Horrible Body Shop Experience - 350z Edition - COMPLETE.

[CrimsonRockett]

Kevin/mrmeph approved.

Update: Shit happened to buddy's car thanks to another user on this forum, we want to know how you'd handle it/your suggestions/etc.

This thread isn't to discuss that user, only the recourse you would take.

NOT A REVIEW THREAD.

So, as most of you have seen throughout dozens of car forums, Brian's(serris) 2008 350z was completely ruined by one of our own, Mike aka widegts.

If you haven't read the story, feel free to check out this link(original site it was posted on) and browse through the 64 pages. It has close to 750,000 views on my350z.com alone and has been seen all throughout the world. You can imagine how many views this has had in total throughout the dozens of forums this was posted on.

HORRIBLE body shop experience - details inside. 350z ruined. - MY350Z.COM Forums (http://my350z.com/forum/lounge-off-topic/389628-horrible-body-shop-experience-details-inside-350z-ruined.html)

I won't post everything as posted in my350z, but I will throw up a few pictures to show the damage.

Also, I'm posting this up on here to have people come forward who were also screwed over by Mike. We've had several people tell us their horror stories with Mike, but seeing as to how he was mainly on Zilvia, he did a lot of work for several people on here.

I want to hear your horror stories involving Mike - widegts.

Anything from having your aero painted, car sprayed to ordering parts off of him.

As far as the update, when we dropped the car off at AngryPanda (http://zilvia.net/f/members/angrypanda.html) to have the entire car repaired, we uncovered something that made us sick to our stomachs.

Here is what we uncovered:

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0598.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/IMG00233.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0597.jpg

Now, for the older pictures.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0376.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCN4741.jpg

Door damaged by Mike:
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0330.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0329.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0321.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0308.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0318.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0374.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0372.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0379.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0383.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0387.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0391.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0386.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0356.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0355.jpg

His poor shop conditions:

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0305.jpg

After we discovered the damage hidden underneath the sideskirts, the total estimated cost to fix the Z back into it's original state, $13,000+.

Both quarter panels must be replaced now because where Mike cut slits into, it affects the structural integrity of the vehicle. Even if the holes are welded shut, you still can't prevent the rust that would form underneath it. Hence the reason why the entire quarter panels must be replaced.

Cliff notes to the lazy:

-Car was dropped off to have a lip kit painted/installed.
-Took 2 weeks instead of the supposed 3 days.
-Paid $750
-Received Z33 in absolute shit condition.
-Over spray on entire Z33.
-Self Tapping dry wall screws used to mount kit.
-Paint chipping off the very next day.
-Orange peel everywhere.
-Horrid fitment
-Rocker panel cut & pounded down to make the sideskirts fit.

-Estimated total damage to car $13,000+

Mike lied to the Bureau of Automotive Repair and told them Brian was looking for a budget paint job.

That made me laugh, because Brian would have paid $2,000 to have the kit painted/installed if he had to.

We will now be suing for a new 350z.

No matter how much money we spend on fixing the Z, it'll never be the same ever again.

Mike ruined a 350z, and now he's going to pay for it.

[exitspeed]

That does make me sick to my stomach.

He shoulda have been put a stop o on this site long before he even had his hands on that Z.

]

[Om1kron]

ok... so no updates then on the cars transformation... lol I wouldn't go as far as saying the rocker panels need to be replaced, i'm sure you can slice those parts right off of a salvage z and have any competent body man sufficient in welding abilities repair the sheet metal and restore the integrity.

I don't want to sound like a know it all but i've seen jobs done in peoples homes replacing stuff like that, it still boggles my fucking mind he cut out traingles in the metal and then hammered the body panel to make aftermarket side skirts fit.

Baby Jesus is crying with me. My mouth literally dropped when I saw that shit.

[exitspeed]

I couldn't imagine doing something like that to any POS car let alone a perfectly good Z.

I mean fuck the side skirts, tell the owner they fit like shit and buy better products.

[Om1kron]

exactly!!!!!!!

[Howard92884]

Yeah this shit is crazy, I paid him for a Version Select kit about a year and half ago, never sent it to me and took him about a year to refund $595. But I feel lucky that I got my money back, there are quite a few on this forum alone that were scammed by him. Good luck to you Crimson and Serris I hope you guys get this shit straightened out.

[CrimsonRockett]

ok... so no updates then on the cars transformation... lol I wouldn't go as far as saying the rocker panels need to be replaced, i'm sure you can slice those parts right off of a salvage z and have any competent body man sufficient in welding abilities repair the sheet metal and restore the integrity.

I don't want to sound like a know it all but i've seen jobs done in peoples homes replacing stuff like that, it still boggles my fucking mind he cut out traingles in the metal and then hammered the body panel to make aftermarket side skirts fit.

Baby Jesus is crying with me. My mouth literally dropped when I saw that shit.

The car will be at Angry Panda for over a month. A Claim Adjuster went over to their place to check out the new damage.

The car will probably be deemed totaled because of the rocker panels.

I know someone with great welding skills could fab up some sheet metal and shape it out to cover the hole, but it doesn't cover the fact that it's still there.

It really does boggle my mind as to why Mike would even think of modifying a chassis to fit a body kit (Who does?!), but what's done is done. We've learned a very expensive lesson, but we're also not going down without a fight.

Mike has gotten away with SO much shit in the past. We're definitely not letting him get away with this one.

Karma's a bitch and we're bringing the hammer down on his ass.

[ZilviaKid]

poor z.. :(

[2iv0 sx]

Did he do that? How the hell does something like that happen when all he has to do is paint the car?

Very poor business ethics but this isn't the review section.

Poor S14..

[LeftNutOfGowd]

I would kill that MOTHA

[CrimsonRockett]

Did he do that? How the hell does something like that happen when all he has to do is paint the car?

Very poor business ethics but this isn't the review section.

Poor S14..

Yeah, pretty obvious this isn't the review section.

This was approved by mrmeph to be posted in OT.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/iDesigns-joke.jpg

[stiizy]

It really does boggle my mind as to why Mike would even think of modifying a chassis to fit a body kit (Who does?!), .

What a dick

i remember seeing this like wtf how?? why??

I hope you guys fucking get him for every fuckin penny...

I would kill that MOTHA


Werd me too fuck the bullshit

[2iv0 sx]

Hope yall get back what your asking for cause that's just foul..

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/DSCF0321.jpg
Screwed literally. Disgusting!

[silpena]

was it with this guy? first the 350z and then the s14? how the hell do you spray the clear on and get a rough finish. Evn if it was dusty some of it would blow off. Sounds like he just sprayed a mist of clear over it. I hope your buddy gets his new Z and plus more $$ to make up for the lost time and $$. This mike guy ruined his rep and will never recover from it even if it was one his employees at fault. I charge someone 1700 on a full repaint on a fiber glass electric car and plus lots of fiber glass work to it. Did jambs and everything and that is cheap. I hope the adjuster knows what hes looking at becuase some of them are stupid and know nothing about adjusting or looking at damages(experience with them).

[BustedS13]

so what the fuck did he think the owner would say when they opened the doors and saw a row of randomly positioned drywall screws, let alone the rest of the shittiness?

what a piece of shit.

[HyperTek]

i remember that thread, i linked it to my buddy whos a car purchaser for carmax, he said they would deem that car totalled with that damage =(

Hope Brian can be fully recovered for this.

advice to anyone else.. test fit/ pre mount your kits first, learn how to make corrects *tons of sources on the net* even if it takes you weeks, a good weekend may do. then take em seperately to get spray matched to your car, take em home and mount em yourself = avoid problems like this.

[ALTRNTV]

So when Brian drove it home that night, he didn't notice the screws in the doorjambs?!

[CrimsonRockett]

So when Brian drove it home that night, he didn't notice the screws in the doorjambs?!

Oh, we noticed a ton of things that night.

We called him on a lot of it, but Mike simply said "just bring it back next weekend so I can take care of this and that".

Nobody in their right mind would take a car back to such a person, let alone give them a second chance to fix their mistakes.

Mike screwed himself. He screwed himself bad.

He insists that he outsourced the work and knew nothing of the said damage.

Why would you outsource work when we dropped the car off at YOUR body shop?

It doesn't even matter if he outsourced the work. Everything was done at his shop under his supervision.

[ALTRNTV]

When did Brian actually pay for the services? At the time of pickup?
Sorry, I didn't read the whole story. =p

[HyperTek]

he probably got some cheap unskilled laborer doing the work for him

[CrimsonRockett]

When did Brian actually pay for the services? At the time of pickup?
Sorry, I didn't read the whole story. =p

Haha, it's all good.

Brian paid for the services at time of pick up.

After fully inspecting the car the next day, he tried to put a stop on the payment because of the damages.

No dice.

Mike loves to lie to Paypal, Banks, Credit Card companies, etc and tell them everybody authorized the said work to their vehicles.

It happened with the dude from club4ag.com that had his Corolla ruined by Mike.

It took him months to get a refund, but in that case, a refund was enough because there wasn't actual body damage done to the car after dropping it off at his shop.

A $700 refund wouldn't suffice for the damage done to the Z.

[dirtdiggler666]

i bought a bumper from mike and he said it was brand new i drove all the way down their about 2 hours. then go in his back yard and it looked like it had been sitting outside for about 2 years with dirt overspray ect ect on it. and i finally got it cleaned up and lets just say its the worst bumper i have ever bought.

[exitspeed]

I stuck up for Mike for a while. He offered me help via IM. I even considered having him come by me to paint my car like he did for Grant.

Until all hell broke loose.

The internets are scary some times.

[CrimsonRockett]

Yeah, Mel.

I remember that.

Mike isn't a bad person, very helpful, but this just crossed the line.

[exitspeed]

Yeah, Mel.

I remember that.

Mike isn't a bad person, very helpful, but this just crossed the line.

Bad person or not, I wouldn't trust the dude to go buy a gallon of milk for me. Anyone who is able to just do something like that to another dudes car has serious morality issues.

[yurisfriendevan]

not to mention mental problems, since when has it been easier to cut metal than to reshape some fiberglass?

[punk138]

wow what a mess!

what a waste of a Z. :(

[serris]

Yeah, I think he's just being helpful for his own personal agenda. At least in the car enthusiast world. I can't say much for his friends.

