Motor Meister

I know this issue has been brought up before but I just want to relay my .02 dealing with Roy
Since this board began a few years ago a few members posted some very bad experiences about MM, but since that time Roy has posted a few times on this board explaining his side of the story and relaying some of the growing pains they were going thru aside from that we really havn't heard any real negative comments about MM lately so I decided to give them a try a rebuilding my 915
my first contact with roy he quoted me $899 for new syncros and 1st gear dog teeth after visiting his web site they were quoting $799 for a rebuild after mentioning this to Roy he gave me the pitch that was a special and will be ending shortly so Id better take advantage of it
I was ready to ship my trans to him until he mentioned they require a $500 deposit on my credit card this was a big red flag knowing if you pay someone in advance you have little recourse or leverage to get the job done in a timely matter and done right

I can't believe hes still operating the same way similar problems occured in the past with members stating paying in full or big deposits and waiting months for their trans/motors to be completed and shipped back to them I also talked to a major
Porsche parts supplier I use in Cal and he stated he doesn't like to talk bad about anyone but he wishes MM would go away and he personally knows of 2 motors they destroyed along with the fact they keep changing their name due from problem work and dissatisfied customers

Anyone else have experience with them good or bad?

I have bought aprts and gotten great technical advice from Lee at MM. Their prices were on par or better. One thing I learned early on is that they will only talk and give out free advice for a short period and then they clam up, wich I can understand they are not in the bussines for free advice.

I haven't done any business with MM, but I have asked for and received good advice from Roy. Asking for a deposit on a credit card is not a risk issue; if there was a problem, you can dispute the charge with the credit card company and you won't have to pay if your claim is valid. But if MM tears down your gearbox and rebuilds it, and you won't pay, what are they going to do with it? A cash deposit would be a different story. When my 911SC's engine needed a rebuild, the builder wanted a 50 percent deposit, and it seemed reasonable to me.

Vic
87 930 (for sale http://home.kscable.com/vicsite/930.html )

I too was a little iffy about the deposit concept, but then I remembered that I do the same thing in my company. We are not a bank, and neither is MM. For example, I charge my customers (each) $25-75K for annual service contracts, in advance, paid in full. On a new sale, I charge anywhere from 10%-50% downpayment, to cover the costs of doing & implementing the work. Very common practice.

MM's work involves long (weeks/months) turnaround, and there are many subcontractors and parts suppliers who must be hired and paid before the job is completed. Credit cards provide plenty of safety mechanisms if you feel something has gone wrong -- plus, you are not obligated to pay the final balance unless/until the job is completed to your satisfaction. Of course, up till that time, the shop has your engine (!) but I suspect Roy would rather have your cash then your engine...

As to the "name changes", I had never heard of that. I did just check that the motormeister.com domain name has been registered since July 1996, so they have a least a four year track record on the Internet.

I'm still breaking in my engine, but my experience overall w/ MM so far has been positive. My last point is that yes, you hear a few negative things about any vendor out there, but keep in mind that most folks are more likely to post their "*****es" on the 'net than their normal or positive stories. Human nature I guess. MM builds 200-300 engines a year. How many legit MM "*****" stories do you read? Maybe a .5% "complaint" rate, or something like that? Pretty damned good if that's anywhere close.

Also, FWIW note that I just pulled up the BBB summary page on MM, and they are rated Satisfactory, one complaint noted on file as being dealt with properly, 4 year track record.

Not affiliated with MM, just a customer trying to help fellow p-car enthusiasts. As always, caveat emptor!

HTH,
Chris C.

WOW, I am getting flamed for asking for a deposit on rebuilding a customers transmission??? and......you are posting a competitors wishes that Motor Meister go away? Well, as my neice would say, well DUH?

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Most rebuilders or companys that are building or making something special (then just grabbing it off the shelf) require a deposit. Have we taken in transmissions with out a deposit, yes. Do we require a deposit by policy yes. It is our call on past experiances with customers. Yes, since if you look at our tech session and see all these customers motors completed, transmissions completed and machine work completed why are they still here? Money owed. Which is part of the buisness, but I have some completed and done, with no money down and I can not get a hold of the customer? So what am I supposed to do, sell it? I have a 1972 (one year only) 915 transmission here that has an over drive 5th gear installed? WOW, big mover here .

