Time for a much needed update. Sorry for the long post, just making sure I tell my story about what happened accurately and fully. If you don't wanna read it just skip down to the list, that sums everything that's ****ed up.

The original person I took it too has taken, as you guys can probably see, forever. He's given me tons of finish dates that when I spent my own time and money driving up to Austin were completely false and the car wasn't even close to being done. It's been almost 3 months, and I figured I deserved an explanation on why his original "15 day" finish date and the rest of his finish dates did NOT result in my car being finished.

Each time I have headed to his place to see the car, he has told me that it would be finished when I got there. Each time I got there, it was no where near finished and just had different things on the engine painted. Finally we decided enough was enough and drove down there with a trailer, and just towed the damn car back down here and took it too my friends that are more than capable and have done this swap into two 240's. The only reason I didn't take it to them in the first place was because they charged almost double for the swap than the original guy did.

First off, underneath the hood looks like a god damn fiesta. He spent more time painting the ****ing thing then he did trying to get it running. He even painted the ****ing front support for it. WITHOUT my permission, much like practically everything else on the motor that he painted aside from the valve covers. I also didn't give permission for him to write all over the damn thing.











I only gave him permission to paint the valve covers, and I said either blue or gray. Oh, also he just used cheap paint from Walmart on all of this, lying and saying "oh yeah, $30 a can high quality heat resistant paint." ********, if you use your nail and scratch it the paint comes RIGHT off. Which is good, because it's not staying on in the first place.

They took a look at it, and let me put it this way. It looks like all he's done is paint it, bolt the engine together and then try and make it look like it's in the car. Aside from that, things that are NEEDED for the swap are missing, along with some other **** that he took from the car and did something with (probably sold) that I did NOT give him permission to take; such as the stock electric gas pedal. Oh, not to mention he broke the handbrake when we loaded it on the trailer, saying that it was because it's a "****ing cheap Nissan piece of ****." Personally, I feel he was a bit hostile the last two times we went. I can understand getting emotional about work but this is business. Each time my friends asked something he was very rude to them, and even got overly pissed at one of them for asking when it will be done.

Here's the shortened list of things that are gone or completely wrong:

• If you remember from my first post, he promised me working AC and power steering. With this swap that would be true, but he continually said it was impossible to use the stock pump, which is ******** because there is more than enough room for both pumps. Anyway, ALL AC and power steering components from my engine are missing, because he took them and put them on another customers car WITHOUT MY PERMISSION OR TELLING ME.
• All of my lines for everything have mysteriously vanished.
• My stock 05 350z harness also has mysteriously vanished, and we NEED that for numerous things. I think he gave that away with my engine, also not with my permission and without notifying me.
• MAF has also pulled a Houdini.
• My igniters have joined this vanishing act as well, he told me I would have to go buy them myself.
• Engine fans along with a fan relay that I bought are no where to be found.
• The ECU was not given to me either.
• ENDLESS bolts are missing entirely.
• Handbrake is now broken, also a nice feature.
  
• NOTHING from the engine to the car is hooked up.
• All welds are just flux welds. NOT GOOD AT ALL.
• THE BOLTS GOING INTO THE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE NOT THREADED, THE ENGINE IS JUST SITTING ON THE CROSS MEMBER. He says he has engine mount spacers for it which bring the engine up, which I somewhat believe but why in the HELL would you take them off when giving the car back to the customer?
• Oil pan is dented to ****.
• straight pipes he made for my exhaust are... well, terrible to be honest. and they're not even fully welded onto the exhaust, just the tops of them are so they'll stay in place.
• The ends for all of the wiring are cut off.
• He lied and told us that he had replaced the chain guides, but there is no evidence of any resealing on the engine, so I highly DOUBT he did.
• Made ME pay for a lot of the ****. Such as the clutch, flywheel, engine fan relays, radiator..
• Engine is crooked as **** and too far forward.

There is probably more but I am not super mechanically inclined and I would rather have someone who is correct what else is wrong. Also it does not look like I will be able to get my money back, because he continually goes off about "it's gotten to the point where I've spent more of my money in this swap," which I don't understand because to do what he has done to my car (get the engine, paint it and place it in the engine bay) only takes about $1000. What happened to the rest of the money? And as for my AC stuff and other parts like that, he said he doesn't have them and to just go buy them if I need it. I'm not going to stop until something changes.

