It won't happen. Knowing Cam a bit and their set up there they aren't really on here. Not sure if they are on any "social media" at all really. Bit old school. Unfortunately, they may never even know this exists.
I know he is having some issome. I also k kw that he is trying to resolve the issues and make things right for people bothering them, bit you would have to email or call directly. Or maybe better atop in to see them.

 

yeah, that’s naive to believe they have to canvas the intrawebz and antisocial media platforms to counter every negative retort; because in addition to never getting any other real work done chasing that fool’s folly, frankly some; not all -some- people don’t have their facts straight or even a few are outright liars or children throwing tantrums trying to get their way. There seem to be legitimate claims here though. So please don’t go into full defensive mode thinking that I’m specifically referring to anything this thread. I’m just sayin’ is all …

because I see that kind of full tard crap all the time now with managers and owners replying in public to every review and comment liked a trained, virtue-signaling seal. It’s really sad when you think about it and I even feel sadder for the younger people who are sucked into thinking this is just the *normal* way of life. No, your entire conscious existence is a lie and just like in the Matrix movie, you’re completely ignorant of being in a pod and used for another purpose; somebody else's greed, power, and wealth.

And all this squabbling and carrying on in the ever more fubar by the day world we’ve made for ourself is intentional to keep you distracted and away from the truth. Because there’s nothing your pod handlers fear more than this;

you becoming aware of and enlightened by the truth.

but have a good laugh at grandpa and take your blue pill instead.

.

 

Damn,

I was looking to make an appointment with Pettit Racing but never mind. All I need is a tune since I install all of my parts myself, especially after experiencing horror stories.

Reading this thread about bad shops reminded me of the first day I bought my FD in 2017. I brought my car into a Rotary Shop where I lived at the time so they could look over the car for me since I was very new to these engines. I wanted to get a good idea of the car's health after buying it.

Long story short, the shop owner tried to buy the car from me. After I laughed and said no, I explained that I only wanted an inspection of the vehicle to see if anything needed to be addressed since the car was overheating in traffic. He concluded that my water seals were blown and I needed a complete engine rebuild. I asked if I could get my car back after that. I then proceeded to verify this myself. I purchased my own compression tester from rotarycompressiontester.com and rented out a coolant pressure tester from Advance Auto. Then lo and behold, my FD had perfect compression, and after fixing 3 leaks in the coolant system, the car ran like a top. I don't know how you mistakenly misdiagnose a coolant seal; I wish I could give him the benefit of the doubt but water under the bridge.

Fast forward to today, and that shop is out of business. It seems rotary shops are running out of demand, and they need to keep their head above water by upselling everyone. It's the harsh truth, like what quichedem said...

 

Hey guys and gals, Manny here.

I met with Cam Sr and Avery at Pettit yesterday, even having lunch with Cam Sr and it was easily one of the best days of my life. His knowledge and passion for these cars still burns as hot as it always has. The details from all those years ago about his race car helped pave the way for the innovation we know and love today, but unfortunately his desire now exceeds his abilities. Surprisingly, nobody has taken any interest in picking up the ball at any of these dying rotary shops. No kids after school hanging out trying to learn, no college interns at the front desk, nobody. As you guys are well aware, they've been doing this for a very, very long time. Everyone who works in that shop are ready to retire...all of them. I have all the respect in the world for Cam and his rotary history, and I be damned if I let that name ride off into the sunset with him.

I am proud to say I will be joining the team at Pettit Racing to help usher them into the next generation. It wasn't a situation I even thought about during my drive to West Palm; I ended up there because a friend needed help with his RENISIS. Located in different areas of Florida, the goal was to find a reputable rotary shop within reasonable driving distance for the both of us, the opportunity presented itself to visit Pettit. On the drive down, I could feel the rotors turning in my head. Thinking of the questions I was going to ask Cam, daydreaming about some of the cars that have passed through that shop over the years, I just felt like a child. Well Cam must've seen me coming because I was greeted with the warmest smile I've ever gotten from someone who's only known me for 10 seconds. The shop was covered in history, I couldn't stop talking when they asked about my rotary background, and my enthusiasm must've been on full display because the atmosphere was electric! Cam started with the stories and I just knew that I was going to be helping them shutdown the shop last night. What I didn't know was that my friend and I would be asked to come back next weekend. Cam could physically feel my enthusiasm; he said, "that's rare".