With most any buisness, it is up to the seller either to take a deposit to cover their expenses or to not and take a chance that the customer will follow through...and on this sell I think I was correct in asking for a deposit.

Now if a company asks for a "CASH" deposit then becareful there is no recorse. 95% of our buisness is credit cards and if you know who they work, the customer has more rights then the seller, that is why there are a lot more "mechanics" or "rebuilders" that only except cash because "no-charge backs".

The transmission was $799.00,with a $500 deposit, which covers parts and shipping. I have a 914 transmission I picked up out of state, that there was no money down. It came in $184.00 shipping bill (we paid) and after tearing down the transmission the customer ran it with no oil........what do you think happened? Yep, after the check out I never heard back from the customer, I sure heard back from the shipping company

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Hmmm,
I love hearing "I dont like to talk bad about anone but....". The only place I know that I am not getting along with is a certain junk yard "PH", am I warm? That he has told me that my pricing is not fair, that since our pricing has come out their motor sells have gone way way down. See a Porsche junkyard works this way. Buy a Porsche that is wrecked and the price you pay for the car is what you can sell the motor for and the second highest part to sell is the transmission, so hmmm? We can rebuild your motor and transmission cheaper then they can sell you a used motor or trans for and their used motors and transmissions have no warranty and they get your old ones to sell also "MO MONEY" . See once they sell the motor that usually pays for the whole car or sometimes even more, and everything else cost them nothing and think of all the parts. I worked at a used parts place and I know how it works, but I knew the Porsche wrecking yard days are over.
One hint......any competition speaks bad of another, you BETTER go find out why! It may save you some money and get a better product "wink"

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I am honestly sorry asking for a deposit made you have a bad experience with our company.

< "I too would never recommend or utilize with Motor Meisters services">>

Hmmm? Never?

Roy at http://www.motormeister.com

Roy, is it true that MM has changed its name several times? Wasn't it V&P something or another, and some other names during the '90s?
Why would the company do this? It seems like companies that are well thought of build up good will in their names, and would not want to throw them away, because the name has value.
Just curious. Thanks.

No Motor Meister Inc. is Motor Meister Inc. from day one. I worked at a VW & Porsche shop before I started working with Motor Meister Inc.

Motor Meister Inc. is a great shop to work at "plug.........plug", Heck some one has to handle all the P.R. work .

Roy at http://www.motormeister.com

Roy
I am not trying to start a flame war but asking for a 500 deposit on a 799 job seemed way too excessive ,I can understand maybe 300 but keep in mind I have very little info on you company other than your web site and whats been posted here

So I would be shipping my 915 tranmission
to someone I know little of I feel the risk is much more on my side, especially with a 62% deposit
Even if my trans was in pieces would be worth $650.00 and as we talked the shipping would be about $80, and you told me you'd tear it apart and if the estimate to fix is too high you'd charge me $80 labor, so at the most I am out $240 and so are you, thats a pretty good deal for a 915 if I didn't want to pay.
Disputing charges on credit cards is not that easy as well as alot of paperwork involved along with a investigation so its a a major PIA so there is no comfort in that

The vendor that made defamating remarks is not a junk yard and is strictly a Porsche part reseller whom advertises in Excellence
As I asked him if he knew of any decent trans rebuilders as I mentioned my contact with you

So get on with it and go with your guy's recomendation. I personally would like to know how much they want up front.

This all reminds me of a date I once had years ago in High School.

There was this girl who really wanted to go out with me even though in the past she told all her friends that she would never go out with me and did not recommend them to either. She still wanted to go out, but she let me know that she worried about where we would eat, how long the date would be, how I was going to be dressed, what other "guy's" (competition) said about me and the most important if she did not like how the date was going how she could bail on me? All this and we have not even gone out before? I tried my best to comfort her worrys of the date.

Well, guess what? That date did not happen. That's right.......I knew she was not going to have a good time and I was not either, so it was best if she dated someone else.

Hmmmmmmm?

