Bigsi's new car

[Loteuk]

so as i feel nothing but proff will aid in my defence i will get as much as i can.

copies of my medical records detailing my ilnesses etc in full, phone records, photos, letters, invoices and anything else to backmyself up. you see its one thing to call someone out for a fight but another when the other person can back himself up.

i will do all this in full, and then prehaps, just maybe, however so slight i may get a diffenrent response.

Crack on then.................

[Daniel]

Personally, I'd like to see copies of those malicious e-mails forwarded on to those who asked.

[Splodge s4]

[bigsi]

the reciepts for all the work and parts i have had to do since i got the car back inthe first few months and xmas that year

[Bibs]

Simon

You are on 'moderator preview' so your posts can be viewed by me and the team before they go live. Your post above is as you posted it, it has not been vetted and your posts will remain on preview. This is not going to become a slagging match, you were warned above to think about what you post.

If I were you, I'd have sent those emails by now to vindicate myself, that would be a very easy way to have already proved me wrong.

You didn't post that the emails were from anyone on here but they arrived while you were discussing your new car on here, you posted on here that they had arrived, who else would they be from?

I don't answer the 'phone to you when you've royally pissed me off with your emails between you and Wayne at Christmas. Speaking to you would piss me off more and this is my hobby, it's meant to be fun. I don't answer the phone when you've pissed me off and sold/swapped your car, you wouldn't have enjoyed the call so I avoid it. Don't blame me for not answering the phone and I don't want to talk to you now either.

I'm done with your excuses and as you can see so is everyone else. There had been no witch hunt about Troy, facts and facts alone have been posted, you'll notice a thread of the same theme is running about John Welch currently. We've discussed the problems with your car and the causes, you have a 25 year old Esprit and wonder why work needs to be done to it! Want to see my receipts, anyone elses?

Daniel, here is what was sent to me in full via PM...

kaspersky is auto deleting everything that comes in with foul language now. its aving the message locations etc but not the wording for some reason but heres one of them.

To: plastikaudio@btinternet.com

Sent: 18 September 2008 12:46

From: qqqyvgwfmwrt@sina.com.cn

Subject: Fuck You And Die

YOU REALLY ARE A FUCKING SCUMBAG YOU WERE GIVEN A CAR AND YOU GOT RID OF IT AFTER EVERYTHING PEOPLE DID FOR YOU.

YOU AND YOUR UGLY LEECHING FUCKING WIFE DESERVE TO CURL UP AND FUCKING DIE.

YOU HAVE LET THOSE GUYS WHO WORKED ON YOUR CAR DOWN AFTER EVERYTHING THEY EVER DID FOR YOU.

WHY DONT YOU JUST GO AND FUCKING DIE YOU AND YOUR LEECHING FAMILY PEOPLE LIKE YOU DONT DESERVE ANY HELP GIVEN TO YOU.

i have also reported the ones i got through hotmail to the abuse section and got a reply

Sent: 18 September 2008 13:57

From: MSN Hotmail <abuse@hotmail.com>

Subject: Abusive emails

Thank you for contacting us regarding the abusive emails you have recieved from hotmail accounts.

We are currently putting this forward to our abuse team and will rasie this as a priority abuse report.

Please feel free to make your own decision on it's authenticity from it's format, grammar, spelling and punctuation.

[bigsi]

no bibs this is a witch hunt plain and simple and i half expected it, i even posted about it , and to add to it, the first time i decided to sell the car i rang, kimbers, punky, troy a few others and even tried to speak with you to no avail, and all of them said it was ok with them for me to do it at the time, however after messages from members i removed it from sale and got on with the interior and the seats etc spending money we couldnt afford to spend at the time but i did anyway.

as for being done with my excuses, they are not excuses once again i am stating my case against your accusations, however once again its all about you bibs, thats all its ever been about is you.

you have stabbed me in the back in the exact same whay you have stabbed troy in the back also.

the reason you wont answer the phone is because you dont have the decency to speak with me, plain and simple your safe making the accusations here because you have control over everything that goes on here.

thats fine you do it your way i will do it mine, if i need to seek legal recourse then prehaps thats what i should do.

the very nature in the way you have gone about this bibs shows the very level of underhandedness you can stoop to.

