[thstone]

Originally Posted by AdamT

A little update. The shop here had a delay getting started on the car, so they didn't get the new engine in until late June. Unfortunately, it made a loud noise. My shop here was great, already having contacted Vertex and made arrangements by the time I knew about the issue.

Vertex was quick to get the ball rolling on making it right -- they had the car picked up in SC and hauled to FL, so they could diagnose and repair or replace the engine. They picked the car up last Thursday and returned it today. My shop advises that it's up and running, but they are finishing some of the peripheral stuff and final reassembly. They want to spend some time driving the car tomorrow to make sure everything's dialed in and nothing's dripping, but I should have the car back by Friday.

In a perfect world, the first engine would have worked and I'd be a couple of weeks into enjoying the repaired car. That said, both my shop here and Vertex were great at moving quickly to get the unexpected issue taken care of (on Vertex's dime, for two-way transportation and correction of the engine issue). While it's a shame the first time was a no-go, I'm satisfied with them backing up their product.

Eager to get the car back (if all is well and it's done by Friday, I'll get to take it on a nice 150 mile road trip to see some family this weekend). Fingers crossed, and I'll report some impressions when I have the key again.

BTW, they went ahead and replaced all the coolant lines (original and soft, likely from the intermix); the clutch; the CV axles (the boots were torn); and all the original ignition coils. I hope this means I'm set for a while, except for going through the suspension at some point.

Good to hear that you'll be back on the road soon!