Got A New Hood

[jzz30]

alot of times those squirter holes are too small so you have to go over it with a file. and dont forget to super glue those filed edges( black super glue is best)

and have a body shop or some where fill the pin holes and just have the hood cleared. your supposed to clear it anyway to protect it from uv if they already dont use uv protectants in their gell coat.

[Sadistic]

Thanks AJ, I won't be calling them to setup my dealer account on this basis alone. I've heard too many people complain about their idea of customer support and quality, and this just tops it off nicely. Most of my stuff has to come directly from Japan that I'm using anyways, but I had thought many times about ordering from them for my own car. I'm very glad I didn't, and very sorry that you did.. If you find something to replace your hood with, let me know.. I'll setup an account there and give it to you as cheap as I possibly can. There's no reason a fellow SC member should have to deal with a hassle like that.

[AWJ]

alot of times those squirter holes are too small so you have to go over it with a file. and dont forget to super glue those filed edges( black super glue is best)

and have a body shop or some where fill the pin holes and just have the hood cleared. your supposed to clear it anyway to protect it from uv if they already dont use uv protectants in their gell coat.

Jzz30 - I understand what you are saying. I actually did some hand lay up in College as a part of a plastics engineering course. I really should have known better. But being out of school practically seven years, I'm slipping. I'm really considering going back. Anyways, If the washer nozzles were the only issue; I would not be or have been so upset. You do make a good recommendation though. I recently came across a body guy that could do this, if he were willing. Sometimes, people don't even want to deal with that stuff though - especially in the region I live. Can you recommend any certain type black super glue? I know there is a loctite black glue floating around here somewhere I might try. As far as putting clear over it, it already has a gel coat. UV resistant? I highly doubt it. I may try to go over it with some Meguiars and see what that does. Did I mention swirl marks and scratches? Yea - that too.

Sadistic - you are a good man - as are all our members. I would advise your business and any others to stay as far away from GTP as possible. I ordered a CF elite front end from them as well. Called many many times. The order was placed in November - the 29th 2003. Come March 15 2004 I still don't have a hood and the only answer I get is maybe next week. I asked to get the contact information of the manufacturer. "Oh well they are in Asia so we can't do anything." Thats a load of crap. I work for a Japanese company. My boss spends 75% of his time in Japan. I have no problem getting a hold of him nor does he of me. All it takes is an established communication, wich, I would think if a company is doing business - there would be lots of communication - especially when money is concerned. Duh. So I set a deadline - give me an explanation on the status of this part by march 15 via phone or e-mail. Apparently, that is too hard for them to do. I had actually called and spoke to some chick who was the most helpful to that date. She said she would call me back that Friday in 3 hours. She never called. Wich is why I set the March 15 ultimatum. I got no type of response March 15 and I filled a claim dispute with my credit card company. So I incurred interest because I do not pay for parts I do not receive. Wich brings another issue - a business should not charge a credit card until parts ship. They charged my card back in December I had to argue to get them to send the parts I ordered that were in stock. Not to mention the charges for long distance I incurred being on hold for them to figure out they want to tell me to call back next week. Anyways, after I file dispute, I get an e-mail march 17 (two days after my request - I was out of town) saying - "Sorry I didn't call back. My drink spilled on your phone number. " WTF - that is the most pathetic bs I've ever heard. Aside from the pathetic bs I deal with from subbordinates on occasion. "If you want your money back, I understand." I didn't even bother with a reply. Formal dispute has been filed as I indicated in my letter. They must think I'm - I don't know what they think. They could have pulled my number from their records and called me. Unless her drink spilled on their hard drive. Space cadet. Ultimately, I'm glad the cf front bumper never came. I got my money back and can use it to paint the oem front bumper. From now on - the body of my car stays OEM. End of story. (watch me get a full body kit now.)

Yea - Sadistic, my best advice for you and anyone else is to stay as far away from GTP as possible. Don't even bring their site up on your browser.

