I'm having issues with my mechanic. I bought a 96 range back in November 2010. After I bought it I noticed the heat was not working (due to mild winters in the south). I put water in the overflow for the radiator and drove on. The temp. gauge never got out of the cold. After about a week I let my girl drive it to work. Later that day she called saying she was stranded in Memphis and that it had overheated. She proceeded to tell me that she drove it about 3 miles with the over heat light on!!! It had shut off on her. I let it cool down for about and hour and drove it home without incident. I decided to do a full tune up on it. The guy that did the tune up told me that the driver's side rear spark plug had water on it. He also said that it could have ruined the head gaskets. It did crank and i drove it home that night. I then drove it back to work the next morning and the temp. gauge went a little past halfway. I then had a new thermostat put on it and a new belt just to be sure. When i cranked it after that it started overheating again. I could only drive it a mile before the temp. gauge would go too high for comfort. So i had it towed to a reputable Land Rover/ Jaguar mechanic. He told me that more than likely i would need a new engine due to the block being a "wet block" with sleeves in it??? He called me the next day with some prices and said he would need the money for the engine up front ($2,500 with labor being $1,000 to put it in). So a week later i took him the $2,500 and he told me it would be 2 weeks tops. Well it has now been almost 3 MONTHS!!! And I have tried to get my money back, but he is saying that he can't refund the money because he has ordered the engine from overseas (U.K.). He is saying it is in customs at the airport.

PLEASE ANYONE!!!! HHHHEEEEELLLPPPPP!!!!!

WHAT CAN I DO BESIDES WAIT ON HIM TO DO IT???!!!????!!

 

Has the engine arrived yet? I know that there is a shortage of new blocks for these particular vehicles. The 3 months might have been waiting for whomever your mechanic purchased it from to ship it. If it were me, I would find out if the engine has been shipped yet and how long it will take them to get it to the mechanic. If it is not already on its way or does not seem like it will be shipped anytime soon. I would see if you can get the mechanic to cancel the order and get an engine elsewhere. roverparts.com might be a good place to call and see if they can help you. Where are you located? There are several places in the east that can take your current block and rebuild it to a strong specification than the originals.

 

If it is in customs then he should be able to actually prove it is there. I am sure there are more local places to source and engine. The problem that you will run into is that if it is sitting in customs then it is not the suppliers fault or the mechanics unless he waited to order it after using your money for something else. If it is not there then he should be able to cancel the order and the supplier is just crap out of luck. I think you need to get nasty and get some documentation as to when it shipped, was ordered and so forth. If you need to take the guy to court you will need all that to prove your point. You better be getting a screaming discount on the install as well if it was the mechanics delay.

 

He should easily be able to prove his story. I have had stuff tied up in customs and it is a paperwork nightmare. He should have a stack of papers on it. If not, get a lawyer to send him a letter threatening legal action and that will probably make your engine show up quickly or your refund suddenly appear.

 

I find it a little interesting that he wanted to be paid for the engine before ordering it. I would imagine that he is charging you more for the engine than what he is paying for it?? A better idea would have been for you to order the engine yourself and just let him put it in. I got burned on a deal like this when I was 19, so it sounds a little fishy to me. Now, I never pay people until the job is done.

 

yes he says it is in customs but he does not want to actually show me any proof. i filed a complaint with the bbb and i really cant afford an attorney at this time. i bought the range for $4,500 cash and then have another $2,500 invested in it. Another mechanic told me that the radiator could be clogged or that the thermostat might be put on wrong. it still cranks but i don't know if i can legally drive it off then sue him for my $2,500? i wish i didn't live in Memphis where everyone is shady!

 

You always have the right to take your vehicle at any time. After all, your name in on the title isn't it??? If he can't provide proof get your truck out ASAP. He will have letter after letter from customs. If he is honorable this would be a piece of cake to prove to you that it has been hung up in customs. You can probably get a young lawyer to draft a letter for less than $100.

 

The radiator could be clogged and the thermostat could be installed wrong. However, the damage to the engine has been done. You can't overheat a rover for long and get away with it. You can pull the heads off to see if there are any slipped liners. If there are, say bye to the engine. If things are intact, throw some new head gaskets on it and see what happens.

 

yes i know im an idiot for giving him the money up front, but usually when i buy a car i get to ACTUALLY drive it. lol....... NOT IN THIS CASE!! all the problems that i see people having with these vehicles is making me reconsider even wanting one. I am contacting a lawyer and filing a civil suit. that is all i know to do.

thank y'all for the advice

future rover enthusiast~krichard

 

oh and KRAZZ nice range!! mine is white and was in cherry condition! garage kept out in Germantown. hopefully i can get this fixed soon so i can do some modifications!!