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Message to all stud kit customers, past, present, and future.

27K views 189 replies 43 participants last post by  RippyPartsDept 
#1 ·
In business there are never legitimate excuses for anything that can go wrong.

-illness
-supplier shortage
-error in machining
-ups lost packages
-pulled over by the cops on the way to ups and could not make the deadline
-employee called in sick
-power outage

Reason I say this is because I receive emails like this:
Hello, I ordered one of theses tud kits and was very pleased until I tried to use it. The shoulder bolts will not fit the jig and worse they are not concentric. I measured the shoulder and found they are .746 to .752 diameter then I rolled them in a V block and found the thread is off center by about .030 These two things make the jig useless. Can you please tell me why you would send me something that you obviously did not try to assemble and secondly what I am supposed to do now.
I need to put this motor together so I need an answer soon.
Also what is the point in having a text me post that you do not answer?
I do not have time to box this shit up and send it back to you so that you can send me something that I clearly will not need by the time I get it.
You owe me the value of this "fixture kit".
Oh and I will be sure to let everyone know how good a product you sell. Thanks for nothing.
Clearly you knew you sent me a nonfunctional piece of shit.
Some alignment / fixture plates have been sent out that are not within spec. I don't know what shifted, I manufactured a plate yesterday and everything lines up except the tapping hole. Now that is has been brought to my attention I can correct the error.

A new jig is being constructed as of this minute to correct this problem. It will be DEAD on center, all four holes. No tolerance, no play, no B.S. Nobody needs to pay $549 for something that is not manufactured within spec, but at the same time I don't need people accusing me of purposely selling non functional shit. That is not my intention.

Some orders have been delayed because this HAS to be corrected before any more orders ship. People cannot understand delays- I get yelled at when I lift the phone. So I stopped answering my phones about two days ago. My stress level is so high right now I'm about to snap.

I was in Ontario until two days ago and I have no way of remachining anything without the equipment to do so. Now I'm here at the main shop where I have what I need to take care of this.

MY COMMITMENT TO MY CUSTOMERS

It is my job as the developer, builder, and distributor of this product to provide a working product that works flawlessly, and ship on time. I am well aware of my responsibilities and will do whatever necessary to fulfill these responsibilities.

Right now, if you're waiting on an order, it WILL ship either today or Monday. It will be a quality product and the jig will be 100% accurate.

If you have been shipped a kit where the holes do not perfectly line up, send me an email with your name and address, and date of receipt of the kit and I will send you return instructions. A new plate and bolt set will be sent to you at no charge. It is my responsibility to correct this.

QUALITY CONTROL

It is impossible to account for certain errors sometimes. We have suppliers that sometimes screw up and the screw ups are so minor that they are not visible but will greatly affect the performance or use of the kit. We will check everything to ensure to the best of our ability that everything is within spec and you will not have problems. From now on, after every 10 plates the jig they are constructed on will be checked for tolerance, wear, etc.

Each kit will contain a production # and manufacture date. I have yet to figure out how to engrave this, but a certificate will be sent with each kit with this information. If there ever is an issue we can track it back to the last time tooling was changed, etc...

THE BIGGEST STEP TO AVOID SUPPLIER ISSUES

Is to become our own supplier and keep a stock of no less than 25 kits on the shelf at once. Certain things we cannot produce but the studs, the alignment plates, any machined part will be produced in my shop.

I know what it's like to have an engine apart and wait for studs. THREE weeks last year I was completely out - nice suppliers huh? They did not care.

PAYPAL

Will no longer be offered as a payment method. The $4k they're sitting on right now that I cannot access would very easily purchase a new set of thread rolls that I need right now- and then some. I can't afford to have money tied up like this. From now on, payment by cert. cheque or VISA/MC over the phone.

ORDER TRACKING

I will rehire a receptionist because I desperately need one. I just got another employee started in the shop. Until then, please send all requests to my email for order tracking.


In all honesty I need to slow down a bit and live differently. I had four hours of sleep for a number of nights in a row and two days ago I slept for about an hour, woke up, and my heart was not beating normally and I was short of breath. I may give up the work on the cars once I get the vehicles finished that I have here at the shop.

Face it, 1.7M+ of these engines have been produced and my shop can only handle currently about 100/year for repair. With a bulletproof method of repair under patent pending status, I need to do WHATEVER it takes to make sure this repair is available to all Cadillac owners and repair shops. It would be a real shame for anyone to have to resort to an inferior threaded insert because I cannot deliver on time.

