rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

His rim holder&^&^

PS...the first pic looks like WHOAH...wtf did you do with that color, but up against the car and with the center cap and once tires are mounted it will look amazing!

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Im loving the color. It looks graphite in some pics, battleship grey in others...good choice.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I said "BITCH COME HOLD MY WHEEL FOR ME".

Not really but it's fun to fantasize

And yeah I know. It's really hard to take pictures of the wheels because the damn color doesn't stay the same. It's pretty damn cool though

Do it! There are many more TLs on the TL-S wheels than the A-Specs. Plus 18s > 17s imo.

And that's the same hottie that comes to all of the meets with me

Rim holder ftw!

Yeah man the wheels are crazy. At some angles I'm like, uhhhhhh that's not the color I picked out, but then at some angles and light settings I'm like, omfg sooooo dopeeeee. Honestly I'm happy with whatever color they decide to be, they look so much better than they did before the powdercoat

BUT neither centercap looks good on the wheels. The Type-S is much darker and looks more blue. The original Gunmetal centercaps are too dark as well and are more silver. Fml.

Thanks Morgan! Battleship grey, I like that.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Hey...go to fastsigns...or somewhere that makes custom decals/stickers and have them MAKE a decal you can put over the center cap. I'm thinking...so a white backround with a gunmetal colored "A" or the other way around.
An idea, takes a few days for them to make em and will run you about $40 BUT, will be one of a kind!

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

So today was the day I decided to get the tires mounted on the wheels. My spacers should be here within the next few days and I wanted to make sure everything was ready to go when they got here. I dropped the wheels off at 7:54 this morning at a local "nationally known" shop that I would rather not officially name in case shit hits the fan. Now the plot thickens...

To spare details and such I'm just going to SparkNote it for yall...

-Drop off the wheels at "Shop X"
-Go to class
-Pick up wheels after class
-Bring wheels home
-Notice that one wheel has a scuff mark on it
-Check other wheels and they all have scratches, rough spots, and other imperfections on them
-Take pictures of damage
-Call general manager at "Shop X"
-I'm told that "it happens"
-I tell him that they didn't scratch the stock wheels I brought to them not even two weeks ago and that I've had powdercoated wheels mounted before at other shops with no issues.
-He offers to look at them that afternoon. I have a doctor appt and have to work so we agree to look at the wheels tomorrow afternoon after class.
-I contact my powdercoat guy and tell him what happens/describe the damage.
-He tells me they will most likely have to be sandblasted down to the original metal and powdercoated again. $350.
-I freak out

To say the least I'm furious BUT I'm trying to be reasonable. I'm not trying to be one of those asshole customers, I work with people so I know how it is, but then again I've invested quite a chunk of change into this powdercoating venture and I don't want to get screwed. I want this process done right the first time and that's why I'm not settling. I'm going to be nice about it tomorrow, I'm not going in there with my guns blazing, but I made it clear over the phone that I wasn't happy. He knows what kind of condition the wheels were when I dropped them off, pretty much flawless, and it's apparent that the damage caused to my wheels is from the tire mounting machine.

What do I want from the shop? I want $350 to have the wheels powdercoated again and I want to be reimbursed the ~$95 I paid today for the wheels to be mounted and balanced. Nothing more, nothing less.

Look at these pictures and tell me what you think. The white stuff on the tires is the lube that was used to mount the tires on the wheels. The shop didn't clean that off for me. All of the damage is within 1" from the outside of the wheel.



Look hard, but the area between the spokes is rough, probably like 500 grit sandpaper:





































Am I being unreasonable? Would you just sit back and accept the damage?

I'm just hurt more than anything. I've been waiting to have these wheels refinished ever since I got them in 2008. I hope the shop is cooperative in having the wheels redone at their cost.

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

I hate to say this, but in the back of my mind throughout this whole process (of you getting your wheels redone), I thought to myself "Man I hope they don't mess the wheels up when they mount the tires..." And they did. Ugh.