My goal is not sympathy. Just to let others know my experience. I told them who I was from the beginning. I guess they didn't believe me. It has become one of my goals to let everyone I come across know my experience with this company. I know there are users based in Cali that promote this company. Other Lexus and SC owners that pushed this product. All I can figure is the parts were given to them for free. Perhaps it would be different if I were west coast. But I'm not. I still would not recommend anyone buy the stuff even if it was given to me for free though.

I appreciate your offer Sadistic. I'm not sure I will ever buy another body panel without seeing it first in person though. My oem hood would be much better than this. I still have it, when my car gets repainted this winter, so will the oem hood. I may just go back and forth between hoods as I see fit. Unless someone is willing to buy this CF hood and do what they can with it. I will not misrepresent it. Make an offer. I will modify it to fit correctly. Anyone who wants to try and make it look good, may do so as they see fit. Who knows. We'll see. It might just turn out ok. I'm just very disappointed.

Thanks for the input guys. Boycott GTP.

[Theodore]

Wow i like it too. Whats your guys opinon to put that on a white sc . I wanna put on the trunk too. Im not sure how its gonna look though. Anyone ever scene it on a white one before?

[Lex Luthor]

Sorry I didn't call back. My drink spilled on your phone number

Unbelievable...

[functionFiRst]

I'm very to sorry about the bad quality of the GTP/importfan products. Personally, it's hard to trust companies like that in the US. Japanese companies have a better quality to not only there products but customer base and relationship. It's hard to trust VIS and other body kit companies, not only does there customer service suck, but a lot of times they have dimwits working the phones or desks when they aren't suppose to.

I remember going to VIS with a friend that was going to pick up a carbon fiber hood for his Civic. Everything was pretty much set. My friend got a discount from a vendor and all we had to do was pick the hood up. So we go and the guy at the front desk gave us a hard time, saying he didn't get a call about that "deal" and he doesn't even have that particular hood in stock. He called his vendor friend to call VIS while we were there. And some other guy ended up getting the hood for us, which was on the side the whole time. The guy that we were dealing with didn't even work there, he was one of the employees friends, who thought he knew enough to deal with us. We should of kicked him the throat.

Anyways, good luck to you AWJ.

[Sadistic]

I have quite a bit of experience with VIS and other companies. And you guys are very right not to want to deal with them. A lot of these companies don't like dealing with the customer. They would rather deal with vendors. I've had this happen with VIS before. I work out a deal with my vendor, and then call VIS directly. They play games with me until they know I'm a vendor myself, and then everything is fine. Asylum Motorsports (asylumms.com) is another one. A customer didn't want to pay for name brand eyelids for his Golf, so I ordered them from Asylum. 2 weeks went by, and nothing. I tried calling for 2 weeks and got NO answer on the phone. At that point, I figured they were just some guy in a basement taking people's money. I wrote them email, and still got nothing. Then a week after that, the eyelids show up. But, they're for the wrong year VW. (For a MK IV not a MK III)

So I started calling them again. At this point my customer is getting extremely upset. Which of course makes ME look like a bad business. I explained everything to him, and showed him the wrong product, so at least he could understand that it wasn't me slacking. After another two weeks of calling them and getting no answer, one day I finally get somebody. And they act as if I've never even ordered a part from them. After two minutes he was already trying to push me off the phone. So I told him that I wanted my part within a week, or I was going to start filing with a lawyer. He said that he would look into it, and that was it. A week went by and nothing. I tried calling again, and again got no answer. So I found their fax number, and began faxing them letters threatening to sue them for fraud. 3 days later, the right eyelids showed up.

It is an utter disgrace that it takes legal action to get these companies get off their butts, and do some actual work. I understand that they probably deal with a lot of customers, and things get backed up. But, you know what? So do I, and I have no trouble. If I were to run my business like they do, I wouldn't have customers, and would be out of business. And I won't let that happen. Customer service should be number **1** with everyone. If you can't offer that, you shouldn't be in business.

