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## WARNING ## @ BLOKE



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imprezaworks

ClioSport Club Member
  Mk5 Golf GTI :)
Unless Carl replies we probably won't know.

To have a car anywhere for that long is beyond my level of patience lol.
 
  172
My personal opinion is that Carl is a good guy, done buckets of work over the years for me always gone out of his way for me, got a lot of time for him.

However I can see how things like this spiral out of control, take on too much work, especially for distance customers who aren’t pushing for a deadline. It’s easy to push them jobs back and keep the easy money earners but eventually something like this happens and it’s how it’s dealt with that defines a good business.

I don’t think it’s a case of scamming or setting out for this to happen, just poor project/time management and a head buried in the sand approach.

Carl’s a very capable mechanic, so I hope he gets back on his feet with the business and sorts all these issues out.
 

Akay

ClioSport Club Member
  Clubman Cooper S
All of those with good experiences, are you local? This guy was hours away. Wonder if that has a bearing on things.
 

botfch

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 182
If the police are investigating the other guy for burglary and assault it suggests it's not so clear cut.

Seems strange he would allow them to keep the car for 18 months if there wasn't a genuine dispute from the garage.
 
Last edited:

BoatNonce

ClioSport Club Member
The Lifecycle Of a Car Specialist.

Step 1: The Home Gamer

You have a performance car and are savvy enough with your tools to do most jobs on your driveway. You’ve got a few mates with the same car but they aren’t quite as confident with doing big jobs like cambelts etc, so you offer to do it for them. You’ve got plenty of time and it’s your mate so you put the effort in to make it pukka. Optional whingeing about established specialists and how they’re all cowboys. Your missus puts up with it because she can head out with her mates.

Step 2: Popularity
Your mates tell their mates, you get well known at meets etc, and people start coming to you from outside your ‘circle’. You don’t mind though, it’s a healthy supply of beer money. The neighbours start complaining about the number of cars parked outside. The first comment from the missus signals a wisp of discontent in this weekend hobby.

Step 3: A Brave New Frontier
The missus gives you an ultimatum, she’s fed up with the view out the window and the dishwasher full of car parts again. You’re making enough to start renting a unit, so it makes sense.

Step 4: Popularity Part 2.
Hey! You know matey who did my car? He’s got a garage now. Company race car build progresses, and business goes well. Glowing reviews are posted on forums and recommendations made. Missus is happy as you can afford to take her on holidays etc, and you still have the time to do so.

Step 5: Open The Floodgates
Uh oh. Those reviews have garnered you the reputation of being one of the best in the country and before long the yard outside the unit is full of work waiting to be done. You try to control the influx but between parts delays, things being harder than expected and people struggling to pay their bills you still end up slammed. You promise the missus that you’ll still see her

Step 6: A Tough Decision
This is it. Make or break time. Do you?
1. Try and soldier on working 25 hours a day? You do your best to get cars out on time but invariably you forget to do up a fuel line or don’t notice a cable drooping close to an exhaust due to your caffeine-induced stupor.
2. Hire someone. Not only do you have to do your work, but you also have to check theirs. You can’t really afford to pay them much so they aren’t the best.

Neither option is good. The first arguments with the missus take place.

Step 7: April 26th, 1986
Boom. One slipped through. The post is out on facebook and it’s bad. You had a nightmare with a car and the missus had just texted to say she’s off with the milkman. Or maybe it’s a shed that’s been stuck in the yard for ages and you’ve simply not had chance to touch it. People chime in with the odd mistakes you’ve made over time, and other specialists revel in taking in cars you’ve worked on and producing damning reports of your work.

Step 8: Pitchforks Out
That’s it, the dream is over. Everybody is talking about how you’re an utter cowboy, and the forum/facebook page threads are thick and fast. Threads are stickied and people are demanding their cars back. You hire a hooker or ten to make yourself feel better.

Step 9: Insolvency.
Hot on the heels of those demanding their cars back are the bank managers and landlord demanding to know why you can’t pay your bills. You try and soldier on, get a few mates to stick up for you, but it’s too late and you’re only prolonging the inevitable. The landlord kicks you out of the garage you’ve been practically living in for the last few years. Hookers are now just a pipedream.

Step 10: Retirement.
A less honest individual would start up again with a different manufacturer, and a new round of people, but at the end of the day, you’re not one of them. You never got into this to rip people off yet somehow everybody hates you now. You retire from the car scene and find a new life in a different industry, your love for cars permanently ruined. You start going on dates again. The grass is starting to go green.
 
  182 clio
The Lifecycle Of a Car Specialist.