As it is, it's going to be a while before it's done because we have to start from scratch and redo pretty much everything. Luckily, I'm friends with the people that have it now and trust them with anything, and it's close to home. I'm going to like not having to drive an hour and 15 minutes to go see it..

Since it's going to be a while till the 350 is done, I'm working on getting my track S13 running with it's new SR20 and getting some finishing touches onto it, and that'll be my daily until the 350 is finished. This has been an absolute nightmare, but at least it looks like the worst is almost over. Once I get my S13 running and on the road I'll at least have my own car again.


Headers and tuning is included. It's suppose to be a swap where you take it in, and then when it's done you just drive it away from the person who did it's shop. It's a relatively simple swap. Unfortunately the first guy I got I guess was not inclined to complete it.

Correct. There is literally NO after market support for the VH. You can get some great numbers out of them if you turbo or supercharge them though.

Also, correct. The LS is a much more established "swap" engine, and already is in cars that get modified all the time. The VH, having been swapped a couple times into 240's, RX-7's, and 300ZX's come out of a Q45, a car that is rarely modified. After the swap the price to power ratio goes HUGELY in the LS' favor. I just love the VH and it costs less to get into the car, and after a good turbo setup or supercharge setup can put out some great numbers. That's why I chose it.

And there are no companies that have a VH 350Z swap kit because this is the first time it's ever been done. Mine should be the first VH45 350z.

 

Sorry to hear that you encountered a POS builder. I hope you can get her running soon.

 

No one is trying to be an E-Thug here. I'm not even upset. It just doesn't make sense how you explained your logic....plus your grammar could use a little help.

When I say aftermarket support. I mean aftermarket support for the LS motor AFTER it is swapped into the 350z. You know that V8 that GM makes... Once the LS motor is swapped into the 350z parts destined for the LS will work on the Z. I.e. Cams, UD pulleys, Roots blowers, tuning....and a host of other goodies. So don't get your panties in a bunch, sit back and hopefully you can learn something from this thread.

 

I am sorry to hear about your misfortune. This is exactly the reason I don't let people work on my car after the first shop ruined my motor. Hence why I did my LS swap myself.

Best of luck to you and I hope that everything gets worked out.

 

then make yourself clear next time to. like i said im not upset nor my panties in a bunch but im not going to let someone be rude to me ty.(well atleast what i felt was rude) Yes, i know my grammar could use some work, but im working on it.

 

I was under the impression that you were doing the swap yourself. Sorry to hear about the way this has gone for you. Hopefully you get your issues resolved with the previous builder and get the car done right as well.

 

Ahhh I see how you can have mistook my comments for being rude. I apologize for making you feel that way. I totally thought that you were being rude with me. One cannot determine the "tone" of someone typing in text. I apologize for the grammar comment as well. Let's squash this petty bickering, and get back to learning about V8 Z swaps!!

 

^

 

Damn man..

 

man i cant believe the guy used your car as a coloring book... wtf!

so is the guy that did this craigztoyz.com?

 

@Nealoc - I don't have the technical inclination to do an engine swap myself. I'm more of a designer, all the engine crap makes my brain explode.

@06blueZ - Yes. He said his website isn't up yet or it's still in the process, which looks true because he still has Nuke Evolution up.

I'm starting to get very uneasy, this motor was far from running but he keeps texting me acting like there were only a couple more hours of work left. Like I said, when it comes to engine stuff I'm about as smart as a demented beaver, so I don't know everything about the engine, but my friends out here have done a VH swap in two 240's and soon in a 300ZX, I have seen one of their running 240's with it with my own eyes and I even helped them get the body work back on and stuff afterwards. I have not seen ANY of Craigs projects running with my own eyes, only some pictures of one RX7 and one 300ZX. The 300ZX was apparently running, and come to think of it he put my ECU in it. Kind of weird, I would think a builder would have a crap ton of pictures if he has indeed built 79 cars...

