Tuner Loyalties
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Oceania
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When I owned my 996TT, I was subjected to an endless array of substandard service by several different tuners. In fact, certain "lapses in service" were so egregious as to constitute outright misconduct by the tuner. I often received inaccurate and conflicting information about the status of my car. Other times, my inquires were ignored and the tuner was non-responsive for extended periods. The parade of excuses was mind-numbing. These experiences were not unique to one particular tuner. To the contrary, I experienced multiple "lapses in service" with almost every tuner I ever dealt with. In fact, the tuning experience was so intensely frustrating that it substantially contributed to my decision to sell my car.
Based on the foregoing, one would assume that my posting history on this forum would be replete with tales of tuner acrimony and substandard service. Not so. To the contrary, I refrained from publicly disclosing my tribulations. I bit my tongue and kept quiet. I let tuners get away with countless misdeeds without so much as a hint of trouble in the public domain. I allowed my tuners' skeletons to remain hidden deep in their closets.
Am I alone? Am I the only one here that has been subjected to tuner misdeeds and substandard service, without public disclosure? Is everyone else receiving exemplary service, free of shortfalls, poor performance or other missteps? The answer my friends is absolutely, unequivocally no!!!!!
I repeatedly hear about lapses in service, substandard service, and completely unacceptable conduct undertaking by most, if not all, of the marquee tuners patronizing this forum. These anecdotes are shared with me privately, but rarely make it into the public domain. The victims of these shortfalls elect, like me, to refrain from going public. They permit these skeletons to remain in the closet, beyond the peering eyes of future customers.
So why is it that so many of us are so reluctant to reveal the substandard service and/or shortfalls of the tuners we patronize. I believe the answer is two fold.
First, when we patronize a particular tuner, we become beholden to that tuner. We rely on the tuner to finish our job in a timely manner and, thereafter, to back-up his parts and labor, to honor his warranty, and to take care of our upgrades on a going forward basis. Moreover, many car owners do not have multiple options in terms of who will work on their car. For example, geographical considerations often compel the patronage of one particular tuner. Consequently, none of us want to **** off our tuner and risk delaying completion, or losing access to their services after the work is done. None of us want to risk loss of our warranty and/or after-care. We want to remain in the good graces of our tuner, so that he will take care of us as the need arises. Therefore, we remain quiet and suck it up, so as to maintain an acceptable working relationship with our tuner. We do not disclose lapses publicly because we know our tuner will be upset and we cannot risk such a riff with our tuner. We are, in essence, indentured servants of our tuners. We are beholden to them. Isn't it ironic that we are the customers and, yet, we are the ones treating our tuners with kid gloves.
Second, none of us want to admit that we may have made a poor decision when selecting a tuner. To the contrary, we all want to believe, and equally important, we want others to believe, that the tuner working on our car is the absolute best in the business, hands down, bar none. We want our tuner to be well perceived in the community because public perception of our car is directly and inextricably linked to public perception of our tuner. For example, if public perception of a particular tuner is negative, any car built by that tuner carries the negative stigma. Conversely, if a tuner is well perceived in the public eye, cars built by that tuner benefit from the positive perception. Therefore, each of us have a vested interest in promoting the public perception of our particular tuners. The posting of negative experiences would contravene that interest. Therefore, in order to elevate the status of our own cars, we seek to elevate the status of the tuner building our cars, and we conceal negative information about the tuner in order to achieve that purpose.
These opinions are neither speculation, nor mine alone, but rather, an amalgamation of the opinions and experiences of many different car enthusiasts. The skeletons are there folks – every one of the tuners here has them. I hear about them multiple times a week. Unfortunately, full public disclosure is inhibited because of overriding tuner loyalties and fear of reprisal. Fortunately, I am no longer beholden to any tuner. I am free from the shackles. It’s a great feeling!!!
Regards,
Craig
Based on the foregoing, one would assume that my posting history on this forum would be replete with tales of tuner acrimony and substandard service. Not so. To the contrary, I refrained from publicly disclosing my tribulations. I bit my tongue and kept quiet. I let tuners get away with countless misdeeds without so much as a hint of trouble in the public domain. I allowed my tuners' skeletons to remain hidden deep in their closets.