I think I wronged him in a past life or something.

[HyperTek]

so how would the insurance settle this? "Yeah I had this shop install some aftermarket parts, which didnt meet my standards , i go to another shop to correct it and they say that guy did some serious damage, check it out".

I know dealing with insurance people is a pain since everything is usually your fault. Aftermarket parts arent usually covered. I guess whoever the insurance company has to look at it should know thats not the correct or ideal way to install/deal with this.

I hope everything works out, your car did look sweet in your sig.

[SochBAT]

The rules in nearly every section CLEARLY state that This is not a grievance forum. You are failing to respect that in your incessant posting of threads about your issue... WE ARE NOT YOUR BLOG!!!
If you would post a thread that was fair and objective (and most importantly, in the right section, as a couple before this one was not), then the thread would remain active. Start here:
http://zilvia.net/f/businesses/83800-important-regarding-format-reviews.html



This doesn't look like the Grievance forum...


Oh yeah we don't have one...


Zilvia.net is not a grievance forum.

If you have a problem with a buyer/seller, you can post a review in the proper section.

If you feel the situation calls for it, your best bet is to contact their, and your local law enforcement.

Good luck to you.



Please take your discussion off-line.

This is a Review Section and not a Grievance Forum.

Also, other users not directly involved or without first-hand experience related to the Vendor need to stay out of the discussion.


Just to be fair.

PS. I couldn't find one for Lisa, WEST, Mel, revat, or Jeff. Damn.

[ALTRNTV]

Cheat has opened the floodgates...

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k10/electribe_909/Jackson_popcorn.gif

[RPSil13]

not to be a dick but what kind of 350z owner in their right mind thinks that someone is going to paint their aero and install it for 750, a prime example of "you get what you paid for," not excusing widegts actions but seriously, 750 for paint and installation, i dont think so

[Kalashnikov]

Oh, we noticed a ton of things that night.

We called him on a lot of it, but Mike simply said "just bring it back next weekend so I can take care of this and that".

Nobody in their right mind would take a car back to such a person, let alone give them a second chance to fix their mistakes.

Mike screwed himself. He screwed himself bad.

He insists that he outsourced the work and knew nothing of the said damage.

Why would you outsource work when we dropped the car off at YOUR body shop?

It doesn't even matter if he outsourced the work. Everything was done at his shop under his supervision.


Come on, that's just a bold lie. We all know it. That's so ridiculous.

I Just laughed when I saw the screws.......

You could pay me and my friends and the paint job, and installation would be 100 times cleaner and we would only charge like $400. And the DUpoint or PPG paint would be $300 in it self.

MOOOOOOTHER>>>>>>>>>>>>F**KKKKKKER IS all i have to say about that guy.

This is why I haven't let a person touch my car since 1999.

[DreamN]

Sooshi, which is why he asked Kevin/MrMeph about it before posting it here.

[SexPanda]

damn thats pretty messed up...

Hope your buddy gets a new car... I'll sell him my wagon if he wants:bigok:

[SochBAT]

^^^^^

I know. But I posted to try and get the mods to rethink that decision. Albeit the wrong way anyways.

Tons of people have posted similar threads but have been locked because, as stated by my fellow auto-enthusiasts, Zilvia.net is not a grievance forum.

*Thought*
Can we have a Grievance section? I think it'd be a fun read, to be quite honest.

[DreamN]

not to be a dick but what kind of 350z owner in their right mind thinks that someone is going to paint their aero and install it for 750, a prime example of "you get what you paid for," not excusing widegts actions but seriously, 750 for paint and installation, i dont think so

You wouldn't be the first to say that. Crimson had passed good experiences with Mike/widegts. Serris more than likely took a quick recommendation from Crimson to check out Mike's pricing.

Plus this isn't a quick "You get what you pay for" type deal. If he had gotten what he paid for he'd have a painted kit that fit like shit on the car, not a fucked up car with a kit that fit like shit.

[DataXUnknown]

*Thought*
Can we have a Grievance section? I think it'd be a fun read, to be quite honest.

I 2nd that.

There is no way that he actually thought that was "ok" to do. How old is this guy? Even doing it in the dark blind folded you can do a better job than that. So sad to see what happened to that Z, and the s14. I haven't seen the corolla yet, but I'm heading over to club4ag now to check up on that thread. But do we have a for sure age on this guy?

[norcal_black240]

I heard about the Z being messed up but god damn its way worse than I imagined it to be.

[bardabe]

I did some electrical work on that S14, paint is definetly shitty. heard he got it for free though but don';t remember 100%

[soreballz]

not to be a dick but what kind of 350z owner in their right mind thinks that someone is going to paint their aero and install it for 750, a prime example of "you get what you paid for," not excusing widegts actions but seriously, 750 for paint and installation, i dont think so
Shut the fuck up. He paid 750 dollars to get a shitty kit installed badly, NOT to have his car totalled.

[Zero_SX]

Cheat has opened the floodgates...

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k10/electribe_909/Jackson_popcorn.gif


hahaha oh my GOD my stomach hurts SOO bad!

I was thinking about getting my interior painted by his place, due to some rust I found. I retract my thoughts immediately...

[serris]

so how would the insurance settle this? "Yeah I had this shop install some aftermarket parts, which didnt meet my standards , i go to another shop to correct it and they say that guy did some serious damage, check it out".

I know dealing with insurance people is a pain since everything is usually your fault. Aftermarket parts arent usually covered. I guess whoever the insurance company has to look at it should know thats not the correct or ideal way to install/deal with this.

I hope everything works out, your car did look sweet in your sig.

They called me and they said they're going to get my side of the story tomorrow afternoon. They said that according to my policy, the closest thing that this would fall under is stuff like a rock falling on the car, missiles (yeah, she said missiles), tree falling on the car, etc. So there is a high chance they won't cover it. And if they did cover it, they'd only cover the cuts made under the sideskirts. Not the bent doors, drilled holes, etc. We'll see what happens. Hopefully when this is all over, my car will come out looking better than it did in my sig. :x:

not to be a dick but what kind of 350z owner in their right mind thinks that someone is going to paint their aero and install it for 750, a prime example of "you get what you paid for," not excusing widegts actions but seriously, 750 for paint and installation, i dont think so

Well, one detail that was left out was that I knew Mike was Johnny's friend. He said business was going slow, I happened to have work for him and I thought I'd help a friend of a friend out. And like other people said, the cost of paint for a pint (that's all you really need) and other materials, that was pretty much an "at cost" job. But in hindsight, I don't see how 750 paid for drywall screws...unless they were gold plated or something. And like soreballz said, I didn't pay for him to butcher my car.

I 2nd that.

There is no way that he actually thought that was "ok" to do. How old is this guy? Even doing it in the dark blind folded you can do a better job than that. So sad to see what happened to that Z, and the s14. I haven't seen the corolla yet, but I'm heading over to club4ag now to check up on that thread. But do we have a for sure age on this guy?

According to his profile, widegts, it says he's 26?

BTW, this is not a grievance post. I know my last post might have given off that impression, but that was not the intent. I'm not asking anyone to feel sorry for me, donate, etc. I'm just trying to get the word out on this guy and most importantly, get advice on what to do in my situation.

[Kalashnikov]

According to his profile, widegts, it says he's 26?

BTW, this is not a grievance post. I know my last post might have given off that impression, but that was not the intent. I'm not asking anyone to feel sorry for me, donate, etc. I'm just trying to get the word out on this guy and most importantly, get advice on what to do in my situation.


True. Screw people like this. I love posts that shows the real nature of buyers and sellers and shops. This gives me a headsup.

Like that one dude that sold the "rebuilt" KA which was not. Shit like this pissssss me off. The person who got screwed should really....do more than just post pictures.

ALL YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO IS......."CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT SMALLLLLL CLAIMS."

YOU CAN FILE ONLINE OR SEND IT ONLINE. IT'S COSTS UNDER $50 BUCKS FOR COURT FEES.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FILL OUT THE MO-FO'S INFORMATION, MAIL HIM A COPY, AND TELL HIM STRAIGHT UP. "YOU BETTER REFUND MY MONEY, OR I WILL SUE YOU FOR MORE THAN WHAT IT COSTED, BECAUSE YOU DEPRECIATED THE VALUE OF MY CAR."

AND SINCE YOU HAVE PICTURES ALREADY, BADDDDDA BOOM! COURT EVIDIENCE! THE JUDGE WILL BE LIKE!!!!! "WTF!!!????" JUST BY LOOKING AT THE PICTURES..AND GRANT YOU THE WIN.

:D IT'S EASY. I'VE DONE IT. "IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!"

sue him for $5,000 dollars which is the statutory maxium. Get estimates from at least 3 body shops to see how much it will cost to get it fixed.

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/fillable/sc100.pdf

also fill out an "EVIDENCE" form(S) to admit all the pictures and evidence you will need to take to court. That's it.

Court date comes, the MO-FO don't show up, he loses.... If he shows up, he still loses!!!
Just by the pictures alone. you have won.

[CrimsonRockett]

K, we did get quotes from body shops.

The first quote we got was $4,800.

This was before the damage we discovered under the sideskirts.

With the new found damage, it almost tripled the quote from $4,800 to $13,000+.

This passes small claims court.

Mike is known to lie and always try to persuade people to get his way.

So, when we take him to court, I wouldn't be surprised if he acted like the victim.

[I10cruiser]

you should take witnesses! like yokotas

[Taniguchi_Is_#1]

i remember when he fucked over yokota on that paintjob for the cedric, and then that car ended up in the junkyard. it's a fucking waste. i hope you guys win the case, the dude needs to learn that a lack of ethics will cost $$$$$.

[drftwerks]

does it really cost 1k to paint match a kit???

[DreamN]

The painting isn't the tough part. It's the laber that's involved in getting an aftermarket kit to fit and line up correctly. It can be pretty tedious at times.

A top notch shop would have probably never taken on the project knowing what material the kit was made of because of how difficult it is to work with for the most part. This wasn't a fiberglass kit if I remember correctly, so shaping it wouldn't have been as simple.

