dance again tomorrow.
RNG, wasn't this supposed to be fun?
Assuming it rolls, I'd consider towing it out of there and sic'ing an attorney on them for damages.
They clearly have repeatedly made promises to you they can't or won't keep.
May be in so many pieces getting out of there would be impossible.
sealing your fate to them
The Patience of Job
might have to look that up...
At least you have control over what you personally are doing.
And the blue is sure nice...
I wouldn't have any trouble at all picking everything up and hauling it out of there. At this point all it needs is a drive train, and it would be easy to roll it on to a neighbor's car trailer dragging it home. It would only take one trip and there would be no resistance.
But I have a few reasons for staying the course:
First, the mechanic is an excellent mechanic and is basically honest. Lousy business man, and that's the real problem.
Second, even after the rebuild, it's still a 30 year old vehicle and finding someone local that knows what they're doing would be next to impossible. So I don't really want to burn the bridge; I want to have someone to keep it going until I'm well into my 80s.:laughing:
Third, the motor we're building is a hybrid Subaru, and it's doubtful a Subaru dealer would touch it.
Forth, and this is the real gotcha, the mechanic is responsible for getting the van to pass SMOG, and that also requires specialized knowledge to meet the regs while maintaining increased performance. Pulling the plug now would mean he'd be eating the cost of all the motor parts, most of which are new, and for him that's a tremendous motivator to get it done.
Fifth, if it did go to court, the only ones to win would be the lawyers. I'd end up with my non-running van back and some money, and the job of either finishing it myself or finding someone, probably hundreds of miles away, that could finish it for me. But at $300/hour, and more during court time, it wouldn't be hard at all to go through a great deal of money getting satisfaction. That's a motivating factor for both of us to somehow find a way forward. He's been in this position before and eventually made good, and he knows I have the means to endure a trial. But at the end of the day we both have better ways to spend our time and money.
:2cents:
BTW, yesterday the mechanic's day started with another customer chewing him a new one because he'd had her '70 something bus for more than THREE YEARS!:shocked: I thought he'd finished it months ago and was wondering why it was still there, but apparently there are issues still. I don't understand them and I don't want to, but it was pretty clear he didn't come out well during the exchange and it left him upset for the rest of the day...
