Scott Siegel and crew moving to Cobb Parkway

I have no idea what you think you heard.

Nobody ever "claimed" a renegade...

That customer currently has his toterhome...

That customer also admitted to "mis-shifting 3 or 4 times PER SESSION" and doing a 5-2 downshift at 90+mph. That same customer owned 2 STi's. For years we made sure that he had one of them track ready 100% of the time. Since he's left I don't think he's ever run a full session without problems..

Like I said, I've never done anything I'm ashamed of. I have treated every customer's car like it was my own.

Siegel

I was GM for 11 months. During those 11 months I was 100% honest with every customer and TopSpeed was in a better place when Doug took back over from me than it was when I took over. That's really all that needs to be said about that.

Siegel

I would just like to say, aside from all of the shady business. You need to get a 9-5 because the car business is not for you. You are a primadonna who doesn't like to work and thinks you should have all the perks that someone who put up all of the risk does. Family man or not (not that you had a "family" when you tried to tell me how things were going to be at our 7 years old shop), if you don't want to scoop shit, then don't get a job at the Zoo.

Way to bash your loyal customer. The fact that you think because the customer had 2 (actually 3 if you count the wifes, which he had to use a coulple times) and that one was always running for him to drive is ok is dumbfounding. Im sure he was glad you looked at it that way. Why'd he ever leave y'all. thats a good ratio of working to blowed up 2:1

And y'all did claim the renegade to be your new rig. " Check out our new rig" I think was thread title on WRX atlanta. Only after we called you out on it did you own up to it.

I hardly think that leaving Doug with himself and Val is better off than before.

I don't doubt that you have a clear conscience Scott, that , I think is the problem. I beleive that you beleive that everything you did was ok. Thats NOT ok.

Wow

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Originally Posted by batlbrandon

And there is the answer I was waiting and expecting to hear. " I was unknowingly engaged unethical business" And the shame is you can run that into the ground. there is no red handed proof. well except for the customer who was here talking to you (on speaker), while you defended Doug and the BS that happened.

What about the customer who got the renegade, which yall claimed, what happened to him? How many engines yall go through before he took his shit and went home.

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I was also in the room for the said conversation, and heard BOTH sides talking to each other on speakerphone. Very, very, shady ass shit.

Matt, how many times were you and I tuning LATE at night? Tracy, by your own admittance you were not "officially working at BG" when I was there, and you weren't there very much - I was there LATE on MANY a night. Anybody who's been around me for long knows that I have stayed LATE whenever it was really necessary.

HOWEVER, I will not setup my life to be home late every night.

Brandon, I don't see where I bashed anybody... that customer has always been honest about his learning to drive...

Nobody can build or tune a Subaru motor to put up with repeated mis-shifts, as evidenced by his CONTINUAL inability to keep a car together...

Siegel

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Originally Posted by siegelracing

Nobody can build or tune a Subaru motor to put up with repeated mis-shifts, as evidenced by his CONTINUAL inability to keep a car together...

Siegel

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troof

Define late, after close yes, you stayed later than close many times to help me. However when Brandon and I were prepping the Subaru to go to the dragstrip and everyone else went home, Brandon and I stayed till the next morning and everyone else showed up to load the car. Brandon and I spent 48 hours straight in the shop before to get a car ready for a drag race. I think thats more what they are talking about. You can't and won't do that. Which is not a bad thing, I understand why but that doesn't change how things are.

The crew at BG is still the only people I know that will stay 100% until the bitter end to try and get a car done if it has to be done. I was there with Dan and Brandon the other night when a customer from Florida trailered up car to have tuned. Turns out that when the customer assembled the motor he set the timing wrong. The car got pulled off the dyno, fixed, put back on the dyno, tuned and loaded back on a trailer, then everyone stayed until the next appointment was done. I think we left at 3am, sometimes thats just what it takes.

