Shifted Performance

[travismaser]

Hey guys!
Whelp, I’m back! A lot of you know me from my Toyota 350z build that has been going on for quite a few months now. The build was something that I have been dreaming about for about 3 years now and I finally saved up enough cash to make that dream come true....well it turned into a nightmare VERY quick.
I guess I can start out by telling you guys how I met the guys out at shifted performance and why I went to them in the first place. I was on the supra forums researching what I would need to buy to get my project going, talking to different guys about motors, turbo's, tuning, etc....I got a lot of PM's from guys, giving me lots of good info about who to talk to and so on. Then I got a PM from a guy saying that he had a shop in NJ, and had been doing 2jz swap kits for RX7's for a little while now, he sent me some pictures of the cars and talked my ear off about everything he does and would offer over the kit I was going to buy (tech 2)...I was very sketchy at first but left him in the back of my mind...a year and a half later, he was still emailing me and sending pictures and so forth, sooo I decided to go out to the shop, look around and see about leaving my car there...
In late September 2011, I decided to take a ride out with a few friends and potentially drop the car off...got there, loved the few builds he showed me and the deal he was cutting me didn’t seem all that bad. He offered me a sponsorship that would include his kit, paint and wiring harness for free. A discounted labor rate of 4,000.00, and a safe place for my car for the winter. We discussed when the car would be done and what all I wanted on it. He told me that he wanted my car "to be a model of what kind of work he could REALLY do"...he wanted my car to be his company’s money maker in a way. He promised me a car that would be a reliable everyday driver with all the same qualities of a brand new car (A/C, Nav, all new gauges, reliable, all brand new parts, clips, wiring, the whole 9 yards) everything looked legit, Tony seemed professional, and I was happy when I left my 2006 350z there.
A few months went by and Tony seemed to be FLYING thru the build, I received pictures every day, a phone call every night giving me details of what all he had done that day, what he planned on doing and so forth…I was so excited to get the car back…we had talked about the car being done around Christmas time and most definitely done before the New Year….wellll that didn’t happen…this is where I started to get a little worried …BUT, when I brought it up to Tony he would simply say “Travis, I told you in the beginning, you can trust me..it’s going to be done and done the right way”…so I gave him a few more months…then March came and I was seeing little to no work being done, and when I did see work, it was not good work…like when he finally got it to run, he sent videos of it driving around at night so you could not see if it was blowing smoke or anything (I found out later that he had the APEXI Safc 2 wired in backwards and it was DUMPING fuel and running REALLY unsafely) he called one day and said he hooked the intercooler piping up and my turbo (that was on my VQ and ran just fine), blew up under only 2PSI…he couldn’t get it to run correctly, (we found out was because it was wired backwards)and it took him 3 weeks to mount my new GT4088R….Finally, I gave him a call and said I would be there in 2 weeks from that day…it would be a Friday and I was going to be taking the car…I could not have it sitting there any longer…he said ok…I felt 2 weeks was PLENTY of time to tune the car and have it ready for me to pick it up…3 DAYS BEFORE I WENT TO GET IT, I called and he STILL had not touched it…said he lost track of time….I simply said, ILL BEE THERE FRIDAY…sooo that Thursday night when I called him, it still was not running…he said it just needed tuned and it would be fine…so I took my tuner with me to Jersey. When myself and Josh from NSN Garage showed up on Friday morning we pulled up to me my car sitting in the front of the garage with the hood up, Tony standing in front of it…we got out and greeted each other then I said “let’s hear it run”…he immediately started saying “let’s check out the shop, look at this look at that…sooo after about 5 mins of that I said again, “let’s hear my car”…he couldn’t find the keys, so I had a set…tried to start it…NOTHING…he then said it was out of gas and that he had been having trouble keeping gas in it…the car held gas just fine when I dropped it off??? sooo we started pouring gas into the tank and to my surprise, it went in the filler and right out the bottom of the tank!!! (later found that he removed the fuel pump and never tightened the bolts holding the fuel pump basket down, he actually lost one of them and all the rest were less than hand tight)….we then began our 24 hr. tuning and fixing adventure…after hrs. of scratching our heads trying to figure out the fuel problem and the tuning issues, we found that the Safc2 had been wired in wrong, the alternator was bad, the alternator being bad drained my battery to the point that it would no longer hold a charge, the MAP sensor was bad, and my oil was flooded with gas….I bought new plugs, a new battery, fixed the gas leak and changed the oil…Josh got the Safc 2 to hold the car at about 14.5 A/F ratio and Tony replaced the alternator and map sensor. (this all happened between 7am Friday morning and midnight Friday night) we finally had the car ready for the trip home, running well…starting right up, driving up and down the street fine, back and forth to the gas station (about 3 miles)hit a little boost and the car never leaned out…things were good to go! I got into the car and turned on the radio to leave…NOTHING….he had removed all the wiring to the amps….sooo we were stuck there for ANOTHER hr.…Tony put all that back in and we then left for home…
On the way home we had to pull over to reattach my hood, because it almost came off…they had never tightened the hood down and my gauges all stopped working then would come on then stop and on and stop and on etc….and not to mention I had all the gauges wired into the dimmer switch so that at night they could be dimmed…tony rewired them into the radio so I had to put blue tape over most of them so I could see out the windshield…. Other than that, the car seemed to run fine the whole way home…got it home, put it in the garage so that we could go over it with a fine toothed comb the next day…
This is where it gets interesting…while we were there, we did not go over the car very well…we had one goal in mind and that was get it out of there…I never really looked at the paint (didn’t think I had to) never looked at anything except what was giving us problems….