[Daniel]

Simply clicking the 'forward' button on the e-mail and sending them to Bibs et al would pretty much vindicate you......but you've not done that yet.........I've never met anyone off here, my mind is open, no clique going on here.

Also, it shows pretty poor taste to post up work you've had done on the car since.....as if to suggest the work carried out was sub-standard, and yet you apologised....but now you're using it as a defense-attack.

As for moving the car on.....no one blames you for that, if health problems prevent you from enjoying it......profiting from the efforts and good will of others without passing on that profit is unforgivable......a charitable donation would have done the job, especially to the cause helping the illness you're suffering from.

Personally......the thing that sticks in my throat, is that I wasn't involved in the work carried out on your car, despite what's happened it was a hell of an achievement, it seems that there are some pretty stand up chaps frequent this place.....I'll be making more of an effort to meet Bibs, Kimbers and the rest in the future....

[bigsi]

this is the thing thats sticking in my throat also, i have not recieved any monies for my car, i recieved none what so ever, it was a straight swap of vehicles, this car was posted at

[Simon350S]

Well what can I say

As one of the initial organisers and host of the project I feel I should say my piece and show my support for Bibs in his posting.

The sale of the car is very dissapointing, although no supprise to those who have seen what has been going on in the background.

I dont for one moment regret offering my house as the base for the project, I enjoyed every single moment of it, I practically lived with Troy and Punky for the duration. We had fun, we fell out, we cuddled and made up, we drank, then drank some more, Punky tossed his saussage for all to see in my back garden....!!!

I'm sad that such a wonderful story has ended i such a bitter way.

I had an email from Simon Saturday thanking for me for everything I have done for him and his family. It was a little touching and I do hope it was sincere and i understand I am one of a few who recieved similar mails. Why now I dont know as it was almost like a goodbye.

Unfortunately for me all the kind words have come somewhat late in the day and are tainted by everything that has gone on since the handover.

As Bibs has pointed out Simon had a few issues with the car several months post handover and his comunications with other members of the forum were less than appreciative of the work done on his behalf, infact the contents of the mails were very, very harsh and insulting and upset all involved, myself included very much so....

What made it worse was that the allegations includid in the mail were all as a result of lack of continued maintenance and spanner checking of a car that had been pretty much completely rebuilt, even the offer of a FREE complete checkover and service was not taken.

However, following the very public appology, which may have left some a little confused, I have tried very hard to rebuild the trust which had been so seriously damaged.

Right I have just read your response Simon and will stop here for now and clarify a few points....

Point 1. As Bibs mentioned the seats at the Factory was a little embarraing to say the least. Unfortunately I have to point out that you did infact ask me to remind you to ask Brian how you were supposed to go about collecting the seats promised to you by MJK the previous day, to which I told you that it was a little more than taking advantage asking for so much having been given so much already. Your response to which was that you didnt realise the level of donation already given by Lotus and tht maybe you wouldnt persue it. I was also stood right next to you when you were talking to Mr K and mentioned that the interior let the car down and could you have a pair of them nice exige seats over there on the shelf. I was so insenced by this, that having heard MJK agree uncomfortably, I spoke with Kimbers to tell his dad he shouldnt feel compelled to carry through with his offer. Even if it was said in a joking mannor it was in bad taste consiering all that had already been done.

Point 2. Speaking to those involved in the project? I have not heard from you with regards to it. One PM for me to call you on 5th August but no references to what about or to selling your car. I was involved more than anyone except for Troy and no discussion? No offer was made to the forum or any of its members to buy the car back at a price reflecting everything that had happened. When it appeaed on ebay the first time I was supprised and dissapointed but since taking back off I hoped things would change with the promise to do anything within reason to fit in the car.

Point 3. Trying everything possible to fit in the car does not involve selling a broken pair of elise seats on ebay and buying the cheapest vinyl seats you could find to put back in it just to make it more presentable to sell....!!!! I suggested ways to allow you more room, i suggested a supplier that made custom seats for a reasonabe cost, Bibs told you what the factory had told him about how to make room for yourself and from what Dave says he even sourced you a pair of seats for free, an offer of which you obviously declined.

