Fiberglass box build TURNED down.. Please read. Did ask for too much?

[donpisto 5,000+ posts]

How would you feel if you were willing to pay for a good box with your hard earned cash and you didn't get to even know what kind of fiberglass mat they were using or how much ?

How do you tell if they cut corners and took your cash? Thats my side of it!

Easy answer to BOTH questions.

Research numerous installers, ask to see their work (maybe something they are currently working on in addition to what has been completed or near completed) , maybe see if they have a profile, see how long they have been in the business, find out if other people have gone to them and examine their setups and ask them questions.

If you want quality work, you're going to have to pay for it. You seem to not mind paying some coin for a good install, but just face it, some shops are more expensive than others. For some of these shops the quality is above and beyond what you pay, for others it's good, while others it's overpriced.

I know of a guy who owns a shop and won't tell you exactly his plans. You can discuss design and whatnot and he doesn't do partial work, he does the entire setup. He is costly but his work is amazing, so you get what you pay for and some

 

[James Bang 5,000+ posts]

if you know what materials are good and how many layers and what body filler to use, what to do and what not do.. Do that **** your self.

You expect them to special order products for you? They'd rather use and do what they are used to day in and day out. Also, giving installers tools they're not used to can cause problems.

 

[Glock23 10+ year member]

I have too much on my hands now to do a build. I already spent 60 hours installing other stuff on the car. I need a shop. I have 2 choices this guy thats over 200 miles away or another shop in town known to be VERY expensive.

 

[TSGP]

If you came into the shop...and started DEMANDING then you'd be shown the door.

Here is what I think happend...when you were there at first you were just saying I want it to look like this and be super strong etc etc...and they wre all cool with it.

Then you start sending emails? I would laugh my ass off if a customer sent me an email like you did. The shop obviously isn't stupid and decided it wasn't worth it for you to be so anal over this.

Like stated earlier, 3 layers of 20 oz mat, or a couple of layers out of a chop gun after getting the shape is going to be more then enough. Its 2 3510s....the enclosure doesn't need to be over an inch thick of fiberglass lol.

Face it, you can justify yourself in your head but ask any real shop what they would do after they saw that email? They would run for the hills and show you the door

also how many fiberglass builds have you done? How do you know what should be used?

BTW Rage Gold isn't anything special, just easier to sand....normal body filler would be fine....if that shop doesn't keep rage gold then I wouldn't go spend 80 dollars for a gallon of filler for one 1000 dollar install...(btw 1000s isn't much for a nice fiberglass enclosure, especially if its going to take more then 20 hours to complete the entire install)

 

[James Bang 5,000+ posts]

Rage gold costed me $58/gallon. It better be easier to sand.

 

[Dozy_production 10+ year member]

They aren't a bad shop because they turned you down man. Stop being 13 years old about it.

 

[spark plugs. 10+ year member]

anyone that's ever dealt with any sort of "customer service" would take one look at your email and tell right away that you're gonna be "one of THOSE customers". you either look at the work they've done before and choose them based on their rep and your trust in their work, or you look for someone else.

for you to walk in their and tell them how they should do their job is pretty demeaning

 

[TSGP]

Rage gold costed me $58/gallon. It better be easier to sand.

Heres whats funny though....

Rage Gold is only easier to sand when it first starts drying...and it'll clump up on your pad and ruin your sand paper lol.

We normally just use a cheap body filler and a DA sander knocks it down just fine lol...and its like 15 dollars a gallon vs 60

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Rage gold costed me $58/gallon. It better be easier to sand.

It is easier to sand than most.

30 miles away I can get rage gold for $61 .

I can get bondo ultimate for $32 dollars a mile away from the house.

It's not enough to make me drive for it and pay almost double //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[ricoshay 10+ year member]

bottom line go to another shop and PAY for what you are demanding. You can't have the "best materials", a tutorial and your constant presence to slow them down all while getting the lowest price.

you pay for the final product, not the materials/process/experiance. let them build it the best way they can and if the final product is good, then its a wrap. The last thing an installer wants to hear is what "my friend told me". True you did your research, but its all hearsay until you've done it yourself. As a member of fg forms, i can say that everything typed isn't always right...its just their way of doing it....and for the record, most painters refer to body filler as bondo regardless od the brand...kinda like "band-aids, pampers, "kicker boxes" lol.

