Bad experience with DrMurcielago & Famous Autosports

Hi guys I am new to this forum as I have only been a Lambo owner for about 4 months now and I am reposting this from the other Lambo forum. I am trying to give you guys a heads up on my unfortunate mistake and keep our community informed. In retrospect I was way too trusting and skipped a few important steps (like getting a full PPI) but what’s done is done.

 

 

Where to even begin with this fiasco. In over a decade of buying sports cars I have never ran into an issue that was worth posting about on the public forums. I have owned everything from multiple Porsches, GTRs, Supras, BMW’s, AMG’s etc. Over the years I have had builds done by many reputable shops including swiss cheese, ###### and Sound Performance, all with a happy result.

 

It all began when I found a Gallardo online that matched what I was looking for. I really wanted a low mileage car, I figured less problems down the road. I called the seller who was one state away from me and started asking questions.

 

Sellers name is VARTEVAR (Victor) DALDALYAN, he goes by drmurcielago on eBay and apparently sells a few Lambos a year.

 

The car had a bit of a story on it (accident and branded title), but the price reflected that so it seemed like a good deal. The online ad listed the car as “still like new” “no issues” “6500 miles”. I asked the seller about any know issues and was assured over the phone that the car was near perfect and he purchased it for his son who was now going to college and couldn’t keep the car. I purchased the ticket and flew out to get the car within a few days.

 

Upon arrival it became clear right away that the car was definitely not as described. I was not expecting a perfect car by any means but the issues that came up were never mentioned over the phone. The seller basically had me fly all the way out there knowing full well that the condition was grossly misrepresented. Normally I would say no, and jump right back on the plane. Well in this case the seller ended up convincing me that all the issues would be taken care of. His house looked like a small lambo shop with cars and lambo parts everywhere and he assured me all the issues were minor and nothing to worry about. Some of the things included; warning lights on dash (ABS, egear, traction), A/C was not working, few noises from the front, jerky clutch. The seller assured me that A/C just needs a recharge and all the lights are just simple sensors. The major drivetrain issues (tranny, engine etc.) he guarantees and if anything happens he will take care of them. I drove the car straight to the Lambo dealer 2 states away and dropped it off. The car experienced all sort of issues on the trip back (multiple check engine lights, stuttering, etc.) I basically limped it home never going past 3k RPM.

 

Upon arrival we slowly started sorting the issues out. Right away it became pretty apparent that the car had some much deeper undisclosed issues. The clutch was at 100% worn, the whole wiring harness was all hacked up and the dealer informed me of a 2 page long issue list. Bill came out to $34K. At this point I had spent about $3,500 and said that’s enough we need to get these things fixed for cheaper. I was pretty agitated with the seller as it became obvious he knew of the issues the car had without disclosing them even when I asked.

 

After speaking to the seller he quickly informed me that all dealers are just out to steal my $$ and he has a local shop that will take care of all the issues. At this point the car has been sitting at the dealer for about 6 weeks so I haven’t even had a chance to enjoy it. We arranged for a transport truck and the car went back to CA to Famous Autosports in Canoga Park. Famous Autosports Exotic Luxury Car Repair & Customization

 

I had signed an agreement with the seller; listing all the issues that Famous Autosports were going to fix and we agreed on the $, I was told all of this is minor and will take 2 weeks to sort out.

 

At this point communication became very sporadic and 2 weeks grew into 3, then 4, then 5. I was given every excuse in the book but was assured that the car would be perfect when done.

 

The issues Famous Autosports were fixing on the car: New Clutch, New front hubs and fix Diff noise, fix A/C, New seat airbag (car was missing airbag completely), get rid of dash warning lights. I was finally told that the car was finished, I spoke with Famous Autosports and the seller several times to make sure everything was done and was assured “Yes”. I flew out finally hoping to get the car I was originally promised. I figured it had cost me an extra $15K but hey I am at least going to enjoy this car finally! At this point it has been 2.5 months since I purchased it.

 

Famous Autosports is a very nice shop, everything is clean and organized (I have seen my fair share of high end shops). The staff seems passionate about their work and I can tell you for a fact that they are experts with Lambos. This is what makes the whole thing so puzzling. As soon as I got into the car to take it for a spin (finally!!!), it won’t shift into gear… hmmm. I turn A/C on, just hot air… after some finagling we get the car to shift and I take it for a test drive. Front end noises still these; I notice missing airbag hasn’t been touched. The only thing Famous Autosports have done is new clutch and they did get rid of most of the warning lights. Bearings not done, diff not done. The E-Gear warning light is still coming on. At this point I am pretty upset and leave the car with them and check into a hotel.

