I just got back from getting various items installed on my car today from my exhaust at Altered to show mods at Car Toyz 2. This thread is MY honest opinion of my visit today to Altered Atmosphere. To start off I was welcomed with great respect, met everyone there and was given an extensive tour. When my car was first pulled into the shop, I noticed the mechanic laying plastic over my seats and paper floor mats which showed me how much class and pride the shop took in the owner's vehicle.
Throughout my visit I was shown different aspects of the exhaust and explained throughly the difference in the 3" true dual I had just got installed and my nismo. Saw many amazing vehicles while I was there, many Z/G's and a sick supra.
Many of you will say, well it was just exhaust install anyone can do it. Dyno results showed my car running EXTREMELY rich and losing out on 20-30WHP easy. Not only was I losing the power but I have hardcore knock between 2-3K rpm range and 6K+ rpm range which blew my mind. Last thing I need is blown engine on a brand new car with less than 10K miles. And this was proven to me by Mike and I going for a drive while listening to the knock, first I drove so he could see how bad it was on the street, then he drove and I listened and he explained and showed me how to detect knock. Really impressed with him taking all the time to show/do this for me.
Floored as it is with the amazing customer service I recieved thus far, a mechanic noticed a loose screw on my kit and fixed it for me without me having to ask along with making sure all my other components were on nice and tight.
Overall I came there to get my new exhaust put on, and was given customer service beyond impressive. This was MY visit to the shop and MY overview of the visit. AAM has come a long way from the reviews I have read and followed for some time now. Clint, Mike, Frank, everyone there was extremely friendly and helpful with any and all questions I had.
This forum has crazy restrictions on picture size and I can't crop the pic small enough to fit size. I can e-mail you pics if you pm me your e-mail.
-Bryce
Lastly, I was not at all requested to post this thread. You can believe me or not but I went in there knowing I wanted to post my honest view of the visit being good or bad.

 

Gotta love the exhaust man, well have to make some vids soon!!!

 

Who tuned your Vortech again?

 

how far is this place from alexandria. and do they do everything as fas as painting, body work, transmission, and engine.

 

I thought Dave tuned it because I thought he got it installed at F:T but I could be wrong.

Sounds like AAM so far is really making an effort to overcome their previous rep. we shall see how it goes

What did you get done at Car Toyz?

 

Original tune and install done at Function:TUNED

I am always at Car Toyz getting something or the other done. Today was.. oh underglo and radar/laser jammer install. Hopefully I can get my sh*t together for HIN

 

"Lastly, I was not at all requested to post this thread. You can believe me or not but I went in there knowing I wanted to post my honest view of the visit being good or bad."

wow... that isn't suspicious.

 

when/where is HIN?

 

No I put that there because every post I have seen by people discussing their experience at Altered, someone always has to say "how much Mike pay you to write this", or "this write-up was part of the deal". Not ONCE did ANYone say anything about doing this. I did this because of my experience there. And to express how frustrated I am now knowing my engine knocks hardcore. Brand new car, brand new vortech kit, I am not out to damage the car quick. If I was I would have bought a turbo and jacked up the boost. Losing potentially 30-40WHP is enough to make someone angry especially after spending a lot of money.

 

Dulles Expo center, VA. April sometime also one in August. I will be very busy getting ready for April and then building throughout the shows during the course of the year

 

doesn't change my opinion sorry.. it's waaay to coincidental for so many threads about mostly mundane activities be started so recently after they started a big PR push in our market. for AAM to have had the reputation it had in the MidA and then all of a sudden to have people gushing about them it defies my logic.

congrats on being happy though.

 

Thank you and your opinion is free to state as you wish. But I used to be like everyone else and avoided AAM due to the reputation. But I had to see for myself and they have been around a very long time and have a great shop. Whether you believe its all a scam or not, like I said is up to you. I posted my exact experience as I told many people I would before I even went there. I am a completely up front honest guy and wanted to give everyone who is under same impression that I was, that AAM has made a HUGE turn around.

 

so you have been there once and can say that they have turned it around?

dude, everyone getting thier cars done there in the past said the same shit, and most had many trips before being having a 'bad' experience.

so I think you trying to authoritatively state that they have turned around is not only irresponsible and premature, but baseless as you have not established a continuing relationship with them to really judge their turn around.

unless you have more work done by them then what you showed?

 

Are you sure you were losing the 30-40whp? Or maybe Dave just tuned it on the safe side so you dont blow anything up? Dyno numbers can be inflated with a click of few buttons. I truly believe Dave is a great tuner and for him to tune it to have it "lose 30-40whp" there has to be a reason or the second guy tuning it is just tryin to prove himself to be superior over the previous tuner.

 

Round Two!!! *Ding!!!* *subscribed!!*

On a serious note:
Bryce, lookin' good! Knock FTL! In the end of the day, it's about a happy customer whether he's coming from FT, AAM, or even a mom and pop shop. Glad you're getting everything worked out!

 

exactly. I am glad he is pleased (as are alot of customers from alot of shops.. Various Reputable Tuners of all places...) and that is what influenced his attitude, but it scares me that people are saying 'mission accomplished' from one minor visit. not to discount anyone's experience.

 

Understandable, but also have to wonder... How do you offer stock motor warranty so readily? Tuning conservative to an extreme would guarantee that not to be a huge mistake. And I understand someone could use the few clicks as marketing to bring in a customer to get re-tune. But the fact is I sat in car and listened to the knock. It was horrible, also no lie car was running RICH to a ridiculous standard. And for Mike to have dyno'ed worked on vortech Z/G's and see what they put down with similar mod's to mine. Is also showing my car should be getting much more and not necessarily on a race tune but knock is no joke or gimic to get me in as a customer for other items. I knew many would try and bash my thread but your efforts are worthless as I was impressed and extremely pleased with my customer service and genuine interest in my car. Time well spent by Mike and Clint, everyone at Altered.

 

I also believed Dave to be a master tuner, but when I saw how bad my car was knocking. I was at that point furious and extremely pissed to know I spent all that money for my engine to possibly blow. And honestly, the people I see mostly posting against Altered... Have not gotten work done there to my knowledge. If so, it was in the past and they are a whole new shop with great customer service. Don't sleep on Altered many good things coming soon, you'll see.

 

Can't agree more man, don't have the fridge in my bumper but have somethings in store for this upcoming show season

 

what are you even talking about? your post in no way related to my post.

what understanding of tuning do you have to make any of these statements anyway? insinuating he gave an overly (and extremes are never a good thing in tuning...) safe tune that was causing knock doesn't even make sense!

I had no comment on the work you got done, just your basis on making any statements on a turn around at AAM.

(really not trying to argue, just not understanding your response to my post)