Pranged the line - Fixed now

[JCMarshall_Law]

Edit 25/8/05: Pics added, see post 15

EDIT 15/8/05: Got the car back 12/11/05 - all is well. See post 12 for details.

EDIT 5/8/06: Car booked in at DMD image - will post final result when I get it back next week.

Well it had to happen, finally pranged the skyline.

More pissed off that I was doing something stupid at the time which resulted in me nudging a pole on a trafic island- I got what I deserved (as some kindly passing motorist informed me).

I actually got off easy - front bumper is rooted, so is the bolt on metal bumper underneath and there is a small ding in the bonnet. No lights, radiators or frame were touched.

So now I've got a good excuse to buy a aftermarket front bar!

Can anyone give me the names of bodywork shops that, can supply aftermarket bumpers and do good quality painting / fitting? I'm thinking of getting a 400r front bar or one of those UAS front bars, any suggestions.

Also if anyone knows of a good smash repairer in briz that can repair dings without painting could you please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated.

Finally if anyone is wrecking a S1 R33 GTST, I'll take the metal bumper that bolts to the frame.

The car is fully insured, but I think this will be eaiser / cheaper to fix myself.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated, it is so depressing seeing my pride and joy looking like a drift pig.

:(:(

Edited August 24, 2005 by JCMarshall_Law

[NismoGirl]

Camerons Body Works at Coopers Plains does top work.. Can also source front bars IIRC.

In regards to pulling out dints without painting, I'm sure any paintless dint removal mob would be able to do it.

We live and learn Patrick

[SmoothLine]

Call Doan at DMD for a front bar, they have heaps...

Got mine from there when I had a pole incident last year, very solid front bar...

[Spook's_Skyline]

im with erin;

id be going to see camerons

they are always working on drift spec vehicles

[TurbostyleR]

yeah from what i have seen with camerons they are pretty damn good and they dont cost you an arm and a leg...

[gts25t4door]

I feel for you Patrick..I run up the ass of a Commodore 2 weeks ago. The line is in getting fixed now, I took mine to Matts Custom Paint Shop at Lawnton, I should get it back either tomorrow or Monday. I am just getting standard bumper, but thats cause the insurance company is tight as.

Good luck bud

Cheers

Chris

[Fidel04]

Smashcare at Kedron - They've got 2 x 32s and a 300zx in there at the moment

[Keegs]

Call Doan at DMD for a front bar, they have heaps...  

Got mine from there when I had a pole incident last year, very solid front bar...

:werd: Did the exact same thing last year...Doan helped me out heaps and his work was top qual. For fiberglass the bar is amazingly strong!

[53XYN]

id go camrons or dmd either one are both have good quality products..

[JCMarshall_Law]

Well the car was droped off at DMD image at Rocklea this morning.

Thanks heaps to all those who replied to this thread - It was a great help. I got quotes from Camerons, DMD and Shipstone at Wilston. I went with DMD because they had everything in stock already and I could just say "I want that, and that, oh, oh, that looks good, I'll take that".

If it was an insurance job I would have gone with shipstone because they would prolly do the best job - all new standard parts from nissan. Only problem, the quote was $3800!!! Around $2500 more than DMD and Cameron's.

I'm getting a GTR style bar and Grill and the bonnet needs to be re-sprayed. I really hope they do a good job, I really hate sh1t looking bodykits.

Should be done by Wednesday, I'll post up the final result.

[Keegs]

im sure it will turn out great, DMD (Doan) does qual work.

[JCMarshall_Law]

Got the car back from DMD image at Rocklea, overall I'm happy with the outcome (except for the depleted bank account)

My thoughts:

- They did a vey good job matching the factory colour (metalic dark grey / black).

- Respray on the bonnet is very good, unless you know what your looking for you would never know.

- The bar / grill (R33 GTR style) looks good and fits well, although it scratched very eaisly - prolly because of soft paint still. Paint and finish on that is good as well. Quite sturdy for a fibreglass bar. Included all the mesh on the openings which was a good supprise - looks very cool.

