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« on: 20 November 2010, 23:01:30 »
I asked for some help locating someone who could do my cambelt in the South East - I am based near Gatwick. I got a few replies and suggestions and I also got a pm from someone called Darth Loo Knee. It said if I needed some help with my cambelt to give him a shout. I gave him a call and he said he would come and do my cambelt and cam cover gaskets. I admit I was pretty dubious - did I really want to spend money with someone I don't know who messages me from a forum? I was intrigued so I gave him a call and he quoted me a competitive price and only charged me fuel at cost to drive for three hours to get to me. Even taking this into account it was a VERY sensible price.
I thought that it had to be too good to be true, he asked me for a deposit if I wanted the work done as people had been messing him about and put him out of pocket. I was reluctant to give a deposit, and fired the same back to him - how did I know he was any good? After years as a sales manager in the motor trade I have seen some truly awful work, met some cowboys and got generally used to being taken for a ride and finding very few good people out there..... He suggested I came back onto the forum and posted a question to find out, so I did. I think I had nearly 30 positive responses, including one which said that in another life he had actually designed the Omega.
I duly took a chance, my cynicism somewhat alleviated by the positive feedback, but it did cross my mind that 'Darth' could have just had a lot of log-ins in different names, they were all such complimentary replies......
The deposit sent, we arranged for 'Darth' to come down a couple of weeks later to do the work. He arrived, slightly late, but had texted me to let me know he was stuck on the car park that is the M25. When he got to me he introduced himself as 'Daz' (and explained that Darth was just a name someone had given him on the forum) and started putting on his overalls - I asked him if he wanted to put my car in the garage so he could work on it there, slightly warmer for him I thought. He said he was quite happy to work outside as it wasn't raining.
I stopped outside to watch him work - I really hate it when people do this to me, but I can't help myself. He gave me a full running commentary of what he was doing - every tool came to hand, following a system that he had clearly devised after doing hundreds of these cambelts - it was something like watching an Omega cambelt martial arts workout. The bits came off and I thought 'My God, I hope he remember where all that goes!' I suggested he put a video of him doing one on Youtube - quite something to watch! I watched as he carefully put all the tiny bits coming off my pride and joy into a magnetic tin, taking great care in everything he did, explaining things and talking me through the good and bad points of the Omega and the weak points to watch for and what I should do to keep mine running as sweetly as possible. He took great care in sorting out the timing for the cambelt, pointing out to me that the timing had been very slightly out which could lead to slightly rough running and poorer mpg. I said that I thought it had been ok, but reserved judgement until I heard it running again.
He then moved onto the camcover gaskets, explaining that too much sealant would ruin the seal and when they next came to be changed would be a nightmare to get excess sealant off. He neatly wiped any minor excess off, leaving the engine bay neat and tidy. He pointed out at this point that one of the vacuum pipes was split at the end and that my 'vario-ram' wouldn't be working (any mistake in the terminology is mine not his!!) but repaired this free of charge for me by taking a section out and refitting it. The innards of my car went back together beautifully - I watched the big pile of tiny bits in the magnetic tray get smaller and smaller, thinking all the time, 'There's going to be something left over.... Surely he can't remember where it all goes!!'
I went back inside for 5 minutes to do us some bacon sarnies and coffee (allegedly it is known as 'Darth fuel') and when I came back in I couldn't believe how much had gone back together - I had obviously been halving his speed by chatting to him! He inhaled the bacon sandwich and coffee, still talking and working - impressive trick, I thought...... He got to the end and I thought - "I've got him!" There was a little piece of plastic left over. I pointed it out and he said "Its broken". I asked if it was important - apparently it secured a cable into place that looked to me that it didn't really need to be any further secured. He replied that if it was his car he would do it, so he would advise me to get a new one as nothing less than prefect would do. I also queried whether it was even worth doing anything with the vacuum tube he had repaired - he advised me to get a new vacuum tube as although the one he repaired for me worked the ram things perfectly well, it was not as it had been designed so should be replaced. I stood duly corrected, feeling like a bodge-it merchant.
We started the car up and got rid of the air in the cooling system and I was surprised to hear and feel that it was running smoother. Nice work!
In conclusion, if you are fed with with shonky rip off merchants, you couldn't hope to meet someone more helpful, clearly with a HUGE amount of knowledge and ability when it comes to the Omega, and even a pleasant bloke to deal with and chat to. And this is coming from (and it pains me to say) a super cynical untrusting perfectionist who hates people going near his car. I've found a good'un and will be using Daz again - well played for being a decent bloke and actually doing what you say on the tin!
Thanks for the work, no longer fretting about my cambelt and leaking camcover gaskets and swear it is going better than ever, particularly up the top end of the rev range. All previous good references totally deserved!
All thanks to the OOF as well!
Either he is truly very good or he has a lot of log ins to the OOF and is desperate for work lol. Well thanks to you all I shall make the phone call tomorrow to book Darth in to come and sort the beast's innards out. Can't believe so many recommendations! I shall post my experience on here when he has finished - I am looking forward to meeting the legend that is Darth!!