Shops to Avoid In My Area Thread

[02_lsb]

Let’s start a thread to share shops to avoid in your area.
Include the following:
1. Shop Name.
2. Shop Location.
3. What you had done.
4. What went wrong.

[9kracing]

lol, going to hold off on this thread till at least page 2

[02_lsb]

Consider “posting for a friend” then

[9kracing]

Maybe someone can start by telling me why everyone on this forum hates Lang Racing... they seem well versed in our cars? At least to me anyway.

[Cronenberged]

Maybe someone can start by telling me why everyone on this forum hates Lang Racing... they seem well versed in our cars? At least to me anyway.

I'll share my experience. I think Lang Racing is great for general maintenance, and anyone should feel comfortable taking their car there for just that. However, the other services they tout are contracted out and not performed in-house. In my experience, this resulted in work that was delayed for well over three months. When a timeline was finally introduced, the work was rushed and subpar. Additionally, the people to whom the work is contracted out don't seem to care for your car, and Lang doesn't do anything to protect, for example, the paint when installing a half cage. This results in the welding hose marring and scratching your paint, even though he knows this will be an issue.

[nuc1]

I'll share my experience. I think Lang Racing is great for general maintenance, and anyone should feel comfortable taking their car there for just that. However, the other services they tout are contracted out and not performed in-house. In my experience, this resulted in work that was delayed for well over three months. When a timeline was finally introduced, the work was rushed and subpar. Additionally, the people to whom the work is contracted out don't seem to care for your car, and Lang doesn't do anything to protect, for example, the paint when installing a half cage. This results in the welding hose marring and scratching your paint, even though he knows this will be an issue.

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/main-forum/e46-2001-2006/234086-engine-loud-ticking-noise-need-advice

Maybe not so good at general maintenance either.

Mike

[usdmej]

an important thing to note is that shops and especially their personnel change over time. for example, Performance Technic seems to have moved on to working on newer european cars in general. they aren't the E46 M3 specialists they used to be

[9kracing]

an important thing to note is that shops and especially their personnel change over time. for example, Performance Technic seems to have moved on to working on newer european cars in general. they aren't the E46 M3 specialists they used to be

That's because Matt and Wing opened up VT Motorworks, they were the E46 guys at PT.



I'm probably just going to say this.... I'll never take any of my cars to VT again.

[usdmej]

I'm probably just going to say this.... I'll never take any of my cars to VT again.

you need to elaborate on this lol

[Xmetal]

There should also be a "Shops Recommended In My Area Thread"

[bigjae46]

Maybe someone can start by telling me why everyone on this forum hates Lang Racing... they seem well versed in our cars? At least to me anyway.

There are two sides to every story but...

When you're customer facing you have to be aware of how you communicate with the customer. All we know is there have been a couple of customers that have had bad experiences. When something goes wrong, bad shops look at it as a problem. Great shops look at it as an opportunity. Their S54 crankshaft remanufacturing service is a relative steal and I guess has had good results because I haven't seen any related complaints online. Othewise, I haven't really been impressed by anything they've done. But I'm guessing since they built a name up that they have a bunch of people throwing money at them so they don't really care about pissing some people off.

On the flip side to this thread...dumbass customers should also be listed. Because there are a lot more of those than bad shops.

[9kracing]

you need to elaborate on this lol

I could literally write a book.

Let me preface this by saying Wing is a nice enough guy, and when you talk to him he will sell you down the road, and convince you he has it under control... He does not.

I've taken both my cars there multiple different times. Not one time did I have the work performed with no issues. They couldn't figure out my ACT clutch on my SMG swap. They couldn't fit my Ohlins coilovers. They broke my shock bolts on the X5 when installing my KW coilovers. They got my BRAND NEW LED headlights wet somehow and ruined the drivers side headlight, literally fucked up a $6000 part and told me to have the dealer warranty it, which of course they won't.

They've broken multiple parts, on both cars, and in fact the last time I used them, they had the E46 for ELEVEN months. Eleven fucking months.

The last time I went there, I had them install my exhaust, and put on a smaller supercharger pulley. I also brought them ID injectors, a new fuel pump, and fuel pressure regulator. This turned into an ELEVEN month install. Wing just threw my car on the back burner so he could churn out spring installs. It literally took him 3 or 4 months to get the injectors installed. I had to beg him to contact ID and ask what he was doing wrong, and he told me ID doesn't know what they are doing. I had to post on the forums, and figure out IN ONE DAY that you need to run spacers to get the ID injectors to seat properly.

Then it was Radium that didn't know what they were doing, cause he couldn't get my fuel to not pulse. Ended up just removing the Radium stuff.

They absolutely ruined my 50K mile car by leaving it out in the 110 degree sun with no protection all summer. Didn't think of putting up a sunshade. Also destroyed my drivers seat, IDK if he had a 300 lb tech working on my car, but they seat looks like it saw 50K miles in a year.

They ended up not doing half of the work I requested.... or should I say, couldn't figure it out. Had the car on the dyno FIVE times, four of which they weren't even able to make a full pull due to various issues.

They never installed the injectors, the fuel regulator, the fuel filter, and he told me when I picked up the car that the BNIB supersprint exhaust I gave him had a rattle in it, but he went ahead and installed it anyway.

Ended up charging me almost $9000 for half the work I requested not even done, and my car in terrible shape after ELEVEN MONTHS.

Handed me back my injectors, fuel pressure regulator, a few other parts, and went back to installing springs on G80s.

I could go on for pages, but I think you get the idea. Hopefully Wing reads this and responds, because there was plenty I left out.

You literally couldn't pay me to take my cars there again.

[Anri]

Their S54 crankshaft remanufacturing service is a relative steal and I guess has had good results because I haven't seen any related complaints online.

Jae,

Welded Crankshaft in hi revving engine like
S54 is never ever good idea, period. It
does not matter how well its done and how
well is heat treated after... The crankshaft is one
large spring, welding material is destroying the
area around. When the Second order/forces
harmonics occur back and forth the floating
force is interrupted in that area. I know a guy from
CA who snapped his S54 crank in the repaired
welded journal.

Widening the rod journal is also terrible idea !!!!

Say S54 crank is very rare like some MG engines
and one has better chance to hit the National
Lottery rather than finding a good clean crank,
then sure the only one option is to repair/weld.

But this is not the case with S54 crank.

Those who will weld S54 crank are very cheap
and don't want to spent money on getting one in
a good condition.


Regards,
Anri

[9kracing]

I would definitely take my car to Anri after reading his threads though lol

[Anri]

I would definitely take my car to Anri after reading his threads though lol

Trust me welded crank will never work
with your very cool User name !!! So do
widening rod journals!!! If you are interest
to know why ? PM me I will explain.

Regards,
Anri