Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania

You can send a letter to the mechanic. Advise him that he has had the car for 3 months and has not worked on it. Ask if he intends to do the work and, if so, when you can reasonably expect the work to be done. Tell him if he is too busy, then you will go somewhere else. Ask him when it would be convenient to get your car in such case. Give him a time to respond and let you know his intentions - like 10-15 days.

You then have to follow through. If he fails to respond or hems and haws, then take a wrecker and get your car. Line up another mechanic who will actually do the work.

This guy did not pomise to do it cheap did he? Cheap comes at a price and the work either does not get done or is done poorly. Expect to pay a reasonable sum for the work if you want it done timely.

Was he ordering the engine? There are lots of places if you were buying used or rebuilt. Or do you already have the engine?

What kinds of excuses does he give you? My guess is that he agreed on one sum without thinking and found out that a lot more is involved and he now does not want to do it. There are exceptions such as illness or death, but without knowing his excuses, I don't know how reasonable they are or are not. Real mechanics do not work this way. They do the work and they want paid.

In the future, try and find an ASE certified mechanic near your home to do the work. Its not an insurance policy, but an ASE-certified mechanic is more apt to do the work right. ASE stands for Automotive Standards of Excellence - its kind of like getting a stamp of approval by the Better Business Bureau. The mechanic has to meet the ASE qualifications in order to get the certification. Here is the website:

http://www.ase.com/Content/NavigationMenu/Service_Professionals1/Other_Programs/Blue_Seal_Recognition_Program/What_Is_The_Blue_Seal_Of_Excellence_Recognition_Program_.htm