I notice when you do a search for Colletti Motorsports, forums will come up. I decided to post my problem with Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") on all the forums I saw that show up. At first I put very little information and included my link. I received some upset responses but later I realized I did look like a spammer and that was my mistake. I then went back and added more details and apologized to those that were offended by my post. One forum banned me and Honda Tech gave me a warning. I apologized to the moderator at Honda Tech and explained my situation and he was very understanding. I thought that was really very considerate of him.
I noticed one of the threads had been removed at Honda Tech. It was a thread that the subtopic had been a question asking if Colletti Motorsports was still in business. I had been talking to a Honda enthusiast on there and he had heard bad things about Colletti Motorsports as well, at least for more skilled tasks such as rebuilds. In the last post I was able to place, I asked him what exactly he had heard. I went on today to see if he had responded and like I said, the thread is no longer there. I was told it had been moved so I searched for it and it did not come up, but another thread I had posted on did.
I can infer a few things about the thread being missing:
1. The moderator (a different one than I mentioned above) felt the conversation was off topic and removed it.
2. The moderator was biased toward Colletti Motorsports and removed it.
3. Colletti Motorsports influenced Honda Tech to remove it.
Considering I posted on another Honda Tech topic and the thread was closed rather than removed, I have come to the conclusion that either the moderator is biased or Colletti Motorsports influenced its removal. Either way, someone does not want people to see the conversation or else it would not have been removed.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 13)
"Months go by, and we do not hear from him. Because of this, we believe all is well and in the event all is not well, he will bring the car back in the spring when the engine is broken in. Around the middle of February, 2012 he complains of the smoke getting worse and he is making all kinds of threats. I tell him he is blindsiding me with his attitude and assure him if it is something we did I will take care of it. I ask him to please bring the car in and we will have a look. His answer is it's too much trouble for him to drop it off and he doesn't want to deal with this anymore and appoints his girlfriend, K****** B******, his liaison to me."
Ok, first of all, if you have read previous posts, I had asked Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to please put the miles on himself and finish the car, which he just would not do, even though I asked him MULTIPLE times.
He says months go by. I believe it was only one month, but I can't be for sure since I can't make sense of the dates Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti wrote on the receipts (receipts show 10 months passing before he even receives my car). But assuming he wrote the mileage down correctly, only 166 miles passed since getting it back the second time and then him receiving it the third time.
side note: I do see now where he gets the 10 months he claims in his BBB statement. I had wondered where he came up with this number. The turbo took 4.5 months to arrive but he is including other time into that. I will explain this in much detail on another post. I do want to thoroughly go over the turbo situation.
Next he says I'm making all kinds of threats. I will admit, I was extremely upset at this point. I had asked him to put the miles on himself, which he could have done in one day on the dyno, but refused to do it. Why? Why did he keep refusing to finish the car? As I said before, I believe he knew his work was no good, and wanted it to go bad in my possession. I did threaten to sue him. He isn't specific on his statement about that, but that is all the threat was. And since I was just fed up with him at this point, I did ask my girlfriend at the time to please handle the situation because I just couldn't put up with Steve's incompetence anymore. I did not want to be angry and upset.
So please realize, this is now the third time the car is going back to his shop. And I had asked him numerous times to please put the miles on himself and finish the car. Like I said, I was pretty upset. At this point it was around one year and the car was still not completed. I did pretty much tell him to come and get the car himself. I was angry and I feel it was warranted that he get it. I believe him paying for the tow was his responsibility.
I like his statement that if something is wrong, he assures me he will take care of it. That statement is laughable. If that were true, I would not be writing this now.
Ok, first of all, if you have read previous posts, I had asked Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to please put the miles on himself and finish the car, which he just would not do, even though I asked him MULTIPLE times.
He says months go by. I believe it was only one month, but I can't be for sure since I can't make sense of the dates Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti wrote on the receipts (receipts show 10 months passing before he even receives my car). But assuming he wrote the mileage down correctly, only 166 miles passed since getting it back the second time and then him receiving it the third time.
side note: I do see now where he gets the 10 months he claims in his BBB statement. I had wondered where he came up with this number. The turbo took 4.5 months to arrive but he is including other time into that. I will explain this in much detail on another post. I do want to thoroughly go over the turbo situation.
Next he says I'm making all kinds of threats. I will admit, I was extremely upset at this point. I had asked him to put the miles on himself, which he could have done in one day on the dyno, but refused to do it. Why? Why did he keep refusing to finish the car? As I said before, I believe he knew his work was no good, and wanted it to go bad in my possession. I did threaten to sue him. He isn't specific on his statement about that, but that is all the threat was. And since I was just fed up with him at this point, I did ask my girlfriend at the time to please handle the situation because I just couldn't put up with Steve's incompetence anymore. I did not want to be angry and upset.
So please realize, this is now the third time the car is going back to his shop. And I had asked him numerous times to please put the miles on himself and finish the car. Like I said, I was pretty upset. At this point it was around one year and the car was still not completed. I did pretty much tell him to come and get the car himself. I was angry and I feel it was warranted that he get it. I believe him paying for the tow was his responsibility.
I like his statement that if something is wrong, he assures me he will take care of it. That statement is laughable. If that were true, I would not be writing this now.
Monday, May 19, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 12)
The next statement from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement:
"On August 15, 2011 the car is, we believe, finished. Olds picks up the car. There is some smoke on cold start up. Bill and I tell him to put some miles on the new engine and let the rings seat (we suggest 500 miles)."
So, as you can see, they still tell me to put miles on the vehicle, when I had asked them to please put the miles on the car and finish it properly. So not only was I unhappy getting it back the first time when it was not finished, but now I was getting it back a second time unfinished. I had asked them, specifically, to put the miles on themselves and finish the car this second time it was there (when I was getting steering and brake upgrades). Bringing my car back to them to have the brakes and steering upgraded was only half the reason I brought my car back. They other half was so they would finally finish the car while it was there (put miles on it and tune it). I do not drive the car in the winter, and winter was approaching, so how would I put those miles on it? Anyway, if I remember correctly, I was told 1000 miles. I may be wrong on this, but I am pretty sure I remember being told to put 1000 miles on it before they would tune it.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just would not finish the car no matter how many times I asked him. And I strongly believe he knew or was afraid his work was no good and he was hoping the car would go bad while I had it and not him, so he could just blame me, which he has.
"On August 15, 2011 the car is, we believe, finished. Olds picks up the car. There is some smoke on cold start up. Bill and I tell him to put some miles on the new engine and let the rings seat (we suggest 500 miles)."
So, as you can see, they still tell me to put miles on the vehicle, when I had asked them to please put the miles on the car and finish it properly. So not only was I unhappy getting it back the first time when it was not finished, but now I was getting it back a second time unfinished. I had asked them, specifically, to put the miles on themselves and finish the car this second time it was there (when I was getting steering and brake upgrades). Bringing my car back to them to have the brakes and steering upgraded was only half the reason I brought my car back. They other half was so they would finally finish the car while it was there (put miles on it and tune it). I do not drive the car in the winter, and winter was approaching, so how would I put those miles on it? Anyway, if I remember correctly, I was told 1000 miles. I may be wrong on this, but I am pretty sure I remember being told to put 1000 miles on it before they would tune it.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just would not finish the car no matter how many times I asked him. And I strongly believe he knew or was afraid his work was no good and he was hoping the car would go bad while I had it and not him, so he could just blame me, which he has.
Monday, May 12, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 11)
I am actually willing to say a couple good things today that Colletti Motorsports managed to get somewhat right. Let's look at the next thing Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti said in his BBB statement.
"One of our mechanics, Bill, drives the car and says it has no brakes and the suspension is shot. John (Olds) talks with Bill and he agrees the car needs more work. We convert the brake system to a "Hydrovac," and rebuild the entire system. We also repair and upgrade the suspension and steering. We install extra gages for boost pressure, water temperature, oil pressure, and fuel pressure and install a custom shifter."
The brakes had not acted right for awhile and I wasn't happy with them. So I do agree with Bill saying the brakes weren't right. As far as the suspension, it just needed new shocks. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti makes it seem like the coil springs and a-arms and whatnot were all bad, but what else would we expect by now from a lying thief?
They did convert the brake system and added shocks and some new steering parts to make the steering "tighter." This I was pretty much happy with. Except that Bill forget to install something with the steering, which he showed me one day and I forget what it was offhand. I had paid good money to get these new steering parts which had "tighter" tolerances and more durable seals/cushions. Bill said he was not going to "go back in" to install this part. So I assume he never did install that part that was designed to be much better than the OEM. I should have said something but Bill was my friend and I just didn't.
I was happy with the shifter installation, I will say.
