The Stig's Phantom Black Metallic SS [COTW 1/16/12]

[Darth_Emma]

When this is all over and done, you should post your experience in the vendor/seller review and feedback area.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by Darth_Emma

When this is all over and done, you should post your experience in the vendor/seller review and feedback area.

I figured I would give Bassani the benefit of the doubt and maybe help them out of that giant +100 rwhp hole they dug themselves.

[The Stig]

So I'm sitting in grid lock traffic to go home and it started hailing. Not just hailing, but Hailing.

[Darth_Emma]

Will it really matter in 10 years?

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by Darth_Emma

Will it really matter in 10 years?

Haha well played Em, well played. No it won't matter, but I still wish it hadn't happened.

[The Stig]

Bassani doesn't want to play ball apparently. They sent me a copy of my invoice and it says on the invoice that I purchased the off-road pipes. So can't really argue the credit card charge, this all comes back to Gary telling me that I was getting the high flow cats when I really wasn't

[Camaro2SSRS]

Originally Posted by stieger

Bassani doesn't want to play ball apparently. They sent me a copy of my invoice and it says on the invoice that I purchased the off-road pipes. So can't really argue the credit card charge, this all comes back to Gary telling me that I was getting the high flow cats when I really wasn't

Attachment 277439

Sorry to hear they aren't going to help you.

I know I won't use them if they don't help their current customers.

[Dr Jkel]

Boy this sounds familiar, different vendor....same story.

[The Stig]

You need to watch them in order, not because it's relevant but for the comedic humor to make sense it's important.

#1


#2

[The Stig]

My Bassani saga is coming to an end. I've been going back and forth with Basani and I'm just going to buy the high flow cats ($200 - so they are giving me a discount). Gary gave me a great deal on their whole system and has been super easy to work with. Minus this one misunderstanding about the cats. So basically it comes down to me not wanting to be "that guy." Even with buying the cats at the reduced price I'm still saving a TON of money had I bought them from a vendor instead.

While I think it's that I was told that I paid for one thing and then received something else, I'm not going to dwell on it. I received a great deal on their system. Even though the customer service wasn't the best I'm not going to let it ruin the overall experience. Now, I just need to get my tune from Ted and put her on a dyno; the latter should be happening sometime mid next week.

[2SSRS]

Did you get the right clamps if not i have them and can send them to you, Still have my OEM pipes don't know why.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by 2SSRS

Did you get the right clamps if not i have them and can send them to you, Still have my OEM pipes don't know why.

Thank you Ofer. I got some sleeve clamps from Auto Zone, hopefully they work. If they don't though I'll let you know. Thanks for the gesture though, it means a lot knowing that we members have each others backs.

[The Stig]

Bassani update:

Kurt's a jerk I sent him an email on Friday telling him that I wanted the cats and that he can go ahead and charge my card. They were closed friday so I did not expect to hear back from him until Monday. Well Monday came and still nothing, so mid-afternoon Monday I sent Kurt another email asking about the status of my cats and if they had been ordered. No response. So I sent Gary an email around 9 this morning explaining the situation (mind you - Gary is on currently on vacation and not in the office), just got an email back from him telling me that he is going to look into this.

I can't honestly be mad,aggravated, or even annoyed at Gary; he is doing everything he can to make sure that I'm taken care of. Him responding to my email so quickly, especially while on vacation, shows me that he cares (or can at least pretend to care - but I'd even take that at this point). Which makes me believe that this whole "him telling me I was getting cats when I really wasn't" thing was an honest mistake. I can't get all worked up about an honest mistake, I mean I do them all the time too.

Hopefully the cats will be shipped out via FedEx freight today, I'd get them probably on Friday. Well I am heading back up to school this weekend so I REALLY hope they get here by Friday, or I'll have to pay to get them shipped from my mum's house up to school. Can you say $$$$

[Dr Jkel]

Dude this sounds so familiar......I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Some of these people are really amazing on how they treat people....others well not so much.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by Dr Jkel

Dude this sounds so familiar......I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Some of these people are really amazing on how they treat people....others well not so much.

Yep. If anyone hadn't noticed (I'd honestly be shocked if you didn't notice this), I'm a pretty big supporter of Advanced Automotive Customs (AAC). Sure you can think "well they sponsor him of course he's a supporter" but I won't accept a sponsorship from a company I don't believe in. Yes, some of AAC's products have issues (which they are actively working to fix) and yes it is a pain to uninstall and send back a defective part. But to me it doesn't matter because Jonathan and Justin would bend over backwards for any one of their customers.

