Ok, so at this point I am not going to do anything more than tell my story as things are not resolved. Once a resolution is made I will see how much more specific I can be.

I decided to get a bodykit for my '07 coupe. After contacting a few people I decided to follow price (I know, you get what you pay for) but had the understanding that if the pieces didn't work out they could be returned. The seller doesn't matter at this point because, while the kit was rough, there was nothing unexpected when I oppened the box. Another thing, everything arrived very quickly, I think like 3 to 4 days after placing the order!

Ok, so I had been checking around with various guys in my area and went to a local shop recommended by a local member where he just got his kit painted and installed. Total install quote over the phone at this shop was $600, but knowing the shape of the kit I assumed it would be more like $800 or so. Again, you get what you pay for.

So I take it in to the shop on Friday, Oct. 17 and the bodyshop manager says, "You just have a jet black car, nothing crazy with the paint, won't be hard to match. Leave the car with us overnight, we will fit the kit and then you can have your car back while we do all the painting." I am very excited by this news as the cost of renting a car is crazy!

I leave the car and come back the next day around noon, he says he is done fitting the kit but wants to talk about it. He takes me back to look at the kit (already removed from the car) to show me how rough the kit is. He says it is going to be a lot of work to smooth the kit out and says the price is going to be $1500-$1800 to do the work. I tell him I didn't intend to spend over $1100 and he says "Well, then we will shoot for $1,100!". I am a little put off by this but I want it done right so I agree and take the car home with stock parts on it to await his call that the kit has been painted. The time estimate is a week on smoothing it out and painting it (so I am thinking install the next Friday (10/24) or Saturday (10/25)). I call him that Friday and he says it won't be ready until Monday the 27th. I explain that I can't bring it in during thier office hours due to work conflicts and agree to drop the car off to get the kit installed on Thursday, Oct 30, night so they can have the car on Friday and Sat I can pick it up. Again, I am excited as November 1 (Saturday) is a local meet and I will get to show off my new mods!

I come to pick it up and the bodyshop manager explains that they are having trouble with the rear bumper so he installed the front and left the rest of the stock parts on so that I could have my car back for the weekend and they would continue working on the rear bumper next week. I am upset but want it done right so I accept the partial install for now.

I asked what went wrong, I thought they test fit it and everything was fine, and he says something must have gone wrong during the painting process, that it just doesn't line up quite right and they want me to be happy. This helps settle my mind, but then I ask how hard it will be to install the skirts and he says it will be easy, just time consuming as they have to let the glue dry... I say WTF, Glue? He explains they plan to glue to skirts to the car. I tell him there has to be another way, that I don't even know if I like the looks of this kit, I want to be able to remove it! I remember reading on here about some clips you can use to install the kit and I set out to find them. I find them, and drop one off with him. He says he will take a look and see if they can make it work. Off to the meet I go.

On to my next drop off of the car, November 5th, Wednesday. I drop the car off that evening and he says I should have it back on Friday at the latest, I get a call on Friday explaining that it won't be ready until Saturday as they are still having trouble with the rear bumper. Saturday I stop in to see the car, there is about an inch gap all around where the bumper meets the rear fender, the body lines don't meet up.. it looks bad! Bodyshop manager isn't in for the day, I ask the tech about the clips I left, if they will work for the skirts... He doesn't know what I am talking about, says he was just going to screw through them into the car... I say HECK NO, lets find that clip. It was in the managers office on his desk, a perfect fit! Man I love this forum, great information out there! So I make a run and find the rest of the clips he will need, 12 in total. The guy tells me this is the best he can do on the bumper, leaving that gap. I say it isn't good enough and I will talk to the manager. I call the guy on his cell and explain that it isn't going to be good enough and he says "Our shop doesn't turn out that kind of work, trust me, it will look great. I won't send your car out unless it is the quality I would have on my own car."

This brings us to yesterday, Monday (11/10/2008). No call, bodyshop manager is out again. I drop by just before closing to see that nothing has changed on the rear bumper AND..... sideskirts have been screwed to the car!!! With metal flashing screws!!! Also, there is about a 1 inch gap between the flange of the skirt and the step of the car so I can see down into the sideskirt when the door is open!!! And the guy tried to torque the skirt to the car and broke the flange on the skirt around his screw!!!! LOOKS BAD!!! (didn't have my camera, but going back in today to take pics and ask more questions). And, he didn't use the stupid clips I spent an hour looking for and $30!!

What can I do? Can I tell them this isn't the quality of work expected and that not only do I not expect to pay for the work done but that I expect them to buy the kit from me and reinstall my stock parts if they can't do a better job?

Rant over, pics to come when I have time to go over there, and more to come after I talk to the manager... or maybe an owner (small shop).

 

Document all ur trips and what happened and take plently of pics just in case u have to build a case. I would give the manager another chance to make things right first. If that doesn't happen, then u'll need to get another body shop to give u an estimate to fix their screw ups and take them to court if they don't make good on the situation.

Honestly $600-$800 sounded way too cheap for a quality job, $1,100 sounded more fair and I'd probably have to pay more around here. good luck

 

Yeah, I was ok with the $1,100 but $1500-$1800 was a bit much for me.. If it gets worked out, I will be happy... if not, I am just afraid they have my car and can put a lein on it if I don't accept the bill....

