OMG!!!!! I just spoke to the owner of the business Hunting American Muscle, in Newburgh IN (Mark). And he tells a whole different story about the Mach 1 compared to the restorer (Chris). I was told back in March 2017 it would be $25-30K when done, then the price went to $30-35k, then $37k. I just spoke to Mark and he says $40-45k.........Chris said a month ago the car was painted and looks awesome, Mark just said it goes for paint next month. True shysters......Stay away from "Hunting American Muscle". Just a heads up to those of us that believe that your word, and reputation is still worth something. So, the search goes on..........
Well, this is interesting. I am Mark from Hunting American Muscle. HAM for short. HAM was my idea of merging my love of old cars with being able to rescue a couple of cars here and there and keep the hobby going and sell them off to guys who wanted them.
Brian, the author of the above did inquire about my 1972 Mach 1 back in March. That car was much different now than it was then. I wasn’t sure on how deep I wanted to go into a restoration. I wanted to stay true to the mission of HAM, but the car was in such good shape in most places, that I decided to tear the car down to the sub frame shell and give it the full restoration that I thought it deserved.
During the process of teardown and rebuild there were apparently emails, txt messages and phone calls between Chris, a person whom I contracted to work on my cars, and you.
First off, I will address a known issue. Chris is known on this site. He has posted many pictures about the cars that he is working on. One of them is my 72 Mach 1. Chris and I would speak frequently about the status of the car and progress, etc. And since this car was one that was destined for sale, we spoke about the 72 Fastback market a lot and what might be a selling price for the car when it is finished.
Both Chris and I would hunt down parts for various projects on almost a daily basis. Chris did find some parts from a member of this site that I needed for my Mach 1. I said lets go ahead and get them. I paid Chris for the parts and they were shipped to him, but he never paid the seller. He was reprimanded on this site, and rightly so. After I found out about the renege, I started the research to find out who the seller was. I contacted the admin’s. The admins knew about the deal gone badly because they banned Chris, but I did not hear from them, so I found the seller myself. After I contacted him, I paid for my parts. Again. This satisfied the seller.
I am certainly guilty of some bad judgement in letting other people handle my affairs. I am also guilty of letting people speak of my projects in ways that I only should be, mainly financially. I am a trusting person. Clearly, to a fault.
If the information that you received from Chris was false, or misleading, or a lie, I apologize. What I told you on the phone tonight was the honest truth about the status of the car. Certainly that is my oversight to have not nipped those conversations in the bud.
My 72 Mach 1 is in paint now. I expect my car out in a few weeks, but I do not have a firm date, and frankly I am not sure when my car is going to come out. That is an arrangement between me and my painter. No one else.
Now, having addressed the above issue regarding the bad information that you have received by my contract labor, I want to address the issue that you seem to have with me, regarding the price of MY car. This is my fourth restoration of a classic Ford. The others were a 65 Fastback GT, my brothers 67 GTA Fairlane convertible, a 66 coupe. I am assuming that you haven’t deeply restored a car. Because I would think that if you had, or if not, at least put some thought into, what happens. As time goes on during a restoration, parts are at least and not limited to, being bought, sold, repaired, replaced, refurbished, sandblasted, repainted, replated and re-assembled. All of that takes time and money. Neither time nor money are free. As my car went through various thought processes about how to best make it the product that I wanted it to be, I decided that MY car would undergo a full resto. A full restoration takes more TIME and MONEY. It is seems quite clear to me that you are unhappy with the price of MY car going up. So Sorry. I told you on the phone this evening that I want to get as much out of it as I can, and you want to pay as little as you can. And you agreed. Free market, sir. I could ask a million and you may only want to pay one hundred and we wouldn’t make a deal.
So, Brian, exactly what have I “shystered” you out of? A few emails, txt’s and phone calls? Some of them un-true? Yes, and I have apologized, but I don’t think that lives up to shyster. You have not paid me one dime for anything that I own. MY price is MY price for MY car. Regardless of your opinion. If you want the car pay up, or don’t. I don’t care. But shyster? I think not. I am an honest guy in my dealings and yep, made a mistake or two but to take this thoughtless rant from you and you call me a shyster? OMG, I think not.
I will let the chips fall where they may.
