frx026

White truck - no trading name on it The legal advise I have from a high priced lawyer is that the workshop where the car was meant to go to has no responsibility or liability at all as the vehicle never went there. The liability sits with the people that mis-represented themselves. It does help that they have supplied a FAKE receipt from the workshop it was meant to go to. I have learnt that 2 other people are in a similar situation. 1 person has $28K worth of damage done. The other I do not know details of. I have a feeling that the person with the 28K damage is going to "employ" a few debt collectors and both of us will receive every cent we are owed in damages. I have asked this person not to tell me the details. I don't want to know.

For those following this. I have also discovred that the alarm had been tampered with, the imobilier circuit bypassed. Obviously setting the car up to be knocked off later. total cost of repairs Gearbox parts - $9600 Labour to heat treat gears, assemble and test $5500 Oil leak $2300 New door, boot and ignition locks $1780 New immobiliser with integration to factory system $1340 I have become aware of 2 other people in a similar situation. One of which looks like we will team up to recover costs from these people.. anyway... $20k down the drain for nothing.. f**k i hate people sometimes,

Once I am able to I will publish, names, address, photos and any other infomraiton that will prevent this happening to others.

So, to provide an update. I have found another gearbox overseas. The supply in Japan of new units had dried up. Obviously Japanese its not a shitty focus. However with the rarity of this car (less than 100 in the country) it has been an epic search. The $9k bill I thought I would have will be more. I have seen the box apart. I have never seen a gearbox so badly destroyed. It appears as though: 1 - Wrong fluid and not enough of it was used (3L came out and its meant o have 11L) 2 - Multiple launches with TC engaged Planetaries are shot, teeth are ripped off, bearings look like they have had sand through them, valves have pieces of metal through them. The entire thing is shot. The only thing salvageable is the outer casing. And even that has marks in it. If the car was just an evo or something and not so rare I would have put it in a crusher and walked away. Civil action will be costly and result in me getting $5 a week for 300 million years. If I won. VCAT? Maybe. but I might not get anything.. Cops? Well, they dont exactly have a swat team chasing these guys. Even though there are now 3 people I have become aware of in the same situation. Some humans suck!

I have removed the car in question from the list of cars I have displayed. I cannot give identifying info.

Yes it is one of those Semi Auto Boxes. However not in either of those cars. I don't like standard cars. They bore me. Even the wifes run about has some work done to it. Nothing to serious, just a bolt on supercharger. Your questions were answered in my original post. I cannot provide further info at this stage. Yes, the box is mine. I am not able to say how it was wrecked as that is giving away too much specific details at this stage Sorry. I can't express how pissed off and angry I am with this.

So, I have been more of an observer on the forum than a poster for some time now. I watch with some amusement some of the posts that take me back to my early days owning a skyline. It’s good to see the younger guys still learning and figuring out things. In some cases the same things. I have still have a few skylines. They are great toys. More weekend than work. So when the time came to upgrade the 33GTR as the daily I needed something a bit more practical. The missus was at me to get something with rear doors. So you can imagine who won that argument. Anyway. I bought something practical with potential and four doors. I can’t mention the type of car, the workshop name or give too much away, however, after a massive turbo upgrade, retune and supporting mods etc my new daily was ready to be driven. A few initial teething problems but nothing too serious.The work done by the reputable workshop was good quality, relatively well priced and the car was looked after. Skip forward a year. It’s about time to do the timing belt, tensioners etc. All service items. The car had ran really well and clocked a number of KM on a daily basis. The car has been reliable, comfortable and surprisingly easy to drive at speed and in the wet. So, back to that workshop. Living a distance away from them it was worked out they would transport the car over to the workshop for me, do the service and I would be good to go. Or so I thought. The car has come back with: 1 – A bonus oil leak. It makes the Exxon Valdeez incident look environmentally friendly (younger guys – google that) 2 – A broken gearbox. Stripped out planetaries from 1st, 2nd and 3rd with enough metal fragments to be used as a “metal storm” gun (youtube that one) Several calls to the people responsible resulted in nothing. I was calling a mobile number as I had done previously and as I had received calls/texts from. A call to the workshop landline number and the news was not so good. The person that had my car had not worked there for approx. 5 weeks. Plenty of time to get my details. The workshop stated I had cancelled and they had not done any work on the car. I have tracking in this car so I can log onto SD card the travels. It’s extremely handy for tax purposes. I discovered after downloading the tracking from the car that car had not been to that workshop, it had in-fact been to 2 private residences. It was becoming more obvious that an ex-employee of the workshop had got my details, cancelled me from the workshop, picked the car up (truck and all) and scammed me out of $2K. I had the car back for a week and drove it very few KM because of the oil leak. I now have a damage bill of $11K on the car. The gearbox is $9K alone. Cops are investigating the alleged offenders for “obtaining goods by deception”. That is still on going. My insurance does not cover it as I handed over the keys. The workshop in question does not want to know about it at all. For legal reasons I cannot reveal the make, model or type of car, nor can I reveal the workshop, names of the alleged offenders or even a suburb that this occurred in. I can confirm it was in Melbourne within 50km of the CBD. I will not be able to PM people info, so please don’t ask. So a word of warning to my fellow car enthusiasts – be careful. There are “humans” in the world that will do this to others, Don't fall victim and don't get scammed.

