After doing all my research i finally decided i wanted to do my sub and amp install in the stock bose encloser, my biggest concern being space. so i go down to best by and started talking to one of the installers and he's like "yeah we did one of these install's on my bosses car (also has a z), it should be no problem". they were going to mount the amp inside the enclosure as well. i had already had my deck installed there and it came out pretty good, so i thought to my self that this guy had already done the same install, it should look professional and clean and that it will be done right the first time. BOY WAS I WRONG. i take my car down there right when they open and i'm the first guy on the list so they get started right away. First they dynamatted the inside pretty solid (used 2 door kits) then they had me inspect it and i couldnt be more pleased. this completed sealed the enclosusre except on the right side where the seat belt comes through and where there was some type of motor/device on the right hand side. then they ran the wiring and all that good stuff and were done with the whole thing about 4 hrs later. this is where it started to go wrong. apparently durring the install, one of the guys broke a trim piece on the passenger side. he confronted me about it and was like "don't worry man i'll pay for it" and we were gonna take care of it on the side cuz according to him he would get fired. i'm generally a nice guy and i didn't want this guy to loose his job so i said okay. the sub sounded great, couldn't be any happier with the sound, i just had to deal with some viration/rattle issues. i used a alpine type r sub with a alpine m1005 amp. i get home to inspect everything and thats when i realized this was one of the sloppiest jobs i had ever seen. the power cables was straight up hanging in the passenger footwell, and they broke some clips where the battery cover was and didnt even put it back right. after i corrected all these issues myself, as they were minor, i took the sub back out and noticede the pilot holes they drilled to mount the sub were completely out of alignment, two of the screws couldn't even fit into the holes they drilled because they were so far off. the next morning my check engine light was on when i started my car to head to school in the morning. i thought to myself this had better not be related to the @#$%ing install. so after i was done with class i filled up my tank as i was low and headed over to my mechanic so he could run the codes on it. when i got there i got out of my car and noticed that gasoline was pouring out of my gas tank. now at this instant i was ready to swing at anyone who so much as looked at me funny. i couldnt belive they did this to my z!!!! it all made sense: when the mounted the amp inside the compartment they drilled sraight into my gas tank, which was why my check engine light came on (air leak in the gas tank). its friday evening and its unsafe to drive my car. all my plans went out the window and i ended up hitching rides all weekend. i immediately called best buy and one of the installers (the one who broke the trim piece) who did this to my z said his managers weren't there and that i'd have to call back in the morning and that i would have to file a claim and this and that. this was unacceptable to me and i wanted this brought to a manager's attention now! it took be put on hold 4 times and being hung up on 4 times before i finally got one on the phone and he said someone would call me tomorrow (saturday). it was already the afternoon and still no one called so i called again and the other installer who worked on it (the one i think drilled the hole) answered. i told him what my mechanic told me, which was that we were going to be looking at about $1000. (the tank was 460 and the 2 seals for the fuel pumps were 10 each and it was going to be about 7-8 hours labor). he started arguing with me, becoming aggresive, that no it wont cost that much and that he works on cars. i couldnt belive this guy, i told him "if you know so much about cars you wouldnt have drilled through my gas tank!!!", then he got quiet and put his manager on. all he did was tell me that they already filed the claim and gave me an 800 number to call for their insurance. at no point did he try to make it better offer me some kind of cupon or anything to even try and make me want to ever go back there again. so i called the number and of course its closed so i have to wait till monday. after i got ahold of them (monday) the lady form their insurance put me up in a rental and as far as i know didnt try to fight my mechanic as far as ant of the costs of the repairs. my mechanic ended up bending and welding some metal to make a custom amp rack that will suspend the amp (still inside the compartment) form those two brackets that hang down in there. i should have my car back by thursday all better, but man it has been one big hassle and i just want my z back. here are the pics my mechanic took (1st 2 are of the trim pice, 2nd 3 are of top view of gas tank, last 2 are from looking up at the sub compartment. if i left anything out feel free to ask. thanks for reading i know it was long....