But I do want to talk about this time, my car was there, a little further. When I had gotten the car back the first time, it was not tuned and Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti wanted me to put miles on it to "seat the rings" before he tuned it (he never did tune it, by the way). I did not understand why he never put the miles on himself so he could just tune it and totally finish the car. Since summer was practically over (end of July), and I had lost out on the time that I really wanted the car back (which remember was promised to be done at the beginning of March), I took the car back to get these extra items done (brakes, shocks, and steering). I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to put the miles on it while it was there, so the engine would finally be done. I wanted the car back fully tuned and finished with around 500HP which was promised to me. He said ok but never did it.
I had written several emails asking Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to please put the miles on it himself and finish the car. He just never did. I think he was afraid that his work was no good and the motor would blow, and that is why he never finished it. He was hoping it would blow up while I had it and he could just blame me, which he has.
Also, somewhat luckily for Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, I upgraded the operating system on my computer and lost a lot of my emails I had saved where I had asked Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to please finish and tune my car. I had, I would say, at least 3 emails asking him this. But if it ever came down to it, I can take my computer into a computer specialist and have the emails recovered to prove I am not lying.
Friday, May 9, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 10)
So I was out driving today to get a coffee. I see two Porsches and then that reminded me of all the other nice cars I see around here in Florida. That in turn reminds me of my car and the big disappointment and resentment I have toward Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti.
I took my car to be fixed by this corrupt lying person and I didn't get it back until 2 years later. It was supposed to be done in less than 3.5 months, per his assurances.
I am living in Florida now and I could be driving my car. But no, it is still not done. Because the new mechanic has to fix Colletti Motorsports's mistakes. And since the new mechanic is very professional, and his services are sought after all over the country, he is extremely busy. So combine being busy with having to fix another guy's mistakes and you have an even bigger delay in getting your car back. But this all falls back to the original problem, which is Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. And not only do I have to have the entire engine rebuilt from the original bad work, I have to pay again to have it rebuilt. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti will not pay for it. So unprofessional.
I took my car to be fixed by this corrupt lying person and I didn't get it back until 2 years later. It was supposed to be done in less than 3.5 months, per his assurances.
I am living in Florida now and I could be driving my car. But no, it is still not done. Because the new mechanic has to fix Colletti Motorsports's mistakes. And since the new mechanic is very professional, and his services are sought after all over the country, he is extremely busy. So combine being busy with having to fix another guy's mistakes and you have an even bigger delay in getting your car back. But this all falls back to the original problem, which is Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. And not only do I have to have the entire engine rebuilt from the original bad work, I have to pay again to have it rebuilt. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti will not pay for it. So unprofessional.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 9)
Next Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti goes on to talk about the transmission in my Buick Grand National. He says the transmission is no good and I knew about it.
"We called Olds and he says, "I knew something was wrong with it but I forgot to tell you.""
This is just another one of his lies and twisting of the truth. I did not know the transmission was bad. The transmission that was in it, was almost new but it was having trouble in Reverse. But it still did move in Reverse. After Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti told me the transmission was acting up, I did remember that. I told him that I did remember that Reverse was not working properly but it seemed ok in Drive and the rest of the gears. I am not a transmission expert, but sometimes one gear can go out in an automatic transmission and the rest are fine. I believed that Reverse may have been bad, but Drive was ok, and that was ok with me at that moment in time. But it did make sense to put in a new transmission that worked properly since I was spending so much money to have the motor done right, which it wasn't thanks to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti.
On a side note, don't buy a TCI transmission. I had two TCI transmissions in my car and both went bad in less than 1000 miles.
I do not remember how Lonnie Diers was suggested to me for getting a transmission, but I decided to go with him and get it done myself, since at this point, I did not trust Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. So I take the car down myself and get a new transmission put in. All seems fine, then later is starts leaking transmission fluid. I ended up having to take it back down again and found out it just needed a retainer on a particular seal. Lonnie explained to me that the retainer is not needed in almost every case. This just happened to be a rare example of when the retainer was needed.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti likes to use this incident of an example of delays but it only delayed the work by maybe two weeks at the most. And I strongly believe, if I would have let Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti deal with the transmission, it would have taken him at least a month and I would have gotten an inferior product, based on the experiences I was having with him. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had his own guy that he suggested. I am glad I did not go with Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's choice.
Once my car got to KDK Performance and Kevin finally had a chance to look at it, I was told that the transmission cooler, that Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") had installed, was not working as it should. The fan was not running because the power had not been hooked up. Another example of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's shoddy work. I just hope he did not ruin the transmission from his ineptness like he did the motor. It seems to be ok, luckily.
Here are two incidences of Lonnie Diers work showing up in GM High Tech Performance Magazine.
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/events/0901gmhtp_2008_buick_gs_nationals_in_beach_bend_raceway_park/photo_11.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0307gmht_1987_buick_regal_street_sleeper/
"We called Olds and he says, "I knew something was wrong with it but I forgot to tell you.""
This is just another one of his lies and twisting of the truth. I did not know the transmission was bad. The transmission that was in it, was almost new but it was having trouble in Reverse. But it still did move in Reverse. After Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti told me the transmission was acting up, I did remember that. I told him that I did remember that Reverse was not working properly but it seemed ok in Drive and the rest of the gears. I am not a transmission expert, but sometimes one gear can go out in an automatic transmission and the rest are fine. I believed that Reverse may have been bad, but Drive was ok, and that was ok with me at that moment in time. But it did make sense to put in a new transmission that worked properly since I was spending so much money to have the motor done right, which it wasn't thanks to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti.
On a side note, don't buy a TCI transmission. I had two TCI transmissions in my car and both went bad in less than 1000 miles.
I do not remember how Lonnie Diers was suggested to me for getting a transmission, but I decided to go with him and get it done myself, since at this point, I did not trust Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. So I take the car down myself and get a new transmission put in. All seems fine, then later is starts leaking transmission fluid. I ended up having to take it back down again and found out it just needed a retainer on a particular seal. Lonnie explained to me that the retainer is not needed in almost every case. This just happened to be a rare example of when the retainer was needed.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti likes to use this incident of an example of delays but it only delayed the work by maybe two weeks at the most. And I strongly believe, if I would have let Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti deal with the transmission, it would have taken him at least a month and I would have gotten an inferior product, based on the experiences I was having with him. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had his own guy that he suggested. I am glad I did not go with Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's choice.
Once my car got to KDK Performance and Kevin finally had a chance to look at it, I was told that the transmission cooler, that Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") had installed, was not working as it should. The fan was not running because the power had not been hooked up. Another example of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's shoddy work. I just hope he did not ruin the transmission from his ineptness like he did the motor. It seems to be ok, luckily.
Here are two incidences of Lonnie Diers work showing up in GM High Tech Performance Magazine.
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/events/0901gmhtp_2008_buick_gs_nationals_in_beach_bend_raceway_park/photo_11.html
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0307gmht_1987_buick_regal_street_sleeper/
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 8)
Colletti Motorsports: Further analysis of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement.
"The crankshaft had to be machined .030" under. This was a "performance" engine (of sorts) originally from the factory. It had been used harshly and repeatedly. Little besides the block, heads, and crankshaft could be reused."
Having the crankshaft machined is pretty normal though. I think, but I cannot remember for sure, Millet's Automotive machined the crankshaft as well as the block. But since I do not remember for sure, I cannot speak of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's account on this one, because I simply do not recall and I do not lie, unlike Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti.
And as car enthusiasts know as well, typically all that we use from rebuild to rebuild is the block, heads, and crankshaft. And a lot of times the connecting rods and push rods, depending on the situation. I will not go into detail on that because there is no need to. Car lovers and hobbyists know what is going on here. This is just another attempt of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti using his unprofessional and unethical behavior to try to make himself look better for the BBB.
"The crankshaft had to be machined .030" under. This was a "performance" engine (of sorts) originally from the factory. It had been used harshly and repeatedly. Little besides the block, heads, and crankshaft could be reused."
Having the crankshaft machined is pretty normal though. I think, but I cannot remember for sure, Millet's Automotive machined the crankshaft as well as the block. But since I do not remember for sure, I cannot speak of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's account on this one, because I simply do not recall and I do not lie, unlike Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti.
Next he says the engine had been used harshly and repeatedly. It was not used anymore harshly or repeatedly than any other performance car on the street today. My car sits in the garage most of the time idol. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti wants to lead people to believe I am out street racing or track racing or whatever. This is just more of his unprofessional behavior.
And as car enthusiasts know as well, typically all that we use from rebuild to rebuild is the block, heads, and crankshaft. And a lot of times the connecting rods and push rods, depending on the situation. I will not go into detail on that because there is no need to. Car lovers and hobbyists know what is going on here. This is just another attempt of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti using his unprofessional and unethical behavior to try to make himself look better for the BBB.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 7)
Colletti Motorsports: Further analysis of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement.