Josh trying to figure out the wiring mess Shifted created
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/528873_10150669532582194_548262193_9351349_1472558 360_n.jpg

First thing we noticed after washing the car was all the body damage…a dent in the hood from where they were pushing on the front to latch it (kind of understandable but ehhh shouldn’t be there) my rear bumper was melted from where he was SOOOO pumped that he got the exhaust to sit so “tucked” against the body, numerous cracks in the front bumper, scratches on the fenders from not using fender covers and gouges in the rear passenger side bumper.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546027_10150669536642194_548262193_9351401_7091859 60_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/536785_10150669536932194_548262193_9351404_1606442 445_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/301838_10150669537112194_548262193_9351405_9226097 04_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/574558_10150669538167194_548262193_9351415_2226783 39_n.jpg
here looks like they messed up the CF and tried to repare it:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/522936_10150669537832194_548262193_9351411_3444277 99_n.jpg

[travismaser]

….then we looked at the engine….we started looking at how he had ran everything for the turbo coolant lines because it was all a cluster right in front of the turbo so you couldn’t run an intake (had to fab up a weird ugly intake to drive around) soo after looking at all of that we noticed something odd!...both, the “IN” and “OUT” lines to the turbo were ran off the same water neck, RIGHT BESIDE EACHOTHER!! Now, I am no genius, BUT, how does that properly flow coolant to the turbo??? I look at it and think its kind of like sucking and blowing through a straw at the same time…after opening it up, OF COURSE, there is an air lock in there…the turbo wasn’t getting proper coolant!!!! (that would most likely be why y old turbo blew up…he was running it without in intercooler pipes attached and it was spooling like crazy with no back pressure…then when it finally did get a little boost, BOOM, bearings went out…)
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/575694_10150669539522194_548262193_9351431_1207216 571_n.jpg
After we found that, we kept looking….didn’t take long to find the A&N fittings were all loose (less than hand tight) on the oil catch can, there is no vacuum hooked to the catch can, AND the fittings from the catch can to the valve cover were cross threaded AND JB welded into the valve cover (one sides JB Weld didn’t hold up and you can pull it right out of the cover…)
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/557689_10150669534507194_548262193_9351376_1903546 427_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/525624_10150669534837194_548262193_9351381_1617820 847_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/580376_10150669541122194_548262193_9351451_1087408 694_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/427920_10150669541512194_548262193_9351462_1246376 835_n.jpg

NONE of the vacuum lines were hooked up to the Waste gate, the lines ran to the boost controller were just hanging under the dash and the one going to the BOV was VERY loose…
The radiator hose crossing in front of the cam gears was actually hitting the gears! Instead of shaving a half inch off the hose, he just rested it against the plastic valve cover, cover…
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/553713_10150669535527194_548262193_9351391_1258415 568_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/546382_10150669535757194_548262193_9351393_5942377 62_n.jpg
If you stood back, and lines the motor up with the center of the car you could see that it is actually sitting in there crooked (tough to see in pics and you can’t tell on first look…but once you see it, it stands out like a sore thumb) (after further looking into this, we have to cut and re-weld the trans mount to fix it…BUT, NSN Garage is going to rebuild the mounts for me so I have ZERO affiliation with Shifted…)
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523708_10150669534272194_548262193_9351372_4517082 15_n.jpg

After noticing the motor was crooked, we looked at the intercooler and of course…it sits higher on one end than the other…minor details he should have had perfect…
We started noticing on the drive that if you do not down shift through every gear when you come to a stop, 1st and 2nd gear seem to just disappear…not real sure of why this is happening yet (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know)
I now have to refill the power steering fluid every day, it didn’t leak before I dropped it off.
when I was at Shifted I never noticed but the “ceramic coating” on my manifold was slowly burning off….by the time I got home, it was all burnt off…soo I called Tony and asked him about it and he came clean and said it was sprayed with high heat paint…. (I was not charged for ceramic coating BUT I was told it was done)
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/582448_10150669535007194_548262193_9351383_1255751 630_n.jpg
we started looking at the Polish job (which was supposed to be chrome in the first place) that I paid over $400 for and I am EXTREAMLY upset with how it looks…parts are not done well…some parts not even touched, scratches in it and it honestly doesn’t even look shiny…and where he had the vacuum lines removed from the throttle body is very crappy looking…
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/582770_10150669540882194_548262193_9351445_6587978 57_n.jpg
The aluminum welds that I paid $75 per weld for have pin holes where the BOV is attached to the throttle body.
When you are inside the car, and you want to get out….GOOD LUCK! My properly working door is no longer working…you have to now put the window down and open the door from the outside because the inside handle no longer works
The horn is no longer working (haven’t hooked it up yet to find out why…but I am scared that it is due to the anti-theft…I REALLY pray that it isn’t just honking away…I will find out soon I guess
I was told that he was putting a metal head gasket in the car from Titan…after looking, its stock…
All the clips for the wiring harness were supposed to be replaced with new clips…all except 2 of the fuel injector clips are broken, and the clip going to the water temperature deal is broken…(that’s just the ones I have found so far)
We couldn’t figure out why the car had a miss…started pulling wires on the coils and found that the #6 coil was bad…
The like half inch vacuum line that is supposed to run from the intake to the little black box on the back of the intake manifold (donno the proper name for it) is not hooked up nor does it have a filter on it…
When the new turbo was mounted, it had to be twisted a little for it to fit in the bay…when he did this (he had 2 weeks to do it) he didn’t fix the down pipe to fit to it properly, so now I have an exhaust leak off the turbo, as well as when he put the turbo in, he smashed the brake line up against the water line on the side of the turbo…as the motor moves, it is wearing a hole in the brake line…
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/560619_10150669539847194_548262193_9351434_6842202 26_n.jpg

