How bad did I drop the ball?

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Does anyone see why it couldn't be bolted back together, even with the broken torsion bar, resting on the bumpers, and rolled out to a wrecker? If not, someone should be able to weld up some sort of something with casters to attach to the front and roll it. A group of FABO guys may be available to muscle it out of the shop. I'm nowhere near there, but others have asked where the car is.
 
damnimcooltom said:
Does anyone see why it couldn't be bolted back together, even with the broken torsion bar, resting on the bumpers, and rolled out to a wrecker? If not, someone should be able to weld up some sort of something with casters to attach to the front and roll it. A group of FABO guys may be available to muscle it out of the shop. I'm nowhere near there, but others have asked where the car is.
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And I bet some of these FABO guys are big and mean looking so the mechanic might not show his a## so much and be willing to help load the car as much as possible.
 
pharmboy said:
Week 13 is gone, and week 14 has started. Looks like my car is still in the shop, and I haven't heard anything. And there's no real way to get a car with no front end out from the very back bay of a garage(about 40' from the door w/ out special equipment...I don't care what my father thinks...
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It got back there somehow, it`ll come out. That mechanic doesn`t know what he`s doing, and didn`t bother to find out before he began trashing your car. I wouldn`t let him turn another wrench on the car. See if you can hire a tow truck to dolly it out of his shop and to a garage where you and some FABO members can rebuild that front end. (In an afternoon, that is.)
 
pharmboy....really sorry this sh*t is happening, but before you can decide your next plan of attack, I really think you somehow need to pin this guy down on what $$$ you owe him.

Call him in the morning and TELL him you need to know what the current bill/charges are. YOU are the customer.

If the car still has the x-member installed, a floor jack can move it the 40 feet needed to get it to the door for a tow.
 
you need to get one of these guys on this site that has good mechanical skills,there are many on this site. and let him pin the guy down acting as youre buddy ,mechanic ,or cousin,then he wont be able to BS you ,before doing this make arrangements to haul the car out of there.
 
Pharmboy I sure wish I were closer to help you get it out of there. It burns me to hear a shop doing this to somebody. I totally agree with what the guys above said. This clown is taking you bad. I have moved them with just a floor jack like 6pktogoDemon said. Just takes 2 guys to do it safely. Get a flatbed rolloff truck in there and use a floor jack to get it near enough to the rolloff and he can winch it the rest of the way on.
 
1 Call the guy up and tell him you are coming to get the car today and going to pay him. You need to have money in hand.

2 Call a wrecker service with a rollback wrecker and tell them to meet you at McDonalds.

3 Call the sheriff and tell them you need a "escort" (they do this all of the time) to meet you at McDonalds. When the officer gets there explain to him the entire problem.

4 Talk to the wrecker guy and tell him the car is in the shop and might hard to get out.

5 Go get your car!

The police are here to protect and SERVE. The mechanic is not going to show his *** with a law man standing there that's already on your side.
 
I've never heard of a mechanic that didn't want to do what his customer wanted to pay him to do.

Do like they said. Get the Sheriff and a rollback. And when you get your car back bring it to me (yeah, Texas isn't close, I know) and I'll make the damned thing pink with green interior....if that's what you want to pay me to do:angry7:
 
Sorry it's going down for you this way, dude. Rollback 3 states away is kind of pricey. If you have a tow vehicle, you can take a towing dolly over, lift up the front end of the car, slide the dolly under, lower car and chain it down good. Disconnect driveshaft on A/T car. Throw the loose pieces in the trunk and drive that bad boy outta there.

If you've never pulled a dolly, it's a bit different than a trailer. Avoid tight turns that will put the dolly fenders into the side of your car. Do not attempt to go backwards with a tow dolly. You may be able to go straight back, but as soon as the car veers, STOP. Turning in reverse will not end well. Trust me. If you have to go backwards, disconnect the tow vehicle, get assistance, and push by hand. Steer with trailer tongue.

Find a storage unit you can stick it in (and keep the car from being a prompt for flak from dad) and re-group. You can beat this thing and get your ride rolling. Illegitimi non carborundum. (Don't let the bastards get you down (fig))
 
I called him today...the torsion bars are out...he's getting the LCA bushings pressed out and new ones pressed in...it should be done by the week's end...weird. I'm having him keep the old bars for me, because I want to see just WTF is going on, but it would seem things are on their way to being put right. I guess he had to cut the driver side bar in the center and drive it out with a hammer...and no, the retaining clips were out and the front end was completely unloaded. To say the least, I wanna see it...but I think the guy might be telling the truth. Either way, a quick look at the halves of the offending bar will tell me something. Thanks for the advice guys, but it seems like things might soon become right with the world...
 
