Normally I don't make a habit of bashing anyone online, however this situation is just so obviously unprofessional that I feel obligated to warn other Fiero owners about it. After all, that is what this online chat community is all about, isn't it?
Earlier this year I purchased what appeared to be a very nice 85 GT with only 49k miles on the odometer. The seller was a local collector who had a barn full of low mileage classic cars (corvettes, firebirds, camaros, etc). He purchased the car from the original owner picked it up in Maryland. The plan was to give the car to his daughter as a high school graduation gift, but that did not work out when his wife found out the car had no airbags or power steering. So he gave her one of his camaros instead and decided to just sell the Fiero.
Being the car fanatic that he is, he did not want to sell a car that had any issues at all so in September of 2014 he dropped the car off at Jon Miller Auto Repair (otherwise known as "Fiero Jon" in Tuckerton, NJ). He brought with him a set of black honeycomb wheels from an 86 and a set of 88 springs to lower the car. He asked Jon to install the wheels and springs and go over the car, advising him of anything that it might need so that there would be no problems for the next owner. In my opinion, he should have never left the car there for a week and gave Jon a carte blanche to fix anything he found. In fact, he provided me with the repair bill that included wheel and spring installation, 4 wheel alignment, a new clutch, catalytic converter, plug wires, distributor o-ring, motor mounts, dogbone, rear main seal, sway bar bushings, engine support strut, headlight relay, serpentine belt, sunroof weatherstrip, EGR tube, four wheel alignment, and fuel system tune up. The total bill was $2965.
After purchasing the car, I began finding problems almost immediately. So I called "Fiero Jon" and made an appointment to bring the car down to diagnose the problems and also to discuss the work that he performed on the car in September (supposedly to make it perfect for the next owner) Specifically, the list is as follows:
(1) Air conditioning was blowing hot air. (2) Tachometer was bouncing between 700 and 1500 rpm at idle. (3) Engine was misfiring badly thoughout all four gears (manual trans) (4) Car was overheating when not traveling at least 40 mph. (5) Sunroof was leaking air badly. (6) Driver side headlight makes a banging noise when retracting. (7) Car was bottoming out when driven over any uneven road surfaces. (8) Both seat mechanism covers were broken off and missing. (9) Window outer dew wipes were severely cracked. (10) Shift boot was missing a nut and was lifting from the console panel.
I spent the day at Jon's facility and went over with him what I wanted done.
The first priority was the erratic idle. He said he thought it was a vacuum leak but could not find it so he said I would have to bring the car back and leave it for about a week (the same mistake that the previous seller made) so he could try to find the leak (estimated charge $500).
The second priority was the misfiring. He said that this was probably the result of the same vacuum leak and would probably be fixed once he was able to correct that.
The third priority was the air conditioning system. He said he suspected that there were leaks in the system and stated he would also check that when I brought the car back (estimated cost to diagnose - $600).
The fourth priority was the harsh ride and bottoming out of the struts when driving over bumps. He blamed the previous owner for that stating that he asked him to install 88 springs which are 2" shorter than the 86 oem springs and that was the problem. I asked him why he did not mention that to the prior owner before installation and he did not give me an acceptable answer. He did say that he could change the springs back to OEM on the next visit (estimated cost $400).
He also pointed out what he described as an oil pan leak since the outer perimeter where the bolts were was slightly wet with oil. He would fix that when I left the car for the week (estimated charge $700). So far, I was getting nothing but estimates and nothing fixed. Current estimate for the next visit was now over $2000.
I had purchased the dew wipes and seat mechanism covers from the Fiero Store and a short shifter from Rodney Dickman and took them with me so that he could do the installation if time allowed. Since all he did was give me estimates on everything else, he did have the time to install these and I have no complaints about that except that the bill was over $700.
