I think my explanation so far might suffice for this, but if it didn't, please let me know.

We'll be auctioning off more unique cars too, for our current fleet has grown too large. We're in the process of change, and we have some VERY good news regarding our facilities (more news on that when I make the official announcements). I choose to use my own forms of personal auctions, for it helps me get to the best people and the best price...eBay and other sites just don't work as well, as they can be too broad for our niche markets. Don't let it sway you into thinking we're in trouble

Sure, it's not unknown that our new product development halted, and yes...that too can lead to all sorts of nasty rumors. Again, should you be curious, just ask...I'll be happy to give you the straight story, right from the horse's mouth. Rumors be damned!

 

When the only good you are hearing is from the same person most others are saying is the problem, I would tend to not right off what the "internet" is saying. I can document all of my issues, as others have.

Just because he comes by here and spouts the same lines he's been feeding people for many konths, does NOT meant that all is well. Maybe he is just covering his rear. He also lectured me before he would finally release my car that I was not allowed to even post pictures of my car without his permission! He is very afraid of people telling the truth. I should have my story documented in great detail soon. Just have to finish my time line and review.

IMHO, Hahn RaceCraft has no credibility.

 

I'd have to disagree...while you may well be seeing the most vocal people on CSS.net, we still draw a large amount of our sales from there. We'll be working our way over to that forum soon too, as my catching up continues...

The car you speak of was indeed caught in the vortex of this year's challenges. It was, and has always been, wonderfully tuned, making great power and very driveable, just like the other Cobalts we've done this to (starting with our own, of course). It did not ever blow an engine.

What it DID do was break in a fashion that would have been covered by GM, had the owner not already decided to modify his car and void his warranty. In short, it failed a lash adjuster and rocker arm, causing one cylinder to run on a single exhaust valve. It's an odd failure to track down, for depending on the mode the DI runs in, it is more apparent at some times, while at other times the problem can feel almost gone. Needless to say, with one cylinder having only 3 out of 4 valves functional, it seemed to run on 3.5 cylinders.

The gist is this...we did not cause the failure, and it happened while the customer was operating the car. Our labor shortage prevented us from finding this mysterious issue as quickly as I'd have liked. He rather freaked out on being away form his car so long, and who could blame him; thus his venting online. Fortunately, we and the customer are good now, and I've been personally driving the car to assure it is 100% right before he picks it up this weekend.

 

I am indeed sorry to have failed you so severely, although I do take exception with some of your comments.

If you would not mind, please share with the people here, just in greater detail, what made you that disappointed...I'd like to address it in open forum. I find the account you present here to be perhaps exaggerated, and I'd like the chance to counterpoint it.
Wow. Talk about projecting! By the way, it's not a spamlist...most folks on it directly requested to be placed on it.

Our decision to sell a car has never before resulted in such a response as from you here. Under the other circumstances surrounding this year, I can understand some of it, but this...this seems a bit much, even from you! Needless to say, the economy, and the time of year, meant it's the worst time to sell a car this unique, and we had to change up the auction rules a bit midstream to get the ball rolling. You do exaggerate, for it was ONE week later that we sent out the notice of a reserve...not "many weeks" later. More embellishment to drive your "point" home, no doubt. The car did sell, to a business associate of mine, and we will be selling another the same way soon. There will be no need to "sound the alarm" on this next one either.

Should you like to be taken off our mailing list, and I think it would be a good idea if you were, please click the "unsubscribe" in the next mailing.

You need not worry about anyone's personal property here...it has been our only goal to complete it for some months now, and we're just about done. We've taken on but one new project in this time, and much to my delight, the R&D shop is almost empty! I could not say no to the the BullRun Solstice, it's so near and dear to my heart! But we put a moratorium on any other new projects until we got all the old ones done that my absence delayed.
Well, we do appear to agree on this, if nothing else. I group you among the customers I define as "inconsolable". I can make my own "projection": the bulk of your posts, in this and other forums, are negative, and you do seem to have a definite hard-on for folks who don't kiss your ass. Please don't ask me to again!

 

You have happened upon our new Telephone Model! Thanks for pointing it out. I'll explain:

In this economy, we've been forced to pare our staff down to just the most key positions: telephone sales people were some of the positions eliminated. However, we found that the bulk of the sales calls we were still getting were major time-wasters...mostly folks looking for a few gaskets, or to shoot the breeze about products they had no money for, or milk us for information so they could "build their own" and in actuality, not spend a dime with us. In a down economy, this can be a result. It was a result exacerbated by our saturation into the marketplace...everyone knows about us, and unfortunately, many of them are just not viable customers.

I was pained to have my actual cutomers' orders sit untended while my valuable personnel were being wasted by such callers. I had to make a change. So, we decided that it was the path of least resistance to only return calls, and it's worked well..those who were serious about actully buying something worthy of a detailed sales call with a skilled person would leave messages or email us, and the gasket-purchasers placed their orders online...the tire-kickers and information-stealers would not even leave a message.

I hate to sound harsh, but...this new model works very well for those who don't need a lot of hand-holding, know what they want, and are ready to place their orders. They are actually quite numerous. They get the front of the line during times such as these for us. We've got a good enough reputation that we don't need a lot of "quality time" selling people in our products, and we can thus survive quite well just returning calls. The folks who need some quality time will get it either in a return call, or an email. In time, we may put more salespeople on telephone duty, but only if the business model will support it.
You, sir, are very correct. We've been here a long time, and our resilience during times of great strife has kept us going, time after time. The double-whammy of the economy and my long, unplanned absences has been immense, and a lesser company might have fallen by now. I have been working "behind the scenes" preparing some great news for all of you, and soon, it will be all out there. It's awesome!

 

I'm also glad you mentioned this! We do close out obsolete and old systems from time to time, but have not done it enough as of late. Perhaps the down economy has made me less willing to shed old, less profitable lines. But now, I am re-firing the boilers...If anything, what you are starting to see is the beginning of us rolling UPHILL! By closing out this old product, we free up our resources, facility, and future accordingly, so as to accomodate new product. There will be more closeouts to come!
What you have is definitively stainless steel. You are indeed wrong, and you did let the rumors and speculation get to you. I hold no ill will; we are all but human, and react in human ways. You're no exception

 

We use 304, just as a note.

 

You ain't just kidding!

 

If you've still not received a response, let me know which extension or email addy you used. Of course,we've also transitioned to a new Tech Support system, and questions of this nature would typically be handled by that department. You can't leave a voicemail for Technical Support...perhaps that's the holdup. In any case, you let me know if you need anything else, either on thsi thread or via PM. I am also catching up on PM's here now.

 

Folks, you may have noticed that I am not replying to Mike Long's posts. I have been advised by counsel not to do so. I wish it had not come to this, but as I've said...some folks understand what's happened to us this year here, and some do not.