I will admit, that I can be a little slow at times, but it is the nature of this type business. If everybody that SAID they were going to send me an intake DID so, they would be knee deep around here all the time. As it stands, I may get two this week and 10 next week. When something like that happens, you go from pretty much caught up, to seriously buried. And always doing them in the order they arrive sounds like a good plan, but doesn't work that way in the real world....... You have a really good customer, who sneezed and destroyed the intake on his TD and needs to next day it to you, so you can get it done for the next week, because he is leading the points.........well, that's what you do. You GET IT DONE, so he doesn't miss a race. So that takes 3 days to fix and now your "schedule" is even more behind. I work FOR Holley. They call and say "hey, we have an EFI customer who is really struggling, need you to go and help him out". Can't tell them no, I work for them. Now you are a couple MORE days behind and last time I checked, you can't make up lost time. It's easy for people to stand on the outside and say how you SHOULD do things, but unless they are in your circumstances, they simply don't know. I also don't make the parts or have every part in the NOS catalog in stock. Every kit is not the same, every job is not the same, so if I have backordered parts, I work on what I have parts for. This should be no secret to anyone in this business.....some times parts are hard to get. With the limited inventory that ALL companies seem to keep now, I can knock that inventory out with one large order, then I have to wait for more. And I can't order parts ahead because someone SAYS they will send an intake. I have to have it in my hands, so I don't tie up all my funds, waiting on you to possibly send it when you get around to it, if at all.

The shipping company lost Jeremiah's package. I will get the money back from them whenever they feel like it. But to get him going, I have to use parts from another job and spend that time on his again, that I will not be paid for. The insurance will only pay for the parts, not the labor, regardless of the "value" you place on the package(already been around this fence a time or two) So that is essentially wasted time and another trip to ship his parts off. All part of doing business and it rarely goes as planned

Then we get the "why don't you hire help" comments.......simple answer is, there is no good help. Everyone who calls, wants to talk with me, so no good for someone to just answer phone. I like things done a certain way, so I have to show you, I would just as soon do it. Plus it's MY name on it. I HAVE talked with a few guys, their FIRST question when they walk in the shop......"where is the flow bench".......so it's right back out the door for them. That's like being an apprentice at an engine shop and the FIRST thing you want to know is all the guys secrets he has learned over the years. NOT going to happen here.

Lastly, with my moms passing last year, the fact I had to put my dad in an assisted care facility, the fact that I am an only child and am the one who has to PAY for that care, as well as all their left over bills.......I have been traveling more, taking more tuning dates and taking all the work I can get, because I NEED the money. And one unforeseen trip to the hospital, the lawyer, whatever, on top of business things that happen..........before you know it, you can be buried behind with no relief in sight. Not complaining, it just is what it is and you do the best you can and if that isn't good enough for some..........oh well, you can't make everybody happy and life is way too short to worry about it. Yeah, I know everybody has problems and mine are nothing exclusive, but you just do what you can do, with the hand dealt

the reason you small shop guys can't find good help is because you have nothing to offer them. no Retirement, no medical,optical,dental, the list goes on. they are out there but not going to work for $10-15 bucks an hour with no benefits.

Are you really this big of a Dick with every breath you take?

I own a small business, we employ a lady part time as a bookkeeper, we pay her 12 bucks an hour, she suggested the wage, is tickled to get it, and we offer no benefits.
I have only VA, as a veteran, my wife has no insurance.
Can't see paying through Obamacare for a lousy policy that has huge deductibles. Rather roll the dice and pay as I go.
Some employees, like her, have a spouse that has good coverage.
My retirement is the inventory of cars on my lot that continues to grow because I work my butt off to make it work, along with my spouse.
You really should think before you open your mouth, there are PLENTY of people out there that would LOVE to have a job that pays 10-15 bucks an hour and teaches a viable skill, such as someone would gain as an apprentice under somebody like Monte.

really sorry if the truth bothers you.

It's not the truth.......

Real good friend of mine has been a mechanic most of his life( he is darn handy, in his mid 50's) but can't pass a written license test because of ADD. He worked in a busy shop for 25 years for his brother in law. He retired, and my buddy got axed when the new owners bought the business. He has struggled since, had part time jobs as a parts runner for NAPA, etc, etc. he is an excellent mechanic, has helped me a ton over the years with my cars. His wife has a good factory job and makes pretty good money with lots of overtime, but my buddy feels bad not pulling his weight, due to his disability affecting his employment.
He would be tickled to work at a shop as an unlicensed mechanic under another's guys lcense( it's legal to do so here) but hasn't had any sustained luck this far.
That 10-15 bucks an hour would be a steal to get a guy with his know how, he would take it in a heartbeat , and gain some dignity in his mind helping out his spouse more.
You can't throw a blanket over everyone and say this or that wouldn't make them happy.
I am lucky, I frankly make a lot of money, taken a long time, and maybe you do as well..... But not everyone is so fortunate, sometimes it's easy to forget that.