[travismaser]

I think I have names the majority of everything we found on the first quick look over…so I sent Tony an email (if you want to see the email, PM me and I will gladly send you a copy) that was very professional…I did not bash him in any way..but told him all the issues I found…I asked that I could keep half of the labor charges because I felt the job was less than half way done…in return I wouldn’t bash his company and I would just fix the small problems it had…he quickly agrees and said sorry…so I got $2000.00 back…this was still a huge loss for me because just to have the body work alone fixed…I would be near that…BUT I didn’t want any trouble…
But now the greatest part!!!! As we were fixing the coil issue, we got it to run smooth!...no miss, no sounds, it was perfect!!! UNTIL you gave it a little throttle….then I wanted to cry…at around 2000 rpms you can hear rod knock….sooooo we immediately shut the motor down and that’s where I sit at the moment….$16,000.00ish dollars in a build that has all of these problems (and I assume even more that we will find during the rebuild) AND a motor that has rod knock…
I called Tony immediately and all he had to say was that it wasn’t his fault and that it was my fault that the motor was knocking…
So I told him that I needed some sort of help with this new issue and he would not answer me...i told him that I could not let anyone else go through the same as I have, and that I was going to make sure that that didn’t happen…so here I am telling you guys my experience so that you know what kind of quality of work Shifted is capable of.

missing nuts,
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/533408_10150669535907194_548262193_9351394_2540149 08_n.jpg
great shifter that was build for me:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/389695_10150669538552194_548262193_9351418_6712912 08_n.jpg
how the power steering resevoir was held on...keeps falling off...had to zip tie it up
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/581085_10150669538692194_548262193_9351419_8550038 24_n.jpg
he had the nerve to sign the car "built with pride"
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/579683_10150669539272194_548262193_9351426_1130812 657_n.jpg
intercooler pipe rubbing
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/582484_10150669540462194_548262193_9351440_1439498 010_n.jpg

[Edwin562]

WOW and still had the nerve to sign "built with pride" BS!!!!!

[dreamer87]

dam man sucks to see you went through all this crap. keep your head up tho man your shit will be up and runnning the way it should be soon

[tricky_ab]

Him signing the car after all those problems would burn me up...What a tosser!

[Corbic]

Wow, that some crap.

[irritatedmax]

Geez louise. What a headache! It sucks when people don't know their capabilities and promise the world (in a very convincing manner). Hopefully the new shop will get you sorted out.

For the power steering reservoir, it looks like a 240's mount. Undo that bolt that the bracket it is over and put the bracket's notch in between the rubber bushing and the washer. Then tighten it back down.

[travismaser]

Geez louise. What a headache! It sucks when people don't know their capabilities and promise the world (in a very convincing manner). Hopefully the new shop will get you sorted out.

For the power steering reservoir, it looks like a 240's mount. Undo that bolt that the bracket it is over and put the bracket's notch in between the rubber bushing and the washer. Then tighten it back down.

yea, i tried that...it just rattels loose...there is a stock mounting point about 3 inches over towars the fender that he should have used...guess he built the car blind folded...

[Royal13]

I would be absolutely furious in your situation. You seem to be handling it pretty well though, leave this shit company in the past and keep this build on it's way to stardom!

[florante rea]

Sorry to hear that man. U should sue his ass. Im just speechless about the shifter he made:(

[k20s13collins]

I myself am a shop owner, and in no way do I feel the need to bad mouth any other shop, however we in the performance field have to remember that when doing a project, we're not just changing parts and making components "work" we're doing ART. Every part of this project has been put together just to move around, the art and the pride of the build is completely lost. So many simple things could have been done, intercooler piping cut properly, actual time spent on the shifter, properly fitted down pipe, and even the use of a fender cover. These are the mess ups that give the automotive industry a bad name and make it difficult for auto shops. Good luck with the car, and good luck on person who has to make it right!

[ahmedootie]

EVERYTHING you have gone through aside, This leaves me speechless.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/389695_10150669538552194_548262193_9351418_6712912 08_n.jpg

[Highway Riding]

That last pic is straight up poopy!

[1sickS14]

Talk about a "redneck" hack! This is epitome of horrible workmanship. No worries, businesses such as this won't last long.

[vas570sx]

holy hell.

sue sue sue.

[travismaser]

MORE INFO: my custom drive shaft is about 2" too short!!! he had it just pulled out of the trans to make up for it..missing a nut on the turbo flange... and all my power stearing lines were held on with water clamps...explains my leaks...pics to follow

[jesse_s13]

This sucks soo bad.

Sue? Or some kind of compensation?

[travismaser]

hey guys! just so everyone knows...Stance monkeys on facebook is posting an article tonight about the whole situation (the owner of stance monkeys is the shop manager at shifted) please check it out!! i am actually really curious to see what is said on "the other side of the story"

[travismaser]

new pics of the motor being pulled out!!