SUCKS. The mother f'ers at Midas scratched a brand new rim up on my car in multiple places. I don't understand how careless you have to be to just do that. Did they think you're going to not notice?

Now as to what to do...I'm not sure. By all means, I obviously think you're entitled to have them redone if you want. At the same time...the scuffs aren't too noticeable and would be liveable. But then again, you've waited so long for them to be perfect. Tough choice. You're in the right either way. Have the shop cut you a check for the amount it costs to refinish them and then decide. You aren't being unreasonable at all. That was someone else's mistake.

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Omg wtf!! Oh hell no bro, thats a SHITTY ASS mounting job! I would go bananas if these were my wheels...."it happens"??? What kind of a response is that??? They better be forking over some money for this. Sorry to see this happen to you Tyler, I know how much this must hurt.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Im going to throw a guess out there, Firestone?

Send the pics to the powdercoater too and see what they say needs to be done after looking at them. I cant really tell how bad it is, but if its just scuffs you may be able to buff them out (my old powdercoater told me that if they get scuffed/scratched, treat it like paint). If they can be buffed out, Id still want some reimbursement because their techs were careless. If its down to the metal, then yea it definitely needs to be stripped/recoated.

Either way, I would not just live with it. The rims were freshly redone when you dropped them off and their techs fucked up.

This sucks though. Next time look around at the smaller shops and ask them what sort of mounting and balance machines they use (Hunter Roadforce balancers are one of the best out there). The shop I use clamps onto the wheel from behind (or within the barrel), nothing touches the face of the wheel at all. I also have the owner do the work because usually my wheels are freshly coated/painted and he doesnt want to risk one of his techs scratching them.

badazzTL-S

OMG!! Tyler, Only go to shops that use Hunter machines!!! Make those assholes pay.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Car looks sexy, man.

Sucks about what happened to the A-Specs.

Hope all turns out well =)

myron

iTrader: (4)

oh man that fucking sucks. They look so nice painted like that. hope all gets sorted out

HOCKEYMAN23

Dude...what the hell?!? Sorry to see this. Scratch-X polish might help you out, but I'm not sure how deep the scratches are from the pics. The stuff has worked really well for me on surface scratches on the car, just buffed out several long scratches on my rear passenger quarter panel last weekend, can't see them at all now. Maybe give that a try in the interim?

The response of "it happens" comes from someone who does not know or care about modified cars/custom wheels (and obviously not about keeping customers happy)...hope this works out the right way for ya man.

Beat-Freak...

I stayed tuned for some fugly scratched up rims? Not cool man. Hopefully you get that taken care of, free of charge of course.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Looks like the guide wheel (rollerskate lookin wheel) they use to pull the tire into place wasn't rolling well and was kinda "dragged" along the edge a bit.

In my opinion, it's a lesson learned and really stinks. To think I've let Tires plus mount/remount my work wheels...lucky they haven't really messed them up. They did a number on my apsecs too though...i just didn't sweat it cause they were already curbed.

I will say that because you got the extra gloss on the rims...you can PROBABLY just try and compound that out and it'll be smooth again. Sucks to have to get your hands dirty but I'd give it a whirl on resolving yourself first. Try and compound and if it doesn't get rid of it go more agressive first like 2000 grit wetsand...then compound...you can probably get this back in shape.
Also, go to the the autoparts store and find yourself a color that you can use for the inevitable touchups you'll have to do down the line anyway...maybe like the gray primer or rim paint and some clear.

Good luck!

Roger555

iTrader: (3)

Tyler you need to take in the reciept for the powdercoating, show them the damage and have them do just as you said full payment for the work and rembersment for the mounting. How deep are these scartches can you feel them with your fingernails? You might just need to stop by and let me compound them with my portercable.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Good news, I took the wheels to the shop this morning. The general manager AND the guy who mounted the wheels came out and looked at them. They both thought the scratches could be buffed out, but they are too deep. It's hard to tell in those pictures but some of the scrapes and scratches are right through the THREE layers of clear. I'm stopping by the powdercoat shop this afternoon to get an estimate for the shop to have the wheels sandblasted back down and then re-powdercoated at no cost to me.

