I had the "nice" 1600 dollar base clear at Maaco. I sanded some sections down myself and allowed them the rest. I pulled off the mirrrors etc and some trim pieces. it came out poor with some bubbles and a cracking wierd texture under the clear. The bumper was full of gouges and some other issues. they even sprayed every rubber molding body color.. Dew wipes, windshield, sunroof molding. I brought it back after allowing it 3 weeks to cure,and they resprayed. This time they ripped the new leather seat, and it came back with silicone bubble divots all over the roof and hood... I took it back.. This third time it came back with no turbo power (its a boosted car), the seat ripped,black paint on the interior seat and steering wheel, and the hood had silicone divots all over. I gave up. They said theyd "fix" it in another three weeks but I was afraid they'd do even more damage. I wish you the best of luck but i have my doubts.. Seems any paint job at Maaco, no matter how costly, is still just a 400 dollar quick respray.
[This message has been edited by smartaxel (edited 07-08-2014).]
Again, though this is good for me to vent and blow off steam, but I will still wait and see what happens. If all is good, case closed. If all is not satisfactory, then is when I will have to take matters to the next level.
I am glad you took my post the way I intended it mostly just poking fun and you did not get bent out of shape but found humor in it as I intended. The Best Buy thing happened before I was Married to my husband so he did not have the pleasure to be there that day but if he had he would have joined me and not been put off at all, my reaction that and other things is part of the reason why we have been happily married for 11 years now, we see eye to eye on most things and are the best of friends and always have each others backs. Plus it is good for him that I like man stuff and never submit him to any dumb girly stuff, like jewelry for example it does nothing and has no purpose, not like a cool car that gets you from A to B and makes the trip fun, so you have form, function and a giant grin from ear to ear, much better than a rock that just sits there and screams this thing cost as much as a good paint job on a cool car but does nothing except make someone want to rob me.
I hope it goes well and you get satisfaction from this bad deal, if not I am sure you will be wiser and more learned from this experience. I showed my husband my post tonight and he did have sympathy for you as we have had similar experiences but not for quite as much so we can empathize with you on this. He also thought of one more thing I should have added to the things you do not want at a discount.
You do not want a discount prostitute. No explanation necessary for that.
I hope I made you laugh a little with each post. I am betting that if you do not get satisfaction you will be OK either way, you are a good person and Karma will come your way and theirs, even if you are not around to see it.
I was really thinking about giving MAACO my business to paint my fiero and my sc400 but after reading this and the incompetence of the MAACO shop and their Corporate Offices. I'll pay the extra at a different shop to get the JOB DONE RIGHT!!!! This is the worst service I've read and all that shop dust inside your fiero covering your NICE seats and NEW carpet... damn shame. MAACO really needs to pull their HEAD from their ASS and bite the bullet and EAT the material costs and DO THE JOB THEY PROMISED! Sorry John, hope they realize their mistakes and make things right for ya.
I have been following John's build very carefully, the paint part especially; preparation, color choice, and the reaction of MACCO with some initial issues. This has grown into a disappointing headache for John. Given I trust his judgement and sense of fairness, I strongly suspect I will not be going to MACCO anytime soon or at least until these issues are addressed and fixed in a fair and equitable way. Even then, I may hesitate given the swamp this customer has been made to slog through. Whatever happened to taking pride in your work and living up to your promises? Seriously, do you really need a corporate executive to tell you to do the right thing?
------------------ 1988 GT Medium Red Metallic Manual, Gray Leather K Beck LEDs & StuWipes
To my horror, I walk around the corner to see this: . ...
This is why I can't have a gun. If something like this happened to me I would go ballistic and quickly be in the national news. Can't believe how patient you have been. Love that Mustang blue but as you said it doesn't look like it. Still great looking. Hang it there man.
Got a call From MAACO today, they said they will do the repairs in the same color, but under no circumstances paint it the color I wanted unless I cough up another $350. They want an answer, as now they want the car out of their shop. Unreal.... Things have already been a little tight, and I am off to Frazee, MN in a couple weeks, so the $350 is just not in the cards right now for something like this.
