Sup guys,
I figured we'd let you guys in on some more detailed info on what separates us (180°|Custom) from the rest. At the end of the day after all the feedbacks you read from members on how quick and great the customer service is, and how well you are taken care of, regardless of which company you decide to deal with, it all comes down to the quality. What makes that guy better than the other, and visa verse?
What do we put on the table that other companies don't? What's the difference?
For starters... we offer something that no other company has yet to offer, why? I don't know...
LIGHTING - LED's
The LED used in our headlights are full automotive style LED's, same ones that Audi and MB uses in their headlights, they're called piranha LED's. Other companies like ClearCorners.com, CiNcity designs, Limited Edition and MR Works use standard 5mm LED's that are usually found in house hold electronics and kitchen appliances. Why? Maybe because they're easier to work with and look clean? But other than that, the headlights I've repaired so far which used 5mm LED's have had all blown out LED's, or flicker. We used 5mm flat top LED's when we first started doing LED jobs, but soon after we realized that they were not reliable, we ditched the idea... which is when we started offering piranha LED's on Iron-Mans and other LED mods.
Here's a comparison shot of the 2.
Our LED's on the left and basic 5mm LED on the right.
Want to see the difference in luminosity? Picture was taken by our manufacturer.
Now... another thing A LOT of you guys get fooled by.... pictures. A picture can speak a thousand words, but it can also exaggerate on things without you knowing what it really looks like... in our case would be the light. I could take a picture of my headlights, and then take another picture using higher exposure, and higher f-stop, or a camera that's sensitive to high light exposure (ie. point and shoots and cell phone cameras), and make a headlight with 5mm LED's look like it's the brightest thing in the world.
Here's a comparison shot:
This is when we first started using 5mm LED's, the same ones all our competitors are using now:
Iron-Man v1.0 using basic 5mm LED's taken higher exposure
Iron-Man v2.5 using pirahna four chip LED taken at lower exposure so it doesn't blind the camera. With these LED's it's harder for me to get any shots of the Iron-Man LED's at night because in order to get right exposure on the car, the LED's are blinding, and to get a shot of the LED's individually, the rest of the car is really dark. I resulted to shooting pictures in the day time instead because they are still clearly visible, even with the sun shining directly at it.
Looks the same right? But look what happens when you put one next to another.
V2.0 LED, right before we got more refined LED's (v2.5). 5000K white on the left, 5mm on the right, 4 of the LED's were already half dead when I took the picture, but the other 6 are still working the way they did from day one.
And here's a daytime shot, taken on top of the parking lot at 12PM in Atlantic City with the sun shinning down directly at the car. 5mm LED's would not come close to even looking like they're on.
To end it off, we're not done testing with LED's, in the near future we will offer a wider range of high quality top of the line LED's, bright enough to light up the entire road while portraying a sleek design. Development is a never ending process for us, even if we don't have customers sending in their lights, we're still at the office creating and innovating new ideas... to which... we make up our own names for and not copy off another company *cough* Iron-Man *cough*
Let's move on to:
Warranty
Unlike other companies, and some that don't even offer any... we supply all our modified headlights with FREE 1-Year WARRANTY. We also offer an extended 3-Year WARRANTY plan. We believe in our product, and it's quality. A failed headlight is a surprise to us, and if it's beyond repairable, it's replaced with another one no questions asked. Like I said in my other threads, I will take the loss on profit, even the job it self for my mistake if I have to, and will make it worth while for the customer.
I have taken several expensive losses in the past, and learned valuable mistakes from them, which I never repeat. I know the in's and out's of these lights, and elements they're most fragile to. I take an extra step to assure that the headlights never need to be removed from the car more than once.
Now, if I wasn't so confident in my product, why would I offer extended warranty on it? It's because I am confident, and I don't run away from my mistakes, I fix em.
If that's not convincing then I don't know what is.
So in a few brief words, we:
Are innovative, responsible, respectful, and original *ehem*
PROFESSIONAL.
We're starting a clothing line in 2010, as well as a media (photography & videography) service that'll be available in several different states. We're also in the works with a few affiliates in offering CF wrapping, custom interior modifications & bulbs for all around and in your vehicle.
Stay tuned.
Competitors, good luck and we're looking forward to some friendly competition, or... collaborations.
Thanks,
Igor