We bought the Prado as a demo vehicle from Motorama in Salisbury back in August 2010. It came with tinted windows, Toyota rubber floor mats, and a Toyota tow bar. I wanted to start the modding process straight away but was told that we'd already dropped enough money into the car, so for two long years it stayed the same as how we'd bought it.
Last year i thought i had a chance to put on a rear bar when my wife reversed into another car did some damage. Unfortunately the whole bumper needed replacing and the Kaymar bars are a bumper cut. It got sorted by Jimboomba Smash repairs. They were easy to deal with and did a good job.
Earlier this year i found myself with a bit of spare cash and was keen to get rolling. I trundled along to TJM Underwood for the show day sale ready to buy a Tacklander roof rack and do some impulse shopping. I arrived shortly after opening time and wandered around for about 10 minutes without anyone acknowledging my presence. So i went on over to Cooper Plains where i was greeted as soon as i walked through the door. Salesman asked how he could help and i told him i was after a price on the Tracklander roof rack. He tells me they don't stock them. "What do you mean you don't stock them? Your website says you do, their website says you do." Apparently they haven't had them in years. I walked away without spending anything.
A couple of months ago my wife drove up the back of someone and i lept at the opportunity to fit a bullbar. I'd had my eye on the T13 bar and so i sent out some email requests for quotes to supply the bar and a Tracklander roof rack. TJM Underwood and Coopers Plains were the first to get my request. Then i thought to include Brendale because Hutch keeps banging on about how good they are. The next day i got a reply from Justin at Brendale. Nothing from the other two.
A few calls to the insurance company, Steve from Jimboomba Smash Repairs, and Justin and it was all sorted. I drove up to Brendale to collect my bar and rack and provided it to Jimboomba Smash Repairs for them to paint and fit. Steve had told me that it wouldn't be a problem, that they'd colour match the paint so i couldn't tell the difference and that they could do it all cheaper than TJM could. I didn't have any reason to doubt him; his last job had been great and delivered exactly what he said he would. I didn't have any problem with it being done at Brendale other than it being about 90 minutes away from home and i didn't want to sit around all day to wait. Much easier to take it around the corner to Jimboomba.
I should have gone to TJM Brendale.
The smash repairers had my bar for 4 days before i got told it would cost me $450 for painting and fitting. I was happy with that. It was about $200 less than what Justin said they'd charge. I brought my car in a couple of days later for the fitting. While i was waiting to be picked up i was told that they'd scratched the bar and they may need to repaint it. Then Steve starts moaning about how much trouble they were having. Alarm bells started ringing but i thought "he's a professional, he'll sort it out." Before i left he told me they'd need the car for the whole day, not the 5 hours originally planned.
I got a call from wifey in the middle of the afternoon telling me she'd picked the car up and they'd charged her $495. It seems there was a "misunderstanding" about including GST in the quote. I wasn't too worried though. Still less than i would otherwise have paid.
I didn't get to see the car until a couple of days later and i was not too impressed. The paint job seemed pretty decent. That's about the only positive thing i've got to say. My attention was immediately drawn to the right infill panel which had a gap next to the headlight washer which was sitting proud of the infill panel.
I pulled the washer away from the panel and saw a cutting job that would have been better done by a cross eyed chimpanzee having a seizure.
I had a look at the passenger side washer and it wasn't much better.
Last year i thought i had a chance to put on a rear bar when my wife reversed into another car did some damage. Unfortunately the whole bumper needed replacing and the Kaymar bars are a bumper cut. It got sorted by Jimboomba Smash repairs. They were easy to deal with and did a good job.
Earlier this year i found myself with a bit of spare cash and was keen to get rolling. I trundled along to TJM Underwood for the show day sale ready to buy a Tacklander roof rack and do some impulse shopping. I arrived shortly after opening time and wandered around for about 10 minutes without anyone acknowledging my presence. So i went on over to Cooper Plains where i was greeted as soon as i walked through the door. Salesman asked how he could help and i told him i was after a price on the Tracklander roof rack. He tells me they don't stock them. "What do you mean you don't stock them? Your website says you do, their website says you do." Apparently they haven't had them in years. I walked away without spending anything.
A couple of months ago my wife drove up the back of someone and i lept at the opportunity to fit a bullbar. I'd had my eye on the T13 bar and so i sent out some email requests for quotes to supply the bar and a Tracklander roof rack. TJM Underwood and Coopers Plains were the first to get my request. Then i thought to include Brendale because Hutch keeps banging on about how good they are. The next day i got a reply from Justin at Brendale. Nothing from the other two.
A few calls to the insurance company, Steve from Jimboomba Smash Repairs, and Justin and it was all sorted. I drove up to Brendale to collect my bar and rack and provided it to Jimboomba Smash Repairs for them to paint and fit. Steve had told me that it wouldn't be a problem, that they'd colour match the paint so i couldn't tell the difference and that they could do it all cheaper than TJM could. I didn't have any reason to doubt him; his last job had been great and delivered exactly what he said he would. I didn't have any problem with it being done at Brendale other than it being about 90 minutes away from home and i didn't want to sit around all day to wait. Much easier to take it around the corner to Jimboomba.
I should have gone to TJM Brendale.
The smash repairers had my bar for 4 days before i got told it would cost me $450 for painting and fitting. I was happy with that. It was about $200 less than what Justin said they'd charge. I brought my car in a couple of days later for the fitting. While i was waiting to be picked up i was told that they'd scratched the bar and they may need to repaint it. Then Steve starts moaning about how much trouble they were having. Alarm bells started ringing but i thought "he's a professional, he'll sort it out." Before i left he told me they'd need the car for the whole day, not the 5 hours originally planned.
I got a call from wifey in the middle of the afternoon telling me she'd picked the car up and they'd charged her $495. It seems there was a "misunderstanding" about including GST in the quote. I wasn't too worried though. Still less than i would otherwise have paid.
I didn't get to see the car until a couple of days later and i was not too impressed. The paint job seemed pretty decent. That's about the only positive thing i've got to say. My attention was immediately drawn to the right infill panel which had a gap next to the headlight washer which was sitting proud of the infill panel.
I pulled the washer away from the panel and saw a cutting job that would have been better done by a cross eyed chimpanzee having a seizure.
I had a look at the passenger side washer and it wasn't much better.
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