It's all just a nightmare, and am just sick of being sick to my stomach over it.
I called MAACO, and I do have to pay an additional $300 to be repainted the color I originally wanted.... I was kind of backed into a corner so to speak.
a) I could have pulled my car out, and had to take it somewhere and spend thousands more to have it repainted. b) Pay $300 and take a serious gamble that they get it right this time.
I do have a few things in my favor at least..... Corporate is watching this whole situation closely. I printed out a full sheet, single spaced of what is to be corrected, and done while it is there, and had it signed by the shop manager.
It's funny, as I mentioned the stuff earlier in our conversation, that was not on the original paperwork, such as door jams and under the trunk/hood ect. He stressed over and over how important that things be on the paperwork, or down the road there is no proof, and no need for them to honor anything. I said it was a verbal agreement, and he said a verbal agreement means nothing, and that is HAS to be in writing.
Later in the conversation when I was just about to leave, I pulled out the list of what we agreed upon is being done to my car when you repaint it, and said that I would like him to sign it. He said there is no need to do that, as we discussed everything, and he knows completely what needs done. I reminded him, that no more the 10 minutes ago he was stressing how important that everything be on paper, and a verbal agreement meant nothing..... Needless to say, I got attitude as read it over a few times and eventually signed it I took the signed copy, and gave him a duplicate for his records
One of the items on the list was to have the interior professionally detailed after their not disregard for my personal property. He was not aware that I had taken photo's of the car in that state till I showed them to him.
At least this way, if things are not done correctly, I have a legal leg to stand on. I also recorded the entire conversation of what they are doing and how. In Florida it IS legal to record a conversation as long as one of the parties in the conversation is aware of the recording.
There is also a bit of good news..... they did order and pay for the full side molding and side marker kit from the Fiero Store. I picked it up a few days ago while I was there with to get the list of items to be done signed. That saved me $300. Interesting that that is also the exact amount I am paying for to have the car repainted.....
So, if all goes well, my car will be Vista Blue when I get back from Frazee from the 5th Annual Tyler Shipman Memorial Car Show.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 08-25-2014).]
Well, it has been almost 2 months since I dropped the car off! I called yesterday morning, and they said it was probably going in the booth in a few hours. I will stop by tomorrow after work, and hopefully get to see it in it's correct color! Fingers Crossed! ! ! ! ! !
I talked to the manager the owner this morning, and he said all that was left was to have the glass company come out and put the front window in. I asked if that was all there was to do, and he said thats all that left.
Thinking I really want to get my car out of there as soon as possible, I called Bob's Auto Glass, and asked if I could bring the car to them on Monday and have the front window put back in. She said that the window was at their shop, and that would be no problem at all.
I went to see the car today on lunch, and planned to pick it up and take it home. As I walked towards the car, I was impressed with the color! It looked amazing! The paint was very smooth and looked deep with the 3 layers of clear. I immediately noticed that they taped off the wheel wells and exhaust to prevent over spray this time. I was thinking to myself wow, they made good on the promise to do everything right.
It was not until I opened the door, that I literally got sick to my stomach. The interior was absolutely soaking wet! The carpets, seats, floor matts were all saturated. The dust, grime, over spray and everything that covered the interior of the car the last time I was here, has now been rained on, and ran into every crack, crevice, and made this sort of "Bondo / dust mud" covering the carpets and the intire interior of the car. Opening the door, the car smelled like a swamp. I lost it..... I was recording the entire thing with my phone, for use in any future legal action that needs to be taken. I do not think I need to say more, as the video below pretty much sums it all up...........
NOTE: NSFW due to some choice language on my part.....
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 08-12-2014).]
Wow........... unbelievable....... they must have left it outside with the sunroof out. Are they the biggest bunch of morons on the planet? I'd just take the car the way it sits before the destroy something else. And take em to court. If they strip that interior they'll break most of the parts and lose the rest.
