4/16/2015

53: Engine Fiasco

After months of silence there is finally something to report. 

Recap: We purchased an engine--as previously mentioned here--from Idaho. We were getting a 235 that had been rebuilt. We did not get what we paid for and instead, the 235 turned out to be a 261 (no kidding!) and was actually not rebuilt at all. 

You'd think the chaos ended there but not quite. 
It was just warming up.

The 261 engine was then sent to Gary, Indiana to be rebuilt.
It's important to mention we didn't know of any local company when the whole "getting from Idaho and sending to Indiana" exercise occurred. 

In Gary, numerous calls to inquire about the progress were to no avail and we got the runaround. We heard things like: "It's almost done" or "It should only be another week" for months. The truth is that it sat forever untouched and remained on the skid the whole time. How do we know this? Having had enough, we took a road trip and rolled up on the place...unannounced.

This is where it got interesting.

Oh this looks legit...

On a dead-end street in a bad area of town, nested snugly next to railroad tracks and surrounded by vacant lots and abandoned buildings was the company. The owners disavowed us being at the correct facility and announced this through a locked and closed door. They would not come out, or let us in and stopped making verbal contact altogether. So with the doors closed tight and no one talking it was clear they just wanted us to leave. 

We enlisted Gary, Indiana's finest men in blue who showed up in 2 squad cars to assist. After some serious discussion from the P.D., the "engine company" announced that the engine and refund for all expenses incurred up to that point would arrive the very next day back in Illinois...and they did. Shocking. We're still not sure what those great Gary Officers told them but whatever it was it worked. 

We can't thank these wonderful guys enough!

From being ripped off to getting everything back, we thank the Gary P.D. wholeheartedly (and they were car guys to boot!). 

Back in Illinois, the engine was then taken to a machine shop closer to us and has since been un-skidded and work begun. The owner lets you come around any time to see the progress and let me tell you it's getting really exciting. 

Abbey's new engine was hot tanked and bored. Parts were ordered and assembly is happening. Her new engine paint color will go from ugly sloppy orange to the original green for that type engine and year. 

Things are finally going right!