So, I went to pick up my E today. These guys are supposedly the best in the city.

My meter module is not installed in the dash. My Valentine One is not hard-wired. THe two holes that allow my cables to run into the spare tire well are not plugged, and it's raining. THe cable for the rotary sub volume control is not run with all the other cables and is just hanging out. The CD changer is not installed. I paid them $3,500 and they just kindof had this "whatever" attitude about the whole thing. THe sub box is not built yet and probably will not be built tomorrow.

I am an understanding guy. I spent a great deal of money and time for this project. Why do I suddenly feel as if I should have left it alone and just used the factory sound system? I feel let down, depressed, and disappointed. I would be fired if my customers felt that way after an installation. THese guys told me that everything would be exactly the way I wanted it, and it isnt. They cut me a break on everything, but the fact that they would give me my car back, half done, makes me feel awful. I'm kindof hovering between furious and sad. Am I crazy or stupid to have expected these guys to do things right? Like I said, they are supposed to be the best in Charlotte.

I'm feeling pretty stupid at present. Anyone want to buy a bunch of McIntosh equipment, so I can button my car back to stock and be happy again, the way I was with the car BEFORE it went in to have all this done? Dammit, I just don't understand.

:sad: :sad: :sad: :-( :-(

Hey man thanks for the feedback. I dont want to sound bad, but I saw the writing on the wall a few weeks ago when I asked why you were still taking it to these people.

But dont feel sad, it is not your fault at all. You trusted them and paid them, they sound like scum who dont give a crap about their job. Feeling mad is understandable and I would continue to be mad, but not sad.

Try to look at the brightsides:
1) You still have learned alot about your E
2) You learned those people are a-holes and may help others from making the same mistake
3) There is enough knowledge here on this board that you may be able to find someone close enough to you to help you finish your dream project as a DIY :-D

Take a page from my wife's book: go back in there and make a big smelly fuss. Hold your breath if you have to. If the job they did is not what you asked for, make them do it right. Unless there is more history to this that I'm missing, they owe you that much at least, and then some, to make up for the aggravation. There is some mileage to be gained from the notion that "the customker is always right."

Hah!
I have been on the phone with the owner and manager for about an hour. They are going to make it right...after I scared them with a complaint to the Consumer Protection division of the NC Attorney General's Office, they were very apologetic.
They WILL get this done right. If I knew anyone who could do it, I would have had them do it anyway.

On the plus side, the 4-channel amp and head unit sound UNBELIEVEABLE. I have played Coldplay, Norah Jones, and others, and the stereo image, while not like that on my home system, is pretty stellar considering location of the mids. Now, if I could just get the other stuff taken care of...

Their thing is that it took way longer than expected for them to finish the dynamat - when I explained that there were folks on this board who had done their own dynamat over a few days, they were kind of chagrined...

If they make it right, that's great...but they will NEVER get referrals from me. Maybe I need to find a guy willing to move to Charlotte who is an expert in installation etc and get my boss to hire him so that we can be the best...

Im going to post some pics soon.

Haven't they had your E for about 8 or 10 days? All they were doing was dynamat, HU, speakers and amps? In that amount of time they couldn't get your install completed? You didn't have any custom work done because they still have not done the sub, correct?

I am at a loss as to what you paid $3,500 for. I thought you supplied all of the hardware (McIntosh parts and the AP amps as well as your own cable, which I know they cut too short. Is that $3,500 for only labor? And this is before the sub box was built? All I have to say is DAMN! You got screwed over double. There is no way this could be the best shop in Charlotte... unless they are the only shop in town.

No shop worth a damn would ever allow a customer to see a half finished install without warning them that it is only half completed. It sounds like they led you to believe it is finished except for the sub box.

If I am wrong then please clarify things.

All I know is when I had my install done in a previous car the 2 day install turned into 6. It took extra time because the installer asked if he could have extra time to do a better install. I agreed. But at no point along the way was I made promises that were broken, when the car was delivered it was finished 100%. I also never paid dime one until I was totally happy with the install and mine cost me almost $6,000 with equipment... in an Audi TT.

They have had to do some custom work, finishing out the spare well, building box, building a sleeve for my changer, they have to work the dash to fit my meter module, and all the dynamat. I feel a bit ripped off, and am hoping that they will give me more cash back. I did add an Optima battery, as well as all the JL power delivery stuff. They had the car for 7 days. So far. But they are promising me that they will make it right.

Here are some photos of the install process...there are more, but i have to reduce them and such, I will add more as the process goes on. The owner is really pissed about the installer's attitude...we shall see what happens guys...

Sucks man. I could tell how excited you were about getting your system all together. Bummer it got spoiled like this.

It's so hard to find good solid work these days I usually just end up doing the stuff myself.

Hope it works out for you. If not I'll take those amps :grin:

Pretty poor workmanship, bdj. That's all you can say. I'm sorry for you. The sad thing is they probably are the best in the city.

I don't understand why the Dynamating is still holding them up. So they ran out - they order more in. At the prices they were charging, they could even afford to go over to another store and buy a 27 sq. ft pack at retail. They should have somebody to install it while the other guys are making the shop money. Every shop has a rank of employees. The new, young employee should be doing the Dynamating and get it done in a couple of days.

It was amazing they let your car get out of the shop like that. As you well know, I'm sympathetic with the shop over the extra time it took but that doesn't exclude sloppy craftsmanship. That's why it takes extra time, to get it right (spdrcr5's story is instructive here). I can understand leaving the meters, radar detector and sub bass control until last but still you get things done. Do you know if anybody worked on your car on Sunday? I may be pulling an all nighter on Thursday night to get a system up and running for its unveiling this Friday in the model unit for some high end condos we're wiring up. That's the way it goes.

If it had been my shop, I wouldn't have let you pick it up on Monday. I would have kept it a couple more days and given you $200 off to help pay for the rental car. I also would have charged you $4,200 :grin: or $4,000 after the discount. :grin: :grin: :grin: At this point, with your car going back in, it is costing them money.