"The engine was completely disassembled. When we sent the block out to a reputable machine shop, we were told that the block was so worn that the cylinders would have to be "bored out" 60 thousandths over (the maximum an engine can usually be enlarged). Of course, this also meant trying to find .060" "over" forged pistons. Because this was such an unusual requirement, they had to be made; such are not ordinarily carried in stock.
Next he says he sent my block to be bored out. As I have said previously in another post, Millet's Automotive had already done that back in 1999. If the "reputable machine" told him this, then they aren't reputable at all or Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just wanted to use the piston excuse as a way of explaining why it took him 7 months to have the engine rebuilt and installed. He probably assumed I didn't know that the block had already been bored out. This guy is just highly unprofessional and/or lacking the intelligence to figure out logistics efficiently and/or just a pure "snake."
The engine did need larger pistons, but as I have said previously, Millet's Automotive bored out the engine, got pistons, and rebuilt the entire engine in 3 weeks. If Millet's Automotive could get the pistons, why couldn't Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti? Well, because I am sure he has a dedicated supplier that he gets "kickbacks" and incentives from. He is more worried about getting his "cut" or family vacations from his supplier, than he is taking care of his customers.
And this next statement he said is just purely laughable. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti says getting the engine bored out is "such an unusual requirement." Anyone reading this right now that is a car enthusiast is laughing as well.
"The engine was completely disassembled. When we sent the block out to a reputable machine shop, we were told that the block was so worn that the cylinders would have to be "bored out" 60 thousandths over (the maximum an engine can usually be enlarged). Of course, this also meant trying to find .060" "over" forged pistons. Because this was such an unusual requirement, they had to be made; such are not ordinarily carried in stock.
Next he says he sent my block to be bored out. As I have said previously in another post, Millet's Automotive had already done that back in 1999. If the "reputable machine" told him this, then they aren't reputable at all or Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just wanted to use the piston excuse as a way of explaining why it took him 7 months to have the engine rebuilt and installed. He probably assumed I didn't know that the block had already been bored out. This guy is just highly unprofessional and/or lacking the intelligence to figure out logistics efficiently and/or just a pure "snake."
The engine did need larger pistons, but as I have said previously, Millet's Automotive bored out the engine, got pistons, and rebuilt the entire engine in 3 weeks. If Millet's Automotive could get the pistons, why couldn't Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti? Well, because I am sure he has a dedicated supplier that he gets "kickbacks" and incentives from. He is more worried about getting his "cut" or family vacations from his supplier, than he is taking care of his customers.
And this next statement he said is just purely laughable. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti says getting the engine bored out is "such an unusual requirement." Anyone reading this right now that is a car enthusiast is laughing as well.
Monday, May 5, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 6)
Colletti Motorsports: Further analysis of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement.
"However, it was a long road to get this 20+ year-old car to that level."
As you can see from the sentence, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti calls my car 20+ years old, and says it was a long road to get to the goal. My car is old, but as I have said before, it is an extremely well taken care of car. It is in as good of condition as many newer cars on the road today. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti was trying to coax readers into believing my car was old and broken down and he had such a difficult task. I just shake my head when I read that. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is just so unprofessional and unethical, it sickens me. The first time snow ever has touched my vehicle, since I have owned it, was in Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's possession. The steel rims, I had on it at the time, had very tiny rust spots I kept at bay with regular cleaning. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had my vehicle so long (and had it outside), that the rust spots tripled or quadrupled in size. An intelligent professional mechanic would have recognized this and took steps to prevent it or correct it, especially when you are paying top dollar for a place that claims they "treat you and your car like family." It makes a person wonder if he just sat his children outside for long periods of time without feeding them or interacting with them.
"However, it was a long road to get this 20+ year-old car to that level."
As you can see from the sentence, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti calls my car 20+ years old, and says it was a long road to get to the goal. My car is old, but as I have said before, it is an extremely well taken care of car. It is in as good of condition as many newer cars on the road today. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti was trying to coax readers into believing my car was old and broken down and he had such a difficult task. I just shake my head when I read that. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is just so unprofessional and unethical, it sickens me. The first time snow ever has touched my vehicle, since I have owned it, was in Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's possession. The steel rims, I had on it at the time, had very tiny rust spots I kept at bay with regular cleaning. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had my vehicle so long (and had it outside), that the rust spots tripled or quadrupled in size. An intelligent professional mechanic would have recognized this and took steps to prevent it or correct it, especially when you are paying top dollar for a place that claims they "treat you and your car like family." It makes a person wonder if he just sat his children outside for long periods of time without feeding them or interacting with them.
Friday, May 2, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 5)
Here is another lie Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti told the BBB.
"We ultimately achieved 340.86 HP and 405 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels (that is, AFTER the power has been transmitted through an automatic transmission and the remainder of the powertrain) as measured by a dynamometer. This means we achieved the goal."
This is an outright lie. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had dyno-ed my car and sent me a horsepower chart showing 285HP was the maximum they achieved. [Remember, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had assured me that he could get around 500HP. And from a previous post, I showed a quote from GM High Tech Performance magazine that 400-500 HP is not too difficult in the hands someone that knows these cars.] In an email I sent him, I told him the 285 horsepower seemed low. His reply was basically that a Grand National mechanic can tune it but he can't. This means he never should have accepted the job in the first place, and to me, it shows he was just greedy for money.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti said he had reached the horsepower goal. He used the excuse that he reached the goal at the flywheel instead of the rear wheels (which is still a lie anyway from the dyno chart). When I came to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, I told him I wanted around 500HP and he said he could do it. He knew it was Rear Wheel Horsepower that I was talking about. Everyone that is a car enthusiast knows what I am talking about as well. When we talk of horsepower ratings, it is at the rear wheel and not the flywheel. When we speak of flywheel horsepower, we will specifically state that, otherwise it is implied it is Rear Wheel Horsepower. Even cars sold today have horsepower ratings at the rear wheel and not the flywheel. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is not only unprofessional, he is unethical.
"We ultimately achieved 340.86 HP and 405 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels (that is, AFTER the power has been transmitted through an automatic transmission and the remainder of the powertrain) as measured by a dynamometer. This means we achieved the goal."
This is an outright lie. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had dyno-ed my car and sent me a horsepower chart showing 285HP was the maximum they achieved. [Remember, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had assured me that he could get around 500HP. And from a previous post, I showed a quote from GM High Tech Performance magazine that 400-500 HP is not too difficult in the hands someone that knows these cars.] In an email I sent him, I told him the 285 horsepower seemed low. His reply was basically that a Grand National mechanic can tune it but he can't. This means he never should have accepted the job in the first place, and to me, it shows he was just greedy for money.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti said he had reached the horsepower goal. He used the excuse that he reached the goal at the flywheel instead of the rear wheels (which is still a lie anyway from the dyno chart). When I came to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, I told him I wanted around 500HP and he said he could do it. He knew it was Rear Wheel Horsepower that I was talking about. Everyone that is a car enthusiast knows what I am talking about as well. When we talk of horsepower ratings, it is at the rear wheel and not the flywheel. When we speak of flywheel horsepower, we will specifically state that, otherwise it is implied it is Rear Wheel Horsepower. Even cars sold today have horsepower ratings at the rear wheel and not the flywheel. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is not only unprofessional, he is unethical.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti (part 4)
The next quote from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement:
"On November 9, 2010, the car arrives, barely running and knocking. We tell John he needs his motor rebuilt he gives his OK. He wanted us to build a "race-style" motor. This included, among other things, forged pistons, performance camshaft, biggerinjectors, and other modifications. It is very important to note that this is a V-6 engine, not a V-8."
It is also very important to note I had already talked to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti before November 9, 2010, and he had told me he could successfully rebuild the engine, have it completed on time, and give me the 500HP I was wanting to get out of it. None of these promises ended up being fulfilled.
They also say, I wanted a "race-style motor." I am not sure what exactly what they mean by this, but Buick Grand Nationals are known for being fast and being daily drivers. This is one feature that makes them unique among other cars. This was not supposed to be a race car. If they did not know this, it is just more ongoing unprofessional behavior them.
Moreover, they say it is very important to know that my car was a V-6 and not a V-8, insinuating it is hard to get high horsepower out of a V-6. For them to say this just proves how unqualified they were to work on my car. Here is a quote from GM High Tech Performance Magazine: "Anybody who is familiar with these cars knows that 400-500 horsepower is not too difficult." Once again, this shows how unqualified Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") was to work on my car. Another thing the magazine says, is that Grand Nationals will often "blow" up shortly after an unqualified and inexperienced mechanic works on them. I have not found that quote yet, but I will surely reference it when I do. Steve (the "ripper-offer") Colletti, was not able to understand the engineering behind a motor designed in the 1980's.
