chop shop victim

[midgeman240]

this is, or was, my wife's car. it started as a '96 with a jdm front end with an S14 SR and much more. really solid build, everything done by a nissan technician. and then one day she let someone else drive and the dumbass plowed into a pickup and the insurance totalled it. I did a little(probably not enough) research and put it in a shop called Import Performance Specialists based in san antonio, tx. I paid $3500 for a full new jdm front end with lip, radiator, intercooler piping, and various other parts. the dash also busted from the airbag blowing so that was to be replaced too. everything started fine with me staying in contact with the shop and making sure they were staying on the work, since I'm in tennessee. then things started going south. I had deadlines for them to have the car done, but every deadline they missed. I couldn't get them to send any pictures of the progress or the parts. eventually they told me the car was finished but they had retarded excuses for why they couldn't get it shipped. so I had a truck go to get the car three seperate times only to come back empty handed. this is when I reported the car stolen and got the cops involved. come to find out the owner had a rough past and used to chop and steal cars. my car was in similar shape. the car was in peices and the shop had been lying to me for over four months. i just went to get the car this week and it was sickening to see. they never ordered the parts i paid for, so that money was stolen. basically no work was down on the car except for what they tore apart. all the spare parts they threw in the car. the seats weren't bolted down. the one fender was just laid on the car. there were nuts and bolts loose laying all over the engine bay. they just put the car outside and wouldn't even show up to the shop. do not go to this shop. you have been warned. now that i've rambled, the real reason for this post is because i need help with what to do now. if anyone wants to rebuild this car it would be perfect, especially for a track or drift beast. the motor is just missing external stuff(intake, radiator, intercooler, etc.) and the transmission is solid. it has R33 brakes, G35 wheels, and tein suspension. I'm willing to part everything, or sell it all together. i'll have a full thread on what's for sale in the classifieds, because i know this isn't the place for that. spread the word. ask your friends. help me out.
the car before...

after the wreck...

and after the shop...

[OutToWinPAHC]

Sucks, but I gotta shop that can fix it for ya.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Deleted post asking how much for this or that....

Please make a part out thread if you wish to part out, don't ask for or post pricing here.

[Dittoz7]

At least you still have all the major parts in it. Wouldn't be to hard to put back together by yourself.

[GmFwd]

Sooo... who on this site lives in the san antonio area and wants to have some fun breaking s***/people?

[Hoffman5982]

I vote buy new shell and swap everything over. I mean, you could definitely fix that one, but it'd take a lot of work. That part is up for you to decide

[DJButton]

Very bad situation, sorry that happened. New shell and re-build seems like the best bet now even if just to sell afterwards. It's going to be very hard to sell as is, I would imagine.

[costa_rican13]

Very bad situation, sorry that happened. New shell and re-build seems like the best bet now even if just to sell afterwards. It's going to be very hard to sell as is, I would imagine.

i concur! new shell swap everything. strip it bare. sell extra parts to get money for needed parts. such as piping, intercooler, etc.

[midgeman240]

Deleted post asking how much for this or that....

Please make a part out thread if you wish to part out, don't ask for or post pricing here.

sorry. my classified thread will be up soon, just haven't had the time. i'll post the link.

I vote buy new shell and swap everything over. I mean, you could definitely fix that one, but it'd take a lot of work. That part is up for you to decide

it would take a lot of work to fix, which is why i'm not going to. there're a few misc. parts here and there that i may swap to my kouki, but i'm already so deep in the red from this i need everything i can get out of it, which means buying a shell and swapping everything isn't an optnion. if you know anybody who wants to start a new project this is the car.

i'm just tired of dealing with this car and situation and i want it all gone.

[dccse3k]

Deleted post asking how much for this or that....

Please make a part out thread if you wish to part out, don't ask for or post pricing here.

yeah whoops mainly wanted to know where his classified post was and ask if he was/car was in san antonio still.

[midgeman240]

Sooo... who on this site lives in the san antonio area and wants to have some fun breaking s***/people?

Do It!


and the car isn't in San Antonio anymore. I went down last weekend to have it shipped back and recover everything. the classified post will be up in a couple days.

is there anything I can do to get the word out on this shop? I wasn't the only person this happened to.

[breadbox]

make a thread repeating the peoples names and the company name and talk about your experience in length, to the point where you google that individual or company and that thread is in top 5 results.

[badbob2121]

wow, this is why i dont trust my car at a shop...

that truely sucks... sorry and good luck findinga buyer, its gonna be tough

[laxands13]

wow, thats really bad. i dont understand how people can do this to other people and be ok with it.

[indomiekid1]

wow, this is why i dont trust my car at a shop...

that truely sucks... sorry and good luck findinga buyer, its gonna be tough

no s***!!!!

damn. op good luck.

[TroubleBound]

So is the guy in jail now or what? What is keeping you from hunting him down and taking what is owed?

[midgeman240]

make a thread repeating the peoples names and the company name and talk about your experience in length, to the point where you google that individual or company and that thread is in top 5 results.

good idea.

wow, thats really bad. i dont understand how people can do this to other people and be ok with it.

me either. it's because dude is a complete idiot and doesn't care about anything. his excuse for lying to me about the car being done was "to get me off his back." like i was just going to forget it was there or something. for at least the last two months it was in the shop i couldn't even talk to him on the phone. he screened all his calls at the shop or wouldn't answer the phone. i could get an occasional text. when i went to pick up the car he told us a time to meet, and then didn't show.