I don't think that I need to say anymore. You picked your arguments well but you avoided the point. As for the phone call, I have the proof here in my shop. Keep having fun on your customers dollar. We will get another chance to go round again. Just a matter of time. New Shop Same Story.

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Originally Posted by batlbrandon

Next thing ya know Scott will be back at SOG. Mike will...well actually is, associating with MSP. Decker goes back to Killswitch. It will be fun to watch the next couple of months play out. Good Luck Y'all! All those Volk wheels gettin sold for pennies on the dollar over there holding up "real" work. Maybe this will turn it around.

You are all capable at your respective jobs. We will gladly hire any of you back if it doesn't work out. I have been trying to move into the office anyways since I became a partner last year.

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LOL :cheers:

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Originally Posted by Big Baller

Define late, after close yes, you stayed later than close many times to help me. However when Brandon and I were prepping the Subaru to go to the dragstrip and everyone else went home, Brandon and I stayed till the next morning and everyone else showed up to load the car. Brandon and I spent 48 hours straight in the shop before to get a car ready for a drag race. I think thats more what they are talking about. You can't and won't do that. Which is not a bad thing, I understand why but that doesn't change how things are.

The crew at BG is still the only people I know that will stay 100% until the bitter end to try and get a car done if it has to be done. I was there with Dan and Brandon the other night when a customer from Florida trailered up car to have tuned. Turns out that when the customer assembled the motor he set the timing wrong. The car got pulled off the dyno, fixed, put back on the dyno, tuned and loaded back on a trailer, then everyone stayed until the next appointment was done. I think we left at 3am, sometimes thats just what it takes.

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QFT

I've been there late MANY times to get shit done, just because that's what it takes. I've seen Brandon stay til the wee hours more times than I can count. Hell, there were like a bunch of us scattered in the shop sleeping in random places. Chairs, couches, even CARS were slept in when we worked on the Evo. Matt's WRX was the same story. Clutch job being done at 4am into the early morning. My cars are no different either, as my Lexus, my DSM's, have all been there with a bunch of us helping really late. Customers get the same treatment too. One of the main reasons that shop has been successful is because of the amount of HARD, team, effort that's been put in.

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Originally Posted by batlbrandon

Mike quits MSP under very conspicuous terms, comes to us and gets fired for the same unscrupulous actions, and now bounces around from shop to shop burning bridges as he goes. I still like Mike on a personal level but not professionally.

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I think that is a very low blow considering 1) I still affiliate with MSP, even though i dont work there

2) I get along with every shop in GA, i havent spoken to dan in over a year, but i have no ill will towards Tracy, dan or you or even BG.

3) I dont know what bridges i am burning as i have no ties to ANYONE. Its awesome, i report to know one, i have no one to tell me what to do, im my own boss. Most of the community likes me, at least thats what my sales tell me and how well my company is represented online.



I was fired/laid off from mainstream, true, i QUIT BG. Whether i was going to be fired later on or not, doesnt matter. Point is i quit, im the one that told dan i was done and walked out. Dan may have had something planned anyway, which is fine, but it really doesnt matter at this point. I did what i had to do, im still here and so is BG. Apparently there is still some bitterness over it.

It was just time for me to do my own thing, i would just leave it at that. No sense in drudging up old drama, unless you want to do it over a few irish car bombs

Mike, About to go drinking right now....want to come

Siegel....you want some Irish Car Bombs

last thing i will say is i wish Siegel luck.

I think the shop drama gets old (and im not even a shop)

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Originally Posted by Big Baller

About to go drinking right now....want to come

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where

Somewhere over here in Smyrna, Zucca or Atkins Park probably

I know how it was with you and MSP when you were here. I know you are friends with them again now. I think it is peculiar how it got back to where it is now. I stated fact. was it low? probably only because it was coming from me and I generally keep it cool. You were let go/you quit because it was bad business for both of us. We survived and so have you. Like freaking cock roaches but still here. Car bombs no, Patron yes.

call me ill meet you there

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Originally Posted by batlbrandon

I know how it was with you and MSP when you were here. I know you are friends with them again now. I think it is peculiar how it got back to where it is now. I stated fact. was it low? probably only because it was coming from me and I generally keep it cool. You were let go/you quit because it was bad business for both of us. We survived and so have you. Like freaking cock roaches but still here. Car bombs no, Patron yes.

