Acespeed Mini Specialist in Shipley/Canal Road Bradford - AVOID
Turbo Mini Forums

I've never felt the need to write a bad review about a company before, but I had such a bad experience from Acespeed in Shipley last week, ive never been so insulted in my whole life - let alone not by a professional company!!

I dont know how much detail to go into, i am really wound up about how Andy the owner spoke to me, ive never been shouted at or insulted so much in my life!!




After replacing all the front suspension on my Corsa, including ball joints, trackrod ends, wheel bearings, full poly bushes to go with the new coilover suspension, i needed to get it set up properly. I wanted the camber and tracking done by someone who has race experience, and i was recommended to go to Acespeed.

I spoke to Andy, the owner, and told him i wanted my car set up properly, and that everything was new under the front end, and i told him i would roughtly set my tracking and camber by eye, and then drive it there steadily. Ive heard stories of him overcharging customers there before, and so i wanted to set a price for how much it would cost, He said its £40 an hour, and he said i was very unfair for expecting him to give me a set price, because he said it might take up to 2 or 3 hours!! I said my budget is £50 and he aggreed if it was a cash job, and if all the nuts and bolts were free'd up and not tight, he would set my front wheels camber and tracking for £50.

After freeing up all the bolts, which most were new anyway, I took my car down for my appointment, and I told the guy when i dropped it off that everything was new, and nothing was over-tight. I also told him, aswell as andy, that i had just guessed the tracking and camber and it would not be right. Everything was free up like the steering track rods etc. and i asked when i should come back. He said "it will be ready in under an hour."

Because of this, i decided rather than go back to work, i would just go round bradford and come back after an hour. An hour and 15 mins later i came back, the car was off the ramp. I was told by Andy that he justed needed to test drive it, and then my car was thrashed up and down the road right in front of my eyes. I dont drive my car like an idiot, so why should anyone else!

I was told the car was ready, and i took it away. On my next journey after, I drove up to masham and back, and everytime i went roudn a corner or roundabout the car would veer off to one side, and almost slide off the road, even at slow speeds!

I drove steady all the way back, jacked the car up when i got home, and found that the camber adjusting bolts were completely different on both sides. When i checked the tightness, they were not even tight!


I phoned Andy up at Acespeed, and i was really nice about it when i told him what has happened, and i have never been so insulted in my whole life! He completely blew a gasket, he said "are you telling me i dont know how to do my job" and he said how he has "years of experience in motorracing and we set everything to 0.1 of a degree", he called me a liar and said to bring the car back to him and he will check it.

When someones guilty of something, or when they havent done a proper job of something, the most common thing to happen is for them to get defensive.

He said "how can you drop the car off, then come back 15 mins later and expect it to be done". I said "when i dropped it off, the young lad said it would be ready within an hour, so i came back and hour and 15 mins later". Then he just went insane! he accused me of rushing him to do it fast, i came back over an hour after!! I was completley layed back when i returned, i was more than happy to leave my car for longer if they had a problem!! I just wish they had told me!

I asked him about the loose bolts, he said "we checked the camber and it was fine", well it certainly wasnt because i did it by guessing, and i know for a fact that both sides were not the same, one was about 1mm more to the left on the top coilover, which would have made a massive difference on overall camber!!


Sorry for this really long post, but I know for A FACT that they didnt do the camber. They made a mistake and forgot to do it, but still charged me for setting it. I told the guy that the camber bolts weren't tight, and they should have done them.



I know mistakes happen, and when i rung up i was fine and cheerfull as i always am, but he was a complete arse with me! Leaving them bolts loose could have been dangerous, but i was not annoyed at all and i didnt deserve to be spoke to how he was. If he was in a bad mood or stressed then he should not have vented it out onto me.


I have tightened the bolts again now, but i have no idea where they should have been, and i am going to have to have my tracking done again because adjusting the camber makes the tracking go out too. After the way Andy spoke to me on the phone there is no way i am taking my car back to him or recommending anyone else to go there!

