Hmmm

[GasGem]

http://www.fullboost.com.au/racing/dragmeets/2003/willow_03_11_3/willow_03_11_3_036b.jpg

[GROOV3]

nah im not a fan
still good though just dont like the looks

[Gene FJ20DET]

yeah its been about for a few months now. i like
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[IDAREU2]

colour sceme does jack for me but nice car..

EGGY where you been hiding mate long time no hear hows the beast going are you still racing it...

[S N 3 A K Y]

That's Brads Gemmi... He's a mechanic that i'm good mates with, he came by my work to say g'day after he ran at Willowbank about two weeks ago for the 1st time. He said he pulled a 10.2 @ 139mph, and is fitting Nos to it in the next few days to get into the nine's.
The paint scheme is made to match his HR ute, it's identical. He's a really nice bloke, but cant seem to build a good engine for shit. One of my best mates has had his engine (VN SV5000 Commo, 304, Paxton Novi @12psi) in his workshop that many times he may as well move in. Brad has had to rebuild it twice, and is now about to rebuild it a 3rd time after a rod went through the sump. All in the space of 6 months and 5000 kays. But like i said - he's a nice bloke, just dont let him touch your engine.



S N 3 A K Y

[IDAREU2]

Thats a bit rough mate how do you know the VN owner isnt a wanker driver and mis treating the car.

doesnt seem to be having problems with his own car maybe tell him to drop the boost on the charger til he has run it in.. then up it to 12psi after that

[Gene FJ20DET]

yeah ruff comment.


whats in the coupe anyways?
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[S N 3 A K Y]

Yeah, it may be little rough but not once you get to know his workshop and how he operates. As i said, he's a nice bloke personally, but cant seem to put a decent engine together.
The engine he re-built twice and is in the process of a 3rd time is his worst nightmare.
The first time... he built it unblown with hypereutectic pistons @ 9.5:1 comp, a Kelford group A spec cam, mild port (no polish), Street Terra forged crank, High Energy high volume oil pump, full ACL bearing kit, standard shot-peened rods, standard (HUH ????) head gaskets fitted, My mate had a difference of opinion on how to run the engine in, Brad told him the thrash the bejeesus out of it after 1000 kays so the engine can get used to being driven hard. My mate is the type of driver that makes 'Miss Daisy' look like the Dukes of Hazzards. He's highly paranoid whenever he hears a slight unusual noise from his engine and shuts it down. all tuning was done by brad with a guarentee. End result - my mate picked the car up, got to the end of the workshop driveway and it seized and blew both head-gaskets simultaneously as he pulled onto the main road. To this day, Brad refuses to admit what went wrong besides admitting that it had blown both head gaskets. But he did assure my mate not to worry and that all parts an labour were covered under warranty.

The second time.... The engine was pre prepared for a boosted application as Brad had a set-up for sale for the right price. The Paxton Novi was fitted but not connected (no belt), the block was re-bored, honed, the rods were scrapped for Lunati I beam steel items, pistons were replaced by 7.7:1 hypereutectic items (to allow a max of 18psi), crank was replaced with a new lightened forged 4340 steel item, ports were enlarged and polished, new Yella Terra lifters and pushrods fitted, new bearing kit, High Energy oil pumped was kept, Crow timing gear fitted - in other words, if it could be upgraded it was.
The car was once again tuned by Brad at his workshop, same advice was given for run-in procedure accept the thrash period was increased to after 2000 kays. My mate drove it extremely sedately in it's time it was running, turning down countless races from mates including me in my Gemmi - and beleive me i tried to egg him on. Brad advised that the supercharger was not to be hooked up until larger injectors and fuel pump were fitted, and an aftermarket computer was installed. My mate got the parts at approx 2500 kays worth of running in (more than enough for any engine), he was told to meet Brad at The Brock Shop in Brissy for final tuning and a power run. They worked on it for a full day tuning the new computer with the Paxton connected @ 12psi. After 3 power runs it netted 320 RWKW with perfect tuning and no intercooler, not too shabby at all.

To cut a loooong arse post short, on his way back from Brisbane he was cruising on 110kph and heard a large CRUNCH! and smoke started billowing from under the bonnet. He and his mate pulled over, and found a dirty great big hole in his sump with one of the conrods poking through it. The car was never thrashed accept on the dyno maybe, it had perfect tuning, was the first time it had seen boost and that was after a dyno tune, and yet had a mechanical failure.
Now if that doesn't make you reconsider his workmanship, not much else will.... I should also point out that when the engine was brought back on the back of a truck, Brad wasn't surprised and said that he'd tear it down to find out what went wrong. Ummmm, i'm pretty sure you can bet safely that it wasn't put together properly.
Don't just take in the bad comments i've made about him, he's good fun to have a beer with, is a natural with the ladies, always takes time to help a mate out, is a fully qualified auto sparky by trade - but lately he cant build a performance engine to last. His Gemmi may turn out to be a reliable little track tearer, it was built over a period of 12 months. But he's lost the majority of his performance business over the past 2 years due to other stories such as this.


S N 3 A K Y

[IDAREU2]

How did it seize on the driveway but still managed to blow two head gaskets once he entered the main road.

mate nothing wrong with BRADS running method i bedded my cam, lifters and rings in for the first 1/2 hour of starting it dumped the running in oil and filter put the good oil and filter in reversed out onto the street and did a 1st and 2nd 5000 grand burnout and from that day drove the car hard but not thrashing the fuk out of it for the next 2000kms and 6 years later still ripps a 10.9 with out looking at stopping (closes his eyes and crosses his fingers)..