[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 08-07-2014).]
OH MY GOD!!! John, I can't imagine how you feel right now. I felt sick seeing what they did to your car. Don't talk to corperate yet. Talk to a lawyer first!! I'm sorry John. Oh, and call all the local media outlets too!!
John time to put the spotlight on these roaches! Great video btw,...with that and all your documentation, pictures etc, the local tv station will love you. Have them take the story to corporate, and skip the local store. The heat will be much greater that way. What they did to your car is more or less vandalism !! People go to jail for that. Actually vandals probably would not have done as much damage !!
Wow........... unbelievable....... they must have left it outside with the sunroof out. Are they the biggest bunch of morons on the planet? I'd just take the car the way it sits before the destroy something else. And take em to court. If they strip that interior they'll break most of the parts and lose the rest.
I agree. That stinks man. You gave them every opportunity to make things right.
OMG!!!! Id be furious!! I hope you sue their asses off. I'd make them pay big time. Such disregard for your property. I just can't believe this is a business. I agree that you should show a reporter this. ------------------ 1984 White Fiero Sport Coupe (Juliet) in restoration https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/089093.html 1988 Red Fiero Standard Coupe (Bella) in restoration 1990 Black Buick Reatta (Noir) 2002 White Chevy Impala base(Haylie)
[This message has been edited by 1984whitesc (edited 08-07-2014).]
Wow........... unbelievable....... they must have left it outside with the sunroof out. Are they the biggest bunch of morons on the planet? I'd just take the car the way it sits before the destroy something else. And take em to court. If they strip that interior they'll break most of the parts and lose the rest.
I third this!
I wouldn't let these Bozo's touch my car EVER again!! You can hear him say, "We are going to fix everything" in you video. What do you suppose he means?
Call the local cops and have them send an officer. Then call a flat bed tow truck and get your car out of there!! Bring a friend and a video camera. TONS of pictures! And videos!
And then go after Maaco and this shop. Be sure to include Maaco in your claims. Sorry this happened. Damn shame. How the hell is the rear lid bent? Maybe they took it off and put it back on crooked? I just understand how it could bend or twist. Wouldn't it crack or shatter before bending that much?
Please post the shop name and contact info. Also, managers name if you know it.
Nearly fours years of hard work to get it to this point and walk up on that. I would have probably had the cops called on me for how mad I would be. Sorry to see this.
Every time people ask me my opinion, about getting their vehicle painted at Maaco I always tell them not to do it. I'll give you one example:
I was doing an estimate on a car and while inspecting the car. I found the left rear frame rail section had been replaced. the way they replaced it was by using sheet metal screws and sealer. They did not weld it to the veh at all. I had to show the repairs to the owner who was an elderly lady. The veh was so poorly "repair" that we could not touch that car so that we would not be liable. I ended up providing the owner the pictures and she took them to court. the shop was a Maaco shop.
My suggestion to you: Take the car out of the shop Take a lof of pictures n more video to document the condition of the car. (if possible take the pics while it is still at the shop, for documentation.
If you don't try to mitigate the damage now, it will only get worse. Believe me you don't want mildew growing in your car.
To be able to document properly for legal action I will suggest taking car to a good reputable body shop and have them write and estimate. Maybe even contact your insurance company to see who do they suggest in your area.
To prevent further damage remove seats remove carpet n all padding. remove center console if headliner is wet, remove it you should replace the jute on the carpet, if you can't get it to dry up. remove the door trim panels, Try to get everything dry as soon as possible to prevent mildew from growing
SO that's what happened? The owner of this MAACO emailed me at 10:30 at night saying Corporate called him, and saw the video. I knew I didn't let corporate know about it, and that I just posted it here in my build thread.... Then when I went to MAACO the assistant manager said he got a call at midnight about the video. When he mentioned that, one of the workers spoke up and said his mother called him at 1am and said to go watch this video she found. The general consensus was that everyone at this MAACO heard about the video in a different way, and had seen it.
