Well, I talked to my alignment shop today (have an apointment tommorrow) and as I leave, this booger head is bragging about his SHO and talking about his buddies lightning. Now this shop usually only does exotics, and has a good name. This chump floor sweeper is telling me I should have got the 5 spd lightning like his buddy. Right, I should have. As I finally leave, he tells me, he is probably going to be the guy doing my truck tuesday. OH NOOOO!!!!! Do I run????? Do I tell the owner I want his head guy to do it? Do I break this kids legs so he can't go to work tommorow?? Helpppppp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I would tell them his employee's are worthless morons and I'll find someone else to do the job, good buy!

 

Thats a tuff one, either way if they break something they will end up paying for it...its just a matter of frustration if they do. I personally would probably explain what you just posted to the owner of the shop. If they usually work on exotics then Im sure they are used to picky customers anyhow and would probably understand... just dont be a jerk about it, express your concern to them calmly, if they dont respond then go else where. They probably wont hurt anything, its just an alignment after all.

 

I'd find someone else. Plain and simple, even if you do talk to the owner, you still will wonder if the owner ever does anything about it, or even says a word to the employee who obviously doesnt know his a$$hole from his elbow. I would just keep looking, as you are not obligated to take your truck there, just my .02.

 

If they have a history of working on exotics and have a good reputation, then it would seem safe to assume that the company knows what they are doing. Most owners who have top quality shpos don't just higher any mechanic. Their reputation as a shop is determined by the quality of their workers. Just because the mechanic doesn't know much about a Lightning, doesn't mean he isn't a good alignment man. I would calmly discuss the mechanics qualifications with the owner and if you are satisfied, go for it.

If you went to another shop, you might get a mechanic who knows nothing about a Lightning and be a bad alignment man also.

 

Well the saga continues.....

I dropped my truck off, spoke to the owner who was great. Reassured me he would personally do the road test, and check everything.

Well, I'm sitting in the living room of my parents house waiting for my truck. Out on the main road (about a half mile away, across a little valley) I hear blower whine. I call my Mom and say "Listen, someones beating the snot out of a lightning!" At that point it went quiet. Then......ZZZZZZZZAAAAAAA---Buuuuuurrrrrreeeechhhhh ....WAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Yup, Eaton going balistic, then tires melting, then Silver bullet pipes roaring to no end!!!!!!!! I call the shop (LAB Motors in Marblehead MA) and get the secretary..."No Bob (the owner) isn't here, he's road testing a truck right now." I get in Mom's 5.0 and haul *** to the shop where my manifolds are still pinging and Bob has a ghost like expression on his face. He denyed it and denyed it...but did admit that he "punched it once or twice....BUT IT NEVER WENT INTO RED LINE!" At that point I'm like Holly Shnizzle, dude, if you red line that truck on a public road (35mph) you should be locked up!!! (In front of a school no less). He comes back with... "well, its an incredible machine and...." A-hole, your not helping your case!!!!!!!! So to make a long story short, the best I could do was get him to cut the bill in half, still over $100 for a stinkin' alignment!!!! But its a small town, and word of mouth means a lot.

Sorry for the long post, but had to vent! Oh, and the alignment is dead on!!

 

Whip, I'm like you with this schitt
It sounds like you lost faith, you may need to back out and
find someone new.

There is only (or should I say WAS ONLY) one shop in town
I ever let touch my Chevelles, Stangs, Cobra, Etc...
Nice small enough place, I know the owner well, we talk
using first names, etc...

When I wanted him to do my 1st plugs change on the L,
I went there, and the mechanics all came out and asked
to see the motor, Imediatly like two put big major
hand prints on my fresh waxed finish, one made a reference
to a turbo charger, others asked if it was a 5.0 motor, and then one closed my hood with his big greasy hand and then TRIED
to take out his little red grease rag and wipe it (I stopped that)

I then walked away from the owner, got in it,
and drove away with the owner wondering why

So as it sit's right now a yr in a half later
NO PERSON has ever touched nor had the keys, nor worked on,
"my Lightning"
I've done each and every Mod myself, and when it got it's first inspection, I sat in it from start to finish,

Why do you think I talk about selling it, soon it'll be due it's next inspection and for that they need to hook it up, take rims off,
etc..., SOMEONE is gonna have to touch it, I got to sell before then

 

Dude, if you were living that close to the alignment shop, I would have told the owner not to take the L out for a road test til he called you to come and ride with him. That would have solved all of your problems.................

 

Ford's lightning turning everyday people into mechanics since 1999!

 

What in the heck was the original cost to do the alignment and what all did they do? I can't believe you'd pay that much for an alignment.