new 11/01/02
Tim,
I can't go into detail, but I have been working with a SHO V8 owner that took
his V8 SHO in for inspection after reading the DFP article.
The dealer found two sprockets coming loose, but not making noise.
Thanks to the article, some FAXed pages from me about the cam welding, and the
dealer talking with Doug Lewis at length, this person may save several thousand
dollars by having the cams welded rather than paying (no warranty) for new cams.
This is a case of the dealer and service manager using common sense and maybe
actually getting some support from Ford, in tech advice if not money.
The customer is still out of pocket, but just having the customer and dealer
work together from a better informed position, is doing amazing things for this
V8 owner's frame of mind. A SHO fanatic and Ford fan might be saved because of
that article and your work on V8SHO.com.
I wanted you to know that some additional good is filtering down to the
customer/dealer relationship level. Maybe you can post that people should use
the DFP article to inform dealers, and work with them. This person has built a
relationship with a dealer that seems to want to help the customer rather than
just dismiss them, as many dealers do, because they own an SHO.
This isn't the cash support we eventually hope to provide to some people that
have been seriously damaged by engine failures, but it shows that more
information in the public's hands is not only good for the car owner, but can
help the dealer make informed decisions that benefit everyone.
Thanks again to you for keeping this before the public!
A postscript; the owner adds this to his comments:
Don, so far this has, in a kind of warped kind of way, been a pleasant
experience. The service manager I am working with who was involved in corporate
in the development of the SHO is way more than casually interested in this. He
has been all over it since disassembly. They have measured its internals for
wear, etc and are most impressed with this motor. This kind of enthusiasm from a
veteran Ford manager is refreshing.
Will keep you posted!
Don Mallinson, President
SHO Club
Dealers are being told this is rare and related to owner abuse. It is great when a dealership takes a step back and listens to the owner. This may be the exception that proves there is yet hope for Ford and dealer service in general.
Buford