Muscle Car City, Alice Russell Muscle Car City, Alice Russell BEWARE!!! Santa Ana California
ALICE RUSSELL with MUSCLE CAR CITY Restoration in Santa Ana, DID NOT KEEP HER WORD with me on my Trans AM restoration. I will never trust her with any of my other cars again. And now I see she's advertising her services in Hemmings.
She kept calling me, begging me for additional money even though the contract said 50% up front and 50% on delivery. I went several times to deposit money into her bank account. My mistake was taking the car when she promised she'd do the necessary finish work -- because she needed the bay for one of her "car flip" customers. After that, she just stopped returning my calls. And I've called for months.
Here's what she and her people screwed up and never fixed: (1) DECAL WORK - AWFUL!! Her decal guy bubbled the bird on the hood of my Trans Am; I later noticed that he tore one of the decals, but put it on anyway; the pinstriping is coming up because he cut early; and they LOST one of my decals altogether (2) my tachometer no longer works; (3) they scratched my headlight well when putting in one of the headlights; (4) the front end and alignment work is terrible - alignment way out of whack, suspension arm had loose bolts, front spoiler had loose bolts; (5) loose bolts in general; (6) Driver's side door not properly aligned (she told me to bring it back when the "rubber had a chance to break in" -- the problem is with the door striker and how the door was hung; (7) she PAINTED my T-top trim pieces instead of anodizing them, and the black (?) paint has major orange peel; (8 She never completed painting my shaker scoop; (9) She painted over all my bolts that I requested be shot factory black -- and now there is RUST coming through on the screws around my deck lid.
My bad for trusting her to keep her word -- but she never did the necessary finish work, and the job doesn't look like it's going to hold up. Looks like I'm going to have to find a REAL auto restoration person to fix her mistakes -- don't say I didn't warn you!
BIGT
Santa Ana, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Marty
United States of AmericaNegative Review are LIES
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, July 13, 2011
I just got my 66 nova wagon back from Alice Russell at Muscle car city. I was skeptical about giving her my beloved car based on all the negative comments on the internet. I checked into some references she gave me. They all seemed legit. They said if I was patient (she has a small staff), then I would be happy with the results. The price was more than fair. I chose to trust the references, and my gut feeling...and take the chance with Alice and her staff at Muscle Car City. The results? Yes, I needed to be patient...but what I got back was better than I expected. Thank you Alice! If you call Alice, ask her for her reference list, and me (Marty) in particular. I will send you before and after pics. If you really want to be convinced, I'll show you the car in person. It really came out fantastic. There is nothing I can see as truthful in the all the negative comments on the internet. Personally I think someone felt wronged by her in some way, and is now out to ruin her. If that someone spends that much energy on being negative and hateful, you've got to question whether that person was wronged in the first place. Just sounds like a bad person to me. That's a shame.
Alice
Santa Ana,California,
U.S.A.
THIS POSTING IS A HOAX
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, June 15, 2009
This complaint is a Hoax and I demand proof that you ever did buisness with my Company.
The truth is all these reviews where posted by the same Person.
This person is Dave G.G. Please do not be Nave check the dates
on the postings.
Is it not a little strange that all of the post's where done right after the other?
If at any time anyone wants to see the countless slanders, see photo's of the car he is complaining about, read the correspondence from my attorney or the State of California please let me know.
The internet can be one of two things a wonderful resource of information, or a way for hateful people to scam, terrorize, stalk, manipulate, slander, and or tell out right lies about products, people or companies. It is very unfortunate that some people depend upon words of a cyber space individual to base their decisions. There is always three sides of any story the complaint the rebuttal and the truth. The truth can be found by actually meeting a individual instead of looking into a screen.
Thank You,
Alice Russell / Owner Muscle Car City
BIGT
Santa Ana,California,
U.S.A.
Muscle Car City is a joke of a shop!!! Horrible Experience
#4Author of original report
Sat, September 06, 2008
I gave her $10,000 for a restoration job on my Mustang and never got anything but a huge headache from it. She kept the car for 6 months and never touch it. Then tells me she can't do the job and does not have my money. Tells me to come get the car so I do and there were a ton of parts missing that are very hard to find (especially since they were all the original OEM part) Have made several attempts to try to work out a payment plan with her but she always lies and never comes through. She always has the front gate locked during business hours and does not publish her address on there web site. This should have been my first clue!!!! I was talking to one of her employees a few weeks ago (while I was waiting for her) and he told me she only hires illegal aliens because she can pay them next to nothing and they can't go to the labor board because they are illegal. Not to mention that he also told me that if she gets mad she sends the cars down the street to One Day Paint and has the car painted there for $500 then brings it back and claims she painted it. I don't know about anyone else but if I am spending $20,000 to have a car restored I want a nice clean paint job. Not a $500 cheap squirt and go.
I knew I was not the only one Muscle Car City has screwed.
Dave
GG, California
U.S.A.