I have finally had the opportunity to write an honest review about my experiences with Moore Automotive Incincluding the reason that led me to withdraw my vehicle after taking delivery and send it to Workhorse Performance for necessary repairs to resolve my most recent concern. I am reflecting on events  that happened over the course of the past 4 years. The ONLY reason I pulled my car out was due to my latest concern & FEDEX and nothing else. Let’s be honest and fair despite all the delays ! 

Please note that all these events   happened during the  COVID pandemic, which led to numerous delays. First,  my Gtr was at the body shop from June 2020 to February 2021 due to the installation of my Ntune Nismo body kit. Initially, we were informed that the kit would take 6 weeks to arrive; however, it took 6 months. Upon arrival , the kit was damaged, resulting in an additional 4months wait.

I purchased my parts from AMS Performance during their Black Friday sale in Nov 2020. Bill, the previous owner, provided extra discounts ( since I’m their first big build Gtr), and the transaction went very well. Zero complaints. 

Took about 1 year to get my parts from Ams, another 1 year to get my front and rear axels, my fuel system about 4 months, my intake manifold about 3-4 months. So all and all about year and half waiting on parts.  I tried to reach out to T1, Ams, Cicio, Brad and all were in the same boat waiting ! Whether I pulled my car out or kept it at Moore, the end results was going to be the same ( getting parts from manufacturers ). No other way around it. 

Upon collecting my Gtr from the bodyshop, I chose not to drive it for 6 weeks, permitting the paint to dry, and later we applied PPF all over the car , finalizing the process in early June 2021. ( Ok job at first but Shitty job after I had time to look over the car but I ll redo it eventually). 

Bill Johnson led Moore Automotive for almost 15 years plus before selling his business and his property to Paul the previous manager, and Chris the in-house tuner, in November 2023. Following this sale, Moore Automotive relocated from Gainesville  VA to Marshall VA, requiring about 6 months to complete the relocation, renovate the new facility, obtain necessary permits, and resume operations. 

I took my car to Moore Automotive in mid-June 2021 to begin modifying my Gtr. Everything went as planned, and within 48 hours of dropping off my Gtr, the engine was removed & ready to be sent to Lynchmob Racing in Georgia.  The project remained on schedule, and I was very satisfied with the progress. Zero complaints. 

My engine was shipped to Lynchmob in late June 2021 and returned on October 20, 2021. Due to COVID, the delivery of my billet crankshaft was delayed by about 3 months. In September 2021, Lynchmob Racing sent me photos of my engine, indicating it was ready for pickup that Friday. 2 weeks later, I received an email stating that my shop had been contacted multiple times for payment but had not responded. After contacting the shop, I was asked to wire the payment directly to Lynchmob which I found unusual. However, I completed the payment, and the engine arrived on October 20, 2021. Zero complaints. 

The previous owner Bill notified me that I was free to choose any tuner, and the warranty would still be valid for 1 year or 12000 miles whichever comes first , as evidenced by our written agreement. Before tuning my car, I was advised to upgrade my front axles to DDS. Unfortunately, the DDS axle did not fit my coilover fork due to an incorrect fork. After contacting my coilover company, they sent the correct fork to me within 2 weeks. Later on the Dss CV boot kept breaking on the dyno ( 2x , 1 time with grease and another no grease at all). 

Almost a year and few months later, on Sep 2, 2022, they started working on my car , and upon receiving all necessary components, the process progressed smoothly. At that time, I elected to utilize my previous tuner's services. However, he struggled to maintain the vehicle's operation, resulting in repeated shutdowns. The shop expressed discontent with the 8 maps provided by my previous tuner. I instructed him to stop , instead, i allow the shop's in-house tuner to take over. He agreed, and I notified the shop. Moore Tuner successfully initiated the vehicle's operation within a single revision, enabling dyno tuning. On April 21, 2023, the vehicle underwent dyno tuning for 93 gas. However, it remained inactive until June 2023. In June 2023, the vehicle was tuned for pump E85, and the shop performed oil changes, providing photos updates to Lynch. They contacted me to schedule a tune on 1R. Following my arrival, photographs were sent to Lynch, revealing 2-3 mini ferris material particles in the oil. At this time, half of my friend said it was normal and others said it was not normal! I was recommended that I return the motor to Lynch for inspection to be on the safe side. 

At this stage, the shop mentioned the labor for the removal and reinstallation , despite it supposedly being under warranty. When I contacted Bill regarding this matter, he responded by saying that i expected your tuner to tune more effectively. The shop attributed the issue to my tuner, while my tuner blamed the shop, leaving me to  pay for whoever’s mistake it was. At that point, I still owed approximately $2,000 on my entire bill, despite having paid for all other services upfront. Following the tuner's error, which allegedly damaged my oxygen sensors, it was necessary to do compression test, leakdown test, and injector cleaning, all of which I was required to pay for.  I had yet to take possession of my vehicle. Nevertheless, I settled the outstanding amount.  Despite numerous friends and other shops advised me to retrieve my gtr , but I opted to remain patient, having already paid the majority of the bill. 

The motor was removed and sent to Lynch for repairs, specifically to change from S4 to S3 cams and fix the damaged rings and bearings. Lynch shipped the motor back to Moore on July 12, 2023, but FedEx dropped it and damaged it during transit. Despite being insured for $30,000, FedEx refused to pay. This led to an issue where Moore refused to pay $5,000 for the repairs. I questioned Bill about taking responsibility for the damages, given that Moore had mailed the motor and dealt with FedEx and Lynch. Bill's response : [ Good afternoon Mike,  I can see getting a lawyer involved for 5K could cost you more. I know you want your motor back. 
What I can do is, pay Tim Lynch for the repairs needed for the motor. We’ll make a separate repair order for that invoice under your name. If FedEx gives us a check before you pick up your car, the ticket will be payed using that payment from them. (Hopefully the full amount). 
If not, we’ll (Moore automotive) need you to pay the ticket in full prior to delivery. The costs would be extended to you but that should favor your pursuit for further escalation. 
At this moment, this is what I can extend to you to keep the project moving forward.]