Since the majority of the problems still existed when I drove the car back home, I decided to take it to the mechanic that works on my MR2 Spyder (and who I totally trust) and left the car with him for two weeks. Here is what he found:
(1) Car idle issue was corrected by installing a new idle air control valve. (2) When the distributor o-ring was installed, the distributor was reinstalled out of position and it was so far off that the timing could not be set. He removed the distributor, turned it to the correct position, reinstalled it and the misfire disappeared. (3) The air conditioning just needed charging and was charged and is still blowing cold to this day. (4) The plug wires that Jon installed were used and were arcing when checked. I replaced those with the premium Fiero Store set. (5) I had obtained a set of 86 OEM springs from the Fiero Factory and new shocks and struts from Rock Auto. These were installed and the harsh suspension issues disappeared. (6) The driver seat mounting nut on the back of the frame on the door side (the most difficult to get to) was not tightened at all by Jon when he reinstalled the seats after installing the mechanism covers resulting in the seat bouncing up and down. (7) There was no oil leak in the oil pan. The oil that was present was from the defective distributor o-ring that Jon replaced but failed to clean off the oil pan cover. (8) One of the engine mounts and the engine support strut that were installed by Jon were used parts and needed to be replaced with new ones. (9) Steering wheel was not centered when driving straight even though a complete 4 wheel alignment was done by Jon back in September.
The list goes on and on. Basically, I would not take my lawn mower to this guy for repair. He uses parts from a host of old donor vehicles that he has in storage and really doesn't fix anything. All he does is give you inflated estimates and requests that you leave the car and don't stay there while he is working on it. I guess so that you don't realize what he is doing.
NEVER AGAIN AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS REPAIR SHOP TO ANYONE.
[This message has been edited by QCMANAGER (edited 07-05-2015).]
In fact, he provided me with the repair bill that included wheel and spring installation, 4 wheel alignment, a new clutch, catalytic converter, plug wires, distributor o-ring, motor mounts, dogbone, rear main seal, sway bar bushings, engine support strut, headlight relay, serpentine belt, sunroof weatherstrip, EGR tube, four wheel alignment, and fuel system tune up. The total bill was $2965.
It is disheartening when "professional mechanics" do work that IS disappointing. I had TWO Fiero owners with problems that needed fixing AFTER a shop looked/worked on it.
One guy had a mis-diagnosis on everything. Car was overheating which the proper radiator cap solved. He had a steering problem, but not in the steering column as he was told (I fixed that) and was also told he needed new engine mounts. Once I got underneath and looked at the mounts, they looked fairly new to me and had nothing wrong with them!! The "LOUD clunk" attributed to the mounts was from having too high an idle (1500-2000 rpm) when you put an automatic in gear. Once I fixed his vacuum leak (open purge valve on vapor canister), idle came down to the normal 1050 rpm and solved the problem.
The other fellow had TWO shops involved in a 3800 S/C engine swap. He spent $$$ at the First Shop that did the engine swap and reprogrammed the ECM etc. Not sure what happened after, but the owner spent even more $$$ at a Second Shop to replace the first 3800 S/C engine (developed a knock) and swap out the Muncie 4-speed for a "rebuilt" Getrag 5-speed. After getting that done, they gave it back to him, even though the "engine runs rough" and lacks power.
I suppose they figured they'd already "used up" all their time and couldn't be bothered to figure out they had the spark plugs wires wrong and vacuum to the bypass valve connected to the wrong place. We had the "engine runs rough" problems fixed in 15 minutes and engine runs great! But it appears his "rebuilt transmission" was rebuilt with a can of spray paint to look the part, because it's barely drivable (synchros and bearings appear to be shot).
This reported episode with Jon Miller seems extremely far fetched. You are saying that Jon is making ESTIMATES to diagnose and not do the repair work for $500-$600 a pop. I find this hard to believe. If this is false and I have no way of verifying that it is, why didn't you get a repair estimate in advance? Any mechanic worth his salt can tell you exactly how many hours it takes to install dew wipes, install a water pump, alternator, brakes or fix an oil leak before the job is started. I used to do repair jobs and swaps and the customers always knew how much the cost will be before I touched the car. I hope that Jon reads this post and is allowed to give his side of the story. It all sounds very bizarre to say the least.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 07-07-2015).]