yes - this is the stud that has a spline and goes up through the strut tower. I have no pics of how it was cut out, I can tell you it was cut from the engine bay side after the stud spun in the aluminium strut top. once it was cut the stud fell out. the splines on the stud stripped the aluminum. I want to weld something in because I think it would be stronger. However.. I have only been able to find two places, one in the us and one in the uk that can do this.. Every engineer i have asked just says it cant be done.. A press un stud may have to be an option.. Any suggestions for a place that can do one that is good.. My normal tuner is currently closed on extended xmas holidays..

Not every cop will have done a speed estimation course. If that member hadn’t done one he/she would not be qualified to estimate anything. So that is something worth checking. Also, if they had lasered/ radared you there are specific guidelines about the type of roads, locations and usage of the prescribed speed measuring devices, if these have not been done correctly you will easily win in court. There are even things about the devices itself such as calibration dates and seals that need to be valid for the device to be able to be used. It is not as clear cut as the officer simply saying you were doing something and you’re guilty. While the weight of evidence will favour him/her it is not a guaranteed win for the cops. With any infringement notice you have the right to take it to court. Sending a letter to the TCO is not an option in this case as the alleged speed is greater than 10km/h. If it was me, I would take it to court. My 2c.

Hi Guys, I need some help to find a place that can weld Stainless steel to Aluminium. I have had to cut a bolt out of the top of a coilover (the bolt that goes through the top plate of the coilover through the strut tower in the engine bay) and rather than replace the whole set of coilovers as someone had suggested to me today for the sake of one bolt I want to be able to have a stainless steel bolt welded in. (the original was pressed in) I don't want to use another press in bolt. A few places have told me it can’t be done. I believe it can and need some help to find the right place. I want quality workmanship so cost is not an issue. Any suggestions please post up the details or PM me directly. Thanks in advance.

No. However I have a many contacts who do and have a detailed knowledge of the placement and capabilities of the mobile cameras in vic. A median strip (divided road) setup is different to a non median strip setup. Away traffic (same direction) is only assessed when the car is parked on the far side of the road. As long as you were across the median strip facing the camera you will be fine. If the camera was on the median strip facing you then you would get done. If in the case it was a non median strip road then yes, the cameras can detect in both forward and away (both direction) modes up to 4 lanes. This is not something I am guessing. It is something I know.

In vic. they can shoot up to 4 lanes. however in a median strip set up they shoot in the away only mode.. Meaning they only assess traffic in the two lanes on one side of the road. If the camera was on the other side of the road facing you, you will be fine. I know this 100%.

Thanks for your personal assessment of me. I'll stick to my close minded ways in my senior executive job. A job that actually has influence on the automotive industry and the products we choose to supply people like you. I also just wanted to clarify something seeing you didnt understand my "rant" as you called my reference to actual training packages and their contents. I didnt at any stage hint that the tafe course and its so called graduates are useless. I stated clearly that the course and its "graduates" are rubbish and not worth employing. Or in your terms useless. No subtle hinting there. Once again, the tafe course, its graduates, its teachers and the course structure are without a doubt useless and play no useful part in the car audio industry in this country. I hope that last sentence clarifies it for you. As for who cares? Well, people like me care, and then we choose not to employ people like you.

