Looking for honest feedback from people who have had experiences with rotary shops. Recently had a bad experience and trying to get real feedback so the same problem of a bogus timeline promise can be avoided for a second time.

 

It would help if you mentioned if you were looking for shops in your local area, region or nation wide. What car you drive. What you're needing done... from our experience there typically isnt a shop thats 1 size fits all. Everyone's needs and build goals are different. Even customer service needs vary quite a bit.

Where we may be a great fit for someone looking for a local place to have regular maintenance and moderate upgrades, we would not be a great fit for someone looking to build a drag car.

in addition to that, rotary specific shops are pretty spread out. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have one within throwing distance. It's not uncommon for people to ship their rx7 to another state for work or trailer it. Mentioning if you're willing to do that would also help people give recommendations.

The implication from your post is that you ARE willing to do that.

 

Hey how's it going this is Chris from Sakebomb garage. We are located in Northern California and have vehicles shipped to us from all over the country. We specialize in FD RX7 and produce performance and restoration parts which we send all over the world as well as a full service center ranging from OE maintenance and restoration to full high performance builds and in house dyno tuning. Take a look at our website www.sakebombgarage.com and feel free to reach out to us for any and all needs. We can be reached via email info@sakebombgarage.com BRAPP ON

 

welcome to the club Mrodriguez600.

over 20 years of info re the FD journey resides here. pretty much most of the players, both owners, shops etc. so you are in the right place and asking the right question given your situation. if you have read through some of the content you realize significant challenges exist as to getting from point A to point B.

small business is difficult and rotary shops are an especially difficult business. almost all custom work, on an aging platform that is waay more demanding and complex than appreciated. (don't believe it, see my website) skilled help is hard to find and retain. while it is relatively easy to launch a rotary shop it is very challenging to execute it properly over time. too many incoming cars lead to too many unfulfilled promises. which leads me to you and your situation.

for those, such as you, that elect not to do the work themselves the decision as to whom to choose as a partner is the most important decision to be made. given the current landscape of "options." not only is it crucially important but it is equally difficult as there are way more bad choices than good. the odds are against you but not impossible.

everyone wants something different from their FD. you not only need to find trust, you need to find a specific fit for your needs. if i was looking for a shop i would be prepared to send it to anywhere on the continent. i would also visit the shop prior to doing the deal. Trust would have to be the first hurdle, competancy then fit. another challenge will be being able to get in the queue. shops that do have good reps are often swamped.

you are doing the right thing by posting here as most of us have already confronted "the" decision and have been battle scarred and educated.

this should be a valuable thread for you and others so lets get some feedback going...

(perhaps the thread should be moved)

 

things change and there’s occasionally an isolated incident or two, but might indicate general trends

you might even see some listed in both:

The Good:
https://www.rx7club.com/good-businesses-233/

The Bad & Fugly:
https://www.rx7club.com/bad-fugly-businesses-231/


and if you are in CT then you can also ask the same question or search in the NorthEast regional forum area:

https://www.rx7club.com/ne-rx-7-forum-30/
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I'm in Westchester County, NY. Does anyone have recommendations specific to this area? Thanks in advance

 

Awesome to see two horrendously bad shops popping up first on this thread.

The Bad - Avoid At All Costs:

SakeBomb Garage
Garage Life
Angel Motorsports West (Gone)
Full Detail Automotive
Rotor Piston Motorsportz
Eccentric Motorsports
Rotary Science
Howard Coleman
Emilio De Leon - Colorado/Utah
Goopy Performance
Rotary Performance
Elite Rotary
Banzai Racing - Chris is a piece of work...


Okay - Hit or Miss:

IR Performance
Chips Performance
Angel Motorsports East
CLR
Pettitt Racing


Good:

Legend Motorsports
Maple Racing
Extreme Rotary Works
Joe/Danny Perez Racing
Thunder Race Engines
EZ Balance
Steve Eckerich/Ben Smith - World Class Engine Balancing
REC Adam
Dredtech Performance
Performance R&D
JPR


There are a lot more that I could showcase with personal experiences, receipts, stories, engine build quality, delays, respect issues, etc, but if you really want to hear that you should reach out personally.

I'm not bashing people on here with the intent to burn them down, but moreso to protect the investments of new-comers to avoid losing their *** in financial mistakes.

As an engine tuner for these cars, I've seen it all.

Don't be fooled.

 

Found out about Goopy Performance in Haverstraw (Rockland County, NY) and realized my father had repairs done with them for years, back in the early 2010s. Spoke with one of the owners today, Jonathan, and he is very knowledgeable. goopyperformance.com

 

Go ask Derek Hall about his Goopy Performance Semi-PP Engine that lasted 30 seconds due to a peripheral port lip that stuck out into the rotor housing... Zero warranty. Zero recognition of poor machine work. Zero help. Jonathan is the one and only person at Goopy Performance and did nothing to warranty his work. This is a BAD choice.