Have patience. It will be OK in the long run. Expensive, but OK. They did get a lot of the work done. The proverbial glass is much more than half full. The basic wiring is done. The amp rack is done. The doors and A pillars (I think I remember you putting your tweets there) are done. The head unit is done. Some Dynamating, detail work and the sub box are all that are left. Have them make your sub box this week. When they are ready to install it, make a specific agreement with the owner that its installation and all of the other work will be done in one day and let them know you will be around that day at the install shop to make it happen. Take the day off work. Talk to the owner and manager when you can. Buy the install team that's working on your car box lunches so they can't take a break. :twisted: Be a pest. Let the owner know that he, the install team and you aren't leaving that day until your car is done to your satisfaction. You shouldn't have to go through these exceptional steps but maybe you do.

Yours and my situations are so different. As I had a second car, I could let my E be a project car. If my car sat at my install and nothing happened for a week, that was fine. You can't put up with that.

I've let cars get out of our shop unfinished but it was always because we overreached and tried to do something new we couldn't pull off. That's not true in this case. This isn't rocket science. Just car stereo.

Your amps do look sweet. :)

Yeah. There are a couple other issues that are not visible in photos, but suffice to say that these dudes have a LOT to make up for. I can't really take Friday off, I have both school and work, but the car is going in and I am going to leave work at 5:45 to pick the thing up. A colleague at my shop was really pissed off about it - it was on his reccomendation that I went to this shop in the first place. He has sent them a great deal of business, and is going to be on the horn today - with the owner.

I'm of the opinion that yeah, this sucks, pretty bad, but if they can make it right then that is fine.

G-Force - ya can't have me amps! :grin:

You know what shocks me about your story, bdj? It's how poorly they communicated with you. Train wrecks like this don't just happen. You can look down the tracks and see that they will take place. The install shop knew something like this was going to occur on Wednesday or Thursday of last week. Did they give you any indication that there were difficulties with your install?

If you'd been in my shop, we would have had a conversation middle of last week about the problem. That's where I would have (1) gotten you to understand the situation and come up with an agreement to the solution, (2) taken care of your rental car worries and (3) re-negotiated the install price because of the extra difficulties we'd encountered in the install. This last one almost always happens because of the creeping nature of what needs to be done with a car installs. Call it The Outpost Principle. It's a corollary of Parkinson's Law, which is "work expands to fill the time allowed." The Outpost Principle is "high end car stereo installs expand to fill every cubbyhole in a car." :grin:

Thats the thing that makes me most angry. I had no indication at all that they were going to mess up this bad. These guys have one more chance. Period. I am going in Friday, with a list. A lot of small other issues have come up under inspection - the amps are not mounted properly to allow for ventilation (they had the manufacturers instructions), the cover for the amps is really badly made (the openings should be rectangular anyway, but it looks like dude just cut it out and hoped I wouldnt notice), and a bunch of other things.

I am going to give them an ultimatum. THey either fix everything on my list, to my specifications, to my satisfaction, or they take out their speakers, give me my money back, and let me go somewhere else...as if I want to really do that. A colleague at my store knows their owner, so we are going to try to light a fire under his ass. If not, my father knows Attorney General Roy Cooper, and I ain't afeerd of going to court to blast these buggers out of the water. They have no leg to stand on.

If they do not, competantly and quickly, fix everything on my list, then I will raise living hell. I am a nice enough guy, but I am not Joe Schmoe...I think they figured I wouldn't notice things like the fact that they dynamatted the door panels but not the skins...or all the other crap. Not to mention that they didn't clean my $2,000 McINtosh amp front panels. Unbelievable. I think I could have done better in my yard, and I don't know jackall about car installs. Needless to say, these guys will be working their BUTTS off to get my car fixed properly.

Being a perfectionist is hard sometimes. I have to have it done right - no corner cutting allowed. That is something I will not stand for, and now they know it. We will see what happens. Where are you located, OP, and can I bring my car to your guy to get it done right?

:evil:

BTW, Outpost, I nominate you to be the forum moderator for this forum...don't hate me!

ANy home electronics advice is free for the asking!

First off, I'm a 1,000 miles away from you, bdj. You're best to deal with a local guy but you know that.

If you need to go elsewhere you might want to check with MERA, which is the car stereo industry trade association, for a recommendation. I might even give MERA a call. That a store is a member of MERA is not a guarantee for good service but it's a start. We were a member for years but eventually I felt I wasn't getting enough out of it. I'm not much of a joiner in any case. Here's their website (http://www.merausa.org/default.asp). Check out Resources > Visitors > Public membership list.

I really think you'll work things out with your current installer. They have too many hours into your car, and there's too much money on the table, for the shop to simply punt. They'll do what's necessary to make you happy. It probably will be as painful for them as it's been for you but eventually you'll get what you want.

As for Friday, I like your idea of making them a list of what you need to have done with your car. You need to communicate to them your wants as clearly as possible. I'm going to sound like a broken record (for everyone under 30, a broken record sounds like a skipping CD only more organic :grin: ) but if you want it done right you're also going to have to give them adequate time. Is there any way you can borrow a van from work for a few days? Tell your boss you'll both return it with a full tank and work a Saturday if he lets you. That would do it for me. :)

I saw your nomination in the moderator thread. Thanks bunches. :| I'll warn you. I have the same birthday as Hitler. :roll:

And because of your shout-out, I'm taking my bottle of Dalwhinnie and going home. :-P

We don't get to borrow the work trucks, and I always have to work on Saturday anyway...
I may be able to borrow a car from my fiance's little sister, maybe, if I am VERY lucky. In that case, which may not be possible, i could leave the car with them for a few days if need be...