Yet even with this quote from GM High Tech Performance Magazine, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti still continues to claim he did a good job, denies his work went bad and still continues to deny me reimbursement. ...Extremely unprofessional...
"On November 9, 2010, the car arrives, barely running and knocking. We tell John he needs his motor rebuilt he gives his OK. He wanted us to build a "race-style" motor. This included, among other things, forged pistons, performance camshaft, biggerinjectors, and other modifications. It is very important to note that this is a V-6 engine, not a V-8."
It is also very important to note I had already talked to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti before November 9, 2010, and he had told me he could successfully rebuild the engine, have it completed on time, and give me the 500HP I was wanting to get out of it. None of these promises ended up being fulfilled.
They also say, I wanted a "race-style motor." I am not sure what exactly what they mean by this, but Buick Grand Nationals are known for being fast and being daily drivers. This is one feature that makes them unique among other cars. This was not supposed to be a race car. If they did not know this, it is just more ongoing unprofessional behavior them.
Moreover, they say it is very important to know that my car was a V-6 and not a V-8, insinuating it is hard to get high horsepower out of a V-6. For them to say this just proves how unqualified they were to work on my car. Here is a quote from GM High Tech Performance Magazine: "Anybody who is familiar with these cars knows that 400-500 horsepower is not too difficult." Once again, this shows how unqualified Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") was to work on my car. Another thing the magazine says, is that Grand Nationals will often "blow" up shortly after an unqualified and inexperienced mechanic works on them. I have not found that quote yet, but I will surely reference it when I do. Steve (the "ripper-offer") Colletti, was not able to understand the engineering behind a motor designed in the 1980's.
Yet even with this quote from GM High Tech Performance Magazine, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti still continues to claim he did a good job, denies his work went bad and still continues to deny me reimbursement. ...Extremely unprofessional...
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the 'ripper off-er") Colletti (part 3)
Here is the next sentence of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's BBB statement:
"Our shop builds and races race cars, and we have been doing so for over 30 years."
You would expect that if a company would make this claim, they would be professional. This place certainly isn't.
- A professional company would honor their word and commitment to you. Colletti Motorsports did not.
- A professional company would provide quality work. Colletti Motorsports did not.
- A professional company would repair or reimburse their customer for any mistakes or damages caused to your vehicle. Colletti Motorsports did not.
The only thing I can see that Colletti Motorsports is a professional at, is taking advantage of its customers for over 30 years.
"Our shop builds and races race cars, and we have been doing so for over 30 years."
You would expect that if a company would make this claim, they would be professional. This place certainly isn't.
- A professional company would honor their word and commitment to you. Colletti Motorsports did not.
- A professional company would provide quality work. Colletti Motorsports did not.
- A professional company would repair or reimburse their customer for any mistakes or damages caused to your vehicle. Colletti Motorsports did not.
The only thing I can see that Colletti Motorsports is a professional at, is taking advantage of its customers for over 30 years.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti (part 2)
Here is another quote from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's Better Business Bureau response:
"Mr. Olds was, to put it politely, a very difficult customer. He acquired an old 1987 Buick Grand National which barely ran, and wanted it made into, essentially, a race car."
Apparently, a "difficult" customer to them is one who expects the owner to keep his word and be professional. Also you would expect that if a professional company ruined your car's motor, they would pay for their mistakes. I received broken promises, unprofessional work, and no reimbursement from their work that immediately went bad upon receiving my car. This makes me a "difficult" customer.
In their BBB statement, they say I acquired an old 1987 Buick Grand National. I have owned this car since around 1998 and it is very well taken care of. The first time snow has ever touched the paint of my vehicle, since I have owned it, was in their possession. This to me, shows they never even listened or cared to what I had to say. They did not care about getting to know their customer and all they wanted was my money.
Also, I did not want a race car. Buick Grand Nationals have a reputation for being fast and daily drivers. This is what I wanted, not a race car. Had they listened to me, they would have known this. Or Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just wanted to lie in his Better Business Bureau statement to make himself look better. Either way it shows his unprofessionalism and incompetence.
"Mr. Olds was, to put it politely, a very difficult customer. He acquired an old 1987 Buick Grand National which barely ran, and wanted it made into, essentially, a race car."
Apparently, a "difficult" customer to them is one who expects the owner to keep his word and be professional. Also you would expect that if a professional company ruined your car's motor, they would pay for their mistakes. I received broken promises, unprofessional work, and no reimbursement from their work that immediately went bad upon receiving my car. This makes me a "difficult" customer.
In their BBB statement, they say I acquired an old 1987 Buick Grand National. I have owned this car since around 1998 and it is very well taken care of. The first time snow has ever touched the paint of my vehicle, since I have owned it, was in their possession. This to me, shows they never even listened or cared to what I had to say. They did not care about getting to know their customer and all they wanted was my money.
Also, I did not want a race car. Buick Grand Nationals have a reputation for being fast and daily drivers. This is what I wanted, not a race car. Had they listened to me, they would have known this. Or Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti just wanted to lie in his Better Business Bureau statement to make himself look better. Either way it shows his unprofessionalism and incompetence.
Monday, April 28, 2014
The highly unprofessional Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti
"I contact him (Kristen has by now dumped him)."
This is a direct quote from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's response in his Better Business Bureau statement. He is talking about me and my girlfriend at the time. Can you believe how unprofessional and unethical you would have to be to write something like this? Not only is it inappropriate, it is not true. I ended the relationship with her and I had to contact the police to have her stop contacting me. To me, it is just another nail in the coffin of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti not checking his facts and not researching information properly, just like with my car.
To shed more light on the subject, my former girlfriend knows about the trouble I have had with Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. One time, when we were still talking/texting, we were texting about how bad he was. She said "Steve just doesn't get it." I asked her if she would write a bad review about him for me and she said she would. A few days go by and she had not written the review. I asked her why. She said she did not want to get in the middle of this problem. I was upset because of how Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti had treated me and basically screwed me over and she knew it and was not willing to help me. I said that if she did not write this review for me, as she said she would, I did not want to speak with her anymore. She did end up writing a review, but out of revenge to me for contacting the police on her and by the request of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, she wrote a good review about this horrible shop instead of a bad review.
She later changed her review from good to neutral. This apparently upset Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti and he had the review removed. She has now told me she is considering writing a bad review because of Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti's purely unprofessional behavior.
This is a direct quote from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's response in his Better Business Bureau statement. He is talking about me and my girlfriend at the time. Can you believe how unprofessional and unethical you would have to be to write something like this? Not only is it inappropriate, it is not true. I ended the relationship with her and I had to contact the police to have her stop contacting me. To me, it is just another nail in the coffin of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti not checking his facts and not researching information properly, just like with my car.
To shed more light on the subject, my former girlfriend knows about the trouble I have had with Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti. One time, when we were still talking/texting, we were texting about how bad he was. She said "Steve just doesn't get it." I asked her if she would write a bad review about him for me and she said she would. A few days go by and she had not written the review. I asked her why. She said she did not want to get in the middle of this problem. I was upset because of how Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti had treated me and basically screwed me over and she knew it and was not willing to help me. I said that if she did not write this review for me, as she said she would, I did not want to speak with her anymore. She did end up writing a review, but out of revenge to me for contacting the police on her and by the request of Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, she wrote a good review about this horrible shop instead of a bad review.
She later changed her review from good to neutral. This apparently upset Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti and he had the review removed. She has now told me she is considering writing a bad review because of Steve (the "ripper off-er) Colletti's purely unprofessional behavior.
Friday, April 25, 2014
The unnecessary new gauges Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti suggested (part 2)
.... continued
I did not complain about this though, it was earlier on before the multiple mistakes started piling up. What I decided to do is buy a new 4 cluster gauge panel that was made to be custom mounted in the dash on the passenger side. Not only did this gauge panel work for the new gauges, it would be in a secure mounted spot. It also accommodated 2 more gauges to monitor your vehicle. So I ordered the gauge panel and two more gauges. Since Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had touted using mechanical gauges instead of electrical, I bought a mechanical fuel pressure gauge along with a turbo gauge. When he gets the gauges, he said they had a problem installing the mechanical fuel pressure gauge and that I should have bought an electrical fuel pressure gauge instead.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti did not want fuel coming into the vehicle for the fuel pressure gauge. The mechanical fuel gauge required some modifications to prevent fuel from going past the firewall. This was actually a good decision, but he never should have said mechanical gauges were better in the first place. Electrical gauges are actually far superior. I have a degree in Engineering Physics, so half of my classes were electrical engineering. Electrical gauges measure electrons and you essentially get an instant reading and also it is far more accurate than a mechanical gauge. Mechanical gauges typically rely on the expansion of mercury (for water temperature, anyway). The mercury has to expand and then this basically creates pressure which gives you a signal. It takes time for the heat of the water in the motor to expand the mercury and create pressure. It does not take long, but it takes much longer than readings from electrical gauges. The only advantage of a mechanical gauge is that you do not need power to run it.