Someone has to be liscensed to be a mechanic somewhere? I never heard of that. Sure would help around here with all the jerry rigged junk we have to fix after other guys.

The shipping company lost Jeremiah's package. I will get the money back from them whenever they feel like it. But to get him going, I have to use parts from another job and spend that time on his again, that I will not be paid for. The insurance will only pay for the parts, not the labor, regardless of the "value" you place on the package(already been around this fence a time or two) So that is essentially wasted time and another trip to ship his parts off. All part of doing business and it rarely goes as planned

Then we get the "why don't you hire help" comments.......simple answer is, there is no good help.

Was going to ignore you, but you just won't let it go and seem to want to do it publicly, so how about the other side of the story.....Yeah, I know you were going to keep ignoring me, like you have been since February, which is when I started asking you for an invoice over and over.......and now you've forced me to call you out........

As usual, you would be thinking WRONG. You can recover fuel used to flow the fuel side and use it over and over. Nitrous is GONE, in the air.......so regardless of one nozzle or two, if you flow 2 dry stages, even through one nozzle, you use twice as much nitrous as a single wet kit. And there is ALWAYS an additional charge for more than one stage and you admit you have 2 and you KNOW I get $500 for a single, so you got a $200 break As usual, you spin stuff around to make you look like the victim.....So, what you're saying is that on a wet system, you charge $500 to flow fuel and nitrous, but you charge $1,000 on a dry system to "flow two stages" because you have to use nitrous??? So, what you're dumb enough to admit is that it's the EXACT same labor, but you're charging me $500 for the loss of the extra nitrous used (but you cut me a break and only charged me $300 for the nitrous used).......Thanks, for the break........

I don't grind the cams, I just order them.
Yeah, and it was paid for back in AUGUST of 2013!!!!

Well then you SHOULD have plumbed and flowed it yourself. You have no issue putting on nitrous classes yourself and using MY info........so knock yourself out, if it is so easy. When you said you wanted to do some classes and that you had your own bench built "just for your amusement" and you had no intention of doing any nitrous work, yet have told me yourself you have done some for local guys. Also said you would refer all the guys in the classes to me for work.......NOT ONE has sent me anything, or even called. That's seems kinda strange.....although a few have called to order Holley parts..........so maybe I should just set you up as a dealer and you can get that business to.
Yes, I SHOULD have plumbed and flowed it myself, knowing what I know about you now....... YES, since you were always "too busy" to do any more nitrous classes (I had guys calling wanting them), I DID in FACT call you and make sure it was OK with you before I used YOUR info, AND I also paid you $50 per person that showed up for letting me use your name and handouts, and you had NO PROBLEM cashing those checks.....

Now, you're grasping for straws.......YES, I do have the parts to assemble a flow bench, but I have never assembled it.....YES, I do install nitrous systems on customer's cars, like many shops do, and YES, I do tune them with an O2 sensor, but I HAVE NEVER FLOWED A SYSTEM FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE!!!.....Like I've told you over and over, I have ZERO desire to do what you do.......I have no desire to flow nitrous systems for people......and I told you that I wouldn't flow anyone's systems, so I haven't, because I'm a Man Of My Word.

IF you had a good invoicing system in place, you'd know that you've done work for Jason Webb and Steve Jones, both guys that I sent your way......and I have always sent everyone I know, and met, your way for nitrous work......and the TRUTH is, almost all of them have later told me that they either couldn't get a hold of you or you were an AZZ on the phone and decided to not buy anything from you, so I can't control those things........

And lets not act like you JUST got your intake. You have had it quite a while and refresh me........but is the car running yet, or do you even have the motor? I'll gladly refresh your memory with facts......I have the email where I asked the FIRST of MANY times, when the intake would be done.....and it's dated March 11th 2014 (and that's just the FIRST email...I'd texted and asked you over the phone many times before that when you thought you'd have my stuff wrapped up)..........that's 7 months after I prepaid you 5K and shipped you the intake.....On March 11th, after I busted your balls about not getting it done, you wrote "Nobody is too small.....you want it, I will get it".........After turning blue from holding my breath, on October 14th of 2014 I sent you an email titled "Just throw my junk in a box w/a check and ship it..." and I get more and more excuses..... .....

