Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Randy From Ohio

On 03 February 2017, Randy contacted VTC&CCC through the telephone voice mail number shown in the header above. Here's an excerpt of his message:
Hello, my name is Randy [...] I'm calling from Ohio. I am the owner of a nineteen, yeah you know where this is going don't ya? A nineteen ninety-seven Oldsmobile Aurora. I purchased an engine from Tim Carroll a few years back--in twenty fourteen. It ran good, started smoking [in 2016], against my better judgment I sent it back to Tim, for what we believed to be a [blown] head gasket and [Carroll] confirmed it was a head gasket failure and was going to fix it ~but~ about a few weeks later [Carroll] sent me an email saying, he found some other things and he was going to build me a brand new engine and warranty it and everything and [Carroll's] going to get right on it. That was in probably early November [2016] and we've been playing patty-cake for the past three months trying to get the engine back from [Carroll]. Carroll's told me repeatedly that it's finished, ready to go but you know, it just never arrives. [Carroll] doesn't give me a tracking number. [Carroll's} promised me the moon the sun and the stars on this motor and I finally got smart and I did a Google search of Tim Carroll complaints and a whole new world opened before me.
The very next morning, Randy emailed Carroll the following one sentence email:
 ------ Original message------
From: [REDACTED]@aol.com
Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2017 9:23 AM
To: carrollcadillac@live.com
Cc: Subject:Thanks Tim
You're stealing my engine from me, aren't you?

To which Carroll replied in typical Tim Carroll fashion:
From: Carroll Custom Cadillac carrollcadillac@live.com
To: [REDACTED] [REDACTED]@aol.com
Sent: Sat, Feb 4, 2017 10:48 am
Subject: Re: Thanks Tim

Holy Shit!
Are you kidding me? What kind of BS is that?
Okay! You still wonder why I am ending this shit!
I just seen that my email was blank?
I had no idea and in one day you write me this!!!!
I did not know my went blank??????

I have suffered dearly at that hands of these bastards to the point of shutting this down!
It is all I could do to get far and you are only one of several I am finishing up!
Then every one of you can deal with Jake from here on out!
You all deserve Jake! Not one of you ever stood up and had my back while I fought that bastard every day for the last 5 years.
Not only are you getting this damn engine, but what you just said will permanently ennd our relationship.
Hey why do add that BS statement you just made to the blog of Edward!
The only thing I am looking forward too is never dealing with another owner or Liar!

Okay bro! That was it! We are no longer friends and you are 100% wrong!
You will get the complete fresh engine in just a few days!
I offered to cover any fees your mechanic put on you! Holy crap!
You chose the wrong words Randy!
Oh well, I suppose you were never any different then the rest of them.

How diappointing.
On well, I am done with all this and not one lie told that caused all this will ever affect me again.
I will let you know when it leaves here, then we will never communicate again.

Thank you!
Sent from my LG V10, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Four days later Randy replied:
From: REDACTED@aol.com
Date: Wed, Feb 8, 2017 10:57 PM
To: carrollcadillac@live.com
Cc: Subject:
Re: Thanks Tim

Hey Tim,

Sorry for taking so long to respond to your rant. I found it to be both thoughtful and well-considered.

Are you telling me now that YES! I'm stealing your engine and there's not a damn thing you can do about it? It sure seems that way.[...] And who is this Ed guy? Can you provide me with his contact information? I would like to talk to him.

Of course, you could honor your word and send me a tracking number.

Less than two hours later Carroll responded:

-----Original Message-----
From: Carroll Custom Cadillac carrollcadillac@live.com
To: REDACTED REDACTED@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Feb 9, 2017 12:37 am
Subject: Re: Thanks Tim

Michael Bromely will be sending all the paperwork to me and to whoever he was dealing with before?
Anyway, pay close attention to your emails in the morning.
I did not have to build you a fresh engine!

No matter? You can't come back from all your hateful words and accusations.

So enjoy my build!

You have a great life!
Sent from my LG V10, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

And again that afternoon:
-----Original Message-----
From: Carroll Custom Cadillac carrollnorthstar@live.com
To: REDACTED REDACTED@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Feb 9, 2017 1:50 pm
Subject: Its underway!
I am not the one who has or will have the tracking number, whoever did this last with my freight service is who will have all that info! I think that was your mechanic!

It will be picked up tomorrow, I can't see any reason at this time it will be delayed.