So right now I have mechanical gauges in my car, when I never should have listened to his suggestion in the first place. Like I said earlier, I thought he was a professional and had good reasons for doing this. But as his mistakes kept piling up, I realized how unprofessional he was and I never should have listened to him or even brought my car here for that matter.
I did not complain about this though, it was earlier on before the multiple mistakes started piling up. What I decided to do is buy a new 4 cluster gauge panel that was made to be custom mounted in the dash on the passenger side. Not only did this gauge panel work for the new gauges, it would be in a secure mounted spot. It also accommodated 2 more gauges to monitor your vehicle. So I ordered the gauge panel and two more gauges. Since Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had touted using mechanical gauges instead of electrical, I bought a mechanical fuel pressure gauge along with a turbo gauge. When he gets the gauges, he said they had a problem installing the mechanical fuel pressure gauge and that I should have bought an electrical fuel pressure gauge instead.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti did not want fuel coming into the vehicle for the fuel pressure gauge. The mechanical fuel gauge required some modifications to prevent fuel from going past the firewall. This was actually a good decision, but he never should have said mechanical gauges were better in the first place. Electrical gauges are actually far superior. I have a degree in Engineering Physics, so half of my classes were electrical engineering. Electrical gauges measure electrons and you essentially get an instant reading and also it is far more accurate than a mechanical gauge. Mechanical gauges typically rely on the expansion of mercury (for water temperature, anyway). The mercury has to expand and then this basically creates pressure which gives you a signal. It takes time for the heat of the water in the motor to expand the mercury and create pressure. It does not take long, but it takes much longer than readings from electrical gauges. The only advantage of a mechanical gauge is that you do not need power to run it.
So right now I have mechanical gauges in my car, when I never should have listened to his suggestion in the first place. Like I said earlier, I thought he was a professional and had good reasons for doing this. But as his mistakes kept piling up, I realized how unprofessional he was and I never should have listened to him or even brought my car here for that matter.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The unnecessary new gauges Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti suggested (part 1)
I had two small gauges that were custom fit to my Grand National. One was a water temperature gauge, the other was an oil pressure gauge. Both were electrical. For some reason, I do not remember why, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti suggested that he replace those gauges with larger gauges and have them be mechanical instead of electrical. Myself, I really saw no reason to do this, but he was supposed to be the professional and I assumed he had a good reason for doing this so I agreed with his suggestion. One of the reasons that he said mechanical was better, was because you did not need electricity to run the gauge. I could understand this point but it only takes a flip of a switch to use an electrical gauge.
When I see the new gauges installed, they are in a two cluster gauge panel and just sitting where my old gauges were with nothing but gravity and the wires to it holding it in place. It was not mounted and not custom fitted like the previous gauge cluster. I was completely appalled by the lack of concern in the manner it was just sitting there. I just could not believe this company would do something like that. Their motto is "we treat you and your car like family." I would not have put the gauges in this way. It looked completely amateur.
I don't even understand why I agreed to this, now that I look back. I suppose it is just that I was hoping everything would be ok and he was making the right decisions. Once again, looking back, I see now how this guy just scammed me in almost every way he could.
When I see the new gauges installed, they are in a two cluster gauge panel and just sitting where my old gauges were with nothing but gravity and the wires to it holding it in place. It was not mounted and not custom fitted like the previous gauge cluster. I was completely appalled by the lack of concern in the manner it was just sitting there. I just could not believe this company would do something like that. Their motto is "we treat you and your car like family." I would not have put the gauges in this way. It looked completely amateur.
I don't even understand why I agreed to this, now that I look back. I suppose it is just that I was hoping everything would be ok and he was making the right decisions. Once again, looking back, I see now how this guy just scammed me in almost every way he could.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") and the customer that had to do his own research because they could not
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had called me in to talk to me about my car sometime around the beginning of February 2011 (The car was promised to be done at the beginning of March 2011). He showed me the crankshaft. He pointed out that the crankshaft was not like standard crankshafts. I saw what he was talking about and I had never seen one either. Even though I owned a Grand National, I was not aware that it has the type of crankshaft it does. I bought my Grand National while I was in the military and did not have much time to work on it myself and didn't know anyone else with a Grand National at that time. So my knowledge of these cars was limited. My father was a mechanic and taught me about cars. I am not an expert, just a hobbyist, but I know enough about cars to tell the crankshaft was definitely something different.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti explained that the way the crankshaft was, it would probably not hold up to the kind of stress that high horsepower would put on it. He had printed out an article where someone had replaced their Grand National's offset crankshaft with a standard one. This would require changing the firing order as well. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti that I wanted to look into this matter of the crankshaft.
I did some research and found that the Buick Grand National's offset crankshaft has a fluid channel that gives the crankshaft added strength to make up for its offset design and holds up to quite a lot of stress. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti what I had found out and told him to not change the crankshaft and firing order, but to rebuild it using the original crankshaft.
Once you change the unique motor of the Grand National, it is essentially not a Grand National anymore. My first instinct was to get my car out of there because I feared my car was not going to be done right (and it turned out to be true). But at the time, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and I remembered Millet's Engines rebuilt my motor in 3 weeks time and it lasted for 10 years. It would also be even more difficult now to ship the car to Florida to have KDK Performance rebuild it, instead of Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), since the motor was now out and tore apart.
In my opinion, you are a very poor mechanic and have a very bad business if your customer has to find out
information for you. As I said earlier though, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he could still successfully rebuild my motor, but I was very nervous about it. And this is when I really started documenting everything that happened so if the car did "blow" up, I would have proof of everything. But all this proof I have saved obviously hasn't helped since Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has not reimbursed me for his terrible work.
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti explained that the way the crankshaft was, it would probably not hold up to the kind of stress that high horsepower would put on it. He had printed out an article where someone had replaced their Grand National's offset crankshaft with a standard one. This would require changing the firing order as well. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti that I wanted to look into this matter of the crankshaft.
I did some research and found that the Buick Grand National's offset crankshaft has a fluid channel that gives the crankshaft added strength to make up for its offset design and holds up to quite a lot of stress. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti what I had found out and told him to not change the crankshaft and firing order, but to rebuild it using the original crankshaft.
Once you change the unique motor of the Grand National, it is essentially not a Grand National anymore. My first instinct was to get my car out of there because I feared my car was not going to be done right (and it turned out to be true). But at the time, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and I remembered Millet's Engines rebuilt my motor in 3 weeks time and it lasted for 10 years. It would also be even more difficult now to ship the car to Florida to have KDK Performance rebuild it, instead of Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), since the motor was now out and tore apart.
In my opinion, you are a very poor mechanic and have a very bad business if your customer has to find out
information for you. As I said earlier though, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he could still successfully rebuild my motor, but I was very nervous about it. And this is when I really started documenting everything that happened so if the car did "blow" up, I would have proof of everything. But all this proof I have saved obviously hasn't helped since Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has not reimbursed me for his terrible work.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
My third choice. The wrong choice. (Colletti Motosports)
The third choice was Colletti Motorsports. Obviously the wrong choice. I already wrote about this before but I will state some things once again. Steve had given me his word the car would be done around the beginning of March. They also had a dyno there and I thought they could really get some great horsepower out of it, which they didn't of course.
... On a side note, Millet's Engines (my second choice) bored out my motor 0.060 over in 1999. Steve Colletti had said in his Better Business Bureau response, that he had my engine bored out. This was either an outright lie he was hoping I would not catch, or he forgot and decided to write it anyway. He is either a liar in one circumstance or incompetent from not checking his facts in the other. Either way, it just adds to his continual bad behavior. In my BBB response, I had said Millet's had rebuilt the engine in approximately 2001. It was 1999, as you can see in the receipt I have previously posted. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti also used the excuse of saying my engine was bored out and had to get special pistons as why my car took so long to be done. Millet's Engines had no problem getting pistons and completely rebuilding the engine in 3 weeks in 1999. ...
After getting my car back from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), I took it straight to KDK Performance because I ended up not trusting the work from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") because of all the unprofessionalism I was encountering. KDK performance found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti refuses to acknowledge me.
... On a side note, Millet's Engines (my second choice) bored out my motor 0.060 over in 1999. Steve Colletti had said in his Better Business Bureau response, that he had my engine bored out. This was either an outright lie he was hoping I would not catch, or he forgot and decided to write it anyway. He is either a liar in one circumstance or incompetent from not checking his facts in the other. Either way, it just adds to his continual bad behavior. In my BBB response, I had said Millet's had rebuilt the engine in approximately 2001. It was 1999, as you can see in the receipt I have previously posted. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti also used the excuse of saying my engine was bored out and had to get special pistons as why my car took so long to be done. Millet's Engines had no problem getting pistons and completely rebuilding the engine in 3 weeks in 1999. ...
