Originally Posted by SandMan

Hey how is everything? I remember that meet, how could i forget freezing my nuts off with a bunch of car guys lol.

Yeah I guess i should have just gone with FI instead of a body kit. But who knows maybe with my luck my engine would have blown. Good hearing from ya, maybe we can check out some local meets, the weather is getting cold so it will be like last time.

Originally Posted by SandMan

That is one mod I love. The TEIN flex rocks, and the EDFC really helps it keep it's versatility. People who ride in my Z love it to, especially when I do some spirited driving. They don't realize what the EDFC is, until I set it stiff, then they realize "wow that is freakin sweet". I highly recommend it for coilovers. I think JIC is coming out with their own EDFC, so it gives more options for us enthusiasts.

Originally Posted by chimmike

keeping the pop charger in the stillen box is probably killing what gains you might have been getting....the pop charger needs freer air flow...and more air to suck in. Also as was suggested, unplug the battery.

Originally Posted by SandMan

here is my story:


I had a bad feeling when I ordered the INGS +1 Hybrid Full bumper kit for the Z. I had nightmares of overspray, damaged rims, ****ing up my bumpers on speed bumps and potholes. But I never imagined what actually happened. I bought the kit from Peformance motorsport (Westbury, NY), it took 3 months to get, that was understandable. Once I got the kit Andrew Rubio told me they had to charge me extra because of frieght charges, they had to send it by truck. But I noticed on the box it was shipped by air and was in JFK. I didn’t know JFK flew trucks around. And I thought the price was final, I guess not. Hidden fees start to begin to show up, plus they tax these hidden fees. Ok whatever I am not complaining I got my kit.

Now I need it to get painted. I went with the place the Rubios owned, Performance Autobody in Smithtown, NY. I am guessing that since they own it they will know exactly what is going on in there. The guy in charge Oscar Rubio said he personally will keep an eye on it. So I feel less anxious, ok the boss will keep an eye on it, should be immaculate. They charge me $2500 dollars for the job, I am expecting show quality work. They even told me they will put their best guy on the job, the guy who did the paint on their Pro Car. They told me it would take a week, ok no problem I can deal with a week. The week goes by and I call to pick up. They told me they were “massaging the kit on” and needed more time for the “TLC” they were giving it. Ok no problem I won’t rush work, I give them another week. The time comes for me to pick up the car. The exhaust wasn’t mounted on the car, they told me the angled tips wouldn’t fit the kit. Ok no problem I will see what Performance motorsport can do to fix it. The rear bumper was uneven, they told me they didn’t mount the brackets because they didn’t want to mess it up before the exhaust went back on. That is total bull**** because it was mounted on an uneven bracket they made. The paintjob was hard to see because the rain on the car. But once I got it back home I checked the paint again. The whole kit was a couple shades lighter and lumpier than burnt homemade gravy. They gave me the excuse that it was the kits fault because the molding is bad. Yeah, a $3000 kit is to be at fault because of their “****ty molding”. The original paintjob was chipped in a bunch of places with hairline scratched all over. How is it I go get a kit put on and end up with more damage than when I went in?

Ok I went to Performance motorsport to get the exhaust put on. This is the Injen SES angled tip exhaust I had before the kit was bought. Vinny Ten told me they will cut the piping and refabricate it. Ok I left my car with them for a week. Come back and the exhaust is put on the same way I had it before the kit was put on. Not only that but the paint was chipped where the exhaust was touching the kit. I was like what the ****? And not only that, they wanted to charge me for the work the bodyshop should have done in the beginning. Ok can we get a lil bit lazier? I argued with them and they dropped the cost. I drove the car back to my house, and my brother looked at the kit and told me my paint melted off the rear bumper where the exhaust was pointing at. WHAT THE HELL, ok do their lazy shortcut backfired on them. The paint just blew off in sheets. It looked like total ****. I had to drive around like that for 2 weeks. I spoke with Nick, their secretary, I told him I needed them to fix what they caused. He wasn’t being cooperative, they were racing so they couldn’t take me in. I was furious to be the least, but I lost it when Nick told me “The race team comes first and customers come second.” I lost my temper and started to get loud. (Why have a speedshop when customers come second? Why not just stick with racing?) Who is this secretary to tell me this? I was a customer of Peformance motorsport 2 years before this clown even stepped foot in to work for them. I was their first customer and I am now treated like a second hand *****. I went to the shop myself and explained myself to Vinny and how Nick told me “The race team comes first and customers second.” I finally got them to take me in, they said they would fabricate it for real this time. I left the car there for a few days.

I call to pick up my car, Nick picks up (hmm he still has his job there?) and tells me I have to come to the shop RIGHT AWAY. I felt sick to my stomach, and I felt sick the whole drive there. Vinny tells me “Ok we will include me in the decision making process now.” WHAT?? OH thanks SOOO MUCH to include me in the decision making process now. He told me they tried to put a heat shield on the bumper. Once they used the rivot gun to put it on, the bumper just cracked and were full of holes. Wait, why the hell did you try and put a heat shield on without my say? Frankie (mechanic) told me “he tried to put on the heatshield on then thought to himself wait the exhaust pointing at the heatshield would melt the paint and cause more paint to melt.” Ok, after your put 5 craters on my bumper did you think of this. I always thought good mechanics measured twice and cut once. Wow everything that could go wrong DID go wrong. I went to a new body shop they dropped it off at. I was ready to kill someone when I saw what they did. I have pictures of it but its kind of crappy because it’s a cell phone picture. Ok here is where my part of “decision making comes in.” Frankie tells me ok what they have planned is to keep my Injen SES on there and refabricate the bumper and charge me for it. I was like, OH hell no, I will end up with a bumper in 20 different pieces. I told them to put my STOCK exhaust on and just cover up the holes. At least Vinny took care of the cost of the repaint. The repaint was not too bad, althought the paint feels like sandpaper. At least the holes were covered up. I just didn’t want them to **** it up even more than they already ****ed it up. Now I am with less horsepower because I had to go back to stock exhaust. And now I am with a $3000 bodykit and $2500 dollar paint job, and it looks like I spent a total of $500 on a replica with a paintjob a 5 year old put on.

Performance Autobody and Performance motorsport lost their faithful customer, their first customer they had. I am just so angry how they half assed everything and wanted top dollar for it. What is a customer to do when they are not top priority? I think my gut feeling in the beginning was right, something was going to go wrong. Wait no EVERYTHING is going to go wrong. I am now looking to sell my Injen and maybe invest in a new exhaust system. I just had to get this off my chest, it hurts me everytime I look at my Z and see a botched operation. It’s like looking at a model who had Texas chainsaw as her plastic surgeon. Such a pity.

Originally Posted by sentry65

I regret reading these forums all the time

always some new better part coming out to make me want to sell the parts I just put on my car and upgrade