Hey its almost Friday! So laugh a little

I hope things turn out great

Roy

Mackgoo,
The parts shop did not reccomend anyone,

I have talked to several shops locally and in Cal none have requested a deposit other than MM
I settled on a local shop here in Vegas and dropped off my trans today, again no deposit was requested

Roy,
Not everyone is out to get you, I think a little trust works both ways,

Regards
Jeff

[This message has been edited by jryerson (edited 08-24-2000).]

Jeff who's the shop in Vegas.

Meyers service 702/457-2966

I found another guy whos very knowlegable on 915s in Fullerton Ca 714/992-2283 his name is Jeff i'd use him but prefer someone local also without the shipping charges and haasles

Roy seems to have a rather 'odd' view/bias against SWEPCO 201 gear oil, and has never once given a hint, much less an explanation, for that bias in his postings here!

Why he chose to go off on a tirade in one of his italicized posts about the 'high point' of the synchro ring, when quoting me asking about deburring the ring where the operating sleeve contacts the sharp edge at the side of the ring, I fail to understand, either!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Wow,
"odd" "bias" view points? Only thing I see odd and view/bias is that you choose to bring this over from another topic title "1st and 2nd stiff to get in"? To bring it hear?

If I disagree with you, which I have in the past I have tried not to step on toes and I have even in the past said you have given good advise and have stated it in past posts. But I would think most would want to hear as much as they can when they are having a problem, at least I would.

(Roy seems to have a rather 'odd' view/bias against SWEPCO 201 gear oil, and has never once given a hint, much less an explanation, for that bias in his postings here!)

I posted "that Swepco or any oil is not for fixing a problem on shifting, so that is not it either and I would remove the Swepco and go back to normal gear lube."
Which is true? Right? Wrong? Also you know the Rennlist, search their archives and you will see my "hint" of my "bias" explanation on synthetic oils in motors and transmissions, it has actually been beat to death as I have seen it here on the Pelican list.

(Why he chose to go off on a tirade in one of his italicized posts about the 'high point' of the synchro ring)

Well, I do not think I was "going off on a tirade in one of my italicized posts", I was trying to help someone with a transmission his friend built for him and told him to call me, toll free. He called, his friend did not check to see how the sychro rings are installed and I helped him out? Many shops sand or even slightly grind the high point of the ring to let the transmission shift easier, this is wrong.

I am not really sure what this has to do with this topic? If you disagree with my thoughts and views, great then respond back. I am always wanting to find out new ideas and thoughts from other people, heck no one knows it all. But I would rather here something if I agree with it or not then nothing at all.

Well lets see if you will carry this back over to the original topic
"1st and 2nd stiff to get in"?

Roy

Don't really want to get involved here,
but,
Roy, you do know that SWEPCO is NOT a synthetic?!? Don't you?

What do you think Eddie?

Last post to this Topic.
Have fun

Roy

I think that we all get a little braver with our comments when we are on a BBS. Would we say the same things face to face?

Roy has given me a lot of free advice in the past. It has all been good advice. I would send them my engine if it blew.

If you don't want to send a deposit then don't. If you don't get a good vibe (as evidenced by your doubts and your questioning here) then find someone you get a good vibe from to do the work.

Roy - don't beat a dead horse. Just let it go.

I don't think that either of you are right or wrong. I do think that you should not do business together and that we should drop this topic...

Roy, in your post above, this is what you wrote:

"I posted "that Swepco or any oil is not for fixing a problem on shifting, so that is not it either and I would remove the Swepco and go back to normal gear lube."
Which is true? Right? Wrong? Also you know the Rennlist, search their archives and you will see my "hint" of my "bias" explanation on synthetic oils in motors and transmissions, it has actually been beat to death as I have seen it here on the Pelican list."

What does your explanation of synthetic oils in motors and transmissions have to do with SWEPCO? Why is SWEPCO not a "normal gear lube?"

That's all I was wondering, I am just curious, trying to learn.

LOL

I'm really glad I had Vertex do my tranny at this point. There's a deposit there to, but a lot less melodrama!

No offense Roy...just an observation.

I will say that the tranny I was sent has an awfully sticky 3rd gear synchro for being a $1000 "rebuilt" unit.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2