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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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. 

Colletti Motorsports's scam #2 (the parts scam)

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 #2 (the parts scam)

This is a simple trick for scammers, con-artists, and "ripper off-ers" like Steve Colletti. They suggest getting parts you don't really need. They'll talk you into it and it'll sound like a great idea, but it's just a way for them to produce more revenue for themselves. They get to charge more hours and fake hours. The fake hours are when they will say they ran into difficulties installing the part, but they really didn't. It's just a way for them to charge you for them sitting around.

Another part of this same scam, is the overcharging of the part. You will most likely not notice it on the bill or even take time to look it up because you'll be so happy you got your car back you won't even think about it. But the part price will be much higher, sometimes twice as high as what you could have bought it for yourself. Businesses like Colletti Motorsports are able to get prices at wholesale but you'll be paying twice the retail price for it on many occasions. This is definitely a sign of a bad business. This is what Colletti Motorsports does.

One other part of the scam is the dedicated supplier. Businesses will typically have a good relationship with one supplier. They will use this one supplier even if they can find your part cheaper somewhere else, if they even bother to look which is not likely. The supplier wants the business to "up" his revenue and incentive pay. And in return, the supplier gives the business "kickbacks." Colletti Motorsports uses this tactic as well. Colletti Motorsports probably gets free vacations or even money from his supplier by buying parts from the supplier instead of getting them cheaper for you, the consumer. 

Colletti Motorsports's scam #1 (the trust scam)

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.

Anyway, on to Colletti Motorsports scam #1.

The first and foremost scam is to simply get you to trust them. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti will put on the nicest and most courteous demeanor he can. He will make you feel like this is a good place to bring your vehicle to. Even if he has no clue what to do to your car or the experience, knowledge, and skill necessary, he will tell you he does. This is a con-artist's first trick in the book. To get you to trust them. Once your car is there, they will then tear it apart and that is when the customer service starts going down hill. That is when they know you are at their mercy. They will take their time and give you excuses when all they are doing is extending the hours to charge you for their work, which they are not doing.

You will call them and they will tell you they are working on it. And if you stop by, you will quickly see how often your car is just sitting there without any work being done to it. But if you do stop by, they will say they are just getting ready to get your car in the garage. Then you will stop by the next day and see that your car has not moved an inch and no work has been done to it. Excuses, excuses. That is all that you will get from them at first. Later, you will find you paid a lot of money for work any other shop could have done better and at a lower price.

Remember a con-artist's first trick is to get you to trust them. There are a lot of unhappy Colletti Motorsports customers out there. Don't be the next one.

The dishonorable Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti

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.

This dishonorable man spat on me (a veteran) and my combat medic Vietnam Veteran father when he did what he did.

Words that describe Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti:

1. Dishonorable
2. Without Integrity
3. Thief
4. Scoundrel
5. Unskilled
6. Liar
7. "Un-knowldegable"
8. Unprofessional
9. Discourteous
10. Unintelligent
11. Scammer
12. Con-artist
13. "Ripper off-er"

All you have to do is read this blog. I have provided the proof. I have even more evidence that will come once I retrieve the emails I have lost due to upgrading my computer operating system. This will provide even further proof of my claim that Steve Colletti is a "ripper off-er."

My last email to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti

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.

I have come to the last email I sent Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti before finally giving up trying to get my money back (below). As I have stated previously in my blog, I had many more emails to Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti that I have lost when I upgraded my operating system. I have decided though, that I am going to get a new computer in the next year or two. And when I do, I am going to have all those emails recovered so I can post them on this blog. Since I am planning to do this blog for several years, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti will just have to wait to read those. But they will make him look even worse than he already does, in my opinion. I know I have at least two emails, probably many more, where I asked Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti to please put the miles on the car himself, tune it and finish it, which of course he never did.

I originally wanted to rebuild the engine in my car myself. But since my father had died, I wanted the car ready for spring and summer and I knew with all that I had going on, there would be no way I would have time to do it. That is a reason I wanted someone else to do it. I also wanted it done around the beginning of March. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had assured me he could do it, which of course he didn't and the car has had major parts go bad on it.

My father, who was a combat medic in Vietnam, had passed away on Veteran's day 2010. He had left some money for me and I wanted to have my car fixed and ready so I could care for it and help cope with the loss of my father. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti denied me of this when he lied and said he could fix my car. My father also left me his 1956 Corvette that he had owned for 47 years. I plan to do every bit of work on that car myself except for painting. I can and have the tools and knowledge to do almost everything to that car myself. I am also a Veteran of both the Marines and the Navy. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti apparently hates veterans because he not only spat on me by doing what he did, but he spat on my father as well. Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has no honor or integrity or one ounce of professionalism in his body.

In this last email, I had contacted a local TV station in Tampa that helps with shady business owners. They were very interested in the story but could not help me since Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti was in Ohio. But they did give me information on consumer resources. I had tried all the resources they had suggested except for the FTC and FL Consumer Affairs. I  then contacted those entities but I knew it would go nowhere since I knew Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti had already made up his mind he was keeping my money. That is what con-artists do.

I am almost certain Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti knew his work was no good. But it doesn't matter if he knew it was no good or not, he has refused to reimburse me for his mistakes. And this is the person he is. A greedy unprofessional business owner that wants nothing more than to get your money. I wonder if his family is the same way. I would suspect if they were decent, they would have told him to do the right thing by now. So, they are either clueless about him ripping off people or they are in on it.

In this last email, I had stated I contacted the BBB again. They had told me Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti acted in good faith and gave him a B+ rating. I have taken some law classes and "good faith" means you put forward reasonable effort to try and resolve the situation. I argued that good faith was not put forward by Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti because he had only contacted me once since telling him I found out his work was no good. And in his one contact with me, he said he does not warranty race engines. That was it. He did not bother looking into the situation, he did not bother to see if I was telling the truth, he did not bother with anything. He simply wanted to keep the money he had basically stole from me. To the BBB, good faith means he simply contacted the BBB because of my complaint. That is their definition, which from what I have learned, is not really good faith. It is in a grey area. It was upsetting to know that the BBB can say a business puts forward good faith when all the business has to do is respond to a BBB complaint but not to the consumer. 

The professional liar and thief, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti

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 finally got my car back from Steve, I wanted to make sure I "babied" it and barely drove it so that Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti could not blame me for anything, which he has. I am sure now that as soon as I left his shop, he had already planned to blame me for anything that would go wrong with my car.

I contacted KDK Performance before I even picked up my car from Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti and told them the situation. I told them that I had been living in Ohio and had another shop build my engine and that I did not trust their work and wanted it checked over. KDK told me to let them know when I had my car. 

As soon as I got to Florida, I called KDK. They were working on a GNX and could not take my car for two more weeks. My car sat in my driveway basically the whole time. When the two weeks were up, I took my car to KDK. After 3-4 months, they had still not touched it. They told me the GNX they were working on was taking longer than expected. But my car is still there and has been at KDK since January 2013.

As far as I know, Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has not called them to verify anything. Like I said earlier, I am sure he already had his mind made up he was not going to reimburse me for anything. So far, the damages Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti has caused me are at $4000.00.  And that does not include the time I have lost with my car (over 3.5 years now).

Steve (the "ripper off-er") Colletti is certainly a professional at lying and thievery.