Dalwhinnie is great stuff! Hitler was a crazy megolomaniac, but he was a genius! IQ was like 150 or something stupid. You would have thought he would have done good things with it... :shock:

Cheers! (double Talisker here)

Here is my current list for them to do:
1) Remount my amplifiers horizontally to allow the fans more airflow (DUH!)
2) Run my Analysis Plus cables and terminate them with my Analysis PLus
connectors (solder-style AP) and my heat shrink.
3) Dynamat everywhere they didn't (outer door skins, firewall, etc.)
4) Install Valentine One (should have already been done) and concealed
display
5) Install Meter Module in dash so that it looks professional
6) Install an LED rocker switch for Meters, so I can turn 'em off at night if
need be - attracts less attention!
7) Install CD Changer, again so that it looks professional
8 ) Re-Cut and Cover the amplifier cover:
a) the one in looks like ****
b) staples on the bottom will (or may already have) scratch my glass
faceplates.
c) Windows should be rectangular, not ovoid.
d) Thing looks like it was cut in 10 minutes with a jigsaw and that ain't
kosher in my book.
9) Plug the holes drilled in my spare well that are right now open to the
elements (pun intended). That's just really really unprofessional and
VERY stupid to leave those unpatched. I am very worried about rust now.
10) Carpet (which I didn;t want anyway and requested they NOT use) the
bare dynamat visible in spare tire well.
11) Re-Run the subwoofer control cable so that it isn't hanging out.
12) Cover all wires that are exposed on the underside of the car.
13) Install Rotary Subwoofer Control.
14) Re-Connect AUX connection to my Head Unit using supplied Analysis Plus
connectors ($13 EACH) and heat shrink.

All this was supposed to have been done originally and was not. I will leave them my car for as long as they need it if they provide rental transportation. But all this MUST be done in order for me to be happy. If not,


:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

You are a remarkably patient person.

It's hard to believe that "professional" installers would screw up that badly.

I hope this all works out for you.

LOL. I have tried to be patient, but I am close to my wits end.

Thank you for the thoughts. I very much hope this works out well also - itll be kick ass if it does!

We don't get to borrow the work trucks, Every rule is made to be broken.

I may be able to borrow a car from my fiance's little sister, maybe, if I am VERY lucky. In that case, which may not be possible, i could leave the car with them for a few days if need be... Could you borrow a car from the install shop? I've lent a customer a car under the right circumstances.

9) Plug the holes drilled in my spare well that are right now open to the
elements (pun intended).

<snip>

12) Cover all wires that are exposed on the underside of the car.D'oh!

bdj, there's something you've referred to often that I haven't picked up on before. Why did they run wires outside the car? Couldn't they do it inside? All we're talking about is power, signal and speaker wires, right? I don't get this.

Were talking signal and speaker and power, i believe. I don't know what the hell they were thinking, apparently they thought that if they ran it under the floor, then the flooring would have a crease in it or something...Essentially, I am going to call the manager in a minute and I am going to lay it out for him. I'm going to say, "look, on top of what you still have to do, I need you to redo essentially everything that you have already done because not a single part of it is done to my satisfaction. I understand that doing all of this may take more than one day in order to get it done right. I believe that you should be responsible for a rental car for the duration of the installation. This installation, as of now, looks like my high school sweetheart did the work on it, etc."

I can't believe it either, man, these guys were supposed to be great and they came highly reccomended and all that, I don't know why this jackleg decided to run cable outside of the car. Maybe I can get him to re-route it inside the car somewhere? Where are your cables at?

Wait a minute... the wires are OUTSIDE the car? Underneath it??? This is totally an unacceptable installation. Now I can understand why the "installer" cut the wires too short the first time, he has no clue as to what he is doing. Those wires all MUST be rerun inside the car. You can't have exposed wires to the elements, rocks, sticks, curbs, etc. How close to your exhaust were these wires run? How close to the gas tank? Ever hear of electricity and gas vapors? It might be remote... but not worth the risk.

This installer sounds like an a$$clown and should not even be allowed to install an iPod into an Element using the MP3 plug...

Speak with the owner and tell him they have lost all chances of repairing your car and you want a full 100% refund. If he refuses then contact the AG that you said you know. Take them to court and get not only your money back but the money to make this right.

I have never heard of any install this badly fubar'd before. Totally uncalled for. this is about a 30% finished installation, nowhere near ready for pickup or for a customer to see. They should be embarrased by this. The installer should be strung up and tarred and feathered.

I really feel for you and the money you have shelled out. Head there during your lunch break and talk face to face with the owner and go over every little detail with him today... don't wait until Friday. Friday is too late.

Where are your cables at? My cables either run down the sides, through areas like the rocker panels and behind the side panels, or follow the factory wire bundles across the floor. Running wires through the Element is a chore and you have to work at it to get the floor to go back on flat. It's not easy but it is very possible.

I don't agree with spdrcr5 but I'm coming around to his point of view. Wires outside? Heavens to Betsy! The only wires that run outside on my car are ones for devices that are outside the car: the XM and GPS antennas and the back-up camera, and even those run all the way back inside the vehicle and only duck outside at the end.

Friday is not too late. You're still in the discovery stage. Look at what we've come up with in the last 6 hours. I don't think you should go to the store until you have all of your proverbial ducks in a row.

The retailer in me says give them one chance to make it right at no cost to you. Depending on how the laws are written in North Carolina (Charlotte, right?), you may legally have to do that. I'd call your Consumer Protection division of the state government and find out what the law is. It varies from state to state.

You are right. I am giving them this one chance to make it right. Period. After that, I will dispute the labor charges and get my money back or they will hear from consumer protection.

I simply am not going to stand for cables outside of the car. Period. THey will fix that, and the holes they cut in my floor, and they will take the time to run my cables properly. I am very sketchy about that and have been since the beginning. Everyone here has cables run inside, so why shouldnt I?

They ran your wires outside?!
Wow.
:-o

After you get this all fixed,
I'd suggest going to your buddy who recommended them
and kick him right in the bogeys.


Good luck.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/nutkick.gif

Hey,

I've seen competition a/v systems with wire run outside, BUT they were using ZERO GAUGE WIRE inside aluminum conduit to protect it. Are they doing this with yours BDJ?