b4 the pics...here is a quick list of things to look for
-driveshaft about 2 inchs too short
-water clamps on power steering lines (was loose and leaking)
-missing nut on turbo flange (was i guess too hard to get too)
-exhaust manifold was missing 2 bolts, 2 of the remaining were loose
-5 different types of bolts on trans mount
-onlu one bolt, ONE, on the pass side of the transmission holding the trans to the trans mount....the one on the drivers side was missing
-missing 2 bell housing bolts
-heater core clamps were finger tight
-radiator drain was finger tight (no idea how this didnt leak)
-when pulling motor, the passenger side motor mount FELL OFF! the drivers side was loose and only held on with 2 bolts

on to the pics:
the JB welded fitting pulled out
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/530263_267492953342762_100002461790304_581539_2016 26741_n.jpg

for a i guess, cleaner look...he drilled out the rivet in the VIN tag to run a zip tie thru to hold the breather lines
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/545985_267493016676089_100002461790304_581540_1710 678927_n.jpg

he made sure he had that exhause as tight as possible didnt he!
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/536413_267493106676080_100002461790304_581542_1345 128375_n.jpg

my power steering leak
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538853_267493130009411_100002461790304_581543_1551 372415_n.jpg

this is where the drive shaft fits in the back of trans...this is how short it is...i think his measurments were a little off???
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/544772_267493146676076_100002461790304_581544_1037 285103_n.jpg

fuel lines zip tied to sub frame...sube frame was missing a bolt
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/545854_267493166676074_100002461790304_581545_1141 846253_n.jpg

zip tie attached to t-bolt clamp holding inner fender well up
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405177_267493240009400_100002461790304_581547_7826 48139_n.jpg

this isnt THAT bad..but could have been cleaner...cut the bumper support up
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/540413_267493303342727_100002461790304_581548_1069 835706_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/485780_267493316676059_100002461790304_581549_1444 759456_n.jpg

fans were not mounted, at all...just wedged in there
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/306103_267493363342721_100002461790304_581551_1449 713076_n.jpg

missing nut on manifold to turbo
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/392427_267493520009372_100002461790304_581555_1290 32219_n.jpg

guess this explaines why my EGT's dont work
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/559921_267493603342697_100002461790304_581558_1448 584672_n.jpg

missing starter bolt
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/292256_267493730009351_100002461790304_581561_6815 91676_n.jpg

THIS MADE ME WANT TO CRY!!!i paid $220.00 for this shifter extension!!! broken then JB welded!!!
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/398981_267493750009349_100002461790304_581562_7697 44186_n.jpg

missing bolts from mounts to motor
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/539904_267493810009343_100002461790304_581564_7700 99862_n.jpg
on both sides
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/522463_267493856676005_100002461790304_581566_1505 258317_n.jpg

bolt block off...
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/485258_267493890009335_100002461790304_581567_2100 856384_n.jpg

this is what held the trans to the trans mount...this ONE bolt (that was loose)
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/529252_267493960009328_100002461790304_581570_2029 5576_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/385696_267493986675992_100002461790304_581571_1203 000424_n.jpg

got a new socket out of the deal!!! wooo
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/581239_267494043342653_100002461790304_581572_1906 295176_n.jpg

AND LAST BUT IM SURE NOT LEAST!!! (still have to look inside yet)

crack in my "new" 1jz flywheel
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/559409_267494100009314_100002461790304_581573_1178 992215_n.jpg

[gretz]

Wow... almost no words to describe this... It would be hard to do that bad of a job even if you just "Threw it together"... Im very interested to see his response

[ssigma6]

..........

[ssigma6]

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[ssigma6]

............

[Corbic]

^ FYI - I'd blur out his address and phone number.

[KiLLeR2001]

This guy owes you a mint condition 2006 350z in stock form, I wouldn't accept anything less. There is too much neglect and a sheer lack of knowledge on how to build a car. Completely destroyed it, this is *almost* as bad as car theft.

This is why I'm a firm believer in the saying, "If you want something right, do it yourself."

[delado]

For the gentlemen who replied representing the shop:

You are full of excuses and take blame for most of the fuck ups. Well that's cool and all, and you later add how "well if we would have road tested it we would have caught these issues". Well, not really because NON OF THAT SHIT SHOULD OCCUR IN THE FIRST PLACE! IT JUST SHOULDN'T. Someone in YOUR shop welded that abomination you call a shifter and obviously agreed that it was going to STAY LIKE THAT because he didn't chuck it across the room, HE INSTALLED IT, AND LEFT IN ON THE CAR (covered by a shift boot, fucking smart).

The stripped fitting on the valve cover. "Oh they all strip waahhhh". Ok? So when it stripped (as in right in that very single moment) whoever the installer was should have grabbed a tap and die set.welded on a new fitting/found a new valve cover, and repaired. But of course mixing up some JB is obviously quicker. What the fuck kind of shit is that?


http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/575694_10150669539522194_548262193_9351431_1207216 571_n.jpg

Why would you waste your time tightening up those fittings^^??

Yes, you take blame and you're sorry, but sorry just doesn't fucking cut it! What kind of moron does this shit? It's common fucking sense that even some dumb "hick" would realize this will NOT WORK.

I can go on and on but this just make me sick. I'm sure another member will finish you off.

[titangts]

wow...and i thought i got screwed since i lost a lil over $8000 on my rx7 build... im speechless.. this was even worse..

[Corbic]

Travis, one question.

How could the car be done before New years if you where still shipping in parts you received for Christmas and the motor was not even finished being assembled?

MY350Z.COM Forums - View Single Post - my Toyota 350Z build :) (http://my350z.com/forum/9521250-post223.html)

Besides, its not like you would even be able to drive if after New Years, what with your DUI and all.

MY350Z.COM Forums - View Single Post - my Toyota 350Z build :) (http://my350z.com/forum/9553432-post261.html)
i really want to...when is it again? im not going to be able to drive it till around late june due to a BS DUI...but if i can, i can trailer it there!

[fliprayzin240sx]

This picture alone shows the quality of work you do...really, what the fuck is this?
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/389695_10150669538552194_548262193_9351418_6712912 08_n.jpg

Whether or not you were rushed...that is not something I would have let out of my garage. You Sir, should never ever work on a car again...

[fliprayzin240sx]

I hate to say this but...who the fuck gives a 20 yr old that much money to do a $16k build?!?! I couldnt trust a fucking 20 yr old to do an S13 SR swap into an S13 chassis.