Lil about me. 13 years of 3rd generation fighter aircraft maintenance on the F-15C/D/E and F-16 block 40 Aircraft Armament Systems in various NATO countries, I know a little bit about working with consequences. Lemme explain...if someone fucked up while doing my job, people lost their lives and livelihoods....there are no refunds. My grandfather told me if I was going to be a ditch digger, I was going to be the best damn ditch digger there ever was, so I take my jobs and my responsibilities seriously. My outlook on how important cars are to everyday people helps me carry that attitude from the defense sector to Pettit Racing, and my passion for rotary powered EVERYTHING makes this opportunity golden. In 2018 I bought my FD and had NO idea what I was getting into. I found this forum and its impact was immediate! All of your experience, your triumphs, your heartache...all of it, is documented right here at the tips of my fingertips. Seriously, I can rattle off Dale Clark threads like they were written in the bible, but Rotary verison. "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Then he created Dale Clark, and that was good. He looked at Dale, and he seemed incomplete. He made an RX7 from his rib, and that was good." In all seriousness, I never looked back. I was willing to take more risk than my peers for the sake of experience, and with the proper guidance, relationships (shoutout to Brian Skotch), and this forum I feel as though I am a well-equipped technician with the burning desire to learn and perfect my craft.

I say all that to say this. I am well aware of all of the issues that has passed through Pettit, and one thing about me is I'm not afraid of uncomfortable conversations that result in resolutions. As soon as I started reading your problem, I called Avery directly for an explanation because this is unacceptable. That is not the way Pettit Racing will be represented from this day forward, you guys have my word. You work too damn hard for your money to not get exactly what you asked for! Pettit Racing is under new leadership and new management. Our goal isn't only to renew the Pettit name; I find that to be a selfish endeavor. Our goal is to provide products, services, and performance you can depend on for years to come, just as Cam intended. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but there's been a lot of innovation in the rotary world since Pettit first opened the doors, and the new leadership has the vision to continue providing solutions just as Cam has done for all these years! In the meantime, I'll be working to get Cam's race car running to prove myself a valuable asset to the team, and a valuable asset to you all.

To clarify, this not new ownership. Cam Sr has worked his *** off to establish Pettit, and all I wish to do is to see his wishes fulfilled. His input is the final word, and his knowledge will live forever through our name, Pettit Racing.

 

glad to hear this and congrats

I only ever spoke to Cam Sr. once on the phone, but was impressed by his openness to discuss and share technical details, and depth of his knowledge. Looking forward to your future there and wishing you all the best.
.

 

I look forward to future discussions! If I weren't so far from Florida, I would be down there helping myself. Thank You!

 

as the years speed by and our RX7s become further and further removed from Mother Mazda ($750 for a front iron!) rotary specific vendors become increasingly important to our community. while no business is perfect, Pettit has been a valuable asset and i wish Cam Sr and Jr all the best going forward.

Mazda hard parts pricing continues an almost exponential upward path. Because of this i have no doubt that we will eventually see every 13BREW component being offered ex-Mazda. eventually Mazda will price itself out of the market and good old capitalism will do its thing. Eventually.

looking into 2024 i don't think the community has fully discounted the triple whammy of Mazda hard parts pricing, the explosion in FD valuation and the greatly decreased number of trustworthy and competent shops.

the FD equation looks very different than it did a short time ago, and as a result the car will move into stronger hands. i see larger budget significantly better engineered solutions being available as the valuation trend widens.

and a bright future for Mazda's potential Supercar.