Wow! This is crazy, anyone apparently known for working on a specific vehicle, could be this shady. I personally REFUSE to allow any shop to make any repairs to my vehicles, that I can do myself, and be sure it has been done correctly. Too many horror stories, and most mechanics don't personally care if the repair is done correctly, because they can always charge more for fixing it again. Seems they don't take as much pride in their craft as they should. Basically, don't trust a mechanic is he is charging your for shop time.
------------------ 2010 Jeep Wrangler 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 1987 Pontiac Fiero 1957 Chevrolet Corvette LS6-swapped (LOOOOOOONG-term project)
I had problems with the quality of Items I bought from him 4 or 5 years ago. Though unused, the parts were pure junk. Communications were very difficult, having to wait a week or two for a return call if I even got one. From the time of order until I received the parts took about 3 months, then about 2 months to get my money back, and then only by contesting it with my credit card company. Many of my phone calls were answered by his Father, and not Jon, himself.
Normally I don't make a habit of bashing anyone online, however this situation is just so obviously unprofessional that I feel obligated to warn other Fiero owners about it. After all, that is what this online chat community is all about, isn't it?
Earlier this year I purchased what appeared to be a very nice 85 GT with only 49k miles on the odometer. The seller was a local collector who had a barn full of low mileage classic cars (corvettes, firebirds, camaros, etc). He purchased the car from the original owner picked it up in Maryland. The plan was to give the car to his daughter as a high school graduation gift, but that did not work out when his wife found out the car had no airbags or power steering. So he gave her one of his camaros instead and decided to just sell the Fiero.
Being the car fanatic that he is, he did not want to sell a car that had any issues at all so in September of 2014 he dropped the car off at Jon Miller Auto Repair (otherwise known as "Fiero Jon" in Tuckerton, NJ). He brought with him a set of black honeycomb wheels from an 86 and a set of 88 springs to lower the car. He asked Jon to install the wheels and springs and go over the car, advising him of anything that it might need so that there would be no problems for the next owner. In my opinion, he should have never left the car there for a week and gave Jon a carte blanche to fix anything he found. In fact, he provided me with the repair bill that included wheel and spring installation, 4 wheel alignment, a new clutch, catalytic converter, plug wires, distributor o-ring, motor mounts, dogbone, rear main seal, sway bar bushings, engine support strut, headlight relay, serpentine belt, sunroof weatherstrip, EGR tube, four wheel alignment, and fuel system tune up. The total bill was $2965.
After purchasing the car, I began finding problems almost immediately. So I called "Fiero Jon" and made an appointment to bring the car down to diagnose the problems and also to discuss the work that he performed on the car in September (supposedly to make it perfect for the next owner) Specifically, the list is as follows:
(1) Air conditioning was blowing hot air. (2) Tachometer was bouncing between 700 and 1500 rpm at idle. (3) Engine was misfiring badly thoughout all four gears (manual trans) (4) Car was overheating when not traveling at least 40 mph. (5) Sunroof was leaking air badly. (6) Driver side headlight makes a banging noise when retracting. (7) Car was bottoming out when driven over any uneven road surfaces. (8) Both seat mechanism covers were broken off and missing. (9) Window outer dew wipes were severely cracked. (10) Shift boot was missing a nut and was lifting from the console panel.
I spent the day at Jon's facility and went over with him what I wanted done.
The first priority was the erratic idle. He said he thought it was a vacuum leak but could not find it so he said I would have to bring the car back and leave it for about a week (the same mistake that the previous seller made) so he could try to find the leak (estimated charge $500).
The second priority was the misfiring. He said that this was probably the result of the same vacuum leak and would probably be fixed once he was able to correct that.
The third priority was the air conditioning system. He said he suspected that there were leaks in the system and stated he would also check that when I brought the car back (estimated cost to diagnose - $600).
The fourth priority was the harsh ride and bottoming out of the struts when driving over bumps. He blamed the previous owner for that stating that he asked him to install 88 springs which are 2" shorter than the 86 oem springs and that was the problem. I asked him why he did not mention that to the prior owner before installation and he did not give me an acceptable answer. He did say that he could change the springs back to OEM on the next visit (estimated cost $400).
