I paid $6,000 for a Transmission Swap from Paul. Here’s my story (NOT a happy ending)
10-07-2014, 06:31 PM
#81
My side for what it is worth.....
The clutch was definitely a new part and was infact my shelf stock part as I usually keep one on hand along with a release bearing. I would not be surprised if Luke's lack of stick driving experience has not lead to the early demise of the clutch. It took him 4 tries to even leave my house without stalling the car.
The clutch was definitely a new part and was infact my shelf stock part as I usually keep one on hand along with a release bearing. I would not be surprised if Luke's lack of stick driving experience has not lead to the early demise of the clutch. It took him 4 tries to even leave my house without stalling the car.
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you8myrice (10-07-2014)
10-07-2014, 06:34 PM
#82
The issue here is the OP, last I had heard from him he was going to take it to a local shop to get it repaired so I was waiting for the shops quote to work with. In my phone dealings I would ask him "what do you want to do?", IE how do you want to deal with the repairs that were needed, instead of giving a response that could be worked with he would just continue to complain (like my soon to be ex wife) without working towards a real solution.
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1fstTL (10-08-2014)
10-07-2014, 07:08 PM
#83
Instructor
Shows this "highly praised" mechanics attitude of not giving a single sh!t about his customers. Hope people stay away from him after seeing this
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10-07-2014, 07:15 PM
#84
There are so many different issues with the three statements that NVA-AV6 has said thus far but this one strikes me as ridiculous. Regardless if Luke could or could not drive stick. It should not have "lead to an early demise" with only 1500 miles on it. I personally have never driven a manual car until December of 2013. I purchased a 99 Honda Accord with an automatic transmission. I read and researched how to swap in a manual transmission and completed the task. By myself with no help. That first month or two I could smell the clutch burn every single day until I got to the point I'm at now where there isn't an issue. That being said....it's the original clutch I put in and my wife still drives it with no issue. We are also teaching our oldest to drive manual. So after 1500 miles that clutch hasn't met it's demise unless it's old. I'm not here to knock NVA-AV6 as I've read some of his work and he seems to do good work. Just the way it was handled and the way he is speaking of Luke in this quote is not professional.
10-07-2014, 07:45 PM
#85
Sorry about your car, Frosty. That's rough. IDK about you guys, but that car was driven after everything was put together. There's no way there'd be that much mud/dirt on the sides of the car and aspec wheels just from sitting outside in the rain. I've driven a car on wet/muddy dirt roads before and and it looked the same way.
EDIT: After going back and looking at the pics again, the car had been drove. If it was just sitting in the yard, then why are the tires muddy? There shouldn't been any mud on the tires, especially at the top. The entire tire tread(s) are coated in mud. Plus if you look at another pic you can see where mud was slung up and outwards across the door/fender. As for the scrape on the Aspec lip, it definitely wasn't there when it left, Frosty's house (refer to pics). Maybe the tow truck guy damaged it unloading it, OR maybe Paul backed into something.
ALSO the car left OP's house extremely clean.
EDIT: After going back and looking at the pics again, the car had been drove. If it was just sitting in the yard, then why are the tires muddy? There shouldn't been any mud on the tires, especially at the top. The entire tire tread(s) are coated in mud. Plus if you look at another pic you can see where mud was slung up and outwards across the door/fender. As for the scrape on the Aspec lip, it definitely wasn't there when it left, Frosty's house (refer to pics). Maybe the tow truck guy damaged it unloading it, OR maybe Paul backed into something.
ALSO the car left OP's house extremely clean.
It could have been raining or rained already when he was test driving it. The mud you see is probably from driving it out and in to his yard where the car was parked.
I agree it could have been washed prior to returning it to the customer whether it was a drive thru car wash or self service wash.
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10-07-2014, 08:24 PM
#87
If the work was done properly and he still did not "wash the car" would you really be complaining. That's just being nit picky. I agree too it looks like it is spash from a parking lot at low speed with all the large splatter. If it was my car I wouldn't care if it was washed. I'd wash it either way when I got home. I'd just want the stuff I couldn't do myself to be done properly.