After getting my car back from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), I took it straight to KDK Performance because I ended up not trusting the work from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers") because of all the unprofessionalism I was encountering. KDK performance found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti refuses to acknowledge me.
Monday, April 21, 2014
My second choice (not Colletti Motorsports)
My second choice was Millet's Automotive (aka Millet's Engines) in Piqua, OH. They had rebuilt the motor in my Buick when I was on leave from the Navy in 1999, as I have said previously. I knew if I took it to Millet's, It would be there for a long time. They did my car in 3 weeks before, but that was a special circumstance and I did not have any special circumstances this time. When I was on leave from the Navy, they promised me the car would be done in 3 weeks and they were true to their word, unlike Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"). I knew from previous times, I had gone to Millet's, they were always busy. I would have weighed Millet's more heavily, had I known that they have a dyno now. When my engine was first done by them, they did not have the dyno. I should have looked into that. If I would have, and chose Millet's, I would not be writing this now but instead enjoying my car.
After getting my car back from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), I took it right to KDK Performance. There they found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti this and he refuses to acknowledge me.
After getting my car back from Colletti Motorsports (the "ripper off-ers"), I took it right to KDK Performance. There they found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti this and he refuses to acknowledge me.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
My first choice (not Colletti Motorsports)
My first choice, in having the engine rebuilt in my 1987 Buick Grand National, was KDK Performance in Orlando, FL. They are the ones who are currently fixing Colletti Motorsports's bad work. Also while living in Florida, when I was in the Navy, and later in South Carolina, this is the only place I let service my car. KDK serviced it from approximately 1998-2003. I was living in Ohio at the time of considering the rebuild (I am now living in Florida) and I would have had to ship the car to Florida because it was not running and drivable. I knew KDK would be expensive and also the shipping would be expensive.
After getting my car back from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, I felt I could not trust his work and I took my car straight to KDK Performance. There they found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti this and he refuses to acknowledge me.
After getting my car back from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, I felt I could not trust his work and I took my car straight to KDK Performance. There they found the head gaskets were blown, the camshaft was flat, and the front camshaft bearing was bad. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti this and he refuses to acknowledge me.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Unhappy Customers and Employees
Have you ever been majorly screwed over before by a company? Colletti Motorsports did it to me. This is my account of how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
I brought my car to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti in November 2010. I had asked that the car be done around the beginning of March, to which I was told it would be. After March had gone by, I was upset but not overly upset because I know extenuating circumstances do happen. But I was slightly perturbed because if Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti would have started working on my car immediately (November), rather than waiting until February, the car might have been completed or almost completed on time, even after running into difficulties, which was continual excuse. If he would have started in November, he would have had an extra 2.5 months to deal with errors or difficulties. But he waited until February to start my car when he had told me the car would probably be done in January (Remember telling me that Steve the "ripper off-er" Colletti?). Since I do not drive my car in the winter, I really didn't care to have it done in January, so that did not affect me at all when he said that. I wanted him to take his time and do it correctly, but I also wanted it to be done in a certain time frame. Bringing the car in November gave him 3.5 months to complete it, which should have been plenty of time considering he told me he was slow on business. He told me it would be done. This was one major factor in choosing this place. If that promise was not made to me, I would not have come here to begin with. Obviously he just wanted my money and was not concerned with being professional and doing what was promised.
Once May had arrived, I was really upset. Steve has called me a "difficult" customer in the Better Business Bureau report. I guess a "difficult" customer to them is one who expects the owner to be true to his word. While visiting Katie Knabe (my former wife and daughter of Bill Knabe) some time around the beginning of the summer, I told Katie of the difficulties I was having with Colletti Motorsports. She said she wondered why Steve had told me that my car would be done in January, when her father, Bill Knabe, always takes off for the entire month of December. Bill Knabe, if you haven't read previous posts, was an employee of Colletti Motorsports. This left the shop undermanned. She also told me, and this is a direct quote, her father "was not happy with Steve." Now I was really nervous and upset about my car.
I brought my car to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti in November 2010. I had asked that the car be done around the beginning of March, to which I was told it would be. After March had gone by, I was upset but not overly upset because I know extenuating circumstances do happen. But I was slightly perturbed because if Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti would have started working on my car immediately (November), rather than waiting until February, the car might have been completed or almost completed on time, even after running into difficulties, which was continual excuse. If he would have started in November, he would have had an extra 2.5 months to deal with errors or difficulties. But he waited until February to start my car when he had told me the car would probably be done in January (Remember telling me that Steve the "ripper off-er" Colletti?). Since I do not drive my car in the winter, I really didn't care to have it done in January, so that did not affect me at all when he said that. I wanted him to take his time and do it correctly, but I also wanted it to be done in a certain time frame. Bringing the car in November gave him 3.5 months to complete it, which should have been plenty of time considering he told me he was slow on business. He told me it would be done. This was one major factor in choosing this place. If that promise was not made to me, I would not have come here to begin with. Obviously he just wanted my money and was not concerned with being professional and doing what was promised.
Once May had arrived, I was really upset. Steve has called me a "difficult" customer in the Better Business Bureau report. I guess a "difficult" customer to them is one who expects the owner to be true to his word. While visiting Katie Knabe (my former wife and daughter of Bill Knabe) some time around the beginning of the summer, I told Katie of the difficulties I was having with Colletti Motorsports. She said she wondered why Steve had told me that my car would be done in January, when her father, Bill Knabe, always takes off for the entire month of December. Bill Knabe, if you haven't read previous posts, was an employee of Colletti Motorsports. This left the shop undermanned. She also told me, and this is a direct quote, her father "was not happy with Steve." Now I was really nervous and upset about my car.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's incompetence
Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
Why did I even choose Colletti Motorsports to start with? Well, I dated and was briefly married to the daughter of an employee of Colletti Motorsports. The employee's name was Bill Knabe and his daughter's name was Katie Knabe. Unfortunately and sadly, both have passed away from cancer. My truck had needed a new motor at one time and I needed somewhere to go to that I could trust. As many people know, it is hard to trust automotive mechanic shops. I was not married to Katie at this time. We had gotten a dissolution and became friends again later on. Knowing Katie and her father, I decided to go ahead and bring my truck to Colletti Motorsports. They found a new motor to replace the broken down motor that was in my truck. Changing motors does not take that much skill and they were able to do it with no problems. That experience I had with them was fine. It was the later experience, that this blog is dedicated to, that is my horror story.
My Buick Grand National was broken down and my Combat Medic Vietnam Veteran father had passed away and left a little bit of money to me. We both enjoyed cars and he was a dirt track and drag racer back in his day. I love taking care of and having my car, therefore, I wanted to spend some money to have my car fixed so that I could care for it and enjoy it as a sort of therapy from my father's loss. Knowing Katie and her father, and the fact that Colletti Motorsports's website claimed they were "turbo specialists," (a claim they no longer state) I decided to come and talk to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti about rebuilding the engine in my Buick Grand National.
My father had passed away on Veteran's Day in 2010. I came to Colletti Motorsports right around that timeframe. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti that I would like to have the engine rebuilt and that I wanted it done around the beginning of March (2011) and that I wanted it to be around 500HP. I also strongly pointed out that I heard these cars can be very tricky to work on. I did not want to insult him, but at the same time I wanted to warn him. A previous mechanic I had while living in Florida (Kevin King of KDK Performance) told me to never have anyone, who is not experienced with Buick Grand Nationals, ever work on my car. He said typically, they will blow up the first day you get them back. I have also read articles in GM High Tech Magazine that state this as well. Well, I had had Millet's Automotive in Piqua, OH, rebuild my Buick around 1999 when I was on leave from the Navy. I was on a one month leave and needed the car done in 3 weeks. Millet's Automotive did the job in 3 weeks and the car lasted me for 10 years. I assumed if Millet's could do it, Colletti Motorsports could as well. But they have obviously proved me wrong. So, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti told me, with a big smile, it would be no problem. Not only did he say it would not be a problem, he said it would probably be done in January.
The end of February comes and I am asked to stop by. I am excited to think that my car is done or almost done. I get there and my semi-rare car is just sitting out in the front parking lot, which is not secure. They have no fences or anything to protect your car from theft or vandals. I go inside the shop and see my engine in pieces. (Remember, the car was promised to be done at the beginning of March.) I was pretty upset but I remembered that Millet's Automotive rebuilt my car in 3 weeks, so I still thought the car could be done on time. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti showed me that my Buick has, what I later found out on my own, an offset crankshaft. He had apparently never seen one before and did not know what to do. He had printed out an article in which someone had converted their Turbo Buick from an offset crankshaft to a standard crankshaft and recommended to me that we do this. This also required that the timing order be changed. I said I wanted to look into this plan of his. It did not seem right to me.
