I have the M7 Strut Tower Reinforcement Plates on my '03 R50, and on both of my '06 MCSes to help prevent mushrooming. I have never had a problem with any of the M7 plates OR mushrooming, for that matter, so I feel I got my money's worth from having purchased them.
Just because I made the comment "tell them Jonathan sent you" again is no indication I have any stake in the company. I just wanted them to know I was out here trying to help them out and spreading the word. They were a good group of guys and i enjoyed talking to them.
I do not own any M7 parts and I really do not care ether way. I have come to trust the guys on this forum. If they feel that a company is not doing the right thing I listen. I know some of you know the people that were involved with M7 (owned and worked for). So I will default to what you say, but if this is an all new group of owners then perhaps we should give them a chance to do the right thing. The problem for the new owners is they need to make up for past ills of the previous owners.
Well why would anybody want to PM you for a standard price, when they are going to see it on any of the distribution websites? "Tell them Jonathan sent you" that sounds a wee bit like you are connected to them... Not many companies who build parts even have a showroom at the manufacturing facility or company HQ, and even less just let people in to see what its all about. The fact that they know you by name is as fishy as the front end of an F56 to me... Now for my M-garbage experiences... So a good while back, I was new to MINIs, saw M7's website and they didnt offer much (2009 timeframe, but not much has changed in that department) however, what they offered looked good in the pictures, the price was on the high end so I expected quality when I made my orders. Being deployed to Iraq at the time, and having all the parts shipped to my house, I never got a chance to see anything in person until I returned home in late 2010. When I did rotate back to the world, I made my way through the garage full of boxes, opened up the $700 and some odd dollar M7 C rap-Wing, pulled out the CF wing blade, and it looked decent, then the fiberglass base came out... Right away I noticed the poor craftsmanship, the pitted glasswork, the waves, the total lack of prep before the monkeys sprayed it with Duplicolor rattlecan quality "primer." When I went to assemble the wing 2 of the nutserts in the blade where loose but didnt rotate in their holes, the base had one that would just spin in its hole under finger pressure! So much for being worth that $700! Then the $350 DFIC exit scoop... I pulled that out of the box, same rattlecanesque primed finish was what I first saw, then I noticed the thickness on each side of the part... One side the curvature ended about 1/16 of an inch before a 90 degree drop down to the bottom of the piece, thats not a big deal (its within my idea of a reasonable tolerance) the other side on the other hand had a 3/16 drop to the base! Almost 1/4" really! An eighth inch difference between right and left? WTF, thats what you get with eBay Chinese copies, not a $300 original quality piece! Then I tried to use their "template" to cut and drill the holes in the hood so I could mount it... An oversize xerox copy of a hand drawn sketch... How is this supposed to be accurate? After making all the measurements, cutting the holes and mounting the scoop, I went to close the hood, guess what the mounting studs where too long! One of them hit the intercooler it was designed to be used with, and I had to cut 1/2" off of that stud just to close the hood with no interference! So much for actually being engineered to fit properly! The strut brace... Looks ok, but you have to remove the under hood insulation or your hood wont close properly! On top of that you can wiggle the bar like a limp noodle with minimal hand pressure... And this is supposed to control chassis flex in a 2800 pound car? Good thing MINI did their job right, or the thing would probably bend like a popsicle stick the first time you took a hard corner at speed. My buddy's who own Peak Eurosport in Denver, liked the look of my wing so they went and got one for their R53 shop car without me knowing... When I saw it, I explained to Chris and Earnie what a POS mine turned out to be, and sure enough a month after being on their car, the CF/fiberglass dehydrated, shrank, and looked like a wavy eBay body kit for a Honda! Then theres the whole copying issue of the JS art canards. The first pictures posted where a direct copy only done in CF. When Joel originally sold a set of originals to Randy Twillwigger he gave specific instructions that they where not to be copied in any way shape or form by M7 or its affiliates... 2 Years later, so much for running an honest business! So yeah, M7 just leaves a bad taste in peoples mouths... Kinda like burnt hair and Cheetos with a side of ********! The company may have changed hands in ownership, yet the products, website pictures, and from what I have personally seen the "stellar Quality" is still able to be pulled from the box and used on your trophy winning show car with just simple installation... Yeah right, its crap, always has been crap, always will be crap! But its expensive so it must be good crap. But I do have to thank them, now my R53 looks great with all of their products removed, and my trash can probably gained 100 horsepower for that 3 days it was all in there before heading off to the landfill. So thanks M7, for making me throw away a couple thousand dollars, so I could realize that if you want your car to look good and be built with quality you've got to build it yourself. She looks great now!
& their strut plates are inferior to Craven, VIP & ECS. Hopefully, the new owners can redeem the name.
So from the looks of it noone has had an experience with the new ownership that took over in 2013? Correct? Everyone is basing their opinions on the company pre 2013 before Mark took over. That's like saying that Bush is responsible for the Affordable Healthcare Act....It did not happen under his administration so it isn't his issue good or bad......There are even a few pieces that M7 are warranting for life...if their products were inferior why would they warranty them for life? And as I have stated before I met them for the first time earlier this week. I was in the area of their shop and gave them a call to inquire about a product and asked if I could stop by
I didn't buy strut reinforcement plates. I haven't had any problems with mushrooming either. I also feel I got my money's worth.:devil: So JHendren, the ownership changed, and is still selling the same inferior M7 parts and counterfeited canards, and we're supposed to take your word for it, you with a total now of 8 posts here, that things have changed. Sorry, no. Many of us have been around awhile, we know better, we've all been burned and have no desire to see someone else repeat our mistakes. The onus is not on us to welcome the new owner of what was a crappy company, the onus is on the new owner to prove how and why the crappy company has improved, and is no longer selling counterfeit and inferior or parts to a sometimes gullible MINI crowd. This is not NAM, many here have a healthy skepticism for companies who have sold junk in the past, and forced good people out,, especially when there are many good companies who are conscientious, that have been active in the community from the beginning, who have done it the right way from day one. I'm still incredibly pissed how JSart was screwed by M7, which resulted in the loss of wing extensions and canards that actually worked. It's going to take more than your "pm me for pricing" to make up for that.