Thx, Phil

I have seen a couple of cars with cables run outside. None of those cables were bare or open to the elements. All wer grommetted and sealed, which is not the case here.

I am going to have them re-route the cables. Simply put, there is no reason why these cables should not be - one of them is a McIntosh cable for an amp that is specifically stated NOT to be run outside.

Not only am I going to kick him in the ding-ding, I am going to make him call the owner and kick his butt too.

I still am kindof in a state of shock over all this - I mean, it's simply an audio system, with no video, or PS2, or nav, or nothin. There is no reason why any installer should jack up an install like this with equipment of this caliber. If I sent photos of this to McIntosh right now, they would want to know WTF these guys were thinking. They simply havent followed any of my instructions, and if they dont, there will be more than hell to pay. I will dispute labor charges on the card, and take them to court if necessary.

Can't a guy just get a damn audio installation done properly? Fer chrissakes!

breitlingdj, sorry to butt-in here but i was just reading through this horror story and i'm absolutely steaming mad. this is terrible! i cannot believe what they've done. if you don't have any luck in charlotte, there are a couple of places here in charleston that do good work. it's about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive but in hindsight it would've been a better deal. best of luck to you. looking forward to seeing the outcome.

...also, i believe i'll be in charlotte the 21st/22nd/23rd-ish to do some recording in a studio. i'd love to check out your ride.

donnie

Sounds like a plan, Fendray - let me know when you'll be around and we can meet up. Hope the system will be put back together by then...if not, I may just bring it down your way, I grew up going to Pawleys Island and Charleston in the summers.

Thanks for the sentiment - and trust me, I am just as mad...but at least I have the NHL back for my entertainment!

cool, i'll let you know when and where i'll be. i'll have quite a bit of free time while i'm there so i'm sure we can meet up somewhere. the carolina's element owners club...just two elements. see ya.

donnie

this is where i'll be~~~>http://www.gat3productions.com/
pressley road

I mapquested it and its about 25 minutes from my place, a little farther from my work. We can figure something out im sure...

Jon

Friday night, 8:36 EDT

Well?

Friday 9:32pm EST...

Well?

:)

i hope all is well...

......well?

Hummm...we may have gone to the well one too many times. :roll:

WELL.
We have been slightly delayed. As far as I am concerned right now, that is OK...as long as it gets done right! I needed my car this weekend anyway. I will assault them Monday AM.
More later.

Jon, so long as your happy I guess we can live through an entire weekend of not knowing any sort of outcome!

Is it Monday yet? :)

:roll: Geez lay off you guys. Have some patience. If he can wait for Monday so can we!

Hehehehehehehe.

My list keeps growing of things for them to fix...they may have to keep it for a week or longer....and THEY have to pay for the rental car...

I will let everyone know what happens, along with pictures...stay tuned...thanks for all the interest, I appreciate all the words of sympathy :grin:

I will let everyone know what happens, along with pictures...http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/strangling.jpg

Hehehehehehehe.

My list keeps growing of things for them to fix...they may have to keep it for a week or longer....and THEY have to pay for the rental car...

I will let everyone know what happens, along with pictures...stay tuned...thanks for all the interest, I appreciate all the words of sympathy :grin:

I would just worry if I made a big stink with the company and they still had my vehicle.

You never know, If they are that unprofessional they might try leaving you some easter eggs somewhere throuout the vehicle, but what can you do right.

At least they are taking care of it. Lets see some detailed pictures when it's all done :)

I have gone over every inch of the car with a microscope. If they try to screw me, they will hear from the attorneys my family has on permanent retainer. I faxed a letter today, that was nice but extremely firm - I am pretty sure they got the idea.
I am confident, with the carbon copies being sent via certified mail to a) the owner of the store b) my boss who knows him and c) my attorneys that these jacklegs will fix everything. If not, all hell will rain down on them. I promise that.

I also promise plenty of pictures of the install when it's done, if its done right.

BTW, Outpost, WTF is THAT all about? I dunno if I WANT to know...

:evil:

hey bdj,

do you still have your truck or is it back in the shop? I was just curious as to how your JL xr's were installed (tweets in stock location, etc). The woofers are pretty deep on those.

I was thinking about getting some of these, but was concerned about mounting a little and was wondering if you could show how yours are installed if you still have the truck.

I do still have my truck and I haven;t yet changed it - the speakers are actually Memphis Sound Qs, based on recommendations and listening, they hold more power and sounded slightly better in the shop, but I don't know if I really like them or not. I may end up putting MBQuart or Focal in there after I get done with the rest of it...

more soon car is supposed to be going in this morning, right about now

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/125.gif Good luck!

Due to extenuating circumstances (my own, not the installer's), the car will not be in until tomorrow AM. I am still awaiting a response from the fax I sent Saturday concerning the whole shebang.
I was up until 5 AM writing a mid-term on Anthropological Culture Theory and how the individual is shaped by culture and vice-versa...
Of course, I am a biological or physical anthropologist by nature, and am specializing in skeletal anatomy and primate evolution and evolutionary adaptation, thus cultural theory bores me to tears...

And so, the car could not get in this AM because I had to finish the paper and get to class, and had no time to take it in.

Time shall tell. All shall be revealed. I still wanna know, OP, what the heck was up with that picture.... :shock:

^ It came to me in a vision. Quoting Doctor Peter Venkman:

Riots in the streets, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

bdj, whatever you do, don't go to the shop tomorrow without back-up.

Well drive yer happy ass down here, cause I ain't gots no backup. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm going in there when I wake up and Im gonna raise HELL if they try to put it off or rip me off or refuse rental car or whatever.

If they mess with me, I'm posting their telephone number on here and I want all youse folks here to call them and blast them for mistreating a good customer...

hehehehehehe

breitlingdj, how am i supposed to see your ride this weekend if it's in the shop?

