Hi Shaun,
If nothing else, at least this has produced a response previously lacking (which I will come to later).
Like you, I feel I need to answer your points, 1 by 1.
I travel from Norway to the UK, but close enough. I do where possible supply my own parts – HELIX don’t sell clutches on E-bay. The only 2nd hand thing I’ve ever fitted is the Forge FMIC, stupidly expensive new !
The problems with timescales had little to do with the Turbo, manifold or clutch I supplied. Everything which went wrong to at least 2 days to resolve. The turbo I supplied wasn’t fitted on AmD’s own recommendation. On that day it was agreed AmD would refit the old turbo. Next day I get a call to say the old turbo had too much play in it, and would have to be replaced (but you had one in the
shop). Why couldn’t the turbo have been checked for suitability for refit before the 1st call ? The manifold (I still don’t understand why it didn’t fit as it was, in EVERY single key dimension identical to the millimetre to the standard – I measured it myself) I agreed to replace – had to be ordered. AmD continually identified the gearbox delivery as a bottleneck – it was delived 2 days late, but then AmD din’t fit it for over another week as it was “easier to remove and fit the turbo without it in place”, so this should not have been used as an excuse.
As for the clutch, both Mardigras and Helix maintain that the concentric slave was either fitted incorrectly or was part fitted and someone pressed the clutch pedal before the slave was in situ. Either way, neither AmD nor Mardigrads/Helix admit any liability and I end up with an 859 quid paperweight. I only went down that road in the first place because I got no reply for AmD to my request for
help sourcing a suitable unit. Again, when the
problem occurred, I agreed the same day I was informed, to go ahead and fit a Sachs unit which I was told you had “on the shelf” – turns out you didn’t have it “on the shelf” and had to order a new flywheel !
You claim the car was ready within 2 – 3 weeks. I delivered the car to you on 14th April. I had to return to Norway without my car on 1st May. I received the final cal that it was ready to collect on the 26th May. Doesn’t sound like 2 – 3 weeks to me – actually sounds like 6 weeks.
And no, you’re totally correct – I was NOT prepared to jump immediately on a plane to come and collect it – I had rather a lot on at work, and couldn’t plan my return earlier than the end of June as I had no clue when the car would actually be finished until 26th May !
About not replying to my e-mails, I will let others decide. Argumentative ? I merely wanted answers to some VERY pertinent questions. As for threatening legal action, the full mail thread is below so you decide. I see no threat implied or stated, so I would be VERY careful about making such accusations, Shaun.
The Milltek exhaust. The whole exhaust had to be removed, so I’m led to believe to replace the turbo, and it couldn’t be taken off in one piece. AmD couldn’t split it and thus I was asked if AmD could cut it off. I agreed, and asked AmD to check with Milltek about the warranty. The so-called “Lifetime warranty” doesn’t cover the fact that the sections had corroded themselves together. Speaking to Milltek’s MD though, he asked if AmD had tried heat to free the sections as he seemed to think this a fairly successful method. I couldn’t comment. Again, at the end of the day, I live in Norway. They have 1-2 metres of snow every year and use grit and salt as appropriate to make the roads useable. I still think that the Milltek warrant is worthless as external corrosion is not covered – only defects and corrosion from inside, i.e. failure.
I actually did have a
problem with the trapped wire as a result of the timing belt replacement. I actually also did have either 1 or both wishbones bent by Steve when he hammered in the new Poly bushes, one of the main ones even being put in upside down (witness marks from missed hammer blows and the upside down bush pointed out to me by the MOT centre). Both just caused me a huge amount of inconvenience, expense (diagnosis and fixing for the wiring and replacement for the wishbones) and in the case of the wishbones, tyre wear on a brand new set of Parada Spec-2’s !
Again, what about the 3 litres of Mobil 1 gearbox oil I supplied, never fitted, which AmD ”retained” ? What about the Ecotec valve and Pipercross filter simply removed for no reason and not mentioned (and not included in the box of parts I was given) ? What about the engine undertray not on the car when it was returned (Only descovered later) ? What about the engine cover from another customers car which didn’t fit properly ?
In conclusion Shaun, I too am extremely happy I have a new pair of garages to service/tune my care in the future.
