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http://hondatuningmagazine.com/features/0604ht_nsx/
Writeup with a cameo reference to my local buddy Len3.8.
Writeup with a cameo reference to my local buddy Len3.8.
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Autoworx / Gerry Johnson featured in HondaTuning!
- Thread starter matteni
- Start date
I have nothing to contribute, I'm just curious to see responses to this thread :smile:
Nice read! I've heard that Gerry take great pride in his work and does an amazing job with the cars. But I've also heard it takes quite a bit of time to install (months). So I guess there are trade-offs. But that thing is a BEAST!:biggrin:
donwon said:
Me too.
surferX said:
Months? Yeah he has one now that he has had for over 36 months, He only had mine for 16months, there are a few others that he has had for a few months as well.
I wish they had talked to me before the lil cameo, 2300 trouble free miles? I guess so since 800 of them were on a trailer.
I will wait for others to applaud him.
Anyone been to the shop lately?
len3.8 said:
Is it me? Or do I detect a bit of biterness in your tone?
Armando
len3.8 said:
Len, way to early in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and close your eyes, picture yourself rolling down Hwy 100 just about to jump on Hwy T, remember how happy you were the last time we went down Hwy T, This is your happy place. Now open your eyes.
Whew that was close, it is not the first time I had to talk this man down. :biggrin: :biggrin:
If I did not know any better I would say Nick likes to push buttons. :biggrin:
Just could not stop myself, who loves ya Len.
Dave
Good luck if you want that setup, I could never get in touch with him over the phone and now I don't think he has a working phone #. I'm not even sure that he is still in business.
When I bought my NSX, I tried calling several times to get some info on his setup. Every time I called, he wasn’t there and the person on the phone said he would have him call me when he got in………..he never once called back!!
All you california guys need to talk to Jon Martin at Cerritos Acura about building the motor or any other mods to the car. He has basically tried everything out there and is a track guy too.
Cerritos Acura
John Martin Service Manager- Factory Certified NSX Master Technician and designer of the 3.3-3.8L Stroker Kit sold by Science of Speed.
562-402-5281
Mon-Fri 9-5pm Pacific Standard time
Cerritos Acura
John Martin Service Manager- Factory Certified NSX Master Technician and designer of the 3.3-3.8L Stroker Kit sold by Science of Speed.
562-402-5281
Mon-Fri 9-5pm Pacific Standard time
I have never had a problem with getting in touch with Gerry. As a matter of fact, I called him yesturday to ask him something, got his voicemail and he returned my call within 5 minutes. He delivered everything as promised to me. I would use him again without thinking about it. He is only one man and can only do so much at one time. He told me it would take some time to complete the car so that was my expectation.
Rob
Rob
len3.8 said:Months? Yeah he has one now that he has had for over 36 months, He only had mine for 16months, there are a few others that he has had for a few months as well.
I wish they had talked to me before the lil cameo, 2300 trouble free miles? I guess so since 800 of them were on a trailer.
I will wait for others to applaud him.
Anyone been to the shop lately?
nsxlover said:
What did he do for your car?
Engine build? Turbo? Both?
Sell you parts?
Be a lil more specific.
I had a engine build and Turbo done with pretty much the "WORX".
Its funny how many on here "pussy foot" around some tuners/builders and others get beat to the ground for much less.
Armando
Armando
len3.8 said:What did he do for your car?
Engine build? Turbo? Both?
Sell you parts?
Be a lil more specific.
I had a engine build and Turbo done with pretty much the "WORX".
I had a full engine build, then he flew to Baltimore to do my install and also installed my twin turbo kit. I bought all the parts through him, except for the turbo kit.
nsxlover said:
Good , I think he did yours a couple of years ago or more, yes?
I also had the engine build, Aqua mist, turbo ect ect.
In the last few years, he has spread himself pretty darn thin, and some people have waited more than anyone should have to.
Again, I am glad that you are being taken care of, and I won't speak specifics, in debt anyway, about other people's car. I just know what has happened with mine and what hasn't been finished. What was damaged.
So when I am, credited in 2 magazines for being the driver from St. Louis, that drove home trouble free, it kind of rubs me the wrong way.
The fact that I let my car stay there 11 months after I was told it would be finished, rubs me the wrong way.
It would be different if a part supplier had not furnished something, or I was redisigning everything about the setup, fact is my delays were nothing more than my car being approached in less than a hobbyist's approach.