- They did not do a great job on refitting the guard liners - a few zip ties were used there. But no big deal I did know (and they did tell me) the factory liners would not match up to the new bar perfectly.

- They did not use the best quality indicators but they look fine. I was led to believe they were using factory GTR indicators.

- The communication and organisation was not that great, but I can't really complain my car got finished pretty much on time.

- One thing I was a bit pissed off about was the quote I was given when I first took the car in. I thought Iasked for a quote to fix the front end damage and replace the bar with a GTR bumper. I was quoted $300 for the bonnet and $850 for the bumper. When I went to drop the car off, I find out this did not include the the reo (extra $130) and Grill (extra $120). So when you get a quote make sure you know what that includes.

- Only other gripe - they don't accept EFTPOS or Credit card! I was only informed an hour before I was supposed to pick up the car! Finding $1400 cash on short notice was not that easy.

Like I said, overall I'm happy, the car looks sweet. So I would recommend DMD - just make sure you spell out what you want and make sure you know what they are giving you.

Also, talk with Doan (owner) directly - it will hopefully save a lot of confusion.

I'll add pics when I get them.

Edited August 15, 2005 by JCMarshall_Law

[Mud]

Gtr indicators are different to GTS indicators if I'm right.

post some piccies of the new front end !

[Spook's_Skyline]

yer, camerons dont do eftpos/credit either

caught us out a few times

[JCMarshall_Law]

I attached a few pics of the new front end, it looks sweet, IMO.

Although, I'm a bit pissed off with a couple of things. I'm not just randomly going off to give DMD a bad name, that is definately not my intention, I still think DMD did a great job on the bar and the bonnet. I have talked to Doan and he said he would make sure he talked to the employee who did the work so it does not happen again. I will not chase the issue further and I have already fixed the problems myself.

Basically the the problem is the indicators and how they were installed. For a start they are cheap trailer indicators and look like it (see pics). The real problem started when my indicators stopped working completly about 4 days after I got the car back. I found that the fuse had blown, so I got to work pullng apart the front indicator wiring - this is what I found:

The indicators were screwed onto the mesh with backing made of old fiberglass pieces obviously cut up with side cutters. The rubber seals were installed incorrectly so the indicators would have filled with water in the next rain. All of the wiring was twisted together!!! Including the connection to the indicators.

On one side they had obviously cut the wiring in the wrong place so they just twisted the wires back together in one big bundle and taped up with 1000 mile a hour tape, they could not even use electrical tape - I can't believe it did not short out sooner. In fact everything was done with 1000 mile a hour tape.

So I spent a bit of time pulling it all apart, soildering it together, making proper mounting, and properly insulating everything. Now it works.

I did not expect to have to fix the work of a professional workshop.

Anyway, I'm over it, just make sure you drill them on the wiring if you get work done there.

PS: someone had also got a bit excited with the gas ax when they cut the reo and cut through a support they should not have, but I'll stop bitching now, it still works fine.

[Bobjones]

I think you need to change those indicators they are UGLY!!!!!!!

Otherwise the paint looks alright...

On a side note alot of body kit places don'e have experienced tradesmen who know what they are doing...its unfortunate but its common

[jlnewton]

When I 1st got my old GTST it had dodgy indicators on the GTR style front bar too. I ended up getting some genuine ones which look the goods but are worth a fortune. I really like the GTR front bar, not that I am biased, nice work!

[hungry6]

Nothing wrong with trailer indicators, that's what I got. DOH!!!

So was it 2 pak or acrylic, the respray?

[JCMarshall_Law]

Nothing wrong with trailer indicators, that's what I got. DOH!!!

So was it 2 pak or acrylic, the respray?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't know, fogot to ask. Is there a way to tell?

I'm pretty sure they bake their resprays because a mate got a new grill painted and fitted in one day, so I guess it was 2-pac.

[predator]

what bobjones said.. you get what you pay for.

many places are fine for a budget job.. but some of the final product may have a bit to be desired.