Re: V.L. Enterprises update

["Michael Carlson" <m-carlson@home.com>]

> I waited four months for Vince to finish my 2.0 block last year. I wasn't
> expecting the long wait- but in his defense, he DID do it right...

The fact that I keep hearing that Vince does good work is what's been
holding me at bay this long.  If I had also heard that he does crummy work,
I would've taken legal action long ago.  His reputation may be quite
tarnished at the moment, but at least he used to have a good reputation for
great work.

> I visited Vince at VL last week, and he was doing ALL he could to get six
> trannies assembled, so he could send them off to the people who had been
> waiting FAR too long for their prepaid parts.
>
> I've been to cheerier funerals.

I'm sorry to hear he's having such a nasty time about it.  No, really--I am.
I don't want this to be terrible experience for him, and I don't want to
make the situation so bad that he does bad work.  All I ever wanted was
honest, timely *communication* from him.  Everything I've learned about
various delays came from everyone *except* Vince.  He's inadvertantly
leaving all his customers in the dark, and that only leaves us to assume the
worst.

> I really don't know what Vince's personal life is like. I couldn't make an
> appointment to meet him at VL because his phone message service wasn't
taking

Most likely filled with angry messages from customers who haven't heard from
Vince since they paid him several months ago.

> any calls. When I arrived at his shop, Vince was outside, holding his
> youngest boy, and three other young Lociciero boys were playing in the
> vicinity.
>
> Vince was babysitting, AND trying to get six trannys assembled ASAP for
six
> very irate customers...

I will be the first to admit that's pretty tough.  I knew going into this
that Vince is a one-man show.  I'm a reasonable man, and I can accept that
stuff happens and slows things down.  If he'd simply call or e-mail me to
let me know what's going on, I'd wait for several months based upon his
reputation for doing good work and the Option-6 Speed being a quality kit.

In fact, I've sent him at least one e-mail and left him at least one voice
mail asking him to simply tell me how long it will actually take--whether it
be a week, a month, or a year, so I can plan accordingly.  (If it's going to
be a couple more months, so be it--I'll get a spare tranny for my Scirocco
while I wait indefinitely.)  On the two occasions that I did manage to
contact him, he gave me new completion dates--both of which he missed
without so much as leaving me a message why.

> Vince knows he f*cked up. He doesn't point any fingers of blame at anyone

That's good to know, but I have yet to hear it from him.  Again, his lack of
communication is what's really blown this out of proportion.

> other than himself. If the Option-6 dies as a result of his inability to
> bring his customers on-board as to the real cause of the delays-- that is
a
> real shame.

I agree wholeheartedly.

> What VL truly needs, is a larger retailer to buy up an inventory
> of these trannies-- and sell them OFF THE SHELF to prospective buyers.
Jeff
> Moss (Velocity) does this with Orrell, and even though those heads are top
> dollar (over 2k), they are some of the highest quality work available.

That would be fine with me, but you'd have to get Vince on board for that to
happen.  I know Mark Christiansen has considered doing something to help
"take over" the Option-6 Speed project.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure he and
Vince are on speaking terms anymore.  That's not really any of my business,
anyways...

> Vince does good work. Period.

That's what I've heard, and I hope to be saying the very same thing myself
at some point in the future.

> The Option-6 is a beautifully engineered 6 speed.  I have a gut feeling
that

I've heard that, too.  Again, that's one of the reasons I've waited this
long.

> there may not be a lot more of these made, in light of the events of the
last
> eight months. If you have one coming, hold on-- even though you may not
> realize it-- you are one of the "lucky" ones... The rest of us may never
get
> to buy one.
>
> Which is a shame.

Again, I totally agree.  Vince's kit is the most reasonably-priced 6-speed
option available to us, and I truly would like to see him be successful with
it.  It's clear to me that he either needs some help to keep up with the
demand, or work out some kind of system that he only takes X number of
orders a month, and he doesn't take any more orders until those are
complete.

Mike Carlson
'84 Scirocco Wolfsburg Edition (tranny-less since May)
'95 GTI VR6
http://members.home.net/mikes.vws



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