Are all speed shops like this?

[brandon_s0854]

I've owned my mustang going on four years now. I've taken it to speed shops on two different occasions. The first occasion, was about 50 hours worth of work. The second, about 30.

The first time, I didn't get the car back for three months, and seemed to be put off and given excuse after excuse as to why it wasn't done. The second time, I dropped my car off over a month ago and they have just started to working on it. After having a bad first experience, I arranged for my car to be dropped off four weeks ahead of time, so they wouldn't have an excuse about being too busy or whatever, and yet it still took them over four weeks of my car sitting in their lot to start working on it.

I'm just wondering: do all speed shops give this bad of service? The quality of work seems to be good, so I decided to give them a second try. Starting to regret that decision.

 

[mavisky]

Everyone is afraid of giving you a realistic time table in fear that you'll take your business elsewhere. At least that seems to be the issue with everyone I've ever been around.

 

[Weather Man]

Spring is just a bad time to have a car worked on. Everyone is clamoring to have stuff worked on and tuned. Seen to many 1 hour tune sessions turn into 4 hour marithon because the guy brought a car in that had mechanical stuff wrong that had to be fixed before the tune could be done. I have been in your shoes a couple of times.

 

[95PGTTech]

The quality of work seems to be good, so I decided to give them a second try.

That's all the matters.

If you find a shop that has a quick turnaround time, it's either because they are new or they do shitty work (or they are a huge, efficient shop that charges ungodly prices). Learn to drop your car off during the off season when work is relatively slower and you wouldn't be driving the car anyway.

 

[Torch10th]

Many shops are like this. It goes beyond speed shops however.

One thing to keep in mind is that many shops (body, speed etc.) rely on maintenance repairs to make ends meet. Tune-ups, autobody repair etc. That's how the business stays alive and has the ability to do the stuff they really want to. Unfortunately that means that those smaller bread and butter jobs generally take precedence over the bigger more involved jobs. Especially for small shops.

Places like Lethal Performance really won't have these issues, but then again, you're paying more for them as well.

As with anything related to a build on a car (even shop time), take your budget and time-frame and double it.

 

[Kel]

Yes, they all seem to. Hopefully you find the one that's actually worth the wait. What's the saying, it always takes 2X the $$ and 3X the time...or vice versa...

 

[Blk04L]

Never had to wait more than a week over the estimate, and part of that was due to a windage tray acting up once they fired up the new engine.

My dad had to wait 2 months over for his truck, but, he was trying out some custom exhaust which didn't work out at all.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

speed shops are in the same boat with a lot of other businesses, the owner may be a hell of a mechanic/machinist/artist etc... but many of them are not fantastic business people

 

[brandon_s0854]

I don't mind it taking longer or costing more than expected. I just hate getting the runaround and getting sunshine blown up my ass.

 

[brandon_s0854]

speed shops are in the same boat with a lot of other businesses, the owner may be a hell of a mechanic/machinist/artist etc... but many of them are not fantastic business people

That seems to be the case here for sure.

 

[FISHTAIL]

I've owned my mustang going on four years now. I've taken it to speed shops on two different occasions. The first occasion, was about 50 hours worth of work. The second, about 30.

The first time, I didn't get the car back for three months, and seemed to be put off and given excuse after excuse as to why it wasn't done. The second time, I dropped my car off over a month ago and they have just started to working on it. After having a bad first experience, I arranged for my car to be dropped off four weeks ahead of time, so they wouldn't have an excuse about being too busy or whatever, and yet it still took them over four weeks of my car sitting in their lot to start working on it.

I'm just wondering: do all speed shops give this bad of service? The quality of work seems to be good, so I decided to give them a second try. Starting to regret that decision.

I don't see the problem here. You dropped off your car 4 weeks early, and they didn't start working on it for 4 weeks..how is that in any way surprising? Even if it was a little over 4 weeks, that's still seems somewhat reasonable. Even at a regular shop, hold ups on part orders, finding additional problems etc, would cause a work backlog. It happened all the time. Performance shops have an even bigger issue because they are dealing with modifcations..there is far more to go wrong that can cause work to take longer than expected.