He also pointed out what he described as an oil pan leak since the outer perimeter where the bolts were was slightly wet with oil. He would fix that when I left the car for the week (estimated charge $700). So far, I was getting nothing but estimates and nothing fixed. Current estimate for the next visit was now over $2000.
I had purchased the dew wipes and seat mechanism covers from the Fiero Store and a short shifter from Rodney Dickman and took them with me so that he could do the installation if time allowed. Since all he did was give me estimates on everything else, he did have the time to install these and I have no complaints about that except that the bill was over $700.
Since the majority of the problems still existed when I drove the car back home, I decided to take it to the mechanic that works on my MR2 Spyder (and who I totally trust) and left the car with him for two weeks. Here is what he found:
(1) Car idle issue was corrected by installing a new idle air control valve. (2) When the distributor o-ring was installed, the distributor was reinstalled out of position and it was so far off that the timing could not be set. He removed the distributor, turned it to the correct position, reinstalled it and the misfire disappeared. (3) The air conditioning just needed charging and was charged and is still blowing cold to this day. (4) The plug wires that Jon installed were used and were arcing when checked. I replaced those with the premium Fiero Store set. (5) I had obtained a set of 86 OEM springs from the Fiero Factory and new shocks and struts from Rock Auto. These were installed and the harsh suspension issues disappeared. (6) The driver seat mounting nut on the back of the frame on the door side (the most difficult to get to) was not tightened at all by Jon when he reinstalled the seats after installing the mechanism covers resulting in the seat bouncing up and down. (7) There was no oil leak in the oil pan. The oil that was present was from the defective distributor o-ring that Jon replaced but failed to clean off the oil pan cover. (8) One of the engine mounts and the engine support strut that were installed by Jon were used parts and needed to be replaced with new ones. (9) Steering wheel was not centered when driving straight even though a complete 4 wheel alignment was done by Jon back in September.
The list goes on and on. Basically, I would not take my lawn mower to this guy for repair. He uses parts from a host of old donor vehicles that he has in storage and really doesn't fix anything. All he does is give you inflated estimates and requests that you leave the car and don't stay there while he is working on it. I guess so that you don't realize what he is doing.
NEVER AGAIN AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS REPAIR SHOP TO ANYONE.
I have read through this three times and fail to see where he did you any wrong. He told you what the problems might be for the symptoms but not sure until he actually looked at them. Looks like he charged you for what he did do and nothing for what he did not. What are you saying that he did do wrong actually?
1. Mechanic is very bad and screws up car, owner takes car back to very bad mechanic. 2. Mechanic made an error, owner didn't allow mechanic to fix problems.
I don't know who Fiero Jon is, but this sounds like a knee-jerk reaction. I mean, maybe Jon is a con artist but all we have is half a story. He was never given the chance to hang or save himself - it doesn't even sound like the conversation was started before the laundry was hung out.
There *seem* to be holes in the story (notably, the distributor position bit) which leads me to believe there is more going on here.
The heads-up is appreciated, I suppose, but it sure seems like there was a more adult way to handle this.
I have read through this three times and fail to see where he did you any wrong. He told you what the problems might be for the symptoms but not sure until he actually looked at them. Looks like he charged you for what he did do and nothing for what he did not. What are you saying that he did do wrong actually?
Kevin
I admit I couldn't see the issue either but the story was probably twice as long as necessary to be easily understood.
What I got from it was that the previous owner dropped nearly 3 G's to have work done before selling it to QCManager. QC found that there was problems with the car and maybe some of the things that were supposed to be repaired/replaced and had not been repaired/replaced, or replaced with used parts instead of the new parts as paid for. The quote for repairs included some of the parts and services paid for by the previous owner and will cost another $2000 to do what he was supposed to do the first time. Did I misunderstand?
