Forgive me for jumping in, but these are simple cars. They are based on a bug. The door handle is a 30 minute fix. The master cylinder is a brake leak that you can trace down easily. Look at wheel cylinders, master cylinder and the line. Did they just put a compression valve on the old pan brake lines to the rear when they cut the pan down. Not an uncommon short cut, but they usually leak.
On oil leaking. It is common, but I have two speedsters and 27 years driving aircooled cars. if mine leaked it would be scheduled for a pull and rebolt. Even the pushrod tubes can leak and that's a major pull down, but a two weekend job. That or $350 to$450 bucks at a competent VW shop.
Simple cars. Regular maintenance and an occassional minor repair and they are reliable. Cheap and reliable. A whole new tranny for $300? A clutch for $80 or a clutch job for $300? Brakes for under $200 with new stuff? Cheap. Reliable. Work out the kinks and you will love it 10 months a year.
Jack, you're so right! These cars are great fun to tinker with; I wonder why new cars are so unsympathetic to wrenching...
So, after all this. Jim at Specialty Sales had the nerve to send me the following email. Please keep in mind, that most of the nice guy stuff he mentions is before all the stuff went down, meaning, as soon as I got the car home, and after the first repair for the master cylinder going out on my way home, it was a whole different story with these guys. Not so nice guys. In the end they paid for half of the remaining four repairs. The rest came out of my own pocket, (which he fails to mention in his email, of course) including more repairs.
Who's the customer here?? Me or Jim at Specialty Sales??
Here's his email I just received:
"Hey Tahyler, I just got the info on the website you were writing to the whole time I was trying to help you! Funny I don't see you writing them back to tell them we helped fix the non safety items, that I paid $ back to you from my own pocket, that I picked you up at the airport on my own time, that the brake lights turned out to be a fuse, that they and the master cylinder worked perfectly when you left here, that you drove it 500 miles home from here, and that the previous owner is away in Iraq on his 3rd tour so I can't find any more info until he returns, that I gave you a cover for your car, that I pointed out with my finger even the minute flaws in the paint on the photo's I sent you, and took numerous calls even when I was off the clock to try a make you happy! Maybe you would like to update these nice folks who like me reminded you that VW engines drop a little oil!
I'm patiently (for now) holding my tongue and awaiting the same speedy response you always demanded of me.
Jim"
Here's my response:
"Jim,
Let me remind you...about the twelve things that have gone wrong with the car since I brought the damn thing home....
1. flywheel seal repair (half out of my own pocket)
2. valve cover gasket replaced (half out of my own pocket)
3. horn didn't work (fixed out of my own pocket)
4. turn signal switch replaced (half out of my own pocket)
5. button for top replaced (fixed out of my own pocket)
6. exhaust (fixed out of my own pocket)
7. brake handle (half paid out of my own pocket)
8. hubcap emblem (fixed out of my own pocket)
9. door handle
10. master cylinder
11. hose replaced
12. brake light (which I fixed myself and paid for myself)
Have you noticed that there is even more on this list??? But have you seen me contact you about it since our last agreement or have you seen me post anything more about the situation...no. So before you contact me with such an email, which, by the way, just made my experience with you 10 times worse. Just as I was beginning to forget the whole thing, you have the audacity to write me such an email after all that I went through with you guys. Now, I have every right to address my concerns. You should be greatful I talked to others about the situation, they calmed me down, it would have been worse for you. Also, if you had noticed, others have had similiar problems with Specialty Sales and how you guys really don't check out what you're selling. I have two regrets...One, that I ever purchased a vehicle with Specialty Sales and Two, that I did not ask around about you guys before hand. Now, I will gladly post your rude email along with my response. However, I should let you know that your email did not work in your favor with me. Word of mouth is a very powerful thing. I hope this is a valuable lesson for you. It has been for me."
I've driven the thing less than 200 miles as of today since I brought the damn thing home Decemeber 4th. Notice how little I've driven it since then? It's always in the shop. So far I have had have twelve things repaired. I think they never checked out the car, if they had, perhaps there would have been less to repair. I'm 100% sure there would have been less repairs. Sure, things happen, but come on....give me a break.
Who's the customer here?? Me or Jim at Specialty Sales??
Here's his email I just received:
"Hey Tahyler, I just got the info on the website you were writing to the whole time I was trying to help you! Funny I don't see you writing them back to tell them we helped fix the non safety items, that I paid $ back to you from my own pocket, that I picked you up at the airport on my own time, that the brake lights turned out to be a fuse, that they and the master cylinder worked perfectly when you left here, that you drove it 500 miles home from here, and that the previous owner is away in Iraq on his 3rd tour so I can't find any more info until he returns, that I gave you a cover for your car, that I pointed out with my finger even the minute flaws in the paint on the photo's I sent you, and took numerous calls even when I was off the clock to try a make you happy! Maybe you would like to update these nice folks who like me reminded you that VW engines drop a little oil!