Well, I am supposed to get it back Friday, we assume. Of course, that may not be the case. If they still have it, you can meet me at the shop to bust open their bloody witless minds.

Or, we can just kick their asses for being stupid. Or, we can just go so that you can check out the car while the work is in progress. Maybe I'll have it back, who knows?

Jagr scores 2 PP goals and Lundquist serves a shutout to Florida as my beloved Rangers win their third straight! ANd I get to order a Jagr jersey tomorrow for me birthday! Life is great! Uh, except for that whole car system thing....

:evil:

So how old will you be, bdj?

fendray26 scores 2 kicks to the nads and breitlingdj serves a shutout to (the install shop in question) as my beloved element owners win their first big victory! ANd I get to order an element owners club decal tomorrow for me birthday! Life is great! Uh, except for that whole scion thing....

:evil:

i got your back, we'll take 'em in style, i'll drive you there!
i'm really excited to see some macintosh car audio equipment. i've loved their stuff since i was little. the best sounding ever and great choice going with jl's, my other favorite. i have soundstream, cerwin-vega, audiobahn. a cornucopia of crap compared to yours. i may as well put emerson, audiovox and yorx in my element. good luck today and have a great birthday.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/birtday4.gif

Happy birthday to breitlingdj !

happy birthday Breitlingdj. I won't hold you being a Rangers fan against you. lol

spdrcr5 - thanks. Rangers and Isles are going at it for the next two days. Better shore up yer pk!

Thanks everyone for the birthday stuff. Talked to guy this AM and he is confident he can make everythign on my list happen by Friday. Keepin my fingers crossed here!

Fendray - as long as you like whats in your element, then be happy! Be glad you're not an audiophile fool like me.

Outpost: I get imaging too, i listen to coldplay and stick my head in the center, in front of the head unit, I get a great center image. Now if only I could shift it around....

Due to extenuating circumstances (my own, not the installer's), the car will not be in until tomorrow AM. I am still awaiting a response from the fax I sent Saturday concerning the whole shebang.
I was up until 5 AM writing a mid-term on Anthropological Culture Theory and how the individual is shaped by culture and vice-versa...
Of course, I am a biological or physical anthropologist by nature, and am specializing in skeletal anatomy and primate evolution and evolutionary adaptation, thus cultural theory bores me to tears...

And so, the car could not get in this AM because I had to finish the paper and get to class, and had no time to take it in.

Time shall tell. All shall be revealed. I still wanna know, OP, what the heck was up with that picture.... :shock:

I just wrote a paper in my Social Theory course (Sociology 570 here at NIU) about evolutionary social theory as it affects the debate over individuals shaping culture or cultures shaping individuals...funny

also, go blackhawks (whats up with Habi tho?)

Also, you’re the guy to ask: what about (pissing off the backseat passengers) having a 5.1 surround sound system in a car...do people try this? I recently got a 5.1 system and bought a couple of DVD audio albums and some of it is done quite well (Beck's "Sea Change" is incredible in 5.1...the reverb on the acoustic guitar is faded to the rear while the clean guitar is in front...the weird sounds traveling all over the place)...would be cool to recreate this effect in the E...(i've recently got into the technology and the processes behind mixing music in 5.1)

i must hate keeping threads on topic...

Almost got tickets to the games at both MSG and the Coliseum... but it was going to be for 8 of us and we are talking way too much money for 2 games. The MSG tix were going to be around $70 each and the Coliseum tix were only $10/per less. Then you have food, parking and LIRR to add to that and we are approaching $1,000 for 2 hockey games we can watch on TV. I'll get tickets for later in the season and not bring as many people.

Living where you live why are you a blueshirt fan? Ever been to any games?

YO!
I went in this AM to check on the progress of the install...and it is beginning to kick major ass. The amp rack has been redesigned and rebuilt, the sub box has been redesigned (with my input). We have decided to leave the cables where they are for appearance's sake (they are big cables) but they will be covered and fiberglassed into the underside of the car. I finally feel as if we are beginning to move in the right direction! Aside from the fact that I have to drive a PT Loser until it's done, which may be Monday or Tuesday or later, I am very excited about the way this installation has turned around. I think you folks will be just as excited when you see the install pics...just wait!

hehehe

nice! can't wait! glad things are looking up.

breitlingdj, i'm glad some ass is finally being kicked. i should be headed your way tonight after work (possibly in the morning). give me a call or pm/email me your phone # so i can get in touch with you when i get into town. best of luck to you on the install. maybe we can go on a stealth mission tomorrow and check it out. talk with you later.

donnie

Thanks for the update. I'm glad it is turning around for you. It's amazing what raising a holy stink in a nice way, and in your case with the solid threat of a lawsuit, can do to get someone's attention.

Well, the amp rack is badass now, the amps are now positioned horizontally, and the small amp is angled up slightly towards the back of the spare well. the sub box will be interesting, as the subs will be firing kindof towards the floor, and the box will be angled reversed - so that it angles up and back, thus, if I want to show off the amps, all I have to do is remove the cargo panel and bang, Mac amps under JL subs. It is most decidedly looking up.

Spdrcr - for one thing, the Rangers are the NHL affiliate for my local ECHL team, the Charlotte Checkers, and lots of my favorite players are in the Rangers system. Secondly, my favorite player ever is now playing with the Rangers - #68 Jaromir Jagr (with the hat trick last night, on DiPietro, who was unbelieveable in goal). Weekes sucked last night, we shoudlve kept Lundqvist in, he was lights out all week. I do miss Boris Mironov, and we shouldnt have traded away Jamie Lundmark, but the managers apparently know what they are doing.

Both of those games were great to watch, and your Isles decidedly deserved both victories - well done. I have attended a couple of games at MSG, but most of my NHL games were in Raleigh (especially the Stanley Cup a couple years back when the Hurricanes almost made it). Hockey is a fun sport - and my season tix to the CHeckers cost me a grand total of $305!

CHeers all.

good to hear things are finally moving in the right direction. can't wait to see the pictures.