[mfjc87]

Travis, PM me your number dude, I own the Jeep that was there at shitty performance. We need to have a talk.

Later man

[titangts]

I hate to say this but...who the fuck gives a 20 yr old that much money to do a $16k build?!?! I couldnt trust a fucking 20 yr old to do an S13 SR swap into an S13 chassis.


... that has nothing to do with anything. There are 20 year old millionaires. There are people in this world who have a lot more money than you and I. To be mad at them is to be jealous. His age, has nothing to do with it. He was a paying customer who laid down a TON of money (compared to most standards) and received very bad work.

This thread pisses me off seeing such bad things happen to decent honest people. After I received the same service, I've realized that if I am not capable of doing the job myself, I just wont do it. Or better yet, i'll buy one already done.

[bussitcustoms]

... that has nothing to do with anything. There are 20 year old millionaires. There are people in this world who have a lot more money than you and I. To be mad at them is to be jealous. His age, has nothing to do with it. He was a paying customer who laid down a TON of money (compared to most standards) and received very bad work.




The owner of the shop is 20. Not the customer.

[mfjc87]

Um Tony is 24...

[shiftdrift]

well this is interesting.

[bussitcustoms]

Um Tony is 24...

Then whoever posted up resprenting the shop has their age set at 20.

[bussitcustoms]

But seriously, all excuses aside... HOW THE FUCK can you break an aluminum shifter extension in half, then JB WELD it back together?!? Bust out the fuckin duct tape while you're at it!

[travismaser]

hey guys, sorry i didnt post back yet tonight...i was busy at work and school....lol but you know...i must work for free since i get all my money from student loans haha...but i will take some time to respond properly tomorrow sometime after morning class and work...

[Corbic]

This thread pisses me off seeing such bad things happen to decent honest people. .

Drunk drivers are not "decent honest people". Especially unrepentant ones who don't own up to their crimes.

[travismaser]

Drunk drivers are not "decent honest people". Especially unrepentant ones who don't own up to their crimes.

Haha, love when people throw in comments they know nothing about lol... Yes, I received a DUI in 2010...and it was dismissed...lol

[shiftdrift]

So if I killed someone and it was dismissed, does that make it okay?

[Driftingcorners]

So if I killed someone and it was dismissed, does that make it okay?

LMAO the fact that you're comparing a DUI charge to killing someone is FUCKING HILARIOUS :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: . Nobody said it was OK to get a DUI, you make a mistake and you move on.

[gretz]

lol at the DUI donkeys here, which has nothing to do whatsoever with the shitty (and admitted) job Shifted Performance did... They have all these excuses / reasons why all of this garbage was caused from being rushed, why even do it in the first place?

Honestly, JB weld as a solution makes you guys out to be quite the hackers...

You (shop) kept bringing up "the release form" that was signed as an excuse for all of the shit you messed up > yet you had time to sign the car as if you were proud of the shit you were polishing (no pun, as you guys did a shit job polishing as well)

So much fail for this shop... this is going to hurt their business > who the fawk would honestly bring them their car after seeing / reading this?

[travismaser]

So if I killed someone and it was dismissed, does that make it okay?

no, its not ok at all...never said it was...its actually imbarrassing that i had to go through the whole thing...i had 2 beers before midnight and was pulled over at 330am...i was DD and got pulled over...the officer smelled alcohol so he had me do a field test...i am dissabled (from injuries while deployed) so i cannot walk a straight line nor stand on one foot...they could not get the breathalizer to work properly so they arrested me on DUI charges...THAT is why is was dissmissed and THAT is why it was a BS case...

so untill you know what actually happened, you shouldnt say anything

P.S. sorry for backlashing at you, this was ment for the guy who started the arguement over the DUI

[delado]

Who gives a fuck if the OP got 3 DUI's, raped a Kony kid in the mouth, and kicked his pregnant wife to roll down the stairs? It still has nothing to do with the atrocities this shop created.

[bussitcustoms]

^this.......

[Corbic]

Stop cutting corners with your stories. Clearly your license was suspended for done time per you own admission. Also, the legal binding sobriety test is done at the station after the field test.

Regardless it's neither here nor there. You started this "charged" thread all over the Internet, don't be shocked or offended that not everyone is on your team. Personal responsibility goes a LONG way.

I find it dishonest to say "it was supposed to be done before New Years, it took them till March".

Your build thread clearly shows parts still coming in durning December and the engine not even having been assembled yet.

So if your not even being honest about the "deadline", I just have to wonder how much more there is to this "story".

Also, what about the turbo lines? You had clearly seen how they where installed back during the build, so why so butthurt now? You knew that is how they intended to install them.

Hopefully this has been a hands on learning lesson for you about contracted labor and building cars. This is also why I'd never let a "shop" work on my car.

[shiftdrift]

i'm not taking sides, i was just asking if it was okay. there are wrongs on both sides it seems, the shop is a joke though.

[Corbic]

Who gives a fuck if the OP got 3 DUI's, raped a Kony kid in the mouth, and kicked his pregnant wife to roll down the stairs? It still has nothing to do with the atrocities this shop created.

Goes toward credibility, it also shows that in Dec-Jan he was under no delusion the car was far from complete. But now he's howling about how Shitty promised it would be done by Jan 1.

[Corbic]

i'm not taking sides, i was just asking if it was okay. there are wrongs on both sides it seems, the shop is a joke though.