However it does help exemplify the care taken on the vehicle.
However it does help exemplify the care taken on the vehicle.
10-07-2014, 08:26 PM
#88
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Wow, wow, wow.....
10-07-2014, 08:31 PM
#89
Suzuka Master
iTrader: (2)
Sorry about your car, Frosty. That's rough. IDK about you guys, but that car was driven after everything was put together. There's no way there'd be that much mud/dirt on the sides of the car and aspec wheels just from sitting outside in the rain. I've driven a car on wet/muddy dirt roads before and and it looked the same way.
EDIT: After going back and looking at the pics again, the car had been drove. If it was just sitting in the yard, then why are the tires muddy? There shouldn't been any mud on the tires, especially at the top. The entire tire tread(s) are coated in mud. Plus if you look at another pic you can see where mud was slung up and outwards across the door/fender. As for the scrape on the Aspec lip, it definitely wasn't there when it left, Frosty's house (refer to pics). Maybe the tow truck guy damaged it unloading it, OR maybe Paul backed into something.
ALSO the car left OP's house extremely clean.
EDIT: After going back and looking at the pics again, the car had been drove. If it was just sitting in the yard, then why are the tires muddy? There shouldn't been any mud on the tires, especially at the top. The entire tire tread(s) are coated in mud. Plus if you look at another pic you can see where mud was slung up and outwards across the door/fender. As for the scrape on the Aspec lip, it definitely wasn't there when it left, Frosty's house (refer to pics). Maybe the tow truck guy damaged it unloading it, OR maybe Paul backed into something.
ALSO the car left OP's house extremely clean.
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10-07-2014, 08:59 PM
#90
Team Owner
There are so many different issues with the three statements that NVA-AV6 has said thus far but this one strikes me as ridiculous. Regardless if Luke could or could not drive stick. It should not have "lead to an early demise" with only 1500 miles on it. I personally have never driven a manual car until December of 2013. I purchased a 99 Honda Accord with an automatic transmission. I read and researched how to swap in a manual transmission and completed the task. By myself with no help. That first month or two I could smell the clutch burn every single day until I got to the point I'm at now where there isn't an issue. That being said....it's the original clutch I put in and my wife still drives it with no issue. We are also teaching our oldest to drive manual. So after 1500 miles that clutch hasn't met it's demise unless it's old. I'm not here to knock NVA-AV6 as I've read some of his work and he seems to do good work. Just the way it was handled and the way he is speaking of Luke in this quote is not professional.
I've personally destroyed an almost new clutch in 30 seconds when I decided to take it to the junkyard, I've written about it in the past. I've also worn a brand new set of tires down to the threads in about 1 minute. These things aren't normal but they're not hard to do either.
On the flip side, maybe the clutch got contaminated by one of the oil leaks (I admittedly skimmed through a lot of the thread).
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azeezp13 (10-10-2014)
10-07-2014, 09:07 PM
#91
David_Dude
I don't know about you but after completing a service for a customer it only makes sense to take it out for a short test drive to verify the work.
It could have been raining or rained already when he was test driving it. The mud you see is probably from driving it out and in to his yard where the car was parked.
I agree it could have been washed prior to returning it to the customer whether it was a drive thru car wash or self service wash.
It could have been raining or rained already when he was test driving it. The mud you see is probably from driving it out and in to his yard where the car was parked.
I agree it could have been washed prior to returning it to the customer whether it was a drive thru car wash or self service wash.
If the work was done properly and he still did not "wash the car" would you really be complaining. That's just being nit picky. I agree too it looks like it is spash from a parking lot at low speed with all the large splatter. If it was my car I wouldn't care if it was washed. I'd wash it either way when I got home. I'd just want the stuff I couldn't do myself to be done properly.
However it does help exemplify the care taken on the vehicle.