Yes, 2 good games... with proper outcomes. :) Stanley Cup games... been to many of those. :) Was at every playoff game including Cup games from 1975 until 1983. :) My Dad had season tickets from 1972 until 1984. Where I live the Rangers used to practice in my town in the mid 70's so we used to go to those all the time, plus the players lived here so we went to school with their kids. That was really cool... except they were Rangers! lol

Alls I have to say is Jaromir Jagr. The man. A hat trick against you guys and still we lose...WTF?

Still don't have her back. Met Fendray yesterday and saw his ride (nice!) and will probably go in tomorrow AM to check on the progress for the install. Talked to my installer this AM, allowed as to how the CD changer flushing in was a bitch, and that the amp cover is ready to be sanded and vinyled. The enclosure should be going together today and tomorrow, maybe will be able to retrieve it by Wednesday, I hope. The PT Loser sure does suck...it'll be worth the wait, you guys are going to love the final job...hehehehe only I know what it will look like (I laugh my evil laugh)...

I don't care how many goals Jagr scores so long as the Isles score one more than them. :) lol

can't wait to see the final results.

so....? :arrow:

Breit... guess where I will be at 7pm EST tonight? :)

Give up?

Madison Square Garden! Islanders vs Rangers! woohoo! :)

Yadayadayadayada.

Rangers by 2 - but only if Lundqvist is in goal. Weekes is not on point right now, but Henrik sure is.

GOing to go yelling again. THing needed to be done by tomorrow night, probably will not be done until sometime next week. Man, this thing is taking forever, but the guys there all say that when it's done I'll be happy. I can only be happy if I get the car back by the time im 80. Supposed to go on a road trip this weekend, may not be able to.

rrrrrrrrrr! Frustrated but still excited about the install. Maybe will get some pics on of the process today later on - they have my camera!

You do a great slow burn, bdj. Especially one that lasts for weeks. ;-) :-P

Look at it this way. They don't dare give it back to you until it is absolutely perfect. :)

IF you need any reinforcements I got 'em.

10 Angry Scottsmen

8 Irishmen

1 Smart Aleck

18 Drunk Guys with Swords

1 Marksman

1 really ticked off German Shepard (we call him the Sheppagator)

1 Gimp (yes, one like in Pulp Fiction)

and ME!

Here is an update. The CD changer has been fiberglassed and covered in, and the fiberglass amp cover has been finished as well. THe shops week has been hectic, so they havent been able to devote all of their attention to it, but as long as they keep the cash coming in for me to have the rental no harm done. The wiring guru is tackling it tomorrow to get all the cables wired properly and the meters, radar, and sub control in tomorrow, and the enclosure will take shape tomorrow and probably Saturday. WHen I spoke with my installer just now, he basically said that it is taking a while, but that I am getting a much better product and that the guys who have seen the finished changer and ampcover have really liked it. I do not have photos for you yet, as Tony still has me camera and I hope hes been taking photos of it all. Patience is a bit bizzatch. :evil:

And, BTW, note the new avatar, which is the 404 glowing...I like!

Rangers by 2 - but only if Lundqvist is in goal. Weekes is not on point right now, but Henrik sure is.



I wrote that earlier today, and here it is:
Rangers 3, Isles, 1.

Rangers win by two with Lundqvist in net. Jagr with two assists. 'nuff said...wish I'd been there.

Met Fendray yesterday

it was nice meeting you, still looking forward to meeting your ride. i finished installing my door speakers, i'll post some pictures later today. have a good one.

donnie

Nice to meet you too. That was a rad studio. Maybe you will get to meet the Helement in the next millenium...

I wrote that earlier today, and here it is:
Rangers 3, Isles, 1.

Rangers win by two with Lundqvist in net. Jagr with two assists. 'nuff said...wish I'd been there.

bastard! I was there... it was not a very good game no matter who would have won. We were wishing the Islanders would have turned down the last few power plays they were given... 0-11 lol HORRIBLE!!!! It wasn't as though the Rangers penalty kill was even good, the Islanders Power Play was abysmal. Never seen anything this bad in my life. Nobody wants to shoot the damn puck.

Very paniful to watch. :(

Yeah well, hockey is hockey. SOmetimes they play well and sometimes not. The Isles had their chances, just couldnt connect. That happens. Wish I had been there, for real. My man has a scoring streak going! 8 games in! Yeah!

Still twiddling my thumbs.....no E yet. It was two weeks on Tuesday. Ah, well, I might as well be philosophical about it. Three weeks of driving for me is something like 1500 miles (+or-) that are not being put on my car!

Plus, these guys just keep racking up the rental car bill - I just hope the end result is worth it. I want to hear it and see it - I get to see it Thursday whether it is ready or not. Then all shall (hopefully) be revealed.

Thanks for being patient and not wanting to kill me :grin:

Still twiddling my thumbs.....Thanks for being patient and not wanting to kill me :grin:What, and end the soap opera? :-o Never! :razz:

Ah well the saga continues. Thursday was supposed to be the pick-up day, now we don't know...I'm getting frustrated again, but, what can I do. These guys now owe me $240 for rental car, as well as a finished car...they damn well better do it right is all I have to say. Sheesh.

I was hoping to get some pics on here tomorrow, but we will all apparently have to wait. Blast.

this is why god gave us all a middle finger

Three weeks for an install is totally unnacceptable unless they are fabbing monitors into your dash or doing some HEAVY customization of numorous body panels. I've seen the most detailed of installs (were talking $20-$50k installs) get done in two weeks with 2-3 guys doing the work.

This is rediculous. Unless they provided me with a new 911 turbo for a rental I would be steaming mad :x

G-force, will you kindly negotiate my loaner next time I take a car in for repair? I'd like a BMW Z4 3.0i, please. :grin:

What I don't get is why they are letting it hang around the shop. Every day it is there it is costing them money. Either in lost bay time, or lost installer time, or just in rental car charges if the Element just sits in the parking lot that day. You think they'd want to get this deal done as fast as possible. I understand a week but we've just ended two weeks that bdj's car has been back in the shop.