There is no way i will be taking my mini to Acespeed, and its not that i dont want them to leave my steering loose and still charge me, its because i dont ever want to be spoke to like that again!

Previous Engine: 1040cc Morespeed engine, 1275 turbo head T2 Turbo Mirage Manifolds Megajolt
Previous engine: STD metro turbo, megajolt
Drives: 399bananahp (flywheel) Honda Civic Vtec b18c4 T28 Turbo 1968 Mini

Megajolt maps to download: http://www.jamesfawcett.co.uk/cms/index.ph...&gid=3&Itemid=3

A link to acespeeds website
http://www.acespeed.co.uk/about.htm

Previous Engine: 1040cc Morespeed engine, 1275 turbo head T2 Turbo Mirage Manifolds Megajolt
Previous engine: STD metro turbo, megajolt
Drives: 399bananahp (flywheel) Honda Civic Vtec b18c4 T28 Turbo 1968 Mini

Megajolt maps to download: http://www.jamesfawcett.co.uk/cms/index.ph...&gid=3&Itemid=3

pay peanuts.........

ive been stung too mate, i left my old cooper with a company for nearly weeks once when i first put coil overs on

i went back to get it, and it was parked in the exact same spot in their huge car park

he claimed he had spent hours on the ramp trying to get it right, but he thinks my rear subframe must be twisted badly

i informed him politely that it did not even have a rear subframe, the look on his face was priceless, he hadnt even looked at it!

So then he dropped the price to £260!

BAC

do yourself a favour

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/Pro...ORT&pcode=ADACG

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

well written james .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

go to trading standards if your not happy, that should give him something to think about,

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

hmm, another bad company ending in 'speed' !

http://turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=170151

Previous Engine: 1040cc Morespeed engine, 1275 turbo head T2 Turbo Mirage Manifolds Megajolt
Previous engine: STD metro turbo, megajolt
Drives: 399bananahp (flywheel) Honda Civic Vtec b18c4 T28 Turbo 1968 Mini

Megajolt maps to download: http://www.jamesfawcett.co.uk/cms/index.ph...&gid=3&Itemid=3

the quote i got for the same on my mini was double that however my car was set up spot on an very happy i was to, obviously theres going to be exceptions and if a company gives you a quote then they should stick to it and give the service you expect, personally i would not have paid after seeing him tear up the street as i think this clearly gives the indication he dont give a rats arse about your car.

Trading standards is your friend here however they will insist you take the car back to him for issues to be resolved before they will help to much further, something you may not be willing to do.

So should this firm now be known as Arsespeed??

we accept James complaint and quite happy to refund any monies charged and i was the chap he spoke to (Andy) i appolagise for my attitude to him.We did say he could come back for it re checking but understand if he though i was an arse that he wouldnt want to. James just phone and i will arrange a refund for you including any travel expenses thank you Andy

If James is correct then this is too little to late imo.

This is what gives garages a bad name and why people are reluctant to use them.

If you cant do the work then say so, if you need more time on a job then say so and dont just give a car back that could be a potential death trap.

If you offer a service to the public then you cant throw a strop at them either.. very poor.

fair enough i reckon.

““A turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.”” - Jeremy Clarkson

In my opinion it takes a man to have the guts to stand up and admit he is wrong and apologise, so I think Acespeed deserves credit for that, and has probably learned a lesson of the bad publicity that has ensued as well.

im sorry we didnt reply on here sooner but have only logged in for first time today, but agree totally with what you say about service to the public and will be looking into what went wrong tomorrow when back at work

Have to say, this is the BEST possible response to any thread in this section. Good on you Andy.

well written andy !

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Well, it's not that well written.

im should be I'm
didnt should be didn't
monies should be money
appolagise should be appologise
re checking should be rechecking

And there are no periods.

Quite rubbish if you ask me.

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

Out of interest Andy, how did you find out the comments were on this site?

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

sounds like this company has been let off easy on here then.

I'm ashamed