Everyone please remember I started this with nothing more than $300 and a personal collection of tools (and a 1950's Atlas lathe). I am not a multi-million dollar company that can give away free stuff, eat express shipping costs all the time, etc. Maybe that day will come I don't know-

I will do whatever I can to help my customers and get the ordered kits out the door ASAP, with accurate parts. There are many people that want to see my business fail, many that want it to succeed. I have been called everything under the sun as I'm sure a few of you remember from a voicemail message I posted a link to. It's up to everyone whether they want to believe it or not but I am doing my very best for my customers.

Please bear with me, accurate alignment plates are being constructed right now and orders are beginning to ship again. They are shipping from Winnipeg- I-29 is flooded. This may also pose a delay but that is something I cannot help. I have pictures where my truck is treading water- big time. From Fargo to Grand Forks I-29 has been closed for a few days already. My shop is only 5 miles from the Red River, I'm lucky I haven't been flooded out yet.

I will post more later after the workday and show everyone what I'm up to and what I'm going to be doing to increase production speed and accuracy. UPS and lost shipments- I'm not sure yet how to handle that. 5 lost since December.
 
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#38 ·
The VIN is on the car in about 100 different places (two very easy to get to - driver's door edge sticker and the corner of the windshield plate)

or your registration ... or your insurance info (like those little wallet sized cards)

worst case scenario you start chopping the car up with torches/cutting wheels/sawzall until you find a piece of of the body or frame with the VIN stamped into it
:thumbsup:
 
#42 ·
it's a good idea to keep the ins. card in your wallet actually

that way you will have at least one form of 'proof of ownership' if you lock your keys in you car or lose your keys

you will need one of the three forms of 'proof of ownership' along with a govt issued photo ID to get a key cut at a dealer using GM's master keycode file (the keycode the car was built with at the factory)
those three forms 'proof of ownership' are:
  1. title
  2. registration
  3. insurance
the name and address listed on the 'proof of ownership' must match your info on your ID
as long as that all checks out any GM dealer can look up your keycode
(we only get 5 keycode requests per day though)

so...
  1. don't be so lazy
  2. keep your insurance card in your wallet


end thread-jack
 
#43 ·
ill keep that in mind

i don't have problems with looseing keys i have 3 keys for the car plus i have the master key that has no chip i keep that outisde in a hide away key thing so if i ever get locked out i don't have to worry but i also keep 2 keys on me
a friend who owns a used car lot his father tought me when i was younger always keep 2 keys to every car you drive on you incase you loose your keys you always have a loose key in your pocket
i use a
bobby pin and clip it into the bottom of one of my pants pockets incase anything ever happens

the dealers near me must be breaking laws ruels or something
cause they never ask for proofe when going to cut a key
my dad has gone in twice to have his key cut ones for the lincoln and ones for the jeep
i don't think he ever had to show any proofe of owner ship for them to get the key code and cut it so they probably don't care about that stuff here you would be suprised what dealers in thsi area would do
 
#44 ·
Hey Chris just tried to send you a PM with a part number i needed
your Inbox is full

iv got the part number just wanted a price was going to call up on Friday or Monday with credit card info and all unless you are able to use the info still on file from last purchase ?

here is the part number
had the price stored in my PM box but cleared it out by acident a few weeks ago

GM Part Number 25693996
 
#46 ·
the policy w/ the keycodes is a GM policy ... started around 2006

just before it went into effect the local news team went around to all the dealers trying to get keys cut for cars they didn't own in a sort of sting operation

one of the dealers got busted big time but most of the others at least wanted some sort of proof

we do get a lot of people frustrated about the hassle (they're already upset since they're in the position of having to get a key cut by code)
but also lots of people thank us and understand that it really is good for the safety of their car
 
#47 ·
id also think with GM that would not be a big problem lock outs or lost keys
can't Onstar start a car for someone if they don't have there key ?
or is it they can let you in the car to get your spare key i forget but i thout they could start it but maybe i was thinking another car brand hmm

yeah good saftey procedures for gm to take
you know right now
not going to say it on the board but ill say one of the 3 cadillac dealers in the NE Ohio area
won't ask for any proof of anyting so if they did a string today atleast 1 of them would get busted and its one that is only a half mile from my house lol
 
G
#48 ·
Jake, take a breather and don't get so stressed out. You are providing and invaluable service for this community and I think everyone realizes that. Of course you will get some sh*t for faulty product whether it's your fault or not but it's all part of the game. Nothing ever goes as planned but you got to hang in there and do what you do best. Nothing but respect for you bro. :thumbsup:
 
#49 ·
Thank you Destroyer! If I'm ever in FL can I possibly look you up and see your collection of fine vehicles? Also I am under the impression that you have warehouse space- any square footage for rent? Part of the USA visa application requires that I have a facility secured already.
 
