BlackBird,

Do searches on this site. Get informed on general impressions and actual costs. Contact the BBB. Find out how many re-builds MM does in a week. Find out how many complaints are filed. Get the percentage... Oh, and re-read what Stephan has to say. You can generally do the re-build yourself. Or get in contact with John Walker.

Dan,

My hat is off to you. I agree in principle with your statements. One bad story goes around ten times more than one good story. Human nature.

Stephan,

As always, I enjoy your point of view! Oh, and if that job as shadow ever opens up...

Big John,

I agree with watching out for leading questions on this subject. Would this not be considered baiting if people are giving an honest appraisal? But I am especially courious about people who have only one post and it is a leading question...

Micheal, Welcome to the board and you have asked a very pertinent question. Steering business towards the competent, stand-up shops and warning people about the others is one of the most valuable functions of this BBS, IMO. :)

I can't speak for John, but he makes a good point about using caution in these MM threads. Sometimes a new poster is a mole/troll/shill around here, (this is the largest Porsche web site in the U.S.), and MM threads can get pretty nasty. People unload significant anger when they have been prison-raped to the tune of $10,000+! :eek:

Oops! Did I say that? :D

You, sir, shall be receiving papers in the morning from the Prison Rape Anti-Deflamation League (PRADL). It took long enough, but we finally caught you with your pants down (so to speak), and you shall pay for your online slibel (covering both bases). To compare a fine, wholesome activity like prison rape to a MM rebuild...well that is clearly actionable.

I think the "satisfied" MM customers are often to some extent, unaware of what they received for their money. Are those rods truly rebuilt? Are those parts matched and balanced? Does every jug have a different compression? Is that crank within tolerance?
911 motors are known for being robust and I suspect that a poorly rebuilt one may still soldier on undetected.

A few years back I talked to Lee and mentioned that their cam setting directions specified using the exhaust valve instead of the (correct) intake valve. As I remember, he didn't immediately recognize that as an error when I asked him about it.
-Chris

IMHO, MM would not pursue a slander/libel suit - it would open up a can of worms in an ugly way.

Unfortuately I think they (MM) are probably making plenty of money from folks lured into the website and the Panorama ad.

I do agree that bad news spreads faster and wider than good news, but that is hardly a reasonable excuse for MM.

Talk to Porsche folks, read the board, talk to the people who have torn down MM "rebuilds", look at the actual parts and motors and read the actual specs of said parts. You'll probably get an earful from folks all over the USA.

I have no doubt that some folks are happy with MM's work (broken clock theory again!).

But when you talk to the folks who have had true 1st person experiences with MM, you might hear a pretty slimy story and view some factually verifiable kludgey work.

All my opinion . . .

There are so many really good folk working on Porsches and it is so easy to find them here at Pelican. Do yourself a favor and seek them out.

BR,

Kurt

Never had any work done by MM but if you go over to Wayne's Engine Rebuild Wizard and price the parts, you got to wonder how MM can make any money at their advertised price since it includes those parts plus basic machine work on the heads.

Caveat Emptor

It seems that if one were to spend 15 minutes researching this topic, common sense would conclued that it is a sore subject & the flaming responses should be expected.

The PP BBS and monitors should not comment on this subject IMO.

Because of the recent Gator(rhymes with spyware, but may or may not be) libel lawsuit setting a precident, it sucks that personal opinions cannot be expressed as openly nowadays in our "free speech" society.

Why argue the subject Blackbird? You make your own decision.
MM may be [not completely right] a [undefined percentage] of time, but it is a company doing buiness for the brand of vehicle and hopefully Roy will have a cathartic moment of realization.

While living in Medford, I asked the two larger European car repair places who they use for 911 motor rebuilds. They both said MM and were happy with their product. That is what induced me to use them. I later came to realize that the shops had only used MM for parts, and not complete rebuilds.

If I had been a Pelican head back then, I would have found out about other's experiences with MM and made a different decision. Because I didn't, I had a year of sorting out a variety of transmission, clutch, and feul injection issues. I still to this day have a car that I can't drive right now due to some mysterious ignition issue that I am confident stems from MM shortcomings.

Blackbird, use this PP resource. You are now fully aware. If I were you, I would contact one of the many shops recommended by this site and forget about MM.

Troy

Damn... I didn't mean to get everybody fired up. I will make my own decision, and I just wanted to get the overall opinion of this board.
A few people here got my point...
"new guy visits site which claims to perform affordable rebuilds for porsche engines and carbs"
"new guy says, too god to be true?"
"bb says, right, too good to be true"

Thats all. No moles, no sunken ships, no libel or anything else.... Thanks for all of your opinions and I will take your collective advice, as I have done so in the 2 months I have owned a porsche.

Michael

Balckbird: you were asking about a carburetor rebuild by MM.

I had my Webers rebuit by MM after a pricey false start with one of the 'respected' companies here on PP.

The MM Weber overhaul was nothing short of superb. They set up the carbs on an equivalent engine and fully dialed them in. I bolted them on and ran with them for 2+ years. So that's one data point.

I've been curious about the 5 - 6 reputed 'horror stories' of MM engine rebuilds and searched MM's history with the repair shop governing body of the state, CAR. MM had a clean record when I checked.

I suspect they have a failure rate that is higher than other engine builders, but they also seem to do a lot more engines than anyone else in the country.

I know that based on their own statements, "formerly Steve Wilkinson" is correct: they use in-spec parts; not new-spec parts in their lowball prices. Many people seem to end up paying triple the advertised price, and even that doesn't seem to guarantee satisfaction.

It appears that when things go bad, MM doesn't handle it very well initially, though the CAR records may show they eventually make things right.

So if all you want is a carburetor rebuild, i say go for it.

Regarding MM's "in-spec" parts, I have a long list of critical parts that were out of spec.

There's a thread here somewhere that denotes them. Just stuff like cams, crank, pistons and cylinders and such. :(

I've already recently stated my MM Weber problem; one of their "totally rebuilt" jobs that happened to flow fuel on a hot motor. :(

"Go for it" on the carbs at your on potential peril.

Remember the "broken clock" . . .

Best,

Kurt

I think the term is "Unconsciously incompetent" - I don't even know what I don't know. Pelican BBS at least makes me conscious of what I don't know. I think MM caters to the prior.

From what I have "heard" they are excellent on carb rebuilds but not so hot on engines. If life has taught me anything its that all reputations have a little truth behind them, although greatly exaggerated.

There are a few decent shops in Florida too - no need to go all the way to CA

Didn't Pheonix's car have an ugly engine fire from his fuel-spitting expertly rebuilt carbs?

Re: What's wrong with MM?
 

Interesting adjective choice...

But, their engines are California Proven ! http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/kao4.gif

Imagine proudly picking up your completed car with a freshly built engine and transmission from Motor Meister headquarters in Downey, CA after dropping well over $15k . . .

After only 10 or fifteen minutes on the 405 heading south to San Diego you MM "rebuilt" motor is spewing oil into your heat exchangers and creating huge billows of white wispy smoke behind you!

So nasty the smoke you actually get signalled to pull off to the shoulder by a fellow in an old MG to warn you!

Perhaps this is "California Proven"?

That was me and it was the begining of a long long road of headaches and bs excuses . . . and a very expensive education.

I was a fool once! You folks don't get fooled again!

BR,

Kurt

Does anyone have a reputation anywhere near MM? I have not read anything on this BB about anyone with a reputation like them. Sure maybe only a small percentage of their jobs are bad, but they have obviously had problems and they have failed to resolve them. That's two strikes right there.

Where there's smoke there's fire....