Point 4. Your emails at Christmas were down right rude and showed nothing but arrogance and a complete lack of respect or kindness for everything that had been done for you. As said you declined the offer of a complete checkup on the car for free.... and as for saying its ok for everyone to slag off Troy now but you cant..... by slagging off the work carried out on your car your also slagging me off personally and Punky as well as we also did a lot of the spannering on the car along with the help of many others. Punky has done grand work on his own car with no problems and I have worked on my own cars all my life including my rally cars with no issues relating to incompetency. If you spent as much time maintaining your car as you do cleaning it then none of the issues would have happened. OK I'll give you one, the lock tabs, it looks like they were forgotten, but in all fairness the guys were working till 3am most nights just to get the work done and what did you loose? Some manifold nuts? Where did they come from? My car...!!!! So i dont have any now to build my car..... maybe I should moan about it on here?

Point 5. Your appology on the forum was a shallow one to say the least. You appologised that someone had made you say the things you did, you never appologised that you had personally insulted us all and took the blame yourself. As per this time it wasn't your fault...!!

Point 6. Why didn't Kelly wait till Christmas to join you on the XK forum if that is what she was going to do with the LEF? I posted up here before about people not donating to the cause and it was directed at no one, but you took it personally and ranted to the point the tread was pulled..... The only reason I can see for this is guilt, guilt for not contributing and embarrasment knowing you should be but felt pushed into a corner.... My opinion only....

Point 7. You continually post for sympathy on here and to be honest its got a bit tiring after a while, we all have problems, some share on the forum, but not for EVERY little thing that happens....???? Thats just a little wierd...!!!

Point 8. Why would Bibs call you back when you've pissed him off so much so many times...?? Even when he's tried to help so much..!!

Point 9. This is a public open forum..... How can it be one sided, everyone has always been allowed to post their opinions about everything. That makes it a pretty fair place to be and opinions are formed following the digestion of all kinds of information.....

Point 10. The clique you so talk about happens to be just the coming togeather of people who have become great friends. Many of these friendships have been created due to the generosity shown during the project that has ultimately created this thread. The clique also hapens to include everyone....

You are invited to everything just as much as everyone else is and those who choose to attend events become closer friends and those that do not may not bond quite so well... I have had more get togeathers at my house than I can remember, every one has been an open invite to all around the world, from BBQs, drinks and tenting in my back garden to my forthcoming poker night.... and also of the clique, you were also invited to my engagement, does that make you part of the clique...?

Point 11. After all the work I have done for you, you even left me at the factory last year to try and find my own lift back to the hotel.... Is that gratitude? Why didt you stay?

Point 11. I personally paind for all the hoses on your car at a cost of

Edited September 22, 2008 by Simon350S

[bigsi]

daniel with reference to you comment using the work as a defense attack, i have been left no option, how else am i supposed to defend myself?

i rang the guys to get permission to sell the car and was given it I RANG THEM yet theres no mention of that anywhere.

with all due respect regarding the emails, i was upset kelly was upset and we let it go, got on with things here and just ignored it, it was my choice to let it go my choice, i wasnt duty bound to do anything with them i posted i had them and i didnt know who from and left it at that, never once saying from here or a member.

yet in an instant its been turned upside down and im being subjected to defamation of character without prior knowledge.

thanks.

[Daniel]

Hold on a minute.....so now you're saying your new car is a lemon, not worth the 10K you entered in to the deal thinking it was worth, so is only worth what your car was originally worth?......you being stitched up has no bearing on this issue.

Doesn't deal with your intent though....only that you may have been stiffed.....a dealer will always end up on top, if he gave you a straight swap for a 10K car, he's confident of shifting yours for more money.

Put the spade down, you're a liability.

Please forward these e-mails so we can resolve the issue.

[Simon350S]

One more point,

Youve taken a car worth about

[bigsi]

maintainance??? your taking the piss a bit arent you??

getting the head redone because its torqued down wrong and needs reskimming. incorrectly fitted lower crank seals, 2 valves needing replacing due to damage, coolant coming from the head gaps and into the cylinders. i still have the video showing all the smoke pissing out of the exhaust of the car that i showed troy. the gear change linkage that had bits of metal pipe shoved into it to make do, that i had to get pressed out and rebuilt, the fuel pipes that pissed fuel everywhere all over my engine because bits of silicon pipe had been shoved in the ends of them and clamps that were broken. a cam belt that had been damaged on refitting the engine. new cam seals new gaskets new cables, theres quite a list here.

and once again to come back to that, if there was a condition of ownership then that should have been made present at the beginning, if having the car meant i could never sell it or if i did i had to retun the money spent or do anything, it should have been made perfectly clear, at no time and i mean no time was that said to me.

i took it to shows, was always first in the line to have it on show somewhere if asked for cars on the foum, drove to meets and did what i could in return for the good will, i did everythig i could to return the good will shown me, so excuse me if i wasnt aware i had to also to repay money for the work done on the car. so you tell me, how much would you like? or would you rather i sell the car and just give the forum the money back and you return the money to those who donated? is that what you want?

