems to have escaped prosecution. Something to do with bankruptcy and other things I think. I know there were at least 6 other people affected and someone with a really nice custom EH. Not sure what their story is. There was also a young bloke who worked there named Shannon who was doing up his own EK wagon. If you read this Shannon, if we cross paths one day be prepared, I know what you look like and I know you took a lot of my parts.
8 years of "joy" I'm ready to face this project again.. Thanks for reading..