G
#50 ·
I don't own any warehouses Jake but I do rent some and could probably find you something. I own houses and apartments as rentals. My business has come down a bit. I had over 16,000 sq feet of space, now down to 4k. Sucks.
 
#51 ·
I just made a quick trip to North Texas. I met Tony at North Texas Performance and came up through Terre Haute, Indiana and met BJ over at Fuson Cadillac.

The Florida trip might take a bit longer. I'm fighting with trying to cash a large check I picked up from the company who builds the remanufactured Northstars for General Motors. Banks between the USA and Canada do not communicate so well. I'm stuck with a 5 figure check that I cannot do anything with for 30 days because of "We hold U.S. checks for 30 days in case of fraud" -

This was payment toward my suppliers and now I'm stuck yet again. Whatever happened to banks making phone calls to verify funds, or even trust for that matter? Every day a new fight about something.

PonyboyT - if you read this, the company that built the engine in your STS, is now studding all of their Northstars. They were having too many crack during assembly (before even leaving their shop) so they gave up building Northstars for a while. They showed me through their operation on Monday and it is HUGE
 
#58 ·
i finaly have a 2 post hoist :)

Both engines made by "that company" are coming out this week. The one manufactured Nov-01 is mostly ready to be unbolted (from my pearl 97... sad to see her go, but shes done). The other, in my 98 that shattered a piston, will come out a bit later. Ill be looking hard for cracks, but my 97 ran great when i fired it up last week. Actualy... it ran amazing, no leaks and quiet as hell up front.
 
#52 ·
Jake,
At the junction of I75/I475/I16 in Middle Georgia, Bolingbroke to be exact 1000 feet from entrance both north and south, south of Atlanta airport 45 miles, good weather year round, except for occasional tornado, there are some new warehouse type buildings with adjoining paint and body shop high end type, muscle car sales warehouse, custom motorcycle warehouse, light industrial no problem for 3 phase power, all utilities, etc great place to ship from.Tommy Campbell Collision Center
6209 US Highway 41 SMacon, GA 31210, (478) 994-2134 contact owner. Cheap rent in this area and labor rates.
Grady
 
#59 ·
Update. I haven't been on here much lately. After a week of the flu and a stud shortage I find things are incredibly hectic.

Since I made the first studs on a 1950's era Atlas Lathe, things have come a long way. We're back into stud production now, production stud #1 came off the lathe for the first time yesterday. Rolled threads on both ends, high grade chromoly steel, threads smooth as silk. One drawback - production time. The diameter reduction is taking the most time up right now so there's one set of tools left that I'm still waiting for $9500 worth of German engineered cutting tools to come in. Apparently I will be able to reduce diameters at speeds up to 300 feet per minute. I doubt it but even a tenth of that would do wonders.

The stud shortage continues, I have a couple orders going out tomorrow but I expect 50 sets of studs to arrive in a few days.

I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding- things are developing quickly (but never soon enough). The stud produced yesterday is shiny, smooth, threads into the block with two fingers. Hardness is coming in at the right number on the Rockwell scale. This beats everything any other company has ever produced for me.

I expect the shortages and difficulties to end very, very soon now. A new office is under contruction for the new receptionist that's being hired. The USA shipping location/shop project is on a temporary halt until everythings up and running with stud production. Focus is all on priority #1 right now - make sure I can supply everyone with the best quality product, on time.

Special guages, measuring tools, and some test equipment is being built to keep quality standards high and to make sure nobody ever has an issue with a stud kit. As soon as that tooling comes in we're 100% up and running again and we will have plenty of stock on the shelf to ensure same day shipping.

Thank you all, Sub, Ranger, JoeTahoe, everybody for all of your help and continued support. Thank you.
 
#62 ·
Johnny those delays will be over soon. I can't apologize enough to my customers for the delays but I've come to an impass- either the studs are produced in my own shop or they are going to be taken off the market. I can't deal with supplier issues anymore- costs so high to produce it almost makes the stud kits unprofitable and the ship issues with UPS further reduces profit margin. I was doing better when I was completely focused on the vehicle repairs rather than the stud kits.

90% ready to mass produce these studs in our own shop. Enough pre-hardened steel was delivered yesterday to produce 1000 of these (50 engines worth). The turning head is the last missing piece.

Nevertheless, I started this, I did the patent applications on this and in pending status, I plan on seeing this through.

Please understand everyone I am doing my very best including two forum members who have ordered engines from me. One is scheduled for a delivery this weekend and the other one is being built.

A U.S. shop/shipping location seems to be the only way to keep this business alive and running smooth so you may see another post very soon regarding a new U.S. shop. I almost bought a shop in Illinois on very nice payment terms but that didn't pan out.
 
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