I try to do the work myself or have Mike at Rapid do it but he's two hours from me.
I needed the replacement cats put on and had a shop that was recommended by a local hot rod shop do it on Friday - what a disaster. They butchered everything they touched, so now I have to have it done over again and repair some of their damage. I should have just told them to stop and give me the car back the minute they started but I didn't want to be rude and sound arrogant.
Anyway - do you all from this area know of any shops that know our cars and do good work?
Thanks!
Posted by chrisL (Member # 97) on :
I'll ask around Richard.
Let us know who that shop is so we dont go there either. Sorry to hear you had problems.
Posted by Hawkeye (Member # 88) on :
What about the place that did your headers?
Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
Thanks Chris - appreciate it
Hawk, that's Mike at Rapid - but it's 2+ hours from me - so for what should have been a simple 1 hour job - I was hoping to use someone closer. These types of jobs come up from time to time so it would be great to find a shop closer.
Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
I'll do a little digging for you, I have a list somewhere at home of Northern NJ shops, but I have not used any of them. I know there is one up in Mahwah, off 202 I believe. I'll find the list...
Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
DaddySS, here is a list that I plucked off the net with some customer comments a while back. I never ended up needing work, so you'll have to do more digging. By the way, please let me know if the shop that butchered your car is on the list. Thanks! I remember hearing good things about total performance. Hope this helps and it is an easy, pain-free fix.
stage 1 in pompton plains nj..... north jersey performance in washington township, NJ
Stage 1 could do it. They are mostly a grand nat shop, but secondly f body's North jersey perf is more a machine/ engine and gear shop.
There is a Midas on Route 17 northbound in the saddle river area that does custom installs. He has done my edlebrock install, y pipe changes, cat install, and most recently slp loudmouht w/ cat all 3 inch.
Total Performance 201-529-4353 ask for chris Total Performance is about 3/4 of a mile off rt. 17 north. Take the rt.202 exit, stay right, and the shop will be on your left. (four bay garage) It's just before a train underpass.
East Coast Supercharging did my whole car. Great work awesome prices. He is in Upper Montclair NJ. 973-744-7500.
Cartek, Garwood NJ 908-317-4496 ask for Dave or Julio Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
Excellent, thanks. I'll get busy and call/visit these guys.
The shop that did the lousy work is down in Passaic. I won't post the name - I should have known better when I watched some of the work they were doing.
Posted by Hawkeye (Member # 88) on :
quote:Originally posted by DaddySS: Thanks Chris - appreciate it
Hawk, that's Mike at Rapid - but it's 2+ hours from me - so for what should have been a simple 1 hour job - I was hoping to use someone closer. These types of jobs come up from time to time so it would be great to find a shop closer.
Gotcha.
Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
quote:Originally posted by DaddySS: Excellent, thanks. I'll get busy and call/visit these guys.
The shop that did the lousy work is down in Passaic. I won't post the name - I should have known better when I watched some of the work they were doing.
Glad I could help. Please let me know what you find, there seems to be a shortage of such shops in northern NJ. I know cartek does good work and has made some fast cars, but they are over 30 miles away.
Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
I don't mind the 30 miles to Cartek for some of the jobs, and I have sent them a note.
Total, Stage 1, look like good possibilities so I will try to call and stop by this week.
Posted by chrisL (Member # 97) on :
be tough to get an appt at Cartek. Get ahold of Miriah for them. She can "make a call".
If youre gonna go there, might as well schedule a dyno tune. There's none better than Julio.
I'll call my buddy tomorrow that owns the restoration business in Sloatsburg. He'll have something local I'm sure if you want more alternatives.
Any competent muffler shop should be able to do it.
Posted by RagSS (Member # 1127) on :
quote: I'll call my buddy tomorrow that owns the restoration business in Sloatsburg
Hey Chris, I know a guy there too, ...is it NJ Vehicles?
Rich, ...wish I could give you a name near you. There is a shop by me that does excellent work ROMAR's. I know the guy, they race, have a dyno, etc. etc. He's primarily a welding shop, but does pretty much everything. They aren't cheap, but they get the job done right. What actually happened to your car?
Hope all is well...
