Quality Body Shop Work

[Takahashi GTR]

This is taken from a US, thought it was hilarious how great the body work was.

EPIC FAIL

Quote:

I picked up a Urethane lip kit for my 350z.

Without it even being test fitted, Mike had already quoted me at $250.

That included all prep, installation, and paint.

I dropped off the car and lip kit at Mike's shop on September 15, 2008(Monday) and was told it would be ready for pick-up on the 17th(Wednesday).

The following day, I was told via AIM that fitment on the sideskirts was off and needed to be trimmed. Without my approval, he had already trimmed the sideskirts.

Rather than asking me if I wanted to just return the kit and buy another one, he took it upon himself to trim it and make it fit.

He showed me how the fitment WAS, then showed me how it fits now.(No approval on my end)

Then, he reassured me he'd make it fit/mold it, etc.

He then made a new invoice which was now at $730.69. A $480 price hike from the original quote.

The invoice included:

"Front lip brackets for stability.

Rear lip brackets for stability.

Sideskirts, cut, fiberglass, and re-shape - 3 hours each.

4040 epoxy will be used to stabilize the sideskirt to vehicle.

Sideskirt may be removed if needed.

Work completed will not affect the fitment of OEM sideskirt."

I agreed, trusting him with my Z, that he would do his best possible work.

Wednesday comes, my car isn't ready.

He said he had food poisoning.

People get sick, that's life. I understood, and was told my car would be ready by Friday/Saturday 9/19 - 9/20.

Thursday, he told me via AIM he was stuck doing homework.

Still reassured my car would be ready by Friday/Saturday.

Again, start playing the waiting game.

I never rushed him. If anything, I thought if it took him a few more days to complete my car, it would give him a chance to do even better work. Great opportunity to take his time and make sure everything is good to go.

Friday comes, my car isn't ready.

Mike tells me I can come by and check out the progress.

I head over on Saturday 9/20 expecting my car to be in the final stages nearing completion.

When I arrive(around noon), my car was the same as when I saw it on Tuesday 9/18.

The sideskirts were still black, not prepped.

Nothing else had been done to my car.

I could tell the rear hadn't even been fitted on because my stock mud-guarts/valances were still in place. These NEED to be removed in order to install the rear lip.

The sideskirt had been dremmeled where it meets the door jamb, thus scratching the paint off at the corner.

Also, Mike attended a track event that same Saturday. He never once mentioned this to me.

What's he doing at a track event when my car needs to be completed? I am paying for this after all, aren't I?

Mad at the fact that my car wasn't even near completion, I play the waiting game once again.

On Monday, I ask him if I ever needed to go back to stock, if there would be any problems.

Flaking paint already?

This happened as he was pressure washing it.

I don't see any special brackets?

Look clearly by the lower right corner of the license plate.

Why is it wavy like that?

Apparently, he drilled the kit onto the bumper, then bondo'd over the holes.

Wait, DRILLED into my bumpers?

What about going back to stock?

I was clearly told going back to stock wouldn't be a problem.

That's a MAJOR problem.

The sideskirts being DRILLED into my chassis makes that a problem.

The front lip being DRILLED into my bumper makes that a problem.

Wait, why is my body line off?

When I picked up my car, I was told he had to raise the door a little bit for clearance on the sideskirt.

Something I NEVER approved of.

Wait, what's this?

Is that a ****ing dent on my door?

I clearly remember bringing in my car WITHOUT a dent on my door.

It seems as if the door was dropped. Not only is dented, the paint is cracked right down the middle.

I don't see how this is oem fitment.

What's this?

My friend witnessed me barely scrape

It literally peeled right off. ****, rattle can withstands more than this garbage.

Why is there a gap where my door meets the fender?

I CLEARLY remember dropping off my car, unmolested.(I have never removed any body part on my Z.

Here's the rest of the damage we found today.

Is that rust? Why, yes. Yes it is.

Hinge that was moved.

We dropped the car off, stock. All tabs in place.

Runs...

Oh, nice. Overspray.

Wtf? This wasn't there when we dropped off the car.

Underneath the rear bumper.

Look at the stock bumper, then look at the lip kit.

There's NO clear on the lip kit underneath there.

Mmmm, orange peel.

Stock compared to painted lip.

More screws...

Body line screwed up.(Mike moved the doors...)