Anyhow, they had a professional detailer come to the shop, and the interior looks as it did when I dropped it off, other than a couple things. First, my new floor mats are stained. The blue embroidery bled, as well as them placing the headlight covers on there, and then left with the water, for who knows how long leaving left rust stains.
As for the paint job, I have to say it looks ok.... It is the color I wanted in the first place, but there is a lot of over spray, missed areas in the jams ect.
We were all in the office chatting, while I was waiting for a ride from a friend back home. They have always insisted that I got the color that I asked the car to be painted in the beginning. Well, the original guy that had mixed up the wrong color or paint back when the car was painted was sitting in the office. I figured I would give something a try, as it has been a while, and not sure how good him memory was giving the hundreds of cars he has mixed paint for since mine was painted. I pulled out my tablet, and showed him the original photos of the Mustang, and the color I wanted my car. He couldn't remember.... I showed him a couple more and how I mentioned that this blue looked dark at night, and so different in different lighting... He was like Oh Yea.... I then said that is the color I wanted.... He said "yea.... I remember that, and we couldn't find the right color code or something for it"... BOO YAH! The owner heard this, and just kinda kept on with what he was working on on the computer LOL!
Back to the car... There are sanding marks, and razor blade marks on both of the new Chris Cook quarter windows. When I pointed it out, of of the guys said that should wipe off, as they are glass. When I told him that they were plastic, he just said "ohhhhhhhhhh". Also the back of the car, where I had paid to have the lip above the tail light fixed (Mechanic leaned heavily on it) it still not fixed. Even with the brand new paint job, there is a nice crack that you can see through to the primer somehow.
When I showed it to him, he said they are not responsible for that. It is not on the paperwork (Oh GOD, AGAIN! ! ! !) So I tried to explain to him that I did pay for it, and it was fixed, just poorly. He insisted that they did not do repair work in that area, other than just the general sanding in prep for paint. So guess what.... my pictures to the rescue again!
Here is the break as the car was dropped off:
Here is their guy repairing it:
Lastly the freshly repaired area, showing the different color filler that they used to repair it with:
EDIT: Funny thing, I was going through some videos I took when I dropped the car off, and when the guy asked me to sign the paperwork, I clearly mentioned that I was apprehensive about signing it, as the areas I wanted fixed and other details were not on the paperwork. He said that's ok, this is just a release to do the work.....
In the video where I picked the car up originally, I pointed out the area where it was still cracked above the tail light, and he said to bring the car back after the paint cures, and they will definitely fix it correctly.
I swear, I can not even imagine what this would have been like if I did not have the pictures and video's of everything that I do! I have been accused of lying to them about paying to have the crack about the tail lights fixed, the chip in the hood, the door jams being painted, under the hood and trunk being painted, and even under the headlight covers being painted!
When I went back to have the car resprayed, I mentioned that the last time I removed the headlight doors, so the hood and the top and bottom of the doors could be painted correctly. Well, when all was said and done the they did not paint under the headlight doors. He informed me that the headlight doors were still attached and that is whey they probably were not painted. I simply asked him, if this is the case, then how did they not get painted when the rest of underneath the hood was painted. He could not answer that one. I told him, regardless, I need the headlight doors to be painted on the top and bottom. He came back saying that they were attached to the car, I stopped him and said, no, I removed them again, and they are in the trunk to be painted on the top and bottom. He comes back saying that is not part of what I paid for .... Oh God... this again. Luckily, AGAIN, my pictures to the rescue! I had to show him a picture of the headlight doors sitting flat on a table when they were painted. I pointed out that the gas door RIGHT NEXT TO THE HEADLIGHT DOORS was hanging, and being painted on all sides, just as the headlight doors were supposed to be done, and insisting that it was a mistake on their part: Reluctantly, they agreed to paint the bottom of the headlight doors this time.