Most shops would have charged at least $1,500 and some over $2,000 for this type of work. Honestly, Johnny (Crimson) could have done so much better than this. Johnny, might have even been smart enough to learn that the material the kit was made out of wasn't worth the hassle and do just get a fiberglass kit instead.

[UfoZ8myCow]

Jesus H Christ... A beautiful Z completley ruined by an idiot. Unbelievable.

DRYWALL screws to hold on a body kit?!?!??!?!?!??!?

The thought had crossed my mind to do a body kit on my Z, but horror stories like this make me just want to get a carbon front lip and call it a day before some asshole ruins my brand new fucking car.

Sue this bastard for every penny he's worth, put him out of business, and make sure he never touches another person's car again.

[OTG Vinyl]

That is so scary to see. I would HATE to be the guy being told to fix that. :ugh:

[ALTRNTV]

*snip*

...waiting for the others to reply.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k10/electribe_909/Jackson_popcorn.gif

[CrimsonRockett]

Quit beating a dead horse.

This is Kevin approved.

We're not here for pitty, donations, or anything of that sort.

Review section would just be...a review. Think of this as an open discussion of things that have happened to you with Mike as well.

Something similar happened to you in the past? Let us know.

We're trying to figure out the best route to go about this.

[SochBAT]

2) the process of going over a subject again in study or recitation in order to fix it in the memory or summarize the facts
4) a general survey of something, esp. in words; a report or account of something.
9) a viewing of the past; contemplation or consideration of past events, circumstances, or facts.

Sounds like a review to me.

PS.

http://zilvia.net/f/south-western-states/225561-jans-towing-do-not-use-them.html?highlight=grievance
http://zilvia.net/f/chat/218911-inland-drift-very-very-bad-shop.html?highlight=grievance
http://zilvia.net/f/chat/195526-reopen-again-youngandartless-chas-moore-mess-up-seller-man.html?highlight=grievance
http://zilvia.net/f/chat/182485-ripped-zilvia-member.html?highlight=grievance
http://zilvia.net/f/businesses/191467-rhd-design-azusa-ca-beware.html?highlight=grievance

And to still be totally on topic...

http://zilvia.net/f/off-topic-chat/180118-widegts-vs-0100-you-decide.html?highlight=grievance

also.


240SX Off Topic Rules and Guideline

Grievances
Zilvia is not a grievance forum. If you have a problem with a seller or buyer, settle it with them. If you are unable to contact them and seek further assistance, contact your (and their) local law enforcement.


PPS.
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3651/grievancebc8.jpg

[A Spec Products]

All I hope is that people take the lessons they encounter and LEARN from them

It's key that you form the ability to make the best educated decision you can with any purchase or service

You have all the proper tools to make good judgement...I'm not saying I have perfect judgement, but I have taken the "mistakes" I've made with my car and thankfully learned from them to try to avoid sticky situations with my car

There are things that are unforseen and unexpected, which is to be expected. Then you also have total disasters like this one

Could this have been avoided? Possibly...but the point is still that people who are not equipped to do proper work should be called out on it for the sake of saving others from making the same mistake

I definitely understand the concept of "you get what you pay for," but this kinda goes beyond that issue

I mean it would be one thing if he painted the kit and was chipping for $750...okay that makes sense

But cutting out sheet metal and doing work as seen in those pictures is another issue that you couldn't have predicted just based on price

[CrimsonRockett]

Loud noises!

Check out the update on the first page.

Yeah, it just became a discussion thread.

So, Angry Panda should have updates on the car very soon with pictures and such.

We'll be making a trip over to the shop on Sunday to decide on what's gonna happen and check out the new color the Z is going to be repainted.

[SochBAT]

So can we have a grievance section?

[CrimsonRockett]

You should PM an admin about that.

[AngryPanda]

baby Jesus came over last night and told me the car made him cry. Also Santa came over and promised me not to give any more presents to Mike ever again. One of Brians great ancestors apologized to me for wronging Mikes ansecestor causing mike do this to Brians Z. Man i feel sorry for the guy who is fixing this car. He's got his work cut out for him.

[CrimsonRockett]

:rofl:

You sure do.

[damiansyadathi]

at least your car got some weight reduction

[usdm180sx]

WTF? A rattle can job is better than that janky ass shit. FUCK that guy.

[HalveBlue]

Honestly, this doesn't surprise me.

Anybody can do bodywork. Few can do really good bodywork.

That's why those that can charge such high prices. And those that can't tend to do TALK a lot and offer really low prices.

When it comes to bodywork, NEVER skimp out. There's truth to the saying you get what you pay for. This is especially true for body work.

To the OP, I hope something good comes out of all of this for him.

[KwKouki]

this thread should be showed to anyone bitching about price for ANYTHING car related.

[usdm180sx]

That is why AutoExplosion.com is ftw. For $2200 you basically get a $6000 paint job. Unfortunately many people on zilvia see $2200 as a high priced s13.

But if you want a car that looks better than new this price is a steal

[sub9lulu]

That is why AutoExplosion.com is ftw. For $2200 you basically get a $6000 paint job. Unfortunately many people on zilvia see $2200 as a high priced s13.

But if you want a car that looks better than new this price is a steal

because alot of them didnt even pay 2200 for their car

[Jung918]

1st I just want to say that Mike "screwed" me over. I bought a J's carbon fiber hood from him and when I went to pick it up it was installed on his car. Yeah, thats right. He said that it would get dust and paint so that is why he installed it. I asked for a complete refund but he wouldn't do it. So, he gave me a partial refund. Never again would I do business with this douche bag.


2nd, my car is currently with Angrypanda getting a complete paint job and I can not say enough good things about him and his business partner. I am the type of person that is anal about who touches my car and so I carefully look for someone that will do outstanding work.

There is the saying "you get what you pay for" and in most cases that is true. However, there are those rare instances when you find someone that outputs excetional work for a good price. The rare breed of workers who actually treat your car like it is their own and at times better. They care more about their quality of work than fast money. Those are the people I trust my car too.

Soon enough I will be posting pictures and bringing my car out to meets.

[usdm180sx]

because alot of them didnt even pay 2200 for their car

Well, that just explains how cheap so many 240sx owners are!

[Matej]

Isn't 13K+$ a little steep?
The car looks like it still runs and drives perfectly fine.
It's not like drove it onto the railroad tracks and set it on fire.

[firelizard]

Isn't 13K+$ a little steep?
The car looks like it still runs and drives perfectly fine.
It's not like drove it onto the railroad tracks and set it on fire.

I can bore a hole into my quarter panel and the car will still run fine. But that's not the point. The point is that the panels on the Z are damaged, and need to be replaced in order to put the Z back to the way it was originally. And the estimate for the repairs is $13K

[OTG Vinyl]

I can bore a hole into my quarter panel and the car will still run fine. But that's not the point. The point is that the panels on the Z are damaged, and need to be replaced in order to put the Z back to the way it was originally. And the estimate for the repairs is $13K

Still seems extreme.

[Matej]

I can bore a hole into my quarter panel and the car will still run fine. But that's not the point. The point is that the panels on the Z are damaged, and need to be replaced in order to put the Z back to the way it was originally. And the estimate for the repairs is $13K
It's just ironic to me that the owner bought aero and has obviously been modding his car, and now wants to sue for the price of putting the car "back to stock." Did they also quote him 2K$ to take the aftermarket wheels off and put his stock ones back on? Haha.

Whatever, I hope you guys get your free 350Z.

To be honest I feel sorry for this Mike guy. It seems that he has lost all passion for what he does and does not take any joy or pride in his work anymore. He has probably hated his life and working on cars for a while now, but it's his only means of getting by.
He definitely shouldn't be running a body shop, I hope you guys get some kind of compensation, and I hope Mike finds a career he enjoys and is good at.

[CrimsonRockett]

It's just ironic to me that the owner bought aero and has obviously been modding his car, and now wants to sue for the price of putting the car "back to stock." Did they also quote him 2K$ to take the aftermarket wheels off and put his stock ones back on? Haha.

Whatever, I hope you guys get your free 350Z.

To be honest I feel sorry for this Mike guy. It seems that he has lost all passion for what he does and does not take any joy or pride in his work anymore. He has probably hated his life and working on cars for a while now, but it's his only means of getting by.
He definitely shouldn't be running a body shop, I hope you guys get some kind of compensation, and I hope Mike finds a career he enjoys and is good at.

It's not that we're aiming to have a stock Z again.

We just want the body to be repaired back to OEM spec. AKA no holes in the rocker panels, no over spray on the entire car, etc etc.

Of course we don't want a stock Z again, but at the cost of repairs for the Z, it's deemed totaled. It's not fair to Brian that because of Mike's lack of passion, he ended up with a Salvage Titled Z.

You don't exactly have our mindset, let alone Brian's since he's the owner of the car.

This isn't exactly an S13. You can't come up on a Z33 shell for $500.

If that were possible, I would have said "screw this, let's start fresh".

The car will still be repaired by Angry Panda, but we'll still be suing for all of the damages done to the car. Not to mention all the time Brian has taken off work to deal with Mike.

All in all, it's not fair that we were returned a poor condition Z. There were no holes in the rocker panels to begin with. The passenger side door was never dented prior to this entire ordeal. The entire chassis wasn't covered in overspray from the factory.

Try to put yourself in Brian's shoes.

After seeing everything that has happened to your car because of some idiot that completely didn't give a shit, wouldn't you want to start fresh too?

I hope you see my point.

Yes, the car still runs/drives fine.

Yes, the holes can be welded shut.

Yes, the entire car CAN be repaired.

But, you can't prevent rust from forming underneath the rocker panels because of the new welds. Estimated time before the rocker panels start rusting from the inside is 5 years.

Brian didn't plan on getting rid of his car....ever. Let alone in 5 years.

Again, Angry Panda is already working on the car. They're trying to repair the Z as best as they possibly can. It will be there for a long time. David is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to body/paint. So, i'm 100% sure the car will be returned in pristine shape once he's done with it.

This has been an insanely expensive lesson. Time consuming as well.

Still have a long road ahead of us.

[SochBAT]

grieving? This is a discussion!

I agree that 13 fucking thousand is a fucking lot. not even just a fuxking lot, but to the point that you're just nitpicking the shit out of it.