Am I alone? Am I the only one here that has been subjected to tuner misdeeds and substandard service, without public disclosure? Is everyone else receiving exemplary service, free of shortfalls, poor performance or other missteps? The answer my friends is absolutely, unequivocally no!!!!!
I repeatedly hear about lapses in service, substandard service, and completely unacceptable conduct undertaking by most, if not all, of the marquee tuners patronizing this forum. These anecdotes are shared with me privately, but rarely make it into the public domain. The victims of these shortfalls elect, like me, to refrain from going public. They permit these skeletons to remain in the closet, beyond the peering eyes of future customers.
So why is it that so many of us are so reluctant to reveal the substandard service and/or shortfalls of the tuners we patronize. I believe the answer is two fold.
First, when we patronize a particular tuner, we become beholden to that tuner. We rely on the tuner to finish our job in a timely manner and, thereafter, to back-up his parts and labor, to honor his warranty, and to take care of our upgrades on a going forward basis. Moreover, many car owners do not have multiple options in terms of who will work on their car. For example, geographical considerations often compel the patronage of one particular tuner. Consequently, none of us want to **** off our tuner and risk delaying completion, or losing access to their services after the work is done. None of us want to risk loss of our warranty and/or after-care. We want to remain in the good graces of our tuner, so that he will take care of us as the need arises. Therefore, we remain quiet and suck it up, so as to maintain an acceptable working relationship with our tuner. We do not disclose lapses publicly because we know our tuner will be upset and we cannot risk such a riff with our tuner. We are, in essence, indentured servants of our tuners. We are beholden to them. Isn't it ironic that we are the customers and, yet, we are the ones treating our tuners with kid gloves.
Second, none of us want to admit that we may have made a poor decision when selecting a tuner. To the contrary, we all want to believe, and equally important, we want others to believe, that the tuner working on our car is the absolute best in the business, hands down, bar none. We want our tuner to be well perceived in the community because public perception of our car is directly and inextricably linked to public perception of our tuner. For example, if public perception of a particular tuner is negative, any car built by that tuner carries the negative stigma. Conversely, if a tuner is well perceived in the public eye, cars built by that tuner benefit from the positive perception. Therefore, each of us have a vested interest in promoting the public perception of our particular tuners. The posting of negative experiences would contravene that interest. Therefore, in order to elevate the status of our own cars, we seek to elevate the status of the tuner building our cars, and we conceal negative information about the tuner in order to achieve that purpose.
These opinions are neither speculation, nor mine alone, but rather, an amalgamation of the opinions and experiences of many different car enthusiasts. The skeletons are there folks – every one of the tuners here has them. I hear about them multiple times a week. Unfortunately, full public disclosure is inhibited because of overriding tuner loyalties and fear of reprisal. Fortunately, I am no longer beholden to any tuner. I am free from the shackles. It’s a great feeling!!!
Regards,
Craig
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: So Bay, LA
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for someone always trying to up the ante when it comes to modifying they will never be happy and will always push the tuner to beyond the edge. when you play the game at this level you are on your own. better to fold.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 211
From: Johns Creek, GA
Rep Power: 29
How many of you guys pushing the envelope wish you never started and had all your money back?
I know the disease starts at a flash and exhaust, and this thread is acting like a vaccine for me.
I know the disease starts at a flash and exhaust, and this thread is acting like a vaccine for me.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,595
From: NY
Rep Power: 331
Say it LOUD bro!!!!
...If I would do it again. I would of left it a 700 kit & be done. 
But in all reality I would not take anything back. All the hours we have in the car make it even sweeter when it knocks off bad *** times at the track.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,083
From: Texas
Rep Power: 673
I have gotten so much enjoyment from my cars that I have few regrets. Fortunately I was lucky enough not to have taken too many misteps and was very calculating in my purchases. However one has to understand that modding a car takes lots of money that you will never see again. I financed my car passion w/ money I made in the real estate run up of 2000-2005 (mind you, I started back in 1986, bought my first house when I was 24 and it took 20 years of busting my *** to make the big money from 2000-2005). I could not do it again on my little college teaching salary.