I've had the same problem with JDM engine distributors, and Z3 Fenders. I'm not saying this to offend anyone, but honestly.. The problem in my mind falls with the consumer in our "scene." There are too many guys out there that want the cheapest crap they can find, period. So the manufacturers fall to that demand, and we end up getting the same product. Cheap, low quality parts that are made for to look good far away, and not up close. These companies have zero quality control, so they can pump out astronomical amounts of crap and sell to the hundreds of thousands of guys that don't care if their hood has pinholes. Or don't care that their Z3 fenders have a spot so thin from casting that you can see through. They don't care if their body kit doesn't line up right. They don't care if their headlights burn out in 3 days. They don't care if their clamped on muffler rattles and rusts. They don't care if their boost controller was made with metal that expands with heat, so under boost it doesn't control accurately. This is the scene that we live in. We make it what it is. And the years of beater build ups, rattle-can Civics, Used part DSM's, Fish tank Chevk Valve Integra Turbo Kits, and overly huge wing Grand Am's, have began to decay at what we take pride in. It has lowered the essential quality that we would like to see. The only way to take that back is to start buying parts with real quality. Stop buying the no name out of country crap off E-Bay. (Not that E-Bay is bad.. Just a home for the people that want to screw everyone)

So anyways.. Sorry for the rant. I just upsets me when people get screwed, and then the company doesn't want to be held responsible. I don't have any animosity towards any person that is an enthusiast in our scene. Although by my rant I'm sure it looks like I do, but I don't.. I just have an understand what is going on, after doing this for 10 years. Every person has their budget that they can spend, and I will gladly help anyone that has 400 dollars and wants 300 hp and a show car achieve that if I can. It's just that me as a person, I look for quality and experience when I order my parts.. I am a firm supporter of HKS and what it stands for. It may cost more, but it is definitely worth it in the end.

[mikee72]

I'd like to add to your "Rant." I've been modding cars since the 80's, and never in that amount of time have I seen such a vast percentage of imbeciles modding their cars as I do today. Ever since "The Fast And The Furious" came out, every high school punk with a Civic and !Removed! can exhaust thinks he has a fast car, because he has a carbon fiber fuel door and a JDM gas pedal. The lack of basic automotive knowledge is shocking. What's worse, is the pure arrogance in which these types show toward knowledgeable people who are trying to set them straight.

Instead of having a desire to learn *why* something works, they'd rather just blindly buy things that are the "cool" parts to have, clueless as to whether they really work as advertised or not. If and when they realize that said part *doesn't* work, they come on to a forum and start asking the same questions that have been asked 1000 times before, and expect to be spoon-fed the answer, oblivious to the "Read this before posting a question" section that is pretty much standard fare on every automotive BBS.

I could go on and on, but sadly, it isn't going to change things.

[bean_8044]

Yeah, screw this automotive crap. Im going to a scene where JDM hasnt hit yet.

Boats.

[mikee72]

Yeah, screw this automotive crap. Im going to a scene where JDM hasnt hit yet.

Boats.

LMAO!

[UCF3]

What's GTP Importfan's Website? Are they the same guys as GTP International Inc. out of Irvine, CA or is it some other company?

[Sadistic]

UCF, I would assume that's the same guys..

www.importfan.com Is their webpage

[jzz30]

AWJ

you can find black super glue most likely at a hobby shop (that deals with RC cars) wel use it for glueing our tiny rims and tires together. ( our 20 inch to scale rims like 2 inches) they call it CA glue and its usually known as rubber toughened.

as for the gel coat as far as i know only VIS uses uv protectant in their gel coats. so have the hood filled and smoothed out and have come clear coat layed on there and then you wont have to worry about the swirl marks you mentioned. otherwise in about 6 months to a year it will fogg up and you will have to polish the gell coat.

[OKSC3]

Yeah, if you can't find the black super glue let me know, I have access to an R/C & Slot car warehouse, I can call them and see if they have any.