 

It's refreshing to see the post by Manny Apex and I hope that future work done at Pettit meets the expectations of the customers. I have quite a few Pettit parts on my car (well, the car I gave my son). God knows it is getting harder and harder to find ANYONE who will work on a rotary engine car, even many Mazda dealerships. About 5 years or so I was talking to the parts manager who I've known for years and done a lot of business with at a local Mazda dealership, he was planning on retiring at the end of the year, and we got to talking in general terms about working on FDs in general, and at one point in the conversation he said, "Look behind you...", and I see most of the dealership's salesmen and mechanics outside, clustered around my car.
Bob said, "Most of them have never even seen a 3rd generation RX-7, some have probably not even HEARD about them. I don't think we would work on one here, as we don't have anyone trained to do so."
I foresee a time when, though it is unlikely they will ever have "supercar status", a FD will be kind of like how we see a De Tomaso Pantera now...an oddly unique high-performance car that is rarely seen in public.

 

[CONTEXT - Another used posted mugshots of people without confirming identities or explanation. Those posts have since been deleted.]

Without knowing ANYTHING, because you haven't posted anything. I will say this is in VERY poor taste.

If you're going to post mugshots that I assume are completely unrelated to any concern on this thread - you should probably come with a TON of information. Dates, receipts, communications, etc, etc. This all just feels very gross.

I'm not defending or accusing. But a mugshot from 14 years ago, as shocking as it may be for effect, doesn't mean anything. Are you insinuating, because there as a drunk driving charge (or whatever) 14 years ago, then that means... what exactly?

EDIT: Since I was curious. The charges FOR SURE aren't rotary or RX-7 related.

I think you might be hard pressed to find a mechanic without a mugshot now-a-days.

But, go on. What's your complaint?

 

Owning / diagnosing / fixing rotaries is enough to drive anyone to drug use lol

 

Lol, you stating that about mechanics is almost just as bad as the mugshots.

That being said, ai don't really agree with it either, BUT I must say a lot of times when people are into drugs, their business practices can definitely suffer. You gotta keep that cash flow coming in!

 

Yea lol come on man... not all mechanics are criminals lol. Proud to say I have never been to jail or arrested. Should the day come, my mugshot will be glorious.

Likewise though, what was the point of this? People are people and we all make mistakes. If that's the only thing you could dig up, sounds like he made a mistake and has not since. People bounce back from stuff and do better. We all have our ups and downs.

 

Hey @OpenSource RX7 what is the point of posting what you did? I'm utterly perplexed...

 

"This thread is about the misconduct of Pettit Racing and those involved. Their history isn’t just in the past—it’s ongoing. Just like you have to earn a mugshot, you have to earn an entire thread dedicated to your misconduct. If you’re curious about the details, check the court records. Everything you need to know is public information."

 

So we’re supposed to run criminal record checks of everyone that owns a shop? Their employees too? How about website owners? YouTubers? Forum members? Mods?

Where do we draw the line? Parking tickets? Reckless driving? Drunk driving? Manslaughter? Unpaid child support?

Let he without sin cast the first stone.

I vote to delete all this ****. Just because you’re a douchebag and contributed exactly zero to the community - doesn’t give you any right to try and embarrass someone that’s been supporting the community since before it was even a community… warts and all.

I still don’t understand the point of any of your posts. Just “look what I found” tattle tale bullshit? You are the worst of what the Internet has become.

 

Imagine having to ALSO deal with people that aren’t even customers!

I shoulda put a sarcastic tag on it. Buuuuuuuut…

Amen. Posting you dug up from over 14 years on the internet for… clout?

C’mon.

I think, he thinks, that it makes him cooler.

 

**"I’m not here to debate whether someone’s past defines them—I’m talking about ongoing misconduct. This isn’t about ‘digging up’ old arrests. This is about a pattern of unethical business practices that continue today. If that doesn’t matter to you, that’s your choice, but this thread exists because it matters to others.

