I kind of hate to post this message as it may sound like I am expressing sour grapes. I have had a very bad experience with an individual involving steering column rebuilding. I hope in posting this message I can save another model A person(s) from getting cheated by this dishonest person. I want to expose this person so Fordbarners don’t have the same problems I have had. This is a rather long message, so some of you may not care to read the whole message.
I needed two 7 tooth steering columns rebuilt. I was a little apprehensive doing it myself, as I had never rebuilt one before. I had noticed a person on eBay with the user name Drew_Magoo that had listed and sold several columns over the past year or two and had a 100% feedback rating. I decided to contact him about rebuilding my two columns. His real name is Gordon Peterson, Fountain Valley, CA. I sent him an email asking if he rebuilt 7 tooth steering columns for individuals. He said yes, he did. I called him up a couple of times after that and we talked about rebuilding my columns. He was helpful and friendly on the phone initially. During the conversations, he stated the cost would be about $100 in labor per column and about $200 to $250 for parts depending on what parts were needed. I told him that sounded fair, but told him I had nearly all of the parts necessary to rebuild the columns, new sectors, new worm gears, new lower steering gear housing bushings, replated spark and gas control rods, sandblasted steering column housing and virtually all the bearings, gaskets, etc (see pictures below of all the parts I sent him). I was going to rebuild the columns myself, but decide I would have a “professional” do it instead, making sure they were rebuilt correctly, with little play in the gears. I ask Gordon if he could use my parts (new and used) and he said no problem.
I build a wooden box as Gordon advised and packed two complete steering columns and two additional steering shafts in it (for him to pick the best of the four worm/shafts). I also gathered pretty much all my other new and good used steering items and mailed them in a USPS flat rate box and shipped them to Gordon. This was back in October 2011. I told him I was in no big rush, as I didn’t need them for a couple of months.
I waited for him to email or call me when they were done. I had told him I didn’t need them soon, so take his time and do them right. I did need them in early February, so I wasn’t concerned he didn’t notify me until then. He never did call me saying they were done. In early February, I called him 3 or 4 times and left messages, but never got a return call. I then emailed him, asking him if the columns were done. I got an email back from him shortly stating they were done and the cost was $700 plus $100 shipping. I was stunned, as I supplied virtually all the parts for the rebuilding and expected to pay him $200 to $250 in labor and maybe a little more if a few additional low cost parts were needed. I politely emailed him back (after trying to call him again with no response) asking him why the cost was so high compared to what he had told me on the phone in October and in an email (I still have the email) and what he had done in the restorations. He quickly emailed me back with a terse message saying he doesn’t negotiate prices and wouldn’t tell me what parts he used or what work he did on the columns in restoring them. Does this sound like an honest person – not so much!
At this point I was getting nervous as to what to do. He had my columns and demanded $800 or he wouldn’t return them. No explanation at all – just send him $800, period or I don’t get them back. I decided to pay him his extortion money to get my hostages (columns) back. I also politely ask him to return all the parts he did not use in the rebuilding (the extra parts were worth a considerable amount of money). I sent him many more parts than could be used on two columns, so he could pick and choose the ones he wanted to use in the rebuilding process. I received the two steering columns Tuesday, March 13. He did a very shoddy job rebuilding them. Among other things, he used mismatched fasteners (bolts), installed misaligned screws in the top spark/gas upper plate (screw heads partially sticking out), spark/gas control rod arms holes redrilled incorrectly and he used broken and incorrect grease zerks (and who know what is inside the columns – good, bad, who knows??). For all I know he could have used my used sectors and worm gears instead of the new ones I sent him and kept the new ones for himself. Some of the problems (like the zerks) aren’t a big problem to fix. At $700 for the two rebuilds, I expected a professional rebuilding job. The job was amateurish, to say the least. I was definitely not at all satisfied, but what could I do? I will need to disassemble the two columns in order to see how many problems he caused inside that can’t be seen without taking them apart, basically rebuilding them a second time.
The last part is what really upset me. I emailed him again (since phone calls don’t seem to work with him – as he must have caller ID and wont answer - and wont return recorded messages I left) after receiving the columns. I politely ask again, for the third time, for him to please send me back the extra parts I sent him that he didn’t use in rebuilding the two columns. I haven’t heard anything from him and don’t expect I ever will. The parts are probably worth $200 to $300. This is in addition to the $700 he extorted form me to get my own parts back in the rebuilt columns. It is too late to do anything about the shoddy column rebuilding, but I would like to get my parts returned.
Gordon Peterson of Fountain Valley, California (Drew_Magoo on eBay) is shyster and a crook. I suspect he uses Drew_Magoo on eBay, as he is ashamed to use his real name. I don’t know what can be done about a person that behaves like he does. I live in Minnesota, so it is difficult to deal with a person in California. I didn’t mention earlier the shipping cost was $100 each way, but I did know that going into the rebuilding process. I wish I had never contacted Gordon Peterson, as he is a crook. I have only had dealing with a couple of dishonest model A people in the 6 or 7 years I have been restoring my models A’ and Gordon is the worst one ever.