 

[brandon_s0854]

No no no. I called them four weeks before dropping it off and arranged to have it worked on. It then sat another four weeks after dropping it off.

 

[B746]

Both times I've taken my cars to a speed shop, I had the same issues as the OP.

It was in the late fall, early winter too.

I'd rather have an honest time frame upfront, but I understand that can be difficult. What I want most is that when they do get to my car, that the work is done well.

 

[95PGTTech]

I'd rather have an honest time frame upfront, but I understand that can be difficult.

That's nearly impossible unless - the parts alone are a huge variable. Unless you are buying from them parts that they stock, they have to go to 5+ manufacturers to get parts for your car (some of us have 25+ different manufacturers parts on our cars). Then they were all built to be put on otherwise stock cars, none of them fit to work with each other.

This is not the 9-5 where I need OEM parts for your Acura and walk up to the parts counter that gets a delivery 2x day from Honda with a nearly endless direct fit parts supply.

 

[brandon_s0854]

I understand what you're saying, but I did all the homework both times on the work that I was having done, and provided every part that was needed, except for random washers and such that they would have on hand.

 

[oldmodman]

I have always wondered how vehicle owners would react if they were told to write down everything they wanted done.

Then a realistic schedule was determined by the shop owner and employees based on other work already booked, plus an added time to cover the inevitable problems, both mechanical and personal.
Then the vehicle owner was brought back to the shop to go over the schedule and costs based on an estimate of the hours involved.
The project time might be 1.5 years and the cost could be right at $75,000
How many people would be willing to leave their cars if told the actual cost and time involved?

Even trying to keep the work out of the shop stuff still gets left.

 

[lowflyn]

I have always wondered how vehicle owners would react if they were told to write down everything they wanted done.

Then a realistic schedule was determined by the shop owner and employees based on other work already booked, plus an added time to cover the inevitable problems, both mechanical and personal.
Then the vehicle owner was brought back to the shop to go over the schedule and costs based on an estimate of the hours involved.
The project time might be 1.5 years and the cost could be right at $75,000
How many people would be willing to leave their cars if told the actual cost and time involved?

Even trying to keep the work out of the shop stuff still gets left.

How about 2+ years and the money up front? Have a friend in this exact scenario.

 

[brandon_s0854]

I guess it depends on the work that was getting done. I personally wouldn't ever get $75k worth of work at one time. I also believe that if mechanics did a little more planning, they could save customers a substantial amount of time that cars sit around waiting to be worked on.

I must be more aware of the time it takes to do things than the average person. The work I got done the first time was right on budget with what I expected and this time it appears to be as well. I just don't like being told the car will be worked on and then the thing sits for over a month or more.

 

[95PGTTech]

I understand what you're saying, but I did all the homework both times on the work that I was having done, and provided every part that was needed, except for random washers and such that they would have on hand.

Did you do it for every single other car in the shop as well?
This is a very similar situation to the Dr.'s office.

 

[01cobravortech]

I guess it depends on the work that was getting done. I personally wouldn't ever get $75k worth of work at one time. I also believe that if mechanics did a little more planning, they could save customers a substantial amount of time that cars sit around waiting to be worked on.

I must be more aware of the time it takes to do things than the average person. The work I got done the first time was right on budget with what I expected and this time it appears to be as well. I just don't like being told the car will be worked on and then the thing sits for over a month or more.

So you going to tell us which shop did this? Hopefully not Livernois or Lidio? Those are 2 solid reps for sure.

And it sounds like they are big projects based on the hours you suggested your jobs require, however you've been quite vague about the more specific details of the work...

Unless you really have a good relationship with some of these shops, I can't say these time frames are abnormal. I mean the 'speed shop' time frames are beyond finicky, despite what they may quote you. There are no guarantees with those guys. It really is a buyer beware kind of deal with those guys.