If you think people should blindly support businesses without accountability, that’s your prerogative. I believe customers deserve to make informed decisions. If you disagree, feel free to ignore the thread. If you’re curious, check the court records. It’s all public."**

 

OK, but what is your relationship with Pettit? Your profile suggests you are in Florida also. Some of your old posts suggests you were modifying an RX8, or maybe paying someone else to do the work for you. Are you a customer who has been burned by them? Are you some competing business trying to smear their name in hopes you will get more customers?

 

You’ve had 8 *posts* in your 10 years of membership. Half of them are in this thread.

You dig up mugshots from 2011, post them with zero context and no personal experience with the business - and in the same breath say “This isn’t about ‘digging up’ old arrests.” - then please enlighten all of us with your personal experiences.

No one is blindly supporting without accountability - we’re literally reading this thread that was concerning an issue from 2022. At the end of 2023, someone chimed in representing Pettit. We’re all grown ups and can make our decisions based on first hand accounts.

I’m not here saying Pettit is flawless or all knowing - but if you can’t see how wrong your approach is by digging up dirt and posting it without any context - then I trust you and your judgement even less than anyone at Pettit.

 

I deleted the posts with the pics of their mugshots. I just find it to be in bad taste to post someone's personal information and pics for public bashing. Yeah, ok maybe they had a personal **** up once upon a time. What is relevant to the community is how they are taking care of their customers. That is what this thread should be about. Not what sounds more like personal attacks.

 

**"You know, forums are often where class action lawsuits begin. When people start comparing their experiences, they realize they weren’t alone. This isn’t just my story—others have been misled too. If enough people come forward, things like this tend to escalate legally. It’s not about revenge—it’s about accountability.

I take my integrity seriously. My legacy is at Florida State, studying engineering—automotive wiring harnesses and circuit theory, to be exact. She’s on the Formula University race team. His legacy? It’s following the same path he did. And I refuse to let his choices make it difficult for mine.

Some people build, some people manipulate. Some people design, some people deceive. And when the truth starts coming out, those who built their careers on deception scramble to keep the lie alive. But the thing about the truth? It doesn’t need to be defended—it just needs to be seen.

And yes, I did attempt to champion that project based on the RX8."**

 

**"Yeah, I get it. You took down the post. You don’t think it’s tasteful? Fine. I’m not going to argue about it. But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture—this thread exists for a reason. I didn’t create it. I’m just adding to it.

I’m not going out of my way to collect evidence just for this forum. I’m putting together a real case, and if bits and pieces of my case happen to be relevant to a discussion about the integrity of Pettit Racing, then I think it’s appropriate to share. That’s the whole point of this thread—to talk about how this company operates, right?

I spent close to a decade around that company—designing parts, witnessing unethical business practices, dealing with the frustration firsthand. And now, the house of cards is falling. I’m tired of the lies.

At the end of the day, business is business, but people in business have a responsibility. Customers trust companies to act with integrity. That’s why this thread exists, and that’s why forums like this exist—to hold businesses accountable.

So, let’s have an honest discussion. If Pettit’s defenders believe transparency isn’t an issue, then let’s hear it—why should unethical behavior be protected? Why should we ignore:

🚨 Swapped parts without customer knowledge?
🚨 Cars damaged while in Pettit’s care?
🚨 Inflated invoices that don’t match the work done?
🚨 Mislabeled parts being sold as something they’re not?
🚨 Counterfeit parts being passed off as genuine?

That’s not just bad business—that’s fraud.

So, tell me—why should this be ignored? Why should customers keep getting scammed? If Pettit Racing’s defenders have a legitimate response, I’m listening.

I’ll wait.
And yes, I am making accusations. But here’s the thing—by taking this post down, you’re actually making it harder for Pettit to sue me for slander.

If I were lying, they could take me to court. But by leaving this post up, you’re giving them an opportunity to protest and challenge what I’m saying.

