Bad Week

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
I think it more important that Mike updates us on buster's status.


What happened to buster??????????????

He got the banhammer.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
I think it more important that Mike updates us on buster's status.


What happened to buster??????????????

He got the banhammer.


Oh, yes, I knew that. I assumed it wasn't permanent...... I've been banned a few times myself (shocking, I know).

I just thought that post was alluding to something more serious.

 

[addyguy]

Would be nice to see Buster back here. I can't imagine him doing something SO severe that it would be a permanent ban.

If he doesn't WANT to come back, then that's his choice....

 

[Jeepster_nut]

Mistake number 1...

Originally Posted By: The Critic

Brought this kit to an old HS classmate of mine, who used to be an installer for his body shop.


Mistake number 2...

Originally Posted By: The Critic

I bought a pre-cut window tint set off a website


Dont mean to rub it in but if you had purchased the clear bra from a reputable place and had them install the clear bra in the first place they would have to stand behind their work.

Same echos true about the tint. You should have went to a place that sells and installs their own tint. This way they would have to stand behind it.

I am the same way sometimes too though. I try and control to much instead of just letting go and going to one place for everything.

 

[doitmyself]

Another lesson here, for me at least, is that when this stuff happens, it reminds me to remain humble in my daily judgment of others.

Seems like whenever I don the "self righteous, I can walk on water" attitude in judging others, it usually "comes around" very swift to bite me in the rear end.

I enjoy the company much more of those who can talk of their faults and mistakes rather than the pompous ones that only advise perfection in others.

 

[Scorch]

At least your incident's were not life threatening.

Thursday night coming home from work on I-96 coming over a small bump that goes across all three lanes of expressway my back left ball joint blew out. Car went completely sideways at 70mph but I was able to whip the steering wheel and regain control to the side of the road.

When the ball joint broke the upper control arm locked into my wheel/tire and gouged the tire sidewall to pieces and destroyed the upper control arm. This is just 3 months after having all new struts/tie-rods and being told my ball joints were perfectly fine. -_-

Anyways I got 2 new back ball joints, both with grease fittings to prevent them from seizing and breaking this time. Wednesday I'm going in to replace my 4 [censored] Bridgestone potenzas with 4 Michelin Harmony's. This is kind of just a good excuse to get rid of those hard as a rock, cupping, noisy things.

 

[Win]

I put up a new sign Thursday last week and by Saturday morning somebody had already hit it and knocked it a couple feet off vertical.

Probably one of those darned SUV's - all the electric cutoff, photoeye, etc., was at SUV bumper height and it smashed it all flat as a pancake.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Another lesson here, for me at least, is that when this stuff happens, it reminds me to remain humble in my daily judgment of others.

Seems like whenever I don the "self righteous, I can walk on water" attitude in judging others, it usually "comes around" very swift to bite me in the rear end.

I enjoy the company much more of those who can talk of their faults and mistakes rather than the pompous ones that only advise perfection in others.



So very true.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Scorch
At least your incident's were not life threatening.

Thursday night coming home from work on I-96 coming over a small bump that goes across all three lanes of expressway my back left ball joint blew out. Car went completely sideways at 70mph but I was able to whip the steering wheel and regain control to the side of the road.

When the ball joint broke the upper control arm locked into my wheel/tire and gouged the tire sidewall to pieces and destroyed the upper control arm. This is just 3 months after having all new struts/tie-rods and being told my ball joints were perfectly fine. -_-

Anyways I got 2 new back ball joints, both with grease fittings to prevent them from seizing and breaking this time. Wednesday I'm going in to replace my 4 [censored] Bridgestone potenzas with 4 Michelin Harmony's. This is kind of just a good excuse to get rid of those hard as a rock, cupping, noisy things.




Yikes! I nearly had that with a tire on 94 a few years ago. That was pretty scary...


Makes me wonder if it is the bump on the west side of telegraph rd..... Adding to the odd-We're updating the front end of the wife's car...including struts and control arms...

 

[Pop_Rivit]

The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.

 

[Drew99GT]

Last week, I put a new starter in my car, all new fuel injector o-rings/grommets (they were seeping fuel onto the exhaust

), the battery and starter on my pop's car died, and I had to get a 3rd alignment and set of tires for my mom's car.

 

[Scorch]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: Scorch
At least your incident's were not life threatening.

Thursday night coming home from work on I-96 coming over a small bump that goes across all three lanes of expressway my back left ball joint blew out. Car went completely sideways at 70mph but I was able to whip the steering wheel and regain control to the side of the road.