Not once, but by 3 different times with the man from corporate, the owner, and then the manager, that I had to prove that I was not lying over and over and over and over again! They only way I have been able to resolve EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE was through the photo's and video's. In fact just the last time I was in there, he mentioned that he replaced the side moldings in good faith as he had no proof that they every had them.... basically calling me a liar again. In the recording where I picked up the car originally, we have a discussion about the side moldings, and how they were not done at the time I picked the car up, and he would call me to come get them when they were ready. I say fine, there is no hurry, just the next time you shoot something satin black, paint those.
To sum it all up, each and EVERY item that I have had to have redone on this car has been a process: 1) Ask for to be done / corrected 2) They inform me it was not in the paperwork / paid for 3) I have to work to convince them that I am not lying to them, and then have to resort to finding pictures and video to prove otherwise 4) with extreme reluctance, they agree to do it
(Do the above list with every item on the car, and repeat a total of 3 times for the different people I have had to deal with)
Anyhow, as I was leaving, they said that they would be able to buff out the sanding and razor blade marks on the quarter windows. I told him I was apprehensive about that, as they are pretty deep cut marks, and he assured me they could do it. He asked me to leave the car over the weekend, and he would call me on Monday morning to come pick it up.
I was concerned about the interior getting trashed again, and asked if it could be covered up. He recommended I go to Harbor Freight and get a tarp, and that is exactly what I did. I returned and helped one of they guys there cover the car. He used my floor mats to hold the plastic down..... Just to cover my butt here:
Florida makes it a crime to intercept or record a "wire, oral, or electronic communication" in Florida, unless all parties to the communication consent. See Fla. Stat. ch. 934.03.Florida law makes an exception for in-person communications when the parties do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the conversation, such as when they are engaged in conversation in a public place where they might reasonably be overheard. If you are operating in Florida, you may record these kinds of in-person conversations without breaking the law.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 12-27-2014).]
I'm so sorry to hear all this complete crap you have been going through. Yeah for the videos. And Patty wonders why im so paranoid with our cars... I have nightmares about this exact thing. Note to self for future... get everything always in writing!
You have worked so hard on that car.... it just breaks my heart. I told Patty you and i are cut from the same cloth when it comes to our meticulous nature and horrendous bad luck. Don't let them get away with it!
We are praying and rooting for you!
------------------ Please forgive my typos, I'm typically posting via cell.
1984 Indy Fiero SE Pace Car Replica #770 "SE" Stormtrooper Edition Rescued, resuscitated and reversibly modified! (I'm so not done yet!) Poly all round & Black Drag DR-34s Frt: 225/45 on 18x8 (47 offset w/ 8-9mm spacer) 1.5 coils cut off 1984 WS6 springs Rear: 265/35 on 18x8.5 (45 offset) Coil-overs w/ 10 inch 300lb springs & 7 inch sleeve
Sounds like they are trying, some of them, but are still incapable and dont understand what customer service is.
Jason, that probably sums this entire situation in that one sentence. As I have to at least admit they are trying.... failing along the way, but definitely trying.
I am keeping track of everything and posting a lot of information in this thread, to keep a journal for if and when it becomes necessary to get an attorney. I wanted to avoid that route, as it can take so much time and effort as well as being a long drawn out process, and also quite expensive.
Over the past couple pages, I have mentioned, that they basically call me a liar on everything related to the car. The other day was no exception. The battery on the car was dead when I got there. They said that they have been pushing it around to the paint booth, and prep area as needed. I told them that there is no problem with the car, and the battery is new. I tell him the car goes a week or more at a time in the carport without being started, and the battery has never drained. They insisted that the car is old, and the battery goes dead from just sitting somehow, and that it is most certainly nothing that they did. We go back and forth on this, and he is insistent that it is not their fault in any way that the battery is dead in the car.
