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Keisler Engineering Bankruptcy

Sad indeed. I've been following this all week. I'm on their mailing list and just got an email today from Shafi explaining the situation and the plans he is working on with others to reorganize. More to come I hope.
 
Perhaps they weren't so great! I thought the name sounded familiar. Here is the chain from an AMC forum I follow.............

Jeers - Keisler Engineering/Legend Gear & Trans
18. Oct 2013 at 20:27 Quote
Timeline of my current problem. I was told when I ordered that there was about a 4 month backlog. But it's now at 8 months, and has been PAID FOR IN FULL for 6 months.

Timeline:

2/15/13 - ordered, estimate 6/17/13 ship date (50% down payment)
3/4/13 - email, 5/10/13 ship date
3/21/13 - email, 5/24/13 ship date
4/9/13 - email, 5/31/13 ship date
4/16/13 - email request for balance stating close to production, OK'd, billed 4/18/13 (paid in full)
6/8/13 - I made a status request
6/10/13 - email, 6/28/13 ship date
6/24/13 - email , 7/12/13 ship date
7/26/13 - I made a status request.
7/29/13 - email, my concerns have been forwarded to their business manager, told I would get a follow-up call.
8/12/13 - no call yet, I sent another email requesting info on where I stand in the queue.
8/15/13 - email, states they are having problems with one of their suppliers, ship date is now a very vague last week August/first week September. We'll see.
9/4/13 - Keisler called (wouldn't you know, I was in northern Canada on a fishing trip, and out of contact) My trans has come up for build, they need more info for my build. Pilot bushing OD, shaft length, mechanical or electronic speedo, tire diameter. I didn't get back to Colorado until 9/11. Why didn't they ask for this when it was ordered?
9/12/13 - Called Keisler, gave them the info, we'll see how long it takes before I get a shipping confirmation.
9/29/13 - emailed requesting status.
9/30/13 - received email:

Your SS700 will be going into production sometime by the end of this week and should ship out no later than Wednesday 10/9/13 could be Tuesday 10/8/13 but production is not here on Mondays. We at Keisler want to thank you for your patience and business.

10/18/13 - Still no trans or shipping confirmation. It's now been 8 months since ordered, and 6 months since the unit was paid for IN FULL.
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My SS700 arrived today. It's a beautiful trans (S/N 366 if anyone is keeping track), but it's not going to fit without using a Quicktime bellhousing for a Chevy trans ($680 at Summit). Definitely NOT a "direct fit" as advertised. After paying nearly $4K for a trans, and being given all these promises that it would fit the factory bellhousing, I'm really disgusted.

The input shaft is only 6 1/2" long, my T-10 is 8 1/2" (they knew it was replacing a T-10 when I ordered it). Likewise the bearing retainer is also 2" too short. The retainer is also about .010" too large to index my factory bellhousing or the deep Lakewood. The bolt pattern is not T-10, maybe Saginaw? I don't know. I already fired off an email to their business manager asking what they're going to do. I'm about ready to have them issue a pickup tag and ask for a refund.
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Ultimately, I'll probably buy the Quicktime. I'm just mad that it won't fit what I have after I was assured it would (I still have the emails from Keisler). The trans has a 1 year unlimited mile warranty, with up to 2 years to activate it. All the parts are unique to this trans, nothing is "off the shelf". If anything breaks, it's going to have to come from Keisler anyway, so the application doesn't matter. I'll wait a while Monday for them to contact me, then make my phone call.
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Well, now it looks like I've been placed on "ignore". I got my Quicktime bellhousing last week and got around to mating the trans to the engine last weekend (11/16/13). The pilot bearing they sent that I called in the sizing for on September 12 is wrong. Looks like they just threw in a standard GM pilot bearing (1.093" OD) The hole in the 390 crank is 1.053". .040" is a little more than a press fit.

I also asked for their suggestion for a clutch/pressure plate, since I now need to use a 26 spline GM clutch disc.

I emailed the secretary (Cheryl Holland), the salesman (Jeff Kauffman), and the sales manager (David Micheletta). Not a single response from ANY of the 3 for an entire week.
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Got a letter today that Keisler has closed and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Doesn't look like I'll get the driveshaft that was part of the purchase price, but it also looks like about 300 people put down 50% and got nothing, so I'm one of the luckier ones.

See the whole article here: Constant Contact : Unexpected Error zggN_0Idt2Gtwlr-_LarvNawbdMeKsQ1rDvp1VcZ89eZQ5ExdHl_OHoCf9oIZR6HFv0FPWCQ08Ip-hFcPvEJ4QrA1yjhCqV8maG_KuBS2IzIWRkmGhzTgG
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Seems they ripped every last dollar out of customers even though they knew business was falling apart and they had little chance of delivering.

David
 
That is an interesting article on the ownership of these driveline components on the Chevelle Forum Keith. Seems like someone went to great length to obscure what was really happening. Weird.

I always feel bad for people who lose money in a deal like this. It beats the H out of trust.
 

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