I have my TAA40104 - Which is the certificate required to teach the Tafe course amongst other qualifications. I have seen it from a trainers POV and it is rubbish. I have also seen it from a recruiters POV with almost 80 graduates of this course and none of them that I have met have been any good. A tafe course does not mean that you are good at something. It means that you can undergo a particular assessment and be passed as competant. It does not provide a score of how competant you are. The tafe system is also aimed at getting the students across the line even though they might not be that good at what they do. I am also basing this on the fact that I have met so many "graduates" of this course that cant wire up a relay, require cheat sheets for alarms, arent able to figure out airbag wiring or in some cases even how a modern dash comes apart. I have lost count of the amount of so called installers that have trouble diagnosing problems when they read the cheat sheets wrong. I have seen people set off airbags with the wrong testing procedure. I have seen so many say it cant be done when it is not a straight forward fit. I have seen people who cant trim panels, cut panels or even understand how the theile small specs of a woofer relate to the vehicle, its accoustics, the enclosure and the other equipment in the system. It is simply not time practical for a Tafe course to teach all the skills required. So they brush over most of it. They teach the student to pass the course, not to be an effective or skilled worker. Even by AQTF standards the course itself doesnt stack up well as the level of knowledge taught to the students varies on the instructor. This is very different to other courses within the VET system and not within the AQTF packaging rules as set out by NTIS. In fact TAFE courses have to provide a level of equity and that means that they can be done with simulated work place knowledge or by distance education. This is one of the rules to ensure that all potential students get access to training regardless of location or educational background. It possible to do this course without a work placement. All RTO's and Tafe's must operate with AQTF rules as published by NTIS. Other wise the course becomes a non accredited course and they are even more worthless. For the record, I would never waste my time teaching this course. Trainers simply dont earn that much and the units covered in the course dont reflect the direction of the automotive industry as a whole with the ever increasing integration into canbus or other unique wiring systems implemented by manufacturers to limit the amount of aftermarket products that can be installed into a vehicle. I understand what you are saying about VACC and their guidelines. If in the event they applied it they would only be able to refer you to a very small number of audio installers in the state. None of the major chains would even get a look in. About the only thing I can see VACC being useful for to the car audio industry is airbag removal procedures. Although having said that I have seen car dealerships remove airbags with a flat blade screw driver and a hammer. And those are the preferred VACC destinations. Your wrong about insurance. As stated I have done contract work for NRMA among others, GIO, AAMI, Just Cars and have seen all sorts of things that have been paid. If the end user can produce an install receipt they pay. In the case where its a home job they pay less the cost of the system. I am not able to provide any more information on insurance than what i have done as I am not a registered insurance agent and cannot provide you a PDS with the terms, conditions or exclusions to specific policies. To the guy that asked, I am based in Melbourne, however I have held National positions within the Car Audio Industry both within retail and wholesale. More recently I have moved into the larger Automotive Industry at a national level.. And all after starting as an installer 16 years ago... Its been a long climb and a lot of night school to get a long list of qualifications. But all worth it. However, I dont pretend to know it all. There is always something new to learn. But I stand by all my comments in relation to the tafe course being rubbish, the vacc and how insurance is assessed and payed. sapphiregraphics - thanks for the comments - I think we are on a very similar train of thought.

This whole thread does not add up. Firstly you said it had the wow factor and was functional. It failed on both of those points. It is not fuctional. Having to unscrew panels to get access to tools/jacks etc it hardly easy. Wow factor.. I did say wow to myself.. in the following sentence.. "wow, I cant beleive someone paid for this" I do appreciate that you took the time to answer some of my questions but I dont get how you can have a subwoofer mounted in a free air configuration and then talk about volumes of boxes or sealing. They are two very different things. With that woofer a free air mount would sucessfully make a bad sub sound worse. I'd be surprised if a free air cadence sub would outperform a set of 6x9's for bass. Especially with the gap at the top of the sub panel which would cause a lot of cancelation and result in less bass again from a free air mount. I realise that you said it was all fixed after the owner got the car. But i dont understand if it was fixed why you would put up pics to promote your services that showed so many obvious faults. I also wonder how as you put it "if other people had a problem we would have fixed it"... I wonder how you would have fixed it if you have no idea of what you are doing. I'm also wondering what that amp is actually running, just the free air sub or is it set up in tri-mode.. Which has to be one of the ugliest ways to wire an amp. Either way. I am not a fan. I think your lucky to have found some idiot to pay you for a cheap job. And to anyone else reading this.. These type of installs are why GOOD installers are worth every cent. These type of jobs are why a decent install isnt the cheapest option. These type of jobs are what makes the Car Audio industry as a whole look like a bunch of drunken backyarders (even by your own admission). Also to the guy that talked about VACC. It might surprise you to know that hardly any car audio shops, even the major chains have any affiliation or approval from VACC. I have also never heard of an australian apprentice system for a car audio installer as there is no formal qualification for it. There is a TAFE course, but a primary school child could pass it. Of those who have passed it not all are good installers. An electronic technician may also be good at circuit boards, but most of them are useless at installs. Or at least that has been my experience. Insurance.. And I know this one after working as a contractor for NRMA.. Unless the equipment directly results in the claim, eg, crash caused by amplifier under pedal or car burnt down by wiring and it can be proven that the install was not listed on the policy or made the vehicle unroadworthy then the insurance will not be effected. The worst that will happen is that the insurance company wont cover the replacement cost of the sound system. FACT. You can purchase equipment and fit it yourself. You can claim the cost of the equipment, but not of the install. FACT. The excess on a typical business insurance policy for a typical store, or at least ones I have been involved with would be a lot more than the cost of a replacement amp @ $800.00. FACT

