Ever been scammed? Be glad you're not this guy.
From the Vette forums:
Quote:
I followed your story about John Hennessey with much interest and want
to thank you for your various posts regarding it. Unfortunately however,
I hold the title of the King of Stupid when it comes to falling victim
to John Hennessey's scams and I know my loss (in monetary terms alone)
easily gives me bragging rights to that title. =) It was greatly to my
disadvantage that I didn't get wind of Hennessey's antics (as posted on
the Corvette Forum and the VCA forum) until long after I'd already given
him my car, as well as -all- of the money agreed upon up for the
scheduled work in advance. I feel like a complete jackass.
Do you happen to remember the issue of Motor Trend this last Spring that
showed John Hennessey's Venom 800 on the cover? Never having been an
true American muscle car fan as much as a Porsche guy up until that
time, I didn't really know all that much about Vipers, other than I
liked the look of them, etc. But when I saw the numbers John supposedly
wrung out of that orange Viper in the article, I was astounded. I had to
have one! So I did some looking on the web, found his website, and sent
him an e-mail. He responded and after that initial contact I talked to
him on the phone, as well as thru e-mails. He was personable and
friendly (as I'm sure you found him to be initially) and he seemed
competent and straightforward.
Accordingly, I located a new Viper GTS in Idaho and had it trucked down
to Utah (where I live) and continued to go over everything with John as
I decided which options to go with, etc., until finally we'd come to an
agreement that totaled $122,500--not including the car (yes, I know, I
know, Bill--I'm a complete idiot). In my defense, I guess, I'd like to
say that: 1) I didn't really know Vipers--as I mentioned--and it seemed
to me that all of the options I'd chosen were both very worthwhile or
necessary; 2) the Venom 800's performance put it into another league
altogether and as such the cost seemed reasonable in light of what you'd
get (or not get) for the same money if you went with a very custom
Porsche, Ferrari, or Lamborghini, etc.; and 3) Hennessey seemed to have
a very solid reputation in the tuner industry (I -assumed-), not unlike
RUF, Lingenfelter, or Saleen, etc.
I drove my new Viper only several hundred miles over the next few weeks
before I arranged to have John send a fellow to pick up my car and
transport it down to his shop in Houston. Interestingly, John pushed
pretty hard for all of the money for the Venom 800 project up front,
though he only really insisted on half. Based on what I believed to be
one of the most trusted names in the industry, however, I agreed to wire
him the entire $122,500 up front, which I did. What an unbelievable
mistake. A date of approximately 12 weeks from the date he took delivery
was projected for completion of the car (he took delivery of the car in
April of last year), making the due date approximately mid-July.
Over the course of the next couple of months, I heard very little from
John, but I assumed all was in order (I'd never done this sort of thing
before, after all). In early July, John called me to discuss ways to
produce even more horsepower from the car buy rebuilding the engine with
all titanium parts so that it could run reliably at 16-18 psi, vs. the
originally planned 10-12 psi. For this new upgrade (which he dubbed the
"Venom 1000" due to his anticipating between 1000 and 1100 bhp at the
crank) he stated that he needed another $20,000, and asked for it ASAP
if possible, stating that it would greatly speed up his ability to get
the parts quicker. I agreed and sent him another wire for $20,000.
Because of the additional modifications, John now estimated a September
delivery date.
September came and went. Then, around the end of October, I started
putting a little pressure on John, asking him when he was going to be
done with the car. He blamed his inability to get certain parts for the
Venom 1000 on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks (no, I've never been able
to see the connection either) but assured me that everything would be
wrapping up soon.
November came and November went. Then in early December, I got a phone
call from a fellow who asked me how my car was doing and what I'd heard
about it. I replied with the facts above and he told me that John was
basically sticking it to me and that I should go to the Viper Club of
America forum and the Corvette Forum and do a little reading. Your case
was noted. He assured me that I was getting screwed badly. I began to
get nervous. It was at this time that I first read your bad experiences
with John Hennessey, as well as those of others and I began to get even
more nervous. And I began to get angry.
I called John and asked him straight up, "John, will I get my car back?"
To which he replied with a hurt tone, "Yes! Of course. What do you
mean?," and wanted to know why I didn't trust him anymore. I didn't tell
him that anyone had called me, but I did tell him that I'd read a lot of
disturbing things on the forums about him. He had no reply whatsoever
for that one and changed the subject. I told him I wanted my car
finished and I wanted it finished quickly. He agreed that it would be
ready in the beginning of January. Then, without warning, I flew a
trusted buddy down to Houston to simply show up at John's shop and see
what the status of my car was for himself.
What my friend found was terribly discouraging. My car was there in his
shop all right, but he discovered that John had sold my hood (one of the
parts on a Viper worth quick cash I'm told - since they're $14,000 to
replace) though I had NOT ordered his carbon fiber replacement hood,
wanting instead to keep my stock one. I also discovered that John had
sold my stock wheels and tires, though I had specifically requested that
my stock wheels be fitted with slicks and returned to me as a second set
of rims/tires. None of the parts that I had ordered (suspension upgrade,
HRE wheels, body parts, Brembo brakes, Quaiffe diff, Connolly leather
interior, etc., etc., etc.) were anywhere to be seen and John admitted
that he did not have them.
I told John at this time (thru my friend) that I wanted all the parts
I'd ordered collected and the upgrades completed ASAP or there would be
trouble. John hung his head and shifted from one foot to the other and
assured me that everything would be completed immediately. My friend set
a date in mid-January at which time he would return and actually hear
the completed, modified engine actually start, in my car. John agreed.
After this visit, John sent me a number of cheery e-mails in which he
talked at great length about other subjects and another Viper he'd been
working on and how he was getting great power out of it, etc., but not a
thing about my car.
Well Bill, my friend did indeed return to visit John just a few days ago
and found that NOT A SINGLE THING had changed or had been completed. My
car continues to sit in the corner of John's shop where it collects
dust. The wheels are still missing, the hood is still missing, and the
engine is yanked but as yet remains unmodified. Meanwhile, two reliable
sources have told me that John just bought or built a new home for
himself in Colorado. And I know I'm the one who made the down payment
for it.
I've decided that I've waited long enough. I contacted my attorneys
recently and I'm starting the ball rolling on going after John for my
car and for the $142,500 I fed into a black hole. I have no delusions
about my likely failure to get anything out of John eventually, of
course. I guess this is just one of those painfully difficult lessons
life throws at you from time to time--in this case a lesson that cost me
a staggering amount of money. It also makes me see just how amazingly
stupid I really am. =)
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$142,500 
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02-12-2002, 08:59 PM
holly SHIT thats alota money...
