A few months ago I asked if anyone had suggestions for a custom exhaust shop that would do mandrel bent systems...and you guys came through as usual.
Thanks again because this type of help is great.
I figured I would write my experience concerning Tim's Custom Exhaust.
Months ago this began with me calling Tim's and talking with the service writer (Drew)
Drew and I talked about the car, what work I was looking for, and some other things.
Drew was polite, friendly, and helpful....and soon we had a scheduled date almost two months out....they are busy I guess.
I got in touch with the people at SpinTech mufflers and had them build me a set of custom stainless steel mufflers...$$$$!!!!
They said I would receive them in less than a month.....NOPE!
That date came and went...twice.........
Because my time at Tim's was on the custom mandrel bend rack, a rack they reserve for just this type of work, work they schedule to begin on Monday's only and last a week, I took this delay seriously and called Tim's to discuss the muffler attainment issues with Drew.
Drew was great, and he knew all too well about SpinTech's finish date delays as this has happened to him many times over.
I informed them of my lack of mufflers well in advance of my scheduled date, and for this Drew was thankful.
I figured their time was valuable and if I can't be on the rack I better let them know.
Time ticks by and finally I receive the mufflers...they look a bit weird, but very nice overall.
I speak with Drew and we make another scheduled rack date...They gave me the date and time from their schedule.
I show up a bit before 8am (when they open) and get the car ready to come off the trailer.
By 9:15 it is apparent they are NOT ready for me so I intervene.
They were talking about moving this, shuffling that, and other things to "fit me in"...No good for this car as I need a secure space in the shop, without question, if it will be there for a week. No shuffling and moving and making space please...and this was directly discussed prior to today so it was a known part of the deal.
There is a Firebird about 1/2 way finished with fitting a system on the mandrel rack that is not in a position to be moved either.
There were about 8 or 10 adjustable stands holding the system in place and waiting for welds...This car would take about 45 miniutes to break down just to back it off the rack. No sense in doing that at this point.
I say to them, it is apparent my car will not have shop space today, and by the looks of the Firebird, not for a few more days at best...They agree.
We talk about this and that, they apologize to the moon, and ultimately I set a different rack date.
During all this talk we again discussed what was to be done with the car, what system to build, what materials to use, as well as me specifically asking if all this can be done and do they have any suggestions....Nope, we are all on the same page.
Strap the car down, close the trailer, and off I go to put it back in the garage until the scheduled date...again, a date they chose from their calendar, again.
Today was the day, out the door by 6am and I'm off to get the car from the garage and take it to Tim's for exhaust work...The trip is about 70 miles one way for me.
Traffic was light, but MAN! the speeders. I was in the right lane doing 60ish in a 60 zone and a few people passed me doing 90+ easy!
Anyway, I arrive at Tim's a bit early because the trip went perfect....Except for the young girl who almost merged into the trailer because she was on the phone texting.
I unstrap and get the trailer ready to remove the car and then sit in the truck listening to the radio for the next 20 minutes or so.
At about 8:10, (they open at 8am) I stroll in and am greeted by Drew who is taking care of opening things and getting stuff ready.
Oddly enough, there is a 74 Chevy truck on the mandrel rack, and it is in full mock up stage just like the Firebird before.....REALLY?
After about 10 minutes of waiting they tell me to bring the car to stall # so and so and I drive it around and put it on the rack.
The back of this whole building complex is a pure shit pile mess.
We poke around under the car discussing what I want done and all the other stuff and pretty soon this is when the "We can'ts" begin.
We can't get 2.25" stainless steel pipe that our bender will work with.
We were under the impression this was to be a crush bent system and we don't have space or time on the mandrel rack.
We won't be able to bend the tail pipes to fit.
There were a few more "we can'ts" and you get the point.
I remain calm, polite, and in a mental state that wants to figure this problem out.
I say; I hear you telling me a lot about what you can't do, and I understand what you are saying. I would like to know what you can do with this car, concerning building an exhaust system like we discussed.
Eventually we came to an agreement, I thanked them for their time and input, shook hands and put the car back in the trailer.
Just to round out the story here are a few highlights.
We discussed exactly what system I was looking for at least four seperate times, The diameter, the materials, the mandrel bends, exact locations of tail pipe exits, what to keep and what to remove...all the normal stuff, with two of their people present, one of them being "the mandrel bend, custom guy who will be doing the work."
Yet today they did not know I wanted stainless steel.
They did not know I was there specifically to get a mandrel bent system...which makes me wonder why in the heck I was scheduled for the special mandrel rack in the first place?
They are unable to get 2" or 2.25" stainless steel exhaust tubing.
They were taken aback when I asked if they were able to source mandrel bends in order to fabricate a system....Literally answering with, "Well...I suppose we might be able to find that, but that's going to take a lot of work to put together." Almost as if they have never heard of mandrel bent sections...I kid you not.
They made a schedule, using their calendar and their chosen dates, and broke both of them by having work on the rack at the time my car was specifically scheduled to be on the special, mandrel bend only, rack. NONE of these dates were pressured by me in any manner. I simply agreed to their suggested schedule and met my end of the agreement.
At this stage I am more than 2.5 months used waiting for my broken appointments...by the shop that made the appointments.
All of this nicely covered in a thick layer of excuses about how they can't this and they can't that.
I am trying my very best to remain civil, and not say a buch of things that are on my mind, while telling you this story.
The shop is terribly messy.
The shop will tell you they can do anything you want, then tell you they can't when you are there....They will also showcase and talk about other shops shoddy work, with displays on the wall and descriptions too boot. This whole thing really set me off because this is a pretty dang simple exhaust even if the space is tight...Header to collector is already there, fabricate and install pipe down the underside of the car with a couple bends, two mufflers, up and over the axle and out the rear of the car....STANDARD STUFF.
Like I said, Drew was pretty good to me, and to be honest, I get the impression he is a bit stuck with what the boss is doing while he has to be the face to face person making up the excuse today.
The other guy (Todd I think, but I am super horrible with names, to an embarassing level) who is supposed to be the mandrel bend guy, was also polite, but he was the one doing to double talking and telling me he can't this and he can't that while at the same time telling me how they can build just about any custom system.
Anyway, my time with Tim's Custom Exhaust in Coon Rapids, MN was not enjoyable.
I spent way, way, way too much time accomodating their poor business practices.
While I will not be going on a "ban Tim's jihad" I will tell as many people as I can about what happend to me while trying....and trying again...and trying yet again, to allow them to build me a custom exhaust like it states on the front of the building....
My personal accomplishment over this whole thing?
I did not swear even once....big deal for me for this is my worst habit when I get upset.
I remained polite, calm, and in problem solving/suggestion mode the entire time.
I was kind to both Drew and Todd, even when they started telling me things like "we did not know you wanted a mandrel bent system."
In the end I think this whole steaming pile of wasted time was a test for me rather than a failure of Tim's shop....eventhough Tim's failed with flying colors.
