[Whtbullitt]

Just have to vent about my Procharger install nightmare I am in. If this is in the wrong spot, I apologize and please move.
I made the mistake of taking it to be installed instead of doing it myself. Between the new injector install and the Procharger, they are charging me 39 hours labor at a total cost of $4800 without a tune which is another $750.. I am beyond furious. They had 1 "issue" after another, cut off the 4" outlet pipe on the intercooler to add a 3" without my permission, didn't follow Procharger advice on the intercooler install either. They are supposedly a Procharger approved installer too. Now magically, the car developed an oil leak so they can't continue tuning it unless it's fixed. I told them give it the base tune and give me my car back. I feel like I was robbed. They are going to see if they can give me a "discount". I am waiting to see what they say and once it is finalized I will give the shop name and even more details (and there's a lot) about what I have dealt with to help warn others to stay away from this shop. I figure I'm screwed and I have no recourse but hopefully this info will help someone else. I feel like a fool.
This is for a Foxbody GT btw.

 

[96pushrod]

Good god 39 hrs? Even a novice could do it in half that time on his garage floor.

The intercooler thing wouldn’t bother me that much, and I kind of thought they came with a 3in outlet. The blower outlet is smaller than that anyways.

Regardless, 39 hrs is a lot of time for the install. Exactly what kit did you buy?

 

[q6543]

Bummer to read your post, hope you get it sorted out.

For most of us working on the cars IS the hobby.
Good luck

 

[Bentley]

I hate hiring people for any labor paid experience......... Seems like 99% of them are incompetent....

 

[GlennSullivan]

Seems excessive, even with having to install the intercooler. Is the blower self contained (no oil feed and return lines) and is it a drivers side kit (battery needed to be relocated to the trunk)?

 

[2001sleeper]

Did you buy the procharger through them?
Did you give them incomplete parts?

I could see some additional hours for sure, but 39 is definitely excessive for a professional shop.

 

[sluggish88]

Bummer to hear that fella, been down that road multiple times.

 

[Layzie]

Sounds like you had HPP in Dallas do the install 😨

The old corral saying of " You always have the money to do it right the second time" commonly occurs when someone else without emotional investment does the work.

A procharger on a fox has been done thousands of times.
Logically speaking, 39 hours means your paying for their mistakes.

 

[rednotch]

39 hrs for foxbody pro charger kit? Wtf did they hand make all the piping or something?

 

[Whtbullitt]

It is a F1A kit with a 3 core intercooler. It is driver side mounted and the battery did need relocated but that cost was separate from the above costs. The way they billed me bunched things together but it looks like they roughly charged me 14 hours labor to relocate the battery and kill switch. The kit was complete and there was nothing they had to add to it. I said that to them as well, I said Procharger started with Foxbody kits so they have been around for 30 years and done thousand of times but somehow my 50,000 mile GT is the exception. 🤬 The reason the intercooler outlet being cut bothers me is because I called Procharger and talked to the tech who then talked to the installer and that wasn't the option he suggested and I didn't approve it. I approved the way Procharger suggested.
So my car was sitting for a few years due to a divorce and I figured it would just be easier to have it all done since I don't currently have a garage I can work in. My original quote was $4900 to have a gauges installed (fuel pressure, oil temp, boost and a/f ), new fuel pump and sending unit, battery relocation and kill switch, new injectors, megasquirt install and tune, the Procharger and inspection. It also was not starting so I wanted them to diagnose that. With that, they claimed my wiring harness was shot and needed replaced. I said no, I bet it's the distributor and I was correct. So in total with the above, with me buying all the parts myself so they aren't included in the total, is $12,000. I am absolutely paying for their mistakes and using my car as a test bed apparently because they have no clue what they are doing on my car. Hell, they originally told me I needed new fuel rails with a Schrader valve! I had to tell them where it was. Plus, they've had my car since April. I'm an idiot.

 

[Layzie]

Your about to realize that most current labor in the US has been dumb-ed down to an incredible low mimicking cheap foreign policy rules all the way down the rabbit hole.

Simply put, The men who used to work on cars in the 90's and early 2000's are NOT the same quality of minds as they are today. Most of the good fabricators and pioneer's of the aftermarket industry is being forced to retire and all of that knowledge is slowly becoming lost and obsolete.


Nobody has to think anymore. These performance shop workers don't read instructions. they think they are working smarter and are "professional" by tackling problems with cutting, welding and rigging when if they just took the time to read the instructions the engineers left for them they wouldn't have to do all that unnecessary cutting, welding and "idiot fabricating" to begin with.

Point out ONE shop you've seen recently who will do a proper star pattern torque tightening on your lug nuts.... Exactly... now you think they put your transmission, clutch, pressure plate and intake, back on using a torque wrench instead of their impact?

 

[Whtbullitt]

I agree, most don't even take the time to torque wheels correctly which is why I do most of my own work. I tried to take the lazy way out on this to save me time and got screwed.

 

[96pushrod]

14 hrs for a battery relocation and kill switch install is crazy

 

[2001sleeper]

Ask if you can test drive the car to confirm the work and just drive it home.

 

[massacre]

Sorry to hear this, it kills me when shady dickheads rip people off like that.

 

[Ilusivefox]

Yikes.. More like a foxbody performance horror story. Hate to hear this..

 

[Whtbullitt]

It really is. I've owned this car since I was 18, so 28 years and I finally was at a point in life I could do a major upgrade like the Procharger and they have taken all the excitement out of it. I will be looking at possible legal action, doubtful it will work but will be talking to a lawyer.
It sucks because I'm in PA and it isn't a real hot bed for performance shops so my options were limited.

 

[Bentley]

Do you know what you have when you have ten thousand lawyers at the bottom of the sea??
A good start......

 

[stangjumper]

I'm sorry to hear this.

Wait to see if they are going to give you a"discount".

Have them break the bill down for each item to see what each part and labor for each install costs.

It wouldn't pay to get a lawyer unfortunately. IF you get anything back, it would go to their fees. You could always try small claims court If your not happy with the out come.

 

[96pushrod]

I’d rather get raped by a shop than pay a bloodsucking lawyer.

An itemized list of exactly what was done is a good idea.