If brad has more stories like that one with you doing him the honours of spreading the word any wonder why he's going down the tube..

If thats the only story then cut the bloke some slack.

[BlueTC]

'put the good oil and filter in reversed out onto the street and did a 1st and 2nd 5000 grand burnout '

wohoooo,

i want a V8 in me lil Gem Gem,

like that lil Datto 1200 with the 302 windsor, and a 1 inch granny tip on the end and two fat resies before the diff, in the QLD street car mag,

[S N 3 A K Y]

**How did it seize on the driveway but still managed to blow two head gaskets once he entered the main road.**
O.k, so i dont have perfect scene reanactment writing skills and wasn't a witness. Brad told me personally that as my mate pulled onto the road it made some sort of sound and died. He said that after inspection both gaskets were blown, and he couldn't get the engine to turn over either while in the car, or by hand once it was pulled out. His words, not mine.

**mate nothing wrong with BRADS running method i bedded my cam, lifters and rings in for the first 1/2 hour of starting it dumped the running in oil and filter put the good oil and filter in reversed out onto the street and did a 1st and 2nd 5000 grand burnout and from that day drove the car hard but not thrashing the fuk out of it for the next 2000kms**
This point has nothing to do with me, i don't have an educated opinion on how to run a hypo engine in. The difference of opinion was between Brad and my mate. It was more to show that the engine failure wasn't due to thrashing, thats all.

**If brad has more stories like that one with you doing him the honours of spreading the word any wonder why he's going down the tube..**
No offence is meant, it was purely a warning to any people that think "Hey, he can build a fast Gemmi, i might go and spend $10,000 with him". Wouldn't you rather know what an engine builder has done lately before spending hard earned dollars to have your engine fail ? His specialty isn't engine building - it's auto electrical. Another point i should point out, is that my mate is mates with Brad and that's how i met him. We are all still friends, we just dont think he's cut out to build motors (Brad included).

As i said, dont only take in the negative things said about him, you're missing my point. If i told you a certain chick had small tits but a beaut personality, would you dismiss her beacause of her tits ? I dont think so.
He's a top bloke but has had a bad run of engine building over the past 24 months, and he admits it every time we talk about any jobs he's done lately. He can do everything else perfect, but not actually build a reliable motor.
There are many other companies that have the same reputation, but i dont actually know them or people they've built engines for. I refuse to make comments about them as any negative comments would be hear'say and may not be true.

**If thats the only story then cut the bloke some slack**
I could post other stories that he has told me himself after a few beers, but i'm not trying to write him off like you think i am. In other words i am cutting him some slack. I'm mates with the bloke, so there's no need to be a bleeding heart or preach to me about what i say about him. He hears it personally from me when we're at the local having a beer, and he doesn't just agree with me, he says it before i or my mate do and we all have a laugh about it. Don't you have any mates that are good at one feild, but struggle in another ?
My mate and i must still have some sort of faith in him, why else would he keep going back for his engine to be re-done. Most other people would have moved onto another company after the first malfunction. I'm not discouraging anyone from using all of his skills, just his motor building skills. If anyone needs alternators, starters, looms replaced, electrical fault diagnosis - then he's your man.
I'm not trying to be rude in any way, but lighten up over it. Brad has a laugh with me and my mate about his stuff-ups, they're not made up, we aknowledge his better skills and qualities to him, he doesn't get upset over his faults, so why make a big deal out of it ?


S N 3 A K Y

[S N 3 A K Y]

P.S, what if the comments were reversed and i ENCOURAGED about half a dozen forum users to use his engine building services. Then they all flamed me for recommending him after 80% of their engines failed. I know of a few forum users that would bad mouth him much much worse than i ever could or would.
Think about it, what if i actually advised and recommended him to YOU for YOUR 350 Gem, wouldn't you be a little annoyed after you take the failed engine back for the 2nd or 3rd time ? And then even more 'annoyed' after i told you that "Well, he was a mate so i wasn't going to tell you this, but in the time i've known him he's had X amount of failed re-builds...." His electrical services are top-notch though, never had a problem with any electrical bolt on acillaries he's reconditioned and fitted.
Is that better ? As i said before - zero offence intended to you or him, i'm not here to offend or lay false accusations. Just telling it like it is.



S N 3 A K Y

[IDAREU2]

I wouldnt take my car there I have my own trustworthy engine builder. And as your aware fuk their hard to find.

Yeah I understand that big time mate but you would be a dishonest prick as well knowing the problems and sending people there, your better off say nothing and let people work it out for themselves. But maybe he should do the world a favour and stick the electrics, and leave the machanicals to the machinics or tell him to build stockies and stop playing with hotties, cause they are in no way the same to build. my engine alone got pulled down and put together 5 times in its rebuild all for clearance checks and combustion chamber CCs and cam dial inns piston to valve clearances etc etc. but with a stockie slap it together and away you go.

anyway end of story and thanks for the warning (smiles)

[HOP_A_LONG]

I just gotta say SN3AKY, you dont sound like much of a friend of his. If he knew you told the world I'm pretty sure he'd be pretty fucked off with you.
Everyone has their fuckups. How bout telling us about yours instead of his?