"Oh he got paint on the tires!!! We need new tires!!!"

WTF are you serious?

[Ethix]

They should total it....and I'll buy it with a salvage title. cheap cheap!!


Seriously, I hope this all works out. I would be devastated if I got my super clean new car back and it was hacked up like that.

Good luck!

[CrimsonRockett]

grieving? This is a discussion!

I agree that 13 fucking thousand is a fucking lot. not even just a fuxking lot, but to the point that you're just nitpicking the shit out of it.

"Oh he got paint on the tires!!! We need new tires!!!"

WTF are you serious?

What?

When did we ask for new tires?

Do you really think we care about that?

That was the estimate to repair the car correctly.

Body work on a Z isn't exactly cheap. Any rear end damage on a Z33 is stupid expensive.

We're not "nitpicking the shit out of it".

That's the estimate we were given.

Not "what we think we deserve".

They should total it....and I'll buy it with a salvage title. cheap cheap!!


Seriously, I hope this all works out. I would be devastated if I got my super clean new car back and it was hacked up like that.

Good luck!

Exactly why we're mad.

Car went in clean to have minor things done to it.

Returned in extremely poor condition.

We tried talking to Mike about the entire situation. He chose to ignore us. Not the other way around.

We're not gold diggers.

We just want the poor car fixed.

[Kalashnikov]

K, we did get quotes from body shops.

The first quote we got was $4,800.

This was before the damage we discovered under the sideskirts.

With the new found damage, it almost tripled the quote from $4,800 to $13,000+.

This passes small claims court.

Mike is known to lie and always try to persuade people to get his way.

So, when we take him to court, I wouldn't be surprised if he acted like the victim.


Yeah, if there are any members on this forum that has been "Screwed" by MIKE please take the time if it goes to court, be a Witness at least.

We need to be a Community and Stop B.S. like this. Life is too short to let people "Screw" one another and life is too short to not FIGHT BACK.

Just take some time and take this "Mike" down, it will one of the best experiences of your life, winning a law suit of injustice. You will be a stronger person, and you did the world GOOD. :whip:

Just collect and document as much Evidence as possible.~ It can't hurt to do so.

[TheWolf]

well unless mike has the worst business cpa.. then you're just going to crush his company. they'll close.. and you can frame your judgement you got against him.. can't get blood from a rock.. so you can piss and moan about it for another 3 pages or weld in some steel patch pannels which will be stronger than stock and get back to life... if you remove the whole rocker pannel and replace it.. the car will never be straight again.,

[BDMs14]

Man that Z is ruined! Kinda looks like the work they do here in NYC @the flushing/shea stadium "el pancho bargain" bodyshops!
Can't believe he cut the 1/4 panels/ rocker panels to "FIT" the skirts!
Unreal!:bash:

[usdm180sx]

It's just ironic to me that the owner bought aero and has obviously been modding his car, and now wants to sue for the price of putting the car "back to stock." Did they also quote him 2K$ to take the aftermarket wheels off and put his stock ones back on? Haha.

Whatever, I hope you guys get your free 350Z.

To be honest I feel sorry for this Mike guy. It seems that he has lost all passion for what he does and does not take any joy or pride in his work anymore. He has probably hated his life and working on cars for a while now, but it's his only means of getting by.
He definitely shouldn't be running a body shop, I hope you guys get some kind of compensation, and I hope Mike finds a career he enjoys and is good at.


Shit man if you really feel sorry for him then give him some business and let him paint your car.

[Kalashnikov]

Shit man if you really feel sorry for him then give him some business and let him paint your car.


Yeah. LOL. Some people here say that the OP shouldn't complain and not "cry and moan" about it. But I think not taking action is WEK SOS~

At least by bitching about it, everyone would know about the shop and the person doing such horrible work.

The idiot that says "oh, don't bitch and moan " about it, you should take your car to Mikes shop. You wouldn't do so now because you know what's up.

You can go to http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=46a6a9cd-5402-454e-9476-e4df22e6f371 (better business buerau) and check the companies Rep, if it is available.

[Kalashnikov]

No. of CmplType of Response0Making a full refund, as the consumer requested0Making a partial refund


1Agreeing to perform according to their contract0Refusing to make an adjustment


1Refuse to adjust, relying on terms of agreement0Unanswered0Unassigned

2 Total


http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/pp4/5x114/MISCELLANEOUS/untitled-1.jpg

[Matej]

Shit man if you really feel sorry for him then give him some business and let him paint your car.
Next weekend I'm flying him in.


The idiot that says "oh, don't bitch and moan " about it, you should take your car to Mikes shop. You wouldn't do so now because you know what's up.
I'm not taking my car to any shop, ever.

[AngryPanda]

we started on Brians repairs today

here is the lip being fitted

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01118.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01103.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01102.jpg

The lips ends had to be cut off to make the lip fit properly

Here the end is being held in place with fibertec (kevlar reinforced filler) untill fiberglass can be layered

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01106.jpg

Next areas that were to be glassed over was sanded with 36 grit sandpaper and glassed over, also the edges meeting the bumper was filled with kitty hair to give it an OEM quality fitment.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01120.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC01107.jpg
That is all for today

We will be updating when ever possible with progress on Brians car.

[Fries]

Intense, always wondered what had to be done to make crappy fitting things fit.

Wow.

[GSXRJJordan]

Well, well, well.

My experience with Mike started a year ago this month - December 07. I was looking at picking up Bryan Rogers' S14 that had been crashed at Irwindale and needed the driver's side rear quarterpanel replaced (car came with a replacement panel) and I wanted a Works9 replica bodykit for it. I also inquired about him seam welding the chassis while he was at it, but once he told me that he'd never done it before, that was off the table. He said he'd done this work before, and that it would be fine (meaning, you wouldn't be able to tell the quarterpanel was replaced). Sight unseen, he made a solid quote of $700 for all of it, and took a deposit of $500. He told me the whole job would take about a day.

The car looked like this:
http://a867.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/69/l_32d063cae5011fbcf9ea20f3fc1e6e22.jpg

I towed to to him, and as soon as he saw it, he said "oh, no this is different than what we talked about, it's going to take longer"... so it sat outside his shop, right where I left it:
http://a967.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/118/l_9689fe8680ffa076224c60935a7b3636.jpg


... UNTIL MAY 2008 - over 6 months, and NOTHING got done!!! Every time I asked about it, he'd give me some bullshit about what drama he has in his life and how he needs to do all these other jobs, so he can do "budget jobs" like mine and still keep his doors open. Horrible on calling back/responding to emails, too.

[keep reading]

[GSXRJJordan]

[continued]

So he calls me in May, and says "I have to get my car out of his shop", because "it's just in the way". My surprise when I get there - it's not done! He's cut out pieces of the old quarterpanel and tack welded the new one on top. We arrange for him to come to my house and finish the welding on the quarterpanel and fit my bodykit (which I had to pick up from his supplier, because he didn't have his Mom's van to pick it up with...) "within a week". Oh, and remember how I paid for Works9? Well, turns out he couldn't get it, so I had to settle for C-West front and Vertex style sides/rear.

So I call a tow truck and tow it home...

... to find overspray from GabeS14's paintjob (which I guess happened some 3ft from where my car was sitting, uncovered...) everywhere.
http://cid-fe6bba61ada2013d.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.res/FE6BBA61ADA2013D%21111/FE6BBA61ADA2013D%21389http://wuukdg.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pmd1YnLfDXlZdn_Y4SBFY02ShTRZb_ALYHEbuhoUEIt14aSj MR_5UhABtjVj55pAi_pK90tZcshE/HPIM0517

... this was EVERYWHERE... After washing the car twice, I realized the primer coat that was on there was toast, and that I'd have to scrape every inch of the glass...
http://wuukdg.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pHXVgDbkmxcwW4FklBAjbd54Lx2txRR1sPef7ojWV0L5lPXV Yq5zJGmjWEX3gW04ft9MP6GpZMmQ/IMG_0066


Three weeks later, he brings another guy to my house and watches him as he does an absolutely newb-ass welding job on my quarterpanel - I had to supply welding gloves and glasses! This guy shows up with nothing to cover his hands or eyes!!! He say's he'll have to come back another time to finish the bondo work.

Weeks later again, he sends his "assistant"/ex-business partner to finish my bodywork - this guy shows up with air tools (I don't have a compressor)... anyway, we talked about Mike and his business, and I tipped the guy an extra $20 to do a nice job, and he did... can barely tell the quarterpanel's been replaced. He didn't help me mount my kit though, and didn't clean up after himself (Z-grip filler EVERYWHERE). I believe it was at this point that I gave Mike the remaining $200, in exchange for the remaining body kit pieces.

So Mike called me about a month later saying he really needed some positive publicity about his shop, and that I should drive my car over there (about an hour away), and he'd help me mount the kit properly and re-primer the car. I tried to schedule this up a couple times, but could never connect.

===== IN SUMMARY =====
- I asked Mike to do a "good" (not show-quality, but not noticable) job for a good price, with the promise of good publicity if it worked out.
- He delivered bargain basement work (I literally could have done a better job myself, with barely any bodywork experience), 6 months late, at much hassle to myself (10+ trips to his shop)
- Whenever I was not pleased with something, he immediately blames it on someone else - me, a "worker", parents, girlfriend (when he had one), etc.
- I would never recommend his shop/services to anyone, for anything - no matter what the price.

[CrimsonRockett]

Review

Thanks for those posts!

I remembered something about your car having a quarter panel replaced, but I didn't think it took Mike that long to do it.

Thanks to Angry Panda for the updates on Brian's car.

Sucks to see an Origin kit still have crappy fitment.

[Mi Beardo es Loco]

wow. how does this mike guy stay in buisness?

I had a bad experience with a shop where they molded my front over fenders on the passanger side and my rears on my driver side. I always thought it looked akward and didn't really figure it out for about 2 weeks. When I took it back to him surprise surprise he's out of buisiness and I'm forced to do the work myself. It wasn't THAT big of a deal because I could do it but I trusted the shop while I was in Ohio for a couple months. The biggest problem though was I had to respray that area and it doesn't look EXACTLY the same :(

[aa87]

If the prices are low, what can you expect honestly.

[CrimsonRockett]

Stop posting in here telling me this thread is against the rules.