As a customer I did everything I was asked to do. I waited patiently as well as impatiently, never calling him at home, even when he hadn't been in his shop for weeks at a time. I have never and never will ask for anything more than what I paid for, (Which was not completed) However, I will not just move on and let someone just take what I have worked my ass off for.
Unfortunately, he has (IMHO) no ability to deal with adversity, so he doesn't deal with it. I hope he does get his shop up and going and the rest of the cars out, for those patient people's sake.
He has flown here to work on things as well. After paying for shop time, I still have pretty much the same problems that I had before he came. Not because of anything more than a laxed approach.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to laud his build, but in my case it has not been finished.
I picked my car up almost a year ago to the day, and it still hasn't been completed.
The funniest thing I ever heard upon calling in problems from the road.
"I told you I needed another week with the car"
If he did your work, I know you know why that is funny.
nsxlover said:
Funny, from my own personal experience I can say that I have never had a problem getting a hold of Gerry. The problem I had with Gerry is when he refused to release my car and try to sell it at a DMV lien sale.
I really didn’t want to start a thread on this, but since this is on the subject…reading this thread is starting to make my blood boil, so I will have to say something.
After my engine spun a bearing (the first time) I had Gerry rebuild the engine on my car at the tune of about $13k. (The full Gerry Johnson special with the cylinder sleeves, ARP rod bolts, balanced/blue printed, etc.) I think this is roughly the same time that Len brought his car in, though his came up after mine cleared up the rackspace. The engine blew. And it had no FI, no turbo, supercharger, or nitrous. I figured if I was having it rebuilt, I wanted it bulletproof (and figured having a fully built engine would be a selling point if I ever decided to sell).
I called Gerry to tell him what happened. He told me he wanted to look at it and bring it up. Keep in mind that I had a legal and ethical obligation to allow him to inspect and repair the vehicle since he was the original repair man. (If I just had it repaired somewhere else his response would have been on the lines of “well if you had just given it to me I would have fixed it, so you can’t stick someone else’s bill to me.) Gerry is about 400 miles a way and I had to arrange towing with a company that goes north a few times a month. When the car gets there Gerry leaves me a nasty message that I caused the engine failure and he wants a $3,000 deposit to do a teardown. I refused because I believed his workmanship caused the failure and I wanted someone independent to look at it. He then tells me either to give him $3,000 and allow him to do the teardown, or he will charge me ‘storage fees’. Keep in mind, I’m in Modesto, and I can’t get it towed until my shipping comes back up on one of their runs. (To do it with a normal tow service runs $7 per mile). When they arrive, he refuses to release the car without me paying storage fees.
Long story short, the storage fees amount to a couple thousand dollars $4k and he’s not releasing the car. Gerry then proceeds to file paperwork to sell my car at a mechanic’s lien sale. I ended up ended up filing a lawsuit to get my car back, which was granted: http://170.164.50.60/openaccess/CIV...number=SS127441&courtcode=X&dsn=&casetype=SCV
I know that a lot of people here like to through their opinion without actually know anything. I actually know first had what happened. A lot of people will also say that there’s two sides to the story, blah blah blah. Well the truth of the matter is that I put on my evidence before a judge, and Gerry put his evidence before a neutral judge, and the judge found for me and ordered Gerry to release my car. Even AFTER the decision was made Gerry still tried to initiate a lien sale with the DMV.
Now if you were me, how would you feel? Gerry kept my car for over 8 months—no work, just holding it hostage. All that while, his storage fees are increasing, I am still stuck with the payments for a car I can’t drive or even sit in, as well as the insurance andregistration. In addition, at that time I was contemplating buying a house and was going to use the equity in the NSX as a downpayment. Thanks Gerry.
Anyways, when I finally get the car back (by court order) the car is brought to Autowave and torn down. What went wrong? Gerry’s cylinder sleeves dropped, causing a bearing to spin. I don’t know what kind of abuse on my part could have possibly caused that. Oh yeah, after I got the car back, things were missing off of it. So if you got knobs for a climate control unit, that belongs to me.
Gerry’s ‘business’ is operated as a hobby enterprise, and does not meet the same standards of business practices used by other shops. For example, Autowave is a real tuning shop. When something goes wrong they take care of it. For the amount of money being involved, Gerry’s half assing it just doesn’t work.
WOW!