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ill agree with that.

Come to whereever baller and i are at ill buy you the first shot

I'd be in for one Irish Car Bomb, I don't think I've had one since I was in Ireland and bartender said "A WHAT?" We told him what was in it and he said it must be an American car bomb. That was the night that Ashley beat me in a chugging contest ;)

I'm at CMP tonight and tomorrow, but maybe over the weekend...

Siegel

the Siegel drinks?!!! LOL

The Siegel has one drink per hour ;)

Are the Car Bombs whiskey in a Guiness?

Siegel

scott, gl to you in your move:goodjob:


as for the rest of you, you're all better than this imho:yes:

jesus tunes all my cars

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Originally Posted by JITB

jesus tunes all my cars

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I do not tune your cars

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Originally Posted by stay_up

^the shop should no what i am talking about...

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Don't PM me this bullshit just speak your mind. No One at Batlground has ever said anyone but Bucky painted the valve cover. Dan is a lot more loyal to his sponsors than I am, I know Buckys sticker was on their for a while.

The people that Sponsored my car for One Lap of America stayed on the car for One Lap and that was it. If Bucky had a problem with it I would have thought he would have contacted them instead of having you spread bullshit on the forums. Did he ask you to post that or did you take it upon yourself?

Congrats to Scott on his move... however this doesn't change anything here at TopSpeed.

Were not closing.. or sinking or whatever.. we will continue to do business and stay open just with different employee's as we have done for the last 5 and half years.

The valve cover was painted for SEMA and sponsored for SEMA. All of the stickers were removed after that unless continued support was given. That was the deal. SEMA is a HUGE show and the car got TONS of coverage. $500 (or whatever he charges) is a good deal to be on a SEMA car. Get to know :) And if Bucky had a problem, I assume he may have called me to let me know, not have someone bring it up in a random thread years later. LOL. I'm going to assume this is just gossip until I hear from Bucky.

Next.

Brandon's point (and mine too) is ALL of you shop whores move around like no ones business. No loyalty, no stability, no determination, no hard work. None of y'all want to deal with the hard stuff that it takes to be involved with a performance shop. I mean, it takes more than one person to do a good, timely job on a car. Just like a car, a shop is a well oiled machine and combo of parts, or combo of people in this case. It's what makes it a bad ass build, or shop in this example. You buy ebay parts, sure, it may or may not work, but it's not proved and tested to stand the test of time and wear. It just seems like certain people want all the fame and glory, but don't want any of the rest, so they will mooch off of whoever will let them set up shop. Of course it's easy to go home early when you have nothing invested but your "reputation" and a cell phone bill. Don't have to worry about keeping the lights on, don't have to worry about the insurance, etc. Just your own demands and feet stomping matter. Tuning is the easy part, holding all the rest together isn't. At least Mike admits it.

All I hear is ME ME ME ME! Selfish. You never hear Dan and Brandon talk about I I I. You hear Batlground, because Batlground has always been and always will be Dan and Brandon (unless we sell out and move to Jamaica). There is a solid team and reputation. You always know what you are getting and who you will be dealing with. The worst people can say, apparently is we remove sponsor stickers and talk too much shit that makes us LOOK bad. I don't see that part stopping anytime soon.

i had a few drinks with brandon last night even though we didnt talk about this stuff.

Personally, whether it was right or wrong, and i really am not trying to start anything at all, it was just time for me to do it on my own. I didnt want to work for anyone else, i didnt want to do the hard work and go through the hard times, i didnt want to put in any effort working for someone else etc. I really had a heart to heart with myself, and working for someone else IN THAT INDUSTRY was just NOT for me anymore. Thats the honest truth.