I dunno, this is all just one big nightmare. Hopefully I can get money/parts back and get it all over with.

 

Why does he keep texting you? Is he saying he wants to finish the swap or something? Or is he trying to get you to pay him claiming that he was "almost done" or something like that?

 

Wow! Just got done reading this whole thread and was ready to see and hear this swap running/driving in a video when the bomb exploded.

I feel so bad you had to waste your time and hard earned money. The original builder should be continually beaten with bars of soap in a sweatsock, or worse.

I truly hope you and your boys can get this thing on the road running correctly.

If I was anywhere near Texas I would definitely buy you a beer, a shot, whatever. I look forward to seeing this project completed. The very best of luck to you.

 

+1?

The swap is far from done. Honestly, the easiest part has been completed IMO. The hard part of a swap is not actually getting the motor in. It is getting all the houses routed, the throttle body hooked up, the hood to close and the real "fit and finish" details that bring it all together. It took me four weeks of non-stop work to get my swap pulled together after the engine and transmission were in.

 

It definitely feels like he's up to something strange, like he's trying to make himself look like the victim. I just got off the phone with him and it seems like that is EXACTLY what he is doing. He asked why I did not drive up to Austin to give him some Mustang springs he wanted me to try and sell, and I told him I had no way up there because I don't have a car since all the deadlines have gone by and the car is still not running. So I confronted him with the list of everything that is missing, and he continually sidestepped giving a straight answer and changed his story over and over again.

This is not exactly what was said, but it has the jist of everything he said.

"I had 3 other people there with me that HEARD you tell me that you used my A/C and Power Steering components on your other customers red 300zx. I was NOT notified of this and was NOT asked if this was alright."

"NONE of the parts from your engine are on the red car, those were all his parts."

"So where are MY A/C and power steering components?"

"When I did the exchange for your engine with the guy I got the VH from, we swapped part for part so we each had the exact same swap and the exact same components"

"You didn't get the transmission from him, and so are you saying you never got the A/C and power steering components from him?"

He did not answer that question and continued rabbiting on about how none of my parts are in the other car.

"What about my ECU? You told me specifically, and again I had 3 other people there that heard you, that you put it in the red car because the old ECU was acting up."

Again, he started going off about how none of my parts are in the other car.

He then started going off about the wiring harness, saying the only thing I'm missing are the ends of it which he cut off and has waiting for me. I recall my friends telling me both the 05 350z harness and the VH45 harness are needed, he did not give me a straight answer other than "it's there." Something my friends say is "********." After this he went off about how it's all stock Nissan inside the engine bay except for the engine, which is weird because my friends said the fans are all missing as well.

When asked about all of the welds being flux welds, he just said he's built 20 cars or so using that welder and has had no issues what so ever. Personally, I think he should provide pictures to back this up, because according to him this was going to be his 79th car built, I would imagine he would have pictures of all these other cars. Only pictures I've been able to find however are of a 300zx and a rx7.

The entire phone call it felt like he was super defensive and trying to make himself out as the victim. He continually talked about how he had set out the entire weekend to finish it and wanted to finish it himself because he feels like he's at the end of a marathon but we just came and towed it right from his garage, and just took it to someone else and are going to rob him of the "respect and appreciation he knows he deserves," and that he is very offended that we just towed it back and took it to other guys so they could trash him. This is not the case, I just want my ****ing car back.

I was the one who is out a TON of money, have been deprived of my car for nearly three months, has put around 3000 miles on my parents car driving back and forth between Austin numerous times a week, and now has to drop even more money getting my track car running and road legal so I'll have something to drive while this project has to start from square one again. I truly do feel sorry for him if he feels HE is the "victim" in this situation.

Yeah, I've been hoping I'd soon be able to post a driving video of it for the past two months! I won't let you guys down though, going to just start over and get it running the right way.

Thanks a ton though, support is always appreciated!

 

Well facing facts it would be a bad idea to take it back to him regardless of any agreement you come to. I would cut your losses and just shell out the money to get it done right. Sounds bad, but honestly, it is truely the only option with a for sure positive outcome.