I had to correct a few things with my freight service Randy, to give you the same prices I have or it would of been three times the cost!
The crap that has happened made things very difficult and is what made our decision to end our Cadillac Northstar business, now we can do what we love and go on without anymore hassle.

I am pursuing those involved, not Jake he is in touchable. But those that live here is touchable so I will be fine, we will do just fine, but no more of this crap!

I wish you had not said those things, I always had your back, and I would never do what you said I was doing! That was very hurtful, I have NEVER been that kind of person!

Hope this engine last you a lifetime!

By Valentines Day, Randy still had to shipping confirmation or tracking number. He emailed Carroll again:
------ Original message------
From: REDACTED@aol.com
Date: Tue, Feb 14, 2017 10:57 PM
To: carrollcadillac@live.com;
Cc:
Subject: engine?
Tim,
I cannot find anything confirming the freight company is in possession of the crate. They also state the following: "Crate is being dropped off to R&L this afternoon." We have always understood that they were to pick it up? Has that changed?
-Randy

Carroll replied:
-----Original Message-----
From: Carroll Custom Cadillac carrollcadillac@live.com
To: REDACTED REDACTED@aol.com
Sent: Wed, Feb 15, 2017 12:55 am
Subject: Re: engine?
No Randy it has NOT!
Michael spoke to me today about last night's all heavy rain storm! He knows trucks cannot make it up during rain due to the clay mud/dirt here! It was rescheduled for tomorrow if the nasty ground is hard enough! I will be talking to him in the morning and may need to transport it to our Wal Mart where I can meet the driver! I will know early morning.

I did not know it was going to rain all night so I had all 6 wheels off my King Ranch! It is so long it stuck a foot and a half out of my shop! I was unable to get them balanced yesterday so I spent the night in my 5th wheel where I could watch the open shop!!! Then it started pouring rain and bro! There was nothing I could do except sit it my recliner next to the window and watch my shop flood! Ugh! Lol I thought we were going to have a slight drizzle but soon I realized how bad and just sit there in comfort and watch my shop flood out! No way to close the roll up in that bay! Wish I had a smaller truck! Lol
Anyway! I will let you as soon as Michael calls.
Sent from my LG V10, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

On 16 February 2017 at 2135, Randy emailed your friendly blogger:
Ed - It looks like the motor is on its way. He sent me a tracking number with R/L Carriers showing it was picked up around 5:30 this afternoon. Apparently, he had to haul it somewhere to meet them as he sent me a photo of my crate in the back of his truck. Said crate is due to arrive Monday, probably Tuesday. Regardless, Tony, my mechanic is going to go through it and find out if its worthy of installing or not. Will keep you posted,
-Randy
Randy had the engine shipped directly to his mechanic, Tony Mckinney, owner of Complete Auto Repair and Performance, LLC, in Farmersville, Ohio.

On 07 March 2017, Randy emailed me an update. He wrote that,
"Upon mounting the motor onto an engine stand, the mechanic was alerted to a little "jingling" sound when rotating the engine. Upon removing the oil pan (which easily detached as it was not sealed with adhesive), he found a nickel-sized washer. There are also a lot of metal shavings on the underside of one of the cylinder bores."


On 18 March 2017, Randy emailed me again:
"The big news: This isn't my engine. Here is how I know: When we were loading the motor for shipment to Texas back in October, I noticed a casting defect in the block. There was a small, pea-sized hole on one end. Could this be what caused the engine to lose coolant? Is this the source of all my troubles? I took a picture to bring it to Carroll's attention. There was no indication of any leaks however. Upon further inspection, the shop determined that it was just an empty cavity and was harmless. Fast forward four months. After the spare washer falls out in the oil pan, I remember the picture. Comparing that photo to the same place on this engine revealed no hole, just some light dirt and grime. This is a different engine. Tony also discovered light rust on one side of each cam lobe. He explained that was the result of setting outside missing the valve covers for awhile. Now I'm thinking he just crated up an old engine after tossing an old washer into the oil pan.

Well, today when Tony pulled off the valve covers that theory was put out to pasture as the heads had been studded with his wonderful non-patented studs. In fact, it was at this point that we realized the extra washer he included was in fact the same washer used on these studs. Was one missing from the studs? Nope. They were all there."

The last I heard from Randy, he told me that he had to buy yet another engine, that his mechanic Tony installed. So far it's running fine, he said.

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