Carbon fiber amuse install help needed

nomodsjk · 08-05-2014, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riptide67

Being that I oversaw the install of my kit and knowing all the work and customization that went into it, I was not raped. It took 60 hours to install at $100/hour with a lot of customization. The fitment is a 9.5/10. I spoke with several shops before the install and only one would even touch the kit. It's a unique award winning car and hopefully whoever installs yours puts the time and effort into it for a damn near flawless fitment.

For my car to be beat by a $300k Liberty Walk GT-R at HIN can attest to the hard work that went into mine. For a build that has cost me 20k....not bad to.take 2nd place to that kind of money.

I suppose some of you are also the type that think 6k is expensive for custom work. I know people who have spent double, triple, and quadruple that on similar ventures. CF is not easy to work with. I did my hood, fenders, and wing. All of which required custom work for the best fitment possible.

Just like a tattoo...you get what you pay for.

Should yours turn out like mine, you'll have a damaged bank account or wallet too. The custom brackets and fiberglass work all add up. And keep in mind your trunk will be gutted and put back together. You wanna save yourself some cash. Remove all your oem panels on your own and drop the car off.

I gave you helpful information, not to be bashed. I figured I'd help you, since I had no prior information.

Best of luck.

riptide please let me begin by asking for forgiveness. I in no way meant to belittle the time,effort,money,frustration and creativity that went into building such a sweet ride. my comments came from a knee-jerk reaction to the information you were kind enough to share with me. I was being a cry baby because I had no idea of the commitment I was getting myself into. as far as the rape comment I was referring to me getting raped but after reviewing the thread I can easily see how I came off insensitive. please give me a one time pass. as to the comment about you possibly getting taken advantage of that came from the seller and I should have known better to take the sellers opinion over an experienced owner but at the time his comments gave me a bit of solace so I wanted to share the back and forth with my thread in order to get opinions from other z brothers. again man I'm sorry for being a jerk it wasn't my intent

Riptide67 · 08-05-2014, 10:04 AM

No worries

apology accepted and hopefully you can get it done a lot cheaper than I did

nomodsjk · 08-05-2014, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riptide67

No worries

apology accepted and hopefully you can get it done a lot cheaper than I did

thanks man I really appreciate it. I was really upset with myself when I read your post this morning. the last thing I want to do is be a jerk to a forum member. this community is the best part of z ownership. I never expected to be a part of something like this forum when I purchased my car. you guys are awesome!

cooltoy · 08-05-2014, 10:41 AM

Ya, I was like - "Riptide is no going to be happy when he reads all that."

Good on you to apologise and good on Riptide to accept it.

Both repped.

Riptide67 · 08-05-2014, 12:17 PM

I'm not upset about it, I have been modifying all my cars since 2005. I have learned a lot and I know what is beyond my skill level. After doing a fiberglass bodykit on my eclipse, I knew that I never wanted to do any type of bodywork again. It was a nightmare. A carbon fiber bodykit...that is what professional car customization shops are for.

Sure I could have cut down on some cost by gutting the car myself, but I was on an extreme deadline to debut my car for NissanFest. It was 5 days prior to the event that I received all the pieces after a bit of a shipping debaucle. The body shop came to my apartment and picked up the kit and then I dropped the car off. I check on it randomly throughout the week and they pushed all other projects to the side to help me out. People tend to think its just drill some holes and put it on. It really isnt that simple or easy...especially with carbon fiber. IDC what anyone says...there are two of us (that I know of) that have this installed. I can't speak for what the other person paid or even if they did the install. This is not a predrilled kit, there is no mesh installed, the license plate and lights will not just "bolt" on. These things add up.

Had I known I was going to have that much money wrapped into the kit, I may have gone another route with the car. 3k at the body shop quickly turned into another 3k for an accuair system. Ya know the saying...Gotta pay to play, lol. Hell, just in the hood alone...I had two days with about 10 hours or so wrapped into it. The hardware that is molded into the hood does not work with the OEM parts of our hood. This was my first stab at tapping and dying threads and it was successful, but very nervewracking. Tha could have easily been another 1k if a body shop did it, lol.

nomodsjk · 08-05-2014, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riptide67

I'm not upset about it, I have been modifying all my cars since 2005. I have learned a lot and I know what is beyond my skill level. After doing a fiberglass bodykit on my eclipse, I knew that I never wanted to do any type of bodywork again. It was a nightmare. A carbon fiber bodykit...that is what professional car customization shops are for.

Sure I could have cut down on some cost by gutting the car myself, but I was on an extreme deadline to debut my car for NissanFest. It was 5 days prior to the event that I received all the pieces after a bit of a shipping debaucle. The body shop came to my apartment and picked up the kit and then I dropped the car off. I check on it randomly throughout the week and they pushed all other projects to the side to help me out. People tend to think its just drill some holes and put it on. It really isnt that simple or easy...especially with carbon fiber. IDC what anyone says...there are two of us (that I know of) that have this installed. I can't speak for what the other person paid or even if they did the install. This is not a predrilled kit, there is no mesh installed, the license plate and lights will not just "bolt" on. These things add up.