But then, I own a stereo store... :)

Im with you on that OP. I want it back very badly, but its their own fault they have to fix it, and the longer it takes the more it costs them, but id rather them take their time and do it right than hastily do a bad job again.

We shall find out soon enough.

BTW, my fiance is probably leaving me. No reason given, not my fault, its her, blah blah blah. Not a happy camper right now.

ouch...sorry to hear that. well, look on the bright side, at least you know your element is coming back to you and you"ll be able to control what you hear out of it. :grin:

Jeez, that's the sh!ts, bdj. Sorry to hear about your love life.

Ry Cooder (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47E17DD4CAF7420C3953A56CEB953F306D20D F981133C5950D8B43F54DC5C39B513A7D9CDB4B670BE7BA9F5 2BA44A7EAE&sql=11:98q6g4httvnz) recorded (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47E17DD4CAF7420C3953A56CEB953F306D20D F981133C5950D8B43F54DC5C39B513A7D9CDB4B670BE7BA9F5 2AA64A7EAE&sql=10:3z0qoarabijp) a song by an old bluesman, Billy "The Kid" Emerson, that may be appropriate:


Crazy 'bout an Automobile (Every Woman I Know)


(spoken dialog intro)

- Man, I'm gonna tell you my story
- Go on and tell about it, go on and tell about it more
- Just what I've been doing
- What you've been doing, Ry ?
- Well, you know I used to be particular about the womens that I picked
- Aha!
- Yeah! They used to be tender, lean and tall, that's all
- But the way things has been going, I'll take 'em knock-kneed and bow-legged
- What ?
- I'll even take 'em bald! Man. I'll tell you why
- Please, tell me why!

Every woman I know is crazy 'bout an automobile
Every woman I know is crazy 'bout an automobile
And here I am standing with nothing but rubber heels.

He-hey, every woman I know, crazy 'bout an automobile
Oh, every woman I know, crazy 'bout an automobile
And here I am standing with nothing but rubber heels.

Now look'it here!
They say, walking women home is a thing of the past
Women want to ride and ride around in class
Some like Cadillacs, boys, some like Fords
Some like anything as long as it rolls.

Crazy 'bout an automobile [That's right]
And here I am standing with nothing but rubber heels

Well, every woman I know she's crazy 'bout an automobile
Every woman I know is crazy 'bout an automobile
And here I am standing with nothing but rubber heels

One more thing I wanna tell you

Said, riding and loving just can't be beat,
You and your woman in your own front seat.
Now, she can play with your keys, shift the gears,
Turn on your radio just loud enough to hear.
Now, she can turn up the heat and flip on your fan,
And then you start rolling just as fast as you can.

Crazy 'bout an automobile
And just here I am standing with nothing but rubber heels

Man, when I get some money I just got to get me some kind of automobile
You don't seem like the women in this town just don't pay no attention to ya 'less you're driving
Look at that big, fine Buick over there
Oh, I like that one
Yeah, now, looks like somebody left the keys in it
Oh, let's take a ride

Nothing but rubber heels

If she leaves you for no good reason you should be very happy you never married her.

Sorry about the gf. Just think - you'll be able to get "busy" with your new, improved E.

If she leaves you for no good reason you should be very happy you never married her.


Precisely, My wife left me and wants a divoce under basically the same circumstances.....and it's just crappy. She moved out, she said she was unhappy and wasn't willing to fix it. But now she travels back home alot more often and I found out that she's been talking to a guy down there :evil: But what am I going to do? I'm going to do my best to deal with it and try to find a way to get past her. I still love her, and may always. That makes it hard to do anything, do I fight for our marriage? Do I let her go? Do I make it rough by being cold and a jerk? I don't know.

There is a reason for everything, and what everyone keeps telling me (sometimes it's hard to realize) is that your better off without her if she's going to be that way.


Did not mean to hijack,

How is the install coming now? I have done my own installs in the past, nowhere near as nice as yours is going to turn out ( I prefer everything to be hidden and plain) but I can get a whole car done in a few days. Tack on time for all the custom work, then subtract time for their installers doing this all the time and should work faster than I could.

I think you should start going the BBB or consumer complaint route. If anything it will help them to focus directly on your car and just get the thing finished.

I figure that women are just crazy. Shell either get over herself, or not. Either way, I have to live and keep on, so there it is.

Yeah, these jackasses need to hurry up and get me my car back, but I am hoping for an E of the month nomination when its done, jsut because I have had to wait the longest... :-D

jon, what the hell? still no e? man, i don't think i'd be doing very well right now. are you still being forced to drive that pt cruiser?

I think bdj should sell his Element, ditch the stereo and buy a Mazda RX-8. It would be better for picking up chicks. ;-) :-P

I wonder if he is going though the stage I went through when my installer and I had our falling out. You somewhat forget about it. It will get done when it gets done.

I wonder if he is going though the stage I went through when my installer and I had our falling out. You somewhat forget about it. It will get done when it gets done.

This is why I do all my own installs. That way it will get done when I get it done. I'm a bit of a control freak:shock:

Yo guys.
Sorry I been absent for a few days. Life is hectic. Anyhoo - no, fendray, no element as of yet (11/15, 2:00pm). I have been driving the PT Loser for a month. a MONTH! at their expense. THey are trying to return it to me today, but they have as of yet kept no promises. We shall see!
OP - nah. The mazda ain't me. If I were to do such things, my list would be:

Bentley Continental Flying Spur (the 4-door)
Range Rover Sport
Porsche 911 GT2
Ariel Atom
Ferarri Enzo

In real terms, though, I would buy a 1996 BMW M3 coupe, and ship it to Active Autowerke in Miami. Stage 3 turbocharged M3. No rear seats. Roll cage. 190mph on the track (har). total cost? about $50K for car and work. And it'll outrun damn near anything except the Enzo or the Ariel. Or the GT2 I guess....