 

You got Nismo Front, Greddy Skirts, and Kenstyle rear correct? Why didn't you just buy them off of Ericisklumyzee, I've never heard of a fitiment issue with his pieces.

And I'm I don't know much about body kits, but can't you just put on the Nismo Front and Sideskirts yourself? I mean if all you have to do is clip it on and the font bumper is just a couple screws, why didn't you get it painted and then install it yourself and only have them install the back bumper?

 

I got Nismo front, KS sides and rear. I was in the works with Eric, but then found a place that also had a fitment guarantee for about half the price. Like I said, you get what you pay for. The skirts didn't have clips on them, so my goal was to buy the clips I found on here, they were actually GM Headlight Adjuster Screw Assemblies, but the plastic clip portion fits PERFECT in the square clip cutout that stock sides clip into. After buying the clips, I assumed the guy would glue or bond the clip to the skirt, maybe even fiberglas around the base of the clip so it becomes one with the skirt... but I don't know anything about body work, just an assumption on my part. Then, when the skirts are installed, they would simply "Clip" to the stock clip locations for easy install/removal....

What the shop did is use two mounting points. clips from the bottom up into the car, and screws from the side into the car. I think the clips on the bottom hold the skirt in the correct location so that the exterior lines on the side look good, but when you open the door you see 6 flashing screws through the skirt into the car frame. Now, don't get me wrong, if the screws were the only way to go, I am fine with it but there should be NO GAP between skirt and car, correct? Currently I can stick my finger between the skirt and the car frame along the entire door seal.

Maybe I should have gone with Eric's kit, but then again, the seller of this kit would have stood behind it had the shop told me there were these issues before cutting and painting and all sorts of junk to try and get them in place. With that in mind, I specifically told the shop manager about the guarantee and he assured me it would be no problem to get the kit to fit the car.

As it is, I will have to remove front bumper in order to replace the screen that is in it (they left metalic screen and I want black mesh) so I will learn how to take it apart and put it back together!

 

I hate to say it but maybe the screws hit something they shouldn't have and can't go in anymore

Good luck with everything bro, hopefully they will cover part of the cost.

 

Well, he has more room to torque down on the screws, but the skirt itself is sitting too far away from the body of the car. When he did "close" the gap, it simply busted the skirt fiberglass around the screw hole. I don't know, he didn't use washers or anything to spread the tension on the skirt at the binding point of the screw, and the screw head isn't any bigger than the area of a dime! To me, it looks like the head could (at some point after a little wear) pull right through the skirt!

Oh well... I am going to see the guy around 3pm... he just called and said "Hey man, everything is looking good... gotta tidy upa little bit on one of hte skirts so you should have it back tonight or tomorrow." I said, well, when I came by last night it didn't look good at all so I need to come in to talk to you about it!

We will see....

 

pick ur effin car up asap, stop bringing your ride to this butcher. have RELIABLE shop put it on and have him front the bill. its a body kit and some fiberglass, its not THAT complicated

 

Ok, so the gaps aren't as bad today, guess he worked on them as I was pretty pissed yesterday. Now, they aren't as bad, but still there and still bother me. Here are the pics I took, mind you the car hasn't been washed.

Rear Bumper Drivers side






REAR Bumper Passenger Side






Passenger Side Skirt




Driver Side Skirt

 

WOW man....you used the shop I recommended huh...I could tell by the way you said it wasnt ready on time. But I did mention that when I recommended them. Im sorry that all that happened, and the screws on the side is ridiculous. Alot of the gaps look like its more of the shape of the bumper than how it was installed though. You know I have the exact same kit, although my front and rear were from Klumzyee, and youve seen my car kit and everything lined up great. Like you said before, you get what you pay for. Mine was 700 prep, painted, and installed out the door though. Is your front fiberglass or poly? You might see about checkin on that fitment guarantee from wherever you bought the kit. This is a risk you take when buyin replica kits, theres a small gap in my replica sides, but not that bad. Best of luck with gettin it resolved and let me know what happens.

 

dont wanna be a dick but the sideskirts looks bad and those metal screw is

 

What I have come to realize is that the damage is done, the skirts have already been screwed to the car so not a lot I can do about it. He did say he would paint over the screws so they won't be as noticable. He also said they were going to take another look at the rear bumper fitment today so we will see what he comes back with.

THEN, I asked how hard it will be to change out the mesh in the front bumper as they put some silver looking mesh in there when I want to black it out and he said "Very hard". I was like, isn't it just some screwes and stuff? He said they pretty much had to glue it to the car?!?!

Starting to second guess my attempt at making my car unique....

 

At least now you know that when you buy replicas, you have to buy the higher quality ones. Although the shop made some dumbass decisions, they never would have had to if it had fit properly in the first place. At least you know now for future cars.

 

I think it is semi your fault for getting a bad kit. But the screws in the side skirts and the cracking it is BS. Atleast they seem to be trying to make the best of it. Wish you luck

 

But, had I known the kit didn't fit I could have returned it... until they tried to make it fit.... I told this guy up front that if there was any issue with fitment to tell me as there is a return policy... he said everything was great when they fit it.

Last night he said that they fit it when there is no paint, but that the weight of the paint and the baking of the paint changes the bumper and they have to rework it to make it fit.... but should it have changed this much?!?!