Kustom Metal Werks - Page 2

petek · #21 (**permalink**) 03-24-2002, 01:12 PM

Ron,

I read the threads over at the GT40s forum a while back. Not encouraging. I just hope that when the roll bar finally shows it that it'll be worth the wait.

I'm going to talk to my body shop fellow next week and see what he'd charge to install the roll bar after the paint and body work. I just can't wait any longer! (My 72 year old father is going to be down from Anchorage in May ... and I'm going to give him a ride in the "finished" Cobra, roll bar or not.)

Best of luck to everyone who is waiting for everything from Kustom!

Pete

exrodder · #22 (**permalink**) 03-24-2002, 04:04 PM

Guys,

I guess I can't direct to any person as it appears that there is a big number of us out there that have unfortunately gotten into this situation.
I have had headers, sidepipes order from this man since the middle of October. I know, quality takes time. The issuse isn't qualilty, but honesty and integrity. I have been told by him several times that all parts had been shipped only to receive my roll bar that was shipped 4 days after I talked to him and was guarranteed that it had been shipped 2 weeks earlier. Sidepipes can and had dent that was sanded over at shop and sent out. Headers had been sent out and you'll receive them in 2 weeks. This story was good for 2 times. I guess he forgot he had told me that a couple of times earlier. Forget about getting replys on email. He only wants to answer emails from new customer who haven't had dealing from previously. On last conversation with him, I was tole that headers would be sent out by weeks end and would be there in 1 week. Guess what? That was last week. Don't think he would lie to me again do you?
If headers do show up this week, I will apologize for this last display of no confidence in his word, but it's hard to overlook the other lies. Check other email that he replied to, good attitude to a customer about whining. He said we should work on cars instead of having nose stuck in compter. Thats great thinking only of I had my headers to work with. With I had stuck my nose in computer earlier! I doubt that I would be writing this as I would NOT have gotten involved with this man. This is not whining and p*****g and moaning like he accused other customer of doing. As Sergeant Friday used to say. Only the truth.
Word of advice to new builders who need header/sidepipes/rollbars. If you want quality, order from this man, as his quality of work has never been a question. If you want quality and want to be lied to constantly order from this man
as this is where the question lies.

exrodder

dscott · #23 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 07:34 AM

I don't quite understand how George can let things go on so long for some of his customers. I must be on his good side for awhile. I ordered another roll bar about 3 weeks ago and I received it last week. I can live with that time frame. Hey George, how about responding with the truth on why some customers have waited so long for your product. As everyone has said the quality is great. You have many happy customers as well. Why not tell the truth and see if things can't be worked out?

Petek, I have a Classic roll bar here if you want to use it for placement. It is a little larger diameter than George's but the dimensions are the same. I'd be happy to send it to you so your body man can cut the holes.
Don

petek · #24 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 08:20 AM

Don,

Thanks ... and you've got mail!

Pete

exrodder · #25 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 10:46 AM

I forgot to mention in last post that every time that I talked to george over phone and requested UPS tracking number to verify that parts had been sent, that he has excuses that he had someone else do that. When contacted by email and requested same, he would just say that EVERYTHING was sent out. Somehow, he forgot/neglected to send tracking number. I am sure that he is busy shifting stories around, but hey, just tell me the truth. That is all I had ever asked. I had tome him that time frame wasn't the issue here, just being told the truth on delivery dates. Also had excuses that guy that shipped parts wasn't in to work, not having parts from suppliers, can't imagine why parts weren't delivered because they were shipped 2 weeks ago. I can't wait until parts don't arrive this week ( as he has stated thay they would) to see what next excuse is. Kinda wearing thin on excuses. OH well, we all have to have an experience like this to smarten up a little more. I can't remember ever having this much trouble with the parts manufacturers of street rods, but I'm sure someone else has. Stay tuned to the continuing saga of Where's My Parts?

exrodder

petek · #26 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 10:54 AM

I agree: I just want to know WHEN I'll get the parts. I can't plan around the parts if I don't know WHEN!

... and ditto your experience: would have shipped it but we lost your address, shipped last week, no, wait they FORGOT to ship it, ships today, no, wait, the gal was out sick, and on and on.

Now he won't return my phone calls or emails.

Agh!

Pete

dscott · #27 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 12:03 PM

Pete, I do have a Kustom Metal Roll bar here that I don't need for a couple of weeks. If you can guarantee me I'll get it back from you by then I'll ship it to you. Otherwise the CR roll bar is no hurry. I didn't get an e-mail from you so give me a call and we can work out something.
Don 1-888-722-6272

petek · #28 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 12:09 PM

Man I love this place! Don ... your phone is ringing!

Pete

exrodder · #29 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 11:57 PM

Pete,

I just hope that this opens up the eyes of new builders who haven't yet been bitten by this problem and they steer clear of this situation. I wish I had known about this before I placed my order.
Some say that to get quality you have to wait. That is all well and good, BUT, there is a limit to the amount of times that someone lies to me before you get tire of it. Usually once is enough, but this is just the beginning I'm afraid. I am in same boat as you and he isn't answering my email either. Getting tired of getting answering machine and not getting calls returned so I figured that emails were better. At least I wasn't paying to be lied to. He sure has a varied set of excuses for not getting work out and shipped. I bet he was really good in school with homework excuses. Let me know IF and WHEN you get your parts. I was supposed to have mine last week for the umpteenth time. Then short email said begining of this week, but he neglected to include tracking number so I could verity that it had been shipped. His person who shipped it probably forgot/wasn't in/dog ate number, so on and so forth.