When the guy who mounted the wheels came out to look at them, he asked me how old the wheels were. I said, "they came back from the powdercoater last Wednesday and they've been sitting in my garage until I brought them to you yesterday". His face went white and he didn't say another word the rest of the time. He knows he screwed up but the general manager apologized, not him.

The manager told me to drop the estimate off to him this afternoon which I will do. It may have to go through corporate, but I'll do whatever it takes. I've been waiting a year and a half to have these wheels redone and I want them done PROPERLY. I'm not cutting corners with this ordeal.

Geeeeeeee thanks Craig! Fucker!

I'm sure the guy mounting the wheels saw the scratches, I mean he HAD to, but decided to cover his ass and just give them back without saying anything. Blah.

I COULD leave the wheels alone but I want them done properly. It's not like I personally messed up the wheels, that I could live with, but they weren't even in my possession when the damage occurred.

When I saw your name at the bottom of this page of members viewing this thread, I knew you were going to say something along those lines. Crazy Russian!

I was prepared for a battle but the manager is going to have them redone. He knows I wasn't happy and I know he's not happy about it either, so I'm not trying to butt heads with him for no reason. We both want the same thing out of this situation.

No comment about what shop it was. Yes.

I e-mailed my powdercoat guy last night and he said "to get the best results, they need to be redone". We talked on the phone for a bit this morning and he said he COULD try to powdercoat OVER the existing powder/clear, but often that often doesn't end well. The new coat is prone to chipping/fading/scratching easier. Meh.

My wheel guy has a shop down the street that mounts tires to many of the wheels he powdercoats. They've never damaged a wheel. I'm going to drop by there after the powdercoater

Thanks Aaron. I've been in a pretty shitty mood ever since this happened. I'm not happy that it happened but as long as they get redone, I'll be able to move on.

It's amazing how two weeks ago they mounted my stock wheels/tires with no damage whatsoever but they mess up my A-Specs. Just my luck huh?

Thank you sir! We shall see what happens!

Thanks man. It looks like the situation is working in my favor but it may be a long road ahead of me.

The scratches aren't on top of the clear coat, but rather straight through it. They are pretty deep, nothing that polish can get out.

I could tell over the phone yesterday that the manager was skeptical about the damage but when he saw the wheels in person today, he knew exactly what caused the damage.

Thanks Bee! I haven't seen you on here too often. What have you been up to? Ready for C&C this summer?

The A-Specs have always been in shitty condition so I never cared/noticed if any damage was caused to the wheels when tires were put on. BUT since the A-Specs were redone and flawless, little scratches and stuff show up really easily. I'm just glad I caught the damage before I mounted the wheels.

I thought about compounding and all of that but it's not my responsibility to try to fix them and help the shop out. They caused the damage and they are (respectfully and cooperatively) going to have them fixed. Nothing I did caused the scratches therefore I don't feel the need to fix them myself.

I haven't discussed about being reimbursed for the mounting process with the manager yet, but I will. I want to get the powdercoating settled first before I start looking for a refund on labor.

The scratches are deeper than the pics show. Some of the damage is on the lip between the spokes and that is rough as sandpaper. Nothing compound can fix.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

That sucks that they need to be redone. Definitely make sure you get reimbursed BEFORE you have the powdercoater start the work though.

Good luck with everything, and Im glad that the manager was willing to work with you on this.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Well, I wasn't telling you you should...I'm just like that. If I can rectify myself i'd rather avoid the headache...definitely would be pissed too.

On another note, you can now get the a specs powdercoated that dark teal color you wanted!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I'm sure that the shop will directly pay the powdercoat place for the repair. That way I don't get involved with the money. We shall see!

It was a good idea! If I had caused the damage myself, without a doubt I would try to fix them myself, but it's not money out of my pocket now.

Teal wheels ftw! I want a set eventually but I want to keep the A-Specs gunmetal. I know you were iffy on the color but what do you think about them now?...



