After having deciding that the Perentie needed a complete re-wire I thought that I would take some professional advice before proceeding.
I am no auto-electrician, but competent with a wiring diagram and a pair of crimpers. However, I needed someone to help me get started given that nothing was fused correctly or run through relays. I also wanted to build in additional circuits that I would need in the future. So the search for an Auto-Electrician began……………….
I wanted someone mobile as I wanted to do most of the work myself and I did not want the Perentie languishing in someones workshop for weeks on end with costs spiraling. I turned to Google expected a list of people to call, but I was disappointed.
It seems that where I am, Auto-Electricians are a dying breed. Whilst there are people around with flash workshops who are happy to diagnose faults and do engine ECU upgrades and a bunch of people that just want to do Entertainment Systems – not a lot else. I found three, one via Facebook none of which answered the telephone or replied to voice mails or e-mails. I asked around at at my friendly local garage and got two of the same names and a warning that “they were not great” – fills you with confidence.
Eventually I spoke to one guy who was not interested without a wiring diagram for every connection. As a last resort I posted on the local Facebook Group and one of the same names came up again, I just replied to the post saying that I had tried him but to no avail and within 30 mins got a call from him………….
An appointment was duly booked and we looked at the job together and I ran through my requirements. He was with me for nearly 2 hours during which time I was regaled with stories of all of the rich and famous people that he worked for locally. The job was apparently no problem, I would make up the basic looms for the front to start with, remove the existing wiring and he would return in two weeks to start the job – all booked in the diary.
I was happy as I had wasted a couple of weeks trying to find someone and we were heading for the end of the year.
Well, you will not be surprised to hear that he did not show on the allotted day and did not reply to my telephone and e-mail chasers. I ever said, “if you don’t want to do the job, just say” – no reply. Maybe I was simply not famous enough, or maybe the job was too much like hard work…….
So now a Perentie totally stranded on the drive and it’s nearly Christmas.
48 States of Gray 