My experience with Derebery Performance...
 

Last year I had a light knock in the left side of my motor. Thought it was bad gas or mabybe a bad spark plug. No dice so I dropped the boat off at Derebery's and Leon thought the knock was in the block and I thought it was in the head, so we came to the conclusion that they would do a leak down and see what was up. Two weeks passed and NO ONE would call me back or talk to me. Finnaly someone came to the phone and stated that the motor was fubared and needed to be rebuilt. I drove to the shop (2 1/2 hours from my home) and found my motor completley tore down to the shortblock. Reason for the complete tear down??????? A busted head stud in the left head! I asked why the motor was torn down and Leon stated that the "tolerences were shot and that he figured I wanted it done". I was going to let them do the rebuild untill they started quoting huge prices and wanting me to buy two new heads. I picked up the boat and all my parts in boxes. I had the head fixed for $280 and the entire motor rebuild by someone I trusted. The machine shop stated my shortblock was in perfect condition before Derebery tore it down. While my boat was in the shop they moved it around with the cover on and ripped all my straps and tore most of the seems. Drianed all the oil from the motor in the bildge even though I have a drain on the hull. Allowed the motor to swing foward and hit the brace thats gell coated in front of the crank pully and crack. I had to replace a full cover, have the engine bay fixed and re-gelled, and pay Derebery $1600 for the labor they performed. On top of the rebuild for my shortblock.

Be aware before you do business with some people.

That sucks. Maybe others will chime in about their experiences.

I have since met two more eliminator owners with similar Derebery experiences. Live and learn.

Sorry to hear that....

Nothing I have not heard here on this board many times before.

I did not know of the board at the time or I would of checked him out.

Ouch........ Thanks for the info. If I was going to have an engine built I would have done it there because they are so close. I thought they were professional after reading a Hot Boat article on the company (no suprise there). They are supposed to have some very high tech equipment, but I guess that don't mean jack***t unless you got good people running running the show. I heard of one other incident, but I thought it was an isolated one.

I have never had Dereberry do any new engine work for me, but I bought a Cafe Racer that had his / their motors in it and they were bullet broof and turn key. Granted, they were mild ( 502 / SC600's ) but still, no issues.

The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was when I called them to get dyno sheets or spec sheets on the engines and they declined to send me either, fully knowing the boat and engines at the time of the conversation. They would "rebuild them the same way though when I was ready."

There was a thread on Derebery a while back. Half the guys thought he walked on water. The other half thought he belonged at the bottom of the lake. :rolleyes:

theres two sides to every story, every builder has there issues.

I have heard nothing but good things about Leon and the crew. I truly believe there are two sides to each story.

I don't know, but if I had an issue that Leon couldn't resolve, then I would talk with Art.

Cliff, I believe you and I already spoke (when you threatened me in a Dallas bar) in order to resolve your issues and you never showed like you said you would. It has been 6 months since then. Your issues took place nearly 1 year ago. You have never even called us. You drive past the shop to get to your dads dock, I told you I was there to fix it...remember?:eureka:

There were 2 ways to fix the engine that you openly knew nothing about when you bought it... we were not interested in patching up a supercharged engine!

I will not discuss the details here. You can come see us.

DITTO! Leon has done my work for years, I am talking 20 years, engines, drives, every kind of maintence needed, and I tow 4hrs to get there!!!

Leon and his crew have been nothing but good for me. Been doing my work for 5 years now. Alwas willing to help and have gone out of their way many times.

Fixing a head stud that was pulled out of an aluminum head is patching up a supercharded engine? If no metal or shavings had intered the block how is that a patch. The shortblock was great. That does still not explain the no phone calls, the torn cover, not getting all my parts when I picked up the boat, and the bidge being cracked.

I don't care to come by the shop to resolve anything. I learned my lesson dealing with you guys and payed to rebuild the motor with someone I trusted.

I have not driven by your place once since the incident last summer. My place is on Lake Travis.

Also I am glad some people have had good dealings with them. I only posted MY dealings.

If the Derebery crew has a different side to the story they can post it. I have all the documents from my machine shop stating the shortblock, rings, pistons, bearing, and cam were in "new" condition.

A CALL BEFORE A FULL TEARDOWN WOULD OF BEEN THE CORRECT THING TO DO.

Big Cliff
Registered



Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 13

Looks like a guy on a mission to me...:rolleyes:

No, just came over to the site from hotboat.com. Was the guy who posted the shady work from another shop yesterday on a mission? My only mission was to tell my side of the story.

Did you notice the Derebery guy posted "he believed me".

He was trying to take the high road. They have always jumped through hoops to get my boat back on the water fast.

Just like you I was just posting my dealings with the shop.

I am always a little suspect when I see someone on the forums with 10-20 posts who is using the forum to voice issues, when it sounds like they have not yet even sat down with the "so called" problem maker to resolve an issue.
I for the most part have not had or heard anything but good dealings with Leon and he seems to be a reasonable guy. I would recommend that OSO'ers always keep their issues between themselves and their vendor until they are being unfairly treated with no attempt on their vendors part to fairly resolve an issue.. Then, we here on the forum are here to listen, suggest and help where we can, but also remember we are not "Judge and Jury" for unresolved claims or issues! Do your due dilegence and resolution attemps before blasting here on the forums.

