Hurley Engine mess

[puresounds]

This will probably be the worst Hurley story you have ever read.

I bought my Gen 3 rx7 3 years ago and have only managed to drive it for a few thousand miles. It has been on the back of an aa truck 6 times.

I bought the car for 10.5k from an import company in Luton. That was my first mistake. I had jumped from an old banger straight in to an RX7. I didnt relise that the engine was\'nt running at full power and had problems. Finally the engine gave in and over heated. The engine was blown only after 2k of owning the car.

I rang round all the engine companies to get prices and at the time didnt have £3k to get it sorted. so my pride and joy was parked up for 7 months.

I finally saved up the money and chose Hurley to do the rebuild. Mainley because the website looked so good. They gave me a price of £2200 for the sports pack. Bigger seals etc etc.

I shipped the car up to hurley on the back of a trailer. The front bumper was removed as it has a full veilside kit.

The car was rolled in to there work shop and left. I didnt see the car again for 6 months.

I was told that the car would be ready in 7 days. This is why i chose them. I also explaineds funds were low.

I had a phone call telling me they were delayed for a week. Thats when the attitude started.

2 weeks in to the build and and another phone call to say they needed to buy a new wiring loom as the old one was detroyed costing £500. which i thought was a bit steep.

Finally 3 weeks in to the engine rebuild i had a phone call to say the car was ready and the final bill was £6200. I couldnt belive it. I also didnt have anyway of finding that sort of money.

To cut a long story short for the next 6 months there was phone calls backwards and forwards. Some how in this time they managed to transfer the car in to there name. I may have left the log book in the glove box i think. They basically stole my car which is another story.

Finally i gave in. I still had the £10.5k loan so my girlfriend got a loan for another £6k. It gets worse.

They then decided they wanted £7k for the car as they had put a new front bumper on new re spray, new dash and new seats as aswell as the £6k engine. I had to find another £1k. The car would owe me £17.

I got a lift down to hurley to find my car in pieces. None of the extra work had been done to the car and you could see it had been stored out side the hole 6 months. there was no new respray front bumper was a diffrent colour and the car wouldnt start and my veilside side skirts had been ripped off and chucked on the passenger seat.They still wanted £7k.

After a huge argument i stupidley paid him £6k for the car. I drove the car home slowley as it had a new engine but it didnt seem right. |I was told to run it in for 500 miles and i would find it hard to start sometimes.A recipt was given to me for the re sale of my own car which i was discusted with. But no warrenty until i brought the car back at 1500 mile service.I got home to find the water levll had dropped and the anoying beeping sound came on. I filled her up to find the same thing happening the next day. I also had a problem with starting when hot and first thing in the morning and i was losing about half a litre every 100 miles or so.

I took it back as this is how my engine went in the first place.Stayed in a hotel for 2 nights only to pick my car up with another £100 bill. He said it wouldnt be covered under an engine rebuild warrenty.

After another  huge argument ihe said £50 cash no recipt. I gave in an paid only to find when i got home i was leaking even more water than before. A local garage looked at it and told me they had put radweld in it. it was floating on the top. I had had enough by then so i contacted trading standards.

After the 500mile run in and topping my water level up every journey i put my foot down to find the turbos were not kicking in. there was a loud rushing noise from the first turbo but no power. the noise went and the car picked up a little. I took it to the guys at westec. who are amazing. the car was only running 200bhp after putting it on the roolling road. it seems the first turbo was spinning but not dumping the air anywhere. Then a couple of days later my first turbo exploded. This was something i asked hurley to check before fitting the turbo. they oviously didnt.
A friend spent 2 days on it fitting 2 reconditioned turbos. but still no power from the first turbo.All the pipes on the car seem like there 15 years old and were not replaced by hurley.

I now have a car which owes me £18,000k plus. leaks water has no power and doesnt start when warm and floods for a pass time with no warrenty.

Any sugestions?

[Glenn Butcher]

Hi all,

Mick from Hurley\'s has been on the phone today again with Clive.  Mick will be sending through a formal statement about their side of the story.