When the ball joint broke the upper control arm locked into my wheel/tire and gouged the tire sidewall to pieces and destroyed the upper control arm. This is just 3 months after having all new struts/tie-rods and being told my ball joints were perfectly fine. -_-

Anyways I got 2 new back ball joints, both with grease fittings to prevent them from seizing and breaking this time. Wednesday I'm going in to replace my 4 [censored] Bridgestone potenzas with 4 Michelin Harmony's. This is kind of just a good excuse to get rid of those hard as a rock, cupping, noisy things.




Yikes! I nearly had that with a tire on 94 a few years ago. That was pretty scary...


Makes me wonder if it is the bump on the west side of telegraph rd..... Adding to the odd-We're updating the front end of the wife's car...including struts and control arms...


Actually it was Westbound 96 where you can Merge onto 23 North and 23 North/South Merge into 96 just before Brighton.

I honestly thought it was just a blown tire when it first happened, not so lucky...$337 for 2 new ball joints.

I was literally broken down between an off Ramp and 2 on ramps at 5:30PM rush hour traffic on the right side. Couldn't light a flare since everything is so dry around here so I just stood in the ditch, luckily Corrigan showed up with a flatbed tow in less than 10 minutes.

 

[Dave Hess]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Any lessons learned from this week????

We've all been there, and IMO it is that trying to scheme a deal, unless you have the skills to DIY, is going to be hit or miss at best. We already know that most people do sloppy work, and dont care that much... Add on top of it that youre circumventing one avenue to their profit, and they may do an even poorer job.


Thats like going to Home Depot or Lowe's and buying very high quality merchandise for your house and letting some unlicensed contractor named Pedro you met in the parking lot do the installation of your bathroom or kitchen just to save a few bucks on labor.

 

[kkreit01]

This is why certain items are best left for the pros. I'm all for DIY, but I would never touch tint or clear bra -- nor let a "buddy". I tried the pre-cut tint once. I totally trashed it. Luckily, I was only out ~ $20 (2 windows). I just don't have the patience for that type of work. A pro job costs less than $200, and they will make it right until it's perfect. I always have my windows professionally done.

My week is pretty uneventful as far as my autos go. Our home is getting a new roof, so there's some excitement. He's starting 3 weeks later than original date. The workers can only work until 2 PM due to extreme heat. I don't want anyone dieing on my roof. I couldn't stand it an hour. I don't know how they do it.

 

[01rangerxl]

To get the quality you want, you have to go with a good installer...one that doesn't need pre-cut tint.

Find a shop that's been doing it for a while and has a reputation to maintain...and who carries quality tint.

With window tint, you really get what you pay for.

 

[fdcg27]

The lesson here, I think, is that trying to save a dollar by supplying materials for someone else to install is a bad idea.
Oh well, no real harm done.
As I'm fond of saying, if it can be fixed for money, it isn't that bad.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
A pro job costs less than $200, and they will make it right until it's perfect. I always have my windows professionally done.


I'll probably have the same guy who did the Mazda 3 last year do the job, but it does cost $400, not $200. He does use the pricey FormulaOne Pinnacle film though.

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
To get the quality you want, you have to go with a good installer...one that doesn't need pre-cut tint.


Surprisingly the Precision branded software that was used to cut the patterns was fantastic. No gaps, fitment was great. It was just the installer who sucked.

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette


Thats like going to Home Depot or Lowe's and buying very high quality merchandise for your house and letting some unlicensed contractor named Pedro you met in the parking lot do the installation of your bathroom or kitchen just to save a few bucks on labor.

Sad but true.

 

[Cutehumor]

critic, you forgot to mention that the work you paid for on the side was for your brand new 2011 Prius.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Live and learn. Most of my car lessons came the hard way. After attempting to do repairs on my vehicles unsuccessfully, I have a respect for mechanics. Regarding your bad tint day, I wanted some tint on some windows of my Saturn to keep my passengers cool. It was not worth it to me to pay a pro since my car is old. So, with my $10 roll of tint and watching multiple videos online I attempted tinting. I made one big miscalculation. The lady of the house decided to clean out the basement. So, I had a very energetic lady asking me questions, distracting me, etc. First window the tint was too short. Redid it OK. Second window I did not spray enough solution on adhesive side, so I have a few fingers/imperfections. I learned some lessons. Never tint when in the presence of a lady with a long honey do list. B. I am not a tint pro (but results were good enough for my needs). It is good to keep things in proper perspective. It makes life a lot easier.

 

[The Critic]

Appointments are made for Saturday for two things.

1) Have the Clear Bra evaluated by a top installer in the area. He thinks he may be able to repair it.

2) Have the front windows and front quarters stripped, and have Huper Optic Ceramic 50% installed on the fronts, and Huper Optik Ceramic 30% installed on the rear. $500 total. I'll be taking it to these guys:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/auto-mall-tint-specialist-fremont

Now I just have to figure out the windshield. One local place quoted $160 to strip and redo with more Air Blue 80. Hopefully once this expensive weekend is over, everything will be good to go.