JHendren1986 I will differ with you on one point. when you buy a company you are buying its reputation. Good or bad. When you are looking at a business to invest in you must consider it reputation. If you want to buy one with a bad rap. it is incumbent on the new owner to do what it takes to undo what gave the company a bad name. This may take to great of an investment there by making the company a bad investment. So great these guys took it over in 2013. That does not make the bad blood just disappear! They need to work over time to gain the trust of the community. When they posted here that it was new ownership everyone jumped on them. I can't say I blame them. But I never saw a reply saying "give us a chance we will try to make better". It was crickets. I know they may not have been the problem but they bought a company with a bad, very bad name. It may not be fair but sorry life is not fair so they have a lot of work to do. I dont blame ModFather, Nathan and Dave for their opinion. If I were them I would feel the same till I was given good reason to change. Just my 2 cents
Hell If the new M-garbage could come up with at least one new "original" mon counterfeit product and stop labeling their existing lineup as "new Technology" since they have always loved the word "technology" and "rapid prototyping" ( which actually means, scaning and using a 3D printer to make their own parts) I might actually have something decent to say about them... Instead its the same old crap, same name, same worthless ( insert Randy Twillwigger) behind the company... That will be met with the same amount of RESPECT as last year... Absolutely no respect and minimal attendance at the Dragon, followed by mysterious rocks/middle fingers aimed toward their " (POS HIPSTER) Show car from a random white Jeep in Nashville. You want to change the company, maybe make it semi profitable? Try dropping the M-garbage name, come up with your own product and ideas, and market it as something new... Oh yeah, $500 for a damn intake... It better be a design like mine that actually works, and is not made in China or the Philipeans, or any other commie crap nation... Mine is made 100% right here in my garage/living room, assembled with true enthusiasm not a dollar figure and is still less $$ than your POS! You want to save M7, dont bother, the original owners (Peter (( like the pecker not the salt)) and Randy ((just as useless but prefers salt for the roughness)) they ran that name so far under you will never dig it out! Try coming up with New (un copied) technology as your website says! If you cant do that, dont expect any less than what you are getting here and now!
I agree they probably should have changed the name, BUT they surely got a good look at the books before buying it and apparently they must be making a profit in order to stay open/buy into it... As with everything MINI we on here are the minority of the MINI owners. I bet less then 10% of MINI owners are also members of a MINI forum, and of those maybe 10% of them are frequent posters... All that being said most of the people buying their products have no clue that 10 people over here are bashing the products. I'm not defending M7 and or whoever bought them, just putting it all in perspective.. Only M7 part I have is the USS Brace and there for years they were the only ones with one so I bought it and it has done what it is intended to do. Granted some years latter but yet years ago TSW came out with a better product with their X-Brace. Way now sells that product. For those that have been around awhile if you remember TSW caught hell for rebranding their engine brace!!
I always wanted to be part of the 1%.... Just wish it was the RICH 1%!!:mad2: this entire thread is amazing!! To the op... Is the "pricing" you are getting me any different than the posted internet website pricing? Unfortunly m7 had a history of shoddy quality control... Have seen some 16% m7 pullies that are the size of 15% and some the size if the 17%, and with CRAPPY CNC machining to be kind...the opposite of the "talk it up" and buy only the best, etc feeling of the website.... For the hold m7 it was buyer beware.... Might be beautiful... Might be junk, and not fit or fall off your car.... Anyway way to know if an item if "old stock" m7 tuning vs the "new" m7 speed parts?! With a name change, it sounds like the new owners are TRYING to make a break with the past.... But why have a random individual do the announcement? Would a announcement with a welcome back, try us 10% deal been better, gotten folks to know the name change, impacted margins a tiny bit as very focused advertising?! Sure Nathan would have given them a membership if they were honest, and paid up to be a supporting member if they truly want to be part of the community going forward!!
if you bring M7 to M\A (again) and you may as well bring in ALTA, MiniMania and the other Mini crap vendors and rename M\A the NAM. We are different for a reason. ......:ihih: Keep stupid out.
JHendren1986 give up trying to be civil here, it is not, " The friendly MINI community", as you have found out. Most of the people here have not been around the Mini scene very long, Nathan excepted. M7 had a fine history back in the day, had good vendors selling their parts. In fact, there are many vendors still here on this forum that sell M7 parts....hmm.... how bout that. Thing is, these guys don't even know the new owners and already hate them, yea, real friendly place. They don't know that the original owner, had some health issues, and could give a crap, yea, real friendly place. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Yes you are right I am an uninformed new guy who has only been with my MINI for 9 years & admired them for 3 years before that. Yep I know nothing.:smilewinkgrin: You are wrong there are lots of nice folks here. I don't agree with everything everyone says, but I maintain the ability to be friends with those I do not agree with. I understand some folks do not have that ability jiminni.
Why do you even bother doing this Jim? We all know its going to go the same way as always: Youre going to go into your little childish hissy fit, one of us (usually me) is going to jump in and get your gobbler sack so far in a twist, you will just hide yourself under your rock again. Sorry buddy, Im not playing your game this time. Somebody else can have you, Im out of this thread. Just answer me one question there Jimmy... Has Lynn really been in jail for the last 6 months?