HANG IN THERE!

Don't let them do this to you.

I hate businesses that screw you, and then make you pay.

I myself was just a victim this weekend. A tow truck company front wheel lifted my '92 VR4 (yes, it has AWD. THOSE MORONS) and trashed my TRANNY!

But because I slipped a bearing (the reason I pulled over in the first place) they are saying all the damage was caused by ME.

Uhm, hello!! the Countershaft with the slipped bearing is above and dis-engaged from the main shaft, you know, the one they DESTROYED when they pulled my car a mile with the rear wheels on the ground!! Their 10 minutes of carelessness heavily damaged my Main shaft in the Tranny, and the Transfer case, causing them to lock up solid. But I know I didn't do that; it was done during the towing. I know this for a fact, and that I did no main shaft damage because, guess what? the CAR STILL RUNS. I can let out the clutch, and it will rotate that counter shaft, and still make the slipped bearing noise from before. (counter shaft being the one on top, that was dis-engaged from the main shaft)

My insurance company doesn't want to get involved, and I can't afford getting into this with a lawyer, because I need the car NOW. (my only means of transport)

So PLEASE, if you can get back at these jerks, do it, partially for me and my BABY!!

Elton

 

Damn Dealerships

That is why I wont even have a person who sells cars as a friend - they will screw their own mother for a dollar. You cartainly do have recourse with that dealership. Had they said from day one that they do not know where the car came from they have deniability - they however chose to lie (odd for a car dealership huh?) - That lie gave them the liability for the car. Sue the shit out of them!!!!!!

 

I bet your local TV "consumer protection" reporter would just LOVE this. Use them as a close to last resort, though...

 

I'm having a lousy morning

><i>We asked for a copy of this alleged contract</i>

(1) Contracts require at least two parties, and in this case, you were one of them. So where's *your* copy of the contract? Get it out, read it, see what it says. The "alleged" contract is the deal you struck when you bought the car. If you bought it "as is", then you screwed yourself.

(2) It seems you have the time now to take the car to a mechanic to have it inspected. So what stopped you from doing this *before* you bought the car? Perhaps a smart person would have discovered the bent frame *before* purchasing?

(3) I bet your father is turning over in his grave, knowing that you pissed away on a car the trust fund that he was wise enough to set aside for you. He probably didn't intend you to use it for anything so frivolous as going to university.

(4) "Everybody gets the government they deserve". It would seem that the same applies to cars.

 

The end of your post stated you're getting your money back.
If that's the case, consider yourself lucky and remember the
leason learned. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Hope you find another car. Consider a first generation,
cheaper and plentiful. Try to buy from an orginal owner.
Chances are they have babied the car.

 

I feel for you. Nail them for everything. The courts always gives you (the buyer the benifit of the doubt) and the business the responibility. Don't settle. Good luck.

 

DUUUUUDDDEE. There are plenty of us here in town that will help you if you want. Just let RedVR4 (Phil), Grimm (Chris) or myself know and one of us can work out some time to go look at a car with you. I bought a car from Huggins Honda 9 years ago. It was ok but now that I know this I won't go back. Freakin Bastards.

Come By the meet and meet some of us next saturday. (see above post near the top)

 

Space Coyote has a great idea, one you should consider doing.
There are a whole bunch of 3SI brothers in Texas. Utilize their
collective knowledge. Find another car and then give them a
call. Or ask them to keep a lookout for a good car.
Helping someone make an educated choice is a lot of fun.
And it's a opportunity to met the local 3K/Stealth fans.

 

Haven't you ever heard of taking the car somewhere else to be inspected before you buy it? Fuck yeah it's almost brand new but you never know.
As for the car itself... If you were so trapped for cash.. why did you spring for a 99 SL?... You could have gotten a 96-97 VR4 for the price you paid for the SL.

Elmo, Where by Scranton are you?

EDIt - Just read he was 18.. That explain's why he went for the 99

 

91_3kgt,

I'm in Clarks Summit, actually right off the main street, Rt 6.

If you're familiar, feel free to come up some time.

If you're free the 1st of sept, maybe you can come up that day. Hans is coming up, most likely with Omar, because that's when my Tranny and TC will get swapped. *crosses his fingers*

This is assuming that the shipping for the Kormex Tranny gets here in time, when I order it tomorrow morning.

I'm sure that an extra set of hands around can't hurt, and having some more 3si'ers to hang out with always make the day (and the grease monkey work) go a little easier.

