DRMotorsport Spoiler trouble
 

I bought a replica STi 8 spoiler painted in Obsiedian black about 2-3 months back and have had a nasty find on the paintwork. one side of the spoiler has had a paint failure in a couple of places and it now looks like a spiders web on it, it has not had a hit, there is no chip marks or anything on it.

There is no doubting the quality of the spoiler, very good indeed but I am very disappointed as it was not a cheap unit (£450).

DRMotorsort have asked for the unit to be sent back, but I fear the worst with couriers throwing it about and it is not the easiest thing to package up for sending down the country, so have decided to fork out the £70 it is costing to put right at my local bodyshop. It was going to cost about £30 to send it back so just not worth it.

Has anyone else had any problems with the paint on their spoilers ?

I may have been unlucky with mine and I know David has a good reputation at DRMotorsport, just wanted to know if mine is an isolated case. :(

Thanks,
Kevin

i had a very similar problem with my STi 5 spoiler from David,the paint went like a spiders web and it actually now has a big (ish) crack in a couple of places so i'll be looking to get a genuine one.Other bits ive had off david appears to be fine tho

Hopefully DRMotorsport won't be wanting bad publicity with this, and so I would hope they will reimburse you when you get it fixed !

DC :thumb:

Kevin,

I have spoken to Alan in the paintshop, and this is obviously without seeing the spoiler - hence the reason I said to send it back; but he says the paint wouldn't crack into a web effect without some sort of impact. And the impact would most likely be at the centre of the "web". It wouldn't necessarily need to be a sharp object leaving a mark, a blunt blow could do the same.

But as I said on the phone, sent it back, let us have a look at it, and then we can take action from there.


David

David,

To be honest, this would need to be professionally boxed up with the correct size box and loads of padding to stand even half a chance of getting to you in one piece.

Few problems I have :-

I don't have the original box or padding

Most couriers now only deal with businesses

Post office will only send packages less than 1.3M long


Easiest solution for me is to take it along to my local paint shop and not have the worry of insurance claims etc with the courier or having the car off the road for a couple of weeks.

I can get a written report from the paintshop if it is of any use to you or if you know of anyone in Aberdeen Area I will take it to there for them to see.

The only shock the spoiler has had is opening and closing the bootlid, which I would suggest should not be enough to damage paintwork unless there was a weak part in the paint and it has got worse from there. The spoiler has not had any external blows, this would be extremely unlikely in the space of 2 months and less than a thousand miles but impossible to prove except there is no signs of it.

Hope this can be sorted out fairly and amicably

Best regards,
Kevin.

I think this is something you should be discussing over the phone to each other. To get it resolved quickly and properly.

I recently ordered a wagon rear spoiler and I fitted it last week. I found it to be a 1st class product and the paint work was brilliant. I would definatley use DR Motorsport again.

I have to say that the spoiler we purchased from DRmotorsport for the mrs wagon was top notch. No problems at all:) .
hope you get the matter resolved its pants when things go wrong :(

I think it's unfair for David (or any other company in similar case) to blame his company without let him see this spoiler!

Have to say I had a front lip spoiler for my MY02 WRX towards the end of last year from DR Motorsport.

The lip spoiler itself is a great shape and fits the car fine. However, the quality of paintwork was absolutely 3rd rate - bits in the paint all over and paint runs from several of the edges.

When I contacted DR Motorsport I was told that as the paint service offered was Free Of Charge (as is the case on all their bodystyling products), there was nothing they could do and was offered a refund (£200) and to return the spoiler (at my cost). No offer (despite requesting) was made to repair / repaint.

I should have simply sent this back on reflection - the paint finish was really bad, I wouldn't have even fitted this to an old bangger let alone my scoob - wish I had taken a few pictures now.

Anyway, I made the mistake of holding the spoiler up to the car and really liked the look of it and so decided to take it to a bodyshop myself. They tried to initially buff the marks out (wet & dry etc) but the bits / runs were too deep and ended up completely respraying at a further cost of £100.

Therefore I must say that I was very dissapointed with DR Motorsport which was a real shame as the quality of the spoiler itself was fine and now (after being resprayed and fitted) looks absolutely great on the car.

I noticed a short time after that this type of spoiler (DRM Front Lip Spoiler - Newage) was withdrawn from the DR Motorsport's Product Line.

Hmm, the plot thickens......unlike the paint :rolleyes:

I am off on holiday for a couple of weeks starting tomorrow, but have my car booked in to get the spoiler re-sprayed when I come back. £70 out of my back pocket on top of the £450 for the spoiler makes me wonder if I should of looked for a genuine STi spoiler in the first instance. Never mind, damage is done, I will just take my medicine and get on with it.

As I mentioned before, this thread is not meant to be a pop at DRmotorsport, the DRMotorsport spoiler is a top product, I just wanted some other peoples opinions of the paintwork on their spoilers.

Kevin.