It's been Admin Approved.

If the prices are low, what can you expect honestly.

True, but I was a good friend of Mike. He told me he was in need of work.

I told him the Z was going to be daily driven and seen everywhere. Free advertisement pretty much. Recommend all my friends/family to him for more work.

So, he knew how important this was.

He quoted us cheap because of this.

Obviously, we were fucked over and shit went south.

Like I've stated several times, we've learned our lesson in this.

Everything will be fixed shortly and all will be back to normal.

[Mi Beardo es Loco]

seriously, does anyone expect rat poison in their 39cent cheeseburger because it's under a buck? Prices don't matter, what was promised was promised and if the job wasn't done up to expectations then the shop should be held liable.

[SochBAT]

Not a Review! Now Admin Approved!

I do like seeing the work done by AngryPanda. Can we change the title to something less REVIEW sounding?

Like "AngryPanda saves the day!" or some shit?

[bardabe]

^^^ im with Sochcheat

*edit* definitely not a review

[CrimsonRockett]

Not a Review! Now Admin Approved!

I do like seeing the work done by AngryPanda. Can we change the title to something less REVIEW sounding?

Like "AngryPanda saves the day!" or some shit?

You do have a point. So....done.

:D

Since we're waiting on Brian's Insurance to respond to his claim, Angry Panda can't do much work on it other than fitting the body kit and repairing the passenger side door.

Hopefully, they'll respond soon so David at Angry Panda can start prepping the car for a full new color change.

:)

[PBucch]

no way youre giong to get what youre looking for, imho.

Why not buy a better quality kit to start with?

[serris]

no way youre giong to get what youre looking for, imho.



Could you post reasons why you think this? (FYI, I am just trying to get money for the cost of repairs to the way the car was BEFORE I took it to Mike and maybe even a refund for his work. As for painting the new kit, fitting it, etc. I am paying for that out of my own pocket)

Why not buy a better quality kit to start with?

I bought an Origin kit. I heard a lot of good things about them on these forums. Apparently I was proven wrong. I guess it is like what people said on the Z forums. It is hard to find a good fitting kit unless you spend 1k+ and even then, it doesn't fit 100%.

[xtheenderx]

You do have a point. So....done.

:D

Since we're waiting on Brian's Insurance to respond to his claim, Angry Panda can't do much work on it other than fitting the body kit and repairing the passenger side door.

Hopefully, they'll respond soon so David at Angry Panda can start prepping the car for a full new color change.

:)

Yikes! did u guys ever have the option of getting a lawyer/representative for the insurance claim? Kinda like Larry H. Parker :) I kno it mite be of a hassle but i've gone through a couple claims myself through a lawyer and they make all the difference in compensations...

[CrimsonRockett]

no way youre giong to get what youre looking for, imho.

Why not buy a better quality kit to start with?

Like Serris stated, we did.

We went with an Origin kit.

Also, we're not looking to cash in on this. Never did.

We just want everything to be even once again.

Mike owes us a refund, $700, the urethane kit he messed up, $700, all of the damages to the car, and cover all of the labor involved in repairing the car.

If he saw how bad the fitment was on the urethane kit, he could have asked us to return it and buy a better fitting kit. He didn't. He chose to hack it up and force it to fit. We can't return a hacked up kit. So, that's the reason on the refund.

We've already stated several times what has to be repaired. The rear bumper has several holes from all the screws he used, rocker panels have several holes plus the gaping holes he did to make the kit fit, the front bumper has holes from all the screws, the passenger side door dented at the bottom, and all the overspray that covers the entire car.

No, we're not nitpicking either. The tires with overspray...we don't care for stupid things like that. If we were really being anal, we would have the door replaced, both bumpers replaced, etc etc. There was never a dent nor holes in the bumpers to begin with, so why should they be repaired?

If you think about it, we're practically giving Mike a break. David at Angry Panda will be repairing the bumpers, door, and everything else Mike messed up on the car.

We still have a long road ahead of us. So, we'll see what happens.

[ZilviaKid]

why not just total the car and start new with a 370z?

[CrimsonRockett]

As simple as that sounds, it's not that easy.

It all depends on what Brian's insurance company says.

A 370z would be really nice, but that means Mike would have to pay a total of $30k for Brian's current Z.

Mike seems to be strapped for cash. So, we don't see that happening any time soon.

[emersonLP]

As a fellow 350z owner, I want to express heart-felt condolences. That was painful to see and read about! If someone ruined my Z like that, I cannot imagine what I would do... Goodluck! I hope you get every dollar you are asking for, you deserve the entire Blue book value on it!!

[Om1kron]

insurance isn't going to total the car, they may approve like 5-6 g's to fix the shit if they factor in paying for new door rails and rocker panels.

[CrimsonRockett]

Rocker panels are attached to the QP's.

So, even if they just cut and weld that section off, it's still not the same.

We'll see.

[GSXRJJordan]

...If he saw how bad the fitment was on the urethane kit, he could have asked us to return it and buy a better fitting kit. ...

Actually, to Mike's credit, he did warn me a bunch of times about possibly having bad fitment, and not being able to get it perfect - and that was with his supplier's kits. But his whole sales pitch was that you want a body guy to install your kit because he knows "how to tweak it" to get it to look right, even with a cheap kit.

Bleh. I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about your situation, Serris. Good luck, I'll keep looking for updates.

[CrimsonRockett]

He warned us as well.

He even said the sides fit horribly on the Z, but this is exactly what he did.

He IM'd Brian saying "so, this is how horrible the fitment was.*before pic*"

"this is how it fits now *after pic*"

He never told Brian "the fitment is terrible, you sure you want me to work with this?"

If he would have asked Brian that, I would have driven over there myself, picked up the kit, returned it, ordered the real Ings kit, and ran that instead.

But, he didn't.

[DOOK]

If the prices are low, what can you expect honestly.

how about not having your chassis fucked up when you have a lip kit painted and installed?

As simple as that sounds, it's not that easy.

It all depends on what Brian's insurance company says.

A 370z would be really nice, but that means Mike would have to pay a total of $30k for Brian's current Z.

Mike seems to be strapped for cash. So, we don't see that happening any time soon.

fuck mike. He made his bed, let him sleep in it. He's fucked up too much shit to not have to burn now. After the insurance company does their thing, sue Mike personally and his business for the remaining amount needed to get a new car.

[PBucch]

Rocker panels are attached to the QP's.

So, even if they just cut and weld that section off, it's still not the same.

We'll see.

huh?

:2c:

[CrimsonRockett]

huh?

:2c:

Talking about the section in the rocker panels that Mike put holes in.

If they cut that section out and replaced it, it's not the same because it's attached to the quarter panels.

To fully fix the problem, both quarter panels must be replaced. Not just the section where Mike made slits and hammered into.

Hope you understand.

[PBucch]

oh so you need to cut a bigger piece off a wreck instead of usinga replacement rocker because of the amount of damage?

[HalveBlue]

Holy shit. I just read the original post on the 350Z forum.

That's some serious Mickey Mouse shit.

It makes want to know where this Mike kid learned to do body work.

I mean, at least some shitty body shops know how to hid their shoddy work. The fuck ups on this car however are easily recognizable even from several feet away.

Sorry, I'm still amazed at how NOTHING - not one thing - was done properly on the vehicle.

Jesus!

[DOOK]

It makes want to know where this Mike kid learned to do body work.



isn't it obviously that he didn't learn how to do body work?

[CrimsonRockett]

oh so you need to cut a bigger piece off a wreck instead of usinga replacement rocker because of the amount of damage?

Well, the replacement part is a quarter panel and that section of the rocker panel. aka the section Mike cut slits into.

It would have been a much cheaper fix if it was only damage to the center section of the rocker panels, which is a section on its own, but because the rear section of the rocker panels was damaged, the entire quarter panel must be replaced.

We'll see what happens when Angry Panda gets around to that section of the car.

[qt_240]

More updates from ANGRY PANDA!! =)

[Howard92884]

Has anyone heard from Mike lately? Or is he hiding out somewhere?

[serris]

Won't be having too many updates from AngryPanda because insurance still hasn't called me back to let me know what their decision is. Can't work on the car very much until then. :-/

I would also like to know if anyone has heard anything about Mike lately. I can't have him skipping town now...

[GSXRJJordan]

Won't be having too many updates from AngryPanda because insurance still hasn't called me back to let me know what their decision is. Can't work on the car very much until then. :-/

I would also like to know if anyone has heard anything about Mike lately. I can't have him skipping town now...

He lives about 5min away from his shop location in Walnut... I think I have his Mom's address somewhere buried in my PMs. If necessary, I can provide it via PM.

[serris]

Yeah, he posted his address in a sale thread 2 years ago. I have it bookmarked. I'll PM you to see if it is a match.

[Bobadrift]

He's still around. He owes me shit and I'm still waiting for the "missing" parts from my car after he worked on it.
As long as it's taking I may have to take a legal route since I'm not as young and dumb anymore to take matters into my own hands.

[serris]

Doesn't surprise me at all. I heard about that but didn't know it was you. What was missing?

[TheWolf]

it seems that in a few weeks "mike" is going to have alot of people angry at him. Does mike have a business? What is it's name? If you put that into the california secretary of state website, you should be able to pull up his LLC or inc documents which will have an address on them.
California Secretary of State - California Business Search (http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/list.html)

This will let you know the structure of his company. If he's a LLC then getting a judgment against him really can't be enforced unless his llc has assets. remember "FIFO". First in First Out. Anyone who sues him before you do gets first crack at any company assets. If there's a line already for him by suppliers or other pissed off people then you may be the 3rd or 4th person in line to get a piece of him and I don't think he's that big. If you really feel you're out $13k then you need to make a move for it now instead of later. If he's an s-corp then you may be able to work an angle towards his personal assets but even if you get a lien on his house or something. That lien won't be fulfilled and won't supersede the banks lien unless you force it to auction and then whatever is left over from the bank then is what you get. So if he's got alot of equity in his place you may come out on top and get paid. If he's upside down/or renting then your chasing your tail and generating legal fee's. Time is not on your side.

[S13SilviaGirl]

^^Good Advice.

