My On Going 260rs Drama

[msports180]

Well where do i start??

I purchased my 260RS from a member on this site. It needed to have the motor rebuilt and to have the engine bay resprayed as there was some minor surface rust in the engine bay where the panels join. This was in november last year.

The car sat at the panel beaters until march this year where all they had manged to do was fix the rust and respray the engine bay, the front of the car was still in pieces and there was some rust under the rear window still to be fixed.

It went to Gavin Wood autotech in march for the engine rebuild to commence and the engine bay to be put back together. They managed to get 3/4 through the engine rebuild to discover that there were missing gudgeon pin clips in the forged pistons supplied from a trader on this site.

While we were waiting for these parts to arrive we sent the car back to the panel beater to have the car completed. There it sat for 4 weeks and again nothing was done to it.

After 2 months of trying to get these gudgeon pin clips i finally managed to get them by getting in touch with the traders own supplier and they sent me some.

3 weeks after we get these Gavin Wood autotech had the motor back in the hole and the car runninng.

Sent the car back to the panel beaters on the 30th of june, was told 3days to a week max and it will be done.... well its still not done... after a phone call yesterday to them to complain i was promptly hung up on by the panel beater... so i am taking other action now...

the car is STILL YET to be complied so there is another few weeks and then a week or two for it to be trucked to me here in WA.

so i paid for the car in november 07 may get it august 08... what a flaming joke, has been at the panel beaters for over 5 months all up.

As some of you know i also have the car up for sale, i have just had a baby and needed this to carry her in. I had a buyer lined up and all then only for him to lose his job due to the gas crisis were having here in WA. So i thaught sweet have sold the car so i can finally buy something else to carry the baby in but no...

so there's my vent over...

if anyone lives in the goldcoast and they feel like knocking someone around i will give you the panel beaters details... I would do it myself how ever im in WA. Hence the reason i think there f@*king me around.

I have to thank Gavin Wood Autotech for all ther help with the car and chasing up the panel beater for me, they have been absolute life savers. Would happily recomend them again.

and to the panel beater

Neil

[ssshonky]

thats f*cked!

before you take ANY Drastic action - contact your local consumer affairs department and tell them EXACTLY whats going on- do NOT take vigilante action!

see what they say and go from there.

to be honest I dont know how you lasted that long ! I would have got consumer affairs onto them a LONG Time ago - they are obviously incompitent boobs!

[GoldZilla]

I agree with Sean on this in all regards.

You are one very patient person! Much respect to you for holding out this long!

Good luck in getting it all sorted - it'll be worth it. I have not regretted buying my car for one moment.

[unique1]

sorry to hear Neil it sounds like my sort of luck to be honest I bought mine in mid 04, took 6 months to do engine conversion drove it for 1 week and motor cracked a piston, rebuilt it after a year of waiting for machine work and parts, drove it for 1000km run in, did a basic tune on 11psi and drove it for 20km and dropped oil pressure pulled the motor and block was cracked, rebuilt with a new n1 block, did 1000km run in again, then drove another 300km and melted pistons, rebuilt again and machining was wrong so i needed custom pistons, then did run in and tune and have drivin about 1000km since and still good finally after almost 4 years, its been the most frustrating time over these years and cost me a fortune but well worth it

hang in there Neil it wont be long now and u will be enjoying it

[BoyWhoCriedWolf]

Its a terrible story from start to finish. More importantly hows the lovely and your little girl??

[leetom]

i remember when you introduced your car to this forum and i asked if you bought it on the g/coast, just out of interest is the p/beater situated at molendinar.....the reason i ask is that i had a good look at this car at p/btrs.....wondering if it's the same car,

goodluck.

[msports180]

I have contacted consumer affairs and have taken the action they recomended, which was a formal written complaint dated and sent registered post, they have 7 days to reply.

The vigilante action is just what i wana do in my head.

The only reason ive been patient is because i had the pregnancy to keep me going and i didnt really need the car until the baby was born. I knew it was coming just didnt think it would take this long!!

Damn brad i dont feel so bad now, im not quite up to a year and you went 4!! jeez

Yeah ken mum and the baby are doing real well thanks. Allthough at the moment the only person getting sleep in our house at the moment is the baby. But she's only nearly 3 weeks old and has me wrapped around her little finger allready. If it wasnt for her i think i would of killed someone by now over this.

[msports180]

i remember when you introduced your car to this forum and i asked if you bought it on the g/coast, just out of interest is the p/beater situated at molendinar.....the reason i ask is that i had a good look at this car at p/btrs.....wondering if it's the same car,

goodluck.

yeah sounds like the one...

im nervous now...

[leetom]

yeah sounds like the one...

im nervous now...

sorry neil don,t mean to freak you, i looked at the car and was interested, but the p/beaters seemed dodgy, thats if it's the same place.

[msports180]

sorry neil don,t mean to freak you, i looked at the car and was interested, but the p/beaters seemed dodgy, thats if it's the same place.

thats kool

and yeah the panel beater does seem to be a bit dodgy...

the guy i baught the car from has vanished from the face of the earth to.

[msports180]

Well... the 7 days for the panel beater came and went with no reply so formal action has been taken against them now. The Office of fair trading said these complaints are normally completed within 30days. Another wait.

I rang the panel beater myself on thursday just to tell them im taking action and you would think that they would of done some work on the car after recieving the letter but no... they said still another week.

So im pretty much F#*KING over it now.

[msports180]

Time for an update...

When we last left off a formal complaint had been made and the panel beater had 30days to complete the car or court action would be taken against him. Well... after 29days he finnally finished the car. Its now at the complience guys, but... As some are aware you have to get a car complied within 12months of bringing it into the country. As the panel beater has taken so long we have gone over the 12months. We are currently waiting to hear back from SEVS if we can get an extension due to the circumstances.

So if all goes well i should have the car byt the end of the month.

[ssshonky]

I take my hat off to you for not lobbing a molotov cocktail thru their window long ago

oh but hang on - then you would set your own car on fire! damn !

[msports180]

Well series 2 Autech 260RS's just got rarer. Mine has failed complience. The minor rust that the panel beaters were to have fixed wasnt and they compliece guys failed the car. So i have just waisted 10months and a shit load of money.

I will get the car trucked to me here in perth now and strip it to try and recover some of the costs.

I am now trying to get hold of the guy that sold it to me, but he has dissapeared from the face of the earth. I am waiting on a call back from consumer affairs now to see of there is anything i can do.

All i can is F#@K

[M I K E]

ohh dude so sorry to hear

i would be shattered, i'm surprised how composed you appear to be although i'm sure this forum doesn't convey those emotions so well

[NXTIME]

Can you not have the minor rust repaired and have the car re-checked and passed by the compliance workshop? Or is it a one-time only thing?

[msports180]

Yeah the words im thinking out really the type you want to write here. And u dont want to know what im thinking.

We spoke about fixing the rust but there were some reasons that we didnt want to, one being because it took over 12months they were looking at the car through a microscope.

[NXTIME]

Yeah the words im thinking out really the type you want to write here. And u dont want to know what im thinking.

We spoke about fixing the rust but there were some reasons that we didnt want to, one being because it took over 12months they were looking at the car through a microscope.

Mate, I would find someone else to fix the rust and also speak to the compliance guys about it as I would think that there could be a better resolution for you, especially after all this time.

Best of luck.

[Whooby]

That sucks, possible to do in a different state?

People have said its easier to get a car done in QLD than NSW/VIC. Anyone know if its true?

[msports180]

Mate, I would find someone else to fix the rust and also speak to the compliance guys about it as I would think that there could be a better resolution for you, especially after all this time.

Best of luck.

Unfortunatly that is the only resolution there willing to take, i can understand why even though it pains me so much.

I spoke to the Office of Fair trading today, there going to chat to the panel beater, may be able to make a small claims action against them?

And i have an appointment with a lawyer next wednesday to see if i can take personal action against the guy i baught the car from.

So i will know what im goning to do by wednesday next week. But most probably part it out as i need wheels NOW.