 

Of course I was assured by the seller and Famous Autosports that once again things will be fixed. I ended up staying for over a week with 3 or 4 more trips to the Famous Autosports shop; they were dragging things on and basically would fix something half assed at best. Communication was poor during the whole time with really no timeline given, nobody ever returning my calls. I have not received any paperwork outlining what exactly was done and was never shown my old parts. The car kept having all sorts of issues and noises every time I would show up to pick it up. The A/C was “fixed” now and lasted a day until it all leaked out again. Famous Autosports recharged it again and I was assured it wouldn’t happen again. Well after a week of sitting in LA waiting for my car, my work backlog became too much and I needed to get back home. I told the seller since I am paying for all of these fixed he needs to get the car shipped back to me when it’s done (properly) at his expense. He refused and assured me few more days and they will finish, so I stay a few more days. Finally the car seemed good enough to drive back and I started my journey back after paying my bill.

 

Within 50 miles of my trip back, e-gear light (that was supposed to be fixed) started coming back on, check engine light started coming back on also. The car started misfiring and just felt weird and sluggish. Once again I started limping the car home. Well I didn’t make it far as by the next morning the A/C stopped working (I was using defrost as it was raining and whole car was fogging up), the very same A/C that Famous Autosports assured me was fixed and wont leak out, leaked all out. After another 400 miles the car became almost undrivable with check engine lights and poor power. I got on the phone with the seller and he assured me it was just a “gas cap” issues. I scheduled for a transport truck on the side of the road and had the car towed back home. I really cannot describe the frustration point I was feeling at that time guys. I was close to $20K on “fixes” and the car was still a mess, going on 4 months.

 

Upon arrival home we unloaded the car and it started driving a bit better and the lights were intermittent now, still I drove it straight to a local performance shop. Well just a few miles down the road the sputtering started again and as I was pulling into the shop parking lot clanking noise from the back... Once again the car went under the knife.

 

Diagnosis…… Spun engine bearing. Car was not low on oil; oil change was done at the dealer as regular maintenance just 800 miles prior.

 

In addition, half the things Famous Autosports were supposed to fix (and i paid for) didn’t get done (Airbag, A/C, e-gear lights). Alignment was off on the car (after Famous Autosports put new wheel bearings on they never did an alignment). At this point the seller is nowhere to be found. I am very much disappointed in Famous Autosports as they obviously had the capacity to do the work we had agreed on (with the seller) but for whatever reason didn’t do a very good job on this car. I really don’t know what exactly happened to the engine while they had the car but when I got the car back from Famous Autosports it had a few heat shields missing in the engine bay.

 

Not exactly “owning a dream car” experience so far…

Holy crap thanks for posting this. This sounds like a nightmare! Any chance of a refund and just walking away?

Holy crap thanks for posting this. This sounds like a nightmare! Any chance of a refund and just walking away?

 

 

Nope... I tried to return the car several times to the seller he wanted nothing to do with it (i wonder why ) I even offered to take a $5K hit and return it right away before we began any work.

Sounds like a terrible experience but buying a wrecked and branded title car and not immediately walking away after arriving at seeing it wasn't in the condition described should have been a huge red flag.

Sounds horrible, unfortunately buying an exotic is such an emotional experience that buyers tend to make bad decisions even when obvious signs were there. Thanks for posting, hopefully others will learn from from your story.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Even from just reading it gave me headaches, can only imagine what it feels like. Hope you get everything sorted out and keep us updated on what happens.

Wow! VARTEVAR (Victor) DALDALYAN, sells nothing but CRAP, he has the same story that "this one" was for his son, or wife and its real nice. TOTAL CROOK.

First of all sorry to hear your troubles. Let me just say famous autosports are amazing group of guys to work with. They have done work on several of my cars including the Aventador and Gallardo many many many times. In fact I have their custom exhaust on my Aventador. Their work is top notch and fair in price. Whatever issues you have with them can and probably will be fixed if you talk to Mitch. Again I'm sorry to hear about your horrible experience and hope you get it worked out.

The guy buys and sells salvage cars, what exactly did you expect from him?

Man...that sucks!

