Frequency

I was finally able to get ahold of Eddie today. As you know, Slidell was hit hard by the hurricane. TMP's shop was basically destroyed. The roof is gone and they took in 8 ft of water. With estimates of 6 weeks before power is restored Eddie and Steve have elected to move their location.

Their new shop is located in Ponchatoula, about 30 miles west of their current location. It's near the intersection of I-55 and I-10. They expect to be up and running next week. They have a temporary number to an answering machine: (985) 386-9969. I asked Eddie if there is anything I can do to help. He asked that I let people know TMP is ready to get back to work.

Frequency

I decided it would be a good idea to rig my own boat. With the help of an experienced rigger we built a one-of a kind Envision powered by 540CI EFI motors and a Pulsedrive surface drive package. I purchased fraudulently new motors from a builder in the Florida panhandle two years ago and we went to work. Dialing in the boat was impossible because the motors would not stay together.

Based on word of mouth I towed the boat to TMP’s shop and asked Eddie and Steven to take a look at it. Though backed up with work they agreed to tackle the problem if I could leave the boat with them. I was impressed by the fact that they actually cared about my getting the boat in the water and finding some enjoyment in boating.

The list of problems they found was extensive. They kept the blocks, cranks, pistons and exhaust. Everything else had to be replaced. Along the way they documented and communicated the expected costs and included credits for parts they could reuse.

The changes made to the motors meant time spent rerigging, a task Eddie described as “difficult” due to unfamiliarity with the Pulsedrive and limited space in the engine compartment. It was clear this project wasn’t about the money, building new engines and rigging for Merc outdrives would have been much more profitable for the time they invested. TMP made a commitment to solve my problems and they stuck to it. In the end, even including the original cost of the fraudulently new motors, I ended up spending about what it would have cost for blue motors of the same power.

My TMP EFI motors have performed flawlessly for the first 40 hours. They idle at 800 rpm and stay rock steady when shifting in and out of gear, making docking maneuvers a breeze. I would not hesitate to use TMP’s services again and would recommend them to anyone looking for reliable custom power at a reasonable price.

Cincinnati Race

I am writing a story for EBM about those in our industry effected by Hurricane Katrina, does anybody have contacts or interesting stories for me with regards to this topic?

Thank you,
Terrah Lee
[email protected]
(513) 543-7736

totalmp

Greg,

Customers like you are why we're in this business. After reading your post, and speaking to other customers, we were eager to rebuild and get back to doing what we love. We did lose everything including complete engines, prototype superchargers, tools, computers, all of the pictures of every project we've completed, etc. With the help of everyone out there, we will be up and running with a bigger and better facility.

Terrah,
We have pictures documenting our facility as well as all of our crew who lost their houses. We would be happy to forward these to you, and help you in anyway we can with your story. Feel free to call me anytime. 504-415-6681.

Thanks,

Steve

Semper Fi

TMP,
I wish you guys the best. Someday, I will look forward to ordering motors from you guys.

totalmp

Thanks. We look forward to building them for you.

Steve

vette131

i stopped by the new shop tonight. it's high & dry & only a few minutes from the biggest boat launch in the area. i've seen first hand the hard work these guys have put in the last 5 years. they will survive & continue to build the business they love. if you're planning on doing engine work or rigging this winter give them a shot. you won't be dissapointed.

thunderusone

Vette, glad to see you back on the board and that you are ok! Now, go clean out your PM box!

vette131

it's clean now sorry. the rest of the country could learn a thing or two by seeing how this group of people rise above to help those who want to help themselves. you guys are a special group of people. my family & my house are fine. so far the recovery in slidell seems to be very well organized & moving pretty fast. cleco & the rest of the utility companies involved are some bad mofo's. we had power in only ten days
in an area you just can't image the scope of the damage.
my side of town had no flooding but we have more trees down than we have still standing. the side of town by the lake
is just complete devestation.

vette131

the pic on I59 is aprox 200 miles north of the coast & after they made the road passable. the damage is worse the closer you get. in slidell they recorded sustained winds of 178mph with gusts to 190mph. we were told to expect 120mph by the time it reached us. the trees & houses tell a different story. the last pic is of tmp,s shop. look at the high water line on the building. the back shop is 2-3ft lower than the front.