Had I known I was going to have that much money wrapped into the kit, I may have gone another route with the car. 3k at the body shop quickly turned into another 3k for an accuair system. Ya know the saying...Gotta pay to play, lol. Hell, just in the hood alone...I had two days with about 10 hours or so wrapped into it. The hardware that is molded into the hood does not work with the OEM parts of our hood. This was my first stab at tapping and dying threads and it was successful, but very nervewracking. Tha could have easily been another 1k if a body shop did it, lol.

Yea i just got an airrex elite air suspension system plus the Fly1 skid plates. Try pricing those 2 just to be able to drive the car without damaging the body kit. This is getting ridiculous. Wish to God I could have talked to you about this before pulling the trigger. Wouldhhave bought the varis kit in frp and never looked back. On the other hand when this build gets finished it's going to be remarkable

Riptide67 · 08-05-2014, 01:14 PM

Even on air, the skid plate isnt needed. I could have saved some money. The car maxes out and still doesnt sit on the ground with the front bumper. It is just an awesome visual effect with some added security, but I just air all the way up if I am in doubt.

I have a set of custom side splitters to install. The rear end has a lot more room to drop than the front. You will run the side skirts into the ground on air lol.

wheee! · 08-05-2014, 01:18 PM

I agree with Riptide, my Amuse kit (Extreme Dimensions) was FRP and was a 'close' fit but still required massive time in the bodyshop for custom fabbing etc. The time spent was well over 40 hours and the bill was $4000 over the quote! The owner honoured the quote to a point, but I ended up paying over $3500 for the work plus the kit...
Bottom line is: be prepared to pay for quality work and never assume anything related to body work is either fast, good or cheap! Pick any two.....

The end results are what counts and having the Amuse kit was a big piece of my vision for my car.

and yeah, I kept the crash bar and the foam in my Amuse front bumper. The rear foam had to go though....

Riptide67 · 08-05-2014, 01:20 PM

and I did make a mistake. It was only the foam that was removed from the front and rear crash bars. Not the actual crash bar.

nomodsjk · 08-05-2014, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riptide67

and I did make a mistake. It was only the foam that was removed from the front and rear crash bars. Not the actual crash bar.

Ok awesome because that was really concerning me. As much as the price. So you think I could do without the side plates? I've already paid for the front plate

6MT-Z34 · 08-05-2014, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riptide67

Even on air, the skid plate isnt needed. I could have saved some money. The car maxes out and still doesnt sit on the ground with the front bumper. It is just an awesome visual effect with some added security, but I just air all the way up if I am in doubt.

I have a set of custom side splitters to install. The rear end has a lot more room to drop than the front. You will run the side skirts into the ground on air lol.

Curious....where did you get the side skirt plates and how much if u don't mind sharing? I plan on doing the amuse kit on the far future but I'm reading a lot so I know I have everything I need when I do

wheee! · 08-05-2014, 03:59 PM

I try and tell people that buying a bodykit is like going FI.... be prepared for the unexpected and expect a 30% premium for the "extras'

Things like fabbing the license plate area and light/remote trunk switches was a pain, not to mention the fabricated supports you don't see. I know some people claim to have ordered a kit - bolted it on - and driven away, but I seriously doubt anyone has done just that...

6MT-Z34 · 08-05-2014, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheee!

I try and tell people that buying a bodykit is like going FI.... be prepared for the unexpected and expect a 30% premium for the "extras'

Things like fabbing the license plate area and light/remote trunk switches was a pain, not to mention the fabricated supports you don't see. I know some people claim to have ordered a kit - bolted it on - and driven away, but I seriously doubt anyone has done just that...

I think most of the ppl that say that are like me that we would just take it to the body shop ask them how much it is to put the kit and paint it then let them do it lol....but that is why i research this threads to make sure I know what really goes 'behind the scenes ' and I understand what am I getting charged for and to make sure they do what they are supposed to

Riptide67 · 08-05-2014, 04:07 PM

My side splitters are made by a friend who owns Prosplitters. Look them up on FB and Instagram!

cooltoy · 08-05-2014, 04:19 PM

It would be great if someone put together a thread on what it takes to properly put an Amuse kit on. Kind of like tjlazer di for the Nismo conversion.

08-05-2014, 10:04 AM	#32 (permalink)
Riptide67 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Age: 37 Posts: 1,610 Drives: 09 Nismo #0483 PW Rep Power: 69	No worries apology accepted and hopefully you can get it done a lot cheaper than I did JARblue likes this. __________________ 2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

08-05-2014, 10:41 AM	#34 (permalink)
cooltoy Elite Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Calgary Posts: 13,971 Drives: 14 PW 370Z S/T MT Rep Power: 243722	Ya, I was like - "Riptide is no going to be happy when he reads all that." Good on you to apologise and good on Riptide to accept it. Both repped. KaienZ34 and Riptide67 like this. __________________ Member of kenchan's "photoshopped mods" and "proper offsets" gang.