I can see no way that DRMotorsport would be able to determine wether an impact had occured to the spoiler or not, so why send it back ? Surely they will say there has been an impact, and not carry out any work. This way you end up having to spray it yourself anyway, although you would be without it for a couple of weeks during the inspection. Therefore even more hassle.

It seems to me for the sake of £70, DRMotorsport could improve their image by resolving this with you.

It can't be good for business when people are discussing how poor the paintwork is on your products.

that's my 2 cents

DC

QUOTE]I bought a replica STi 8 spoiler painted in Obsiedian black about 2-3 months back and have had a nasty find on the paintwork.[/QUOTE]

:wonder: 2-3 month's ??
did you not see the " spider's web " when you got the spoiler out of the box on delivery ?
what material is the spoiler ?

and how do you think's it's DRM's fault ? if these mark's were on when you opened the box then that's different but not after 2-3 month's fitted and driven .

:wonder:
so you haven't taken you eye's off it , you haven't left it nowhere on it's own ?

DJ73

are you part of ETS Racing ?
or mates with the blokes running it?

This is a good point. You can't say "the spoiler hasn't had an impact" unless you've watched the car 24/7 which is of course impossible.

could it be a stone chip that has caused the damage when you have been driving along, if they can crack windscreens then surely they could of caused the damage

Had a bonnet scoop from DR and thought/still think it's first class, would have no hesitation in recomending David.
Kev, I think this whole thread is OTT and should have been dealt with privately before posting publicly. It's the old story, you don't hear from the xxxx number of satisfied customers just the x disgruntled ones, creates a biased one sided impression and threatens people livelyhoods.

---john---

I had my DR sti spoiler fitted yesterday - 1st class job... it looks stunning.. I have no problems in recomending David's spoilers....or his customer service !

1st class stuff!

Andy

:nono: No :wonder: but WTF has ETS got to do with it , DRM's rear spoiler's i think are from Rally Tech and NO i'm not part of them either :cuckoo:

but if you could read the thread and post your opinion instead of having ago at me thank's it's about a painted sti8 rear spoiler from DRM and after 2-3 mth's of being fitted he's noticed a " spider web " in the paint work ????
For some unknown reason he think's it's DRM's fault :cuckoo: , if he opened the box and this problem was there then yes it's down to DRM to fix the problem paint work but not after 2-3 mths of being fitted to the car ,

Palmo wasn't happy with his painted splitter ON delivery not after 2-3 mth's of being fitted to the car so he was well with in his right's to be pi$$ed off
Also
how's it free ????

They advertise the following:

FREE Painting on all Body Styling Parts

Free Painting is available on all UK and Import models and covers all colours, including metallic's. Giving a saving of around £150.00 on the price of painting a rear spoiler. Being asked to pay more than this for painting should be questioned !

The above is taken from the DR Motorsport Website (see bottom of their homepage). http://www.drmotorsport.co.uk/

Having said that, I still paid £200 for a front splitter - which I wouldn't have complained about if the quality of the paint finish had been acceptable.

Anyway, as stated I had it repainted at my own cost (my choice I guess as I liked the spoiler) - so the rest is history as they say.....

Look's like the splitter is priced up to include the " free " painting

not having a go, are you that soft that you saw that as having a go ??????

its a simple, simple question, now that you have answered it is indeed off topic, and and does not confirm what somebody else told me in pm.......


don't get your knickers in a twist :lol:


i had read the thread thanks, paint defects can appear after a part has been painted and at first, looks fine............

I can only comment on my experiances with David and he was first class. I bought a front grille for my old Bugeye which didnt fit when it arrived, this was a manufacturing problem which David paid for to get it sent back and then re-styled the problem area, had it re-painted and sent back within the week.

I also had the rear spoiler in a group buy which was perfect after 2 years of ownership.

So i would have given him more of a chance before posting on here. I explained my problem over the phone with David, he tried it on his own car when he got it back,agreed it was wrong, offered a full refund or a chance to rectify the problem at his expense which he did and i loved the part on my car.

I bet he would have offered you some sort of cash towards your bill if he had seen some pictures or a decent discount on another part for your car.

Zippy

I think we can all go round in circles as to the cause of the paint cracking. I'm still 99% sure it would have been caused due to a knock or bump, especially as it's just shown up after 3 months.

But until we get the spoiler back, we cannot be 100% sure. Alan could then inspect the damage, rub the paint back to check if it's the paint that cracked or the gel coat underneath or a manufacturing problem with the spoiler.
His 25 years of painting experience will find the cause.

But I think with us being the supplier we do have a right to ask for the spoiler back before we do anymore.
When Kevin first phoned me, this was all explained to him.
But let us inspect it so we can either repair it, replace it or offer a refund.
Can't be fairer than that.

Just to answer a couple of other points.
DJ73, sorry not sure who you are. But ETS do not make these spoilers for us nor paint them, so they have nothing to do with this matter. They do however make other parts for us. Vents, scoops, etc.