However it does help exemplify the care taken on the vehicle.
I go to a locally owned garage close by where you can get all kind of work done to your car. It's crazy how they keep the inside of your car clean, yet they're covered in grease. If there's a mistake they go out of their way to make it right. I'm not one to turn a wrench UNLESS I have to, plus I don't have the time to get under a car and change the oil. Simple task, just not something I enjoy to do.My point exactly. Obviously Paul needed to drive it to make sure everything was working properly.
Last edited by Acura_Dude; 10-07-2014 at 09:11 PM.
10-07-2014, 09:22 PM
#92
David_Dude
Go back and look at the picture of the hood. How does one get mud/dirt on the hood?? It rains a lot here and for someone to get mud on the car car like that, you'll have to be driving a decent speed, not on asphalt, AND making a turn. Mud/dirt doesn't just sling up on a car without some type of spirited driving. I'm still saying there was no point in OP's car being that dirty. Seriously. I don't know one person on this forum that'll let me get their TL dirty like that without them knowing first hand.
Last edited by Acura_Dude; 10-07-2014 at 09:33 PM.
10-07-2014, 10:22 PM
#95
Instructor
This is one of the most interesting and disturbing reads I've encountered in Acurazine. A very well documented case which warrants legal action!
As a side note, this brings home my peculiar personal, lifetime experience, that every craftsman that I've dealt with named "Paul", has proven to be incompetent or a charlatan...Sorry "Paul's" of the world, I don't mean to indict you all but I've been damn unlucky with your namesakes
As a side note, this brings home my peculiar personal, lifetime experience, that every craftsman that I've dealt with named "Paul", has proven to be incompetent or a charlatan...Sorry "Paul's" of the world, I don't mean to indict you all but I've been damn unlucky with your namesakes
10-07-2014, 10:27 PM
#96
Race Director
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10-07-2014, 11:02 PM
#97
If my car was fixed perfectly, hence perfectly, i wouldn't care about how dirty the car would of gotten. I guess he is just exemplifying his work by his attitude in leaving the car dirty.
Whatever his name is, the mechanic obviously did something shady since he stopped replying to you. Hopefully when people search his name on google, your post will show up first. And with his argument stating it took you six tries to get out of the driveway; how does thst correlate to the leaking fluids? I would dispute those charges on Paypal, you might get your account limited, but i'd dispute it. His account will automatically go negative in the investigation. I'm not saying you will win, but it's a shot.
Whatever his name is, the mechanic obviously did something shady since he stopped replying to you. Hopefully when people search his name on google, your post will show up first. And with his argument stating it took you six tries to get out of the driveway; how does thst correlate to the leaking fluids? I would dispute those charges on Paypal, you might get your account limited, but i'd dispute it. His account will automatically go negative in the investigation. I'm not saying you will win, but it's a shot.
10-08-2014, 12:03 AM
#98
I won't comment on the rest but this post is absolutely not true. You can easily trash a clutch in under 1 mile. All it takes is to glaze it in one botched hard launch. All it takes is to take off in the wrong gear. All it takes is continued "spirited" driving while not knowing how to rev match the downshifts, slipping the clutch on take off and between gears, to overheat the clutch. I think the OP mentioned a particularly spirited night.
I've personally destroyed an almost new clutch in 30 seconds when I decided to take it to the junkyard, I've written about it in the past. I've also worn a brand new set of tires down to the threads in about 1 minute. These things aren't normal but they're not hard to do either.
On the flip side, maybe the clutch got contaminated by one of the oil leaks (I admittedly skimmed through a lot of the thread).
I've personally destroyed an almost new clutch in 30 seconds when I decided to take it to the junkyard, I've written about it in the past. I've also worn a brand new set of tires down to the threads in about 1 minute. These things aren't normal but they're not hard to do either.
On the flip side, maybe the clutch got contaminated by one of the oil leaks (I admittedly skimmed through a lot of the thread).
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10-08-2014, 07:24 AM
#99
I have seen ppl who buy their first stick car destroy the clutch in under 2500 miles on new cars. I personally don't want anyone but myself washing my car by hand.
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cokorote (10-12-2014)
10-08-2014, 08:02 AM
#100
David_Dude
I don't blame you, but when there's that much mud/dirt on the car an explanation is a given. Hell just spray it off. Obviously not all of it's going to come off, but come on. The car should have been tested out on the street only.
10-08-2014, 09:18 AM
#101
Man that's rough... OP and person doing job agreed to a price and what was to be expected. Obviously someone did not deliver on said promise. The person doing the work needs to make SURE that the parts are what is expected and at the very least clean up the car before returning it to the OP...after verifying everything is as it was when the car was delivered.
I just paid (as of last week) a Subaru dealer $3.8K to fix my engine. Now only did they dix my motor, PS rack, and A/C they came in well under the 4.2K price for motor and new rack. Also my car was washed and cleaned. I still had an antifreeze leak and when I brought it back, they acknowledged that the lower hose was not on securely and they fixed it. They did the job better than expected and never blamed me for anything...or made justifications.
I just paid (as of last week) a Subaru dealer $3.8K to fix my engine. Now only did they dix my motor, PS rack, and A/C they came in well under the 4.2K price for motor and new rack. Also my car was washed and cleaned. I still had an antifreeze leak and when I brought it back, they acknowledged that the lower hose was not on securely and they fixed it. They did the job better than expected and never blamed me for anything...or made justifications.
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Acura_Dude (10-08-2014)
10-08-2014, 11:31 AM
#103
Three Wheelin'
This has been a super compelling read and I feel for the OP but I don't think its fair to keep throwing Paul under the bus like that. He's a pioneer in the J-Series game and has done a lot for the community. Everyone has done some f*** ups in their life and lacked accountability to own up to it right away. The fact of the matter is, this is far from a simple job and you'd be hard-pressed to find a shop even capable of performing this swap. Paul butchered the job, like almost every mechanic has done at one point or another.. and he owned up to it by reimbursing the OP with half the cost. Most of the work is done, it's possible OP may need a new clutch and transmission casing now.. but what's done is done. Hopefully the OP can get the job finished right and be able to enjoy his new 6MT TL.
Glad to see you take things in stride. The op now has to spend more money to fix someone elses fk up even though this person has done over 25 of these swaps.
10-08-2014, 11:45 AM
#104
Three Wheelin'
Azeezp13 Paul threw himself under the bus. Did u see the pictures? How many separate leaks OP had to deal with? That's downright being complacent and careless. If av6 is so highly praised then how does this just occur, does he have other people working for him as well? Who really knows
people have their fuck ups but they deal with them like men. That car had more than five serious issues that were left unaddressed before op set off on a massive drive back home. He could have gotten stuck in but fuck nowhere meanwhile Paul isn't giving two shit.
Sorry if I'm mad at this ordeal I got taken for my last motor rebuild on my previous car by my local mechanic shop, bill was over 2xs the quote and car was so fucked up it never did run right ever again after that.
And I still hold it against them those grimey lil f ers.
You don't see investment brokers accidentally lose all their clients money and then those clients give them more money to invest. So how someone could defend av6 after it's been documented he willingly neglected to do his job in several areas and aspects.... Is beyond me.
It takes years to build a reputation and seconds to destroy it. I think he forgot that.
people have their fuck ups but they deal with them like men. That car had more than five serious issues that were left unaddressed before op set off on a massive drive back home. He could have gotten stuck in but fuck nowhere meanwhile Paul isn't giving two shit.
Sorry if I'm mad at this ordeal I got taken for my last motor rebuild on my previous car by my local mechanic shop, bill was over 2xs the quote and car was so fucked up it never did run right ever again after that.
And I still hold it against them those grimey lil f ers.
You don't see investment brokers accidentally lose all their clients money and then those clients give them more money to invest. So how someone could defend av6 after it's been documented he willingly neglected to do his job in several areas and aspects.... Is beyond me.
