3/19/09
So still no word from Montalto. I will email him tomorrow and set up a meeting at his garage sometime next week to see what, if anything, has been done, and answer any questions.
I finally sold the Thumper motor today for $3500. The fellow, Josh, also is buying Randy’s 400 tranny, fuel pump, and Dominator carb. Josh did not show up at Randy’s today as promised.
Sadly, the money from the Thumper motor must go into the house for a new furnace. It should be very interesting to see just how I come up with a way to complete this project once Joe sends back the truck in primer.
4/3/09
Got a call from Joe yesterday. He has done nothing to the truck in 8 weeks. Ne noted, however, that he has 4 guys ready to pounce on it next week, and claims he’ll have it back to me by the end of May. We are to meet in a week or two on a Saturday to discuss some details. OK, then.
5/19/09
Went out to Montalto’s with Angel and Jerry Lee on Saturday 5/16/09. Joe has done ZERO so far on the truck in over three months, although he did empty the pieces out of it. We discussed numerous aspects of the truck, but NO start of work date was ever mentioned, no completion date, just a lot of talk about how busy he is with 6 guys on the ten cars the zillionaire golden goose client has laid on him. It is doubly frustrating that he wouldn’t just give me the money (he obviously has it at this point given his job stream and the fact he got paid by his neighbor) and let me get someone else to get right on this and finish it. Angel and Jerry were both impressed with his “intention” to do excellent work. But NO work means NOTHING, all intentions notwithstanding. We’ll see what happens in the next month. We did have some excellent BBQ chicken.
6/8/09
So it is over 4 months since Montalto picked up the KK. It is over 3 weeks since I visited Joe at his shop. NOTHING has been picked up. Remember, he was to come in a couple of days (“…this week…” Joe noted 3 weeks ago) to pick up one engine, the Powerglide trans, and transfer case.
NOTHING. Just like the more than two and a half years which have elapsed since work stopped on the truck in December 2006.
This is exactly why I had requested back in January of 2009 that Joe just give me the money back, including a hefty discount off of what was due me, to just end his involvement in the project.
I have plenty of unfunded projects at hand, but this is just galling. Whatever, for the next few weeks I am not going to concern myself, as Joe is just demonstrating a TERRIBLE disregard for honor, trust, and personal integrity. Not that this bad behavior has any real downside for him at this point. Unless, of course I sue him for non-performance.
His golden GEESE are keeping him busy, and apparently making him serious money. That he doesn’t see the wisdom and expediency of just paying me off and getting rid of me is baffling. He can afford it, he SHOULD do it, and I could then move on without this preposterous BS.
7/14/09
2:00 PM
Got a call from Joe, claiming he is in Colorado at the moment. Despite
repeated questions from me, he kept avoiding telling me what had been
done, always jumping to “we’re going to do this, we’re going to do
that....I have EIGHT guys available and we’re going to have it done by
the end of August.............”
He also noted the zillionaires have signed him to a FIVE year deal. I
reiterated why did he not just pay me off?
“Oh, all the money goes out to attorneys, the entertainment company,
etc., and I can’t just write a check....”
He also claimed he wanted to be associated with the final product.
Utter and MASSIVE BS.
He’s STILL trying to bolt the motor and trans in it, and this is now
several weeks after he picked up those parts.
Just procrastinative horsecrap at its freshest.