 

[Alpine50 10+ year member]

I have close to 30 years experience in the auto-body trade.For years we used 'Lacquer ' paint.It had many,many stages-lots of sanding between coats,numerous coats of clear,color sanding,buffing....the result was out of this world. 30 years later and with the help of science and the developement of long -chain polymers we now have 2 stage paints-many,many brands to choose from,that are so spectacular,one does not need 100 steps[ or more] to get to achieve a 99% perfect paint job.The colors from "House of Color' are off the hook just to name a few.The are many right ways to do a job.Go find a job you like,find out who does it,if you like it ,then buy one for yourself.The only way you are going to photo my workers and the process of the job is if you are theIf you know how you want insurance adjuster.that is their job.Anytime a customer wants to go your route ,the price is automatically doubled.The main thing with fiberglass sound enclosures,[have I done one,NO] is that it looks good and is strong.If I don't bother my workers,I get better job performance and quality than if I do.How do you know what the formula is? How many layers,coats?ect.Do you know this by actually doing the work?Or did you read this in a magazine.If you know it that well,then give it a try,take your time,practice is how the beginner becomes an expert.There is someone out there that will do it "JUST" how you want it.Expect to pay at least $2500.00 instead of $1000.00---at least............Good Luck...Alpine50.....................

 

[TSGP]

I have close to 30 years experience in the auto-body trade.For years we used 'Lacquer ' paint.It had many,many stages-lots of sanding between coats,numerous coats of clear,color sanding,buffing....the result was out of this world. 30 years later and with the help of science and the developement of long -chain polymers we now have 2 stage paints-many,many brands to choose from,that are so spectacular,one does not need 100 steps[ or more] to get to achieve a 99% perfect paint job.The colors from "House of Color' are off the hook just to name a few.The are many right ways to do a job.Go find a job you like,find out who does it,if you like it ,then buy one for yourself.The only way you are going to photo my workers and the process of the job is if you are theIf you know how you want insurance adjuster.that is their job.Anytime a customer wants to go your route ,the price is automatically doubled.The main thing with fiberglass sound enclosures,[have I done one,NO] is that it looks good and is strong.If I don't bother my workers,I get better job performance and quality than if I do.How do you know what the formula is? How many layers,coats?ect.Do you know this by actually doing the work?Or did you read this in a magazine.If you know it that well,then give it a try,take your time,practice is how the beginner becomes an expert.There is someone out there that will do it "JUST" how you want it.Expect to pay at least $2500.00 instead of $1000.00---at least............Good Luck...Alpine50.....................

x2

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

back in 96 my kick panels/horn covers cost over 1000 by themselves LOL i "helped" by gluing my own tweed and routing wires (i was an installer already just didnt have wood working skills nor fiberglass experience) i did simple grunt work but at the same time i learned to do something with carpet and tweed. between 2 cars and 3 installs i probably had 9 grand in labor alone. some people will say "you could do that yourself", blah blah blah thing is if you want something to look a certain way you are better off letting someone else do it. not only that but the install looked 10 times better than the people's who usually say/said that lol. No visual flaws and everything shaped just right no seams...im not talking about "the way something looks in a picture" i am talking about looking at it taking a panel from the car holding it and closely inspecting it. if you are going to compete in IASCA the old rules they used to inspect everything and if they seen a flaw in a panel they docked you points or gave you points if it was original and functional. there is something to be said for installers who do really great work. when i go to shows or look at boxes in alot of them you will see seams in the cover material or a fiberglass box that is not symetrical when it is ment to be (cloth pulled tighter on one side or a slight angle difference on the sub rings) that is the things i look for or would look for in an installers history. you are not going to get perfection for a grand especially when the owner states that it would/should cost 3 times that. i know a shop local that gets 1000+++ on prefab fiberglass boxes he builds and he sells more than a handful a year, those just fit in the trunk not fit to the trunk lol.

 

[BobbyDD 10+ year member]

I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't do it for you either. What do you do for a living? How would you like it if someone came in telling you that you don't do your job the right way?

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

I have too much on my hands now to do a build. I already spent 60 hours installing other stuff on the car. I need a shop. I have 2 choices this guy thats over 200 miles away or another shop in town known to be VERY expensive.

But, you don't have enough on your hands to drop everything, travel 200+ miles, stay at a hotel, and wait for the install to be done? Do it yourself, and stop whining.