Let me know, AIM or YM me. (screen name is Elmosaurus)

Elton

 

May I first say that you sound to be one of the most well versed, aware, and responsible 18 year olds I've run across in a while and you handling of the situation is 100% appropriate. Don't know about Texas, but in FL....contract or not, the dealer IS responsible for knowing the origin of EVERY car they sell as well as the severity of any damage it has sustained. I GUARANTEE they were aware of it as does your lawyer. They buy cars for a living and sell them for a profit....I guarantee they look closely into what they buy....and hope you don't find out before the sale is done. Unfortunately, for the contract you signed to be valid, the seller must disclose all info to you which is where your lawyer is going to make the case no doubt. Don't stop with a lawyer though. Notify local news, BBB, and ESPECIALLY JD POWER!! (check with your lawyer FIRST though to make sure it won't jeapordize your case). One thing you said that warrants attention....."What the hell as long as they're paying it's their show. "......WRONG!!! In the future..if you have a warranty or insurance claim YOU RUN THE SHOW when damage has to be repaired due to somebody elses negligence...don't forget that!! They certainly PREFER you use who they say and will go out of their way to convince you yuo have to, but it's YOUR call. Fir future reference, always treat ANYONE you are buying something from as you mortal enemy who is out to screw you dry no matter how nice they appear to be. If something just doesn't "feel" right...your gut instinct and 1st instinct are usually correct! Most important, if a retailer has the attitude that they are doing you a "favor" to sell you something (i.e. "this is a rare one of a kind" "you are stealing this" "I could get fired for this") turn around and leave or tell them straight out as i have done "shut the hell up will you, I know exactly what I'm looking for and what it's worth...I'll call you when I want to drive it or have you fill out the paperwork for me which is all I need you for" That may not me the "freindly" way to establish a relationship at a dealer, but you aren't looking for "drinking buddies" you are looking for a car that you are NOT going to gret fucked on.......setting this precident from the beginning let's them know you are NOT to be fucked with and if they have a problem with it, take your business elsewhere. You obviously sound like an inteligent and PATIENT person (dont have a "BUY NOW" attitiude" ) which is every dealers nightmare. Never let them know how much you like a car and NEVER buy the first day you see it. Good luck to you, Unless your lawyer is a complete fucking muppet, yuo ahold get your money back

 

To the "I'm having a bad morning asshole"

1. The whole reason I say this contract is alleged is because of the fact we don't have a copy of it and when asked to give it to us they never did. It's existence is "alleged."

2.We should have done that, yes it was foolish not to. The mistake I made was trust other human beings...kinda sad when you get screwed huh? (Trust no one, especially the nice man at the dealership, they have your keys in one hand and K-Y jelly in the other. Life Lesson learned)

3.You're right, my father was wise. He left me enough to go to school and roll up there in my 3000GT. I have 2 dreams, one was owning a nice car, the other was filmaking. I go to school for it this fall. It's just going to be tough to get there until this is resolved. Don't ever talk about my father again.

4. Life isn't fair, but people can be. Don't talk about someone's dead father and insult their intelligence unless you intend to actually say something. Sometimes I think the governement should pass a law entitled "Don't be an asshole."

 

dang....

Guys, take it easy....

Andrew: I understand where you're coming from, but there were many vague details that were left out of the intial post. I almost made the same assumptions as you, but decided not to say anything, because I didn't know, hadn't talked directly with Falcon, and most important, wasn't there the WHOLE time to see what transpired. Not trying to offend you, just don't totally agree with what you said earlier.

Falcon: Don't let the statements get you upset. I'm sure your wise father, and also wise mother, would not have let you squander the financial rememberance of your departed father (my condolences, I don't know how I could have made it as a child without my beloved father)

I for one think that a slight frame bend would be hard for the average mechanic to see, especially since the internal bay of the 3KGT is so cramped to begin with. It's a tight toleranced fit from what I can tell on mine, and I can easily see how 2mm this way or that would adversely affect things over the long haul. Short of putting it on a body/frame rack, I don't think a normal or even thorough 'used car checkup' would determine a misaligned frame, especially if the repair job was done by a good body man...

CAN YOU SPOT A SHIFT OF 2MM IN METAL? I sure as hell can't.

Trust is something we give as children. We only take it away when we get hurt, in some way shape or form.

As life strips us of our innocence, we tend to make others have to EARN our trust.

I won't debate which is the right way to live; each person chooses their own path. But I will say that I feel for you, and hope you screw those jerks good. As I previously posted, I have less than a 20% case against my wrong-doers, so I can't sit without a car for 3 months while it battles out in court (need car to get to work) So I hope that you can exact vengence and have justice, because a small piece of it will vindicate me also.

Hang in there Falcon, and good luck in school. (who knows, maybe this traumatic event will shape itself into a memorable scene in one of your hit productions!)


Elton

 

HUGGINS FUCKIN' SUCKS!!! Hell yeah, when I read your story I was thinking it was Huggins even though you live in Dallas. I had a couple bad experiences with them. They did not fix the ticking noise while it was still under warranty, could not duplicate they said. Funny thing is, it ticked constantly before that, but stopped completely for a whole month afterwards, while my warranty ran out. Then I bought an A/C clutch from them for $250 and it snapped 2 weeks later. They would not warranty the part, they told me to make a claim with Mitsu. My friend(chick) towed her GT there and the timing belt busted while they had it. It wasn't due for the timing belt yet. They didn't do anything about it but gave her a big estimate.

They also sent me to their body shop(used to be Keystone on Grapevine Hwy, now some other name) when I had an accident, they screwed up my whole car. I still have a knocking sound from my front suspension. They screwed up my perfect front end and repainted it without even informing me about it. Red overspray all on the inside of the mouth. Paint all over my dash, bad body work and paint, broke my fog light cover, missing bolts on front bumper, forgot my emblems, and painted the rubber around the headlights. And if they don't fix this crap I'll offer to take their pic next to this fine piece of work they represent and post it on the net. Free advertising? hehe. They suck.

Sorry to hear about what happened, we all learn how things go, you're learning right now from us guys. This is your first experience and it wasn't good. But no doubt you'll know better next time. You coming up to the meet next weekend? GT/Stealth or not. We're going to start in Lewisville and end up at Hooters in the West End.

 

From the "I'm having a bad morning asshole"

You invited comment - "<i>Anyway thanks for reading all this, let me know what you think</i>". You're welcome, and I did.

If you don't want people talking about your father, then refrain from introducing him into the discussion ("<i>so that's where dad comes in</i>").

><i>Don't [...] insult their intelligence unless you intend to actually say something</i>.

I did say something - you bought that car with your eyes wide open, and you let yourself be screwed. You participated in a contract, and failed to take the most elementary of precautions, such as having a competent trustworthy mechanic inspect the vehicle for you, <i>a priori </i> the purchase. And I'm still not sure how you managed to avoid getting a copy of the contract that you must have signed. I suspect that nothing I say will insult your intelligence.

><i>Sometimes I think the governement should pass a law entitled "Don't be an asshole."</i>

I agree. It would come in handy when 18-year-olds buy cars.

I don't imagine that anybody here is interested in our difference of opinion. If you would care to continue off-line, please feel free to email me at fatbiker@oz.sunflower.org.

 

Falcon - I'm sorry bout the car and your Father. My mother died when I was young, which is how I got my Stealth.

Shit happens man, but like others said, you're takin it standing and not being a puss about it. If you're going fight, fight very hard. If they fucked you in the ass, I would fuck them in the ass so hard they'd be bleeding out their ears and mouth. Slander is a crime, but anything short of that isn't Think of how the public would think of them - Selling a broken car to an 18 year old and then gettin him to sign a contract freeing them of any responsibility.

The most important thing is that you've grown, or are growing, wiser as this whole process plays out. Seems to me you've learned lessons early that most people learn later in life. Things will work themselves out, I'm sure.

Best of Luck, David

P.S. Next time get a TT

 

I cant tell you this with almost 100% assurance. THEY KNEW what was wrong with the car. I work for a mitsu dealer (all dealers work pretty much the same.) If that car was in an accident major enough for it to bend the frame (obviously it was) they absoulutley would have known. My dealership works on bodyshop cars all the time at least 10% of the cars we see are from the body shop next door. First things first, if it was that big an accident they would have pulled the frame, case closed the frame was bent, obviously they knew that or they wouldn't ahve had to bend it back to get everything to lign up. On the off chance they didn't have to do any frame work and it got past them. Any really good mechanic will be able to see when something like that is wrong. You cant bend the frame on a 1 1/2 ton automobile without doing some damage to suspension components. (That's what I spend most of my time working on) If you damage suspension components and have them repaired or replaced, you need an alignment. 99% of dealerships (or anyone else for that matter) will have this done at the same time. You will notice that the frame is out of spec when you go to align the car (it's either the suspension or the frame, and since they already replaced the damages suspension they would have known it was frame damage). I would do a couple things. Ask to see the repair order on the car for its repair following the "minor" accident. Also consider getting an outside shop to try doing an alignment. If it's far enough out of spec to cause the engine to shift there's no way in hell it would line up right...
Well I'm at school and I have to jet. Take care.

 

Can't thank you all enough

The car came home today. It doesn't start but I just sat listening to a cd, remembering all those long drives over the lake with the windows down, sunroof back and music playing. I didn't have any place to go, I just loved driving. My paperwieght will be here for the next couple of days until it's sent off to a meeting between lawyers and dealers. We'll see how it all plays out. She's dirty and covered in tree sap. I know it's a lost cause but I think I'll give her a wash for old times sake.
You all have been so helpful since I posted. I can't thank you enough for your wisdom and support. Granted that Andrew guy is kind of a prick, but that's something for his family members to deal with not me. Once he gets the large pole out of his ass he'll be okay. I can't thank the rest of you all enough, it's times like these when it's good to know you're not alone in the world.

 

Go to all news stations in the area!!

My mom's home builder tried to screw her so she called all the news stations and the builder changed they're opinions and what they were gonna do very quickly. Call the news and they will give you what you want. Also get a lawyer and sue for all your money back and possibly any money you had put into car (alarm, stereo, engine mods) anything you can think of.

 

Elton,

Sounds good to me. I'll talk to ya on Aim

Ron

 

Well, I think you have to get to know Andrew a little better. He's ok.....just has a temper thats always flarin' like a pack o' hemmherroids,,kinda like me sometimes . I don;t think he fully understood the "contract" issue. Like me, he want's to make sure others on the board learn from mistakes of others an can sometimes be pretty blunt. He actually has helped a lot of people out in the past including me. Best of luck again!

 

Yeah, if you read Andrew's FAQ on his web site, you'll understand how he is. I'd say he's a very educated person, you'd almost bet he's a writer for some political newspaper. Or for the History Channel.