Best Regards,

Ray @ Raylar

So it would make my thread hold more water if I had 1500 or 2000 post? I spend lots of time reading the boards but rarely post. This is my preference. I did not attack Derebery Performance or Slander the shop in any way. I ONLY stated what happened in my eyes. If Derebery cares to make the situation better they have not tried in almost 1 year. So just like you stated I posted my dealings.

Boy do I hate it when morons start threads on OSO to badmouth dealers because they don't have the balls to work it out in private. It's easier to come on here and whine like a little girl i guess.

I told you on Wednesday December 27th, 2006 at Hole In the Wall Bar in Dallas while sitting with my fiance and friends that if you were unhappy and felt you were done wrong it was the first I had personally heard of it. I explained to you that a threat to meet in the parking lot was not the way to fix it but that you were welcome, and we were willing to fix anything that we had messed up and may have been unaware of. Again...it has been 6 months.

How do you figure I am a moron? I sure as hell didn't get the job I have without a great education and devotion to my career. I tried to work the problem out when I picked up the boat. No dice; so I payed my $1600 and left with my boat and motor. I am not "whining" or demanding anything. Just stating what happened from my point of view. Never told anyone to use or not use him just stated to becareful who you use.

You stated in the parking lot that you were trying to "repair" the Derebery reputation and to come by and speak to you. By this time the motor was already fixed and running along with the cover & bildge. Nothing really you could undue at that point. I'm only stating what happened.

Cliff - still good info to me. Like I said, this isn't the first time I have heard of an incident with these people. I am sure every engine builder has things like this happen from time to time. The better the relationship you build with a mechanic the less likely you are to have something like this happen. I have a great relationship with my mechanic, but I am sure he may have not taken as good as care if a guy off the street came to him with an attitude. I kizz his azz every chance I get because its a lot of money to just hand over to someone.

TB I agree with you. I did not come to the boart just to post this story or start trouble. I only posted my side of the story. I would like to hear the other side....

I am surprised at the amout of people calling me names for outing my story. Never did I attack Derebery Performance or any other member.

Some of you guys are a little quick to judge based on post counts, friendships or whatever.

Cliff did not call anyone names, he simply laid out his side of the story in a pretty straighforward factual way.

We all know there are two sides to a story, Dereberry gets around and I'm sure he knows of this thread, he's a big boy and can choose to answer here or not

I'm glad i got the info and you should be too. Teaches a good lesson no matter who you deal with, get things in writing, agree on ther work, agree not to make a mess in the boat and agree on the condition of the gelcoat/vinyl etc when the boat was delivered, agree on boat storage, covered or not, secure or not, whose insurance while locked in the pen Agree how far to go without written approval, these are basic good business principals and are law in many states. These things hardly seem like stuff someone would invent to harm someone.

IMHO, I respect that a builder may not want to get trapped in depending on anothers work but at the same time too many are too quick to pull the "It needs to have everything done" trigger and spend a perf boaters money cause they assume they have plenty of it.

If it makes good compression, does not consume excess oil and does not have valve springs known to puke at xxx hrs run it.

I spent many years in small engine repair and many more in Jet engine repair. I've talked to Leon myself a few yrs ago, nice guy, new his stuff, but went out of his way to upsell me on a whole custom engine rather than do the work I requested on a 5 hr merc 454mag, I moved on.

Peace:drink:

Big Cliff, You sound like a real a-hole. They said this they said that..... I dont think you have a clue what you are talking about and are making an ass out of yourself.

Matt says "he believed you and I already spoke" you dumbass.

Derebery has always treated me with HUGE class and bent over backward to help me get my boat running the best it can.

Go back to hotboat and shut the F up.

don't sugar coat it......how do you really feel???

How could I not have clue what I'm talking about? This happened to me, my boat, and my money. Derebery Performance and I are the only ones with the facts.

Even though me and Matt spoke nothing was resolved or made correct.

I am glad Derebery treated you good. Why in the hell would I want him to treat any fellow boater bad??? You make no sense at all and sound like a child.

I was class act in the situation. I picked up my boat and parts and payed what he asked and LEFT.

I completely agree. I like to hear all the good and bad things that might happen at any place I'm thinking of spending my money. I did not hear anything out of line with what the guy said.. It sounds like he paid his bill and went on down the road. Now he is telling fellow boaters his experience and let them be warned.

There are always 2 sides to every story and Leon probably doesn`t want to get into a pizzing match over something that happened over a year ago.
I know Leon and he most likely only wanted to do the engine one way - his way - the RIGHT way. He isn`t going to patch up someone elses POS engine and then put his name on it.

You are entitled to your own opinion about Leon Derebery. Personally, I think he walks on water. :drink:

Big Cliff have you sat down with Leon and discussed this problem face to face?

Its a chevy bowtie block, 572 cui, aluminum head, solid roller, chiller, littlefield 10:71, twin Nickerson carbs......etc. Its far from a POS engine. It made over 1000hp after the rebuild. Motors break I know this very well from my drag car, but doing a full tear down for a broken head stud?

At the time of pickup he would not really discuss the matter. Just seemed to want his money.

You said there was a knock in the top end or bottom end or something like that?? Head stud breaking won't cause an engine knock....unless there's a blown head gasket and even then it won't knock, it will pop/hiss.... Maybe he tore it down because he couldn't find where the knock was coming from...