Up until I started reading this thread, I thought GJ was "the man"
It seems as though now 99% of NSX FI tuners are "crap" except Comptech's SC. I find this strange. Comptechs SC is a crappy design. No intercoooler, a piggy back etc. BUT it allows the NSX engine to survive. This tells me that the other FI tuners which are using stand-alones, intercoolers, 255lph pumps, timing retard etc, and they still blow everything up. I am wondering if they really know what they are doing, or are actually using a dyno.
I know that when I add FI to mine, I will trust the grassroots guys such as Kenny Tran as an example any day to the so-called NSX FI shops.
NSX FI frustration.
Up until I started reading this thread, I thought GJ was "the man"
It seems as though now 99% of NSX FI tuners are "crap" except Comptech's SC. I find this strange. Comptechs SC is a crappy design. No intercoooler, a piggy back etc. BUT it allows the NSX engine to survive. This tells me that the other FI tuners which are using stand-alones, intercoolers, 255lph pumps, timing retard etc, and they still blow everything up. I am wondering if they really know what they are doing, or are actually using a dyno.
I know that when I add FI to mine, I will trust the grassroots guys such as Kenny Tran as an example any day to the so-called NSX FI shops.
NSX FI frustration.
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RP-Motorsports said:WOW!
Up until I started reading this thread, I thought GJ was "the man"
It seems as though now 99% of NSX FI tuners are "crap" except Comptech's SC. ...
NSX FI frustration.
Wow is right. I thought the same thing about GJ's shop. When I posted this I had NO idea that GJ had these terrible accusations out there. Oh how the mighty have fallen on this board starting with Corky Bell, then MB, then FactorX, then GJ. Not to mention all the one offs by Larry G, Cybernation, etc. Also - don't be so certain there haven't been CompTech failures that were not fully rectified to the customer's satisfaction.
I hope this all gets worked out to everyones satisfaction but if the FI/tuner history of the NSX is any indication - I am afraid it is going to be a tough road.
There are plenty of mechanics out there that can build you a bullet proof block, the issuse are that just because you are good with a wrench donsent mean you are good with the keyboard. Splitting the two tasks amoung two techs should be an option. But egos get in the way
Armando
Armando
Armando
Armando
RP-Motorsports said:WOW!
Up until I started reading this thread, I thought GJ was "the man"
It seems as though now 99% of NSX FI tuners are "crap" except Comptech's SC. I find this strange. Comptechs SC is a crappy design. No intercoooler, a piggy back etc. BUT it allows the NSX engine to survive. This tells me that the other FI tuners which are using stand-alones, intercoolers, 255lph pumps, timing retard etc, and they still blow everything up. I am wondering if they really know what they are doing, or are actually using a dyno.
I know that when I add FI to mine, I will trust the grassroots guys such as Kenny Tran as an example any day to the so-called NSX FI shops.
NSX FI frustration.
Paul didn't have FI, at least I don't think hid did.
I think he was intending to put FI on his.
Make it clear, most that have had the motor and all done have had the exact oppisite as Paul as far as the motor failure.
My main issues are some as I posted, completion of the tasks.
I won't go as far as to even say 99% of the tuners are ____, because the others have at least stayed around and taken care of their customers.
I won't make mine a bitch and moan and feel sorry for me session, because that is far from the reason I posted. I truly am not worried about a car, There are far more important things to deal with.
I posted and people can take it for what it's worth. There are 2 sides to every story, so I am simply giving my side (As specific as I am allowed to.) Anyone wanting to experience the other side, now has some questions that they can ask.
My car, as far as the motor and turbo setup is concerned, is tight. The performance has been what it was/is supposed to be. I have had no issues from that standpoint.
My issues were with other things. Majorly: Completion of task(s). I am not speaking in terms of support for those that wonder. Because as a FI person, I am aware that I must raise my part of the FI curve and be IN TUNE with how things should work.
I don't call him or his shop for every lil question I have.
I don't call for every lil isssue. I am just trying to get mine completed as agreed to.
GJ could be the man, like I said the talent is there.
The Motivation may be a different thing.
Attention: tuners/Vendors when someone is spending tens of thousands of dollars with you, there are some things that are expected to be done. (But that's an entirely different thread.)
paulviriyapan said:
Sorry to hear about your ordeal.... very sad. Fortunately in your case you were able to get a judge to hear the case and make an independent assesment of the situation.
Poor business acumen is not necessarily excuseable, but stealing car parts off your car is just plain ugly.
If the marketplace buyer and sell experience thread would ever open GJ would NOT be the only vendor on prime getting reamed.:wink:
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