What makes a Grand National a Grand National is its unique motor. Once you change that, it is no longer a Grand National. Most car enthusiasts will understand this point and especially if you are a Turbo Buick owner. I looked into the matter of the offset crankshaft and discovered that there is a fluid channel in the crankshaft that gives it extra strength and that Buick Grand National crankshafts hold up to quite a lot of stress. This was something Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti could not figure out on his own. I had to tell him. He apparently was either not intelligent enough, or too lazy and incompetent, or all of these to find this out on his own This was when I started getting really nervous. I was afraid that my car was going to blow up right after I got it back just like I had been warned and read about. It was from that point on that I really started documenting everything. I did not get my car back until January 2013 when it was supposed to be March 2011.
Why did I even choose Colletti Motorsports to start with? Well, I dated and was briefly married to the daughter of an employee of Colletti Motorsports. The employee's name was Bill Knabe and his daughter's name was Katie Knabe. Unfortunately and sadly, both have passed away from cancer. My truck had needed a new motor at one time and I needed somewhere to go to that I could trust. As many people know, it is hard to trust automotive mechanic shops. I was not married to Katie at this time. We had gotten a dissolution and became friends again later on. Knowing Katie and her father, I decided to go ahead and bring my truck to Colletti Motorsports. They found a new motor to replace the broken down motor that was in my truck. Changing motors does not take that much skill and they were able to do it with no problems. That experience I had with them was fine. It was the later experience, that this blog is dedicated to, that is my horror story.
My Buick Grand National was broken down and my Combat Medic Vietnam Veteran father had passed away and left a little bit of money to me. We both enjoyed cars and he was a dirt track and drag racer back in his day. I love taking care of and having my car, therefore, I wanted to spend some money to have my car fixed so that I could care for it and enjoy it as a sort of therapy from my father's loss. Knowing Katie and her father, and the fact that Colletti Motorsports's website claimed they were "turbo specialists," (a claim they no longer state) I decided to come and talk to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti about rebuilding the engine in my Buick Grand National.
My father had passed away on Veteran's Day in 2010. I came to Colletti Motorsports right around that timeframe. I told Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti that I would like to have the engine rebuilt and that I wanted it done around the beginning of March (2011) and that I wanted it to be around 500HP. I also strongly pointed out that I heard these cars can be very tricky to work on. I did not want to insult him, but at the same time I wanted to warn him. A previous mechanic I had while living in Florida (Kevin King of KDK Performance) told me to never have anyone, who is not experienced with Buick Grand Nationals, ever work on my car. He said typically, they will blow up the first day you get them back. I have also read articles in GM High Tech Magazine that state this as well. Well, I had had Millet's Automotive in Piqua, OH, rebuild my Buick around 1999 when I was on leave from the Navy. I was on a one month leave and needed the car done in 3 weeks. Millet's Automotive did the job in 3 weeks and the car lasted me for 10 years. I assumed if Millet's could do it, Colletti Motorsports could as well. But they have obviously proved me wrong. So, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti told me, with a big smile, it would be no problem. Not only did he say it would not be a problem, he said it would probably be done in January.
The end of February comes and I am asked to stop by. I am excited to think that my car is done or almost done. I get there and my semi-rare car is just sitting out in the front parking lot, which is not secure. They have no fences or anything to protect your car from theft or vandals. I go inside the shop and see my engine in pieces. (Remember, the car was promised to be done at the beginning of March.) I was pretty upset but I remembered that Millet's Automotive rebuilt my car in 3 weeks, so I still thought the car could be done on time. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti showed me that my Buick has, what I later found out on my own, an offset crankshaft. He had apparently never seen one before and did not know what to do. He had printed out an article in which someone had converted their Turbo Buick from an offset crankshaft to a standard crankshaft and recommended to me that we do this. This also required that the timing order be changed. I said I wanted to look into this plan of his. It did not seem right to me.
What makes a Grand National a Grand National is its unique motor. Once you change that, it is no longer a Grand National. Most car enthusiasts will understand this point and especially if you are a Turbo Buick owner. I looked into the matter of the offset crankshaft and discovered that there is a fluid channel in the crankshaft that gives it extra strength and that Buick Grand National crankshafts hold up to quite a lot of stress. This was something Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti could not figure out on his own. I had to tell him. He apparently was either not intelligent enough, or too lazy and incompetent, or all of these to find this out on his own This was when I started getting really nervous. I was afraid that my car was going to blow up right after I got it back just like I had been warned and read about. It was from that point on that I really started documenting everything. I did not get my car back until January 2013 when it was supposed to be March 2011.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti charging me for 8 fuel injectors for a 6 cylinder car
This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
Colletti Motorsports charged me for 8 fuel injectors when my car is a 6 cylinder. My car, by the way, is a 1987 Buick Grand National. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti charged me $600 for a set of 8 - 50lb/hr injectors when he could have gotten better ones from any reputable Turbo Buick supplier cheaper. I am having 6 - 60lb/hr injectors installed for a total price of $425.00 at KDK Performance (more performance too), but Colletti Motorsports opted to make me spend more money for some reason, for less performance. When I told him of this, he offered no apology or refund. How inept do you have to be to do something like that? Oh, I'm sure he was not inept. I am sure he did it on purpose. You see, many of these shady mechanics have only one supplier they work with. That way they get incentives and "kickbacks" from their dedicated supplier.
Colletti Motorsports charged me $234.00 for the Number 2 and 3 Forged Main Caps. I found them for $160.00.
Colletti Motorsports charged me $295.00 for Comp Cam and Lifter. I found them for $219.00.
Quite a mark up for these parts, and I did not even go through the entire list. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is certainly a ripper off-er. His actions have proven it.
Colletti Motorsports charged me for 8 fuel injectors when my car is a 6 cylinder. My car, by the way, is a 1987 Buick Grand National. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti charged me $600 for a set of 8 - 50lb/hr injectors when he could have gotten better ones from any reputable Turbo Buick supplier cheaper. I am having 6 - 60lb/hr injectors installed for a total price of $425.00 at KDK Performance (more performance too), but Colletti Motorsports opted to make me spend more money for some reason, for less performance. When I told him of this, he offered no apology or refund. How inept do you have to be to do something like that? Oh, I'm sure he was not inept. I am sure he did it on purpose. You see, many of these shady mechanics have only one supplier they work with. That way they get incentives and "kickbacks" from their dedicated supplier.
Colletti Motorsports charged me $234.00 for the Number 2 and 3 Forged Main Caps. I found them for $160.00.
Colletti Motorsports charged me $295.00 for Comp Cam and Lifter. I found them for $219.00.
Quite a mark up for these parts, and I did not even go through the entire list. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is certainly a ripper off-er. His actions have proven it.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Con-man Colletti
This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
Steve Colletti is the owner of Colletti Motorsports (or Colletti Motor Sports) and is a "ripper off-er." Basically when you walk in the door, he sees dollars signs in his eyes. But he is very good, that is, he displays a professional and courteous demeanor. But really, underneath all that, is a man scheming to get your money. He will tell you anything and everything that you want to hear just to get you in the doorway. After that, you are essentially stuck and at the mercy of them. They will tear your car down in a manner in which it will not be drivable anymore, so you cannot just get your vehicle and go elsewhere. They will make everything seem alright. They will fill your head with candy and rainbows, but it is all an act for them to go at their own pace, not yours, and do what they want, not what you want them to do. If you are lucky, your car will stay running when you get it back but more likely than not, you will be unhappy with their work and your car may just very well break down. Then after you check your receipts and see the cost of parts, you can go on the internet and see how much the parts actually cost. Don't forget, since he has a business, he gets a tax break on parts as well. You will see that his markup of parts is often 30%-50%, whereas a reputable mechanic shop will charge 10%-20%, which is customary. It is customary because they have to charge for their time involved in retrieving the part.
Their motto is they "treat you and your car like family," which is the complete opposite of what they do.
My advice for you, to save a big headache and hassle, time and money, is to stay away from this deviant place.
Steve Colletti is the owner of Colletti Motorsports (or Colletti Motor Sports) and is a "ripper off-er." Basically when you walk in the door, he sees dollars signs in his eyes. But he is very good, that is, he displays a professional and courteous demeanor. But really, underneath all that, is a man scheming to get your money. He will tell you anything and everything that you want to hear just to get you in the doorway. After that, you are essentially stuck and at the mercy of them. They will tear your car down in a manner in which it will not be drivable anymore, so you cannot just get your vehicle and go elsewhere. They will make everything seem alright. They will fill your head with candy and rainbows, but it is all an act for them to go at their own pace, not yours, and do what they want, not what you want them to do. If you are lucky, your car will stay running when you get it back but more likely than not, you will be unhappy with their work and your car may just very well break down. Then after you check your receipts and see the cost of parts, you can go on the internet and see how much the parts actually cost. Don't forget, since he has a business, he gets a tax break on parts as well. You will see that his markup of parts is often 30%-50%, whereas a reputable mechanic shop will charge 10%-20%, which is customary. It is customary because they have to charge for their time involved in retrieving the part.