 

WooooOWww,,,dood I'm sorry

 

Ouch. I would never take any of my cars to Best Buy for an audio install. You got a bunch of teenagers working there, some of who, know little about customization

 

Hot DANM that is why I do my own work. ALL of it! It may not be as professional as custom shops but I am satisfied. Lessons learned here. I was in El Paso last month. Bought an Ipod from that same Best Buy.

 

WOW! You would think that ANY installer (or anyone remotly familiar with cars) would recognize the access points for the gas tank and NOT drill them.. EVERY competent installer checks the location of the tank when they are doing their pre-install inspection.

 

Best Buy is horrible. They absoulutely don't know what they are doing.

 

Damn man, that really sucks, i feel for ya. I was about to get my stuff done from best buy, i guess i should do it myself now!

 

Wow. Another reason why I did my install by myself

Sorry to hear about your damage. Sounds like they are making it right.

 

Paragraphs are our friend! Should consider editing for that cuz my eyes started to look like after reading the first ten lines!

 

Talk to the GM for the store, then call the 800 customer service number.

That dude will probably get demoted over this when it comes back around.

That's crazy.

 

You have any pics of your completed install? It sounds interesting.

Do you mind posting what BB charged for this?

 

sorry to hear all this crap...unfrotuantely i have seen countless similar examples in my years installing...

keep in mind that not just best buy does this, but regular shops too...usually, the truth is this:

1. shop is only as good as the installer that works on the car that day
2. shops want to make money, so they dont want to pay as much
3. the guys who are willing to work on cars for less usually either have no skills, no experience, no common sense, or all of hte above...

hence now i do all the work myself

 

I had a rather odd experience at best buy. Had my subs and head unit installed by them last summer...I went in and filled out all the forms and waited for some friends to pick me up because it would take the rest of the day. I sit right down in the sofa while I wait and a friend that was with me started joking that they would drive my car. 2 minutes later I hear the distinct stock Z exhaust sound and knew that they were gonna have a little fun. Confronted them about that right after he pulled out and he called the guy back in.

When I got home everything seemed like it was working perfectly until I checked my oil and noticed the entire battery cover was missing! Got a call from Best Buy the next day-"Im sorry sir but I believe part of your car is in our install bay." They forgot the put the freakin thing back on!

 

I did mine in the past with a friend who knew how. We spent the better part of the day making sure everything was perfect.

Sometimes it pays to do it all your self

 

when that guy told you there was no manager there he was lying, theres always a manager there, and when they break something they get a warning then the next time they are fired, just cause i work for best buy im not going to defend them, but if there is another store there you can try them but ask if there installers actually have some experience first

 

If you can't do the work yourself, you have to take it to a shop. Best buy isn't the best place, but at least they have insurance and are paying. If this had happened at a smaller shop, it may have been a tougher fight. Good luck man

 

My best friend worked for Best Buy in the install department...in the begining he really didn't know much - he had tried to install my car alarm right next to the turbo charger (2nd gen RX-7). But he worked there for more than 4 years and by the end, he was really good!

+1 "places like that are hit and miss"

-Peter

 

Best Buy sucks as far as installation is concerned. After they screwed up a simple install in my Camaro when i was 16 (I brought them the box, and subs to install when the installed my head unit), i decided to learn how to do that stuff myself. Since then, i have installed or helped install over 50 systems into friends cars, all of which were better than the best buy install in my Camaro. Insatalling a system is about the easiest thing to do on a cer besides changing the oil. PLus, when you do it yourself you know what went into it so if something ever does go wrong you know how to fix it.

 

sorry to hear that being that im an installer for best buy i know that every bay is different. we have one of the better bays in my area including other stores not just best buy. the way you were treated is completely out of line and i honestly think they should be fired for that. one good thing to check is if they installers are mecp certified that usually shows that they at least know kinda what they are doing. in my store it is a requirement that installers are certified. definatly call the 800# they should help you out if the store is not willing to do anything for you.. sorry to hear it..