Burned?

Ultimate 85 · Post by **Ultimate 85** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:52 pm

Hi All, kinda pissed with myself about how I let this happen. Anyway, here's the lowdown. I placed an order for a LSD for a my 4 speed back in December from a guy named Jeff Ianitello who owns a shop called Engineered Performance in Smyrna, GA. (Now located in Atlanta GA. according to my last e-mail from him.) At 1st he told me he could build a clutch type limited slip me if I sent him a diff to use as a prototype, I would only have to pay $350.00 plus shipping. I figured what the hell I got the tranny apart anyway and it didn't seem too exspensive. This is from an e-mail I got from him last December.

12/3/2004 6:47 AM
Ya, pull the tranny, split the case, and send me the diff. (Keep the ring gear) What I will do is give you the lsd at sponsorship cost. I expect the thing should sell for the same 575.00 as all the others, so that would be about 350.00 for you. Let me know if you can get it out soon and send it. eep in mind, it will probably be in Jan or early Feb b4 it's ready.

Jeff Ianitello
Engineered Performance
1784 Corn Rd. Suite D
Smyrna, GA. 30080
770-434-0051
www.engineered.net

So I boxed up the diff and sent it out in the 1st week of December and it gets to his shop a couple weeks later and I get this message:

12/22/2004 11:39 AM

Mike, I got the diff today. It's a go! It will use the same parts as the
Isuzu 5-speed as it is functionally the same with only a different case.
Spread the good news!!!!!!!!

If you'll go to the Fiero forums and let everyone know I will have the
4-speed diff available for delivery toward the end of Jan. The retail price
for the 4-speed Muncie will be 499.00/exchange (200.00 core) as it will be
for the Isuzu and the Fiero Getrag. There is an upgrade available for the
Fiero Getrag using the diff. from the 91-later 282/284. It is 750.00
outright. The upgrade is capable of handling 500+hp. Thanks for your help
providing the diff.

(Do you want this one for yourself? I will sell it as the "prototype" for a
reduced cost of 300.00. Do you want it converted?)

I mailed him back and said go ahead. I sent my 300 bucks (via M/O) and
figure Okay everything should be fine. January rolls by and no news my diff. Feburuary comes and goes so I mail him again.

2/28/2005 4:32 PM

I did recieve your money order, thanks. I have put your diff in line and
will be starting on it soon. I am telling people 4-6 weeks, but in your case
hopefully much sooner.

Anyway two more months roll by and no diff. Then in May I get a phone call him which I missed because I was at work. So I phone back and leave a message (nobody answered) wondering why I still have no diff.
Then later I get this in my inbox:

5/2/2005 11:46 AM

Mike, sorry I missed your return call.

I was taking your diff apart to machine the gears and the gears are pitted and galded beyond use. I don't have any cores right now to sell you, and the gears are no longer available from GM. We need to find another diff to start with. If you have a spare, let me know. Otherwise I will begin looking.

That was shitty news so now I figured I need to find a replacment. He mails me back two weeks later saying he's got one lined up.

5/16/2005 10:15 AM

Mike, I found a good core diff for your limited slip conversion. It's 150.00. Sorry yours wasn't buildable. Let me know how you want to pay for it. I can take Visa/MC or Paypal. Let me know so I can get the core over here and start building it!

I send another M/O for another $150. Almost a month rolls by so I try to get contact him again and see whats going on and if he got the money:

6/23/2005 3:03 PM

Yes, I did. I am in the process of moving the shop right now. I will be down for two weeks. I hoped to have all the diffs built before, but time ran out. Yours is first on the list once I get back building them.

Another two months roll by so I mailed him again and I get this back:

8/10/2005 8:16 PM

I was just sorting out all the differential stuff tonight, which is why I am
still at work at 11:15pm! Your diff was in my hands. The delay from the move
has been extraordinary. However, your diff should be ready to ship by Friday
this week. I'll let you know (email again Monday if you have not heard from
me).

Jeff Ianitello
Engineered Performance
Atlanta, GA
www.engineered.net

So a week comes and goes and I mail him. No response. It's been more than a month now and I still have no diff or any kind of answer. In all $450.00(US) plus shipping and 9+ months later & I've got nothing but a transmission I can't use. I don't know what to do or what course of action to take, or if I can do anything at all. I live North of the Border (Brandon, Manitoba)

If you take too long and don't comunicate your customers of course they're going to feel ripped off at some point.

Edited cause I was pissed off when I wrote this. (Semi-lousy day)

The Dark Side of Will · Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:56 pm

1FST2M6 is/was tight with the previous owner of that shop. Jeff bought it and has been something of a goon ever since. I've met all three in person, though I've never had business dealings with Jeff.

Post by **eHoward** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:00 pm

Shaun, anyone else, still talk to travis? maybe he could get something done about this?

That sucks man. Hope you get the diff you paid for.

TurboGT · Post by **TurboGT** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:01 pm

That fucking sucks. Someone down in that area needs to find him and kick his ass :flamethrower:

p8ntman442 · Post by **p8ntman442** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:34 pm

thats surprising to hear, and im sorry for your $$$ problems. It sounds like hes a total slacker and that if you get in touch with him may be able to get the diff. The 500hp claim is that its the same unit in the fwd 5spds that are holding that power in the gtp cars. They have a good diff. and I was hoping they would sell ones for the fiero, as the pg unit blows. Lets try to get this sorted out. The guy obviously needs you to spread the word and not this word. So thats one deffinate incentive to get your diff done for FREE.

Ultimate 85 · Post by **Ultimate 85** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:36 pm

I'm going to call again tomorrow, hopefully I can get ahold of someone and sort this out. Till I get my diff. or my cash back everything I said still stands. Having to wait a almost a year for something that was originally only supposed to take month is rediculous. He's had more than a reasonable amount of time to complete the job.

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:02 pm

I haven't talked to Travis in probably 2 years or so. i know he was involved with engineered in one way or another several years ago. I think he was acually part owner from what I understood but I could be wrong on that.

I think Jeff was his cousin? Is that right? Or nephew?

I might have Travis' phone number around here still. If so I will pm it so you can give him a call I have no clue where its at though. When I moved all my old papers and phone numbers were thrown somwhere that I have not had to think about in a long time. So I dont' even know where to start to look.

BigRedDeckSpoiler · Post by **BigRedDeckSpoiler** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:33 pm

I don't think Travis was ever affiliated with the shop. I think he might have worked there (When Ed Senff owned it) in some capacity.
Travis' cousin (nephew?) was Myles, I think. Not Jeff. Unless I'm thinking of somebody else. (BTW, I live about 15-20 minutes from Engineered. At least the old one.)

FWIW, I've heard that the later 282 diffs were much stouter and were a drop-in replacement for the Fiero 282. Don't have any experience with them, though.

Shaun. Check your PMs.

Edit - Got the name wrong. Bah.

SappySE107 · Post by **SappySE107** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:45 am