 

Wish you the best sorting all this out. Sounds like another Underground project to be if you can swing the cost.

 

Mind sharing the year of the Gallardo?

 

Now days you get what you paid for. If the deal sounds too good to be true, then it's probably NOT true!

 

So many people now trying to get into a Lambo, but they want the cheap way in. Can't emphasize how important a PPI is on an older exotic.

 

I cringe just reading your story. Thanks for sharing.

Maybe it's just me, but I have a hard time believing that everything went down exactly as you say...

Save your stomach lining, it will never be a good car, get rid of the heap of shit.

 

Good lesson to lurkers, even if you get the Lambo for 60 grand it's still a 300k vehicle to service.

Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience but you should've walked the minute you saw that the car was misrepresented!

 

Get rid of it it sounds like a money pit, it would probably be a good car for a mechanically inclined person with lots of experience and time on his/her hands.

 

Like Porter says the entry price gets lower the repairs and maintenance stay the same.

Hi guys I am new to this forum as I have only been a Lambo owner for about 4 months now and I am reposting this from the other Lambo forum. I am trying to give you guys a heads up on my unfortunate mistake and keep our community informed. In retrospect I was way too trusting and skipped a few important steps (like getting a full PPI) but what’s done is done.

 

 

Where to even begin with this fiasco. In over a decade of buying sports cars I have never ran into an issue that was worth posting about on the public forums. I have owned everything from multiple Porsches, GTRs, Supras, BMW’s, AMG’s etc. Over the years I have had builds done by many reputable shops including swiss cheese, ###### and Sound Performance, all with a happy result.

 

It all began when I found a Gallardo online that matched what I was looking for. I really wanted a low mileage car, I figured less problems down the road. I called the seller who was one state away from me and started asking questions.

 

Sellers name is VARTEVAR (Victor) DALDALYAN, he goes by drmurcielago on eBay and apparently sells a few Lambos a year.

 

The car had a bit of a story on it (accident and branded title), but the price reflected that so it seemed like a good deal. The online ad listed the car as “still like new” “no issues” “6500 miles”. I asked the seller about any know issues and was assured over the phone that the car was near perfect and he purchased it for his son who was now going to college and couldn’t keep the car. I purchased the ticket and flew out to get the car within a few days.

 

Upon arrival it became clear right away that the car was definitely not as described. I was not expecting a perfect car by any means but the issues that came up were never mentioned over the phone. The seller basically had me fly all the way out there knowing full well that the condition was grossly misrepresented. Normally I would say no, and jump right back on the plane. Well in this case the seller ended up convincing me that all the issues would be taken care of. His house looked like a small lambo shop with cars and lambo parts everywhere and he assured me all the issues were minor and nothing to worry about. Some of the things included; warning lights on dash (ABS, egear, traction), A/C was not working, few noises from the front, jerky clutch. The seller assured me that A/C just needs a recharge and all the lights are just simple sensors. The major drivetrain issues (tranny, engine etc.) he guarantees and if anything happens he will take care of them. I drove the car straight to the Lambo dealer 2 states away and dropped it off. The car experienced all sort of issues on the trip back (multiple check engine lights, stuttering, etc.) I basically limped it home never going past 3k RPM.

 

Upon arrival we slowly started sorting the issues out. Right away it became pretty apparent that the car had some much deeper undisclosed issues. The clutch was at 100% worn, the whole wiring harness was all hacked up and the dealer informed me of a 2 page long issue list. Bill came out to $34K. At this point I had spent about $3,500 and said that’s enough we need to get these things fixed for cheaper. I was pretty agitated with the seller as it became obvious he knew of the issues the car had without disclosing them even when I asked.

 

After speaking to the seller he quickly informed me that all dealers are just out to steal my $$ and he has a local shop that will take care of all the issues. At this point the car has been sitting at the dealer for about 6 weeks so I haven’t even had a chance to enjoy it. We arranged for a transport truck and the car went back to CA to Famous Autosports in Canoga Park. Famous Autosports Exotic Luxury Car Repair & Customization

 

I had signed an agreement with the seller; listing all the issues that Famous Autosports were going to fix and we agreed on the $, I was told all of this is minor and will take 2 weeks to sort out.

 

At this point communication became very sporadic and 2 weeks grew into 3, then 4, then 5. I was given every excuse in the book but was assured that the car would be perfect when done.