A few months back a now ex-sponsor of Camaro5 offered me a sponsorship. I won't say the company's name but they are an online vendor of fiberglass body kits. The sponsor offered me a substantial discount on anything I wanted, very tempting as I still want the GM GFX rear diffuser. But at the end of the day I didn't sign because of how the company dealt with their customers.

Customer service is kind of like chivalry; dead. And on the rare occasion you do find a company that still practices it you're shocked and end up becoming a lifetime customer.

[Dr Jkel]

Yeah you are so right. .........Just wished I hadn't got hooked up with Savini, LOL

[The Stig]

So it is T-minus 4 days til I leave for school. Crunch time for my installs. In hopes of saving me a day of wrenching my dad has kindly offered to split the cost of getting my springs installed and the alignment so I spent a bit of this morning calling around.

Springfield Motor Sports: $750 (6 hours + alignment)

High Tech Performance: $650 (5 hours + alignment)

Goodyear (dad's idea): $N/A - "..umm..we need to see the car to give you a quote"

I did not expect a spring install to cost that much, honestly couldn't imagine it being more that $500, maybe $550 after the alignment. This is the DIY I found that says 2.5 hours --> LINK. This is also another great write up (more detailed & with pictures) --> LINK So I have no idea where these shops are getting 5-6 hour install times. Then again I could just be naive, guess you really can't believe everything you read on the Internets.

In hopes to not waste the day I started on my heritage grille, paint & install.

Supplies


After 2 coats of plastic primer


After the first base coat


All was going well up until just after the second base coat: wind, lots of wind. It was as if the universe waited until I was just almost done, then she screwed with me. But in the span of about 5 seconds what seemed like a months supply of dust/dirt particles landed on the grille. So that scrapped my plans on installing it today.

[The Stig]

So I'm putting on my flame suit, so I'm ready.

Anyway, I went to empty my RX catch can (first time emptying it) and nothing came out. Literally nothing came out. My first reaction was WTH, but then I started thinking. If the hoses were mixed up, could that be the problem?

[FL1CK]

hey man... can't stay away... more addicting than facebook.

[The Stig]

So I PM'd SC2150 about the catch can. He said that I might have had the hoses mixed up. Hopefully this didn't hurt the engine too much. I'm definitely going to check the catch can again soon to make sure that it's working.


Still can't believe I installed it wrong

[The Stig]

Made the 5 and a half hour drive up to school yesterday, couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Calm after the storm I guess. Anyway, I would like to retract my previous statement about the Bassani system not having any drone. It does drone, not all the time, but when it does it's loud. I figured out that she only drones between 1800 - 1950 RPMs. Which wouldn't be a problem if I never wanted to make use of 6th gear. That RPM range (while in 6th gear) equals to the 65-75 mph range. So it's a bit annoying to say the least.

I'm taking Kaylee in to Grabiak sometime next week to get something's installed and looked at, I'll just ask if they can install some J-pipes. All I need to do now is look up what length J-pipe I need to cancel out that RPM range.

[Dr Jkel]

I haven't seen any systems that don't have any drone. Most come in around the RPM ranges you posted. The J-pipe will do the trick from waht I have heard as long as it is installed correctly.

When I have had mine in the air I looked and there does not seem to be alot of room under there no I have no clue where they put it. BUT they say it works.

[FL1CK]

RJ, Anvil spoiler on the way to my father's... mid month install! Oh, and might have to cancel on the Chimera grille... things are tight due to Irene. Post dyno results please!

[The Stig]

Can't wait to see pics of the spoiler. Sorry to hear about the grille though. I'm sure you'll be back on the waiting list in no time.

[The Stig]

Today's "Word of the Day" is Frustrated, as in "RJ is frustrated with his dyno numbers." Though before I get (more) worked up, could someone please tell me what the STOCK rwhp numbers are for the LS3? Thank you much.

So I drove up to Power House Automotive in Girard PA, it was about a 45 minute drive so not too bad. I also couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Speaking of the weather, at the time of my dyno pulls the weather was 65 degrees, 63% humidity, UV Index 2, Wind: 14 mph ENE. Well enough beating around the bush, here's the chart (ignore the stain it's from Kaylee's tears when she saw the print out - seriously though it's just coffee). BTW Kaylee was dyno'd on a Mustang Dyno. Also, pull #1 and was really the 3rd pull and pull #3 was really the first pull



After Mike (owner of the shop) corrected all the numbers and what he could tell that I was a little disappointed, this is exactly what he said "this isn't a dyno jet and this isn't the internet, it's actually accurate." This moment is brought to you by today's Word of the Day: Frustrated

As promised, pictures and videos.








Warm up


Pull #1


Pull #2


Pull #3