Sure tries a person's patience, doesn't it!

exrodder

Tim Votaw · #30 (**permalink**) 03-26-2002, 02:59 AM

Unfortunate to see this still going on. I posted an almost identical set of circumstances with this fellow in Consumer Watch, under the same topic, back in Y2000. Deja vu.....

Good welder & fabricator, but poor business practices and a master at excuses.

Something about leopards and spots, I guess.

Tim

petek · #31 (**permalink**) 03-26-2002, 07:57 AM

Don - thanks again for the offer, but it was a full-width roll bar that I needed. (Imagine, offering to let somebody he's never met borrow some parts! WOW, Don, you're quite a fellow!)

exrodder - I'll let you know when I finally do get the roll bar.

everyone else - my CR Cobra build started with CR having all sorts of back orders ... and promises of shipment dates and the like and all lies. Just seems strangely fitting that the build would end in the same fashion but with a different vendor. Fortunately I'll be able to finish the Cobra and even drive it without the roll bar (although my wife says I'll have to keep the speed under 15 mph until I've got that roll bar)!

The thing that bothers me more than anything else is the lies. I can deal with delivery dates months in the future ... I can't deal with plans and schedules put into place based upon lies.

From what I've read, Kustom does great fabrication work. I wonder, however, if Kustom will be receiving any more opportunities to demonstrate their fabrication ability (as everyone seems to already be finding alternative sources).

Sigh.

But then again ... I started the Cobra up Sunday evening to make sure the old (bad) gas was no longer causing a fouling problem. Man that car sounds sweet! Got to get those new mufflers on order (already have the clamps on order). I ought to call DV about that steering column, would be nice to have the ignition switch on the dash ... with a push button starter. And the weather is FINALLY starting to get warm. Suppose to be 68 degrees on Thursday.

Life is good!

exrodder · #32 (**permalink**) 03-27-2002, 10:24 AM

Yet another request to this person for UPS tracking number to verify shipment. This makes 4 in last 2 weeks for headers that I was told would be shipped almost 2 weeks ago. Now this story and variations of it has been told 3 times previously. Still no reply with number only reply was"headers will be there beginning of week". He neglected to say which week this time. I guess he didn't want anyone to get the idea that his word was not on the level of his quality of work.

To save me time in typing this every day, I guess I'll just copy this and post it every day until they show up. At least MY story will stay the same from day to day and week to week!

exrodder

exrodder

exrodder · #33 (**permalink**) 03-28-2002, 11:12 AM

well another week has gone by almost with no reply by email or phone on my requests for tracking number or status on parts. I guess he doesn't want to talk to anyone because by now he has surely run out of excuses to use or has trouble remember stories that he has told to cover his lack of honesty and integrity.
I'm sure that when he reads this and other posts, it will be an even longer delay in receiving my parts, but hey,someone has to call it like they see it. Like Dennis Miller says, "it's only my opinion, I could be wrong" So prove me wrong George. Maybe this will get a response as previoius emails and phone messages have done no good
exrodder

exrodder · #34 (**permalink**) 03-29-2002, 08:01 PM

Guys,

Just want to let you know, headers showed up on Good Friday.
Whey were shipped by postal service. The box had a wholde bumch of stamps on it. George could have avoided a lot of ill feeling if he had just replyed to my numerous requests for information and been truthful when he did reply. Now next thing is "getting my nose out of boob tube (computer?) and working on car". I learned a valuable lesson while my nose was stuck in here. Check out ClubCobra sites before making any decisions.
At least I will be more informed in future decision made with the help of this forum.

Thanks guys,

exrodder

petek · #35 (**permalink**) 03-29-2002, 08:07 PM

exrodder,

Great to hear that you got your headers!!! Maybe he'll have time to finish my roll bar. What phone numbers do you have for the fellow ... he's not returning my calls or emails.

aumoore · #36 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 07:25 AM

exrodder
Glad to see that old George came thru for you and I hope that the quality was worth the wait and broken promises. At least you got your parts and only had to wait a few extra weeks. There are some manufacturers in the Cobra business who never ship the parts, tell lies and if they ever ship the parts years later then they are of poor quality.

I bet the pipes are of very good quality. If only George could just tell people that it will take a few months instead of telling you he can ship them out in a few days or weeks.

If any of you order from George do not expect parts in a couple of days just order far enoug in advance and then workon something else. I think he has a little more work than he can do in just a couple of days.

Don · #37 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 04:07 PM

George @ Kustom Metal Werks:

Phone : 208.482.7054

E-mail: gt40werks@idahograpevine.net

petek · #38 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 08:06 PM

Don,

Thanks but that's the number I've been calling (and getting an answering machine, on which I continually leave the same message: just tell me WHEN I'll receive the full-width roll bar).

I'm going to continue emailing and calling ... maybe he'll get sick of hearing my voice and email address!

Don · #39 (**permalink**) 03-31-2002, 06:22 AM

PeteK:

The address I have:

George Cochran
Kustom Metal Werks
20762 Fargo Road
Wilden , ID 83676

To the best of my knowledge, George uses USPS, received my order via Parcel Post, rather than UPS or FedExGrd for his shipments,

I will be posting my experience with KMW

Don

petek · #40 (**permalink**) 03-31-2002, 02:45 PM

I emailed George again yesterday and received a reply that he'll be shipping next week. I'll see if I can get a tracking number ...