My last experience with Fiero Jon was Feb 2012. I needed a timing chain cover for a 2.8. He advised me there were 2 versions and we figured out which one I needed. I paid online and received it the same week. I've bough items from him at Carlisle and he appears to be a stand up guy. Hard to imagine he would bend anyone over. (Pardon the expression)
Spoon
------------------ "Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut
[This message has been edited by Spoon (edited 07-06-2015).]
1. Mechanic is very bad and screws up car, owner takes car back to very bad mechanic. 2. Mechanic made an error, owner didn't allow mechanic to fix problems.
I don't know who Fiero Jon is, but this sounds like a knee-jerk reaction. I mean, maybe Jon is a con artist but all we have is half a story. He was never given the chance to hang or save himself - it doesn't even sound like the conversation was started before the laundry was hung out.
There *seem* to be holes in the story (notably, the distributor position bit) which leads me to believe there is more going on here.
The heads-up is appreciated, I suppose, but it sure seems like there was a more adult way to handle this.
This post was certainly not intended as a warning for someone who lives 3000 miles away. It was intended for local Fiero owners so that they would not incur the poor service that I did.
My last experience with Fiero Jon was Feb 2012. I needed a timing chain cover for a 2.8. He advised me there were 2 versions and we figured out which one I needed. I paid online and received it the same week. I've bough items from him at Carlisle and he appears to be a stand up guy. Hard to imagine he would bend anyone over. (Pardon the expression)
Spoon
Three years ago Jon was to "go to" guy for Fiero's and attended many shows and meets. I don't doubt that your relationship with him was beneficial. However, the first thing I was told when I arrived (after making an appointment a week earlier) by his father is that he really doesn't work on the Fiero's anymore. The attitude that I experienced when I spent an entire day at his facility was that he would rather just point out what might be wrong and not really try to fix anything. It was very frustrating taking a day off work and wasting my time for a handful of estimates and a request to bring the car back and leave it for a week.
[This message has been edited by QCMANAGER (edited 07-06-2015).]
Not taking sides here, but I know of no shop that will go back and re-do work 9 months later and after a change of ownership of the vehicle.
First, the car sat in the previous owners garage from the day he drove it back from Tuckerton until the day I came to buy it. None of the problems occurred after the work was performed. Second, I called Jon and spoke to him about the problems I was having with the vehicle and went over his bill to the previous owner since many of the things he supposedly fixed were still not fixed. I offered to bring the car in so that he could show me what was done in September and explain to me why there were still the same problems with the car. He knew what I expected before I arrived.
What I got from it was that the previous owner dropped nearly 3 G's to have work done before selling it to QCManager. QC found that there was problems with the car and maybe some of the things that were supposed to be repaired/replaced and had not been repaired/replaced, or replaced with used parts instead of the new parts as paid for. The quote for repairs included some of the parts and services paid for by the previous owner and will cost another $2000 to do what he was supposed to do the first time. Did I misunderstand?
So, distance disqualifies one from expressing and opinion on an international forum? Just an observation. Keep in mind a couple of things....(and I have no dog in this fight) Jon has been around for a while and has a reasonably good rep... You are fairly new to the Forum... We haven't heard Jon's side...
With those things said; its good to get feedback on vendors, we all appreciate the information. I'm sure everyone on here hopes that things work out well for you in the end.
It does enforce the Latin warning, 'caveat emptor'.
I admit I couldn't see the issue either but the story was probably twice as long as necessary to be easily understood.
I could have made the story longer. I actually cut it back rather than list all the things that were wrong with this vehicle after he had the car for a week with carte blanche from the prior owner to locate and fix anything that may be an issue. I have already contacted the prior owner with the information I now have and he is not at all pleased with the outcome of his 3k investment. All he did was drive the car home and put it in the garage, assuming that Jon had fixed any problems that the car had.
[This message has been edited by QCMANAGER (edited 07-06-2015).]
I had problems with the quality of Items I bought from him 4 or 5 years ago. Though unused, the parts were pure junk. Communications were very difficult, having to wait a week or two for a return call if I even got one. From the time of order until I received the parts took about 3 months, then about 2 months to get my money back, and then only by contesting it with my credit card company. Many of my phone calls were answered by his Father, and not Jon, himself.
