September 10, 2007
WARNING: MY RECENT EXPERIENCE
WITH CUSTOM PISTONS
Update!! - We received a phone call from Race Engineering expressing
concern over what transpired and an apology for our experience. We
appreciate the call and hope that something positive can come out of what
happened. We'll keep the original text here that prompted the
call...
Be careful when using a piston
company in Florida called “Race Engineering.” We ordered a set of
pistons on 3-27-07 and were told a 3 week delivery. These were custom
pistons so I assumed 5 or 6 weeks. John, my salesperson, had nothing good
to say about my regular piston manufacturer, Venolia, so I should have
worried then.
At 6 weeks and no progress, I
became the squeaky wheel. I needed to talk to the engineer and was not
allowed. What was supposed to be an easy project for Race Engineering, who
uses CP Pistons out of California, became a harder project than they
expected. They then upped the price. I agreed if it could get
started.
At 8 weeks, they decided they
couldn’t do the project after all and were simply going to send my
examples and old pistons back to me and I was just out of luck. I
contacted JE Pistons, a different Piston manufacturer, and they said “no
problem."
It then took 2 weeks for John at
Race Engineering, who said the examples were at CP Pistons, to get my
examples sent to the new manufacturer, JE Pistons. Both places are in
Huntington Beach, Ca.!!
This is the worst service of any
kind I have experienced as an engine builder and felt my experience should
be known. CP Pistons may have a good product, however I never saw one.
Both Venolia Pistons and JE Pistons are products I have used and are both
upright and courteous people to deal with. Because of Race Engineering in
Florida, it took 16 weeks to get my custom pistons. Beware!!
Kent Prather
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