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 6,453
From: CT
Rep Power: 439
I've spent much more money in the past building cars that weren't as fast and weren't Porsches to boot. I don't have a lot of money in my car as far as mods go, but the performance speaks for itself and I have my tuner, in great part, to thank for that, so yeah, I'm loyal to my tuner...
Former Vendor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,023
From: Orlando, FL
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Building it is half the fun, driving it after building it is the other half. I have a hard time leaving any car stock, I always regret the money spent, but yet continue to build the hell out of anything I drive.
We sometimes get to carried away... I was on the verge of making my car undrivable on the street (unless I wanted to replace tires every 1000 miles) and I was sitting in it one day trying to have a conversation on my phone while driving, and couldn't HEAR one of my employees telling me something important. I had to pull over and stop to have a conversation... That's when I was at the point of "turn it into a full on track car or return it to street civility"! When is it to much? I don't know what others levels of acceptance are... But if it is going to be a street car, I have to be able to enjoy it in Washington DC rush hour traffic, Long hours plus drives to the mountains or the beach, and no headaches or worries about it breaking on me...
That's not a "tuner" issue... That's a "Realistic owners" issue... And that's an issue I think that more often than not, creates the problems... The "interweb" is a wonderfully bad influence on us. We see someone's youtube doing such and such and we want to "Do that" or "be that guy"... At what cost? At what compromise? Then we start ringing vendors until we find someone who tells us what we want to hear, without telling us the bad... Or without us wanting to HEAR the bad... And now we're proceeding down a path... often with no planning... No exit strategy... no local support (for many). And we wonder why we fail.
I can link 10 or more threads where a member has done this... At the end of the day, whose fault is it? The Tuner/Vendor?
As the saying gets proven again and again... There's a sucker born every minute...
Just my $.02
Mike
That's not a "tuner" issue... That's a "Realistic owners" issue... And that's an issue I think that more often than not, creates the problems... The "interweb" is a wonderfully bad influence on us. We see someone's youtube doing such and such and we want to "Do that" or "be that guy"... At what cost? At what compromise? Then we start ringing vendors until we find someone who tells us what we want to hear, without telling us the bad... Or without us wanting to HEAR the bad... And now we're proceeding down a path... often with no planning... No exit strategy... no local support (for many). And we wonder why we fail.
I can link 10 or more threads where a member has done this... At the end of the day, whose fault is it? The Tuner/Vendor?
As the saying gets proven again and again... There's a sucker born every minute...
Just my $.02
Mike
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Singapore
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Unfortunately I cant remember what its like to drive a Porsche turbo... my car has been in the workshop for the last 7 months getting its engine rebuilt and putting the PE700 on the car... its not through lack of trying that my mechanic cant get it right, its just a learning experience as far as I am concerned. Mind you once its done I really don't intend on modifying it any further as I would love to get in it and drive it again...
Patience is a virtue.... or at least thats what my parents always told me.
Patience is a virtue.... or at least thats what my parents always told me.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 961
From: Elk Grove, CA
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It took me almost an hour to go thru this discussion thread, and after all was said and done, I feel a bit better informed about modding...and have decided that I fall within the entry level to mid-range and conservative element here. I am quite content to know when to call it quits...."know when to fold'em" so to speak. I wish t0 thank the original author of the lead and the other constructive contributors to this discussion thread. It took a few scenic departures from the original direction, but was nonetheless informative and useful. Although relatively few specific names were mentioned....it didn't take much to figure out who was being discussed...sometimes by simply looking down at the signature block....or geographical region of the author. All in all....this was a good thread.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: The Woodlands, TX
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This thread is interesting. What makes it valid also makes it weak. No specific vendors were named so it is more credible than the typical "tuner bashing/praising" threads, yet this omission offers little help to those seeking feedback.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Houston, TX
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Speaking of Elephants, huh!?
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: rocklin ca
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my 1st porsche was a 76 turbo, iwas a corvette restorer till then, everything had to be stock till then . and sunddly it was ok to mod well all i wanted to to was get rid if the lage, the things got worse and over moded. sold tha car found a 86 t in santa rosa ca,this on was going to reamain stock. well that lasted for about a month and the mods stated all over again. and then came the 01. everyone said they were so fast ! so i knew i could live mode free. that lasted till i drove outa the truck, it went right to my tuner and i'm still moddin, will it ever stop????