Kyle

[mktbully]

mikee72 and sadistic - so true...so true.

i can't believe the amount of crap and garbage that's out there. at least the crap kits are keeping the body shops busy. it takes so much more time of working w/ the fiberglass to get it to look right because the part is a POS. in the end getting a right fitting part would've solved the problem and it would probably even look better.

[Masubi]

Wow, looks like everyone hates importfan?

The hood and trunk on my car are from them, it is not perfect but is ok for the money. I know that them and many other companies like VIS have changed there manufacturing to make them better, but they are not the quality of most JDM hoods, but then again they are half the price! But not all JDM CF are good, they are really the king of body kit thieves and many of there stuff is not that great either. We import lots of parts from japan and when it comes to kits, you have to spend the big money to get the really nice parts. Even the vertex kit did not fit they way I thought for the money.

As for fitment of my CF parts: The hood is average, the color is nice (my car is outside always) took 20 minutes to modify. It was molded off Soarer hood, so you have to cut groove on both side for hood stop (crash) JDM don't have, and the holes on hood are 10mm instead of 12mm so you need some washers. No hood pins needed. NO hood shocks!

Trunk: fits average, but has a bigger gap on one side. this part is so-so. Fits better without trunk shocks (bad shocks good ones are too strong).

[jzz30]

i actualy think VIS are good. they claim to put a UV protectant in their gel coats and the carbon goes all the way around to the inside of the hood. they are not wavy and the weave in the fibers are not pulled harder to one side or anything. and for about 500 bucks you really cant complain. i mean if it were a vertex hood that costs 3500 bucks or something and it had all of this wrong with it then well i would really complain. my friends shop just did a thing with VIS where they brought in 10 hoods to get a good price (plus a free hood) and they actually are the best hoods i have seen so far. i mean i havent seen like a C-west hood or anything but well what i am just trying to say is that VIS isnt that bad

[AWJ]

Wow, looks like everyone hates importfan?

....

As for fitment of my CF parts: The hood is average, the color is nice (my car is outside always) took 20 minutes to modify. It was molded off Soarer hood, so you have to cut groove on both side for hood stop (crash) JDM don't have, and the holes on hood are 10mm instead of 12mm so you need some washers. No hood pins needed. NO hood shocks!

Trunk: fits average, but has a bigger gap on one side. this part is so-so. Fits better without trunk shocks (bad shocks good ones are too strong).

At the speeds my car see's this hood needs the correct bolts to secure at the hinge. I am no way - going to attempt to use this hood with 10mm low grade bolts. I had to drill and tap them out. Just finished that today, and much more than 20 minutes. Two of the aluminum inserts nearly pulled out. I was able to reinforce them with two part epoxy and a night of curing, then re tapping very slowly and gently. All said, now I have 4, high quality mount points for my hinge. I still have the pin holes. Tried to fill them with black locktite - can't recall the number on it. Decent stuff. I'm going to see if my body guy can give me any advice on Saturday when the car goes in for a little bit of attention unrelated to the hood. The washer nozzles took 2 hours each. The top surface is somewhat presentable to any eye that does not know any better. That's it. The bottom surface is rolled - but cracked - very obvious demolding issues. Not autoclave. If I knew what I know now when I bought this hood - well, I wouldn't have bought it.

Hey masubi, what hood stop clearance are talking about? Can you post a picture?

[Calvin L]

awj, so you would not suggest this CF Hood from GTP to anybody?

[AWJ]

Basically, you get what you pay for. As far as the hood is concerned - if you really want a cf hood - this is not the best one. It can be modified to do the job though. It has poor quality all over it though. For 350$ though - that's what you get I guess. My main problem is with GTP/Importfan - itself. They are horrible to do business with.

