My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: speedomotive [mailto:speedomotive@mpowercom.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 12:50 PM
To: Michael B
Subject: RE: my parts list

If you are going to request a list you need to give me the name in which it was ordered. We don't have a Michael Bentley on record.
When we send out an order it contains a complete list of part used. I'm not impressed with you attitude. One again if you will provide us with the right info. I will try to help.

WE WILL ACCEPT YOUR ORDER PLEASE SEND YOUR- MONEY ORDER, BANK CHECK OR A PHONE NUMBER FOR CONTACT. WE REQUIRE 50% DOWN PAYMENT ON ANY ORDER FOR ENGINES, STROKER KITS.
PARTS MUST BE PAYED IN FULL BEFORE WE SHIP TO YOU.
SPEED-O-MOTIVE, INC.
131 N. LANG AVE.
WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, USA
91790
PHONE# (626)869-0270
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael B [mailto:2fast4u@cox-internet.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 9:06 AM
To: speedomotive@mpowercom.net
Subject: my parts list
Hi this is Michael Bentley,
I ordered a 383 stroker back in 2001 from your company. Ever since then I have been trying to get a parts list for my engine. I have called up there so many times I am sick of doing it. I do not have a parts list for my engine. I had a pack list that came in the crate but it only listed the engine and the additional parts I ordered. I understand I may not be one of your biggest spenders, but $5200 is a lot to me. I have been told, that your people would mail me a copy, fax me a copy and everything. Now hopefully I can get someone to email me a copy. If you can’t email please mail it. I am not trying to sound rude, but I really need to know what I have in my engine. This whole process was a nightmare from the beginning. I was told my engine would only take 6-8 weeks, then it took longer. I needed it by the 6-8 week time period because I was about to go overseas in the Navy, I have just recently installed the engine. I was also told that shipping was free and it was posted on your website at the time. I had to pay the carrier $250. I am not asking for that money after 2+ years, I just want it known that I have been very disappointed with the customer service. BTW I’m sure the engine will run great.

My address is

Michael Bentley
***

Previous address I tried to have it mailed to was
**

I expect the engine to be good CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKSS!!!!

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (munday)
 

:mad That sucks. Where's Fevre? He might share a similar story, not that it helps you out at all.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Scooter70)
 

I am trying to show both sides of the story here. But it was frustrating. They didn't even call to say that it was going to take 12 weeks instead of 8. I could have had this engine in over 2 years ago. I left to go over seas. Then I was honorable discharged and moved back home to texas and no longer had a shop to use to put it in. I told them I wasn't trying to be rude and that I'm sure the engine was great and all he can say is he's not impressed with my attitude.

Well hopefully some forum members will email them saying that the are not going to buy a engine from them. Forum members that are really in the market for one. I want them to know that crappy service leads to crappy sales.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (munday)
 

I got really irate about the phone call i recieved from them saying not to bother them...I was fuming. I politely called them back up and asked to speak with the owner. The person on the other end was very polite I told him what had happened and he took care of it and is mailing me my build sheed. KUDOS to george.....as far as the other people I spoke to there...they can stick it up their azz.

Thanks George...hopefully you mail it like everyone else said they would.


hopefully it is resolved...i'm not sure if i would ever order from them again though.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (munday)
 

Talk to Fevre he is there #1 fan :lol:

BTW how does that motor run ?

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (MotorHead)
 

i haven't had a prob with the motor..it seems to be very strong...need to get the carb tuned in a little better....my only prob was with their customer service. Hopefully George there does as he said.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (munday)
 

The eng they built for me is possessed! :reddevil

Their customer service sucked, the head eng builder basically told me I screwed it up since they never do anything wrong. :rolleyes: I bought a brand new everything short block stroker with oil pan and cam installed, it tapped right on start up and ate a rod bearing shortly after. Looks to me like they did not check the rod to oil pan rail clearence. :mad

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Fevre)
 

I have a speed-o-motive short block. I had a problem with one of the pistons sitting "cocked" in the block. First call, George answered and was fine to deal with. I took pics showing the potential problem and he tried to help find the problem with me doing the work and sending pics. Finally, he told me to pull the piston and send it in. I did and he fixed it. I had no problems getting him on the phone the many times I called.

