Mikesspeedshop NC-Shock Rebuilder BEWARE

[steward614]

Greetings all. As we look to have our shocks rebuilt from time to time I wanted to share my story.


Back in Feb I reached out to Mike Baetlett. Several emails here on FordBarn and then personal contact to Mike Baetlett. After getting details I was told that I should send my cores in for evaluation and that it should take approximately 3 weeks and at which time we can set up payment. I sent 7 cores in on March 1st delivered to him on March 4th. I emailed him six times over the course of seven weeks to get a status report, with no solid update.


"Yes i did,Im dealing with 10 people at once.Once I get into them more,Ill get back with you.Mike"



Finally He calls 4/15 and says I have three cores out of seven that may work for my needs. And the he may have another core to sub in at a cost. Okay fine. And asks for a deposit. I was not home to send a deposit that day.



On the NEXT morning of 4/16 I get a text message from him saying "im going to send your cores back...as I have paying customers waiting on there stuff..."


SO Im thinking Ive already been told may lies from this guy who's to say if Ill get them back. I prepared a label and emailed it to him.



Yesterday I got the box back. I did receive six cores, of which four are mine and one is missing Here is the kicker, only one 28-31 ford Core was open!! He must have xray vision. So i'm out cores and shipping both ways.



Moral of the story is I wanted to share my experience and offer this advice please be-careful that your repair tech is organized and does what he says as my experience with Mike was just the opposite.

[Bob C]

Your not alone. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...Mikesspeedshop


Bob

[Chris in WNC]

John Holland in Valley City, Ohio is the go-to guy for shocks.
knowledgeable and affordable.
(330) 483-3896
ship them in USPS flat rate boxes to reduce the cost.

[Joe K]

The ever irrepressible Mikespeedshop.nc is still posting. The latest 01-27-2019

He replied to a Werner post setting us right on orientation/installation of shocks.

He did not mention if he's referring to stolen shocks. Or if veracity is a necessary prerequisite to good will.

Joe K

[M2M]

Originally Posted by Bob C

Your not alone. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...Mikesspeedshop


Bob

Originally Posted by Joe K

The ever irrepressible Mikespeedshop.nc is still posting. The latest 01-27-2019

He replied to a Werner post setting us right on orientation/installation of shocks.

He did not mention if he's referring to stolen shocks. Or if veracity is a necessary prerequisite to good will.

Joe K

Well, that's enough for me. I will not be using Mike's Speed Shop. When people/companies, such as Brassworks and MACS, receive multiple bad reviews you'd a fool to just ignore such information.

How many bad reviews do you see about Bratton's, Langs (Model T parts), Berg's radiators? One? None? Why is that you think? Why is it you think Brassworks gets bad reviews, and Berg's doesn't?

Social media is great for holding crooks to account. It brought down and broke Harvey Weinstein and "America's Dad" Bill Crosby.

A few years ago the Model T hobby was rocked by the "Babbittgate scandal" where a well known for-profit Model T guy was claiming that the use synthetic oil ruined a engine he had worked on. This guy's credibility as an engine re-builder went down the toilet...and rightly so.

"I will share my 'first hand' experience in this matter. In about 2002 a friend of ours wanted to buy a nice Model T. At that time, one of our club members living in Kewanee, Illinois was wanting to sell the car his dad had owned. The story we were told is that Russ had rebuilt the engine, it had major problems, and was re-rebuilt by Russ. The seller had put maybe 2000 miles on the rebuilt engine. Our friends bought the car, and in less than 1000 miles had problems with the master clutch, which meant we needed to pull the engine. While the engine was apart, we decided to check the general condition of the bottom end. First, number 3 rod had excessive clearance, then we found that number 2 main was worn out as well. After some thought, we took the block, and fresh crank and rod cores to Tony Verschoore for a fresh rebuild. I knew that Russ had rebuilt the engine, so I took the bad rod to the Indy swap meet that fall to see if he could shed any light on the subject. His response was "I told the stupid ... not to use synthetic oil after the first time he ruined the engine". When we got the engine back from Tony, I tried to spend some time to insure that the fourth main was in proper alignment. I tried for a LONG time to get the tailshaft dialed into alignment, but could not get below about 0.020" tir or so UNTIL I put on a different flywheel. (This was the flywheel that had been on the car). The runout of the tailshaft immediately dropped to about 0.005" tir or less. We buttoned everything up, and the owner put 10,000 or more miles on the car in the next few years with no adjustments to the bottom end.

Did the use of synthetic oil during break-in cause the problems we saw? Or was the tailshaft alignment the problem?

Ron Dupree"

taken from:

http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/...57&post=178585

also see:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages...tml?1248057403

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by M2M

This guy's credibility as an engine re-builder went down the toilet...and rightly so.