Edited September 22, 2008 by bigsi

[Bibs]

I'll quote myself...

There was no intention of protecting any 'investment' as there was never an investment by us, there was a spend. It was presumed that Simon would be so happy with his car he'd not sell it on so no provision needed to be made, and practically none could be made as it's his car and we did the work without his knowledge.

The money isn't the issue Simon, it's the email accusations and fact you felt it right to join the XK forum, not LEF.

Sorry this is being played out in public but I feel that this is necessary. This thread will be locked very soon, I want a beer before I go to bed, I've had a shitty day.

[Simon350S]

The head was torqued correctly in the correct sequence, the manual was on the bench next to the engine making sure it was done correctly....

The issue your talking of are most probably just due to the fact your wastegate diagphram ended up splitting causeing your car to overboost, you told us this yourself.......

Thats the head and head gasket probem diagnosed.....!!!! See easy when you look at the facts.....

The valves bent? don't know any reason for this appart from either the overboosing again of the fact thay were like that when they were refitted????

Maybe it was just down to the way you were storing all your bits in you conservatory....???

The brass fitting on the side of your Turbo was also squashed due to poor storage, you had the one off my car if your wondering where a replacment came from.....!!!

The gearchange linkage was refitted using as much of the original items as possible as the kit sent was not the right one and we ran out of money, nothing was fitted to the car that would have required pressing out.....

All the parts you had prevously refurbed had to be rodone due to the poor quality of the work completed, infact the term BigSi's concourse retoration skills have become somewhat of a joke amongst those involved in the project and seen them 1st hand without the photoshop editing. Oh one thing we didnt touch was the fuel pressure regulator which was a little shiny.....

To reiterate a point that has been made several times, its not about you having to sell the car for medical conditions, its the way youve gone about it all and the way you have insulted all along the way.....

Poor old Bibs is supposed to be running this place or fun........!!! Is this fun....??? NOPE.....!!!

I hope all the XKR forum guys read this before they get sucked in to your ways..

It stinks mate....

Edited September 22, 2008 by Simon350S

[Lisa Ward]

hiya... I don't post on here very often but feel I should say something..... As I'm engaged to Simon 350. When I first met Simon350 he was so proud of the bigsi project..... The work they .. As a group had done on the car, and the great bunch of people that simon350 had met during it. I must say I'm glad I have met them and I'm very proud to say that you are also my mates now!! I'm very saddened at you bigsi and can't believe what I'm Reading! You should take a step back and actually see what people have done for you by taking some pressure off you by HELPING you out with your car... If they hadn't done what they did for you out of the goodness of their hearts your car would most proberly still be in pieces! And you wouldn't have the new car you have today! This subject is quite a sensitive one as alot of people and companies put alott of time money and hardwork into it!!

Guys all I can say is don't get disheartened by someones ungratefulness!!!!!

[arbell9]

BigSi Nov 27th 2006 "to be honest the lotus is just a stop gap"

BigSi Feb 3rd 2007 " Im sure when Bib's spills the beans on everything you will understand"

How prophetic????

Ok here is my opinion of a few experiences.

1) Ill Health

Why does one regularly describe their suffering and ill health if to not look for sympathy? You tell people of your woes such that they can sympathsise with you, its what poeple do. If a person does it for other reasons eg to entertain or inform then I think they should seek medical help for their mind as well as their other aillments

There have been times when i have been asked to look up complicated drug information, which takes time and effort. This I have done because I am a nice person and dont mind doing favours for people. However , after my last effort was sent no thanks were received. Why would someone not express their gratitude for your efforts, not because they are owed but because it is polite to do so.

The car restoration should be separated into different events.