 

The issues Famous Autosports were fixing on the car: New Clutch, New front hubs and fix Diff noise, fix A/C, New seat airbag (car was missing airbag completely), get rid of dash warning lights. I was finally told that the car was finished, I spoke with Famous Autosports and the seller several times to make sure everything was done and was assured “Yes”. I flew out finally hoping to get the car I was originally promised. I figured it had cost me an extra $15K but hey I am at least going to enjoy this car finally! At this point it has been 2.5 months since I purchased it.

 

Famous Autosports is a very nice shop, everything is clean and organized (I have seen my fair share of high end shops). The staff seems passionate about their work and I can tell you for a fact that they are experts with Lambos. This is what makes the whole thing so puzzling. As soon as I got into the car to take it for a spin (finally!!!), it won’t shift into gear… hmmm. I turn A/C on, just hot air… after some finagling we get the car to shift and I take it for a test drive. Front end noises still these; I notice missing airbag hasn’t been touched. The only thing Famous Autosports have done is new clutch and they did get rid of most of the warning lights. Bearings not done, diff not done. The E-Gear warning light is still coming on. At this point I am pretty upset and leave the car with them and check into a hotel.

 

Of course I was assured by the seller and Famous Autosports that once again things will be fixed. I ended up staying for over a week with 3 or 4 more trips to the Famous Autosports shop; they were dragging things on and basically would fix something half assed at best. Communication was poor during the whole time with really no timeline given, nobody ever returning my calls. I have not received any paperwork outlining what exactly was done and was never shown my old parts. The car kept having all sorts of issues and noises every time I would show up to pick it up. The A/C was “fixed” now and lasted a day until it all leaked out again. Famous Autosports recharged it again and I was assured it wouldn’t happen again. Well after a week of sitting in LA waiting for my car, my work backlog became too much and I needed to get back home. I told the seller since I am paying for all of these fixed he needs to get the car shipped back to me when it’s done (properly) at his expense. He refused and assured me few more days and they will finish, so I stay a few more days. Finally the car seemed good enough to drive back and I started my journey back after paying my bill.

 

Within 50 miles of my trip back, e-gear light (that was supposed to be fixed) started coming back on, check engine light started coming back on also. The car started misfiring and just felt weird and sluggish. Once again I started limping the car home. Well I didn’t make it far as by the next morning the A/C stopped working (I was using defrost as it was raining and whole car was fogging up), the very same A/C that Famous Autosports assured me was fixed and wont leak out, leaked all out. After another 400 miles the car became almost undrivable with check engine lights and poor power. I got on the phone with the seller and he assured me it was just a “gas cap” issues. I scheduled for a transport truck on the side of the road and had the car towed back home. I really cannot describe the frustration point I was feeling at that time guys. I was close to $20K on “fixes” and the car was still a mess, going on 4 months.

 

Upon arrival home we unloaded the car and it started driving a bit better and the lights were intermittent now, still I drove it straight to a local performance shop. Well just a few miles down the road the sputtering started again and as I was pulling into the shop parking lot clanking noise from the back... Once again the car went under the knife.

 

Diagnosis…… Spun engine bearing. Car was not low on oil; oil change was done at the dealer as regular maintenance just 800 miles prior.

 

In addition, half the things Famous Autosports were supposed to fix (and i paid for) didn’t get done (Airbag, A/C, e-gear lights). Alignment was off on the car (after Famous Autosports put new wheel bearings on they never did an alignment). At this point the seller is nowhere to be found. I am very much disappointed in Famous Autosports as they obviously had the capacity to do the work we had agreed on (with the seller) but for whatever reason didn’t do a very good job on this car. I really don’t know what exactly happened to the engine while they had the car but when I got the car back from Famous Autosports it had a few heat shields missing in the engine bay.

 

Not exactly “owning a dream car” experience so far…

 

So...

 

You join up today... air this... that is fine, horror story... but we understand... There are always two sides to every story.

But something not sitting right, after this was posted.

 

Holy crap thanks for posting this. This sounds like a nightmare! Any chance of a refund and just walking away?

 

Nope... I tried to return the car several times to the seller he wanted nothing to do with it (i wonder why ) I even offered to take a $5K hit and return it right away before we began any work.

 

Now what are the chances of this... Here on LP we are global community but both posters are from the same city and posting minutes after each other and at the time of writing very few posts between them.

 

So lets skip the candlelit dinner and dancing, lets get straight down to the down and dirty. Come clean now or this thread gets skipped.