If by shop you mean "2 G##### & A Shed"

[travismaser]

Who gives a fuck if the OP got 3 DUI's, raped a Kony kid in the mouth, and kicked his pregnant wife to roll down the stairs? It still has nothing to do with the atrocities this shop created.

thx guys... its nice to know that most understand what im going through

wait till i post what we found upon opening the motor up.....

brief summary:
-extra hardware (yes...extra, inside the block)
-ARP bolts that were WAY over torqued
-loads of extra silicone
-no lock tight on flywheel bolts...
- #3 bearings gone
and much more

[delado]

i'm not taking sides, i was just asking if it was okay. there are wrongs on both sides it seems, the shop is a joke though.
Well that has zero to do with this thread. This is a review thread to potentially aware other consumers that they WILL get fucked if they choose to have work done by them. The OP can be on welfare for all I care. That has nothing to do with this subject. The shop owner brought up that the OP used his school loans to fund the project. Ok? He obviously received that cash with arms wide open.

[bussitcustoms]

Finish date aside, the quality of the work was still garbage. I don't care if you are rushed- if you can't get it done in time, you let the owner retrieve it incomplete. A short timeframe is not an excuse to half ass everything.

[i need tires]

OP - you are at fault for not doing your research before spending 16k with a shop with NO rep what so ever.

Shifted Performance - you suck also

All of this could have been simply avoided if the OP did his research from the start. I dont get why people dont do research and then are surprised when they get a fucking hack job lol

[travismaser]

Finish date aside, the quality of the work was still garbage. I don't care if you are rushed- if you can't get it done in time, you let the owner retrieve it incomplete. A short timeframe is not an excuse to half ass everything.

i agree....i gave them PLENTY of time to have the car finished...they actually had the car "done" and "tuning" it with the GT35R....so they can not blame most of the screw ups on the new turbo install..(but my 35R that was working JUST FINE on my VQ blew while tuning it, with the tuning software wired backwards might i add)..to install the new 4088R, they did not have to remove the motor, trans, breather lines, shifter, shifter extension, radiator, fans, power steering, driveshaft, bell housing, starter, radeo, gauges, head, bearings, BOV, gas tank, subframe, etc....the list could go on for days....we are STILL finding things wrong

they had 2 weeks while i searched for a new turbo and had it shipped to them, THEN i also gave them 2 and a half weeks to install the new turbo and have it tuned....they didnt start installing the new turbo untill 3 days b4 i was coming for pick up....i told him 2 weeks in advance when i was coming...so for him to say he was "rushed" is rediculous

[travismaser]

OP - you are at fault for not doing your research before spending 16k with a shop with NO rep what so ever.

Shifted Performance - you suck also

All of this could have been simply avoided if the OP did his research from the start. I dont get why people dont do research and then are surprised when they get a fucking hack job lol

i couldnt agree with you any more...i should have done more research....but there also was not any threads on supraforums, my350z or zilvia...those are the three forums im on....so i took a risk...ended up, i got screwed....but me not researching really shouldnt matter...a shop that calls themselves professionals should never put out the quality of work they have...

[Corbic]

i agree....i gave them PLENTY of time to have the car finished...they actually had the car "done" and "tuning" it with the GT35R....so they can not blame most of the screw ups on the new turbo install..(but my 35R that was working JUST FINE on my VQ blew while tuning it, with the tuning software wired backwards might i add)..to install the new 4088R, they did not have to remove the motor, trans, breather lines, shifter, shifter extension, radiator, fans, power steering, driveshaft, bell housing, starter, radeo, gauges, head, bearings, BOV, gas tank, subframe, etc....the list could go on for days....we are STILL finding things wrong

they had 2 weeks while i searched for a new turbo and had it shipped to them, THEN i also gave them 2 and a half weeks to install the new turbo and have it tuned....they didnt start installing the new turbo untill 3 days b4 i was coming for pick up....i told him 2 weeks in advance when i was coming...so for him to say he was "rushed" is rediculous

What are their shop hours? Did they closed for the holidays? Are they open on Saturdays?

How many people work there? SAE Mechanics? Mechanical Engineers? Shop Techs? Do they have any equipment? CNC, Lathe, Laser?

How many projects are they currently working on?

[travismaser]

What are their shop hours? Did they closed for the holidays? Are they open on Saturdays?

How many people work there? SAE Mechanics? Mechanical Engineers? Shop Techs? Do they have any equipment? CNC, Lathe, Laser?

How many projects are they currently working on?

he had no "shop hrs"..he just worked on the car all day and thru the night till he got tired...i would get updates from him at 4am on most days when i was getting up for work/school...

my car was the only car he was working on till january..then he moved to his new garage and took on a few other jobs (small stuff)...but at this point, my car was "done" with the old turbo...they were just finishing it up...then the turbo blew...

[i need tires]

i couldnt agree with you any more...i should have done more research....but there also was not any threads on supraforums, my350z or zilvia...those are the three forums im on....so i took a risk...ended up, i got screwed....but me not researching really shouldnt matter...a shop that calls themselves professionals should never put out the quality of work they have...

researching does matter 100%, if not I could be a doctor right now just because I "said so"

Your lack of research was part of the issue, their lack of professionalism is part of the issue. Both are at fault in this situation as that f##### Drake would say #yolo and move on!

[delado]

researching does matter 100%, if not I could be a doctor right now just because I "said so"

Your lack of research was part of the issue, their lack of professionalism is part of the issue. Both are at fault in this situation as that f##### Drake would say #yolo and move on!

Obviously you have not done yours because if you did you would have read this rule on this forum:

Disparaging/Derogatory Remarks

To disparage ones sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, etc will result in ONE warning, further offenses will get you banned. ANYTHING that can be construed as a disparaging comment regarding sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, or other included; in a direct quote or not, from TV or not. Your warning will be a 1 month Pinking for Disparaging or Derogatory Remarks.

And I have reported you so don't try to modify your post. Have fun on your vacation. Your posts were useless anyways.