1) the restoration, charitable effort, camaradery, freindship, kinship expressed by fellow LEFfers from around this world still amazes me to this day. I still hold it up as an example to my children how good can be done with tremendous kindness and willing. I was proud for caitlin and calum to see the handover event and explain it all to them. Out of this event I can probably list a dozen people who have entered my best freinds list and I am certain will stay in there for a long time to come. That sort of thing is priceless. So lets keep that memory intact. It was and still stands up to being a great LEF moment in history.

2) Post handover - I think I will defer to others more mechanically minded to argue/defend those events. But one thing is obvious, the list of new parts fitted to BigSi car was extensive and did run to 1000's of pounds. Without these parts I dont believe that there is a sensible car owner today who would not say the car is wortth more now because it has been restored and fixed. Some of BigSi's own effortds will have contributed something to that improvement in value, but certainly not the lions share.

We know based on BigSi explaining his financial situation several times on the forum that he could not have afforded all those parts and I believe it is disengenous of Si to not admit he really has benefitted from them in two ways - one a perfectly good drivable historic sports car being available to him after they hav been fitted, rather than a pile of plastic and metal rotting away; and two he has been able to purchase a newer car which without those part sin his S3 turbo he would not be able to afford.

We can argue that he didnt ask for it etc and that its his do with what he wants etc. All true. But most LEF people are shocked that his own human nature has not identifed any hint of charity back towards LEF by offering anyform of giving back. The way it looks now is all take and no give this disappoints people the most.

For now there are other points i could make but I dont want this to extend to an essay on one person and the forum. However I do have example of stange behaviour I cant explain apart from concluding that there is a devious person at play.

All very disapointing

[Loteuk]

One more point,

Youve taken a car worth about

[Günter]

just as an information: asked and commented the right questions in the (now closed E-bay treat) , have got an PM from BigSi -and answered on it.

So no mysterious private E-mail from me

PS. i've read the build up story as it was present and really liked it. So i hope the car will find its way (in one part!) to one of yours !!

[bigsi]

once gain. i can only add.

the only way i could give back was to take the car to eery event i could, show it everywhere i do what i could, which was accepted by you guys .

posting about my health, wierd? for gods sake i was always asked how i was doing etc, so i thought ok keep you guys informed as thats what you wanted.

as for the car not being offered to the forum, the first time it was on sale not one person from the forum offered on it, or asked about it or even looked at keeping it in the forum, not one person, and now because it finally has gone and no one offered the first time around im the bad guy?

as for alex checking on the mdication i was given , yes i asked him several time infact and had thanked him previously, i can only apologise for not saying thanks the last time, but i for one really want to know what crap i was haing to take everyday and what could possibly happen, i asked you alex because you offered to check on these things for me.

as for simons comments the head work was redone prior to the wastegate diaphram, and the valves were in place and locked when the head was taken from here and thecam towers bolted to the head. as for the poor quality of the work i had done, in what way? i painted the cam covers with some black vht paint? i believe the correct colour for the cam covers was balck originally , the fpr i polished up and it had slightly corroded while being back on the car, but then thats what happens.

what else did i do? i i cleaned up the turbo shell as best i could, at the time and that was it, i painted up the brake hub guards and painted the calipers in the correct high temp paints. i didnt do any " restoration work" prior to it going other than try my best to remove the engine etc and work on my own car.

as for me being ungratful, i thanked everyone i could along the way at meetings and shows, stood there thanked and shook hands took pics etc. i thanked and thanked and thanked people.

i did nothing decitful in moving the car on, i did what i could and took an offer presented to me, because and i re assert this " there were no conditions of ownership placed on me when given the car back"

im defending myself to the best of my ability after the boot has been put into me and everyone else has joined in, one person against an entire forum, its more than biased.

however like as once again money is the issue here and it clearly is, ii have other options to look at.

i have been looking at a shop to try and get myself going again as i posted, it was nice to post about something nice for once. i can either fold on this, and continue collating my funds from people who owe me and give this to a charity of your choice or , if so be i will sell the jag find a cheap car and then give money to a charity of your choices.

now everyone knew and i mean everyone who has ever met me, knew that at some point i would not any longer be able to keep the car, it would become to difficult to drive it, or get in and out of it. that time had come, the difficulty wasnt the seats at the end of the day it was me and my body, i couldnt manage it anymore, as i discussed on the phone with the others.

now i just could not justify spending

[Paul C]

This thing started kicking off when i was still in the Mod room at christmas time.