Step 1: The Home Gamer

You have a performance car and are savvy enough with your tools to do most jobs on your driveway. You’ve got a few mates with the same car but they aren’t quite as confident with doing big jobs like cambelts etc, so you offer to do it for them. You’ve got plenty of time and it’s your mate so you put the effort in to make it pukka. Optional whingeing about established specialists and how they’re all cowboys. Your missus puts up with it because she can head out with her mates.

Step 2: Popularity
Your mates tell their mates, you get well known at meets etc, and people start coming to you from outside your ‘circle’. You don’t mind though, it’s a healthy supply of beer money. The neighbours start complaining about the number of cars parked outside. The first comment from the missus signals a wisp of discontent in this weekend hobby.

Step 3: A Brave New Frontier
The missus gives you an ultimatum, she’s fed up with the view out the window and the dishwasher full of car parts again. You’re making enough to start renting a unit, so it makes sense.

Step 4: Popularity Part 2.
Hey! You know matey who did my car? He’s got a garage now. Company race car build progresses, and business goes well. Glowing reviews are posted on forums and recommendations made. Missus is happy as you can afford to take her on holidays etc, and you still have the time to do so.

Step 5: Open The Floodgates
Uh oh. Those reviews have garnered you the reputation of being one of the best in the country and before long the yard outside the unit is full of work waiting to be done. You try to control the influx but between parts delays, things being harder than expected and people struggling to pay their bills you still end up slammed. You promise the missus that you’ll still see her

Step 6: A Tough Decision
This is it. Make or break time. Do you?
1. Try and soldier on working 25 hours a day? You do your best to get cars out on time but invariably you forget to do up a fuel line or don’t notice a cable drooping close to an exhaust due to your caffeine-induced stupor.
2. Hire someone. Not only do you have to do your work, but you also have to check theirs. You can’t really afford to pay them much so they aren’t the best.

Neither option is good. The first arguments with the missus take place.

Step 7: April 26th, 1986
Boom. One slipped through. The post is out on facebook and it’s bad. You had a nightmare with a car and the missus had just texted to say she’s off with the milkman. Or maybe it’s a shed that’s been stuck in the yard for ages and you’ve simply not had chance to touch it. People chime in with the odd mistakes you’ve made over time, and other specialists revel in taking in cars you’ve worked on and producing damning reports of your work.

Step 8: Pitchforks Out
That’s it, the dream is over. Everybody is talking about how you’re an utter cowboy, and the forum/facebook page threads are thick and fast. Threads are stickied and people are demanding their cars back. You hire a hooker or ten to make yourself feel better.

Step 9: Insolvency.
Hot on the heels of those demanding their cars back are the bank managers and landlord demanding to know why you can’t pay your bills. You try and soldier on, get a few mates to stick up for you, but it’s too late and you’re only prolonging the inevitable. The landlord kicks you out of the garage you’ve been practically living in for the last few years. Hookers are now just a pipedream.

Step 10: Retirement.
A less honest individual would start up again with a different manufacturer, and a new round of people, but at the end of the day, you’re not one of them. You never got into this to rip people off yet somehow everybody hates you now. You retire from the car scene and find a new life in a different industry, your love for cars permanently ruined. You start going on dates again. The grass is starting to go green.
Very good synopsis...
 

leeds_182

North Yorkshire & Humber
ClioSport Area Rep
The Lifecycle Of a Car Specialist.

Step 1: The Home Gamer

You have a performance car and are savvy enough with your tools to do most jobs on your driveway. You’ve got a few mates with the same car but they aren’t quite as confident with doing big jobs like cambelts etc, so you offer to do it for them. You’ve got plenty of time and it’s your mate so you put the effort in to make it pukka. Optional whingeing about established specialists and how they’re all cowboys. Your missus puts up with it because she can head out with her mates.

Step 2: Popularity
Your mates tell their mates, you get well known at meets etc, and people start coming to you from outside your ‘circle’. You don’t mind though, it’s a healthy supply of beer money. The neighbours start complaining about the number of cars parked outside. The first comment from the missus signals a wisp of discontent in this weekend hobby.

Step 3: A Brave New Frontier
The missus gives you an ultimatum, she’s fed up with the view out the window and the dishwasher full of car parts again. You’re making enough to start renting a unit, so it makes sense.

Step 4: Popularity Part 2.
Hey! You know matey who did my car? He’s got a garage now. Company race car build progresses, and business goes well. Glowing reviews are posted on forums and recommendations made. Missus is happy as you can afford to take her on holidays etc, and you still have the time to do so.