What I got from it was that the previous owner dropped nearly 3 G's to have work done before selling it to QCManager. QC found that there was problems with the car and maybe some of the things that were supposed to be repaired/replaced and had not been repaired/replaced, or replaced with used parts instead of the new parts as paid for. The quote for repairs included some of the parts and services paid for by the previous owner and will cost another $2000 to do what he was supposed to do the first time. Did I misunderstand?
Thank you for the Cliff notes to the Original Post....It saves a lot of time.
The only thing I get from all this is that QCMANAGER is pretty high maintenance.
If things weren't done properly, then that is purely the responsibility of the previous owner to go and deal with it. e.g. Fiero Jon was asked to change the springs with ones brought in by the previous owner. Sounds like he did exactly what he was asked to do. If you, the next owner, aren't happy with them, that is entirely your problem. You shouldn't have bought the car if you weren't happy with it. Also, you can't complain about quotes given. He has the right to ask anything he wants to do the job. If you aren't happy, then seek out another garage. Also sounds like, according to his father, that he doesn't want to deal with maintenance on Fieros. So why are you even bothering to go there in the first place?
All the stuff that needs to be done on the car is simple stuff. In the time it took to complain about it all here, you could have done a little research and fixed it all yourself for next to nothing.
Show us the receipts from Fiero Jon to back up your financial claims. ------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
[This message has been edited by Rodney (edited 07-06-2015).]
Show us the receipts from Fiero Jon to back up your financial claims.
Rodney:
With all due respect, because I am very grateful for the upgrades that I have received from you, the previous owner told me that he was unaware that the 88 springs were 2" shorter and would cause the car to bottom out the struts. I believe Jon should have advised him of this since he was the "expert". Sometimes a mechanic needs to advise against something being suggested by a customer.
Show us the receipts from Fiero Jon to back up your financial claims.
Rodney:
Although I have the receipt for the $3k worth of work that was done in September, I do not have the permission of the prior owner to post his receipt in a public forum. If you give me your personal email address, I will email you a copy of the receipt for the work that was done.
With all due respect, because I am very grateful for the upgrades that I have received from you, the previous owner told me that he was unaware that the 88 springs were 2" shorter and would cause the car to bottom out the struts. I believe Jon should have advised him of this since he was the "expert". Sometimes a mechanic needs to advise against something being suggested by a customer.
Maybe Fiero Jon did not know that also. No one knows everything there is to know about Fieros. He did what the customer asked of him.
I've known Fiero Jon for maybe 20 years now and have shipped him many many many parts for his customers Fieros. I can't say I have ever heard much of anyone complaining about him in any way. If this was his normal way of doing business it would be well discussed here on a regular basis thru the years.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
This post has gone far beyond my intention, which was to advise those in the local tri-state area against taking their Fiero's to Jon. This is the last post I will make on this issue - if you want to take your car to him after knowing this, go right ahead:
The facts that remain true and verified by my mechanic are:
(1) He changed the 0-ring on the distributor and reinstalled it incorrectly (2) He charged for new plug wires and installed used ones. (3) He charged for a 4 wheel alignment and the steering wheel is not straight when driving straight. (4) He charged for installing new engine mount and support strut and installed used ones. (5) He reinstalled my driver seat after attaching the mechanism cover and failed to tighten the bolts properly. (6) He charged for adding refrigerant to the air conditioning system that seemed to disappear even though the car was not used. (7) He claimed that the poor engine performance was because of a vacuum leak when it was an idle air control valve. (8) He claimed that the oil pan was leaking oil when the oil was residual from a bad distributor o-ring. (9) He claims he road tested the vehicle after the alignment and checked for ride height and suspension. How could he not feel the rear bottoming out? (10) He claims he road tested the vehicle after cleaning gum and soft carbons deposits from the fuel delivery system and performed a fuel pressure and volume test and yet the car was misfiring and idling erratically 50 miles later.
I am not going to continue to beat a dead horse. If anyone does not feel my review is accurate or justified that is your opinion and you have a right to have it.
