Dark-side of back street mechanics

[mk3.owner]

Ok, My better half has a Mk1 Renault Clio Phase 2. Last week the clutch had gone on the car and as she uses it to get too and from work the clutch needed to be done asap. I kept phoning around all the local garages getting quote's and the cheapest i could find was £230 as the sub-frame had to be dropped.

I then came across a 'Back Street Garage' and he said he would do the whole lot for £130 if i supply the clutch, Me being me thought it was a right result. So i dropped the car off to him and 2 day's later picked it up. When driving home I felt a really bad wobble (Almost felt like I had dinner plates for wheel's).

Parked the car and up and had a look around and this is what I found..

First of all the sub frame..



Then the ball joint

[Jimble]

WTF! Did you take it back??

[Bellend]

This is true. But I've seen it at Kwik-Fit and Mr Clutch etc.

My now ex-boss left a Polo subframe loose, balljoints loose arb loose and the car came back with half a 13mm bolt still in the nearside balljoint. It was the parts suppliers fault apparently because they should tighten new balljoints. But somehow the other balljoont, arbitrary and subframe didn't matter. Told the customer it was the parts supply fault.

He wasn't in when it came back so I sorted it for him. Luckily I wasn't in when he did it. Otherwise I'd have got the blame.

[mcgee9t2]

 

but as said, ive seen that sort of thing done by more main stream garages.

[VW BUSH]

Lets hope he did the clutch properly...............

[mk3.owner]

WTF! Did you take it back??

Yeah and he said he wanted an extra £50 to touch the car 

Lets hope he did the clutch properly...............

Clutch work's fine.... Thankfully Lol 

If I went to a more 'Known' garage then I would have kicked up more a fuss but i suppose you get what you pay for aye 

[VW BUSH]

WTF! Did you take it back??

Yeah and he said he wanted an extra £50 to touch the car 

Lets hope he did the clutch properly...............

Clutch work's fine.... Thankfully Lol 

That cos three bolts holding the plate on are still just tight enough
Take it back and make scene, they naffed your ball joint as well.
The boss might not know how shoddy his blokes are, trading standards would be interested in un safe work like that it could have killed someone.
Just because it was cheap does not mean you should accept it, unless he is a 6'6" monster of course

[mk3.owner]

WTF! Did you take it back??

Yeah and he said he wanted an extra £50 to touch the car 

Lets hope he did the clutch properly...............

Clutch work's fine.... Thankfully Lol 

That cos three bolts holding the plate on are still just tight enough
Take it back and make scene, they naffed your ball joint as well.
The boss might not know how shoddy his blokes are, trading standards would be interested in un safe work like that it could have killed someone.
Just because it was cheap does not mean you should accept it, unless he is a 6'6" monster of course

Well when i went back and they told me it was an extra £50 to touch the car i just laughed and asked them if they were winding me up.. Let's just say his facial expression didn't change 

Im not that fussed about it now to be honest i've replaced the ball joint and tightened the bolt up and car seem's fine so far, Touch wood..

[Mr GTD]

Ah man! That's shocking

Hope the car remains safe...

[JC]

if its too good, or cheap to be true, then it normal is

The End