[i need tires]

Obviously you have not done yours because if you did you would have read this rule on this forum:

Disparaging/Derogatory Remarks

To disparage ones sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, etc will result in ONE warning, further offenses will get you banned. ANYTHING that can be construed as a disparaging comment regarding sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, or other included; in a direct quote or not, from TV or not. Your warning will be a 1 month Pinking for Disparaging or Derogatory Remarks.

And I have reported you so don't try to modify your post. Have fun on your vacation. Your posts were useless anyways.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah a (ok my hands are tired)

I wasnt even talking about the OP... read please, I was talking about the rapper Drake. Please read before you get all billy badass with the "report" button.

[travismaser]

Obviously you have not done yours because if you did you would have read this rule on this forum:

Disparaging/Derogatory Remarks

To disparage ones sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, etc will result in ONE warning, further offenses will get you banned. ANYTHING that can be construed as a disparaging comment regarding sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, or other included; in a direct quote or not, from TV or not. Your warning will be a 1 month Pinking for Disparaging or Derogatory Remarks.

And I have reported you so don't try to modify your post. Have fun on your vacation. Your posts were useless anyways.

lolz, wow...this just made my whole day lol

[i need tires]

Obviously you have not done yours because if you did you would have read this rule on this forum:

Disparaging/Derogatory Remarks

To disparage ones sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, etc will result in ONE warning, further offenses will get you banned. ANYTHING that can be construed as a disparaging comment regarding sex, race, beliefs, lifestyles, or other included; in a direct quote or not, from TV or not. Your warning will be a 1 month Pinking for Disparaging or Derogatory Remarks.

And I have reported you so don't try to modify your post. Have fun on your vacation. Your posts were useless anyways.

I kind of figured you would jump on the OPs side regarding this but I never took blame away from the shop, just that the OP needs to also be responsible for his lack of research before jumping into a job this big.

This is why big shops are still around doing quality work and Shifted wont be around much longer.

[bussitcustoms]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah a (ok my hands are tired)

I wasnt even talking about the OP... read please, I was talking about the rapper Drake. Please read before you get all billy badass with the "report" button.

Youre still going to get Pinked for your homophobic slur.

[i need tires]

Youre still going to get Pinked for your homophobic slur.

Yea I figured, I saw it as being funny since Drake makes up stupid sayings but I guess not everyone see's it that way. Probably a Drake lover which is ok but all means.

[delado]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah a (ok my hands are tired)

I wasnt even talking about the OP... read please, I was talking about the rapper Drake. Please read before you get all billy badass with the "report" button.

It's pretty obvious I can read. Wish I could say the same about you.

[i need tires]

It's pretty obvious I can read. Wish I could say the same about you.

yolo bro yolo!

[Corbic]

This is why big shops are still around doing quality work and Shifted wont be around much longer.

Shifted wasn't even a Shop. It was a guy doing this crap in his spare time. He undoubtably had a full time job elsewhere ect.

$4,000 in labor is retarded cheap. DieselToyz charges $20,000 for a turnkey OEM Toyota 1KZ swap. Motor is only worth $3,000, so I'm sure that is about $15,000 in LABOR they are charging for and "OEM swap".

That's what you pay to get a shop with a staff, years of experience, quality facilities, equipment and is invested to the buiness so that they stand by their product.

This is also why you specialize. Travis should have had the motor built by an Engine shop with 2JZ experience.

FYI - Our local engine shop (domestic V8s) is 85 days out on work- they'll start it 85 days after you drop it off.

Then for the mounting - go to a fab shop , and lastly for wiring/tuning a professional wiring/tuner specialist.

I know of a few guys that do wiring out of work vans. You call up, they make an appointment, show up at your shop and by the end of the day, bamn! Full custom harness complete with $600-$2,000 bill.
.

[i need tires]

Shifted wasn't even a Shop. It was a guy doing this crap in his spare time. He no doing had a full time job elsewhere ect.

$4,000 in labor is retarded cheap. DieselToyz charges $20,000 for a turnkey OEM Toyoat 1KZ swap. Motor is only worth $3,000, so in sure that is $15,000 in LABOR for and OEM swap.

That's what you pay to get a shop with a staff, years of experience, quality facilities, equipment and is invested to the buiness so that they stand by their product.


This is also why you specialize. Travis should have had the motor built by an Engine shop with 2JZ experience.

FYI - Our local engine shop (domestic V8s) is 85 days out on work- they'll start it 85 days after you drop it off.

Then for the mounting - go to a fab shop , and lastly for wiring/tuning a pfrosuonal wiring/tuner.

I know of a few guys that do wiring out of work vans. You call up, they make an appointment, show up at your shop and by the end of the day, bamn! Full custom harness complete with $600-$2,000 bill.
.

Thanks for clarifying that for me, I just read the title of the thread :/

But all your points are right on point!!!

[RB180sxChris]

yolo bro yolo!

LMAO hahahahahaha......fucking drake

[UNITEDMASTER]

MAn soooo much bullshit chatter going on in here.. LOOK. IMHO . If you take your car to a shop & you tell them this is what I want,can you do it,& they say yes,then you pay them for said exspected work. Then if its not what you paid for & the work order say abccdefg was to be done & its not that seems like a problem to me ????? OR am I trippin?????? NOOWWW after you inspect said work & its complete chicken shit. In my book we now have a REAALLL big problem. YES or NO???


Now all this shit about the OPs DUI, that isnt nobodys business except his, no matter what your opinion may be,sure you can voice your opinion,fine,but who really gives a fuck. And as for another person to determine someone elses credibility online just blows my mind. As far as IM concerned if your not a judge,then who are you,nobody!!! On that aspect of things

So kill all that BS,& learn from his mistake,thats what the reveiws are for..... Have a great day & stay away from shifted performance.

