My sr20det Datsun 510 build saga...

[bmoneyms3]

@sssexxx, i have so much respect for you man you dont even understand, knowing little to nothing about cars and doing this!? thats amazing! i joined this forum because of you, and how you are in a similar boat as me, im currently saving my money up for a project 510, i dont know if i want to build the L series or do the sr20. if i were to do a swap the sr20 would be my first choice, is it worth it??? youre my idol no joke! keep me updated! :thumbup:

[SSSEXXX]

@bmoneyms3 - ha ha! Thanks man. I have nothing but love for you man, but I am not a role model. I have made a lot of mistakes along the way. I have read a lot and been fortunate to have a great team of people here on the forum to give me feedback. The guys and girls here will help you out if you read and respect the culture. This thread is stalled due in large part to my traveling, but even more so because the shop that has my car right now is not being the most responsive. I can't get updates and because I can't get updates I can't keep everyone else informed either. I am super frustrated, but I plan on resolving this problem very, very soon. I'll be in town for about a week and a half before I head to Europe again and I am going to either get the build moving or get a new shop. Period, end of story.

 

If I could do it again, I would tell you that the L series engine is simple and can provide more than ample power for a 2100 lb car. If it were me, I would skip having to learn about things like rewiring a modern engine to a '68-'73 model year harness, re-routing fuel lines, custom exhausts, and new drive shafts. You can build the suspension up of your car, learn about a great engine, and get to know and appreciate the heritage of the brand and the culture first. I am not saying that an sr20det isn't fun, but it is a project and one that will take you away from the wheel for a while and you have to live in the dream for months if not years. Build some memories with your baby first and then go to meets and car shows. You won't regret it.

[choleaoum]

How do you plan to do your downpipe? I have someone asking for 250$ to fab me a downpipe out of stainless steel (tig welded)

[SSSEXXX]

Hi Everyone!!!!

 

Let me tell you that never again will I outsource any part of this build to anyone else.  Waiting for my car to be done at paint and body has been ridiculous.  It was supposed to be done by Early July of last year.  It is still not even painted.  Horrible when you consider that I paid $6,400.  I am nearing my breaking point.  Even the nicest of people can't take any more excuses.  Why no updates?  The car has literally been gone this entire time.  Sure, I could work on other things, but there isn't a whole lot to do without the car present.  I need to recondition the JDM grill, I need to clean up the Canadian steel dash, etc.  I have been focusing my time on my new garage.  Installed shope grade lighting, epoxying the floors soon, and getting my tools ready.  I was hoping to make JCCS, but being a busy guy, I don't know if I am going to make it this year.  To make matters worse, I had heavy hitter sponsors on board and have lost them due to their lack of confidence in my shop.  My only hope is that he does perfect work and I win them back with the quality of the rolling shell.  I still have my SR20DET in two pieces in the garage waiting for assembly.  I was considering getting an engine builder to do it, but finding one I trust has proving challenging.  Some people bash rocker arm stoppers, some people tell me I have to use OEM freeze plugs.  I can't tell what is and is not smoke and mirrors.

 

I promise you all this.  This build will not die.  I will drive her.  She will be done if it is the last thing I do.  I don't care how slow, it will happen.  Miss you all.  Can't wait to get back in to the updates.

 

Chris

[Draker]

You paid before the work has been completed?

[SSSEXXX]

I paid half, $3k up front.  Although given how much I've waited, I am not prepared to pay the additional funds.

[Draker]

Are they being helpful? Do you happen to have anything in writing saying when it would be complete? I'd give them a deadline and say if it's not done you will be prepared to get your car back and collect the funds you've already paid. Then take it some where else.

[Laecaon]

Well glad to see you are still around. This was a fun build to read.

 

This seems a bit extreme for getting a car painted. Im generally a nice guy, but when its costing you more than just the payment to the shop, its time to step things up.

[sssr20det510]

Like the 68 dash im doing the same dash rhd w sss 68 cluster. It looks the best out of all the dashes i think

[DottiBlue]

Glad to see you back. Go get your car and drop off somewhere else! That's ridiculous!!!

[dennis]

body shops always work on the quick projects first, this is what makes the money.  They overcharge the insurance companies and your car will get worked on when they have spare time.  I would have lost confidence in them when they flat out lied to you and stripped the engine bay with a heavy grit paper instead of a chemical stripper like they said they used.

[510T]

I promise you all this.  This build will not die.  I will drive her.  She will be done if it is the last thing I do.  I don't care how slow, it will happen.  Miss you all.  Can't wait to get back in to the updates.

 

Chris

 

 

Reading this made me happy :)

 

Keep it up!

[SSSEXXX]

Well, it has been confirmed.  The shop has completely ruined my car.  To say that I am devistated would be such an understatement.  I kept hoping for the best.  I am angry, so angry right now.  It is in 10 times worse condition than when I sent it there.  What has been done has been done wrong.  I'm out $3k.  It appears my fenders are gone and have been replaced with beat up ones.  As an attorney and a sizeable man at 6'5" and well over 200 pounds I am conflicted mentally and emotionally.  All I wanted was to learn and grow.  To build a car and to have someone rob me of that and take advantage of me was so undeserved.  I've never had a problem paying for good work.  I try to be a good man, a good person. I am not even sure where to begin at this point.  I am afraid of another shop.  I wish the 510keeper was still doing work.  I am sorry to report that I have lost nearly $30k in this project with little to nothing to show for it.  This may be the end for me everyone. 

[choleaoum]

Could it really be that bad?

[Laecaon]

Yea, did it get blown up with dynamite?

 

I would be demanding the 3k and the old fenders back.  Did they even find 68/69 fenders?

[DREWSDIME]

Man that sucks, can't fucking trust anyone

[Dantheman]

Sorry for your troubles chris. Explore all options before throwing in the towel.

