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Does anyone *ACTUALLY HAVE* any MBautosport body pieces?

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Old Jul 28, 2003 | 10:52 PM
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Does anyone *ACTUALLY HAVE* any MBautosport body pieces?

I've searched and read a bit about their *supposed* quality, but does anyone actually have one of their $250 front ends, or side skirts, etc.? Do you have any pictures you could send me of fitment, or any detailed opinions of build quality? any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks,

-BN

Last edited by Benjamin; Jul 28, 2003 at 11:10 PM.
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Old Jul 28, 2003 | 11:24 PM
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PM Snook.
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Old Jul 28, 2003 | 11:29 PM
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thank you...

-BN
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 10:50 AM
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I wouldn't buy anything from them
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 11:34 AM
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I think Rxplicit had the front from them too. Looked awesome. Dunno though... He sold his car.
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 12:22 PM
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i would recommend the extreme dimensions version over the mb autosport one. mmonaco had one, and the build quality was way better. the fiberglass was thicker and more consistent with less holes/bubbles, the edges were smoother, and the fitment was better.

the design is the same as the one from mb autosport.
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 12:40 PM
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https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...t&pagenumber=2
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 01:24 PM
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rx7speed811 is that the feed type something on mbautosports your saying extreme dimensions sells also?? i just had a look and i cant see something that appears the same, which one did mmonaco buy off them?
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 08:51 PM
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I have one. Look at my Avatar.

I've bought 3....
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Old Jul 29, 2003 | 08:52 PM
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I forgot....I think it is awesome looking. My favorite.

As far as its quality, well, it's thin as ****. But it's also $250....
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 10:48 AM
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I got the '99 Feed replica from MB. It took me 2 weeks to rework it so it fit and the edging was decent. It was a horrible copy. Won't ever do that again.
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 11:36 AM
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here is my old car. mine fit great but they are this as ****.
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 08:02 PM
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Originally posted by sibleyg
I got the '99 Feed replica from MB. It took me 2 weeks to rework it so it fit and the edging was decent. It was a horrible copy. Won't ever do that again.
I didn't do the work myself but the same people did and they said this last one I brought them was by far the best and little reworking had to be done.

So maybe they are getting better. They also thought it wasn't as flimsy.

Now if I could just keep my car out of accidents....3 in the last year, 2 in the previous 9 before that.
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Old Aug 8, 2003 | 08:58 AM
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This is with no extra work put into it. I also do not recommend dealing with them - they were a pain in the @ss.

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Old Aug 8, 2003 | 09:19 AM
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Originally posted by manatecu
This is with no extra work put into it. I also do not recommend dealing with them - they were a pain in the @ss.

That looks pretty nice. The fitment seems ok.
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 12:55 PM
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Hey guys! I've never been on this forum but someone from another board pointed me to this thread.

First, I'd like to say that MB Autosport does not actually manufacture any of their own kits. We sell many products, including brand-name authentic body kits like Veilside, Bomex, Kaminari, etc.

We do also carry replica/generic styles like the $250 feed style bumper for the RX7. Here is some information to consider when making your purchasing decision:

1. replica/generic kits are often made by more than one manufacturer. As a result, the bumper your receive may be made completely differently from the bumper the next guy receives. This is not just with MB Autosport, but with Extreme Dimensions and many other companies who sell these style kits.

The feed style bumper we actually obtain from the same manufacturer we always have, so it is somewhat consistant in quality and fit. However, that brings me to another point.

2. The manufacturers of replica/generic don't brand their products (except for a few companies like Aerogear). Their QC is lower than a branded product and there are actually slight variations in quality from bumper to bumper. They also do not usually offer any warranty, guarantee, or support for these products. This makes it difficult for retailers of these kits to sell them with any guarantee as there is not manufacturer backing. The only thing a company can do is to try and be selective of where it purchases these products from and be honest and up front with customers about the work that may be involved when installing these kits.

This is why you usually see large disclaimers on their web sites talking about modifications for fitment may be necessary, etc. Many companies sell these kits "as-is" with no returns allowed. If you get a really bad part, you're stuck with it.

MB Autosport wants every customer to be happy, so we offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on everything we sell, regardless of if the manufacturer backs us or not. Unfortunately we don't reimburse shipping, which can be $200 or more for to and from shipping of such large parts. We don't profit from this as the money goes to the shipping companies, but it is still one of the best return policies you will ever see offered on a generic/replica kit.

3. In my professional opinion, dealing closely with kits personally for several years now and watching how parts are manufactured, etc. I would say that the feed front we offer is NOT thin. Infact, it is about average to slightly above average in thickness. It is, however, not as rigid as some bumpers that are the same thickness or even thinner. The rigidity of a bumper comes from it's design/shape, the chemicals/fiberglass used, and the way the fiberglass is laid. You actually DON'T want a bumper that is too rigid as it will tend to crack/break more easily and will be much harder to install if it doesn't fit exactly right on. The kit only needs to be rigid enough to hold its shape under the wind at speeds.

