66 Garage & Custom

This customer called me wanting an estimate on bolting the flywheel back on to the transmissionI informed her that the transmission would have to be removed to do the job because of how the flywheel bolts to the engineThis would only be an estimate because if it came unbolted, there could be
unseen damagesSo I quoted her $A day later she had the vehicle towed overUpon inspection, we found that the flywheel was unbolted from the engineShe had had it at a neighbor's house that plays mechanic out of his garageHe is not a professional shopHe had removed the started and decided he couldn't do the jobI called her and told he because of the amount of crud that encased the transmission we would need to steam clean the under carriage of the car firstI informed her that it would ***t $to do soShe agreedUpon removal of the transmission, we noticed the torque converter was wobbling around in the transmission a lotWe tried to remove it, but it was stuckI called several transmission shops that would not touch the transmissionI found one that wouldHe warned because of the age and unpopularity of the car, Parts may not be availableI contacted the customer to tell her where we were at with the carI let her know ***ts would not be known until the transmission was tore apart at the tranny shopShe asked if the car was worth itI informed her from a resale value, noBut it's her car and for her to decideShe called me back and said she had another car that had the same transAsked if I could remove it from that car and put it in her carI told her we could, but It would ***t moreShe agreedThe car was towed to my shopI can't tie up multiple bays for one vehicle, so we had to get her car ready to roll out of the shop and get the other inThe other car had been delivered out back of my shop with four flat tires, We removed the tires, brought them in the shop to set the beads and air them upPushed the car in the shop and removed the transWhile removing the flywheel, one bolt had been stripped outThey are torx bolts and clearly someone had been there beforeWe had to cut the bolt head to get it offAt her request, we put the bad transmission in the truck of the second carWe then pushed the second car out and the first one back inWhen we put the flywheel back in the car, we noticed the threads had been damaged in the back of the crankshaft when the old bolts fell outI re tapped the bolt holes, bought new bolts and installed themInstalled the transmissionGot the starter from the trunk and bolted it inWE then found there were four wires that went to the starter are that only one went to the starterWe tested and found the wire that went to the starterWe searched for two hours trying to figure where the other wires wentWe never did find out, I could only assume the other "mechanic" had taken them undoneThat was how it was when it came in, and I couldn't find a solution to it, so I tied them up and notified her about itThe car started and drove fineWhen she came to pick it up, she asked me how long of a warranty she would have on the transmission incase it quit workingI was shockedShe supplied me with a used transmission and wanted me to warranty it! I had to explain to her that I cannot and will not warranty a transmission I know nothing about, nor suppliedShe paid her bill and went on her waySunday while I was at the shop she calledI answered and she proceeded to tell me how something was wrong and that the car wouldn't start after she leftI told her I couldn't imagine why; it started and ran fine while it was hereBut if she could bring it to the shop Monday I would look at it and work with her on itI heard from her a about a week or two laterShe proceeded to tell me about how there was a fuse that kept blowing; they had t put a bigger fuse in it which I told her was bad, it could start a fireThat there were vacuum lines off everywhereI informed her that a fuse blowing was not because of usAnd that vacuum lines being off weren't eitherWe never worked on the engineJust the transmissionShe kept telling me how she paid me $dollars and that she should not have problems with the carI informed her that the money she paid was for transmission work onlyNothing elseshe hung up A week later she called againSaid the exhaust was looseI asked her where was it looseHer husband got on the phone and told me it was the left side at the manifoldI informed him we did not touch those boltsThat if he was under the car tightening the bolts up, that he would have noticed we cut the exhaust pipe on the left side and welded it back togetherBut if he had brought it by, we would have tightened the boltsThen he went on about wiring, and vacuum hoseI let him know those were nothing I had doneI worked on the transmissionIt could have been the guy that had it for two weeks before I got itHe then proceeded to yell and cuss me outI hung up the phoneShe had told me how wonderful her home mechanic was and how fairly priced he wasI asked her what he charged an hourShe replied $per hourI informed her that I charge $per hour, that I have rent, utilities, equipment, insurance and employeesSo for $dollars an hour more, I have far more expensesAnd he is fair? She then told me that the shops in town need to charge the locals as little as possible and to screw the touristsThat's where you're supposed to make your money she told meThe work I performed was strictly for transmission workThe customer is a bit delusional as to the way the world worksFirst with wanting me to warranty a transmission she supplied, second by thinking that if we work on one part of her car, that we are responsible for anything elseThis car in a Cadillac EldoradoIt has not been cared for mechanically very wellIt was at a home mechanic before it came to meI can't be liable for a car that does not run when it conies to me, or for work that is done before it comes to meShe wants $dollars backFor what? She has provided nothing to show what the charges were for other than the min her husband spent working on itAt my shop rate of $an hour that is only $All in all, after I told her to bring it to me and let me help her out, and she never did, everything has been about wanting money back with no proof or evidence that we did anything wrongHere is a breakdown of the $in laborI strictly use Mitchell labor guide except for things that cannot be done out of a labor guideTransmission R&R 5hrs $Juggle cars and air up tires lhr $Remove transmission & load Old transmission 2.5+.5hrs $Cut fly wheel bolt and repair Crank bolt holes 1.0hrs $

On, my 82 cadillac, not an 84 cadillac. Adam quoted me a little over three hundred, he did not say $389.23 right off. My neighbor that is a mechanic, [redacted], that has had a shop longer than the 66 garage & custom, and [redacted] is fair to his customers, and he don’t play mechanic. Why [redacted] couldn't do my car, is because he don't have a lift. About the other car the 83 cadillac that was taken up to his shop. I have a friend that does towing [redacted], she came and got it, it had one flat tire on the front passinger side, she even said, they could air that up. Adam, said that they did all four tires, thats where I got charged for something that was wrong. They put the donut tire on the front.I am 54 years old, and I worked on a farm and ranch, which I was growing up, and I sure know when a tire is flat or not. I was charged $75.00 for one tire change what a rip off (greed). Like I say my car was on his rack, for 11 days, I drove by many times.I never said charge the locals very little, and screw the tourist. I work at a motel, I have been their for about 19 years, I help people alot, if they are broke down. I have had tourist cars, at my house, till they could get parts or a trailer to get them, and I don’t charge a thing.I guess since I’m a woman, Adam figured he could just screw me good on the price on my car to put one transmission from one car to another. I guess since he’s slow on fixing something, that’s where he ripp you off, I will never send anyone their. I had a few people say, you took your car where they said bad place. Also most of the time his baus where empty, he was never busy. About the started wires, he should of know, how to do that, [redacted] did.Like I say, I didn’t even make, it home after I got the car out of his rip off 66 garage. Another mechanic [redacted], said the batterie cables where not even tight, plus some vacuum hoses were off.I tried to call Adam, but it was already after six. Pulled car home, had to put a fuse, had to tighen the bolts on pipes and muffler, and my husband is disabled, so it was hard for him.My car was real loud when we got it running. [redacted] and [redacted] heard my car running, and they even said your pipes and muffler are not tight, I have had this car for over thirty years, and it had been taken care o. It has a pretty new vinal top, plus paint job. Also the oil and filter have always been changed, plus some new parts replaced. Why do I want $250.00 dollars back, one donut put on other car, work on the car after I pulled it home. I’m being pretty fair, money is not ever thing, but being greedy is a bad thing. I’m just asking for $250.00 dollars back. I don’t deal with liars, or people that are greedy, and you are Adam, and it will come back at you.