 

+10293412047029378408923

 

There is no way that car is getting finished in a weekend (disregarding the fact that he's had it for 3 months already). That car has a week left of wrenching assuming someone works on it 8-10 hours a day, and then probably another few days of trouble shooting. Hell you've got multiple days of just sourcing parts it sounds like since half of your **** is missing. Is the trans and adapter plate still there? What were you going to do for a driveshaft (sorry if this has been covered but I didn't see it in your latest post).

I would just sever contact with him unless he can provide you with the parts that you provided to him which are now missing. You don't owe him anything it sounds like. That "respect and admiration" rhetoric is a bunch of nonsense. That sort of crap is reserved for people who get things done when they say they will or at least close to it, and who do things well (nothing EVER gets done on schedule with these sorts of projects, but an overrun of 6x times the original estimate to complete only the first 10% of the work).

From what you posted it looks like he spent a day taking your car apart, set the engine on the cross member (and I'm hoping the trans is attached to it but I can't see it in the pics), and spent a couple hours painting a bunch of colors on so it looks like your engine is made out of my nephew's Legos. What's with the cutesy writing all over everything also?

Dude needs to spend more time working and less time using your engine as a grown up coloring book.

 

@Quamen - I never planned on taking it back to him what-so-ever. And I hear you, gotta just keep moving forward, no matter what it takes.

@Nealoc187 - +3413872193712389721893712937128379129831. I agree with you 100%.

So I tried severing contact and continued to find out more things that are wrong with the car. He started blowing up my phone on Friday about numerous things, and after 6 or so phone calls and even more texts from him, I decided to call him back. What ensued was myself (for the first time, yay!) standing up for myself and saying exactly what I've been feeling this entire time but was too chicken **** to say (aka, disagree with everything he was saying and attempting to explain my case and my mechanics cases even though he ignored it all and continued going off about whatever he felt like going off about). This phone call pissed me off to an extent only the Grinch would understand, and resulted in him saying he was going to give me some of the parts he has for me in exchange for these Mustang Steeda launching springs he gave me to try and sell for him.

I left the springs outside, headed to work and texted him directions to my house. Unfortunately, I have just about the worst sense of direction in the history of mankind and even dino-kind (Seriously, a T-rex has a better sense of direction) and accidentally texted him 410 E instead of 410 W and he ended up at the opposite side of town and was absolutely convinced I was just toying with him. So in his anger he took the springs and did not leave anything, and after having to threaten visiting his house with a lawyer he agreed to not throw my parts away and leave them there until I or someone can pick them up for me. Which is good, because I did NOT want to escalate it to that extent, I want this to all just be over with.

So the nightmare is almost over, just gotta get those and then be done with it. But I know I'm most likely going to still be missing a bunch of parts, so I'm still kind of just confused as to how to proceed from here on out. Getting it up and running is probably going to take another month or two and about the same I originally paid on top of that, and I've already spent enough on this swap. I feel like I should just return my car to it's former glory and sell the VH and just buy a VQ again. Who knows, just gotta think about it more, compare prices, and see how I feel about each option. I would hate to give up and ditch the project, but at this point the real world is starting to become more and more evident and it's to the point where I just need this all done. Plus, I would feel like I haven't killed and ruined the car if I had a VQ in it again. Ahh, now I'm gonna go back and forth over and over again, stopping this post now ahaha.

 

As much as it pains me, I would say if you don't have the ability to finish the swap yourself you should go back to stock. Swaps like this will always have a number of little things that need to be fixed after the car is up and running. If you don't have the ability to do that yourself it will just be a long drawn out process of spending more money and time.

One area that I would be worried about, and maybe I am wrong, is the driveshaft angle. It doesn't sound like you have the driveshaft in. In my opinion, the only correct way to do a swap like this without a kit is to mount the engine, attach the tranny to the engine and get a driveshaft length. Once you have the drive shaft you can install everything and start measuring the angles to make sure they are the same at each end of the driveshaft. Once you have the entire setup aligned you can make your transmission mounts. I got my setup within .1 degrees and made my transmission mount such that I could weld the cross piece in on the car while everything was aligned. If not done properly, you can get some bad vibration.

Again, he may have done it correctly, but judging by the rest of his work I would guess that he didn't go through this process.