Best to have a look at the hex ends, and the pockets they fit into, it's possible they had turned in the sockets over time. Especially before he stuffs the new ones in! The sockets the bars fit into may be damaged, and it would be better to find out now before ruining a new set of torsion bars! If the bars had any movement in the sockets, they may not hold the new ones properly.
Just FYI.
alan627b
 
Well, I talked to my mechanic late last week, and it would appear my car will be done this week. Although, he's wishing I'd gone with the factory setup he found...which would ultimately have cost more, given the need for two sizes of wheels, etc, etc...oh well. I've yet to hear just how much this will all be costing me, but I'm sure I'll pay dearly for it. He's also concerned about the effect on 'geometry' that having the calipers located at the front of the spindle will cause. Have I learned something from all this? Yes. Will I ever do something this idiotic again? I hope not.
 
pharmboy said:
And the next person who tells me in person what I should have done...will get punched in the throat...I'm really tired of hearing it...
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I'm not sure if you're referring to the responses you received here - if you are, what did you expect to hear?
 
Oh no, no one on here...I have a friend who, every time I talk to him, says "you should've taken your car to...". It would seem he doesn't appreciate the concept of 'too late'. And yeah, I think just about everyone does dumb things now and then...I'd say as long as someone learns an appropriate lesson from it, reminding them regularly is just kinda cruel...
 
I'm feeln bad for ya that this has been such a dragged out problem.
Each time you tell us something he has said, I am more convinced he doesn't have a grasp of what is going on.
The fact that the calipers are on the front of the spindle and not the rear has nothing to do with suspension geometry.
Unless he is refering to the caliper interfearing with the sway bar which may limit the turning radius.
But in your first post he said the sway bar wont work any way. so that doesnt figure.
Anyway, the geometry is not changed.
check out page 7 of "IT" by 68 Sedan for his Addco swaybar issues.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=43454&highlight=sway&page=7
 
I think he was referring to 'brake geometry'...which, as far as I know, only really applies to drum brakes. Either way, I just want to get clear of him...I'm just shuddering to think just what his bill is going to be. I do know that the vast majority of the time he had my car, he wasn't actually doing anything with it for some reason or another...
 
I'm with the others pharmboy, with one exception. Instead of letting him call the price for all the hassle he has caused you, go in there when it's moveable and tell him how much YOU are going to give HIM for the crappy way he has treated you, for all the time lost and trouble involved, and for the crappy job he is obviously doing. Assess the situation and come up with a figure that you are happy with. Keep a level head and explain all the frustration you have been voicing to us about the situation, and throw the Better Business Bureau at him while you are at it. If he is a legitamate business he will not want to receive the brunt end of the bad publicity he will receive from the BBB, your word of mouth and the wrath of your friends here at FABO. If he is not a legit business, he has no leg to stand on and will not be able to hold your car, as he should not be working on it anyway. And while you're at it include his business name and contact information for your friends here at FABO to use. I for one will personally call him and ask about having something similar done to my car, then lambaste him with the facts of your situation. If he gets a couple dozen calls like this, he will know where he stands and what your word of mouth advertizing is going to do to his business. 14 weeks and still no car, Geez, I read this post last month and was disgusted then that it was taking so long way back then!!! I'll speak for myself, I'm behind you and willing to help, even from Michigan!!! Geof
 
Well, it looks like I'll be getting a price at noon. I have a feeling being away from the office might be helpful at that time. Although, I'm beginning to regret that I don't drink in the middle of the day.
 
Well, I REALY hope it wont be as bad as expected. Good luck!
 
Well, I've been waiting since 9 AM for an estimate on just what I'm gonna owe him. Would appear that math isn't on the list of strong suits, just like A-Body suspension work. Right now I'm just trying to figure out the break-point on the price where I just say "keep it" and drop the title in his mail slot the next time I'm home...
 
Man, I hope it doesn't come to that!
Break-point = the point at which the bill is so outrageous that you stop by to break the guys legs.

Keep in mind that it's not your fault that he doesn't know what he's doing and that it's NOT your responsibility to pay him to learn on your car. If anyone has a factory service manual with the time it should take to do the repairs, that would help with price haggling. It may be cheaper to pay him by what the book says than by how much beer he drank or time he spent screwing around.
 
Im not sure where exactly the car is but check the laws there. In ohio you cant refuse to relase a vehicle for non payment if there isnt a signed contract or estimate (has to do with the value of the work not being equal to the value of the car). The way it works here is that you have to contact the police or sheriff and get an escort so they can file a report. Well, I should say that it at least used to that way here. When I was 18 I had a problem with a transmision shop and had to go through it. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Well, the day's over and no word. Guess maybe I'll find something out tomorrow. But as far as the law's concerned...he also services the local police fleet. I've been sifting through some indiana case law on such things, and it's almost enough to put someone to sleep. Oh well, see what tomorrow brings.
 
Rather than trying to go through court docs, call a lawyer and talk with them. Most lawyers offer their initial consultation for free. And if the police give you a hard time just contact your states attorney general's office and report them. Thats the attorney generals job, to ensure that all state laws are uniformly and accurately enforced.
 
pharmboy said:
...he also services the local police fleet.
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Your screwed!

(Just kidding)

Badawg said:
Rather than trying to go through court docs, call a lawyer and talk with them. Most lawyers offer their initial consultation for free. And if the police give you a hard time just contact your states attorney general's office and report them. Thats the attorney generals job, to ensure that all state laws are uniformly and accurately enforced.
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That is a great idea. It might seem like a good idea now but after you see the bill you might not think twice. Let's hope it isn't outrageous.
 
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