So...

 

You join up today... air this... that is fine, horror story... but we understand... There are always two sides to every story.

But something not sitting right, after this was posted.

 

 

 

 

 

Now what are the chances of this... Here on LP we are global community but both posters are from the same city and posting minutes after each other and at the time of writing very few posts between them.

 

So lets skip the candlelit dinner and dancing, lets get straight down to the down and dirty. Come clean now or this thread gets skipped.

 

capt_chaos; please read the start of this thread i am reposting this. I posted this story on other other Lambo forum and its like 7 pages long already. I am not stopping the other party from posting their side here, i would strongly encourage it. This is really just my experience i am not trying to get into any sort of internet battle I have no idea who the other poster you elude to but i am sure the mods can check and see the IP's if they want.

 

I have checked the ip and it goes back to your city which is why I have asked you to clarify your relationship with the other poster.

Let me be clear, I am not fcuking stupid and can pick out an uncle Ben rice grain in a snow storm when I am being lied to. Last and only chance, what is your relationship with user kaliturbo?

 

I don't care what other places you have posted the story.

Dr murcielago is shady but this is first bad dealing that I heard of famous autosports. You can try charging back your credit card if you can substantiate what you paid for isn't done with documentation from a dealer or another shop.

 

Stories like this ruins the experience. I agree with Porter that you should dump the car. Dr murcielago is known to marry two broken cars into one. Your safety is more important than any money. Any car he has touched is a time bomb.

Personally I think you are throwing the repair shop under the bus for your poor decisions.

 

You are dealing with a seller that has horribly misrepresented the car. Then you elect to pay said seller to have him manage the repairs while you are out of state. Then blame the shop that he subcontracts the work too. Sounds like the shop had one hand tied behind their back considering the dealer estimated the repairs at least $34k.

 

I don't think you have any legal recourse as it's a 10 year old used car purchase. You acknowledge it was a mess when you first saw it.

 

At what point were the alarms bells going to go off at to walk away?

 

Your statements...

 

"The car had a bit of a story on it (accident and branded title)

 

Upon arrival it became clear right away that the car was definitely not as described.

 

Some of the things included; warning lights on dash (ABS, egear, traction), A/C was not working, few noises from the front, jerky clutch."

 

And you still decided to take it home?

 

 

Either way, it's shame.

Hi guys I am new to this forum as I have only been a Lambo owner for about 4 months now and I am reposting this from the other Lambo forum. I am trying to give you guys a heads up on my unfortunate mistake and keep our community informed. In retrospect I was way too trusting and skipped a few important steps (like getting a full PPI)

 

Yup. That spot right there. That is the spot where I stopped reading. Every single one of these "Hi I am new to the forum but wanted to give you guys a heads up...." starts with that exact same line.

 

Does sound like a horrible experience and I'm sorry you haven't been able to enjoy the car. Your first post should have been more along the lines of, "hey guys new to the board and lambos, does anyone know the history on this car or seller?" Especially when the car was listed with a branded title. Hope it all works out for you.

I know how you those things go down. You go to get a deal and then the car isn't all that and you smell shadyness and should walk but they sweeten the deal and you quick run things in your head, and emotion wins. You've put in effort and are hesitant to walk away. He knows he has you.

 

It's a shit situation and I feel sorry for you. You should have walked away.

 

As far as dealings with Famous. I talked to Mitch. You didn't pay famous, you didn't deal with them. This Dr. Murcielago tricked you and Famous by asking them to do something and telling you he asked for something else.

 

Best thing to do would be sell this project car for what you bought it for.

Update: I am working with Famous to try to untangle this mess. Hopefully we will come up with a acceptable outcome. Just to clarify again, Famous had nothing to do with the sale of the car originally.

Childish thread/op, zero sympathy.

Yep, he may of screwed you.....but you sure bent over and pulled your pants down.

I have checked the ip and it goes back to your city which is why I have asked you to clarify your relationship with the other poster.

Let me be clear, I am not fcuking stupid and can pick out an uncle Ben rice grain in a snow storm when I am being lied to. Last and only chance, what is your relationship with user kaliturbo?

 

I don't care what other places you have posted the story.

 

I'm just a GTR owner lurking on this forum. No relationship feel free to search me on Nagtroc. IP check or not probably a coincidence that it came back from the same city. Just lurking here reading about Lambos thats all.