It takes years to build a reputation and seconds to destroy it. I think he forgot that.
230 dollars and a bucket of water and soap would of saved his face.
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TheBlueBomber (10-09-2014)
10-08-2014, 03:27 PM
#107
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
Frosty, the real issue with all of this, is that for whatever reason you felt that someone who is not an approved vendor here on AcuraZine could perform good work. You should know that anyone not honest enough to be an official vendor is obviously a crook! I hope this is a lesson to all. If you're talking to someone within our community, who is attempting to sell parts or service, and they don't have a Vendor Tag, they are likely a crook and liar. Report them to the site team, and DO NOT DO BUSINESS with them.
With that said, NVA-AV6 is now banned for life.
cheers,
robb
With that said, NVA-AV6 is now banned for life.
cheers,
robb
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10-08-2014, 03:46 PM
#108
Frosty, the real issue with all of this, is that for whatever reason you felt that someone who is not an approved vendor here on AcuraZine could perform good work. You should know that anyone not honest enough to be an official vendor is obviously a crook! I hope this is a lesson to all. If you're talking to someone within our community, who is attempting to sell parts or service, and they don't have a Vendor Tag, they are likely a crook and liar. Report them to the site team, and DO NOT DO BUSINESS with them.
With that said, NVA-AV6 is now banned for life.
cheers,
robb
With that said, NVA-AV6 is now banned for life.
cheers,
robb
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10-08-2014, 04:04 PM
#110
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
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10-08-2014, 04:49 PM
#112
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Well then...
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10-09-2014, 12:17 AM
#118
Safety Car
Wow.
Definitely lesson learned by the car community here...buyer beware of any backyard mechanic. Regardless of how much of a "good rep" he has with forum guys, it's still dangerous.
As others have mentioned. A proper business builds into their expense occasional screw-ups when things do go wrong. Of course sourcing parts in these kinds of tranny conversions will already be hard to find a shop to do so finding a quality part that's NOT been hacked and slapped together like that tranny case will be an issue as well.
Hope OP get's his car fixed up properly.
This gives me great incentive to properly care for the 5AT!
Definitely lesson learned by the car community here...buyer beware of any backyard mechanic. Regardless of how much of a "good rep" he has with forum guys, it's still dangerous.
As others have mentioned. A proper business builds into their expense occasional screw-ups when things do go wrong. Of course sourcing parts in these kinds of tranny conversions will already be hard to find a shop to do so finding a quality part that's NOT been hacked and slapped together like that tranny case will be an issue as well.
Hope OP get's his car fixed up properly.
This gives me great incentive to properly care for the 5AT!
10-09-2014, 01:28 AM
#120
Safety Car
Yeah it's funny how the $3k "refund" was brought up when this thing went public.
That right there is a sign that some shady stuff was going on and the mechanic probably knew this was a hack-job. So he's trying to save face/rep now that it's been exposed.
Otherwise, if it was an honest, quality sourced part job done by the mechanic he would've come out slinging to defend his rep and his work with a full rebuttal.
But hey at least he's getting some money back, hopefully. The guy is probably trying to avoid small claims court case. Times like these make you wish you had a lawyer friend.
Good circle of friends to keep to maximize life perks:
Doctor, lawyer, car mechanic/car company employee, computer guy, travel agent/airline employee.
That right there is a sign that some shady stuff was going on and the mechanic probably knew this was a hack-job. So he's trying to save face/rep now that it's been exposed.
Otherwise, if it was an honest, quality sourced part job done by the mechanic he would've come out slinging to defend his rep and his work with a full rebuttal.
But hey at least he's getting some money back, hopefully. The guy is probably trying to avoid small claims court case. Times like these make you wish you had a lawyer friend.
Good circle of friends to keep to maximize life perks:
Doctor, lawyer, car mechanic/car company employee, computer guy, travel agent/airline employee.
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