My engine now has about 30k miles and it is still together fine. It does burn oil and always has, but there are many reasons an engine will burn oil and I havn't figured it out yet.

Their parts are real cheap and I saved at least $300 on cam, lifters, valve springs, clutch, and pressure plate in comparison to Summit's prices.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (BeaterShark)
 

george was who i spoke with today and he was great. the guy who was a total azz was Michael Ustling (I'm not sure of the spelling of his last name) I guess he is the person who answered the email, but in what i considered a very rude/aggressive tone. He told me who he was and that the only way he could get my info was with my customer number. He said if I couldn't do that that I needed to stop bothering them. From, there I called George. Prob is, is that I have called there before asking and it just never got sent, but everyone up until now was polite.

I will try and make the message available on my website.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (BeaterShark)
 

The "mail order/internet" engine crowd has always amazed me. I have been to Speed-o-Motive inLos Angeles, it is not a "performance" engine shop. S.O.M. is a high volume production shop, they are able to sell parts cheaply because of the high amount of their orders, just like Jegs and Summit Racing, they order vast quantities of parts. Research and Development are foreign words to these people, they don't own a dyno and would never be interested in doing research on one, cheap prices are their only concern. You get what you pay for and I'll stick with the local guy who's stuff kicks butt at the local circle track any day. Good luck with you dealings with S.O.M. and I hope your oil consumption is better than my 383 small block that I built in the mid 1980's was (all S.O.M. machined short block, I assembed and it used a quart in under 800 miles of driving!) The majority of workers at the S.O.M. shop speak English as a second language and I don't think much of the products that I have encountered from their shop. I wish yo good luck with your "piece of work".

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Solid LT1)
 

I have to agree with Solid LT-1 they have a terrible reputation around here. I would never buy anything from those knuckleheads :rant: :mad

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Solid LT1)
 

Damn, that's scary!

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (69 N.O.X. RATT)
 

:yesnod: :iagree: And I double that description from LT-1! I visited thier shop a few years ago now and saw no metal working equipment insight. I see now they have some pix of big machines on thier website but I think its only a smoke screen. I can't trust them. :troll

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Solid LT1)
 

I have no beef with immigrants, but here on the Forum, I see posts all the time that say:

"I wanna buy a X horsepower 383 from (SOM or some shop with a similar high-volume philosophy) for $Y. Is this a good deal?"

Remember, folks: horsepower is relatively cheap. Strength is what costs money. While I am not an advocate of throwing $$ away, there is a lot more to selecting an engine than maximizing (peak horsepower)/(cost).

As an aside - Solid is right - buy local (or buy from someone like GM, which has nationwide service). That way if you have issues, service is a lot less hassle than shipping an engine across the country.

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (Kevin Mason)
 

:iagree: :iagree:

Very well said :cheers:

Re: My experience with speed-o-motive...I will never order from them again. (BeaterShark)
 

I had the speed-o-motive steel 383 racing assy kit and I now remember the same thing. :eek: It was on the #1 cyl & the valve reliefs did not align with the pistons next to it (barley noticable, yet it was there)
I ended up with a rod knock on that cyl & determined it was the rod pin hole not being straight, but a twisted rod would give me the same problem that I was having. I should have looked in to this further but I was just so happy to get the freakin motor - 2 months.
I posted about this earlier in the Engine Mods section:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=817697


[Modified by 71coupe, 6:13 AM 5/16/2004]

305 stroker motor
 

to speed-o-motive my name is danny hunt in ky it been a long time sience i herd about my engine i would like a total refund or my motor i spend over 7,000.00 dollars for it if i dont here from them soon i will take the next step and i wont settle for that,it be alot higher its been 2 years sience my motor been out ther and i been pation now im getting disppoint.

and Danny Hunt brought this back after 8 + years why?

:funnypost:

unless you are serious :crazy:

A "305" stroker????

:D