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I don't normally reply to these posts because it's usually not worth responding to anonymous writers who present half truths. However, since I need to take a short break anyway, I thought I would provide some facts for those of you who may be interested in the truth. I should warn you, if you are only interested in controversy you may not find my remarks particularly interesting.

I'll get to all the "I heard" comments in a moment, but first let me say it is true that I am currently swamped and a bit overwhelmed. For those who may not be aware, I am now working alone in the shop. In fact, I have been working alone for the last several months. The guys I had working with me part-time have not been available most of this year for a variety of reasons, coupled with the fact that it wouldn't be fair to commit to hiring a full-time employee given my plans to relocate, things have been a bit crazy. Nonetheless, I am doing my best to meet all my commitments while not sacrificing the quality of my engines. Trust me; if I had known at the beginning of the year that I would be working alone I would have never taken on this much work. For what it's worth, I have repeatedly apologized to those affected and taken full responsibility for any delays and inconvenience.

Now, in reference to some of the misinformation presented in this thread let me attempt to set the record straight. First, I should point out the gentleman who started this thread with an innocent question was called back on Friday. I guess I do return phone calls after all! By the way, he is a new customer looking to have some engine work done and, believe it or not, the negative tone of this message thread hasn't scared him away.

Was the reference to P.F.S. a shot at me? I think so. However, I'm going to take the high road on this topic because I have respect for the team. But I will say I am as surprised as anyone to hear negative comments coming from members of this group. I have gone above and beyond to try and make sure this team had everything they needed to run well. I guess it's just one of those deals that no matter how much you do you can't please everybody. Jimmy… I was honored when Mr. Bigler called me to have an engine built. When he mentioned to me that I was the first professional engine builder he ever called for a complete engine, I was humbled. I understood that during his many years as a distinguished car owner he could have called any number of builders (including P.F.S.) but he chose me. I worked hard to make sure limited funding didn't handicap your engine program. When you guys had fuel delivery problems (not associated with the engine) I provided free time at the track and traveled four hours round trip to your shop to help resolve the problem. When it was determined you had a torn fuel bladder blocking the pick-up, I provided a new tank bladder at my cost. When nights of running races with those lean conditions took there toll on the engine, I rebuilt the heads and replaced all the valves and springs for free. I even extended my assistance into this current season. When Walt called and said a piston broke in the engine and he was going to repair the engine himself, I immediately ordered two new pistons and rings. I then pin fit the pistons, provided two connected rods, and ensured everything was properly balanced before shipping everything at no cost to your race shop. Now, after not even receiving a thank you for the parts, I get to visit this board and see you publicly touting another engine builder while taking shots at me. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems with P.F.S. and I'm sure Pete will do a fine job for you, but your limited comments don't tell the full story. Be careful Jimmy, your comments may reveal more about you than they do about me and my business.

Okay, now for the comments made by "likendirt." I don't know who you are but you really need to get your information correct. First, Walt didn't have to take the engine to another shop to get it to run right, he apparently took it to another engine shop to replace the broken piston/rod. Remember, the engine finished up front early in the season before it broke a piston. It was obviously running right before a part failed! Why he chose to take it to another shop I can't answer. As I mentioned earlier, I sent him the parts and haven't heard from him or anyone since. And before you try saying they couldn't get in touch with me, I assure you nobody called. I am fully aware of every call that came in over the last several months. Just because I can't always get to the phone right away doesn't mean I'm unaware of who calls.

Next, let's look at "likendirt's" comment about the 358 sprint engine. Again, we have a little bit of truth mixed in with a whole lot of misinformation and suggestion. It's true I was provided some parts to put an engine together, but I can assure you it wasn't all the parts and they definitely were not ready to assemble. Your comments suggest a few hours of work would have transformed this pile of parts into a competitive racing engine; nothing could be further from the truth! Oh, by the way, nowhere in your comments did you mention this engine was being built for free. I'm sure with your vast knowledge of this particular situation you are aware that this job was taken with the intent of helping somebody go racing. And, you know, I don't mind being beaten up because a job is taking longer than expected, but it would be nice if you would conclude the beating by making a comment something like this: "That jerkoff engine builder has been working on the engine for months, but I guess since he's doing it for free and not making a dime it could be worse." For what it's worth, this issue has been taken care of.

Finally, let's look at "likendirt's" assessment of my planned relocation to the Mechanicsburg area. Here we don't even have a little truth to work with. First, I was never going to buy a building! I had hoped to rent the building occupied by P.F.S. after Pete Troutman retired. I was originally only interested in renting the shop space until I met with Pete and discovered he wanted to sell all his equipment. Pete does not own the building so the only thing I would have been "buying" was his machinery. I did look into purchasing his equipment, even though I didn't need it all, but we never got close enough to sign any papers. Certainly there was never a date set to sign papers! In fact, when I realized I couldn't meet the commitments of getting all my work done in the shop and making a move, I notified Pete as a courtesy and suggested he not wait on me if he had somebody else interested in the equipment. I still have an email I sent if anyone is that curious. Sorry "likendirt," I know your version makes for much better reading, but my version is the truth.

To "BrucePa," you're absolutely correct. It's not quite as easy as it sounds when you're trying to get work done, but you are correct. I just ask once again that people be a little more realistic and accurate in reporting their difficulties in getting in touch with me. It seems it has now become sport for some to embellish their attempts at contacting me. I've had people call me six times in an hour while I'm on the dyno. They fill my voicemail without giving me a chance to call back and then tell everybody they've been trying to call me all day. Of course, when the story is repeated over a couple of beers it becomes all week instead of all day. To make matters worse, my voicemail is now full so everyone else who calls me during that time can't leave a message and that generates more complaints. I'm not suggesting I'm haven't been very difficult to get in contact with, but I can tell you I used 2900 minutes on my phone last month so I must be talking to someone. Anyway, we're in the process of getting the phone situation resolved. Thank you to those who have exercised patience during this time.

In closing, let me say thank you to those who have continued to support me and to those who have posted positive comments on this board. I appreciate your willingness to work with me during this tough time and I assure you I will continue to work to fulfill all my commitments in a timely manner. Hang in there, brighter days are ahead! Kind Regards…Scott Baylor