The Free painting came about when we first started up. Most suppliers set the RRP price and don't like big discounts on those prices. Nothing like a bit of price fixing, eh. So we toed the line and priced items at the RRP then offered painting as part of that price. Hence Free painting. Simple really.

Just to finish off tonight, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's complimented our products, either in the post above or by PM's.

David

I have to say im dismayed (but not surprised) by some of the comments on this thread. :(

Seems to me that no manufacturer is going to offer to get a product repainted at another business without seeing the problem first .... especially since this has only appeared 2-3 month down the line! .... whether people think they can or cannot find a cause!

You claim that DRM is unwilling to help .... but yet you are not willing to go to the trouble of sending the spoiler back?? Im sure if the problem turned out to be a manufacturing/painting issue, then the product would be fixed and all costs reimbursed. I work in retail (non related) and can honestly say "the customer isnt always right!!" ;)

This is exactly the same situation for the front lip that was discussed .... refund offered, but you still complain because YOU decided to keep it and have it resprayed! :confused:

As far as free painting is concerned and the products being "priced up" to include this .... compare example prices with another well known supplier of Subaru styling parts ....

STi8 bonnet scoop .... DRM £140 .... "other" .... £125 or £185 painted
Induction scoop ........ DRM £65 ......"other" .... £65 or £105 painted
STi 4 spoiler ............. DRM £180 .... "other" .... £175 or £305 painted
STi fog lamp covers ... DRM £80 ..... "other" .... £70 or £130 painted

I have bought a couple of items from DRM and have to say the quality, price and service have been 1st class. As far as im concerned, the "image" of DRM does not need improving, the paintwork quality on each product I have bought has been excellent, and the ability of DRM to resolve problems is as good as you will find for any company selling styling/painted products. :thumb:

Dont get me wrong, no one/business is perfect .... problems will always occur, but reading into all the posts above, it dosent look to me as if DRM is the cause of the problem here .... im not saying they're not at fault and there's not an issue with the spoiler .... just not the cause of this problem! ;)

It is true that the "exception" problem will be remembered longer than the "rule" satisfactory transactions which is why I totally agree with the comment that problems should be sorted out in private between the indiviual and the company .... I have had an issue with an exhaust manufacturer in the past and got it sorted through trading standards, but certainly never even considered coming on a public forum to "vent my anger" as it were.

Night night! :sleep:

:wonder: and do they only show up 2-3 mth's later ?..........
:norty: next i'll be in your dream's like pslewis :(

The guy is offering to inspect and i'm sure sort out any probs that may / may not be associated with his work..........have you returned your car to the supplying dealer because it "developed" a stone chip 3 months later.....what next? "My car has run out of petrol since i purchased it and stopped hence i require a refund"??? Paint is either good or bad and it would have been so obvious in the first instance especially a shatter in the paint which is all a 'spiders web' effect is.

This is not exactly the same at all. I bought a painted lip spoiler in good faith. When it arrived the quality of paint was very sub-standard! I requested that this be repainted and was told NO (quite simple really) as the Paint was 'Free' and this was 'how they come'. As I have already stated, I was then offered a refund, but was expected to pay for the postage to return the spoiler - so that means I would then be paying towards this mistake / poor workmanship.

I accept and did state that it was my decision to keep the spoiler and have it repainted as I made the mistake of holding the spoiler up to the car and really liked the look of it. I also went on to say in hindsight I should have sent this back, but didn't - my fault! I should also have taken pictures but didn't.

There are obviously a lot of happy DR Motorsport customers out there and David seems to have a good name on here which is fine with me. I still have the right to voice my personal experiences and at no point did I say it was DR Motorsport's fault that I kept the spoiler.

This is the last I will say about this issues, as I believe I have made my point and am not aiming to give DR Motorsport a bad name - just share my expereinces.

As an aside; whether the painting is 'free' or not, it still has to be fit for the purpose and of a sufficiently high standard. People who feel that it was 'free' and therefore can not be complained about / does not have to be durable, are mistaken.

Simon

Just been reading this thread, and i think the replies from some of the people saying it's ott.....are well just ott.

The only real critcism i have seen is the guy with the front lip problem, all other posts were just trying to find an amicable solution.

Can i offer an outside opinion, not criticism?

I have done some painting in the past to various cars, and 3 of my m8's still have bodyshops, and to say paint problems will show up immediately is complete pants.

I have seen cars have sinkages or reactions appear on the paintwork, weeks or months after the paintwork was done, one of my own cars being an example.
Usually when painting flexible products,such as spoilers and the like requires a layer of plasticoat or plasticisor before the primer is applied, then the paint then the laquer.

I would say to the thread starter to check the laquer, if it is cracked and you can feel the crack, then the likelyhood is some sort of impact, after the paintwork was done, but if you can't feel the crack then the most likely answer is one of the base coats is damaged under the laquer, which points to a preparation issue with the spoiler.

:wonder: i won't call the spoiler flexible !!

That's a good idea Tom :D .
Just a pity the thread starter can't be ar$ed to reply to his own thread :freak3: