Agreed. Stupid evil people will have stupid catch up with them. That is what most people think of as karma. Smart evil people get caught much less.

Wow... just wow!
 

http://www.the370z.com/members/digit...93-jawdrop.png

That's good to know. Thanks, Mike. BTW, the admins can update your forum name. You're definitely welcome to stick around.

Looks like my project is at a standstill even if I had the funds for it. :/

Mike,

I appreciate that you took the time to acknowledge and apologize for the degrading comments towards me, and Boosted Performance. I just don't understand why people would work in that type of environment, and knowingly be a part of a VERY shady business that screws people over daily. On the flip side...we all need a job to put food on the table...and I get that. The things you have said in this thread are disturbing, and I knew about most of them....hence the lack of mutual respect I guess....shops do talk amongst themselves....I am sure you know that. Your name was unfortunately associated with the shady business practices, and that is hard to shake.

Maybe Sam felt threatened that he would eventually be out of this market as well due to the competition stepping up, and making (IMO) a better product (especially the TT kit from F.I) than he had to offer? I don't know, as I am just a drop on the bucket (if that) in this industry, and have very different way of doing business, on a much much smaller scale. I don't know how he thought this was going to happen with cheap turbos that would blow up on the first test drive. I guess it just takes that "special" kind of person which everybody knows Sam is. There is something to be said about treating your customers the way you would want to be treated....it goes such a long way.

I think you are a stand up guy, and would want to do thing right by delivering solid products to enthusiast/member. It is unfortunate that you were a part of GTM, who unfortunately has such a horrible reputation. I do wish you all the best in the future, and hope to see you around offering your honest expertise/opinions without the GTM drama that once kept an eye on every move you made.


All the best...water under the bridge, apology accepted.

Sasha

Sorry guys I tried reading it all but I'm at work, did mike answer this question directly???

Looking at their bankruptcy balance sheet, that appears to be exactly what he was doing. He had several lines of credit maxed including a $60,000 amex bill (lol)

It totally appears that way but I would like a witness answer from the inside for legal reasons...

Holly Molly.........

I read this topic since the beginning of
(from a great distance from Switzerland)

Very sad that a great company like GTM ends in such a disaster

I wish all employees and customers
only the very best.

Keep your head up Guys :tup:

Greetings from the other side of the World
Ivo

Wow long but very interesting read. Mike does sound like a stand up guy and I give him so much credit for coming on here to explain more in detail. I hope you join Team Stillen and bring your talents over to an awesome company for great success. Maybe help them release a Twin Stillen SC ;) Everything happens for a reason, keep your head up and good luck to everyone.

I don't doubt it for a second that he's got another business name ready to swoop in to keep GTM running

Sasha,

Thank you for your response. I accept responsibility for having been a part of GTM and having supported the company. I believed in the products and sold them willingly despite Sam's shadiness. As a passionate enthusiast, it is undeniable that the product was solid for the most part. Passion is why I stayed. There is simply no other company within a 30 minute drive of where I live that could even hold a candle to the positives of working at GTM. The negatives, however did motivate me to look elsewhere for employment on multiple occasions. I went so far as to apply to Stoptech in Compton, but since GTM was a commercial customer of theirs, it may have seemed to be a conflict of interest to them. So, yes, working for GTM has definitely been a detriment to my career. That said, I am not above admitting that some of my bitterness and frustration may have shown through in my interviews with other performance companies. It could also be that the companies were hesitant to hire someone that lives over an hour away without traffic. California traffic can easily add an additional hour to a one hour drive and punctuality is important no matter who you work for. Also, with a wife and two kids, it is not as easy to up and move for a new job unless it is very compelling...especially when the cost of living where most performance companies are is almost double compared to where we live.

That all said, I am extremely passionate about automotive aftermarket performance and there are a lot of guys that would give their left nut to work in this industry. That passion is what drives me to bust my *** wherever I work. Hell, my old boss in Seattle has invited me to move back up there and start a new venture with him, especially since my name is untarnished in the Subaru community up there...I just really, really, hate the rain. Seattlites can keep their 40 days straight of rain. lol

I digress. I have to say Sasha that what you do is nothing short of amazing. For you to work full time and come home and weld those beautiful welds, deliver outstanding customer service and put up with the flak and BS you got from GTM shows that you have the kind of drive and passion that few can even understand. I respect you greatly and was really disappointed that Sam wanted to see your hopes and dreams crushed under his boot. There is more than one way to mod a car and while I get that, Sam couldn't tolerate the thought of someone else outshining him in any way.

In all honesty, I don't have an answer for you. There is simply no way for me to truly predict Sam's actions or motivations for doing what he does because the story always changes. It makes it very difficult to discern the truth when you listen to him...even when he's right there in front of you. He's just that skilled with his delivery.

Thank god you got out of there Mike! I hate Sam, so you going to start your own thing...maybe go back to "mud hole state" Washington?

Hey Joe, thank you for your kind words. Man, I cannot tell you how bad I feel for you. After our last communication a while back, I found out the truth about what Sam did to you. Yes, Sam knowingly sent you used parts for your turbo kit. He had taken those pipes off of a car that was in the shop and sent them to you to keep you from cancelling your order. I am truly sorry for ever doubting your story because I didn't think Sam could stoop that low. I really wish I could have taken better care of you.

What happened with that? I remember watching the youtube but I don't know if it was ever resolved. Did you (Joe) sue?

Well cats out the bag! :happydance: Didn't sue, wanted to but it was hard especially since I was in guam. there is stuff I had to do to the kit to make it work, too bad I wasn't any faster then the guy who spent 1K on nitros... good for him :ugh2: What's even better is all the BS we got from...almost everyone in the forced induction section. I pretty much got **** on and so did the wife and the 2 guys who were siding with me, in Guam, that had seen the kit, and know the kind of person I am. Sam sent new parts (piping, intercooler, ect but not new turbos) We had all suspected it was a used kit, hell it actually looked like the car had issues going off what the internals of the piping looked but idk the story behind that car. I appreciate it MIKE :tiphat: you seemed different from Sam thats why I started to work with your only :) I got rid of that car, partially because I wanted nothing to do with GTM, and ended up with a nismo. Now I am trying to figure out what to pull the trigger on F.I. TT or the BP single.... oh and Mike, I got internals this time so it should be fun...er

Speechless...