I'm patiently (for now) holding my tongue and awaiting the same speedy response you always demanded of me.
Jim"
Here's my response:
"Jim,
Let me remind you...about the twelve things that have gone wrong with the car since I brought the damn thing home....
1. flywheel seal repair (half out of my own pocket)
2. valve cover gasket replaced (half out of my own pocket)
3. horn didn't work (fixed out of my own pocket)
4. turn signal switch replaced (half out of my own pocket)
5. button for top replaced (fixed out of my own pocket)
6. exhaust (fixed out of my own pocket)
7. brake handle (half paid out of my own pocket)
8. hubcap emblem (fixed out of my own pocket)
9. door handle
10. master cylinder
11. hose replaced
12. brake light (which I fixed myself and paid for myself)
Have you noticed that there is even more on this list??? But have you seen me contact you about it since our last agreement or have you seen me post anything more about the situation...no. So before you contact me with such an email, which, by the way, just made my experience with you 10 times worse. Just as I was beginning to forget the whole thing, you have the audacity to write me such an email after all that I went through with you guys. Now, I have every right to address my concerns. You should be greatful I talked to others about the situation, they calmed me down, it would have been worse for you. Also, if you had noticed, others have had similiar problems with Specialty Sales and how you guys really don't check out what you're selling. I have two regrets...One, that I ever purchased a vehicle with Specialty Sales and Two, that I did not ask around about you guys before hand. Now, I will gladly post your rude email along with my response. However, I should let you know that your email did not work in your favor with me. Word of mouth is a very powerful thing. I hope this is a valuable lesson for you. It has been for me."
I've driven the thing less than 200 miles as of today since I brought the damn thing home Decemeber 4th. Notice how little I've driven it since then? It's always in the shop. So far I have had have twelve things repaired. I think they never checked out the car, if they had, perhaps there would have been less to repair. I'm 100% sure there would have been less repairs. Sure, things happen, but come on....give me a break.
At any rate, I will continue to talk about what happened with Specialty Sales now, more than ever after that last email I received from them and what a HUGE dissapointment it all was for me. So, let me say this...I would highly advise ever doing business with the folks. Please read this entire post and you will see others have had the same problems I have had.
So, Jim with Specialty Sales, thanks for reminding me about the horrible experience I had and apparently am still having.
So, Jim with Specialty Sales, thanks for reminding me about the horrible experience I had and apparently am still having.
John; as I suggested before; from now on, why don't you get it serviced at Vintage Speedsters in Hawaiian Gardens? Your car looks like a VS build but Kirk will service it no matter where it was built; in fact he's completed the build on countless CMC unfinished cars. He builds so many Speedsters that he always has replacement parts handy and doesn't turn down service work.
Riccardo, I am now going to Kirk. He has been very good about taking care of everything.
I'm glad for you man...enjoy your car from now on!!
John, thanks for illuminating posts. There is almost nothing as unflattering as self-righteous indignation. The right thing for Jim to have done was take care of your problems to the extent that he was responsible for and shut his pie-hole. Good luck with your new ride.
Hey, thanks you guys.
John, take the time to fix things the way you want and don't worry about what shoud have been. In the end you'll end up with something you can be proud of and enjoy.
These are not "new cars". Hell, even new cars are not without their faults.
Fix it up to suit your needs and enjoy. Its a real nice looking car.
These are not "new cars". Hell, even new cars are not without their faults.
Fix it up to suit your needs and enjoy. Its a real nice looking car.
I'm not worrying about what should have been. There's a lot more to it than that if you had read through the posts. Not to be a jerk, but it always helps to read through posts to see what's going on.
and yes Brian, they are new cars. There is not a used part on them, except for the chassis and even still those are built to perfection if it's someone like Vintage Speedster putting them together. Regardless, yes, things happen, but not to the extent I encountered. Read the posts. I posted this to get help and help others, not to carry on and moan. A lot has been covered in the posts some time ago, I only posted recently to respond to the dealers asinine email.
Lessons from this thread:
1. Never buy anything from "Specialty Sales"
2. Never sell anything to "John Doe"
1. Never buy anything from "Specialty Sales"
2. Never sell anything to "John Doe"
--REMOVED BY MODERATOR---
Thanks Ted for the support. I can guarantee we would have heard from you if this were you.
I'm brand new to this forum and by an amazing coincedence I was at Specialty Sales in Pleasanton just yesterday looking at one of their Speedsters! I'm very glad I found out about JD's experience and plan no further contact with them. So JD, if it's any consolation your posts have almost certainly lead to Specialty Sales losing a sale.
Yes Yes Yes stay away from them. I heard about one of their cars that cought fire and burned to the ground less than a week after it was picked up by the new owner. This was not a used but a newly built car by them.
Troy
Troy
I have been reminded by Mike Barlow of Specialty that I have no proof of my allegations about one of their cars buning to the ground. Perhaps my source was exagerating. If so my applogies.
My other experiences with them do not change.
Troy
My other experiences with them do not change.
Troy