Kevin
Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
quote:Originally posted by RagSS:
quote: I'll call my buddy tomorrow that owns the restoration business in Sloatsburg
Hey Chris, I know a guy there too, ...is it NJ Vehicles?
Rich, ...wish I could give you a name near you. There is a shop by me that does excellent work ROMAR's. I know the guy, they race, have a dyno, etc. etc. He's primarily a welding shop, but does pretty much everything. They aren't cheap, but they get the job done right. What actually happened to your car?
Hope all is well...
Kevin
They cut the original cats off because they felt getting the new reducers to work would be difficult. Took the 2 1/2 inlet to the cat and basically stuck it inside the 3" collector flange and welded it - making for a very abrubt and turbulence inducing connection. In assembling the y, they shifted the whole thing over about 1 1/2" so it now hits the cross member,and there is a leak.
So instead of keeping the original TTS cats intact, installing new car sounds with new 3 bolt collector flange for better flow as planned, I now have chopped originals, butchered install, probably worse flow, banging pipe and a leak!
On a brighter note - I stopped at Stage 1 last night. Very nice guys, seem to know our cars, very concerned about doing the job right, understand anal guys like me.
I have replacement parts on order and hope to get it done next week.
I'll continue to check the other shops and keep you posted.
Posted by Jim Mac (Member # 113) on :
Stage 1 is very close by me. I was going to have them do some work, but, well, they never returned my phone calls or were there the hours they said they were going to be. I finally ended up making other plans.
Posted by cytruffle (Member # 1733) on :
quote:Originally posted by DaddySS: I should have just told them to stop and give me the car back the minute they started but I didn't want to be rude and sound arrogant.
Come now, Mr. DaddySS!! Where are them New Yawk/Noo Joisey manners??? Dontcha know Mr. Joey Red or Mr. Jim Mac woulda hung 'em out to dry.....!!! (j/k, youse guys!! )
Seriously, I hope you get everything fixed just the way you want it.....that's GOT to be upsetting.....can you get any money back from them?? Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jim Mac: Stage 1 is very close by me. I was going to have them do some work, but, well, they never returned my phone calls or were there the hours they said they were going to be. I finally ended up making other plans.
My initial meet went very well. I will keep you updated as I progress.
CY: It's funny how I can be very demanding for my firm, my team, my family, my freinds - but when it comes to my interests I get mushy....... Posted by MaryandRalph (Member # 244) on :
Richard I hope for the best for you getting the work done the right way, let us know how it all turns out. Can't wait to see the car with all the mods. Take care Ralph
Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
Wow, I can't believe how those guys in Passaic butchered your car. Glad to see some of the other North Jersey shops will be able to fix your problem.
Posted by cytruffle (Member # 1733) on :
quote:Originally posted by DaddySS: CY: It's funny how I can be very demanding for my firm, my team, my family, my freinds - but when it comes to my interests I get mushy.......
Heyyyyyyy....that's really cool, Mr. DaddySS!! You put everyone else ahead of yourself.....that's not mushy....that's what we're really supposed to do in this life, as I understand it.... You ROCK! Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
Quick update on my catalytic converter work and and NJ shops.
Went to Stage 1 today. Rob did an excellent job and let me work with them through the whole process. We took off the butchered cats, welded up some new collector reducers onto new cats, re-centered the y pipe and exhaust, looks and works much better.
They are not "live and breath f-body" experts like Mikey but take care to do the job right, allow you to be involved, and understand us car nuts and they are 20 minutes from me.
I stopped by Total Performance the other day. Nice guys, know quite a bit about f-bodies, but specialize more on trucks and 4wd.
TT Performance Parts has just moved their shop to Saddlebrook right close by. They are not in service yet but I will check them out in the coming weeks.
[ 11. March 2004, 03:24 AM: Message edited by: DaddySS ]
Posted by Mike Bonte (Member # 1892) on :
Thanks for the info, Rich... always good to know where there are good shops around here... in case anything needs to be done. Posted by 01ss87iroc (Member # 1763) on :
Thanks for the update, looking forward to hearing more on some of the other shops. Quality North Jersey shops certainly are rare. Happy to see everything worked out with the fix...
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