At this time Bill sold the shop to Paul and Chris, who inherited all the issues of 60 cars plus. After 9-10 months and after Paul tried contacting Fedex multiple times, I hired a lawyer at a cost of $3,500 to recover the $5,000. The lawyer discovered that the issue was due to a third-party insurance policy, and the company paid immediately after a year when it was filed correctly. However, Moore never offered to make it right, despite not being responsible for damaging the motor. Instead, they had sent it out and paid for insurance, and could have conducted more research to identify the third-party insurance. At this point, I decided to pay for damages to get my motor back to finish the car. 

The motor was returned on December 15, 2023, and landed safely following repairs. However, Lynch overlooked a crack on the inner timing cover, prompting us to drop the motor again for in-house repairs at Moore. Lynch provided the necessary part, and the process went smoothly. Our shop was shut down for 6 months due to relocation, and we resumed operations in June 2024. We started tuning, but encountered issues with exhaust restriction and the downpipe-midpipe connection. After purchasing a new exhaust system from boost logic , Tyler fabricated a larger neck and widened the downpipe, allowing us to gain 5 psi on the dyno. However, we hit another restriction at 49 psi. Prior to tuning, the tuner inspected the plugs  and i asked him to change the coils while at it and he noticed red, soft powder residue from the intercooler. 
At this point they told me that were ordering my coils, waited 2 weeks and no coils. I ended up messaging them and asked me To buy them. I Bought them and had them mailed to Moore. 
Moore had left the car outside without a bumper, exposing the anodized intercooler to sunlight, which caused discoloration. The intercooler was re-anodized, but the process was incomplete, leaving residue behind. We addressed this issue on August 14, 2024, and completed tuning. Cosmetic work commenced in early September and was finished by October 2024. 

I took possession of my Gtr on November 19th, paid the bill in full, and received a considerable labor discount after negotiating the terms related to the multiple engine drops. I was very happy with the outcome and extremely happy. Upon leaving the shop, I recognized excessive vibration caused by the billet motor mount which is normal. Although the tuning results were acceptable, several issues arose, including RPM surging at red lights and jerking during downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear.  On my way home, I visited 
Yalla Habibi Yalla (Hovig's shop), where we performed 3 pulls, uncovering an auto-shifting malfunction. On November 20th, the following day, my vehicle failed to start, refusing to crank or turn over. After a brief period, I managed to start the vehicle and drove it back to the shop immediately . I requested a brand-new battery, waiting 2 weeks for its arrival . Upon receiving the new battery, I picked my gtr, and Paul replaced the battery that morning , while the tuner resolved all issues. The vehicle was now running strong. It was later discovered that the shop had installed an outdated battery in my vehicle since their location change, thereby resolving the issue.

I picked up my gtr on December 2 and it performed optimally. However, unusual noises, including humming and whining above 80 mph, were evident. I promptly notified the shop, and they advised me to monitor the issue. It was clear that a problem existed. The shop expressed uncertainty regarding the differential's noise levels due to the billet rings and billet pinions, as they had no prior experience with Brad's Differential. On December 4, I drove to the mall to take pictures . By December 8, I planned to visit my friend Cesar A Hernandez in Maryland. After traveling 9 miles, my front axle popped out of my differential , leaving me stranded for 8  hours on Sunday. ( As of now, I have put 110 miles on the differential myself, resulting from trips between the shop and my house, 5 miles for photo documentation, and 9 miles in route to Maryland.)

I towed my vehicle on Sunday December 8th, and visited the shop on December 10th. The shop stated that removing the front differential on my Alpha 20X would require dropping the motor to facilitate its return to Brad for evaluation. However, Antonio Dileonardi from Workhorse contacted me that evening and disputed the shop's statement ( i do not need to drop the engine fully) . Following our conversation, I opted to tow my vehicle to Workhorse for repairs, as I was concerned that Moore would charge me an excessive amount, despite the provided discount. Given that I had previously notified Moore about the vehicle's unusual sounds and hums, particularly above 80 mph, I believe I should not be charged for labor, except for work related to the axle. 

The work executed by moore looks excellent to me, showcasing neatness and organization. The workers are amazing and very humble. Management definitely needs work. 
I empathize with the 2 new owners, who faced difficulties in managing the large number of cars, fulfilling promises made by the previous owner, and addressing customer concerns. Nevertheless, given that my car was at Moore for an extended period of 3 years and 6 months 
, I find it disappointing that the construction process took 2 years, considering the time spent on obtaining parts ( year and half) and the 6 months closure.  

1)I think it would be beneficial for them to stop taking on new customers and focus on completing half of the vehicles . From my perspective, the prioritization of cars is the key issue. I am struggling to understand why, after beginning work on my car and encountering problems, it is left untouched for 2-3 weeks before work resumes. It happened every single time we had an issue. 

2) Could you explain why it takes 2  weeks to place orders for parts, such as my battery and coils ? when I specifically request that they be ordered?

3) Why didn't Moore assume responsibility when FedEx dropped my motor? Why must I pay for labor despite expressing concerns that something didn't sound right when I picked up the car? 

I would appreciate Moore answering my 3 questions.