Let me start with the recent situation and then the previous situation.

2022 – June 2023

October 2021, The project car was returned to LA incomplete. Most of 2022 was about getting the engine sorted. Details here: https://www.f31club.com/sr20store-timeline/

I had a hard time wanting to give the car to Greg again (check May 2020 – October 2021 below). After the engine was taken cared of and the car being at Hung’s place for months, we were on the verge of getting it started. By this time, we set up for Greg to get the car on June 3rd, 2023.

He said he would fix his work. EVERYONE SAID THAT I SHOULDN’T LET GREG GET THE CAR AGAIN. BUT I HAD FAITH IN GREG/SAKURA GARAGE.

June 3rd 2023 – July 22nd 2023

It was time for Greg to get the car, BUT I OFFERED, “If you don’t have time or busy, just refund me my last payment ($1500) and I’ll use that money to start something else.

Greg picked up the car and said it would only take 2 weeks. I DEFINITELY didn’t believe him.

“You don’t need to message every day”. Yes, because the communication and work wasn’t getting done.

I had a lot going on. I was going to Vancouver BC during a few weekends and I also was on call at my job. So I wouldn’t be able to get my car (as I said I would rent a Uhaul and take it back to LA) until the weekend of July 22nd.

During that time, there would be no response:

I told him I need to know because I am flying there, renting a Uhaul truck and trailer, towing the car to LA and flying out the next day.

Come July 22nd, I arrived at his shop at 12 noon. I was planning to leave by 2pm, so I can drop the car off at Infinite Auto in Bellflower, CA.

SHOCKED, NOT SHOCKED

Greg said there are issues with the car. There was my car, in pieces, being sanded down. I knew right then and there, he didn’t work on the car until the last couple of days, EXACTLY LIKE LAST TIME.

Seeing as this was pretty much a FAILURE on Sakura Garage’s part. I decided to try and help bust out the car for me to transport tomorrow. We stayed up all night sanding and masking off the parts of the car. Ran out of blue painter’s tape at 4am in the morning and so packing tape was used, but that eventually caused some overspray.

Slept for a couple hours and went back to the shop at 9am. That was it. I loaded it up and drove to LA.

Quick spary of white, pearl and then clear coat = orange peel and missed spots.
Done how you see it in the picture, no paint booth, as it sits on the rack.
bumpers, aero kit, mirrors… all left unpainted.
Damaged running board slathered with putty.

ALSO NOTICED EACH DOOR HAD A LINE DENT BY EACH HANDLE… THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE.

After this fiasco, I think I will look for financial compensation. But let’s leave it at that.

NOW LET’S GO BACK TO THE INITIAL SITUATION

MAY 2020 – OCTOBER 2021

I had faith in Greg/Sakura Garage. He was an OG from F31club forums and offered to paint the car. I told him I am not asking for free. From May 2020 to October 2021, Project Leopard was in Arizona. It wasn’t suppose to be that long, honestly. From July 2020 to March 2021, there were no physical updates just text saying it’s getting done. When I went out there, nothing has changed between those dates. That was a red flag.

I also went out there twice to get things going.

https://www.f31club.com/2021/03/02/wandering-leopard-desert-leopard-part-1/

https://www.f31club.com/2021/05/11/wandering-leopard-in-the-desert-part-2/

I was getting frustrated with no progress and gave a deadline. When I got this text, I tried to be a homie:

the official deadline pushed back 2 weekends later because Greg didn’t show up and had excuses. During this time, I didn’t see any pictures of my car until the week of the final delivery.

I knew right then and there, he painted/cleared the car that week. So it was a rush job. While in the text it was suppose to be complete, my aero pieces, my hood, my mirrors… all were at his shop.