So I've seen this shop here in Tulsa, "Car FX", for some time now thats had high-end tricked-out Mustangs (and a new '08 Challenger) sitting out front; so I decided to stop in and give the shop a look over. Sure, why not? I don't drive a Mustang but I do drive a Ford...so why not? Its basically a high-dollar carbon-fiber and hand-job ricer shop that caters to new-era American muscle cars.
...and evidently they don't want our business. :what:
I pulled up in my Focus, which has no Ford logo on the front I might add for the sake of the story, and walk in. I made it about 10 feet in and this older guy with a gnarly beard meets me halfway in.
"I ain't got nothing for you in here, buddy, we cater to only American cars in here."
Well its a good thing I drive American then. :screwy:
Did he honestly think I was driving a ricer, or was he just being an ass? Either way its cool. Years of working in the support industry has prepared me for knowing when I'm not wanted, unfortunately I'm about as stubborn as a mule; and I wanted to see what he had...which is why I came in in the first place. On the walls were hoods and shifts, Baer brakes and shift knobs, and carbon fiber as far as the eye could see.
Naturally I took this opportunity to inform him that I drive a SVT Focus, an American car last I checked, and a few Mustang parts have been known to find their way on a Focus from time to time, in fact; I actually have a Saleen suspension kit on my car right now. Stick that in your tailpipe and smoke it, Fonzie.
Still, he was standing there, more or less barring entry, so I turn to start towards the door; still kinda looking mind you "on my way out"...and he starts in. He said that he makes good money on newer American cars, that it wouldn't be good business sense for him to "step back in time" to cater to Focus guys.
"Thats why I got nothing for you."
He proceeds to go on about how Mustang owners pay good money for parts and tell all their friends, where (in his opinion) Focus guys tend to be a little lower on the food chain and don't order as many parts or tell as many friends.
"Catering to you Focus guys would be the kiss of death for a shop like mine, and since the Focus is dead, I want nothing to do with it."
Don't get me wrong, he had a lot of nice parts I wanted to check out, but by this point I was disgusted, so I left. So maybe I wasn't going to buy anything today, then again, perhaps I might have found a exhaust tip or a shift knob I just couldn't live without. Maybe if he'd been a little more open to supporting a fairly large niche market, I could have recommended him to a few local Focus friends and beyond.
Instead I'm recommending anyone that has had business with him locally to post about it and email him. Even if your not local, email him anyway. Lets be heard.
Here's their website: http://www.tulsacarfx.com/
...and evidently they don't want our business. :what:
I pulled up in my Focus, which has no Ford logo on the front I might add for the sake of the story, and walk in. I made it about 10 feet in and this older guy with a gnarly beard meets me halfway in.
"I ain't got nothing for you in here, buddy, we cater to only American cars in here."
Well its a good thing I drive American then. :screwy:
Did he honestly think I was driving a ricer, or was he just being an ass? Either way its cool. Years of working in the support industry has prepared me for knowing when I'm not wanted, unfortunately I'm about as stubborn as a mule; and I wanted to see what he had...which is why I came in in the first place. On the walls were hoods and shifts, Baer brakes and shift knobs, and carbon fiber as far as the eye could see.
Naturally I took this opportunity to inform him that I drive a SVT Focus, an American car last I checked, and a few Mustang parts have been known to find their way on a Focus from time to time, in fact; I actually have a Saleen suspension kit on my car right now. Stick that in your tailpipe and smoke it, Fonzie.
Still, he was standing there, more or less barring entry, so I turn to start towards the door; still kinda looking mind you "on my way out"...and he starts in. He said that he makes good money on newer American cars, that it wouldn't be good business sense for him to "step back in time" to cater to Focus guys.
"Thats why I got nothing for you."
He proceeds to go on about how Mustang owners pay good money for parts and tell all their friends, where (in his opinion) Focus guys tend to be a little lower on the food chain and don't order as many parts or tell as many friends.
"Catering to you Focus guys would be the kiss of death for a shop like mine, and since the Focus is dead, I want nothing to do with it."
Don't get me wrong, he had a lot of nice parts I wanted to check out, but by this point I was disgusted, so I left. So maybe I wasn't going to buy anything today, then again, perhaps I might have found a exhaust tip or a shift knob I just couldn't live without. Maybe if he'd been a little more open to supporting a fairly large niche market, I could have recommended him to a few local Focus friends and beyond.
Instead I'm recommending anyone that has had business with him locally to post about it and email him. Even if your not local, email him anyway. Lets be heard.
Here's their website: http://www.tulsacarfx.com/