If Gordon Peterson frequents Fordbarn, he may try to retaliate to this message with a feeble rebuttal, so if he does, take it for what it is worth (not much). If anyone has a way to try to make Gordon return my parts, please let me know. All together he has taken me for over $1000, which isn’t chump change.
Rusty Nelson
I needed two 7 tooth steering columns rebuilt. I was a little apprehensive doing it myself, as I had never rebuilt one before. I had noticed a person on eBay with the user name Drew_Magoo that had listed and sold several columns over the past year or two and had a 100% feedback rating. I decided to contact him about rebuilding my two columns. His real name is Gordon Peterson, Fountain Valley, CA. I sent him an email asking if he rebuilt 7 tooth steering columns for individuals. He said yes, he did. I called him up a couple of times after that and we talked about rebuilding my columns. He was helpful and friendly on the phone initially. During the conversations, he stated the cost would be about $100 in labor per column and about $200 to $250 for parts depending on what parts were needed. I told him that sounded fair, but told him I had nearly all of the parts necessary to rebuild the columns, new sectors, new worm gears, new lower steering gear housing bushings, replated spark and gas control rods, sandblasted steering column housing and virtually all the bearings, gaskets, etc (see pictures below of all the parts I sent him). I was going to rebuild the columns myself, but decide I would have a “professional” do it instead, making sure they were rebuilt correctly, with little play in the gears. I ask Gordon if he could use my parts (new and used) and he said no problem.
I build a wooden box as Gordon advised and packed two complete steering columns and two additional steering shafts in it (for him to pick the best of the four worm/shafts). I also gathered pretty much all my other new and good used steering items and mailed them in a USPS flat rate box and shipped them to Gordon. This was back in October 2011. I told him I was in no big rush, as I didn’t need them for a couple of months.
I waited for him to email or call me when they were done. I had told him I didn’t need them soon, so take his time and do them right. I did need them in early February, so I wasn’t concerned he didn’t notify me until then. He never did call me saying they were done. In early February, I called him 3 or 4 times and left messages, but never got a return call. I then emailed him, asking him if the columns were done. I got an email back from him shortly stating they were done and the cost was $700 plus $100 shipping. I was stunned, as I supplied virtually all the parts for the rebuilding and expected to pay him $200 to $250 in labor and maybe a little more if a few additional low cost parts were needed. I politely emailed him back (after trying to call him again with no response) asking him why the cost was so high compared to what he had told me on the phone in October and in an email (I still have the email) and what he had done in the restorations. He quickly emailed me back with a terse message saying he doesn’t negotiate prices and wouldn’t tell me what parts he used or what work he did on the columns in restoring them. Does this sound like an honest person – not so much!
At this point I was getting nervous as to what to do. He had my columns and demanded $800 or he wouldn’t return them. No explanation at all – just send him $800, period or I don’t get them back. I decided to pay him his extortion money to get my hostages (columns) back. I also politely ask him to return all the parts he did not use in the rebuilding (the extra parts were worth a considerable amount of money). I sent him many more parts than could be used on two columns, so he could pick and choose the ones he wanted to use in the rebuilding process. I received the two steering columns Tuesday, March 13. He did a very shoddy job rebuilding them. Among other things, he used mismatched fasteners (bolts), installed misaligned screws in the top spark/gas upper plate (screw heads partially sticking out), spark/gas control rod arms holes redrilled incorrectly and he used broken and incorrect grease zerks (and who know what is inside the columns – good, bad, who knows??). For all I know he could have used my used sectors and worm gears instead of the new ones I sent him and kept the new ones for himself. Some of the problems (like the zerks) aren’t a big problem to fix. At $700 for the two rebuilds, I expected a professional rebuilding job. The job was amateurish, to say the least. I was definitely not at all satisfied, but what could I do? I will need to disassemble the two columns in order to see how many problems he caused inside that can’t be seen without taking them apart, basically rebuilding them a second time.
The last part is what really upset me. I emailed him again (since phone calls don’t seem to work with him – as he must have caller ID and wont answer - and wont return recorded messages I left) after receiving the columns. I politely ask again, for the third time, for him to please send me back the extra parts I sent him that he didn’t use in rebuilding the two columns. I haven’t heard anything from him and don’t expect I ever will. The parts are probably worth $200 to $300. This is in addition to the $700 he extorted form me to get my own parts back in the rebuilt columns. It is too late to do anything about the shoddy column rebuilding, but I would like to get my parts returned.
Gordon Peterson of Fountain Valley, California (Drew_Magoo on eBay) is shyster and a crook. I suspect he uses Drew_Magoo on eBay, as he is ashamed to use his real name. I don’t know what can be done about a person that behaves like he does. I live in Minnesota, so it is difficult to deal with a person in California. I didn’t mention earlier the shipping cost was $100 each way, but I did know that going into the rebuilding process. I wish I had never contacted Gordon Peterson, as he is a crook. I have only had dealing with a couple of dishonest model A people in the 6 or 7 years I have been restoring my models A’ and Gordon is the worst one ever.
If Gordon Peterson frequents Fordbarn, he may try to retaliate to this message with a feeble rebuttal, so if he does, take it for what it is worth (not much). If anyone has a way to try to make Gordon return my parts, please let me know. All together he has taken me for over $1000, which isn’t chump change.
Rusty Nelson
