Torvinen Machine & Repair

I was misled and work promised and paid for was not completed
I dropped off an engine to have builtParts that I was told were mine were not what I was told he had orderedI put up with delay after delay and finally I stopped in to see progressThere was some base work but I had been told the engine would be done by ChristmasWhen I told him I had waited more than long enough, he took the parts that I had paid for, and some of the cash I had paid him to do this work and brought it to the business next door and then texted me of what he had doneNow I have to go up and get my parts, figure out what is missing or still needed, and pay someone else to basically start over and check and measure and assemble this engineI had waited over a year, meanwhile I have several friends who have had similar work done in only a matter of monthsPlus I had been told the parts that had been ordered were better and also more expensive than what I had him orderI showed Randy the prices on my ph

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/02/19) */
We are in the process of preparing a response but need more time. Will submit next week
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/02/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The owner wastes...

more time on his many projects that will never be finished and making tools for equipment. I have waited long enough. Many people I know already have their engines back from other shops that dropped their engines off at other shops. I was told that this engine would be finished before last Christmas. Excuses have no value after having been blatantly lied to about the parts for this engine as well as the timeframe the work would be completed. I now have to take a day off work to go up and pick up these parts. Bring them to somebody else and pay them to check the work that was supposedly finished and paid for once already.
Final Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2016/02/25) */
[redacted]Document Attached[redacted]
The engine was on route to being finished when the customer brought in money to purchase remaining parts. I order parts only with money down. The work and parts paid for to date were completed with the exception of a little labor. The block was fully machined and on a engine stand to show the customer. The crank was balanced. The pistons and rods were on the work bench ready for clearancing. Customer put down $1500 to order remaining parts. When customer left, I received several texts with just a bit too much said. After that I would have a hard time doing any more work for him. I added up the job where it was at, boxed up all parts he had purchased and re-wrapped his block. He was taping it up to have it painted at the shop next door. He was refunded the $1500 plus what was left from previous paid down money. This was all dropped off at the business next door where the customer is an acquaintance and he comes up on some weekends to work. I have been in business for 32 years and take pride in the quality of work we send out the door. The time it takes to complete a job cannot be compared to other shops due to all the variables in any job. It is unfortunate things worked out the way it did as we were ready to finish the job. The shop he has identified to complete the job will proved the same quality of work. I have attached a statement from the shop next door.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2016/03/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I took a day offf work to go up to retrieve my engine and parts and bring them elsewhere. At the other shop,the parts I have were inventoried. Parts that I have record of paid are not there, other parts are not correct. Also, money was deducted for parts that I had paid for upgraded pieces and was not provided. I emailed Torvinen to ask how he came up with his deductions and where my other parts were and received no response. The new engine builder went over the paperwork provided by Torvinens and commented that with the money and the frequency that I provided him cash,that there is no reason this engine should have been finished months ago and that I had done nothing wrong that he could see. Torvinens provided an attached letter pertaining to his relationship with the business next door ho his business, that has no bearing on how he treated me. Flat out lying to me, making promises never kept. Makes me wonder how many other customers engines left his shop with inferior parts than what the customer paid for. I do believe that Torvinens has the ability to do quality work but there is no focus on customers work Only his own projects and I have several people willing to testify to this. My new engine builder is figuring it should be completed and dynoed in about 3 weeks providing Torvinens machine work is what it should be but he is obviously unfocused and disgruntled. This is the worst experience in unprofessionalism I have ever dealt with. Torvinens put the same amount of attention in their response to this complaint as he did in my engine. Excuses and delays and brings up nothing relevant to my particular engine. This is a big block Chevrolet. And everything inside is new and parts that Torvinen himself chose. Not like I brought in a bunch of garbage parts. And also, next to a small block Chev, the big block is probably the most common performance engine. There should be nothing new here. I cannot stress how many people warned me about dealing with this shop after I had already paid him to start on my project.
So I will close this by saying that unless you really do not care about the parts that go into your performance engine, whether you purchase upgraded parts and dont mind being lied to that the cheaper parts are better and more expensive, even after you show him on your phone that he was cheating you. And unless your car runs on broken promises of completion dates, I cannot stress this enough. I would recommend gettting references and using most any other shop. The absolute arrogance of mister Torvinen disgusts me. Run elsewhere... This will be going to small claims court.