[serris]

Thanks for the great info. I already have the small claims paperwork in my hands. I just need to finish filling it out and have a notice sent to his house. I'm currently looking into having the sheriff's department send him the notice for a fee.

All I need is an address...and that info you gave me just might do it. I'll try it out.

[GSXRJJordan]

it seems that in a few weeks "mike" is going to have alot of people angry at him. Does mike have a business? What is it's name? If you put that into the california secretary of state website, you should be able to pull up his LLC or inc documents which will have an address on them.
California Secretary of State - California Business Search (http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/list.html)

This will let you know the structure of his company. If he's a LLC then getting a judgment against him really can't be enforced unless his llc has assets. remember "FIFO". First in First Out. Anyone who sues him before you do gets first crack at any company assets. If there's a line already for him by suppliers or other pissed off people then you may be the 3rd or 4th person in line to get a piece of him and I don't think he's that big. If you really feel you're out $13k then you need to make a move for it now instead of later. If he's an s-corp then you may be able to work an angle towards his personal assets but even if you get a lien on his house or something. That lien won't be fulfilled and won't supersede the banks lien unless you force it to auction and then whatever is left over from the bank then is what you get. So if he's got alot of equity in his place you may come out on top and get paid. If he's upside down/or renting then your chasing your tail and generating legal fee's. Time is not on your side.

The only "idesign" (which is the company name he used on his invoice) is in Danville registered to a Franco something-or-other, not him. I do not believe he's "educated" enough to actually incorporate, and he really has no reason to - all of his business is transacted in cash. His mom put up a year's rent on his shop for him, so it might even be her name on the lease...

[TheWolf]

The only "idesign" (which is the company name he used on his invoice) is in Danville registered to a Franco something-or-other, not him. I do not believe he's "educated" enough to actually incorporate, and he really has no reason to - all of his business is transacted in cash. His mom put up a year's rent on his shop for him, so it might even be her name on the lease...

If he has no corporate structure then suing Mike the person is what you want. Idesigns has no legal legitimacy. Labeling it fraud may allow it to not get the judgment discharged under a personal bankruptcy. I don't know if you can stretch fraud to a body shop dispute. You will need proof of your amount as well. More than one quote to fix from real companies. If you don't show up with an amount. (unspecified damages) then the judge will assign a value for you that you can't change later. Pictures highlighting what will have to be removed for it to be fixed will be important. Don't expect the judge to understand the phrase quarter pannel or rocker.

Depending on the county there will be a sherrif's officer that "serves" or a group of process servers. Process servers are more persistent as they're paid on how many they serve. You have really no option but to pay the fee. If he is artfull and hides from the server it can take upto a month for him to get a not appear and then depending on how busy the courts are about another couple of weeks for a court date. if you serve him and he no shows. Congrats you win. A judgement. A piece of paper at the court house.

He will have 30 days to pay it before you can proceed. (notice how this is a recurring theme. each step takes about 30 days) Now that he hasn't paid you, you can use that judgement and the power of the sherrifs office to enforce it. meaning you can lien assets and garnish wages (in some states, check cali statues or ask your lawyer) If he has no assets but drives a nice car you can go after that if he owns it. Just remember anything that has a previous lien on it from a bank supersedes your claim. It will be auctioned off at the court house steps. They have a once a month auction. It will fetch a liquidation price. whatever it fetches beyond what's owed will be removed from your judgement and sent to you as a check.

Once you get the defaulted (unpaid) judgement, file an information subpoena with the clerk. It will have questions as to the location of items. His air compressor, spray guns, paint, anything you think will be of value. If he's paid for 5 body kits and hasn't picked them up (of course you'd have to know about that) you could seize those even if they are due to other customers in this thread. They will need to be notified of this. You'll have to mail that to the clerks, and do so certified return receipt. Keep the receipt. he'll have 7 days to respond. If he doesn't, then go back to the courthouse file a contempt proceeding. Then you'll set another court date. If he doesn't show then he'll be in contempt. He'll have a bench warrant out for him. Once he's pulled over or renews his license inadvertently, he'll have to respond to that and then a sheriff will go onto the property to seize assets which will be auctioned off at the liquidation auction at the court house steps. That information subpoena is what you will use to get a wage garnishment against him. It will be executed at the sheriffs office. You'll need to file other documents with the court.

If he files personal bankruptcy. All these proceedings stop, until the debtor comes out of court and the trustee rules if the debt is discharged. Hence why fraud is more important. As if it's labeled fraud, it can't be discharged.

(I'm not a lawyer, I'm not your lawyer, take this with a grain of salt from a small business guy who has chased people down before, not everything may apply to your state, this is how it's done in florida, I feel it's necessary for people to understand how lengthy and expensive the legal process is. Everyone is sue happy because they think once they win the judgement money falls from the sky. It doesn't. That's like step 1 of 5. Everytime you file a document there is a clerk fee or a document fee etc etc. each trip will cost you $20 or so bucks. There's probably $200 in doc fees to grind it out to completion. I did this for "principal" once. Was the biggest waste of time. I understand your mad and angry but you need to make sure that it doesn't consume you or relationships suffer as this is a frustrating process)

[Bobadrift]

Doesn't surprise me at all. I heard about that but didn't know it was you. What was missing?

Random missing parts that shouldn't be missing. Alot of misc. bolts missing, shitty paint job, original paint work not finished. It was supposed to take 2 weeks to finish and ended up taking several months. Paid in full up front as well. Was supposed to cost a lil over 2k for full repaint, but ended up over 3k cause of additional rental car fees I shouldn't of had since it was only supposed to take 2 weeks.

There has been times where I think I should just take the matter into my own hands, but being older means having more to lose. Guess he's lucky I'm not that type of individual anymore.

I know where he lives as well. It's not far from the shop. Don't know the address, but I've driven to his house a couple times and can get there from memory.

[GSXRJJordan]

There has been times where I think I should just take the matter into my own hands, but being older means having more to lose. Guess he's lucky I'm not that type of individual anymore.

Exactly how I feel. There was a time when I would jump at the chance to go punk somebody like that for principle, but now it's just not worth it.

[Howard92884]

Any updates on this? Just curious.

[CrimsonRockett]

Actually, there will be.

Final quotes from other body shops were done last week(for court purposes).

So, David @ Angry Panda will begin the body work next week.

:)

[GSXRJJordan]

Good! Glad to see there's progress being made.

[Howard92884]

So when are you guys going to court? Did Mike get a subpeona?

[CrimsonRockett]

Brian is actually going to court tomorrow for the paperwork I believe.

He'll also be paying a sheriff to get the subpoena to Mike.

I'll talk to Brian about it tomorrow morning and give you guys an accurate update to see where we stand.

[Howard92884]

Updates?????????

[CrimsonRockett]

What I posted on my350z.

New VS-XX will be ordered tomorrow.

I believe the sizes are 19x10 +5, 19x11 -5, but I'll get the correct sizes today.

UPDATE TIME!

So, David @ Angry Panda sent me these pictures to post for you guys.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_11.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_12.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_13.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_14.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_15.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_16.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_17.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_18.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_19.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_20.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_21.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_22.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_23.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_24.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_25.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_26.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_27.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_28.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_2.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_1.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_29.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_3.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_30.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_6.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_4.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_7.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_8.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_9.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/TEMP-Image_1_10.jpg

[HyperTek]

they do some awesome work.. do they cut/put slots in the fiberglass to relieve stress/reform it?

[CrimsonRockett]

Update time.

Paint has been ordered.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/th_DSCF2161.jpg (http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/?action=view&current=DSCF2161.flv)

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2163.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2156.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2157.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2160.jpg

Custom, one off color.

Battleship/solid gray looking base, custom pearl.

So full of win.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2136.jpg

The car *should* be finished up before the 27th this month with new 19" VS-XX ordered straight from Work in Japan.

Can't wait.

[articdragon192]

I'm loving that color! You have NO IDEA how hard I've been trying to replicate that color for my RC car. So freaking hard!

[tricky_ab]

Damn this was quite the ordeal...Nice to see some positive progress...

[serris]

they do some awesome work.. do they cut/put slots in the fiberglass to relieve stress/reform it?

They made those slots to mark where to cut it so they can reshape the kit. It was off by a lot.

I'm loving that color! You have NO IDEA how hard I've been trying to replicate that color for my RC car. So freaking hard!

It was pretty easy for Angry Panda to come up with! :D

Damn this was quite the ordeal...Nice to see some positive progress...

Yes, it has been a very long time. I can't even remember how it feels to drive my car anymore. I can't wait for it to be done!

[dirtdiggler666]

dude i feel sorry for you man

you should have known a little when the price was so low. but even at that the kit should have just kinda had shitty paint. not fucking thrashing your poor car what a fucking hack. to do things right its not cheap damn my little just ski cost me $800 to paint it.

but im glad you are getting your car fixed

[serris]

Well, I thought I was getting the work done at cost because his business was slow (at least, that's what he told us). So Johnny and I wanted to help him out and give him business. We were going to let everyone know about his work and refer people to him.

Now, we're just letting everyone know about his work. :p It's up to them if they want to go to him or not.

[GSXRJJordan]

Well, I thought I was getting the work done at cost because his business was slow (at least, that's what he told us). So Johnny and I wanted to help him out and give him business. We were going to let everyone know about his work and refer people to him.

Now, we're just letting everyone know about his work. :p It's up to them if they want to go to him or not.

I drove by the old shop location - it still says "Import Image" on the sign, and it's still a body shop... but I didn't see him or his Camry anywhere around.

I'd be interested to hear what Ol' Mike is up to these days, now that he's basically out of business lol.

[DUFFM4N]

is that the same kit that brian had ordered through me?

[BrokenWhite240]

I drove by the old shop location - it still says "Import Image" on the sign, and it's still a body shop... but I didn't see him or his Camry anywhere around.

I'd be interested to hear what Ol' Mike is up to these days, now that he's basically out of business lol.

Do you know how to get in contact with him that fucker owes me over 650 for a body kit a never fucking recieved. I HATE THAT ASSCLOWN.:rl::madfawk::rant2::smash:

Good to see that 350z is getting fixed from that Fucking idiot.

[serris]

I drove by the old shop location - it still says "Import Image" on the sign, and it's still a body shop... but I didn't see him or his Camry anywhere around.