It’s like a racing teardown protest. If a car is running faster than expected, competitors can put up money to have the engine taken apart. If it’s legal, they lose their money. If it’s illegal, the truth comes out and the guilty party is exposed.

That’s how accountability works. You put something up. You take a risk. You get to the truth.

So, I’m putting my neck on the chopping block. Go ahead—hit me for slander if it’s not true.

But if you take down the post, you’re actually making it easier for them. You’re taking away their opportunity to protest me in the public forum.

I don’t care. I stand behind the truth."

 

This guy above me could’ve just said, 'Hey, this company has a history of unethical behavior. Here’s my evidence. Let’s talk about it.' But nah, this dude really typed out a full closing argument like he's in a courtroom drama, complete with 🚨 bullet points and a "I'll wait." moment.

Ban this guy lol

 

No one is saying take down the thread.

This thread exists for the original poster, SwappedNA, to do what the title says. Share HIS experience. If you want to share YOUR experience, why not just start a new thread instead of reopening one that was dormant for two years?


If you’re *actually* putting together a “real case”, then any lawyer would advise you to NOT post a bunch of **** to a public forum since it could contradict what you say in a deposition or be used to make you look… foolish.

None of this **** makes any sense.

You’ve been working with / for (it’s unclear) Pettit Racing for the past ten years designing parts? The weird thing is; Pettit hasn’t release any new parts in the past ten years. They’re still selling the same AST from the 1990s, same intake from the early 2000s, same intercooler from the 2010s - I can’t recall a new product being released since their suspensions and that was back in 2010.

So, to lend credence to your claims, please give us a list of the products you’ve designed in the past ten years? Maybe some tech drawings or CAD files that a…

:::check notes:::

“legacy at Florida State, studying engineering—automotive wiring harnesses and circuit theory, to be exact.”

… would be able to provide.

Also, please clarify, are you *currently* studying at Florida State? Or did you graduate ten years ago when you started designing parts for Pettit? Or…?


Sure. But it works both ways. People making accusations (and building a “real case”) need to provide this weird thing called proof. They also need standing. I have seen nothing but platitudes from you regarding either.

I’m with you. But I don’t understand why you’re not grasping a key point - it’s NOT being ignored! This thread you’re posting on, was the firsthand experience of SwappedNA. People paid attention. People made their own judgement. People
spoke with their dollars. Pettit came on and addressed shortcomings.

Now, it’s your turn - just post personal experiences and even better; proof.

Otherwise it’s just conjecture since any of that **** you can just swap one shop name for another and tear down the reputation of anyone you’re mad at that day.

Wait. Earlier you were building a “real case” now you’re just making accusations? Which is it?

Again, no one is saying take down this thread. It’s your unfounded and elementary school bullshit that’s the problem.

You’re gonna be sued for slander? What are you even talking about now? You’re posting anonymously!

Why don’t you do this:

Post you full name, address, phone number, social media links, selfie, awesome projects you have built using your legacy Florida State engineering know how, the products you developed for Pettit over the years, paystubs for your work, receipts for jobs they ripped you off on, fake parts you received, photos of your car that was damaged.

It’s really all bullshit until you provide… anything.


No you dummy. You haven’t put anything on the chopping block. You have no reputation, you have no accomplishments, you don’t even have a completed project to showcase your skillset.

You’ve posted baseless accusations with nothing behind them. You’re a troll.

 

Chill out dude. You can't get SUED for SLANDER if you're not really SAYING anything.

You've sure typed a lot of words, but nothing has any meat to any of it.

As the other's have said, you could have easily come into this thread and said something like "Hey, I'm trying to build a case against Pettit because of bad business practices. Please reach out to me if you'd like to be a part of it, or if you would be willing to help the cases with your experience." Instead, you've done nothing but make yourself look foolish, and the original issue and POINT of this thread has been lost.

Congratulations. You played yourself.