Look much better since the tires were mounted. Sadly I'm sure it will be a few weeks until they are officially on the car.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Colour looks good!

HOCKEYMAN23

Glad they're willing to work with you to make this right. That's the way it should be, plain and simple. The guy that did it is a tool for just trying to cover up his mistake by hoping nobody would notice. Such BS. Be legit and own up to your mistake, for real. Sounds like the manager is going to do right by you though, which is what matters. Hope you get them done soon man...that color is really nice. I'd rock those on my anthracite for sure!

On a side note, my resonated ATLP base should be here in a couple days max...can't wait to get the parts on! Doing a big photoshoot tomorrow for a car show me and a few guys are planning for the summer, gotta get the website & promo stuff together. Too bad the exhaust won't be on in time, but oh well. I'm sure it will be worth the wait...

Beat-Freak...

Tyler, yeah didn't feel like multi-quoting everybody. C&C, Hell yeah I'm always down for a meet. Its getting warmer so we'll be cool. See you in the regions thread.

06cmv6

good grief that totally sux....i hope everything works out and they get fixed properly

Ms. CLtotheTL32

hey love i'm so glad the wheel situation is working out! the car's looking good, i'm proud!

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

damn!! sucks about the wheels, but im glad things are working to your favor

furious20

the shop X .. make me furious too
I better not use that shop

but rims still look awesome.

Italiano

ah isnt that sweet,lol j/k
Tyler its like when u buy some new shoes in highschool and everybody is stepping on them. But your old dirty shoes you wore around school never got a scratch

nate_0022

iTrader: (2)

How is the ride quality with S-techs? I'm considering these as well or I might just save for the Megan coils. Did you need a camber kit or anything?

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

a/s/l

lol

Aman

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

one of a kind color...I'm diggin it, man!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Oooooo la la! Thank you sir!

Thanks Zach. I haven't heard from the shop yet today but I'm planning on dropping by there after class today.

It's been a few days since you posted that reply, so is the exhaust on yet? I mashed the gas through a tunnel yesterday and I almost busted a nut. Not really but damn the exhaust sounds good

Sounds good sir

Thanks! I'm hoping to have everything finished within the next two weeks. The spacers should be here this week.

Thanks boo! Thanks for joining the dark side on AZ

Thanks man! Yeah the situation is frustrating to say the least but I'm glad they are going to be fixed.

Thanks! They will look even better when they are on my car UNDAMAGED. Ugh.

Don't hate!

And holy shit you're right, that's an awesome analogy. Fucking people.

I'm impressed with the S-Techs. I thought the ride would be way worse but it's not bad at all. I didn't NEED a rear camber kit, but I try to get the most miles out of my tires, so I went ahead and bought one. I'll most likely get one for the front as well so everything is in spec.



You have a girl. Gtfo.

Yeah he's a goofy ass Russian. Please excuse him.

Thanks Jeremy!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Oh and I put my smoked license plate cover back on. Not really a "OMG MODZZZZZZ" but it didn't cost me anything and changed up the look of the car a bit...

jwr0ng626

iTrader: (1)

i do like the plate! sorta matches the tails lol

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I dropped by the tire shop earlier. Corporate is sending a check to the powdercoater and once my guy gets the check, I'll be brining him my wheels.

Thanks! Here's another picture I took that day...

CubanLynx84

iTrader: (2)

this should be your avatar pic

And that's good money right there that the wheel shop is paying for your wheels to get fixed.

jwr0ng626

iTrader: (1)

^yupp they def took care of u! good stuff

Aman

for plate covers. Rocking the blue tinted ones on my vehikul

Do you find that you license plate lights seem significantly less effective with them on? My plate lights - um, I mean light - don't light up jack.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

In Florida, they can pull you over and supposedly ALL license plate covers are illegal now. I'm guessing it's because of the intersection light tickets they have now...and the pay by plate toll system we've adopted.

On a side note, highly considering one of these...
http://www.flipaplate.com/carflipper.html