Step 5: Open The Floodgates
Uh oh. Those reviews have garnered you the reputation of being one of the best in the country and before long the yard outside the unit is full of work waiting to be done. You try to control the influx but between parts delays, things being harder than expected and people struggling to pay their bills you still end up slammed. You promise the missus that you’ll still see her

Step 6: A Tough Decision
This is it. Make or break time. Do you?
1. Try and soldier on working 25 hours a day? You do your best to get cars out on time but invariably you forget to do up a fuel line or don’t notice a cable drooping close to an exhaust due to your caffeine-induced stupor.
2. Hire someone. Not only do you have to do your work, but you also have to check theirs. You can’t really afford to pay them much so they aren’t the best.

Neither option is good. The first arguments with the missus take place.

Step 7: April 26th, 1986
Boom. One slipped through. The post is out on facebook and it’s bad. You had a nightmare with a car and the missus had just texted to say she’s off with the milkman. Or maybe it’s a shed that’s been stuck in the yard for ages and you’ve simply not had chance to touch it. People chime in with the odd mistakes you’ve made over time, and other specialists revel in taking in cars you’ve worked on and producing damning reports of your work.

Step 8: Pitchforks Out
That’s it, the dream is over. Everybody is talking about how you’re an utter cowboy, and the forum/facebook page threads are thick and fast. Threads are stickied and people are demanding their cars back. You hire a hooker or ten to make yourself feel better.

Step 9: Insolvency.
Hot on the heels of those demanding their cars back are the bank managers and landlord demanding to know why you can’t pay your bills. You try and soldier on, get a few mates to stick up for you, but it’s too late and you’re only prolonging the inevitable. The landlord kicks you out of the garage you’ve been practically living in for the last few years. Hookers are now just a pipedream.

Step 10: Retirement.
A less honest individual would start up again with a different manufacturer, and a new round of people, but at the end of the day, you’re not one of them. You never got into this to rip people off yet somehow everybody hates you now. You retire from the car scene and find a new life in a different industry, your love for cars permanently ruined. You start going on dates again. The grass is starting to go green.

Agree but option 7 in this case sounds more than a ‘slipped through’ moment but I await to see the other side of the story.

The only specialists that seem to survive are the ones that don’t operate on forums or social media - with the exception of ktec who just keep going!
 
  BMW M4; S1000 RR
If the police are investigating the other guy for burglary and assault it suggests it's not so clear cut.

Seems strange he would allow them to keep the car for 18 months if there wasn't a genuine dispute from the garage.

100%

Pretty impressed at all the assumptions so far based on one partys story, who is clearly emotional and out for blood.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Carl's 100% not a nasty guy, i've met him a few times and seen his work on mates cars.

There's definitely more to it than this.

If it's been stored outside, what's to say someone might have come along and fucked about with it for laugh?
 
  182 clio
The parts I can't get in my head
(1) why cut the battery tray out or rip by the looks of it..
(2) leave the bonnet off and leave the car outside not covered.. very easy to screw 4 spark plugs in.
(3) leave till it gets to the stage that a customer has to break into your unit/yard.
(4) complain about assault when customer sees their car in that condition.
 
  182 clio
Carl's 100% not a nasty guy, i've met him a few times and seen his work on mates cars.

There's definitely more to it than this.

If it's been stored outside, what's to say someone might have come along and fucked about with it for laugh?
Surely his CCTV would have caught someone having a laugh though..
I thought the same till I saw the photos 🤯.
I don't see any reason/excuse how a trader could neglect a customers car in this way..
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Surely his CCTV would have caught someone having a laugh though..
I thought the same till I saw the photos 🤯.
I don't see any reason/excuse how a trader could neglect a customers car in this way..

Has anyone seen anything to rule it out though?

We've not heard Carl's side of it yet.
 

Sunglasses_Ron

ClioSport Admin
Another thing i noticed as well is that considering the bonnet is missing and this has been outside for 18 months, the engine bay looks in remarkable condition :unsure:

The fact the chap has to break into a unit to get it out would suggest it isn’t been left outside the entire time?
 
  dan's cast offs.
Long story short...

Was mostly down to me the delays on the job getting done, too much work for just me in the end etc.

Took about 6-8 months for the money to pay for a turbo, not in the position to pay out £1,400 for a turbo out of my own pocket.

Car was only ever outside during the day when it was pushed out.

Police were called due to my lad being assaulted and one arrested. Burglary charges not pursued by me.

Few bits still here from the car, ac pump, coil packs and belt kit. Was obviously bit hectic at the time sorting bits out.

No mention of any damage to the car while the owner was here with with it.

