VERY upset... with eBay and myself
 

Just bought aluminum trim ring for my gauges off eBay. Looked nice in the pictures. Not so hot in real life. Thought I got a deal at $70 compared to what I have seen in some catalogs. These were a $5 piece of stamped out aluminum. Couldn't get a good fit. Tried the 3m tape it came with. Also said to glue them on for a more permanent fit. Tried the glue and made a mess of my tachometer gauge and scratched up the other "stock" black rings. Just sent the guy an e-mail asking for my money back. We'll see what happens with that. In the mean time what can I do to repair the gauges? Can you replace just the clear plastic gauge face? Or do I have an entire gauge upgrade in my future? I am so pi**ed right now. I have had good luck with eBay and only got ripped off 1 or 2 times. This is one of those times. Please someone give me some good news... -Tom :mad: :mad: :mad:

You shoulda asked us first about the rings, alot of us already know they are cheap stamped out aluminum. As for the crazy glue on your lense, you have to replace the entire front half of your gauge housing, the lenses do not pop out.

Any ideas what the front half of the gauges will cost me?

please do us a favor and post the seller and link the auction so we know which exact ones not to buy.

As for scratching the gauges.......it SUCKS. You have to find a dismantler that has a broken cluster that they are willing to take apart. The lens & gauge region are one piece that comes off when you remove the cluster from it's surround housing.I paid $50 for an used price at Silverstar Recycling.

I guess the positive side of this is that I can get the piece used off a S model and get my silver rings. Here's the auction...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AEOIBS AA%3AUS%3A11&viewitem=&item=120175633220

Let me ask this... I f I get an entire Boxster S cluster will it

#1 work?
#2 read the correct mileage from the ECU?
#3 speedometer accuracy?

Actually, the way to get those trim rings to fit right is not to use glue or the thin clear 3M double sided tape, but instead, to use the thicker double sided 3M "emblem" foam tape that you can get at any auto parts store. The thicker strips of emblem tape will help you obtain a good fit as you press them in (filling any air spots), and will also not cause any glue damage.

You can try to use some Goo Gone to remove the excess glue on your current gauges and lenses, and then try using the 3M emblem tape to re-apply the trim rings. Again, the key is to NOT use glue, as it leaves a big mess if you apply too much. 3M emblem tape worked out great for me:

http://i12.tinypic.com/4zyofpu.jpg

there are actually 'rings' on the cluster, just take the cluster off and paint it silver.
i did that to my car, cheap and effective

http://i10.tinypic.com/54lmhxx.jpg

This is probably a stupid thought, but that's never stopped me before... :dance:

Given the expense and hassle of replacing the front of the gauge housing, it would seem like Tomikaze has nothing to lose by trying to repair the existing plastic. Is there something he can try to buff it out to remove the glue and scratches?

Woke up this moring to mourn over the damage I caused. It seems the glue I used was so potent it caused the entire tachometer lense to "fog" up overnight. There ain't no repairing this baby. Calling salvage yards all morning.

Sorry to hear that, Tomikaze. Good luck finding something in good shape and reasonably priced.

Might as well go all th eway with this. Those TechArt gauge faces look pretty cool. UPGRADE!

Next time, if you do use glue (although prefered method is emblem tape), use silicone glue (same stuff they use to stick your new credit and bank cards to when they send them to you in the mail), as any excess will simply rub off with your fingers.

The secret upside to most of our mistakes....UPGRADES!

Tom

I bought the cheap stamped out aluminum trim rings and then removed my cluster and affixed them with thick super glue in a horizontal fashion. The cluster went down on top of the face-down trim ring and I held it there for five minutes so the glue would flow along the inside rim of the ring, not drip down the face of the gauge.

They look great, by the way. Everyone comments on how cool they look too.

When superglue interacts with plastic it melts it and it can't be cleaned up with goo gone or any other product. It's toast. Literally.

Buying another cluster with the same part number is your best bet. Using just the face of it is smart too. Then you don't have to send it to Palo Alto Speedo in CA to have the odometer fixed.

Replacing gauge faces is tricky too. Getting the needles back on in the same place was like pulling my own teeth (painful AND time consuming). I must have put the cluster back in the car and drove it around the block four times one night to insure all the needles were in the right places. :mad:

So he's offering me a full refund. What sort of feedback should I leave this guy? I feel bad for anyone else who get's suckered into this same deal. These pieces really must cost this guy less than $5 to make. I'll wait till I get my money back.

Honestly, I don't think you should leave him negative feedback if he's offering a full refund. You didn't have to use super glue to install the trim rings, so you can't really blame him for the mess it made on your gauges, and I think they would've fit ok if you used emblem tape or silicone glue in which any excess glue residue could be easily removed.

I'm not saying you should leave positive feedback either, but it's ok to not leave any feedback at all. Up to you.

So he's offering me a full refund. What sort of feedback should I leave this guy?

Positive,he is doing what his auction list,offering a 7 day refund policy.

These pieces really must cost this guy less than $5 to make. I'll wait till I get my money back.


Not to sound like an a55 or anything but Bumper Plugs sells the same thing for more $$$ and no one ever complained about the price.

If your thinking that stuff for Porsches is near cost your in for a rude awakening. Do you think it cost Porsche near $400 to make this shift knob ? Nope. Doesn't matter though,they charge that much anyways just because it's made by Porsche.

How about these seats ? $3k. Again,it's due to the Porsche part no# on them.

i think you sould leave neautral feedback, and state that he gave you money back because pieces are a bad design.