For me, the Esprit is a fun reward for my hard work, and the forum a fun by-product of Esprit ownership.

I'm member 22. This dates from a time it was just a bunch of mates chatting, having a laugh and meeting up

for a bit of a burn around in our cars. Logging on was like popping round your mates house for a beer, not standing

outside you enemies house gobbing off then running away.

This subject has been a cancer festering unseen for nearly a year, and this thread the result of it finally coming out.

The Mods have a very unenviable job. For my part i simply did not want to have to read this kinda stuff, but felt

duty bound to. That, alongside with the rise of everyday misery, politics and day to day tedium creeping into the

mix meant there were so many threads i did not even click on, and certain people i'd avoid reading just to stay

happy. Am much happier being a normal member, for example as it's blueprinted on my working life, i don't now

have to make myself miserable by clicking 'Petrol prices' threads on here - i get my dose of misery elsewhere and

don't come here for more, never did.

Bibs is IMO not appreciated enough. The guy is a freind of mine from before the forum, a regular guest at our home,

and one of those folk i just know that i will probably always know, in car circles or out of them. I was in a fortunate

position that after five years of modding i could walk away when this kind of bullshit reared it's head. He can't.

The forum is now a bit bigger than a couple of dozen mates. Over 4000 people use it. Bibs can't get out, he has to

ride waves of this stuff. Had i been in his position last Christmas i'd have pulled the plug either for a few weeks or for

keeps, I'm sure it entered his head if only for a second.

It takes something born out of fun, and makes it a miserable chore. Personally i think the guy is one of the most

selfless people i have met in my life. This is not his job, he does not owe you all his time, it's not making him money,

and in this case it has been nine months of making him unhappy, while all the while looking out for the other 4000 or

so forum members.

I only read this thread because i saw it initially had the locked symbol, had it not then i'd have skipped it, as having

previous glimpse of the underlying rot festering in there, made me give up on clicking anything related to the Bigsi

project months ago as it peaked a long time ago.

I stand by Bibs, and i'm very glad it's all out to air, gather dust, and slip down the board without anyone caring.

[Daniel]

How are we getting on with those e-mails Bigsi?

Right there is the opportunity to square this whole thing up........just click 'forward' and send them to those who asked, and can act upon them.

Until you do that, your credibility amongst those of us who have been privy to very limited information, will not be particularly strong.

[bigsi]

so what your saying is you all had this basically hateful opinion of me and not once in all the times we met up did you have the guts to say anything to me, to my face about it, yet on the forum your suddenly able to vent it out and have it in the open??

only now ???

suddenly??

i think im going to leave it there and see what tomorrow brings.

[Simon350S]

i did my best to keep uo the maintainance of the car as best i could and i did, and did it well, as for my skills being a joke simon, funnily enough troy said the same thing about yours

as for me being a devious person and everything else thats been accused of my person, it is really uncalled for and downright deflamatory.

i have no more to say, the damage has been done and you guys have made sure of that, how i proceed now is what matters, and i will be taking advice.

Happier now....??

Troys a mate, you can try and drive wedges, but my friendship with him and others on here are something that you can only ever be jealous of....

You would NEVER understand.

As said I did try to come in here to stick up for you a little but you've just pissed on your chips....!!!

Take advice......? I'd recommend you do before you dig yourself an even bigger hole...!!!

[bigsi]

i spoke with troy only 2 weeks ago, hes living at his parents house now, hes also on medication due to sever depression, he split up with caroline and had been living in his barn to get by and trying to do his jobs. the work suddenly dried up he got no parts when ordered because of the move even though he kept on and opn trying to get them. hes shut the workshop down and is in the process of selling it all up and strting afresh and getting on with his life.

and while talking with him he raised a few comments and discussed things that even i didnt know about.

so as your mates with him you would already know this simon.

i dont need to drive a wedge between you and him or anyone here, you all did that in the thread about him and his work the other week.

the difference is i actually spoke to him about what was wrong with the car when i had it back most if the time he would say " simon did that while i was away i will have to come and sort it out for you when i have time"

troy gave me advice and that was to watch my back , i guess i wasnt watching it good enough.