No one here knows who you are. We don't even know your name. What is your name? Point is that all we have to go by here is your story. Jon didn't have the opportunity to tell his end of it. If you want people to take credence in your post, and believe a bad experience with a long time member of the Fiero community, please scan and post documentation to prove your claim or people will judge this post as a hoax and you as a troll or perhaps a fired worker holding a grudge. I am going to call Jon tomorrow and ask him about all this.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 07-06-2015).]
Originally posted by Rodney: Maybe Fiero Jon did not know that also. No one knows everything there is to know about Fieros. He did what the customer asked of him.
I've known Fiero Jon for maybe 20 years now and have shipped him many many many parts for his customers Fieros. I can't say I have ever heard much of anyone complaining about him in any way. If this was his normal way of doing business it would be well discussed here on a regular basis thru the years.
I'm not defending anyone, and I've never had Fiero Jon perform any work for me. However, I have noticed something of a common occurrence on here with regards to various vendors in the Fiero world lately. That is, several whom have been good in the past, who have been around a while, have not necessarily been doing the same as they may once have. There have been many complaints about WCF, various people who have made harnesses in the past or even done full swaps, and kahines who once made several parts for the Fiero, seem to have been slipping away from their previously earned reputations and levels of respect.
I don't know if Fiero Jon is in this same boat, but given the trend, I wouldn't discount it as entirely impossible at this point.
I wish people paid me those prices, that is like 5 times what I charge. But I don't like ripping people off, I guess I am too honest. But then again I don't have threads like this about me.
I have known Jon for close to 30 yrs. and know him to be an honorable person. After moving out of NJ to VA I even traveled the 460 miles, back in 2011, to have him work on my car. Story Here:
To work on someone’s car and install used parts without their request or knowledge and charge for new parts is fraud and he would not do it.
Even parts purchased with a lifetime warranty, that warranty ends with the transfer of ownership. The previous owner was to only one who could have brought a dispute and they did not.
What then remains is the car was taken in for quotes the numbers were not acceptable so the vehicle was taken to another shop.
I am glad you got your car fixed and are now able to enjoy it.
However, the first thing I was told when I arrived (after making an appointment a week earlier) by his father is that he really doesn't work on the Fiero's anymore.
I have no comment on his work quality ect, as I have never dealt with him, however I am down in tuckerton every weekend and there is a fiero at his shop atleast every other week so I don't see how he can say he doesn't work on them anymore.
Though Jon has never worked on my car I have gone done to visit the shop and buy some parts. He even had 3/4 Fiero's for sale in the back of the shop. I'm just trying figure how something so straight forward could go so wrong. Am I missing something here?
[This message has been edited by jc8367 (edited 07-07-2015).]
Sorry for hearing about the bad luck, but 70% of auto repair shops rip people off by adding unneeded work and over charging. 60% do poor work by not finishing the job correctly or untrained. This over laps into the 30% of the shops that do not try to rip you off which means you have less than a 10% of your car being repaired correctly. The only answer is do the work yourself if at all possible.
Wow, wow, wow. This thread is as bogus as it gets... There are so many ridiculous claims, I need time to prepare a rebuttal to each of them. For starters, I NEVER installed any used parts and billed as new... That simply did not happen. Second, I have all of the records and I will post them publicly for oh all to view. I have nothing to hide. This customer basically complained about everything he possibly could. He got my full attention for the day, paid a very fair price for my time, and was not billed for anything he did not want. Ask anybody who has their Fiero in my shop, you will not find a repeat of this blasphemy. This is not a review, it is criminal slander. This is the first I have heard of this, and Thank you to Dennis LaGrua for bringing it to my attention. Also Thank you to Rodney Dickaman for coming to my defense. Please give me a chance to review this and respond. I will do so today.
------------------ Fiero Jon www.FieroService.com 609-713-9609 Over 150 Fieros have dripped oil in my shop!
I don't even know you and it's probably not necessary. It sure sounds like a grumpy non-customer looking to lay blame for a bad purchase somewhere. I don't think there is anything to win by arguing.