So is the guy in jail now or what? What is keeping you from hunting him down and taking what is owed?

i wanted to have him put in jail, but the most that'll probably happen is his shop getting shut down. he was operating without the proper license. the detective keeps telling me it's a civil matter because it was an agreement between me and the shop, even though they practically stole $3500 from me and ruined the car. i filed a civil suit against him but even if i win there's no guarantee i'll ever see any money. the best i'm hoping for right now is to ruin is business.

[Riq]

I'm sorry this happened to you. It truely sucks, but this is why you do research before you make moves with a pocket full of money. Had that been me, I would have spent the $3500 on a shell and swapped everything over myself. People are real shaddy out there it's always best to do things yourself. Oh and I would also have banned my wife from ever owning another S14 again... Rule number one of owning such a nice car is, you never let anyone drive it.

[midgeman240]

I'm sorry this happened to you. It truely sucks, but this is why you do research before you make moves with a pocket full of money. Had that been me, I would have spent the $3500 on a shell and swapped everything over myself. People are real shaddy out there it's always best to do things yourself. Oh and I would also have banned my wife from ever owning another S14 again... Rule number one of owning such a nice car is, you never let anyone drive it.

I did research on a number of shops before I made any decisions. I called them before taking it in to make sure everything was good to go and they could handle the workload. unfortunately, anyone can screw you over regardless of good reviews and research. I'm not a mechanic or body guy, so it's out of the question for me to have done the work. also, the car was in tx and I'm in tn.

and my wife can own any nice car she wants, she just won't be letting anyone else drive it again lesson learned...

[midgeman240]

How's the police investigation going?

If you can give all the information you had about Import Performance Specialists and the guy you spoke with, I should be able to get some current contact information for you.

These are the guys located at 2450 Babcock Rd, Ste 168, San Antonio, TX 78229 right?

The guy I dealt with was Sean Rush. I'm pretty certain he owns the shop. Nobody else ever knew what was going on with it. And that's the correct name and address, "Import Performance Specialists, 2450 Babcock Rd, Ste 168, San Antonio, TX 78229 . I wouldn't really say there's a "current" investigation going on now. The reason the police went to check it out is because I had to report the car stolen, so they were following up on that. The detective involved helped me the majority of the time, but he keeps saying it's a civil matter, like an agreemant between me and the shop, so they won't get involved beyond that. I don't know if that's bs, but that's what he said.

[beezkneez]

infiniti lineup boooooooooooooooy.

Will you represent me?

[midgeman240]

I believe this person to be only the web designer for the site, and was contracted by the true owner of Import Performance Specialists. To confirm this, please verify that this is not a picture of "Sean Rush":



If it isn't, then I will contact Dallas Moore and request all records relating to business correspondence with Import Performance Specialists. And then ruin the lives of anyone mentioned in those correspondence.

If it actually is an image of "Sean Rush", then I have some dirty information on him. Will divulge when you confirm.

As a side note, nobody messes with a NICOclub member's vehicle, family, or friends and gets away with it. Let this stand as a warning to anybody reading this thread and thinking of scamming a member. Don't do it.

I already feel like you've given me more information than anyone in the entire six months I've been dealing with this ridiculous mess. Actually, no one has really acted like they even care to help. Keep the help coming because I so greatly appreciate it.
And my wife has confirmed that the picture is NOT of "Sean Rush". You can now begin ruining their lives.

[Zydeco]

You can now begin ruining their lives.

[breadbox]

Import Performance Specialists, 2450 Babcock Rd, Ste 168, San Antonio, TX 78229 , sounds like a horrible place, let's hope they search for themselves semi often.


"Yes, verbal contracts are enforceable in Texas if you can prove the necessary terms of the agreement. If you acted in accordance with the contract, there are correspondence referring to the agreement or other items indicating an agreement exists, it can be valid in Texas."
How to file in small claims.
http://www.culpepperlaw.com/jpclaims.htm

[ThatGuyRoger]

Import Performance Specialists, 2450 Babcock Rd, Ste 168, San Antonio, TX 78229 , sounds like a horrible place

this place is about 20 mins away from me.
I've never been to this place or even seen it, but it should be in this little collection of body shops

[breadbox]

Doesn't look like a chop shop. We got this. Did you have a witness to the verbal agreement or have anything in writing at all?

Obviously you have phone records that proved you called them when you said.

[midgeman240]

this place is about 20 mins away from me.
I've never been to this place or even seen it, but it should be in this little collection of body shops

The shop is actually right behind the one on the left. It's like a strip mall of auto shops. I have pictures though.

midgeman240,

Dallas Moore provided the request information. Here is a copy of the fax that was sent:

Can you pm me the faxes so I'll have them in full size on my computer? Thank you again so much.

[tigersharkdude]

from the fax, it looks like his name is "jason rush"

[sentrastace]

omg im so sorry this happened to you.
There are several things I would do that I recommend you do as well:
1--yes write a thread about the company
2--write a yelp review
3--contact the BBB
4--call the cops to report (you've already done that)
5--write a pitch to your local TV stations, they can get a story out about it on the news.
6--hide outside of the shop and break the guys legs.

[laxands13]

or its "Jason Rush's" brother, according to the fax/email also.