I'd be interested to hear what Ol' Mike is up to these days, now that he's basically out of business lol.

He is getting business from the local shops. Somehow, people still don't know about his work.

is that the same kit that brian had ordered through me?

Yes, that is the same kit I ordered through you. Angry Panda had to do a loooot of adjustments/modifications to it. He hates me for it! :p

Do you know how to get in contact with him that fucker owes me over 650 for a body kit a never fucking recieved. I HATE THAT ASSCLOWN.:rl::madfawk::rant2::smash:

Good to see that 350z is getting fixed from that Fucking idiot.

I'm really excited about getting my car back! It's going to look nice! If you guys want to contact him, I found out he has a new site. Just as I said before, he's still getting business somehow from the local shops referring people to him. I know one of those shops is Autohaus on Valley.

Mike's new site is:

iDesigns - Home (http://www.id-350.com)

Make if it what you will...

[DreamN]

Quoted from the site:


What We Do

We provide custom fabrication and paint. iDesigns have over 20years of experience with fiberglass, polyurethane, carbon, and more. Our business strives to provide a service most auto body paint shops frown upon.

Technically he is warning people :keke:

[CrimsonRockett]

Haha.

Only reason I see Mike being able to stay in business is by getting customers who've never heard of this ordeal.

Another way we can totally fuck him over is by reporting him to the city for shooting paint and not using a booth.

Judging by his responses on Yahoo, we're fairly positive that he's going to come up with some bullshit ass excuse saying we were at fault for blah blah blah and yack yack yack.

So, once this is all said and done in court, I hope he goes out of business for good.

Anyway, here's the latest work done at APF.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2210.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2206.jpg

Eddie, nothing against you, but the kit fit like crap.

You gave us a great price(which we really do appreciate), but god damn. The kit was totally off in so many sections, wavy as hell, and poorly made overall.

It's taken 12+ hours on ONE sideskirt to make it fit properly.(working on it over the span of a few months).

I don't think I'll order Origin ever again.

Screw that.

[GSXRJJordan]

I can't believe he's still in business.

What's the status of the legal action against him? I thought you guys had a judgement already, and were just pursuing collection - and I also thought that he was 'closed down' because of it...

[CrimsonRockett]

The court date was postponed because we couldn't serve him in time.

I'll let Brian chime in on this one though since he's the one that really knows what's going on with all the legal mumbo-jumbo.

He was supposedly losing his business because of this incident, but apparently not.

[DUFFM4N]

Eddie, nothing against you, but the kit fit like crap.

You gave us a great price(which we really do appreciate), but god damn. The kit was totally off in so many sections, wavy as hell, and poorly made overall.

It's taken 12+ hours on ONE sideskirt to make it fit properly.(working on it over the span of a few months).

I don't think I'll order Origin ever again.

Screw that.

yeah well i tell people all the time, most of the time knockoffs fit better than the real thing...and they NEVER believe me...but you got what u wanted, REAL Origin

nothing against you or brian (just speaking in general here)....but maybe next time someone will listen to me :bow:

[CrimsonRockett]

Haha.

Well, what's done is done and we worked with what he had.

I wasn't able to show up today at the shop since I had to get the sensors taken out of Brians old wheels and have them installed on his new VSXX.

So, im not exactly sure what progress was made on his car today, but we shall see tomorrow morning.

Ill have fresh pictures of the wheels in about 12 hours.

:)

[BustedS13]

yeah well i tell people all the time, most of the time knockoffs fit better than the real thing...and they NEVER believe me...but you got what u wanted, REAL Origin

nothing against you or brian (just speaking in general here)....but maybe next time someone will listen to me :bow:

when did origin become a legit company? i'm not trying to be a dick, it's not a sarcastic question. didn't they show up about four years ago with two or three kits that look exactly the same? rain gutter side skirts and retarded looking lampshade front and back
and a smoking playboy bunny as the logo? i think origin is pretty grey area.

[BustedS13]

also, i love these little paint model cars, they're the most adorable things

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2163.jpg

[serris]

I'm not sure what brand to trust anymore, really. Doesn't matter now, I don't think I'll be getting a kit for the Z in the near future.

If the kit gets messed up or I can't use it anymore, I'll probably go back to stock or go with something tried and true like Nismo.

As for legal action, it was pushed back to August. I'm going to try to serve him sooner in case something happens again. Every time my process server tried to serve him, he wasn't there and it ran over the minimum amount of days (15) that you have to have the other party served in LA County.

[DUFFM4N]

when did origin become a legit company? i'm not trying to be a dick, it's not a sarcastic question. didn't they show up about four years ago with two or three kits that look exactly the same? rain gutter side skirts and retarded looking lampshade front and back
and a smoking playboy bunny as the logo? i think origin is pretty grey area.

i never said they were a "legit" company as far as the stuff they've come out with. I think the point i was making is that people want the "NAME" rather than trusting something that fits better that's "off brand"...following me now?

[Brian]

Should have got VeilSide.

[BustedS13]

i never said they were a "legit" company as far as the stuff they've come out with. I think the point i was making is that people want the "NAME" rather than trusting something that fits better that's "off brand"...following me now?

right... but i mean, Extreme Dimensions is a name. you're the same age as me. remember Razzi or Erebuni? it just confuses me that a company shown time and time again to make wavy crap is still considered a "name brand" and not "bargain bin shit". i think we're on the same page

[DUFFM4N]

right... but i mean, Extreme Dimensions is a name. you're the same age as me. remember Razzi or Erebuni? it just confuses me that a company shown time and time again to make wavy crap is still considered a "name brand" and not "bargain bin shit". i think we're on the same page

im older than u
yes i do remember
and yes we are on the same page

...this is what i wanna do right now :love:

[TheWolf]

The court date was postponed because we couldn't serve him in time.

I'll let Brian chime in on this one though since he's the one that really knows what's going on with all the legal mumbo-jumbo.

He was supposedly losing his business because of this incident, but apparently not.

Standard Basic tactic. You're going to need to find that white toyota and where he's working. Ask around to these local body shops. Just walk in and be like "Do you know where I can find x guy and then if they ask why. Be honest. Say like he cut the quarter pannels off a 350z and ruined them"

Or find where he hangs out. Clubs are great. There's always cops out front and they have to help you serve especially when he walks out. Bring em with you. Have them sign it. Done.

[serris]

Standard Basic tactic. You're going to need to find that white toyota and where he's working. Ask around to these local body shops. Just walk in and be like "Do you know where I can find x guy and then if they ask why. Be honest. Say like he cut the quarter pannels off a 350z and ruined them"

Or find where he hangs out. Clubs are great. There's always cops out front and they have to help you serve especially when he walks out. Bring em with you. Have them sign it. Done.

Thanks for the advice, as always!

I will keep it all in mind. Some of the neighboring shops said they never see him. So it seems he only works when they're closed.

I will keep trying!

[Bobadrift]

Hmmm I'm sure I can probably serve him. He still takes my calls, but then I haven't called him in a while now.

[serris]

Hmmm I'm sure I can probably serve him. He still takes my calls, but then I haven't called him in a while now.

I'm sure he's following this thread, so he'll probably be wary of your call.

[Bobadrift]

Most people have no idea who I am on car forums. Just know me offline.

[tacotacotaco]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02110.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02108.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02107.jpg

[Brian]

That color looks neat so far.

[0100]

wow big difference in 1st and 3rd picture, that is pretty cool.

[yokotas13]

mikes on yahoo all the time
responds to me
i hope you guys crush him into the ground with an abrams tank

[Bobadrift]

So has he been sued or not? I know the deadline was missed to serve the paperwork. I'm just wondering since he's out bragging about how well his "business" is doing and it's pissing me off. I'd sue him myself to get my money and missing/broken parts back/replaced.

[serris]

yokotas13: I'm curious as to what you guys talk about, hah

Bobadrift: Bragging, eh? Well, the court date is in August. I have a process server taking care of the serving to make it more official.

Where has he been bragging? As far as I can remember, when doesn't he brag?

[Nismology]

OMG! I love revenge tales.

[Nismology]

wow i'd have such murderous intent for them, if I that was my 350z

[wacko2]

dam that mess up for that guy car

[DreamN]

dam that mess up for that guy car

Uhh... what? :confused:

Now type it in English.

[cc4usmc]

Now type it in English.

Why should he have to type it in English? This is the U.S. after all...we conform for others.

:keke:

[kingkilburn]

Write him a ticket.

[drift_limo]

that made me mad.. sucks to hear that man..


that color looks sick so far.

hope everything got solved

[CrimsonRockett]

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF3718.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF3729.jpg

It's coming along.

[drift freaq]

that looks like an Audi color^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[exitspeed]

The Beetle comes in a similar color too. The Audi and Beetle color are probably the same.

I still can't believe what was done to this thing.

[Om1kron]

wow this car still isn't finished.

[nathanong87]

color is pretty awesome.

[Edgar]

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mothon]

This car has come a long way. Color is cool too.

[ZilviaKid]

that looks mint.

cant wait to see her finished

[DataXUnknown]

I thought they sued him for a new 350z because the extent of damage was too much?

[Rick-95ZE]

Damn! I don't know how I missed this thread a year ago, but I did.. Wow, so yeah, I just deleted widegts from my Zilvia friends list :keke:
I sorta wondered why he was banned from the market place, now I know..

[CrimsonRockett]

I thought they sued him for a new 350z because the extent of damage was too much?

We're going to court early next month(iirc).

The extent of the damage is great, but technically speaking we wouldn't get a new Z because they would only need to get us a Z that was in the condition prior to having all the work done(by Mike that is).

Now, I believe Brian is only suing for damages and repair work to those damages. The paint job might be added as well because when Mike shot the kit, he shot it ON the car without masking 90% of it.

There was an insane amount of overspray on the entire thing(and I seriously mean everything).

All glass was covered in overspray along with headlights, taillights, etc etc.

We'll see what happens when we go to court.

When Mike got served, he said something along the lines of "I've been expecting this".

I can't wait to see what bullshit lies he's going to come up with in court.

It's an open and shut case in my opinion.