I'm calling 'bs' on that comment. First off, I know Ron very, very well, ...and I know Russ and 'Red' very well. Russ' reputation did not go downhill whatsoever by his comment. He & Red have as much, -if not more business than they can handle. Russ has a very 'strong' personality however he is one of the best in the business. If you need someone 'politically correct, -he likely is not your first choice however if you can overlook his personality, he is an excellent craftsman. On the other hand, the late Fred, Bob, Seth and several others in those threads thrive off of controversy, ...and most of the time you never hear all of the story. Notice what Ron said about when they got the same engine back from Tony and installed the flywheel. You see, Russ was getting scathed for producing a bad product (-short block) twice yet Tony would have too had Ron not been smart enough to pick-up on the flywheel having an issue that was out of Russ' or Tony's control.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

I'm calling 'bs' on that comment. First off, I know Ron very, very well, ...and I know Russ and 'Red' very well. Russ' reputation did not go downhill whatsoever by his comment. He & Red have as much, -if not more business than they can handle. Russ has a very 'strong' personality however he is one of the best in the business. If you need someone 'politically correct, -he likely is not your first choice however if you can overlook his personality, he is an excellent craftsman. On the other hand, the late Fred, Bob, Seth and several others in those threads thrive off of controversy, ...and most of the time you never hear all of the story. Notice what Ron said about when they got the same engine back from Tony and installed the flywheel. You see, Russ was getting scathed for producing a bad product (-short block) twice yet Tony would have too had Ron not been smart enough to pick-up on the flywheel having an issue that was out of Russ' or Tony's control.

Well, let's start with something we agree on. You described Russ Potter's personality as "strong"...that's a very generous way to put it; I would have used another word but I think we're on the same page.

Brent, when it comes to using, repairing and restoring Model As and Ts you're normally spot on with your advice and I personally am always very interested in hearing your take on things.

When it comes though to these customer/suppliers disagreement issues, what's blindingly obvious often escapes you. Perhaps you're distracted by fears that if someone doesn't put in a good word for supplier X, they may get upset and decide to shut shop thus hurting everyone in the hobby.

The beauty of "Babbittgate" is that we know the full story from both sides and we have sort of an independent investigator, your friend Ron Dupree.

What you're overlooking is the following fact:

Russ Potter blamed the customer, the victim, for the engine problems without any evidence of that being the case. On top of that, he used a conspiracy theory explanation as to why it was the victim's fault, namely...synthetic oil ate the babbitt.

What's next? Aliens, Big Foot or Putin?

Ron Dupree hints at the absurdity of this when he asks: "Did the use of synthetic oil during break-in cause the problems we saw? Or was the tailshaft alignment the problem".

Russ Potter's reputation as an engine guy was and still is ruined; and that's not bs as you said. You're correct that's he's still busy in the T hobby but that's in T carby restoration, he does do a good job of that and I have a Potter carby myself. If people are still going to him for engine repairs it's likely because they're unaware of Babbittgate.

There's a number of good engine guys out there; someone unpleasant and living in fantasy land isn't needed.

[BillCNC]

Originally Posted by M2M

How many bad reviews do you see about Bratton's, Langs (Model T parts), Berg's radiators? One? None? Why is that you think? Why is it you think Brassworks gets bad reviews, and Berg's doesn't?

SAY WHAT???

I'm sorry but I totally disagree. Iv'e tried just about every "A" parts house and ALL the parts houses carry ALL the same parts by All the same manufacturers and they ALL have a lot of trash parts. Almost every part whether be a Licenses ford re-pop or Vintage, ... they are all the same, ... most need reworking. So, ... No parts house is without it's complaint's, I'm just tired of leaving bad reviews. It's a further waste of my time after I spend a considerable amount of time making a new part correct.

My latest issue with Bratton's, ... I bought everything for a complete rebuild of the steering Box and steering column. They sent me spark rods so bent they had no chance of ever working. I called them and they sent me 2 new ones, ... BENT just like the first set but probably usable if I spend time on "fixing a ROD". You would think someone would check that they were not bent before they sent the second set, ... NOPE, ... 3 weeks down the drain. it took about a 1/2 hour to straighten them correctly. The damage was during mfg. of the product, as the boxes came to me like someone walked them here.

So Again, ... Nobody smells like roses in the A parts house, ... nobody.

Regards
Bill

[M2M]

Originally Posted by BillCNC

SAY WHAT???

I'm sorry but I totally disagree. Iv'e tried just about every "A" parts house and ALL the parts houses carry ALL the same parts by All the same manufacturers and they ALL have a lot of trash parts. Almost every part whether be a Licenses ford re-pop or Vintage, ... they are all the same, ... most need reworking. So, ... No parts house is without it's complaint's, I'm just tired of leaving bad reviews. It's a further waste of my time after I spend a considerable amount of time making a new part correct.