Whole incident was clearly caught on cctv hence the arrest for assault.


As for cars going back without bits on them or being used on other jobs that's a new one on me as well.
 

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
The only specialists that seem to survive are the ones that don’t operate on forums or social media - with the exception of ktec who just keep going!

Without wishing to change the subject, ktec is actually for sale.
David's been quite ill for a while - last time i spoke to him (in 2015) he had stage 3 liver failure :(

Another thing i noticed as well is that considering the bonnet is missing and this has been outside for 18 months, the engine bay looks in remarkable condition :unsure:

I thought the same. In these situations, its always easy to jump to the defence of the accuser, but without hearing the other side of the story ... well.
For all we know, the customer might have been expected to pay in advance for the turbo etc, but payment was never forthcoming, so the car sat there not being worked on for 18 months. A prime example is this thread on M3cutters, involving a CS member @Chapppers11 where everybody sided with the OP until the other person chipped in 😂 https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threads/flakie-buyers-and-their-deposits.213979/

Edit. Seems i was right about the Turbo payment. And the car clearly not being left outside, the engine bay was far too clean. Im sure there is far more to the story @bloke but its how you do with the aftermath now thats important. Perhaps a bit of an explanation as to why the car was delayed so much after the turbo was paid for, plus a reason behind ignoring the chaps "50 calls" a week. If indeed that is the case.
 
Last edited:

imprezaworks

ClioSport Club Member
  Mk5 Golf GTI :)
Nightmare mate. Hope you sort it.

With regards the car being left outside all the time. It would have taken less than 48 hours for it to disappear
 

BoatNonce

ClioSport Club Member
In my previous post I was going to put ‘Customer takes forever to pay for things then suddenly wants car back tomorrow’ but I thought it’d be a bit too controversial. Shoulda left it in.

Still curious as to what the plan was with the battery tray but hardly the end of the world.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
In my previous post I was going to put ‘Customer takes forever to pay for things then suddenly wants car back tomorrow’ but I thought it’d be a bit too controversial. Shoulda left it in.

Still curious as to what the plan was with the battery tray but hardly the end of the world.
Presumably removed to fit a big f**k off turbo in the space as they dont tend to sit without modification.

Shame this has happened Carl and hope some sort of agreement can be made with the guy with the Meg. Assault clearly not on but clearly tempers were running high. Were you in the unit when they came?
This sort of thing always tends to turn into a witchhunt, especially on Facebook, always unfair without hearing both sides.
 

R3k1355

Absolute wetter.
ClioSport Club Member
Some discrepancies between the two storys, for example the Megane owner saying it was dropped off for work June and expected to be completed September.

@bloke's timeline is quite different.

Took about 6-8 months for the money to pay for a turbo,

I assume the owner left the car at Carl's place for half a year while they got the money together?

Still curious as to what the plan was with the battery tray but hardly the end of the world.

Clearance for intercooler pipework maybe?
 

Ay Ay Ron

ClioSport Club Member
Christ, this is kicking off on the Facebook page. I wonder how many of those on there have actually read this thread and Blokes reply. He doesn't seem to have responded on there.
 

Danith

ClioSport Club Member
  MX5 ND2/220 Trophy
Hat
Christ, this is kicking off on the Facebook page. I wonder how many of those on there have actually read this thread and Blokes reply. He doesn't seem to have responded on there.

Hardly a surprise. Fb is full of hateful arseholes who jump on anything like this in a keyboard warrior type fashion.

Fb is poisonous
 

Eddie555

ClioSport Club Member
  Q7 2018 & 172 Cup.
I dont know Carl, but I know someone that does and deals with him personally..Too many Haters in this world.. That chassis leg is a bit butchered looking at the moment, I agree but so was loads of bits on my car whilst it was going through certain processes during my BUILD.. I'm sure most peoples cars have been in certain forms of disfigurement while you have been BUILDING yours... These people that PAY someone to Build their cars dont have a f**king clue about PROCESS.. finished product is what counts...

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk
 

botfch

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 182
Hat


Hardly a surprise. Fb is full of hateful arseholes who jump on anything like this in a keyboard warrior type fashion.

Fb is poisonous

Makes me laugh all the ones commenting stuff about "beating him up" look like a light breeze would knock them down.
 

Craig

ClioSport Club Member
  E46 330i tourer
Facebook is full of hard people. Lol they all go on as if they can take the world on.
 
  Clio 182 Trophy
@Eddie555 - I see your point, but what build takes a specialist 18 months to complete ... ? Does that car look likes its 18 months in to a build or 18 months on the back burner?
 
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