dpjones

And still another item. A few weeks before picking up my car, Sharif and I started talking about the HKS AFK. It is both an Air/Fuel Monitor, and a knock detection system. I decided I wanted one and Sharif had one in stock, so that was added to my list. I was doing reading on the system, and read that it needs to be calibrated using headphones and having the car on a dyno. I asked Sharif about this and he said that it wasn't necessary and they did not do that for my car...the default settings would be fine he told me. I contacted HKS Technical Support and they said that it is ABSOLUTELY necessary to be calibrated and were surprised that a Pro shop like Forged would not be doing this. I'll touch on this more later, but I find out later from GTM that Forged didn't even hook up the Knock Amp portion of the AFK...I basically had a really expensive A/F Meter. The Knock Amp is important because engine knock can be devastating to a motor. Combining the fact that my car was over boosting, and I couldn’t even tell if it was knocking at all, I am really worried whether any damage has been done to my motor.

And still another item. It seems to me that pretty much everyone who goes FI gets dyno runs and sheets with their numbers. Usually at wastegate pressure (Boost Controller Off), and with higher boost using a boost controller. All I ever got was a phone call telling me it was making something like 498 at almost 8 psi. I asked what it did at 6 psi which is supposed to be the wastegate pressure. Sharif then tells me that this was with the EVC (Boost Controller) off so that this was the wastegate pressure. I asked him why it was so high, and he told me I must have a really efficient Intercooler. I didn't buy this. I have the same setup as all the other G37s and they all run at 6 psi...even David’s car does. From that day until the day I picked it up, I kept asking about this and all Sharif would say is that maybe I have the wrong springs. He sent some springs home with me so I could change them out if I wanted!!! For those of you who are really Turbo Savvy.....you may have figured out by now why my car is pushing too much boost. Sam has confirmed that too small of a turbo housing on those motors can lead to over boosting. I find it hard to believe that someone of Sharif's status didn't know this.

Another item deals with the CAMP 2 being displayed on my navigation screen. I had already done half of what was required for them when I installed the KP Technology navigation bypass module. This allows me to type on the navigation screen while the car is moving. I told them how this worked. Sharif tells me he can't get the CAMP to display while driving the car. After him telling me this for a few days, I spent 3 minutes on the internet and found that a wire needed to be cut so that the Auxiliary inputs would work when the emergency brake is off. I then told them how to do this. Shouldn't a shop like Forged know this? Or at least know how to look this up?

Ok...now for the day I pick the car up....yes, there is a lot more to this story.....

Sharif picks me and a friend of mine up at the airport and takes us to breakfast and then to the shop. My car is sitting outside and AT FIRST GLANCE, it looks awesome.

UNFORTUNATELY, it took very little time for me to notice that something had backed into or hit my driver's side rear quarter panel...very obvious....scratched...dented...etc. I also quickly noticed that the top of the front bumper above the headlights was not even attached on either side. I popped the hood and found that the 2 curved white brackets that sit under it were not even there.

With the hood popped, I also noticed that my top engine cover was missing.
I was really frustrated....you would think that after having my car for 7 months, me flying in from another state, Sharif would have done a better job looking my car over. I just don't see how he could have missed the damage done to my car if he was looking at it closely as you would expect him to after a project like this. He got an estimate from Hong's Body shop which is close to Forged. He told me to get an estimate once I got back home and he would take care of it. The funny thing is, I did get one from an Infiniti Body shop, and Sharif then questioned me about it being higher. I'm sorry....I'm getting my car fixed at a dealership's body shop...not Hongs.....and according to the body shop I went to, labor rates are higher here than around Atlanta. He asked me to get more estimates.

While still at the shop, I also noticed that the cover under the engine was not installed.

I had sent Sharif a detailed list well in advance of my trip of things to make sure of....factory parts present, etc....I was told the list had been gone through and that everything was addressed. When I got there...that was clearly not the case. Only one of my factory Exhaust manifolds was there, the window washer reservoir as missing, my Fast Intentions High Flow Cats (which I had already sold) were missing, my factory clutch and flywheel were missing, factory fuel pump was missing. All of these items were found before I left, but the point is that they should have been ready to go. They had not went through and addressed my list as they told me they had.....all of these items were on the list.

When taking the car on a test drive, I commented on how quickly the turbos were spooling up...Sharif told me this was normal....I found out later...this is not the case. Sam also has David’s car and says that the difference is very noticeable between the 2 cars. I also complained about the smell of exhaust....again, Sharif said this was normal. Sorry, when you are idling, the dumps should be closed. Common sense would tell you that there is no reason for exhaust fumes to be coming in the car. When speaking with Sam on the phone after I got the car home, he agreed that I should not be smelling the exhaust like that. Basically, I don't feel like he took anything I said seriously.....from the mysterious wire/sensor, to the AFK calibration, to the EVC Speed hook up, smell of exhaust, fast spooling, over boosting, etc....nothing....everything was ok in Sharif's eyes.

While at Forged, I again asked Sharif about the Stage II turbos being on my car, and he again assured me that the Stage II turbos were are on my car, and not to worry about it.

Another thing that struck me as odd was I asked Sharif to put my car on the lift so I could take a look under the car. He told me no, that he was too busy. Does this seem OK to any of you? He had my car 7 months, I spent 25k, and I wanted to take a look under the car. I can't believe he said no. He was so busy though that when some dude drove his GTR there, and then decided while he was there that he wanted an anti-freeze flush/fill (he didn't have an appointment), of course Sharif put his car in a bay and on the lift. I think I know why he didn't want me under the car, but I will let you guys decide on that.

On the drive home, I was really noticing the smell of exhaust. I spoke with Sharif on the phone while on the road, and again he told me this was normal...said that since I don’t have any CATs, I'm simply noticing a smell the CATS used to remove from the exhaust. Why would the fumes that dump out the rear of the car, while traveling 70+ mph on the highway have any chance of getting into the car where I could smell it??? Simply put, there was an exhaust leak in the engine bay. I confirmed this on the driver’s side myself as I state below, and Sam confirmed there was an even worse one on the passenger’s side. Again, I bring up a concern, and I feel that Sharif just blows me off. Also I noticed that with the Boost Controller off, the car was going over 10psi of boost!!! Something is not right....I asked Sharif about this on the phone as well, and again he tells me this is normal.

I also noticed that my Front Radar Detection Unit was not working. The rear was working, but not the front.