What's completely ridiculous about your statement is that you're trying to justify how long you took with my intake by saying that I didn't need it because my engine wasn't waiting on it....that's a MAJOR douche nozzle move and everyone with half a brain can read right through that.....That'd be like me calling Jegs and ordering new tires for my car, I pay them, and then they tell me I don't need them yet because the car is still in the chassis shop......What business is it of yours????? Yes, the block I'd bought was too thin in one cylinder so I had to round up another block.....it's not like they're on Blue Light Special at K-Mart........

After repeatedly busting your balls, you FINALLY got the intake "finished" for PRI 2014 and have it on display......I'm headed to Florida in January to deliver a car and I ask if it's OK to stop by and grab my intake to save shipping.....You tell me it's NOT FINISHED because you still have to plumb the purge.....I say, "I'll try to make the Duck's race in February and I'll grab it then"......I get there, AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN PLUMBED THE PURGE!!!......You tell me "it'll be OK, it'll soften the hit"!!!.....Are you kidding me???? and then you tell me you didn't have time to print the flow sheet and you'll email it to me.......I got the intake in February and after numerous emails and texts, I FINALLY got the flow sheet on April 11th.....

How can the car be running??? You yourself sent me a text on JULY 17th saying "Got cam yesterday" and after not seeing it for a MONTH, I texted you on August 19th asking if it had gotten lost.......then I sent another text on August 21st and then another on August 25th (all with NO REPLIES)......The cam showed up on August 27th AFTER you shipped it on August 25th!!!!!.......BTW, EVERYTHING for the long block has been sitting here for months waiting on you........

Yes, I admit, I had the intake a LONG time. But YOU told me you were not in a hurry, as you had all the block problems, plus I was really busy, so again, YOU said no hurry, get it when you can. So I put it on the back burner and basically forgot about it on the shelf, then you got your panties in a wad. I said I wasn't in a "HUGE hurry" for the intake because the motor was still at the machine shop....and I also said I wanted everything here so when the short block did get finished, I could slam it together........Yeah, I got my panties in a wad because I PREPAID you FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS and all you did was put my intake on the shelf......Your definition of "no hurry" and my definition of "no huge hurry" are completely different.......I'm thinking a few weeks or maybe a month.......you take that as you can take your farquing time and not worry about it because you've been prepaid.......You sure didn't waste any time cashing the check???........

Talking about respect, all the while throwing me under the bus. Whatever makes you feel better. You just figure up how much you think I should owe you, let me know and consider it DONE and you won't have to be disappointed ever again........at least not with me
YES, I AM throwing you under the bus, because you don't even have enough respect for me to answer MULTIPLE emails, voice mails and texts about an invoice that I've been trying to get since FEBRUARY!!!!........YOUR ARROGANT, SELF RIGHTEOUS SELF, FORCED me to use a public forum to get a response from you......That's pretty dang sad on your part.......... and it sure was amazing how quickly you made time to send me an invoice last night right after I busted your balls.....

If you normally charged $800 to flow two nitrous systems through one Fogger nozzle, I'm not going to beat you up about it....seems high to me, but what do I know....... Just send the $500 that you've already admitted by email that you owe me....you have my address, unless it's been "lost" or "missed" in emails or texts.....

and now you know the main reason why I wanted an invoice........I KNEW you'd over charged me and if I hadn't kept asking for it, you'd have kept the money........NICE way to do business.........

422 views when I posted yesterday, over 1,800 now.........hmmmmmm....at least a lot of people are seeing your fine plumbing work......

Good looking intake Monte.

As for the hired help part, we try to hire maintenance mechanics here all the time. Base pay for an Apprentice PM guy is $18 plus insurance. Pay goes up with abilities. Last guy hired seemed to be pretty good, but was gone in 4 months from booze. Most of the people who apply can't pass a basic core knowledge test. They interviewed 3 in the last 2 weeks and hired none.

Even for the floor the average is 10 hired, 2 make it 6 months. We don't build rockets or anything difficult here, but people just don't seem to have any kind of work ethic anymore.

I sent him a PM about two years ago questioning about shocks for my Dart, from his reply apparently everything I own is junk. Never will I buy anything.