Firstly i would like to state that what i am about to write is in no way to be considered slanderous and i make a point of highlighting my own errors as well.I feel that i have to relate my story because it could be of benefit to others and myself included and i am interested to hear of anyone else s experiences with the man in question.This is following on from long discussions with the wonderful friendly and helpful people of Downton Motor Engineering of Arborfield Berkshire who have conducted a thorough and detailed engineering assessment of my poor Mini.
It is best if i begin from the start.
About 8 years ago my mom and dad purchased a fantastic mini from our next door neighbors.It was an immaculate 998 City E circa 1989 with only 22000 miles on it and was used irreguarly by an elderly lady for moving about town.The bodywork was excellent (still is) and all pannels were and still are original.Mini rapidly became part of the family and latter my first car post passing my test.It was then that my love of Mini's (especially my mini
) ) grew and became obsessive lol.Time went by and as i got into working after university it became apparent that i needed a more practical car for covering the commute and visiting my friends up and down the country and so i switched to a Corsa, buying the Mini off my mom and Dad last year to use purely for my enjoyment.For a long time i had wanted to renovate her, or rather perform some engineering changes and generally make the car in my own image.I decided to take the plunge and arranged finance and the mini went off to CP Mini's/Mini Mods? of Wokingham Berkshire to be fettled in February of last year.Throughout our families period owning the car it had been looked after and serviced by Phill and latterly Rob of CP Mini's (Rob quit the business last year around the time my car arrived at Phill's workshop and now runs a cleaning business he is a top guy and knows his stuff).During Mini's lifetime it has had hardly any problems with it and any work carried out at CP Minis up until last year has been fine and dealt with quickly.So i have had nothing to criticize up until this point and a decent working relationship and trust with Phill were built up with me over these years.
And it was on this basis that in February of last year i committed my first and most serious error. After discussions with Phill as to what direction to take the car we decided on this:
Installing an Mg Metro Engine with all ancillaries and cooling system
Dropping the car down on to 10" wheels (with all the appropriate braking upgrades, 7.5 inch cooper brakes which are for sale by the way)
Uprated Suspension
Lowering
Removal of rear seats and installation of Roll Cage
Full stage one kit ie full maniflow exhaust system and K&N air filter etc
Installation of new interior (which i bought from retro re-trims)
For these services i paid an initial £2500 cash up front with a following £1250 in cash slightly latter.Contented i went home excited that i was finally going to have the mini i allays wanted.I waited.And i waited.And i waited some more.I visited him a number of times and he assured me everything was going ok and i would have the car back soon i saw he had alot of work on and i trusted him so i let it go.As time went on and it reached September i became frustrated and told him that i must have the car back before November as i was going on holiday and enough was enough.This he surely did and i received the car in November but only after i had been on Holiday.I also came home to be told he had completed the work but it had failed it's Mot and there was a bill for a further £550.Still i took the car and everything was hunky dorey.Not knowing any different i drove the car around and i enjoyed it for a while.It did have some problems with it straight off.The seats were a poor fit and the interior looked badly fitted and one of the wing mirrors was wonky but i was by then so exasperated by the whole process that i was disinclined to take action and thought " *melon* it they are only small things" i was just pleased to have Mini back.Also he had not removed the rear seats or lowered the car as during the build i had told him i was not prepared to pay any more (even tho i thought that was what i paid for in the first place).In the mean time i still had not had any invoices and i have been perusing Phill ever since for them, barring the MOT invoices but he didn't conduct the MOT himself anyway.
The serious problems arose when i drove Mini down the M4 to show my work colleagues.It sounded like a tractor, became excessively hot and would not accelerate beyond 70mph.Two wheel arch's cracked and the window seals started leaking.By now i was seriously skint and starting to become very suspicious of the whole car as it became worse and worse.It quickly became apparent that my trust had been whole sale taken advantage of and i was so cross and ashamed with myself at being so stupid that Mini went under a car cover and was run only occasionally just to keep it alive.I just couldn't bear to look at it.Slowly i steeled myself and became determined to get it looked at by somebody in the known and recently i have been in a financial position to do that and this is where the story goes back to the top as Mini went to Downton on Thursday of last week.Me and my Dad had a good chat with the guys there ( i wont mention their names without permission) who were very sympathetic and new exactly what had happened to me.Turns out that i am not the only one (surprise surprise) and they know Phill well and have had several of his ex customers with Mini's in various states of disrepair ( some dangerously so).Anyway in the 30 mins chatting with them it was revealed that the engine in my car is a standard 1300 metro engine and only has the cooling system and ancillaries from a 998 sprite and definitely does NOT have a full Maniflow system on it.The " subframes" on my seats are nothing but welded steel tubes which tilt at one end and are not fixed and an MOT failure.My Dad happened to mention that Phill had charged us/me (my parents had to help me out with money after i got back from holiday which made it worse!) for the replacement of the drivers side inner sill.They pointed out that this was still factory and it appeared that Phill had merely roughed up the paint to make it look like he had done some work on it with only some minor non spot welded work on the upper lip of it which was un-necessary.Seeing my obvious dismay the guys re-assured me by telling me that at least the Body was one of the best they'd ever seen and no work would be needed at all, which was some small relief.
I agreed to leave Mini with them for a full assessment.
I now have 3 A4 pages of faults 90% of which are fairly minor but others which are very serious.For example the speedo i about 10mph out,the rear brakes are so worn they are non existent.The timing is retarded so much that his equipment cant read it(about 9%?).None of the components in it are new (which is what i paid for) etc etc etc It is in short a mess and quite dangerous.I am now looking at significant cost to get the car to how it should have been in the first place.
Phill of CP Minis, had me for a fool, abused my trust, and took me to the cleaners.I believe there are lessons here for all of us.
I would be delighted to hear your thoughts and views and very interested to hear of any others experiences with Phill.
Cheers
Nick
Note: I have learned many things about Phill which i cant write here because i cannot substantiate them personally but please believe me when i say, and i think it is fair to say, that he is a con man of the first order and of doubtful and bad character.