Ohhhh, very nice.

The kit on the ends is smooth to the touch. As in, NO PREP WORK WAS DONE.

Wait wait wait...what's this?

Is that WOOD?

I didn't know cars still used wood!

So much for flex additive...

Sparkly reflective tires are awesome!

Rear lip...

Just by looking at the sides and rear, you can easily tell they're not color matched.

Kit coming apart from the bumper.

Clear overspray. Who doesn't love overspray?

This is on the ENTIRE car by the way. Not just a little here and there.

I don't even want to know what the hell happened there...

So, more to come. I'm sure we'll find more stuff wrong with the car soon.

[West]

Old i think..........

[iamhe77]

God. Damn.

[2000gtt]

so all it costs is $250 + adjustment to ruin a $40,000 car. interesting

[KURAUN]

its the us whats not to be expected from there

when i was working as a pnaelbeater some rich guy brought us a 1960ish model ferrari valved at over $250000, the front windscreen was $12000 in itself as it was so rare

came in for a full bare metal respray, i was stripping down the quarter panels and wait what? alloy sheets pop riveted onto the quarters to fix rust

then fiberglass over, heaps of bog and heaps of paint, car was a mess

and its not the only one coming from there in that sort of condition....if they do it to a $250000+ ferrari what do they do to a normal car?

[adznight]

This is so poor it's f**king awesome! I would have flat out refused to pay and the sued the pants of them. That or knee cap them, seriously.

[_Ryan_]

Old i think..........

Seconded, I've seen it before too.

Should be in general car chat or wasteland?

[Mohsen]

man... some people deserve to be bashed...

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

i'm sooo taking my car there!

[RBPOWA-(TJ)]

f**k that

[Downforce]

favourite part was the wood spacer because the kit didn't fit

[NO-GTR]

i love how many screws they used....AND there not even flush ahhahahaha.. least itll NEVER come off. quality i say. ill ship the 34 over then just for the workmenship.

[ITZTRU]

yeah seen this before for sure...

but still...cant help but cringe seeing it all again...

[ylwgtr2]

its not that bad.....a few pass's with a cheese grater and some polish will remove the runs

[brat81]

man this shit is old seen this like 2 years ago.

the story was some guy paid the panel shop f**k all cash (hoping for a good deal) paid before the work was done and the job turned out like this

Original thread is here http://my350z.com/forum/the-lounge-off-top...50z-ruined.html

and on this page the final product after getting it fixed at another place http://my350z.com/forum/the-lounge-off-top...-ruined-89.html

[STATUS]

old but good.... i bet it started as the owner was a tightass [icked the chea[est kit and the cheapest install.

[SKYL1N]

i could have done a better job with a hammer and super glue

[W0rp3D]

cordless drill CHECK

300 self tappers CHECK

30 pressure packs CHECK

Ready to open a body kit fitting shop, who's first?

[shanusr33]

Reminds me of the first three (yes folks, that's right - 3!) workshops i had my R33 at! I'm so angry right now just thinking about wtf those people did to my car!

I realised how pathetic the jobs were that the only way i could fix it was to start over and take everything off (biggest waste of $$), make a brand new kit and complete respray. Turned out alright in the end, but this s#it just makes my blood boil

Examples of the first three places include: uneven make of front bar from two workshops eg not symetrical, uneven fitment, overspay on all tyres and underbody of car, so to fix it they sprayed underneath with black paint, orange peel, heaps of paint runs, non-completion of front bar eg no indicators, no mesh, no numberplate, found MY numberplate on ANOTHER white 33 skyline in THEIR garage -WTF?, told to pick up my car so I bus it down to find it was going to be another day (twice this happened), rear bar dropped and fell after getting car back for 2 days, glue or something of some sort stuck to my nice new stainless steal exhaust which to this day wont come off, and terrible customer service and poor quality from everything. that's the last time i'll be 'recommended' to a friend who owns a business - yeah righto

I took my injured weary pathetic line to TOPSTAGE who gutted it back to basics and started fresh from a concept design we sketched and less than a year later (it took this long because it was a bit by bit work in progress due to $ so there was no rush) my baby was proudly strutting it's stuff again Freddy!

[adznight]

its not that bad.....a few pass's with a cheese grater and some polish will remove the runs

Ppppft you f**ken hack.