 

Thank you for letting me know.
I should have added that I'm not looking for him to do repairs but to assess what would need to be done before we sell. My father passed away and his 1993 model was his baby.

Perhaps Derek's experience is an anomaly. My Pops was very pleased with the work Jonathan had done over the years.

 

If that's the case, you can get plenty of free advice to assess your situation here - lots of folks on here are knowledgeable, and have lots of hands-on experience restoring & maintaining these cars, and can advise you on your best options/course of action if your plan is to ultimately sell the car. Depending on the car's condition today, maybe it's best to sell it "as-is" perhaps after a quick wash & wax effort, versus putting in serious time & money into restoring it prior to sale.

Post up some pictures of your dad's '93 RX7, and tell us as much as you know about car's condition and how it was stored/used over its life (i.e., does it run presently?, if not, when did it last run well?, any known problems?, etc.) so we can provide better advice.

 

Thanks. I'll do that. I'm not in NY so I can't take photos until next week when I'm there. And I'll ask my brother (who actually knows things about cars, and our father's in particular) what information I can share about it's current state. I REALLY appreciate the generosity and wisdom I am already seeing here. Thanks!

 

Speaking from experience with RPM, Stay far away from them and anyone with the name even in relation to the owner. Stole pieces of my car and 14k+ of my money. I'm left with being dodged every time I try to contact them and piecing the engine and the rest of the build together in my garage,and all the paychecks bounced for legit all the employees. STAY AWAY AND KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE!

 

Rotary Performance in Garland Texas has always been a great shop for me. Chris Ott especially always maintained excellent communication. The detailed maintenance notes they provide have come in handy so many times as I've traveled around the country.
I've done three builds with them, and bought my second FD specifically on the basis that Rotary Performance built the engine. It was the one piece of the car that was done right!
Even had the guys in the back of the shop remember me after several years when I stopped in on my way through town.
Can't recommend them highly enough.

 

Manny from Pettit Racing here.

There was a time period where Cam Sr was really sick and left the shop under the direction of...some people. They had no interest in the cars, no knowledge of the platform, and no desire to help Pettit Racing prosper. They did their best to run the company into the ground and almost succeeded. I'm not here to make accusations because I'm literally not even interested in the details. I'm just speaking the truth.

I am the head of the new regime that will be ushering Pettit Racing forward. I am not new to the platform by any means, but wise men wake up daily looking for something to learn and Cam has a lot to teach. There are still cars being worked on and engines being built in the shop as we speak; Cam and his friends are currently running a RX-3 at Homestead for the Florida Region Palm Tree Winter Majors at Homestead (4-7 Jan) and the Central Florida Hoosier SCCA Super Tour at Sebring (11-14 Jan). Cam may not be able to get out on the track anymore, but he can still build the hell out of an engine! The crew they have down there are not missing a beat, they're just getting up there in age. The website is a mess but we still have a lot of that stuff in stock (like that blueprinted FD trans). And I am still looking forward to pushing for innovation that prioritizes reliability over all else, as Cam has always intended.

This is a very serious situation for me so I will be on the forums reading, learning, and helping where I can.

 

that’s an interesting list wrt some of the names expected vs others not 🤔
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You are aware that this is that douchebag RGHTBrainDesign? I am sure I fall into the "respect issues" category as I have ZERO respect for anyone that runs around telling people they are F'ing morons and are ruining their car by running a PFC. Nothing but forcing his beliefs on anyone that has never asked for them. LOL. He is right I am a piece of work, anyone that has actually worked with me knows just how fine the work is.

BTW RGHTBrainDesign is banned and this is his new account, where he is advertising his services and trying to avoid paying IB as a vendor. Run from this guy if he offers you his “tuning expertise”, he is the proud owner of a non-operating FB. Stay clear.

 

Yeah, he's been banned from many groups and this forum as well... but figured out real quick that was the same fella - Ryan Heinrich on a different account. Funny enough, if we were writing this post he'd be at the top of our "do not associate with" list as well - so I guess the feeling is mutual? Banzai has been a well trusted business in the rotary community for years... make this a poll instead of one guys opinion with a megaphone, and you'd quickly see who the good and bad shops are based on actual community opinions versus one guy with a grudge.

 

I certainly would not think that Howard Coleman belongs on that list!! He is an amazing wealth of rotary knowledge and a great guy!