I think for a shop to have done this is pretty ordinary and I dont think it is a good install to promote your business with. If it was my business I wouldnt be telling anyone I let a car go that looked that bad. So, heres a few questions based on the pics you posted up. - Why is there a gap around the head unit? - why didnt you modify the trim piece to fit around the head unit inside the factory dash piece so there was no gap? - why did you only make a small half panel for the amp? - how accessable is the jack behind that panel? - why is there a gap at the top of the panel so you can see down behind it? - why didnt you glue down the carpet on the amp panel properly so there arent any creases in it? - why do the rca's travel down the drivers side and not passengers side making the rca's longer than they need to be? - is the spare wheel still accessable? - how can he change it if he cant get to the jack? - Why is the sub not centred in its panel? - Is the sub mounted in a box or freeair? - what is the internal net volume of the box? - how is sealed? silicone/glass/bondo/ct65 epoxy? - why is there a gap at the top left of the sub's cover panel ?(it looks like you can see down inside it from above) - why is the sub mounted at an odd angle? it doesnt have the cadence logo exactly at the top or at 45 degrees.. - why are there ugly brown grease marks on the sub panel ?(left hand side) - Why didnt you cover the original boot trim pieces so you cant see two different color carpets in the boot? As you said that people like this dont want to pay the high prices paid by installers? Although i understand your client didnt want to spend money, but this is no better than a cheapo home job that a couple of guys driinkin VB could have done. Thats why proper installers are worth more..

I have read this post from start to finish and looked at the pics. And I have a different point of view. This guy is not a pro. Nor is he claiming to be. From what I gather he is some guy in a shed working on his car. Now c'mon fella's who doesnt enjoy that? In the shed, a beer, maybe a mate or two and the missus in the house talking about tupperware.. Well you get the picture.. This is a forum for car enthusiasts of all differing skill levels. Some are backyards. Some are industry professionals. But. We all share one passion - Cars. And in this case Skylines. So. how about as industry professionals we give the guy some useful advice rather than telling him how crap he is and just turning him off our advice. Who knows in the future he may want to know something and due to this experience wont bother asking here. I know after quite a few years installing that professional boots are better. Sure. thats why we are professionals. But, heres a question for you - How good was your first boot instal. The one you did in your shed before you pursued a career in car audio? I am pretty sure I can guarantee that at the time you did it you would have thought you were great. But as we all know after doing 100 or more boot installs the speed, skill level and creativity improoves no end. So. I'm asking you industry pro's to provide this guy some useful advice that he can learn and use to get better while working on his pride and joy in the back shed. Some of the things that I would say in a constructive way are: : use a round tip router on the edges of some of the wood to remove the hard edges : use thinner (even 3mm) wood for pieces that are purely decorative and have no structural purpose : Ensure that when its is fully installed you still have access to cabling incase something goes wrong : make sure the box is correectly sealed or internal fiberglassed and of the right volume so theres 4 to start with. who else wants to offer some non abusive helpful advice to a fellow car lover? We dont have to teach him every single in and out behind the scenes piece of knowledge he might need. But it isnt gonna hurt to at least point this guy in the right direction.

i just wanted to add that tt did call me first thing the next day after i emailed them in an attempt to set them against aca. . . i felt dirty after i spoke to them. . .

I did email today tonight. I dont expect they will help the guy out, but, they might make ACA look very shoddy, unprofessional and sly. Which, TT and ACA seem to like doing to each other.

if they offer such fantastic protection i guess thats why - no insurance company in the world lists them as an approved form of vehicle immobiliser - no insurance company in australia will pay on a theft claim for a vehicle with a kill switch only - the australian design rules relating to car immobilers dont list them at all - car safe aust recommends against them and.. since most car thieves are so unskilled how come we here constantly of cars being stolen with such sophisticated alarm systems, multiple alarms or the dodgy kill switch? So, i stand by my original comment. they are the most pointless thing you can do to a car to prevent it from being stolen. And it doesnt really matter where you put them, they are very easy to find and get around.

This quote is exactly right.

I have had one in my car for a year now - its been fine - no probs at all..

and you have only just discovered this now? c'mon seriously, everyone knows that or have you been living on mars for the last few years?

I know how to sort it out.. Take it to a proper installer - not someone who reads off a cheat sheet and has no real idea about wiring in cars.

sony xplod by name - xplode by nature.. there are a lot of reasons why you may only have two speakers working fader on the unit the way the system is wired not enough power or channels on your amp to run things the list goes on.. it might help to post up more info if your still having problems... and... lol @ sony xplod again...