Hiboost

iTrader: (9)

I just got springs installed and an alignment done at a local Firestone shop. Sadly the Firestone I had install the springs and do the alignment somehow scratched up my passenger side skirt while installing the rear springs. I know that you take the rear seats out and it appears they just dragged them out while on the lift... I'm so letting the manager have it come Monday morning!

I did some quick paint cleaner and wax on the scratches and you can still see them... plus they chipped the paint inside the door area so there is no rubbing those out...

I may be able to use some rubbing compound on the scratches to reduce their depth but it's not a permanent fix... Damnit, why weren't they more carefull? My car has 1600 miles, goes to show that some jobs you just need to do yourself but I don't have a laser alignment machine in my garage yet.

Still deciding if repainting is worth it or if I should have them pay for a body shop to rub them out professionally. Replacing the entire sideskirt with a factory prepainted part would be my choice to avoid the hassles of getting it painted locally assuming it will put me out of a car for a few days.

jimm

iTrader: (3)

Have them buy you new ones. It is why I am having a Lexus dealership install my coilovers...every time I have had firestone or similar calibre place work on my car they break something... I had a battery cable go bad on a car after Pep boys replaced the battery....I mean, how can you screw that up? They broke a tong on the cable and then cut /spliced it below..did a crappy job and ended up ruining a 300 dollar cable. Firestone screwed up my brakes...took them in 3 times before I just said F it and paid the dealer to fix them the right way.

Hiboost

iTrader: (9)

Looks like $270 to prep and paint the Side Skirt and also spray the inner door jam/replace warning sticker. The question is about down time, it's never going to be convenient being without the car for even a day.

08EvoXGSR

You need to pull the rear seat for springs? Why for? I got the whole coilover set up installed in less then 3 hours pulling just the trunk...that sucks tho. I use a local Dodge dealer for all my work (close to home, know the guys, and I get a loaner for the day). I havent been to a Tiresplus, ect in 3 years. And wont go to one again. Let em have it!

Hiboost

iTrader: (9)

Yeah lesson learned, I should have self installed or had the dealer do it since I know them pretty well and they treat my car like it should there. I also get a free loaner with them if it will take longer than an hour which is convenient. The biggest thing was the lack of being able to do the alignment all at one place.

They are covering a 2 day rental car from Hertz next to the autoshop and it should be as good as new Wednesday night if all goes well. We will see how it turns out.

EVORaab

iTrader: (6)

Good now you can take them off jk sre

wickedchimp

iTrader: (2)

Just for the record: The rear seats do not have to come out for a spring install. Ive done it with hand tools in my garage.

CC16

The picture doesnt look too awful bad. Looks like something that could be merely wetsanded and buffed out. Can you feel the scratch with your nail? If you cant then you can get it out. If you can youre cooked for the most part. Downtime for that should only be a maximum of 1 day. Say you dropped it off on a monday morning, it should be ready to roll the next afternoon, assuming they jump on it. Thats how it would go where I work.

Sharkbite2000

iTrader: (21)

ouch.

dcorn

iTrader: (1)

That's all well and good, but why not just do the work yourself? Stuff like this wouldn't happen because you would be more careful with your own car. Those guys at normal shops don't give a crap because they know the shop will usually take the heat instead of them. When I had my first car, I didn't know much about it except I wanted to mod it. Had a shop install shocks and sleeve coilovers for $250. Turns out they installed the coilovers with the front sleeve on the rear and vice versa, plus didn't install the rear shocks because the stock bolts were frozen onto the shock eyes. This was a place that built custom hot rods all day and they couldn't do a basic install on a civic.

I've learned there is no point in paying someone a bunch of money for an install that I can easily do myself. Suspension stuff is generally very easy and doesn't take much time or tools to do. Get on a forum like this and see if some local guys will help you out if you need it, and most guys will take a meal or case of beer as payment. The only thing a shop has done to my mustang is alignments and mounting tires. The rest was just myself and friends in my garage or theirs. That way you know exactly what is up with the car if something goes wrong in the future. In the long run, its nice to know everything you can about your car.


Oh, and if they took out the rear seats to install springs, they are incompetent.

Hiboost

iTrader: (9)

Yeah, I'm sure it was the first Evo X they saw and it wasn't even in their computer. I guess I like to push the envelope, next time I will do the install and only have them do an alignment or bring it to a specialty shop. I dropped off the car this morning and they should get it back to me tomorrow night. Hertz rental was included (Corolla! haha) so we will see how it turns out. You can feel the scatches with your fingernail so it needed to be sanded and sprayed.

jimm

iTrader: (3)

I am getting them to do it because i will need to have an alignment afterward and, from what I hear, putting coils on an Evo is childs play next to the G35 (yeah, i know I wrote lexus instead of Infiniti). Besides, they are used to dealing with highpriced cars with picky owners and I know the shop manager.

StevenStarke

iTrader: (77)

to be honest, I probably would had left it. I guess we'll see how it turns out afterward but unless they use a REALLY good body shop, it could end up worse then it is and then its noticeably painted. I hate getting paint work on a car

soldi3rappl3

use quixx scratch remover it worked on my car

Hiboost

iTrader: (9)

I got it back today with a lifetime warranty on the paint work they did. I did notice a couple slight nibs in the clear coat which they guy offered to wet sand out... but they were under the door jam when it was closed so I passed. Overall they did a good job everywhere else and my eyes are like eagle eyes now that I had Lasik done...

Overall I learned my lesson, do it yourself if you want it done right. Or at least if you screw something up it can only be your own fault.