[randomxzero]

Good Luck in court man!..
Hopefully this guy gets what he deserves and is sentenced to never working on another car again!. lol

[CrimsonRockett]

Teaser.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF3931.jpg

Picture doesn't do the color justice.

When the sun is out, it looks amazing.

More pics to come this weekend.

[enkei2k]

looks good! love the license plate heh

[zylvia213]

wow looking good.... paint looks great

[chris_240sx]

Haha nice plates. Car looks good

[punxva]

wow it came out great, and i'm digging the plates haha

[exitspeed]

Yeah, plates are great.

Car looks great. A liiiitle better then Mike's job.

[speed_racerx]

who painted the car?

[CrimsonRockett]

David @ Angry Panda Fabrication did all of the work on this car.

:)

[Ceepo]

That plate is awesome ha ha ha, color looks sick to...

[Daniel.]

Clean and spank worthy. Props.

[DataXUnknown]

Damn color came out insanely good. As others said, love the plates haha. Seeing that makes me want to buy a Z now

[driftsilvias13]

Color looks great! Kind of like a Glacier Frost Mica except Grey instead of white. What color is that? Sorry if its been said already.

[fckillerbee]

I always wondered what happened to this. I remember reading this on the review thread.

[kingkilburn]

Any news on the court battle?

[!Zar!]

That color looks like Audi's Nimbus Grey.

[dirtdiggler666]

add me to the list of bad dealings with mike. It was not that big of deal so i am not going to bitch about it. the z came out great love the color, love the plate.

i wish you guys luck in court, you guys should some how print up all the bad dealings people have had with him. and bring it to court to prove hes scum.

[bardabe]

Looks good, my hat off to you guys, fuck body work that is one thing i will never in my life do again!

[nor-caljdm]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02110.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02108.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/DSC02107.jpg
can i get the paint code for this
please

[Freddy]

arghh why the tease......looks good though

[AngryPanda]

can i get the paint code for this
please

Never.

Bring the car to us and we'll do it for you.

:)

[yokotas13]

yeah long process huh?
id buy a new car

[Freddy]

Never.

Bring the car to us and we'll do it for you.

:)

what if we live up north?

[h815 240sx]

what if we live up north?

or north east!

[tricky_ab]

It's whole again! Nice plates BTW!

[BustedS13]

that's rad as fuck

[lewisfk]

I'm from out of state so I dont know who you're talking about! If u could post the name of the shop were he works or owns. I can make written note not to fuck with this guy and his friends! I will be transferring to San Diego in Feb. and I will need bodywork done on my baby!

[AngryPanda]

New tires on the rear.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/IMG00324.jpg

So much better.

[Quail]

Wow, the colour looks great. Very nice

[shiftdrift]

the z looks great, good job angry panda.

[kensreliableb18b]

much love to a fellow vs-xx owner. glad to see it's finally finished, damn. so is widegts or whatever guy dead by now?

[Daniel.]

For the love of God, someone please get a real camera and get crackin on this bish.

[juicyjay]

damn that shit is clean! :coolugh:

[dynamicck]

hahaha nice license plate

[Bubbles]

That thing doesn't look too ruined now.

[thestreetzking]

car looks amazing. Very glad to see it in one piece and not haggard

I had a somewhat bad deal with mike, took me like 4 months to get over fenders, one came with a crack in it and I had no intentions on sending it back :( somehow he had great communication, never ducked my calls but man did I hear some excuses..

[SimpleS14]

Been reading this thread and I must say that is very nice work from Angry Panda Fabrications. I hope the litigation goes well for the Z owner. I can't imagine this Mike guy getting away scott free. There's evidence in place to show he failed to follow proper due diligence when handling the car.

Of course only time will tell on how this car fairs in the long run.

[CrimsonRockett]

For the love of God, someone please get a real camera and get crackin on this bish.

Photoshoot is set for this weekend I believe.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF4001.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF3985.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Brians%20Z33/DSCF4002.jpg

Every time I go to the shop, it's super cloudy.

Not enough sun to capture the paint effect.

Took the car in for an alignment yesterday.

7 degrees of camber out back.

:rofl:

[ayuaddict]

well that car looks GOOD.

congrats and nice to see it turned out okay.

[exitspeed]

WOULD YOU JUST TELL US THE DAMN PAINT CODE ALREADY!?

lol

[CrimsonRockett]

Never.

The last thing we need is a bunch of people copying the color.

:D

It was a custom mix anyway.

Good luck trying to match it.

Haha.

[exitspeed]

Never.

The last thing we need is a bunch of people copying the color.

:D

It was a custom mix anyway.

Good luck trying to match it.

Haha.

You shoulda said that like 3 pages ago. :ghey:

I don't blame ya. But people kept asking/speculating.

[xBtony]

Wow. this thing's come a long way. looks fuckin rad now! Great work

[serris]

Never.

The last thing we need is a bunch of people copying the color.

:D

It was a custom mix anyway.

Good luck trying to match it.

Haha.

Yup, the base coat alone is a mix of 6 colors.

[exitspeed]

Yup, the base coat alone is a mix of 6 colors.

So how are you feeling about all of this now that your car went from destroyed to pretty damn pretty?

I bet it's a big relief.

[tacotacotaco]

I know the paint code, its very simple its the process shooting it to get the effect.
Im staring at the car now from the office while it sits in the sun freaking sick.

[Vision Garage]

somehow i was expecting it to be darker.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/Angry%20Panda/DSCF2163.jpg

[CrimsonRockett]

Different lighting = different effect.

[serris]

It's a big relief but I still can't really drive it yet.

Need toe arms badly. Got 2 degrees more to go until it's where I need it. The tires are pigeon toed in the back!

So close, yet so far! :rant2:

At least this way, I know that it'll be hassle free after the toe arms are installed.

Then I get to worry about door dings, scratches, haters, etc. :p

The other relief is that court is done. Just need to wait for the judgement to come in the mail.

[exitspeed]

It's a big relief but I still can't really drive it yet.

Need toe arms badly. Got 2 degrees more to go until it's where I need it. The tires are pigeon toed in the back!

So close, yet so far! :rant2:

At least this way, I know that it'll be hassle free after the toe arms are installed.

Then I get to worry about door dings, scratches, haters, etc. :p

The other relief is that court is done. Just need to wait for the judgement to come in the mail.

Very nice. I know the "so close but so far away" feeling.

Glad things seemed to have worked out for ya.

[tacotacotaco]

Heres a couple shots in the light. Paint, damage, repair and kit fitment was done by David of APF final preperation, blocking color sanding and buffing was done by me. Amazing what you can learn partnering with a pro.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/IMG00049-20091202-1616.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/IMG00056-20091203-1340.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/IMG00054-20091203-1157.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/IMG00057-20091203-1341.jpghttp://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/doohopark/IMG00051-20091202-1628.jpg

[shishcabobers]

That looks absolutely great.

[SexPanda]

Thats purdy. Im glad it was fixable. The damage was pretty harsh, but now it looks better than ever.

[kingkilburn]

I gotta say I'm not feeling the gray. Maybe if it was slightly metallic.

Having said that. . . WOW, that is a huge change from when it was originally posted. Props to the guys who did the work.

[kris]

after skimming the thread about this guy I have come to the conclusion he should never work on a car again. I mean i painted my own car in my garage and it looks show quality compared to than anything he has done not to mention I have ZERO training.

Please put this guy outta business.

[serris]

Very nice. I know the "so close but so far away" feeling.

Glad things seemed to have worked out for ya.

Thanks for the compliments and support of everyone on this thread!

after skimming the thread about this guy I have come to the conclusion he should never work on a car again. I mean i painted my own car in my garage and it looks show quality compared to than anything he has done not to mention I have ZERO training.

Please put this guy outta business.

After what he did to my car and what he said in court, I don't think we need to do anything for that to happen. He's doing a good enough job himself. ;)

I gotta say I'm not feeling the gray. Maybe if it was slightly metallic.

Having said that. . . WOW, that is a huge change from when it was originally posted. Props to the guys who did the work.

I didn't feel it at first, but in person, it's totally different.

If any of you want to see it in person, there's a huge meet at Fontana Nissan that I'll be attending on 12/12. Hope to see some of you there!

I think someone from here is already bringing about 15 S chassis guys with them.

[JEDIs13]

If any of you want to see it in person, there's a huge meet at Fontana Nissan that I'll be attending on 12/12. Hope to see some of you there!

I think someone from here is already bringing about 15 S chassis guys with them.


i'll be out there with a few friends. ill definitely look for your car

[Daniel.]

The suit should be through all the litigation right? Tell us what he said in the courtroom! :D

[IMPORTIMAGE]

Absolutely destroyed that Z, sorry to see that!

Just for the record we are a totally different company not to be confused with that import image.

We are Import Image Racing based in FL!

Regards,
[email protected]

[serris]

The suit should be through all the litigation right? Tell us what he said in the courtroom! :D

There were two things that pretty much put him under...

First being that he said "You get what you pay for" to the judge. The judge had a :tweak: look on his face and then said that even if a customer pays a low amount, there has to be some level of professionalism shown by his business.

Second thing is the judge asked why the paint was flaking off in some spots after a day, not to mention half of it coming off a month later. Mike then said that his worker didn't add in an additive to make it stick to the material. He also added that he didn't get a chance to quality control the work. He also said to the judge that he told me he would fix the paint coming off the following weekend. The judge then asked, "Well, why wasn't it done right the first time?"

The trial ended with the judge asking how much the average of the estimates were and finished by saying that he will talk to some experts in the field and the judgement will be sent in the mail.

Now, this doesn't exactly mean I won, but it's looking like it is mostly in my favor.



Just for the record we are a totally different company not to be confused with that import image.

We are Import Image Racing based in FL!


I don't think you need to worry about that as much, Billy! He's changed his company to iDesigns.

[yokotas13]

fuck, i weish i could get my money back from him
im out a g and some change

[Om1kron]

It's a big relief but I still can't really drive it yet.

Then I get to worry about door dings, scratches, haters, etc. :p
.

hah... wait till you actually drive it somewhere for the first time and you start getting paint chips. I guess I don't care that much being I have a half gallon of paint left and can get anything I need resprayed at any time.

[tacotacotaco]

Show it for now then take it to the track next fall!!!