Knockhill round 2 came and no gear set was delivered. We competed at knockhill and it was noticed that the engine was smoking a lot. We were told that all RC’s stroker builds used a fair bit of oil and smoked. As the car seemed to be running fine and the power was there we dismissed it. Silverstone round 3 came and we hit major problems with the car. The smoking had got worse and we had problems with the car not boosting properly so we couldn’t compete competitively. Again we were told that it was a trait of the stroker engine that it used oil and smoked a lot.
As we were having problems with brakes (or lack of them) at knockhill and Silverstone we decided that we needed better brakes, so we ordered and paid for ap racing front and rear kits and an extra set of wheels. We were again totally fobbed off and only received to this day the smaller disced front kit. We paid for the 364 front kits and the rears, and another set of rota gtr alloys. We were given excuse after excuse and we swallowed it and gave them chance after chance. Lost deliveries, wrong tracking numbers, having to have brackets made up for the callipers etc etc. It just went on and on. It came to round 4 of time attack and oulton park and the evo was running worse than ever. Major boosting problems and smoking again, but we ran and finished quite respectable considering the problems we had. Again, we were continued to be fobbed off with excuses about the gearbox, brakes and wheels.
Not long after Round 4 I was involved in a serious car accident and was out of the scene for 6 weeks whilst I was in hospital. Russell returned the car to RC to have the engine checked over and have the boosting problem sorted out, and it was given a clean bill of health, so Russell decided to run at round 5 at brands hatch. It was there that the engine failed totally.
The car was returned to RC and not long after I came out of hospital and got involved again. We knew something was imminent with RC and immediately pulled the car back out again, fearing for the car. In the 3 weeks that RC had the car, all they had done was take off the rocker cover (and loose it!) and put a few intake pipes in the boot. The car had just been left in the rain with the engine exposed with no cover on, and was in effect left to rot. This was the end of the line as far as we were concerned. At the same time the whole Danny saga had unfolded.
We made the decision there and then that we would never allow the car back into RC, and negotiations took place with Clive as to what to do next. We had the engine stripped completely by another Evo specialist who is involved in time attack, and he uncovered some absolutely shocking discoveries.
The specialist crank had actually snapped between 3 and 4 on the webbing, no.1 piston had hit the head and there was debris in the cylinder, but more worryingly no.3 cylinder was a complete mess. There were scores and pits on the cylinder and the honing was a complete mess. Not uniform with the other cylinders. It was obvious now this was why the car had been smoking so much. This had been like this for some time, and there were no marks on the piston, head or any debris that had caused it visible. We returned to RC and confronted Clive with the facts, who flatly denied any knowledge. In a nutshell, the engine had been thrown back together after donnington when it failed. He eventually agreed to build us a new engine as it was RC that was at fault, and it was left at that. We were told 4-6 weeks, which brought us upto last week, and again we were fobbed off with excuses. They could not find an Evo8 block, they found one and was waiting for it etc etc.. It was just as before. Then Monday 20th October came and it emerged that RC was no more. We contacted Clive directly who in effect told us that there was nothing he could do, and that he would not be able to build us an engine anymore. It is totally obvious that this was all planned and they in effect blagged us up until the day that they knew that they were going to fold.
We yet again travelled over to Warrington at 10pm Monday 20th October to try and talk to Clive, and meet with Danny and see what he could possibly do. Clive was nowhere to be seen either at his home address or his mothers address, and he was not answering the phone. We then proceeded to see Danny at his home address and he has told us a completely different story saying that he has been used as a “scapegoat” and that all that has gone on was planned. Obviously I am not here to speculate as to what really happened, just tell the story of what has happened to us thanks to RC.
On Tuesday 21st October 2008 we had a conversation with Clive on the phone, and he admitted that the engine had been bodged back together after Donnington round 1 of time attack, and that it had been repaired sub-standard.
We are in a situation where we have a race car with no engine and a box of bits.
We paid for a gearbox we never received, brakes, wheels, sustained damage to the car, been constantly fobbed off and lied to.
With absolutely no exaggeration, it has ruined mine and russells lives. For the last year the only topic of conversation has been RC, Danny, and Clive etc etc.
We wanted to have a race car to enjoy, to go out and race, to do track days and just enjoy ourselves, and we in effect got 18 months of turmoil from start to present. RC had the car for a whole year, and did absolutely no work on it apart from steal and sell off parts.
Now we learn that conveniently Clive and some other workers have moved in at car planet and are being employed by max, which is very convenient. Clive is still trying to keep his reputation and start again over at car planet, but he has admitted to shoddy workmanship, and lying to us.
This whole situation is not just Danny; it is the whole of RC from start to finish. I would urge ANYONE who is looking to deal with anyone that was previously involved with RC to walk away. There are plenty of other evo specialists out there who are more than capable of working on your pride and joy.
Absolutely everything accounted above (there is still A LOT missing from it) is provable if needed and we have copies of agreements, photographic evidence, reports etc etc to back everything up totally.
Even when the trouble at RC started, we came on here and defended them thinking that they would put things right. We have from the start been open with them, and given them our money, car and trust, and they have totally abused it.
To put a monetary figure on what has happened I would estimate that it would be circa £40000 that we are out of pocket over this.
That’s our story. How we are going to get to time attack next year I have no idea whatsoever, but I’m sure we will be back and better than ever. We have a new tuner on board now who knows the full situation and is working with us and has been absolutely brilliant, and we look forward to working with them in the future and for some time to come.
Thank you for reading and hope to see some of the great people we met in time attack this year again next year!
Russell & Norm
Time Attack Car #38
Team FQ400
www.teamfq400.co.uk