[jeffhhs76]

Well gang.... Nobody here has had more problems with engine builds in this forum than I. Had a WS block built for my 67' GTO by a member in my car club who owns a machine shop. This engine never really sounded right once on the road. I figured I'd wait till the new build settled in and start to make good power... well, that day never came. The engine had already had 3 oil changes in the first 1000 miles.. GM Zinc additive with every change. Yes, I know what your thinking but I wanted to make sure I treated it right..Well one night I took her out, warmed her up, took her for a nice drive and before I put her away treated myself to a nice 3000 rpm holeshot like I've done many times before. Never abused the car..just havng a little fun. Well, that night I wasnt laughing when two rods let go and flew through my oil pan. Less than 1000 miles on it..never revved over 4500 rpm. Needless to say I was beside myself. I called my friend who built the engine for me to let him know what happened. Lets just say we're no longer friends.

I then bought a recently built 67 GTO WT which is the correct block for my car. The build is said to have 500 miles on it. The owner was looking to put an LS1 in the GTO and wanted to sell the original equipment. Took a ride, listened and watched the engine run and it sounded and looked solid. I bought that engine and replaced the blown WS. After about 50 miles of driving...no lie ..50 miles... I started to see white smoke out of the car! I NEVER even drove this engine over the speed limit for crying out loud!! Brought the car home, put it in the garage and was ready to throw in the towel...

Until Richie Hoffman came along. I met Richie through a longtime friend of mine, Perry Kaiser. Richie came over to my house and within 30 minutes had the entire problem diagnosed and a plan in place to fix it for me. Turns out the engine builder used oversized .065 rockers, original equipment guideplates and 2 piece pushrods which didn't line up right and were rubbing on the head. This led to cylinder number one completely breaking down (broken pushrod and roker arm) and several bent pushrods.

Took the car over to Richies house and he went to work. First off, I have to tell anyone that lives on Long Island or who may be near Long Island and wants quality work done on their car, Take it to Richie Hoffman. You will be in awe of the work this guy does. Richie told me exactly what parts I needed to get off the top off his head! Wether stock or in race trim, this guy is a wealth of Pontiac knowledge. All the while he had my car Richie was on the phone with me every step of the way to give me updates. That is something you NEVER see. Typically, YOU would have to make the call to get your updates. That left an impression right there. I knew my car was in the right hands because NOBODY does that!!! There was a hell of a lot to do to fix all the problems with my car and one by one Richie knocked them out. Now I've got my car back and this car flat out hauls!! Runs better than ANY GTO I've ever had!! And to top it all off, the engine compartment looks perfect. Everything is neat and in its place. Richie takes the time to make everything look like it just rolled out of the factory. He is extremely meticulous in his approach, has an eye for every little detail and of course every detail has to be correct. The finished product is checked over and over until he is absolutely satisfied with it. Only then will you get the call to pick up the car. I have to tell you I have never had a better experience than I had with Richie Hoffman and Hoffman Racing. So Richie, if you happen see this post, Thanks Man!!! You, my friend, are awesome!!!! See you at the track!!!

[71 Ventura II]

Definitely a stand up guy, I've bought parts from him through the PY forums in the past. Every encounter with Richie was straight forward as advertised. Two thumbs up! JD

[66bonne]

Don't know Richie but from your post I like the guy already.
Sounds like one of the good guys in this hobby.

Jim

[mikes6t6]

Where on Long Island is Hoffman Racing? Always looking for good local shop who knows Pontiacs. They seem to few & far between.

[jeffhhs76]

Richie is in Coram near Rt. 112 ..... He knows Pontiacs better than anybody I have ever met. Where on Long Island are you?

[RA6T7GTO]

hey jeff
glad your car is running and your happy, i guess it is time to dust off mine and take a winter cruise, after the snow melts of course

[straycat]

Besides being an excellent engine man, he's a terrific racer.

[miller_time]

I have to agree. I first noticed Richie Hoffman a bunch of years back at the Tri-Power Nationals at Norwalk Raceway Park. It was kind of hard not to notice him, he won the whole race both days. I was looking for someone to build/upgrade the 455 motor in my 69 Firebird backer racer. I had some bad experiences with other "reputable shops", some that I had seen in National Pontiac magazines. They were disasters. It also seems there are alot of "engine builders" out there who have alot to say and post many posts on many sites but never run an actual car. I started talking to Richie. I figured who better to build a bracket race motor than a guy who ACTUALLY RACES and WINS!! There are many so-called experts out there who are great at telling you what to do and make tons of posts on chat rooms and online forums but never actually run a car. I was not looking to go too fast at this point. I was looking for a reliable, consistent motor. Richie seemed to be the guy.

Richie built me a motor and I have been using him ever since. Richie always took the time to talk to me and see what direction I wanted to go. He did not try to force me to go in directions he wanted to go. He also made recommendations for the entire car (suspension, electrical etc. ) based on his observations watching me race. Whenever I decided it was time to go faster, Richie has made recommendations and done the work.

How did it work out for me? I have won several events and races since I started dealing with Richie Hoffman. The car is deadly consistent and totally reliable. I won the Heavy class on Sunday at the Pontiacs in the Park race the last 2 years. I also started running the points program at E-town Raceway Park last year. I finished 4th on the Top Street class and qualified for the Bracket Finals in the Pro class. I am the reigning King of the Track at Englishtown. If you want to see a Hoffman motor in action, I'll be at any of the points days at E-town again this year. Look for the 69 Firebird with the black vinyl top running in the Top Street and Pro classes.

By the way, Richie has also been a good source for diagnostic help. I have personally seem him talk to guys at the track having problems with their cars (built by other people) and he ends up getting them to run better than ever, usually with no credit given to him when the cars' owners post how great they now run.

If you are in the market, give him a call. He's a real nice guy too.