Could things have been done differently? yes ill be the first to admit that, do i have any regrets, perhaps some, i could have left both shops on better terms, but that is the past its over an i cant change it. I also wont relive stuff that happened almost 2 years ago and more.

Im sure all parties involved are much happier doing what they are doing now, and we all know BG has always been Dan and Brandon and Tracy.

Mainstream will always be Charles and James.

topspeed will always be doug.

just kinda the way it goes.

Anyways, good luck to all, i have some carpets to go shampoo

EDIT: I get work done at Mainstream because they have ALWAYS been my shop. Even when i worked at NoPI and BG was down the street i still went to Mainstream. Thats nothing against Batlground at all and having worked there i would have no problems letting brandon or dan touch my car. But ive had a rep with mainstream since even before i worked there, im friends with Charles and james outside of their shop, its only natural they work on my cars. But i also get work done at Fastlane aka John Lamonts shop, and ive had stuff done by Zen and Killswitch to my Silvia/180sx. Its kinda what i do, i like spending money at friends shops because i think its good business. I would be happy to spend money at BG if i was welcome there. But thats another discussion for another day

I HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN THE WORKING ON CARS OR BEING INVOLVED AT A SHOP. IVE BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES TO BE A SHOP GUY AGAIN AND I HAVE DECLINED ALL OFFERS. You couldnt pay me enough to go back to a shop. I just dont want to do it anymore.

I stopped reading this thread after page 3, so if this got better, forgive me.

Having said that, Tracy youre doing a very good job of making Batlground look really, really bad, especially for someone that doesnt even work there. Being impartial to this whole situation, and really not caring what has happened in the past, I can say without bias that you and your attitude are definitely not giving me a warm fuzzy about BG, regardless of your affiliation. You worked there once, and are obviously liked in their circle, and that says a lot about them through association. Hope youre proud of yourself.

Maybe someone at BG will realize this and tell you to shut your big mouth, but I doubt it.

As far the topic at hand, good luck to all parties involved. Hopefully everyone finds a niche in this (apparently) cut-throat ATL market. If I need work Ill call around.

I believe a Pontiac Solstice has the track record at TGPR, thats the last I heard from David Upchurch's right hand man Lawrence.

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Originally Posted by skillzilla

If I need work Ill call around.

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all about the dee eye why

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Originally Posted by skillzilla

I stopped reading this thread after page 3, so if this got better, forgive me.

Having said that, Tracy youre doing a very good job of making Batlground look really, really bad, especially for someone that doesnt even work there. Being impartial to this whole situation, and really not caring what has happened in the past, I can say without bias that you and your attitude are definitely not giving me a warm fuzzy about BG, regardless of your affiliation. You worked there once, and are obviously liked in their circle, and that says a lot about them through association. Hope youre proud of yourself.

Maybe someone at BG will realize this and tell you to shut your big mouth, but I doubt it.

As far the topic at hand, good luck to all parties involved. Hopefully everyone finds a niche in this (apparently) cut-throat ATL market. If I need work Ill call around.

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Thanks for your opinion and attempt at a lecture. LOL. I have a whole stack of PM's and emails from people thanking ME for having the guts to call it like I see it and giving me their horror stories related to the topic—even though they won't post themselves because no one wants to go against the grain. Either way, good or bad, I don't really care about what people think of my opinions, thoughts and essays. That's why I continually give them (ever notice that) and thank IA for giving me a place to do it.

You're welcome.

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Originally Posted by 5speed

I believe a Pontiac Solstice has the track record at TGPR, thats the last I heard from David Upchurch's right hand man Lawrence.

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You heard wrong.

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Originally Posted by Big Baller

You heard wrong.

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o0o0o Do you hold the record? I am out of the loop.

what does SOG stand for?

Subaru of Gwinette