I have Split this thread into 2, and moved the other parts of it away.

So - it is now going back to what \'puresounds\' had posted, and when Clive receives the statement from Hurley\'s he will post it up (Mick advised that it may be a couple of days).

Thread will remain closed.

[clive]

Please find attached the letter the 3 letter club received today showing Mick Hurley\'s version of events surrounding the Puresounds saga.

This thread will remain closed as we feel any possible further developments surrounding this case will now need to be aired in a court room and not via MRC.

I would publicly like to thank Mick  for assisting the club with the "other side" of this story.

Att: Clive

First of all let me thank Clive for allowing me to respond to this story.
I have spoken to Clive at length about this issue and explained the situation. I informed Clive of our version of events. In fact I told him the story before I had even read the thread as he can verify.

Much of what Mr Antony Noto ( puresoundsuk.com) is nearly accurate. Yes we did have the car in our possession for approx six months. But certainly not for the reasons explained by Mr Noto. As Mr Noto is well aware. Mr Noto has chosen to tell his story in an attempt to stir the fire, as has been responded by certain members of MRC I feel that as a company we have no choice but to go public and explain how it was and how it is.  

Mr Noto ( puresoundsuk.com) contacted me originally via e-mail explaining the problems with his car. He was advised and quoted as to costs and options to fixing his car. He advised us that there was going to be a delay with the booking due to lack of funds. He contacted us some time later to book his car in with our company. He informed me he had been quoted by various specialists (indeed in his words some of those were MRC vendors) but we were asked to carry out the works.
The car arrived 1.1/2 to 2 weeks later than scheduled due to transportation problems at Mr Noto’s end. The car was delivered minus the nose-cone due to it being damaged by him while loading it on his trailer. The car had a full veilside kit.

When the car was delivered the engine had been removed, stripped and was in pieces and placed inside the car. Not in boxes or containers, or placed on any covering or on interior protection. This was due to the fact that a friend in Mr Noto’s words had tried to repair the car but he got to the point where he did not want to know (wise man). I do not know who the man was but there were foot prints on the radiator, intercooler and chopped wiring looms ids not the way to take an engine out of a car. Parts were also missing. The heater matrix (dash had been removed) AST 1 way valves etc, etc.

Mr Noto was notified of all parts that were missing and of all additional works at all times. All I got from Mr Noto was “Mick stop bothering me and just get on with it”

All woks were completed approx 2 weeks after delivery of the car. The magic day of start-up arrived. No joy the car had been fitted with an alarm system by Mr Noto’s company ( puresoundsuk.com). He tried to talk us through the re-set but to no avail. He then informed us that his partner or himself would come to our premises and re-set the alarm via a laptop programme. “See you tomorrow”-------------1 week, 2 weeks. 3 weeks “see you tomorrow” After 4 weeks of promises to come and re-set the alarm, bring his repaired nose cone, bring me some money, the attitude started ( Mr Noto’s words).
Calls from our land line were answered and cut off as soon as we spoke, and were then barred.
Puresounds website was no longer available (it is now) When I called on my mobile phone, calls were barred. This went on for some considerable time. The only way I could contact him was on borrowed mobiles, and even then calls were cut off.
Two months later I have a car that owed our company a small fortune. I had no way of contacting the owner, no address (my fault) it was all done via mobiles and e-mail.

I was informed by a trader colleague that I could apply to the D.V.L.A for the log book. I contacted them, gave them the car details but due to data protection they couldn’t give me a contact address. I explained the situation and they sent me the relevant forms. Yes you can apply for a log book, and providing there is no objection from the listed owner you receive the log book in due course.

Another 2 months later I received the log book. We took the decision to recoup our money by making the car ready for sale. This meant removing the dash, replacing heater matrix ( he would do that) replace wiring looms through the car to get rid of the alarm/stereo system etc. remove veilside kit, bodywork, paint, fitting new nose cone and spoilers ----- the list goes on.