This is why I do all my own installs. That way it will get done when I get it done. I'm a bit of a control freak:shock:

Im with ya on that. However, I am an expert only in 120v applications. My knowledge of installation is subpar at best. And yes, I have kindof fell into that attitude of "whatever, Ill get it when its done..."

Wow. You audiophiles have it rough... I'm half deaf as a result of my years of U.S. Navy service and I doubt that I could tell the difference between a high end sound system and a blind monkey beating on a tin can... Accordingly, I can settle for the OEM stereo and an iPod full of primate precussion tracks.

A mixed blessing I suppose... :|

Not getting it today, it will be ready tomorrow though according to dude. He actually gave me a cap for free. Thats cool.
Tony Womack, the MLB player, has moved here, and is apparently having to wait for my ride to get done before his H2 gets done, and his Range Rover, and Lamborghini...I love it, my regular guy self keeping a millionaire from his toys.

Poetic Justice. Pics tomorrow night or Thursday.

Tell them you want an autographed ball, too.

A free cap!?

After all this crap I'd want a free knobber!!
:-P

He should be paying for a night out at the Mens CLub. But, getting anything for free from these guys is pretty unusual, so thats fine...they still have her. Dave keeps pushing it back because it takes them 18 years to solder freaking RCA connections. I could have soldered the things in less than an hour.

Will post pics upon arrival.

j

They're still making up RCAs? :???: This thing should have been up and running at least a week ago. How do they know how it sounds? How do they know if there is engine noise? They haven't reset crossovers or gains from where they were a month ago.

Bozos.

I know, a week before Thanksgiving this isn't possible with your job, but you have to take a big book and sit in their waiting room until your car is done. It will only take a day, but if you spend a day hanging out, being in pest, letting them know you aren't leaving until you get your car back, you will get it back very quickly.

I had to do this one time to get paid by a company. The check had been promised and promised and promised. The last day it was promised and wasn't there, I bought a new book and sat down in one of their displays (they were in retail). It took three hours but I got my check. :)

HOT DAMN!

I am picking her up at 4pm today. No stalling or any such...actually going to have her back! WOW!

I will start a new thread with photos when she returns and I have the photos.

AWESOME!

NO MORE PT LOOOSER.

HOT DAMN!

I am picking her up at 4pm today. No stalling or any such...actually going to have her back! WOW!

I will start a new thread with photos when she returns and I have the photos.

AWESOME!

NO MORE PT LOOOSER.

yeah, yeah... sure you are. Do you even own an Element? Certainly seems like you are an E wannabe and currently own a PT Cruiser... lol :)

I hope they spend the time it takes to tune it properly and get the amps adjusted.

LMFAO. I don't remember what driving the E is like...certainly don't remember what the leather smells like...I am an E wannabe. They have been tuning system for about a day now (they finished the RCAs early yesterday) and it will probably take a couple of weeks to get it tweaked right, but for now I am just excited to be bumping.

Got my Makaveli and G-Unit stuff ready to play, as well as countless drum and bass CDs...whoooo!

Download George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and play that. It will really show the full musical spectrum and is a nice test track.

Download George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and play that. It will really show the full musical spectrum and is a nice test track.

If you just want to see how loud it gets, try Bohemian Rhapsody.

http://www.beatles.ru/img/news/20050324105158.jpg

:-P

If you want wailing guitars, you can play the Jerry Garcia Band song Rhapsody In Red.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/10_frank_kim_rhapsody_in_red.jpg

7:42 PM EST

Well...?



:razz:

lol-
she is home, and is absolutely bad ass. I will get some photos on soon, I have avery busy day today and tomorrow.

j

Congratulations, bdj. You won. :)

I had to go back and find this. On September 26th, you made the following post under the title "She's FINALLY going under the knife..." :

...the system is being installed beginning tomorrow.

The next day the shop's installer quit and the saga began. :roll:

Download George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and play that. It will really show the full musical spectrum and is a nice test track.

Good suggestion -- only, if it's a download/mp3, it better be ~320kbps.
One of my favorites is Brahms Symphony #4.
Another good one is Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring.
Or pretty much any Beethoven symphony, but 3, 5 and 9 are the most righteous.

Crank em up and bear down for a little of the old ultra-violence, me droogies.

Good suggestion -- only, if it's a download/mp3, it better be ~320kbps.
One of my favorites is Brahms Symphony #4.
Another good one is Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring.
Or pretty much any Beethoven symphony, but 3, 5 and 9 are the most righteous.

Crank em up and bear down for a little of the old ultra-violence, me droogies.

Agree, I have listened to quite a bit of classical on systems because they are truly able to stress a system and show all of its strengths and weaknesses. That is something very few rock or rap let alone pop songs can do. They don't contain the instruments or the range of music in them.

Then you need a also get some really good female vocals as well. Annie Lennox has an amazing voice to test out the tweeters as does Sarah McLachlin. Yes there are others... just named 2. :)

Classically speaking, here are a few of my faves:

Mozart Requiem (Nicholas Harnancourt)
Verdi Requiem (Renee Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, etc.)
Mahler 2 & 5 (London Symphony Orchestra, on Deutch Gramophone)
Mozart 39 & 40
Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Musical Fidelity SACD)

Others too.

I took some photos last night, but they did not turn out well, so I will have to get some in the sun...maybe tonight.

It is absolutely ridiculous, everyone that has heard it has said that it was the best sound theyd ever heard.

HAH!

I took some photos last night, but they did not turn out well, so I will have to get some in the sun...maybe tonight.


My guess is if you wait until tonight and hang around for the sun to be shining... you will be waiting until tomorrow morning. :)

Larry, can't you tell the boy's in love?


:grin:

har har har.

Well, I for one, cannot wait for the pics. This thing sounds awesome!!! Long painful process, but sounds like it is awesome:D

Thats, Well not big enough to park your E under !