zbillster

I used PTP on this forum's recommend ... however, big FAIL! Had fluids changed, including the rear differential. Afterward noticed a puddle in my garage in the rear end, took it to my Honda mechanic (Executive Imports in Garland) and they said PTP used the wrong kind of washer, and I had diff fluid spraying all over the undercarriage. I can't recommend PTP based on my experience.

MrKlean187

Wow, thats the first bad review I can recall for PTP, have you spoken with them about the issue?

zbillster

I emailed them about it but got no response. Previously they were responsive to email. I would love to use them again but that was a scary flub ... if I didn't park in my own garage ( every day (say, parked outside in the elements or random parking spots) I wouldn't have noticed a wet spot under the diff and I could have run it dry and fried it.

S2KSaint77

Great thread definitely gonna hit up those paint guys.

Vanishing Point

If and when you do need a transport company i have better alternative for you Matt.

indopinoy

I was getting impatient and decided to try the NTB near Grapevine Mills again for an alignment.

Good:
-Got it close to the UK spec.
-I took it in around 6:45 pm and they finished at 8:05 pm right when they closed.

Bad:
-Charged way too much ($125 + $25 for extra labor because it was lowered which is BS), and this was a one time only deal, not the unlimited alignment type deals.
-Played/explored my radio. I almost never turn my radio on or open the radio door and found it both on and open when it came back to me. Subtle sign of how the workers are.
-Steering wheel is oh-so-slightly off center. I would take it back to get it fixed by a) they were already closing when I found it was off center b) I personally don't have time and c) I don't really trust them. Because honestly, that's a rookie mistake.

Basically, I didn't get good vibes from them in general so I still wouldn't really recommend them. But I can't really put them down either. Neutral review at best.

*Edit 6/21/13

To recap, did alignment once, wheel was off center and pulled a little to the right. Called Nick, the manager, then brought it back in a 2nd time. The off center was slightly over-corrected so it was a little to the left, but not horrible. But it still had a little drift to the right. I mentioned this tot he tech, and he kept insisting it was my front tires (that were needing replacement). I kept arguing that it didn't pull before I started this whole process. After a while I gave up and said if I get new tires and it still pulls, i'll be back.

New tires on, it now pulled a little more to the right, and the off center wheel was a little worse to the left. Still totally drivable, just a nuisance for paying $150 for a headache..err alignment.

I decided to contact NTB corporate, which eventually directed Nick (manager) to contact me. It seemed like he was trying to make a little excuse at first, that Corporate didn't realize it was a lowered car and it was a one-time alignment. But eventually, he said to come in when another tech was there and they'd get it fixed.

Today, went in at lunch to get it fixed. Saw Nick, and immediately he said that they're not going to fix it, and that they'll just refund me. Cool for me, that's what I wanted in the first place. It just seemed like they didn't want to deal with the hassle of a lowered car anymore. Which leads me to...

NOT recommend this place for lowered cars. I don't think their tech's are well trained and you may run into issues like I did.

MrKlean187

One good thing.


I found this pretty cheaply priced website for tires from State Farm, thanks to my recent incident. OEM Bridgestones for less than $200!



tires-easy

Vanishing Point

Matt, try OnlineTire.com. They are less expensive even with shipping, now they don't have every brand, but most of the popular brands.

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/...50+90w+bw.html

phunky.buddha

Go to NTB @ Grapevine on Main St, NOT Grapevine Mills. Nick is an asshole and a cheat. Last year he wouldn't honor my 5 year alignment and said that I had to pay a $100 "custom alignment fee" to "add on custom alignment specs" to my car because it was lowered- and I wasn't even down an inch! Supposedly that would "add on" to my alignment policy and stay there forever, allowing me to get my custom alignments whenever at Grapevine Mills. 6 months later, the story changed- he said Corporate wasn't honoring the alignment plans anymore, and that my $100 was a ONE TIME fee that I would have to pay AGAIN on top of the cost for a complete one time alignment. I had a shouting match with him for 5 minutes about how much bullshit that was, and he agreed to let me have my alignment. I forget who the tech was, but he was awesome- knew all the tricks to get an S2k alignment dead on (he trained a few badass techs I've met at other NTBs), I just had to get past the front desk to do it. He might not be there anymore- last alignment I had done @ Mills was in 2012.

Later, told NTB @ Grapevine (Main St) about the GB Mills experience, they said there was no corporate alignment denial, and that custom settings were never a problem. They've never charged me extra, and were surprised at Grapevine Mills' behavior. I have the 5 year alignment plans on all my vehicles and have used Main St as my primary NTB for years- they were just the ones that recommended me to Mills because of the in-ground alignment lift bay. The management @ Main St treats me MUCH better, recognizes me when I go in, and really enjoy working on my cars. It's like a completely different company. It's amazing what different management attitudes will do to the feel of one shop vs another. The next time I need the S2k alignment done, I'm just going to throw some boards in the trunk and bring it to Main St. Andy (skinny white guy, close shaved haircut, glasses) is the tech I see most often on the rack- he recognizes me and my cars every time I go (loves the mods, especially on the Mazda 5). The other alignment tech I've had there was great too. Custom settings down to .01 are no problem. I always palm a nice tip to the techs too, since they don't get paid as much (or at all?) for warranty alignment jobs.

phunky.buddha

Just read through the thread again real quick- looks like I mentioned the extra $100 fee in a previous post last year. The experience above is after trying to go back and redeeming the warranty alignment on a separate visit after the "upgrade" was paid for.