08-05-2014, 12:17 PM	#35 (permalink)
Riptide67 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Age: 37 Posts: 1,610 Drives: 09 Nismo #0483 PW Rep Power: 69	I'm not upset about it, I have been modifying all my cars since 2005. I have learned a lot and I know what is beyond my skill level. After doing a fiberglass bodykit on my eclipse, I knew that I never wanted to do any type of bodywork again. It was a nightmare. A carbon fiber bodykit...that is what professional car customization shops are for. Sure I could have cut down on some cost by gutting the car myself, but I was on an extreme deadline to debut my car for NissanFest. It was 5 days prior to the event that I received all the pieces after a bit of a shipping debaucle. The body shop came to my apartment and picked up the kit and then I dropped the car off. I check on it randomly throughout the week and they pushed all other projects to the side to help me out. People tend to think its just drill some holes and put it on. It really isnt that simple or easy...especially with carbon fiber. IDC what anyone says...there are two of us (that I know of) that have this installed. I can't speak for what the other person paid or even if they did the install. This is not a predrilled kit, there is no mesh installed, the license plate and lights will not just "bolt" on. These things add up. Had I known I was going to have that much money wrapped into the kit, I may have gone another route with the car. 3k at the body shop quickly turned into another 3k for an accuair system. Ya know the saying...Gotta pay to play, lol. Hell, just in the hood alone...I had two days with about 10 hours or so wrapped into it. The hardware that is molded into the hood does not work with the OEM parts of our hood. This was my first stab at tapping and dying threads and it was successful, but very nervewracking. Tha could have easily been another 1k if a body shop did it, lol. wheee! and zefaulter like this. __________________ 2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

08-05-2014, 01:14 PM	#37 (permalink)
Riptide67 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Age: 37 Posts: 1,610 Drives: 09 Nismo #0483 PW Rep Power: 69	Even on air, the skid plate isnt needed. I could have saved some money. The car maxes out and still doesnt sit on the ground with the front bumper. It is just an awesome visual effect with some added security, but I just air all the way up if I am in doubt. I have a set of custom side splitters to install. The rear end has a lot more room to drop than the front. You will run the side skirts into the ground on air lol. __________________ 2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

08-05-2014, 01:18 PM	#38 (permalink)
wheee! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mod Capital of Canada Age: 57 Posts: 7,354 Drives: cars. lots of cars. Rep Power: 40182	I agree with Riptide, my Amuse kit (Extreme Dimensions) was FRP and was a 'close' fit but still required massive time in the bodyshop for custom fabbing etc. The time spent was well over 40 hours and the bill was $4000 over the quote! The owner honoured the quote to a point, but I ended up paying over $3500 for the work plus the kit... Bottom line is: be prepared to pay for quality work and never assume anything related to body work is either fast, good or cheap! Pick any two..... The end results are what counts and having the Amuse kit was a big piece of my vision for my car. and yeah, I kept the crash bar and the foam in my Amuse front bumper. The rear foam had to go though.... Riptide67 and nomodsjk like this. __________________ H&R / Stillen / Berk / HKS / Swift / Michelin / UpRev / SPC / Amuse Rep / Seibon / Fringe XVO / TWM / more... My Journal

08-05-2014, 01:20 PM	#39 (permalink)
Riptide67 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Age: 37 Posts: 1,610 Drives: 09 Nismo #0483 PW Rep Power: 69	and I did make a mistake. It was only the foam that was removed from the front and rear crash bars. Not the actual crash bar. wheee! and DarkJak like this. __________________ 2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

08-05-2014, 03:59 PM	#42 (permalink)
wheee! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mod Capital of Canada Age: 57 Posts: 7,354 Drives: cars. lots of cars. Rep Power: 40182	I try and tell people that buying a bodykit is like going FI.... be prepared for the unexpected and expect a 30% premium for the "extras' Things like fabbing the license plate area and light/remote trunk switches was a pain, not to mention the fabricated supports you don't see. I know some people claim to have ordered a kit - bolted it on - and driven away, but I seriously doubt anyone has done just that... Riptide67 likes this. __________________ H&R / Stillen / Berk / HKS / Swift / Michelin / UpRev / SPC / Amuse Rep / Seibon / Fringe XVO / TWM / more... My Journal

08-05-2014, 04:07 PM	#44 (permalink)
Riptide67 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Age: 37 Posts: 1,610 Drives: 09 Nismo #0483 PW Rep Power: 69	My side splitters are made by a friend who owns Prosplitters. Look them up on FB and Instagram! 6MT-Z34 likes this. __________________ 2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

08-05-2014, 04:19 PM	#45 (permalink)
cooltoy Elite Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Calgary Posts: 13,971 Drives: 14 PW 370Z S/T MT Rep Power: 243722	It would be great if someone put together a thread on what it takes to properly put an Amuse kit on. Kind of like tjlazer di for the Nismo conversion. 6MT-Z34 likes this. __________________ Member of kenchan's "photoshopped mods" and "proper offsets" gang.

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