[speeder]

Go legal on these idiots! Spread the word online about their shop. Let us know for starters who they are so we all know to stay away.

 

I share your sentiment about doing the work yourself. There are only a few places in the Bay Area I'd trust and they are usually quite expensive unless you're trying to shave fractions of a second off your lap time. 

 

There are so many amateur fools in the industry that you've really got to have solid info on the place before you give them your project. 

 

Don't give up Chris! I've been checking the 510/1600 forum waiting for an update about your project. Repo your car and get a fresh start. I bet you could work something out with the510keeper, but is seems crazy there shouldn't be someone who can get the job done well and fast in SoCal. 

[SSSEXXX]

Okay.  So in an effort to ensure that no poor victim ever has to go through what I went through again I am going to factually, without opinion, give you all a breakdown of my experience with Import Image / iDeisgns.  What your opinion is based on the facts that I present is entirely up to you and as always, I encourage anyone here to speak freely and candidly as I am open to criticism.

 

June 18, 2012 I contracted with Michael-Quinn A. Pelagio doing business as “Import Image / iDesigns to do the following work on my car:

 

 

Mike came recommended from a fellow board member and provided me a different shop name when we originally spoke.  When I inquired at the time of contract signing about the name on the agreement, he told me that he had just let go of people and reorganized his shop to produce better quality results at faster times and in doing so, he changed his name.  We signed the agreement and he took my vehicle.  You can find pictures of it in this thread of how she left my house.  I was promised that at all times my car would be stored inside.  I was told that he could finish this work within 30-days and he made it clear that if he was going to perform that I had to have the money on hand.  I assured him that it would not be a problem and that I did not want to sacrifice quality for time.  That this was my dream car.

 

Before I show you the end result and give you a synopsis of what appears to have been a myriad of lies and deceit, you should read the following links that correspond to the name on the contract of the business I was actually doing business with:

 

The Better Business Bureau:

http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Automobile-Parts-and-Supplies-Retail/Import-Image-in-Walnut-CA-13188894

Pay particular attention to the complaints filed.  There are 6 of them to date.

 

Yelp:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/import-image-walnut

http://www.yelp.com/biz/idesigns-walnut

Notice that the company website was www.id-350.com.  Most likely another name that was used in the past.

 

My350z Forum:

http://my350z.com/forum/the-lounge-off-topic/389628-horrible-body-shop-experience-details-inside-350z-ruined.html

Apparently I was not the first, but I may have been the worst of the victims.

 

[SSSEXXX]

I have over 70 pages of conversations between Mike, the owner and I.  I am going to include only a sample of the dialogue that we had, the promises that were made, and the quality of the character I was dealing with.  I try to be a nice guy.  I try to be understanding.  Sometimes people prey on people like me.  I like to still believe there are good people out there.  I am a business man.  No one ever deserves to be treated like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SSSEXXX]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SSSEXXX]

And finally, here is my poor baby.  She was sanded down and left outside in the rain.  She rusted and then was sprayed with primer.  It looks like a car backed up in to the core support.  The bondo inside the engine bay is amongst the most unprofessional I have ever seen.  I have so many more dents and to make matters worse, the primer is already scrapping right off.  Parts, so many of them, are missing.  New Old Stock sourced from Japan that took me a year to track down.  Irreplaceable 1968 specific pieces.  I haven’t even began to comprehend the totality of the damage.  Judge for yourself.  You know what my car use to look like.  This is my baby now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SSSEXXX]

The good news is that I picked up Project Miracle Whip yesterday before it rained and she is safe in my garage once again.  The bad news is that everything that was done to her in the last 9 months has set the project farther back than I ever thought I would be.  In all things in life, I try to be a gentleman and my compassion for my fellow man wound up in a situation where it appears that I was taken advantage of.  Please note, I have not attacked the company or its owner.  I am not giving you the full breath my opinion and everything stated here is factual. 

 

The windows, mouldings, and accessories were all supposed to be removed prior to prep and paint.  The car was supposed to be kept indoors at all times.  The car was kept adjacent to a busy intersection and was not even kept behind a gate.  One of the windows was left open and there was a signifcant amount of water in the vehicle.  My parts were not organized and many of them, that as you know because of the rareness of this vehicle, will not be replaceable.  The primer is already chipping off and it was laid over surface rust that the car built up after being sanded to bare metal and left out in the elements.  It appears as if someone backed in to the front core support.  The bondo work done inside the engine was tragically bad and will need to be reworked after being completely removed.  None of the other work that was said to be done, was done.  I am still working to assess the damage.  If any of you have any input, please help me.  I would most sincerely appreciate it.

 

As a last note.  I generally do not like to take these kinds of things to a public forum, but I made an exception this time.  First, and foremost, I need the community's help to point out how much damage has in fact been done.  Second, after waiting 9 months and now losing sponsorships, money, priceless parts, and all hope for the 2013 / 2014 show circuit and meets I can tell you that I am sad.  Extremely heartbroken.  Never again should anyone have to go through this. 

 

Luckily I have begun to formulate my next steps and fortune may very well be on my side.  I have hopes to suprise you all in March, but it will take a lot of work by me first.  The saga continues for now.  Thank you to everyone for encouraging me. 

[darc510]

Dude, you need a hug! Sorry that this endeavor happened to you and your car. 

 

I hope that in the mist of all this, that you have tenacity to take this 'Mike shop' to the cleaners... to be vengeful, just based on principle and extremely bad business practices.

[TenafterFive]

you seem to be handling this far better than I would be.. This totally sucks.  So sorry for everything youve lost in this complete horror story.  Karma is a Mofo though so hopefully he gets his in the end. Good luck with the rest of the build..