I would not recommend this hood - but it would probably get show points once it is treated with a little clear coat and modified to fit correctly. If any surface defects are covered by a good body guy. You will wind up spending a lot of money to get it to work (correctly) though; unless you can figure it out yourself. I got about halfway there. I found the clearance item Masubi was talking about and used a dremel to cut them out after drilling a pilot. I'm just not impressed overall - I guess I should have expected this though - this is the first big body item I've ever worked with for my car from the beginning. I had a street fighter kit I put on a Del Sol way back in the day - but someone else did the work. I took it off and put it on several times afterwards, but never realized all the hassle with making this ish fit.

After I get done - hood should be mounted tonight, I will take pictures of the mounting and all the mods I had to make to it. All I can say is, if you want the hood - just be ready for trouble. I have no idea how well this thing will work on the car at high speed. If I see it lifting and flexing at highway speed, it comes off. It would probably be okay for a show car - if it was dressed right.

So Calvin - I don't recommend the hood - but it's your call in the end. I don't like it much. Some people say they do like it. My bigger issue is the service from GTP. Wich I'm beginning to think is not just GTP. Either way, I'll never buy from them again. I will probably never buy another aftermarket body component either. The other posts pretty much sum up the general consensus of the market today. If that is what you want to deal with, and you can be patient, well - it's your call.

[AWJ]

Sorry guys. Got carried away last night. Didn't take pictures of the modifications I had to make to the hood. I did get it mounted and then took the car out for a spin. The hood does not flex at triple digits. I guess it is fairly solid. Solid enough at least. Still general surface quality issues. I will probably have it clear coated either this weekend or this winter when the car gets a repaint. I'll try to put some pictures up tonight. At work now - go to go rebuild an injection molding machine barrel screw tip assy.

[Calvin L]

this may sound dumb but since you never mentioned them..are hood pins required?

[AWJ]

No hood pins.

But a lot of drilling, dremeling, and tapping. Now that it's on, I'm a little less disappointed.

Here is the clearance hole Masubi was talking about that needed to be put in. I have to thank you for bringing that up Masubi. I did not even notice until you said something. Notice the oem 12mm bolts are used in the hinge now. The bolts they send with it are crap. That was no small feat making that work.

[Masubi]

Wow, looks like everyone hates importfan?

....

As for fitment of my CF parts: The hood is average, the color is nice (my car is outside always) took 20 minutes to modify. It was molded off Soarer hood, so you have to cut groove on both side for hood stop (crash) JDM don't have, and the holes on hood are 10mm instead of 12mm so you need some washers. No hood pins needed. NO hood shocks!

Trunk: fits average, but has a bigger gap on one side. this part is so-so. Fits better without trunk shocks (bad shocks good ones are too strong).

At the speeds my car see's this hood needs the correct bolts to secure at the hinge. I am no way - going to attempt to use this hood with 10mm low grade bolts. I had to drill and tap them out. Just finished that today, and much more than 20 minutes. Two of the aluminum inserts nearly pulled out. I was able to reinforce them with two part epoxy and a night of curing, then re tapping very slowly and gently. All said, now I have 4, high quality mount points for my hinge. I still have the pin holes. Tried to fill them with black locktite - can't recall the number on it. Decent stuff. I'm going to see if my body guy can give me any advice on Saturday when the car goes in for a little bit of attention unrelated to the hood. The washer nozzles took 2 hours each. The top surface is somewhat presentable to any eye that does not know any better. That's it. The bottom surface is rolled - but cracked - very obvious demolding issues. Not autoclave. If I knew what I know now when I bought this hood - well, I wouldn't have bought it.

Hey masubi, what hood stop clearance are talking about? Can you post a picture?

The factory soarer hood uses 10mm bolts, I just saw one. That is probably why the hood had 10mm. I know it was cloned off a JDM hood. As for the hood stoppers. If you installed the CF hood you noticed that you had to cut out a slot on both sides of the hood in the rear. They look like hooks coming up from the back/top of the fenders. If you still need a picture, I guess I can post one.

James

[AWJ]

I got it man. Thanks.