[DrIvEsldEwAyS]

i know its been said but even if it was rushed and not road tested, the quality of the work is just plain SHIT. driving it down the road isnt going to fix how shitty of a job these so called mechanics did.

[UNITEDMASTER]

CORBIC- do you rep shifted performance,Im not sure....

Just come straight and say whatever it is your thinking,cause if you dont rep this shop,your either one nut swinging ass mofo,or you like making exscuses for other people.

If your the creator of that pile of dog shit,then just say ,Yea I built it,I took your money ,& fuck you Travis. I would personally have more respect for a mofo that came straight like that,cause then I would know exactly the kind of person Im dealing with.

To me there is no excuse for that kind of craftsmanship,or lack of!!!

[KiLLeR2001]

Corbic is just playing devil's advocate, don't mind him. On some days he has good insight, but on most days he goes full derp (you never want to go full derp).

[travismaser]

posted by the mechanic doing the rebuild...

Well today I finished the tear down on the engine. (Please make sure your seat is in the upright and locked position)

Cyl. # 3 Rod bearing blown. beyond O.C. But thank god the crank isnt to bad off. A good polishing and it can be saved without being cut..

All rod bearing are over torqued. It took more then 110lbs to crack them loose. (Toyota specs are 22 ft lbs mark and go another 90 degrees)

While removing the cylinder head I found a EXTRA ARP 12pt nut & flat washer wedged in the oil return galley.

Also I had to remove the studs to take the head off for a couple reasons. Reason #1 3 studs would not come out of the head while unbolted. while loosing these studs they worked like screw jack and lifted the head off the block. Once off the block and on the bench I had to take a BFH (Big Frickin Hammer) and tap the studs out of the head. They must have over torqued them too and mushroomed the bolt holes in the head to pinch it to the studs. Reason # 2. Spray on gasket sealer on a M.L.S. metal gasket.

Now its time to start dropping parts in to the cleaning tanks, Machine shop time, and the dreaded waiting for parts to arrive.

Stay tuned.... More info to come..... Same Bat time...same bat channel.

[travismaser]

new pics too:

mess in the pan
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/563092_3505768959159_1119818270_33446255_116480768 4_n.jpg

yup...
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/525635_3505768679152_1119818270_33446254_211855083 9_n.jpg

manifod bolt (one of the only ones actually in it lol)
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/522017_3505767679127_1119818270_33446253_160049352 _n.jpg

can you tell what bolt were missing??
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/525768_3505767359119_1119818270_33446252_560991732 _n.jpg

my ARP flywheel bolts...that had zero lock tight on them
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/562665_267534596671931_100002461790304_581714_1880 079406_n.jpg

trans mount
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/543583_267534700005254_100002461790304_581719_2255 14156_n.jpg

[bussitcustoms]

any update?

[travismaser]

not really...everything is torn apart at the moment, waiting on parts...been painting odds and ends...getting ready for the re-build to take place....I need to start a new "My Toyota 350z RE-build" thread soon!

[240sxbaltimoremd]

I just read this whole thread and just needed to say that sucks so bad. I hope the new build goes good !!!

[sdrmiami]

this is so sad.... if that was my car id go back and shove that shifter up his ass !!! its people like that that give small shops andbig shops a bad name!!!

[treken2t87]

Holy shit, this thread is like my worst nightmare. Good luck to the op getting everything fixed so he can finally enjoy what looks to be a fun car.

[coreyh]

honestly yea op you're not the innocent victim in this, thats been made clear, you should have done a little more research, whatever thats human error.

but this shops work is more than human error, this is just straight lazy. thats the best word i can think of honestly...i would be embarrased to have anything to do with this shop, hopefullt your re-build goes better.

[travismaser]

honestly yea op you're not the innocent victim in this, thats been made clear, you should have done a little more research, whatever thats human error.

but this shops work is more than human error, this is just straight lazy. thats the best word i can think of honestly...i would be embarrased to have anything to do with this shop, hopefullt your re-build goes better.

the new build is almost complete!!! check out the video! WAY better than it was!!

Built 2jz 350z first drive - YouTube (http://youtu.be/wcOuADZsWXA)

[89240sex]

Glad to see it's finally coming together. That shift knob gave it away for me. Some people should just stick to swapping Honda's......

[robarmour123]

Sorry to bring up an old thread. But can anyone get me Tony's number, or better yet shifted performances number. Tony burned me on 160$ + 30$ shipping on an nx cluster and has stopped replying to emails.

I paid him for an nx cluster wired for my s13. He shipped it, sent me a seat rail. I contacted him asap! And he said he must have gotten labels mixed up. So I instantly sent the seat rail to a Florida address he provided with him saying he would cover shipping charges. He said he is having the other person send me the cluster. After 2 weeks I told him I have received nothing. He told me he hasn't been able to get a reply from the guy. So I told him, I just want refunded. After about a week or more I finally received a PayPal notification about the refund. FOR 160, what happened to the shipping reimbursement? Anyways, the payment was pending for about 5 days, then I received a notification it had been declined by the senders bank. Cool! I've emailed him 1 time (the day the payment was declined by his bank) informing him the payment had been declined. Then 3 days later informing him this is rediculous, and it needs to be taken care of. Never did I become angry or offensive, just informed him I'd like my money back for the part and shipping. I even provided the tracking number and shipping receipt for the wrong part I had to send for him. 3 more days passed (that brings us to today) so I forwarded him the email that I sent earlier this week. This is completely rediculous.

If someone can please help me with a number or something to contact the shop or him directly that would be greatly appreciated. How can people be this unprofessional and still be doing business.