I had a look at the pictures I have taken over time, and noticed that the trunk appears to be open in all of the photos of the car. He tells me that that's correct, as they have been working in the jams and such. I ask if it's been that way since I dropped it off, and he said yes. I then proceed to walk over and open the trunk and point out 3 LED light panels in the trunk; one in the stock location, and one on each end under the lip that the trunk gasket goes around. I tell him even when the trunk is down, and it is not COMPLETELY latched, all 3 of those lights are on, and that is how the battery has went dead. I got the typical response... "oh."
EDIT: I have been wondering something and it has been bothering me. When the owner emailed me, he asked me to remove the video of the damage to my car from YouTube. When I went to the shop, he asked again, and said that The Corporate office was looking into it, as I did not have permission to video tape them, and they will be contacting me. This made me nervous enough to mark the Video as private on YouTube, but I didn't remove it.....
I did a little research today, and came across this on a legal website. The fact that it takes place HERE in West Palm Beach, is just a crazy coincidence!
This pretty much sums it up, that I was 100% within my legal rights to record audio or Video at MAACO, with or without express consent. Here is the link to the page I copied the information below from. Question: Asked 3 months ago - West Palm Beach, FL I had someone come into my business and video taped a conversation without my consent and is now posting it on youtube. Is this legal and what actions can I take? This was a hidden camera. Attorney answers (2)
Response: Christopher Robert Dillingham II : Licensed in FL : Civil Rights Attorney - Apopka, FL
There is not reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place or a public business; therefore, no crime or tort exists. The Supreme Court calls this the "unreliable ear" doctrine. In other words, if someone can see it and hear it in public, then they can record it.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 08-11-2014).]
Trying to take my mind off of MAACO for a bit, I started to look into some things I had been wanting to learn more about and do with the interior. I posted a thread asking about different steering wheel options for the Fiero. PaulJK had a couple Firebird steering wheels that he said were fairly easy to install. I looked into them a bit, and it was the older style with the radio control buttons and such in the middle of the wheel. Not quite what I was looking for. I wanted something a little more modern.
He then pointed me to Rickady88GT's build thread, and a Mailbu steering wheel that he had customized: That is ONE SEXY STEERING WHEEL, but also unfortunately, it entailed changing the entire steering column. Definitely something I did not want to get into.
Continuing with the direction Paul pointed me in, I found a post bu jscott1 showing a more modern Firebird steering wheel in his Fiero:
This was more in the direction that I wanted to go, and I found a 93' Firebird steering wheel on eBay, and got it for $40 shipped. It has the radio controls and such where they are easily accessable with thumbs while driving. I have a custom circuit board to interface the buttons with my CarPC, and ability to assign any button on the steering wheel to any function.
As you can see the center is missing, but after reading Rickady88GT's thread, and how he constructed the center out of fiberglass, I am going to attempt to do the same with the Firebird steering wheel.
This is an image from Rickady88GT's thread, showing how he created a custom center for the Malibu steering wheel.
And just as a raw unfinished part inserted into the steering wheel:
I just got a notification that the steering wheel was shipped, and will be here next Monday. I am hoping that there is no major work involved with trying to get this to all work, and installed in my Fiero.
This is a very rough Photoshop of what I am thinking it could look like when I get done:
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 08-11-2014).]
I'm so sorry to hear all this complete crap you have been going through. Yeah for the videos. And Patty wonders why im so paranoid with our cars... I have nightmares about this exact thing. Note to self for future... get everything always in writing!
Better yet, never go to Macco. They are scam artist's and want nothing but your money. I will never even attempt to go to any useless place like this. Definitely finding a good business to get my car painted when I find the money/time.
------------------ Take a corner at 130, and you'll understand the term "dirty."
John you should put some leds in the steering wheel center to backlight the Fiero logo.
Like I do not have enough to do and worry about right now! But, yea.... good idea
How to pull it off I don't know. Light will show through fiberglass no problem. Not so much wen you add gel-coat and paint to it.. I am still just trying to figure out how to make a horn work with a fiberglass plug that has to be mounted on the steering wheel in some custom way......