Their motto is they "treat you and your car like family," which is the complete opposite of what they do.
My advice for you, to save a big headache and hassle, time and money, is to stay away from this deviant place.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Colletti Motorsports Scam #6 (the unnecessary work)
This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding. When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #6 (the unnecessary work)
This scam is pretty straightforward and this is what most people are afraid of when they go to an unfamiliar mechanic. It is similar to the parts scam. They just suggest things you do not need. One thing that sets this place apart from others is that the owner has not kept up on the times and does not care to. He has the "old school" way of thinking. Many of the parts on today's cars can last to 100,000 miles or more but the owner will suggest changing parts as early as 30,000 miles or maybe even less. First, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti likes this idea because he makes more money this way. Second, like I had just stated, he is either not intelligent enough and/or not caring enough to keep up with today's technology. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is just unfamiliar with the technology and science behind today's modern parts, fluids, etc.
A lot of people still do not know that today's oil is suggested to be changed at 6000 mile intervals instead of the old suggested way of 3000 miles. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti surely will not tell you this. He makes more money from you not knowing.
I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding. When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #6 (the unnecessary work)
This scam is pretty straightforward and this is what most people are afraid of when they go to an unfamiliar mechanic. It is similar to the parts scam. They just suggest things you do not need. One thing that sets this place apart from others is that the owner has not kept up on the times and does not care to. He has the "old school" way of thinking. Many of the parts on today's cars can last to 100,000 miles or more but the owner will suggest changing parts as early as 30,000 miles or maybe even less. First, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti likes this idea because he makes more money this way. Second, like I had just stated, he is either not intelligent enough and/or not caring enough to keep up with today's technology. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is just unfamiliar with the technology and science behind today's modern parts, fluids, etc.
A lot of people still do not know that today's oil is suggested to be changed at 6000 mile intervals instead of the old suggested way of 3000 miles. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti surely will not tell you this. He makes more money from you not knowing.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Colletti Motorsports's Scam #5 (The experience scam)
When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice. I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding.
Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #5 (The experience scam)
This is where they will tell you how experienced they are and how great of work they can do. These are just lies for them to try and gain your trust. Very similar to the trust scam but this is where they lie or exaggerate about their credentials. Experience means very little if you are just not a good mechanic to begin with. A great mechanic needs not only experience but intelligence and skill as well. I have seen people with great skill and intelligence, and very little experience, overcome people with many years of experience in many areas, not just automotive mechanics. But, since Colletti Motorsports is supposed to be a professional racing automotive company that is beyond average mechanic shops, you would expect Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to have both intelligence and skill, which you will quickly find out he does not.
For myself, and this is just my opinion, I do not trust fast talkers or slow talkers that run businesses or are in sales. Fast talkers tend to be hiding things and try to scam you at that instant. Slow talkers are trying to be your friend and gain your trust so they can scam you later and possibly on a larger scale. For me, I found Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to be a slow talker. And as I have said in earlier posts, I would not have brought my car here originally if it wasn't for Bill that used to work here. I trusted him, not Steve. Bill would have made things right.
Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #5 (The experience scam)
This is where they will tell you how experienced they are and how great of work they can do. These are just lies for them to try and gain your trust. Very similar to the trust scam but this is where they lie or exaggerate about their credentials. Experience means very little if you are just not a good mechanic to begin with. A great mechanic needs not only experience but intelligence and skill as well. I have seen people with great skill and intelligence, and very little experience, overcome people with many years of experience in many areas, not just automotive mechanics. But, since Colletti Motorsports is supposed to be a professional racing automotive company that is beyond average mechanic shops, you would expect Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to have both intelligence and skill, which you will quickly find out he does not.
For myself, and this is just my opinion, I do not trust fast talkers or slow talkers that run businesses or are in sales. Fast talkers tend to be hiding things and try to scam you at that instant. Slow talkers are trying to be your friend and gain your trust so they can scam you later and possibly on a larger scale. For me, I found Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to be a slow talker. And as I have said in earlier posts, I would not have brought my car here originally if it wasn't for Bill that used to work here. I trusted him, not Steve. Bill would have made things right.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Colletti Motorsports's Scam #4 (the false criminal charges)
Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice. I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #4 (the false criminal charges)
I am not really sure if you would consider this a scam or not, but if you dare try to get your money back from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's bad work, they will try and make you look bad by falsifying evidence against you. They will say you are threatening them by the internet or phone or whatever it may be. They may hire people to make calls from a "pay as you go" phone in the area you normally use your phone so that it appears that it is you making the calls. They may hire a computer specialist to make threatening emails and correspondence appear to come from your computer, or they will simply photoshop it. These charges against you can be easily be dismissed in court, but you'll have to hire an attorney and take the time to go to court. Anything that Colletti Motorsports presents will be hearsay. Unless the evidence comes directly from a hard drive, it is hearsay. But like I said, you will have to take the time to go to court and spend money for an attorney. They are hoping that you just give up. And even if you end up getting the charges dismissed and sue them for harassment or falsifying evidence, you will not likely collect any money from them ever. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, like many con-artists, know how to manipulate their assets and use the law in their favor to always avoid paying you.
When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice. I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #4 (the false criminal charges)
I am not really sure if you would consider this a scam or not, but if you dare try to get your money back from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti's bad work, they will try and make you look bad by falsifying evidence against you. They will say you are threatening them by the internet or phone or whatever it may be. They may hire people to make calls from a "pay as you go" phone in the area you normally use your phone so that it appears that it is you making the calls. They may hire a computer specialist to make threatening emails and correspondence appear to come from your computer, or they will simply photoshop it. These charges against you can be easily be dismissed in court, but you'll have to hire an attorney and take the time to go to court. Anything that Colletti Motorsports presents will be hearsay. Unless the evidence comes directly from a hard drive, it is hearsay. But like I said, you will have to take the time to go to court and spend money for an attorney. They are hoping that you just give up. And even if you end up getting the charges dismissed and sue them for harassment or falsifying evidence, you will not likely collect any money from them ever. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti, like many con-artists, know how to manipulate their assets and use the law in their favor to always avoid paying you.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Colletti Motorsports's scam #3 (the blame game)
Have you ever been epically screwed over before by a company? This company did it to me. This is my blog about how Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has lied to me, broken promises, overcharged me for parts, did bad work, and refused to pay for damages. The short version is that I took my car to him and asked that it be done in 3.5 months. After paying $8k and getting my car back two years later, I take it to another mechanic to be checked out and the entire engine has to be rebuilt again. The new mechanic found that the head gaskets had blown and that the camshaft and front camshaft bearing was bad. The long version is this entire blog.
When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice. I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #3 (the blame game)
Once you get your car back, it will most likely be unfinished and they will tell you to put miles on it and to bring it back once it is broken in. I have taken my Buick Grand National and other vehicles to other mechanics and none of them have ever told me this. My previous mechanics finish the car, and it is done and fully completed once you get it back. Colletti Motorsports will say you need to break the car in. This is a scam to hold you liable for their damages. They know or suspect their work is bad, so once your car breaks down, all they have to say is that you did something wrong. If you want them to finish the car and you tell them this, they will not do it. They will say they are too busy and just bring the car back later. You will get frustrated that they will not finish the car, but they still will not touch it. You will get so frustrated that you will just come and pick up the car because it has been sitting there so long without any work being done to it. This is what they are hoping for. That is when they blame you for the damages they have caused to your vehicle.
When I originally started this blog, I was pretty upset and named the url "deathtocms." I wish now I wouldn't have named it that. I think it might have been a bad choice. I may start a new blog. Naming the url the same as the title would also give it a higher page rank, from my understanding.
Colletti Motorsports Scam #3 (the blame game)
Once you get your car back, it will most likely be unfinished and they will tell you to put miles on it and to bring it back once it is broken in. I have taken my Buick Grand National and other vehicles to other mechanics and none of them have ever told me this. My previous mechanics finish the car, and it is done and fully completed once you get it back. Colletti Motorsports will say you need to break the car in. This is a scam to hold you liable for their damages. They know or suspect their work is bad, so once your car breaks down, all they have to say is that you did something wrong. If you want them to finish the car and you tell them this, they will not do it. They will say they are too busy and just bring the car back later. You will get frustrated that they will not finish the car, but they still will not touch it. You will get so frustrated that you will just come and pick up the car because it has been sitting there so long without any work being done to it. This is what they are hoping for. That is when they blame you for the damages they have caused to your vehicle.
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