after 42 days w/o my car, I FINALLY got it back tonight.

Only problem is the steel rims I got dont quite clear the calipers up front. They're good driving straight, but sharp corners deflect the rim just enough to scrape. (this, btw, is the last time i rely on the tire shop for rim size research).

To fix this, and make my car look even better in the nicer months, I just snagged HC spacers off of ebay. 12mm and 20mm, and with my ET from the Fliks, I should be 1mm inside the fender up front, and 1mm outside the fender in the rear. Paid $112 shipped for the spacers.

AND I found out what the Christmas bonus is this year, and after the 25+% taxes, I should still bring home $660.

New DV, Technics direct drive, linear tracking record player, and a bundle of cigars. My humidor has been way too empty for way too long.

And then Im back to no money! Hooray!

 

Congrats on the welcome home celebration for your baby.

 

I dont know what my Xmas bonus is however, I know im going to get robbed with taxes.

 

the rim is flexing and hitting the caliper in turning you prolly need wheel bearings.

 

Its only hard turns that will do it, at speeds over 15mph. Theres no noticable wear at this point, and no noise from the bearings. I'll inspect a little closer though.

Now on to the feature!

The emotional/stress roller coaster continues...

I noticed the body lines didn't look quite right where the quarter meets the rocker, but its dim shop lights I'm using to check the car over, I initially shrugged it off as weird lighting.

Get in the car today in the daylight, and its obvious that somethings not right. Hmm... I'll get a opinion from a non-car junkie, see if im just being too picky.My friendspots it almost immediately. We get in the car and go to lunch. As I pull out, i put the windows down, theres a nasty pop from the pass side (the side where the work was done). Yikes. Put the window up and down again, no noise. Weird. We headed to super walmart for lunch, got our food, got back in the car, and headed back to work. He goes to get out and the door wont open, i try from the outside. no dice.

Heres the full list of my complaints.

quarter to rocker, lines don't match
pass. mirror, loose in housing, housing loose on door.
euro plate insert, fish eyed clearcoat
pass. door does not open
lots of road noise from pass rear wheelwell
possibly misaligned headlight
headliner following up rear edge of pass window, bent/broken tabs. It doesn't hold tight against the roof.

I refused to pay the deductable, the local insurance agency agreed with that idea, the body shop did not.
The shop was trying to tell me what favors he'd done me already, how he blended the rocker panel for free, and how he let me take my car w/o finishing the paperwork.

Now, the thing is, everything around the rocker was repainted, you kinda HAVE to blend the rocker. The paperwork part, well, as far as Im concerned, the money won't be settled until the work is. I wouldn't pay for a hamburger that only has half the bun, and I'm not paying for bodywork that looks like someone did it in their back yard. We'll say the car isn't released, its just on a very detailed test drive.

 

That's horrible!
But hey at least you won those spacers!