Japanese manufacturers actually PREFER thinner and lighter body kits. Compare authentic CWest or Bomex to the feed replica and you will see that the feed is actually thicker! But, in all honestly, the bomex and Cwest are much better quality and probably stronger and more durable than the feed bumper.

4. Everyone is different. As a result, one person's opinion on fitment quality can be different than another's when talking about the same part. Also, body shops are not "professionals" simply because they are a body shop. Some are obviously better than others. We've noticed that all of our customers seem to believe that THEIR body shop it the BEST in the area and that anything they say has to be true. We've had customers complain about AUTHENTIC parts not fitting or this and that and they are very quick to blame us. The reality is that if your car has been in an accident or your body shop is clueless they will tell you anything EXCEPT the fact that they have no clue what they are doing and will have to charge you for them to learn how to do it on your car. Sometimes it is the PARTS that are bad. Sometimes it is the INSTALLERS. MB Autosport has has RX7 club members stop by to take pics of our bumpers and see them in person. If anyone in so cal wants to stop by and see for themselves the difference in bumper quality and finish, feel free to drop by during business hours.

Anyway, I just hope this clears up some miscoceptions on body kits and specifically the highly-debated feed bumper. The RX7 is an AWESOME car and their are many good kits to choose from!
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 03:09 PM
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Originally posted by minboost


1. replica/generic kits are often made by more than one manufacturer. As a result, the bumper your receive may be made completely differently from the bumper the next guy receives. This is not just with MB Autosport, but with Extreme Dimensions and many other companies who sell these style kits.

2. The manufacturers of replica/generic don't brand their products (except for a few companies like Aerogear). Their QC is lower than a branded product and there are actually slight variations in quality from bumper to bumper. They also do not usually offer any warranty, guarantee, or support for these products. This makes it difficult for retailers of these kits to sell them with any guarantee as there is not manufacturer backing. The only thing a company can do is to try and be selective of where it purchases these products from and be honest and up front with customers about the work that may be involved when installing these kits.
I would think that customer feedback on bumper manufacturers would help you decide which ones you should deal with. That way all of your bumpers are good quality and therefore there is no question in fitment.

Originally posted by minboost

Anyway, I just hope this clears up some miscoceptions on body kits and specifically the highly-debated feed bumper. The RX7 is an AWESOME car and their are many good kits to choose from!
Is this the feed replica that you keep referring to?




It looks just like the OEM 99 spec bumper but with out the licence palste holder and with some other lip. Please post a picture of the real feed. Here is a pic of the OEM 99 bumper.

see:


and here is the link:
http://66.216.67.51/product.asp?0=203&1=234&3=42

Last edited by Montego; Aug 14, 2003 at 03:15 PM.
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Old Aug 14, 2003 | 11:28 PM
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I would think that customer feedback on bumper manufacturers would help you decide which ones you should deal with. That way all of your bumpers are good quality and therefore there is no question in fitment.
This is part of how we discover what works well and what doesn't. There are a couple problems with this. First, I've noticed RX-7 customers NEVER complain to us about fitment. I've personally never heard of a single complaint until reading this board. Second, the point I mentioned about different customer's view of the same part - one customer says it's great, another says it sucks. We don't have the resources to test fit every part we sell (we have over 12k products online, and that isn't even 1/3 of what we sell!).

Please note that this doesn't go for just body kits. Lots of performance parts don't fit perfectly either. A good example: Sparco seat brackets. EVERYONE I've talked to has had to modify them slightly to fit. I had a sparco in my MR2, a friend in his integra, and my brother in his SE-R. One of the guys here put some in his integra. NONE of them fit. That said, no one else makes seat brackets so it's pretty much one of those "take it or leave it" situations. With certain body kit styles, we also face the same dillemma. We don't want our name associated with bad products, but sometimes customers demand these products regardless of what you tell them.

The lesson we learned is that it doesn't matter how good a product works as long as it meets the customers expectations. I go to McDonald's and expect a certain level of food quality. It's not steak, and i'm not paying steak prices. But I get what I want and leave happy each time. We do our best to tell customers that replica/generic kits don't fit as well and may require modification to fit. Like many members have pointed out, at that price it's worth a shot.

I appreciate your input and, the fact of the matter is that MB Autosport was founded BECAUSE other company's were screwing over board members (specifically on the MR2 board). MB decided to offer good service with similar prices and products. Now that the company has grown and changed, we are beginning to understand just how difficult this task is! But rest assured, we're always working on ways to make products and services better.
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 05:25 PM
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The fit of the front end was very good - my only problem with MB was the customer service. When I ordered my front end I had to call numerous times and I got several stories about my order and when I would receive it.

I have no problems with the product only the service.

Chris
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Old Aug 15, 2003 | 05:58 PM
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Originally posted by manatecu
The fit of the front end was very good - my only problem with MB was the customer service. When I ordered my front end I had to call numerous times and I got several stories about my order and when I would receive it.

I have no problems with the product only the service.

Chris
As said...I had to order this bumper 3 times. Every time the customer service was just fine so they apparently don't always suck least in that aspect.

I also agree with what the MB guy said about McDonald's and not buying steak.

Even with the fitment hassles/expense it is a bargain compared to anything else and too me looks like one of the best.

David
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