The car was due to be advertised when I received a phone call from Mr Noto’s girlfriend.
She had obviously received notification from the D.L.V.A. or so I thought. I informed her of the impending sale of the car. We were asking £6500. She asked us to hold fire as in 1-2 weeks Mr Noto (puresounds.co.uk.com) would be released from HER MAJESTYS PRISON SYSTEM . Now the penny dropped we discussed the situation and we agreed to hold fire.
I do not know to this day why he was in there, and I have no wish to know. That is his business. We just want to get on with ours.

Eventually after various conversations with Mr Noto’s girlfriend they agreed to come and resolve the matter. Until Mr Noto arrived we had not spoken since his “holiday”

Mr Noto arrived with a group of friends and informed me he would settle his original bill. I informed him that it was not possible due to additional work done to make the car roadworthy
The original works came to £4800 plus VAT.
Mr Noto was none too pleased, after negotiations he agreed to return the following day and pay me the £6000.
He didn’t want the new nose cone we fitted so we fitted an old aftermarket one so he could drive the car. He was going to have the original repaired.
All parts removed from the car were returned with the car i.e. skirts, alarm/stereo /speakers/ loom gauges and pods.
Mr Noto apologised for the lack of communication/ Hands were shaken and Mr Noto took the car.  Mr Noto chose not to communicate, not Hurley Engineering.

If Mr Noto had informed me of his problems we could have tried to come to some arrangement from the start.  We are not the ogres he has painted us as.

Mr Noto\'s telephoned me on his return home and informed us that his water buzzer had come on. We advised him as to what to do; he than rung us back to say everything was Ok.

All this happened well over a year ago.  I have not heard or seen him since/

All duties were duty paid by Hurley Engineering Ltd.

The car is no advertised for sale on Mr Notos’s new and up and running website-take a look for yourselves.

There are always two sides to any story, this is one agguement did not envisage.  Die to the circumstances.  Mr Noto knows full well he can contact me and discuss any of these events; Mr Noto is in the Bristol/Bath area not in London as states on the post.

I have never felt the need to respond to forum criticism before, even when they get very personal towards my father.  As slanging matches get nobody anywhere.

We as a company have specialised in all sorts of rotary engines for 35 years.  I cannot say that in those 35 years we haven’t had unhappy customers.  We are not McDonalds.  Any customer complaints are treated very seriously and we endeavour to resolve any complaints.

Our website clearly states our address and contact numbers.  I am not hiding behind a computer screen.  We are in the public for all to contact.

Over the past few years I have read with interest many threads.  I applaud the many knowledgeable members for their efforts in making this owners club a must for all rotary enthusiasts/  The committee has done a wonderful job promoting the rotary cause.

We as a company have concentrated on the devolvement of the rotary engine in all sorts of applications and not just cars or motorbikes.  Aircraft, Hovercraft, Rader and Waste oil units to name but a few. My father is recognised as a leading authority on rotary engines by many institutes, companies and individuals worldwide.

All our sealing grids a re manufactured in-house, we have a worldwide customer base with many of our parts or engines being used by customers who hold various Local, National, International, and World Track Records in various forms of motorsport.
Any member can feel free to contact us at anytime, and we will as ever answer any Rotary queries.

It is disheartening to read negative press from a club that we have waited for, for a long time.  The interest in the RX-7’s is at an all time high.  Rotorstock and various other turnouts in the UK have proved this.  There are many company’s providing rotary needs in the UK more than ever before.  Some new, some old.  I and they have all been critised at one time or another.  Burt please remember we all endeavour to do an honest job.

In making this statement I hope it answers any questions that were raised this matter.  Certain posts on this site have responded to story’s that are not true.  I do not feel as a company myself; my employees or my family should pout up with threats of violence, whether jocular or serious, from members of a moderated and reputable owners club.  Clive has assured me that this will be addressed and I thank him personally for the efforts made in the last few days.

Hurley Engineering Ltd wishes all members of Mazdarotaryclub continued success in the growth of the club.  With the growing interest in the rotary engine, clubs like yourselves will keep the interest and future of the rotary engine in the auto industries thoughts for a very long time to come.


ON BEHALF OF HURLEY ENGINERRING LTD


M HURLEY