 

of course some detailed context would be nice …

but honestly, one person calling another person a d-bag over their perception from online comments is not something I’m going to take seriously. In fact it’s a bit of a reflection in the mirror imo. Ok, so he rubs you the wrong way, grow your mind up to your actual age already.

I know who he is and I don’t necessarily agree with him on a variety of levels, but by no means is that a reflection on his ability or character in any number other real life personal interactions. If you don’t understand that then your own character is in question i.e. the groupthink mentality. Then for same to suggest that person has a grudge, maybe go stand in front of the mirror and take a good hard look.

Yet without getting into names myself, I could probably say a few things about a vendor or two based on my own experience that isn’t necessarily going to line up with the experience of ordering some parts that ship out the next day, arrive ok, and yeaaa … we’re all happy. I also know of situations where vendors are struggling; not from bad management or half hearted attitude, but real life stuff that happens. I can think of a few other people with cars we rarely see but nobody dings on them either. Which perhaps goes back to the perception/grudge aspect.

So in that context, I’ll throw some yang back at your ying and say I know a number of people who are happier working with him as a tuner than some others, and I know he has experience through himself and those customers in a variety of situations. So I’m not going to just discount that because somebody with an obvious bias says so. That’s not intended to defend him in any way. Rather, every person deserves a fair shake, both him and the vendors he listed.

Trying to build a case on being banned etc. in no way defines whether the claim has any merit or not. The details regarding what and why are what matter. Instead of calling names and making defamatory claims that sound more like hurt emotions, why not ask him to explain what he’s referring to and then let’s hear both sides of the story?
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No hurt emotions here 😂. You read WAY too much into that. Super easy to just block someone on FB and not have to even see their posts. He spends far more time thinking about me than I do him, I didn’t even remember his actual name until Sakebomb said it. 😂 Defamatory? Posted nothing but the truth, super easy to find. Him putting me on his “list” was defamatory.

Find out why he was banned and update this thread with some useful information.

 

I probably figured it out before anybody else, but honestly could care less. I could express my opinion about the things I disagree with him on, but choose not to. If he’s banned, I didn’t know. The few things I saw seemed more like personal sand in the crotch animosity than him actually advertising. Which again, I’m not into the us vs. X mentality.

My comments aren’t any more useless than your own. You seem to be playing the emotions game. What do they actually charge to advertise? Aren’t you the guy who decided to quit paying and then asked not to be banned based on all the years you did pay? Sincere question, I’m not sure but thought it was maybe you?

which I only came in here looking for the topic subject and that caught my eye is all. Because post covid rotary shops in general are on the steep decline …
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I didn’t beg for anything. 😂 Go read the post. If IB bans my account after all these years, I will not create another account and just will not participate in the forum.

I never said his ban was for advertising. Multiple user accounts is a sign of a scammer or someone avoiding vendor fees.

Ask Howard Coleman how he feels about being on the wrong side of Elite, he has expressed his remorse to me multiple times, both in writing and over the phone. You are on the wrong side of Chip/Dan. He has been scamming people for a decade or more. I have personally known him for over 25 years, met him when I lived in MI where I started Banzai.

I have watched people like this Ryan kid come and go from the RX7 scene for decades, during which time I continue to provide honest, trustworthy support to the community.

Best of luck. 😂

 

My apology then, for an unintentional bad word choice that has been edit-corrected, and also for my recollection of the situation being worse than initially admitted to.

However, good luck with what exactly; attempting to be even-handed and fair, for both sides? I’ve never had and involvement with Ryan other than what’s publicly posted on this forum. There are plenty of instances where I felt like the treatment seemed unfair, but I’m not into playing the personality game either. I especially don’t care for people claiming someone is acting holier than thou with their own nose tilted up to the sky and eyes looking down below when they’re stating it.

Some even say the same about me, thinking they have it all figured out. Yet not having the slightest clue that despite them saying so, or worse even, that I’d give them the last penny in my pocket or the only shirt on my back, if their need is greater than my own. There are a few people on here who know and understand it though.

I don’t think you’re dishonest or anything of the kind, but it doesn’t always have to be about that. If there was an issue, which can go either way wrt customer or supplier, and then the same for being satisfied at the end or not. If you have specific instances of direct business issues with him let’s here about it. Rather than referencing here-say about other situations you’re not directly a witness of.

Yet again, I didn’t come in here for this, but looking to see who’s around offering what wrt rotary engine services and such. Of course I know who you are. You didn’t receive an inquiry from me. Being a past tense statement, it clearly doesn’t have anything to do with this exchange. Nor whether you’re honest or not. The feeling must be mutual, seeing as how you aren’t the least bit concerned about the possibility of receiving my business. Somebody will though.
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Anyone have a link to the thread of why he got banned? Just curious as I never knew about this situation.