Thread: SUMMIT headache

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I've been a satisfied Summit customer for years, but just now have a real headache. The Reader's Digest version:

ordered a 383 and700R4 and they sent me a non-lockup torque converter with too high a stall for the application. The extra stall would have been irritating in stop and go traffic, but I could have lived with it. That it doesn't lock up is a HUGE problem. Then they shipped out a second non-lockup converter, but a bit of paranoia an my part allowed me to catch that before it got installed, and I have a third (correct) converter on its way. It took four talks with their techs to straighten it out, and it almost seems as if the only reason I got it straight, is that I finally figured out the right questions to ask.

In retrospect, seems that the first tech should have immediately checked if the converter was lockup. Hindsight is what?

Anyway, is Summit's tech support not what it used to be? Anyone else having similar issues?

Wow, my own signature block spoke volumes to this issue.

you buy a name brand parts call there tec . now that is not a guarantee it,s going to be right but if they make it even the guy pushing the broom at that shop may know then the seller s tec center .doing your home work helps alot before the coin is dropped. alot of them guys are just punching the key board

I've always had very good luck with Summit,,hope You clear things up.

Sure seems like for the last 10 years or so , the Summit cataloque is the only reading some people do---I see more and more posts where S this, S that--also about half the cars you see at a show or somebodies shop has a Summit Cat laying in it somewhere. Whatever happened to Hot Rod and Car Craft?

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Whatever happened to Hot Rod and Car Craft?

They sold out to Summit Racing!

Jerry - the same thing that has happened to HRM and Car Craft is happening to Street Rodder and Rod & Custom - sold out to the gadget/gizmo/'traditional' BS of the day or week. The performance and creative automotive hobby is like so many other hobbies and pastimes - money got hold of many of the 'constituents'. All you have to do is to look at the various auctions with cars prepared especially for them specifically to make money for the builders, not because of any real interest.

OK - the soap box - it's put away now

Originally Posted by IC2

OK - the soap box - it's put away now

Nope, I'll jump up on it for a minute. My subscription to Street Rodder expired this month, I just don't care to get it any longer since they decided to include cars up to the 70's... And there really wasn't any thing that I would miss.. except the what's new section!

They don't do any real builds anymore, the "tech tips" are more like a sales pitch and they hire some local shop to do the installs... So what's the point?

Show coverage? Boring - with a capital B!!

Now I'll step down and put the soap box away unles 1 of you wishes to vent?!?!

Originally Posted by 34_40

Nope, I'll jump up on it for a minute. My subscription to Street Rodder expired this month, I just don't care to get it any longer since they decided to include cars up to the 70's... And there really wasn't any thing that I would miss.. except the what's new section!

They don't do any real builds anymore, the "tech tips" are more like a sales pitch and they hire some local shop to do the installs... So what's the point?

Show coverage? Boring - with a capital B!!

Now I'll step down and put the soap box away unles 1 of you wishes to vent?!?!

My sub runs out in a couple of months and probably wont renew. The '70s stuff - oh well, that's life, but their emphasis on ratty rods and 'patina' plus the fact that they Photoshop their feature cars to cartoon appearances. Then that very long feature a couple months back on the weirdo cars some guy built .....

NOW - pass on the soap box

I swear to god and country what I am about to tell all of you this is true.

A few yrs ago while I still believed in what I read in Hot Rod as factual I read a article about how Don Hardy build a kit to put in a V6 4.3 in a Chevette.It had headers in the captions and engine mounts.Pretty much everything you would need and looked liked Don Hardy had built a kit.

So off we go to our annually Drag Racers auction in Indy.I thought just by luck or divine intervention that was the year NASCAR stopped using the V6's.So all the "good stuff" for them was going across the auction block and me having a buyers delight because no one but me wanted the extra inventory.I'm into it,but not quite deep yet and my partner is telling my whoa,it costs tons more to be different.Yeah bullheaded as I am I ignored him.We get home and I send the stuff to be finished machined from the rough cores they where.Now the money gets real serious.My partner has stopped returning my calls and I fear the partnership is in trouble after at that time 15 to 17 yrs of being together.I drive 60 miles to his house and work that out with him and while I am there call Don Hardy for the mounts and headers.The shop foreman gets on the line and wants to know who I am.I explain to him we had bought kits from them before and wanted the one for the V6 4.3 Chevette.He says yeah well we can't do that.So being under tons of pressure already I ask him why the hell not??.He tells me they told Hot Rod not to publish that article,that they where not certain they could mass produce that kit and damm Hot Rod jumped the gun on it and they have been getting calls from angry Don Hardy customers.I said I saw headers and mounts.He tells me yeah Hot Rod drew those into the pictures and they where never built.So much for trusting rag magazine.Don Hardy pushed the project out back of the shop and cancelled building the project.

We because we where in as much money as (well really me with partnership money) we where,we finished out the project and raced it for a yr selling it off losing for the first time on a car.Losing big that is.$$$$$$$

Told my partner as we traveled as a swap meet vendor I was waiting to meet the publisher of Hot Rod again.Sure enough I (we) did.Told him about a pending law suit.That he had ten days before the lawyer my partner's wife worked for to settle it out of court.Gave him the contact info.7 days later the lawyer called with a check for my partner to pick up.No-it wasn't for the total loss,the expenses of the initial investment for the parts.After-all it was their article the mislead me in the first place.

As I said,it was yrs ago.The hard lesson learned is these magazines main goal is to sell the products that advertize in the magazine.The projects,results,choices of who's products,is all based on that.If you think anything different,your sadly mistaken.Some of us think of Hot Rodding as a sport.And that is fine.But it is truly a industry.We should never lose sight of that.Rant over.

On a positive note.I have gained much respect for Competition Products.They have treated me really well and I recommend them to people who want to buy quality at a reasonable price.

One last thing.I find for a link to read monthly the following:

Engine Builder - Serving Professional Engine Builders and Rebuilders with information on rebuilt engines, engine parts and performance engines

It is a good link because it is sort of geared towards shops in the industry where you get some insight to some cool tips and tricks from industry leaders.Still some glossy paged articles that you have to read between the lines,but not as much.