Ultra Heaven (Luke) is someone I met through Greg/Sakura Garage. I have definitely enjoyed my time and appreciate his time sacrificing for me (especially night of July 22nd when we sanded my car).
“I owe you a debt of gratitude. So for that, I want to give you an honest response. I have never lied to you or taken your friendship for granted.It’s great you are a loyal friend and that will be your bias, so you re naturally going to be one sided too. I get it.
Facts are facts though and if you didn’t know, how can you make a logical assessment of the situation right?Costs – I have all invoices, everytime they sent, I paid.3 trips – I paid for initial pick up $3000 (with start up materials) and drop off of “Completely done” car.I actually gave an extra $850 (total $1500) trying to be a friend. IT IS MY FAULT FOR GIVING EXTRA TO A FRIEND.”** LOOK AT THE TEXT ** – I didn’t agree or pay for a car that was drippy, mismatched fender and missing parts.You can’t cut and buff a mismatched fender, missing aero or hood.The last pick up you did with Greg, I shouldn’t be required to pay costs because he didn’t fulfill his original obligation.If the car was complete (initial unexpectedly long timeframe May 2020- Oct 2021), then there would be no reasonfor this 3rd pick up.**With your damaged transmission being delivered, you didn’t want to pay for return shipping right? (Luke got a new transmission that was delivered damage, but he didn’t know until he opened up the crate and had to fight to get it returned because some time had passed since it was dropped off. Nobody should pay return shipping from something that isn’t their fault).I DIDN’T PLAN OR WANT A 3RD PICK UP TRANSPORT. I even rented a Uhaul and trailer July 22nd to bring it back to LA. (so Greg didn’t have to bring it back to LA)IF THIS WAS DONE RIGHT THE 1ST TIME (AFTER 17 MONTHS), I WOULDN’T BE DEALING WITH THIS.If I ever demanded “free repair”, show me and I’ll apologize. I’ve told you many times, I NEVER ask for free and I DON’T MIND PAYING MONEY THAT IS OWED.Timeframe 1 – May 2020 to Oct 2021 (17 months). How many months was my car sitting without being touched? I know from July 2020 to Feb 2021 (when I went there) my car was in the same state.Timeframe 2 – June 3rd to July 22nd – Did I not ask in our group chat about timeframe? I posted those texts as well.As for anyone that helps me, I’m always in deep gratitude. I appreciate it so much and I VALUE their time.*note – I was going to have the car delivered to Arizona via transport company and the cost was $450. I asked Greg if he know anyone as I would rather give that money to a friend than a company.
May 2020 text – Original Payment of $3000 (including pick up costs):
Sept 6 2021 – Greg asked for the final payment, I personally increased it and said “$1500 with delivery and it’s fully done”(meaning the car is complete and ready). Greg agreed.
A week after I picked up the car, July 29, 2023 – Vented my frustation of my car not being done. Greg and Luke responded
Again, I NEVER ask for a freebie… But let’s look at my text on June 1st 2023 (2 days before pick up):
Greg said he could finish up what was left on the RB25det engine, For me I wanted him to concentrate on the paint and body.
LET ME REINTERATE THE REPAIR ON JUNE 27TH, 2023
TIMEFRAMES:
- May 2020- Oct 2021 = 17 months
- June 3rd to July 22nd, 2023 = Proximately 2 months
The argument of Greg getting done in a timely matter is the reason why we are in this situation. Greg waited the last mintue to paint my car (in both timeframes) leading to the work being rushed. I had a feeling of it in the 1st timeframe because he delayed the delivery of the car by failing to show up 2 consecutive weekends after the agreed date. During that time (after the delayed deadline), he finally sent pictures of my car painted after MONTHS of asking.
Original deadline was September 2021… but since there was a push back, the car didn’t arrive until October 2021.
Of course June 3rd 2023, when the car was picked up from Anaheim to go back to Arizona, Luke was there. So my question is, after the car was picked up, what happened between that and the time I came to pick it up because I kept asking:
Late June 2023:
*I also asked if he needed more time
Mid July 2023 – Ghosted (no response to my messages)
So to Luke’s response about “getting things done in my timeframe”, how come things didn’t get done?
Even in early July 2023, I asked if Greg needed more time.
How was the car delivered? (Originally in Oct 2021)
- Drips all over the car’s door and rear quarter panel
- Paint peeling under the trim
- Driver side fender mismatched (said it was wet sanded more, but it as like egg shell and got dirty easy)
- No hood
- No mirrors
- No aero pieces (front lip, side skirt, rear valances)
DRIPS – Whether it is a big deal or not.. I didn’t pay for this. This was a sign of a rushed job (after 17 months)
Paint peeling – When I first went to Arizona (Feb/Mar 2020) we discussed that all the glass would be removed. This never happened. I wanted the glass removed and while it was out, to have it tinted and Greg could paint the car. Instead the moulding was taped off.
In this text, He said it he could respray the car as he had enough paint. (click on the image to enlarge)
Driver side fender was mismatched – I didn’t notice at first, but I did notice it got dirty easily. In this picture you can see the difference from the door. I initially thought he didn’t even paint the fender because it felt “matte”.
Hood – The hood wasn’t on the car when it arrived and the whole time I thought the car was going to be delivered complete.
The following month, Nov 2021, I was in Arizona for training and stopped by to see my hood. Prior pictures of it were painted. It wasn’t this time. But I guess Greg worked on it a bit more. Again, still not completed after 17 months. Hung would later get it in the later 2022.
Other parts not painted and missing
- Aero parts
- Mirrors
Notably my aero parts were not with the car (and had been in Arizona since it left in May 2020). The mirrors were in the car, but again, not painted and Greg took them back with him. When I arrived in Arizona July 22nd, 2023 that is when I saw how my aero was sanded, but not painted. The aero was primer and sanded more recently, probably the day before as it was all still incomplete (one side skirt was still in repair).
Conclusion:
While Luke is Greg’s loyal friend (and nothing is wrong with that), you know when someone is doing wrong. While my friendship with Luke is short, it has been nothing but honesty with him. I am always transparent with everyone and I’ve always said these things out loud, I will pay for anything, no freebies and if I owe money, I will pay it.
What is also sad about this situation is that no matter how it is spun, 17 months with sporadic working on my car was OBVIOUS and if Luke was going to the shop often, he saw that. In both instances of my car being worked on in that rushed stage, Luke always gave a helping hand (that I do appreciate).
But he shouldn’t have been in that situation and knows how I’ve been waiting for this car to be done.
1st time when the car was rushed, he was there:
2nd time, Luke was there sanding down my parts when I walked in thinking the car was done on July 22nd, 2023.
If I watched my good friend slack on a mutal friend’s car, I would push him to do it properly or even to be upfront with that friend about stuff. That is me on just calling out a friend that is disrespecting another friend and to correct it.
Luke, as I see it, is a good guy and he helped me all the times I came to Arizona. And while I can chop up his argument, I still don’t hold anything against him. It angers me that he seen this happening to my car and doesn’t call it out to Greg, but I do expect that because he is a loyal friend to Greg.
Since that day and my private messages sent to him, there hasn’t been a response. I did say, “if I asked for freebie, point it out and I’ll apologize”. Reason why I said that is because I KNOW I don’t ask for free work and I expected to pay for any of the repairs that were needed to be done.
But, as I said to him, I shouldn’t have to pay for “F— ups” or in layman’s terms, mistakes that are not mine. If all this was done PROPER and RIGHT the 1st time, we wouldn’t even be at this level and I wouldn’t have wasted more time thinking Greg/Sakura Garage would redeem himself from his errors.