Well I have not heard back from Maaco. They were supposed to call me yesterday to come pick the car up. It has been at the shop a staggering 2 months now....... I have went through old receipts and have the invoices printed out for the purchase of the floor mats that have been ruined, as well as the quarter windows.
Like I do not have enough to do and worry about right now! But, yea.... good idea
How to pull it off I don't know. Light will show through fiberglass no problem. Not so much wen you add gel-coat and paint to it.. I am still just trying to figure out how to make a horn work with a fiberglass plug that has to be mounted on the steering wheel in some custom way......
I'm no expert either just get ideas.
Some kind of clear piece such as acrylic molded into the fiberglass and painted around probably. For the horn a little hidden button, unless it has to be big and easy to hit?
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 08-13-2014).]
Some kind of clear piece such as acrylic molded into the fiberglass and painted around probably.
Or you do the whole thing with acrylic and mold and paint it. You could even cut the fiero emblem or etch it to create a fiber optic style glow to the edging versus a back lit design. I made a glowing floating amp rack for the mustang this way.
I have cut & then painted (backside) some lexan pieces for the mustang and they have turned out well.
I'm trying to psych myself into vacuum forming. So many cool possibilities there.
[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 08-13-2014).]
Or you do the whole thing with acrylic and mold and paint it. You could even cut the fiero emblem or etch it to create a fiber optic style glow to the edging versus a back lit design. I made a glowing floating amp rack for the mustang this way.
Wow, that looks really good! Unfortunately trying to cut a clear piece of acrylic into the Fiero Logo, and then somehow embed it into fiberglass, keeping the same shape and all.... a little more difficult I will toy around with it here, and see if I could come up with something....
I just got off the Phone with the manager at Maaco. He said all they have to do is fix the quarter windows, and they would probably do that on Monday. Not sure what they have been doing with the car for the week and a half since I was there last.
I mentioned the bad repair job in the back, and he says he as to get the owners approval to fix that, being it is not on the paperwork. I will probably have to go down there again, and show him the pictures of that area being repaired in the first place, just to prove, yet again, that it was paid for and done, just badly.
Yesterday sucked. Will (InfinateWill) was in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday, and I had plans to go down and watch his PhotoShop class and do lunch. I came down with some sort of bug be it a cold, flu... who knows. I haven't gotten sick in like 4 years... bad timing....
Anyways, I was woke up at 3:30 PM yesterday afternoon by my postal worker delivering a package. (Yes, I was sleeping as I felt like total crap). Anyhow, I got the package from her and went back and laid down. When I decided to get up around 6:00, I opened up my new steering wheel and got a chance to get a good look at how the wires were ran and such. Still feeling like crap, I ate dinner and went back and laid down again. I woke up around midnight, and could NOT go back to sleep, as I slept so much in the previous day. I got up, and surprisingly feeling quite a bit better.
I got more of a chance to look at the wheel, and get some stuff done. At 1am I was in the shed with the multi-meter and getting readings on the steering wheel. The four wires from the left controls, and the 4 wires from the right control meet, and tie in, to then produce only 4 wires on the harness.
Through trial and error and about a half hour of testing all sorts of combinations, I was able to figure that all of the switches, both left and right, just use the Yellow and the Green wires. That determined, I was able to get the Ohms for each individual switch.
The new problem is now with further testing, i need both of those wires run down the wheel to get a signal, as ground is not involved in any way. I was originally going to use the horn wire to send the signal down the column. It looks like I am going to need to find a 2007 Firebird in the junk yard, and pull it apart to get the lower portion of it. I have never done something like this, so it is going to be a challenge for sure.
In the mean time, I started sculpting some green foam into the rough shape to make a mold for a cover for the center of the steering wheel:
Thats it for now, as I have to leave for work... man my hours are so screwed up right now.....
I took the signed copy, and gave him a duplicate for his records 
Wow. I'm speechless. And furious, on your behalf. Unbelievable amount of disrespect by the company. 
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