My latest issue with Bratton's, ... I bought everything for a complete rebuild of the steering Box and steering column. They sent me spark rods so bent they had no chance of ever working. I called them and they sent me 2 new ones, ... BENT just like the first set but probably usable if I spend time on "fixing a ROD". You would think someone would check that they were not bent before they sent the second set, ... NOPE, ... 3 weeks down the drain. it took about a 1/2 hour to straighten them correctly. The damage was during mfg. of the product, as the boxes came to me like someone walked them here.

So Again, ... Nobody smells like roses in the A parts house, ... nobody.

Regards
Bill

Bill, I agree all the suppliers sell many trash parts and also screw things up sometimes but what I'm talking about is the response you get when you contact them for a replacement or your $ back. Bratton's seems to be one of the better suppliers in this regard, that's all I'm saying.

[Mark W.]

Here’s a link to the North Carolina attorney Generals office, I think you really should contact them and see if they can help you. As I see it, it’s theft pure and simple...

https://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/59be435...aint-Form.aspx

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Mark W.

Here’s a link to the North Carolina attorney Generals office, I think you really should contact them and see if they can help you. As I see it, it’s theft pure and simple...

https://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/59be435...aint-Form.aspx

I agree and try the postmaster in your area as he used the mail to commit what looks like a fraud to gain the rare shocks, felony by the way.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by steward614

Back in Feb I reached out to Mike Baetlett. Several emails here on FordBarn and then personal contact to Mike Baetlett.

Sorry this to hear this happened to you. Can I ask why you decided to use him? Someone suggested him?

[rotorwrench]

As with many things in life, you are sometimes better off if you do the job yourself. There are some good instructive articles in the MAFCA Model A restoration books. At least if a guy takes them apart and inspects them then he will know whether they are usable or not. I'm done sending stuff to people who I don't know personally for repairs.

Some yokels just see if they can turn them. If they can't then they don't even bother to take them apart. Those that don't send stuff back are just thieves.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

As with many things in life, you are sometimes better off if you do the job yourself.


Those that don't send stuff back are just thieves.

Please allow me to offer a perspective from the other side of the fence for you to at least think about.


Amongst other things, I am in the gas tank repair business. People send me gas tanks wanting them to be restored. We receive them, unpackage and begin the process. To get to the point where we can do the first internal inspection puts us at about 2 hours of labor plus expendables into the process. Probably 1 out of 10 tanks that we receive are not worth restoring due to too much internal rust or someone has used an acid that was not neutralized that has eaten the metal away. At that point the customer is contacted with the news. Would anyone care to guess how often the tank owner says "Let me see if I can find another one." yet we never hear from them again? At that point, guess who does not get paid for their efforts??

Case more specifically, is someone that posted on that other thread did that very thing to me and chose to buy a tank elsewhere that supposedly did not need to be restored. Then about 6 months elapsed without any more communication nor an offer to pay their bill however then decided they wanted their tank back. This person became upset when I explained their tank was scrapped. He felt his rusted-out tank was worth $150 as-is, so I can show where I finally PayPal-ed this person the amount that he asked for just to make him happy. No offer to pay his bill for what we had done, ...and to beat it all, he ordered a 28/29 radiator from me, and when Brassworks had it ready to ship to him, he would not answer his e-mails nor pay for his radiator order.


While I am not condoning nor defending this shock absorber rebuilder's actions, please understand that us vendors too have been unfairly stiffed by more than a few Fordbarn members. How many hobbyists do you think have ordered parts incorrectly and returned them for a full refund after threatening negative feedback? How many have ordered items such as a wood kit to use as a template and then returned them to a vendor?? There used to be a saying that 'The Customer is always Right!' however expectations and entitlement-mentality has changed that mindset immensely. Adding to that, rarely do you see a post here about vendors who met or exceeded the customer's expectations however when a customer does not have his expectations met, they turn to social media to cast a cloud over the vendors credibility as a form of retaliation.

[jw hash]

I`m not sticking up for the guy. but guys like myself that rebuild them, can look at a shock and see without taking them apart, that they are not rebuild able. even then some that you think are good looking cores turn out to be only good for the cover and the valve. when you take them apart. before you send in your cores take a real good look at that.
I`m set up for it and it is a lot of work taking them apart.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I agree with JW. Even with the right tools and lots of heat, they can be tough to get apart.

[ronn]

Very well said Brent.
thank you for commenting.
well appreciated!

[Res731]

One final question, did you call him to ask about the cores you received? I would at least give him a chance to address the issue.

[quickchange]

Brent well said , same in New Zealand , BUT 99% are more than happy here to be helped & understand , just the odd arsehole after 50 years of Model A,s still get calls thanking us , some pay more than their invoice in appreciation, Winter is coming BUT speedweek is getting closer ,

[Mike V. Florida]

Has anyone else used them before? Never heard of them before this.