Thomas A. Arima's Project Car

[Bruce Smith]

I stopped feeling sorry for this guy a while ago. Let's move on.

[Mike Wilson]

Gentlemen: the facts are these:
This shop has zero experience with the 356. I wouldn't let them even wash my car.
Thomas has been given copious advice but ignores it.
Thomas is not knowledgeable enough about the 356 to guide the shop through this "restoration".

We are beating a dead horse. It's time to bury it...

Mike

[Bil Brown]

I agree......and Mike....you`ve contributed 10 comment to this troll thread!....STOP COMMENTING!

[Mike Wilson]

Like many of us, we have tried to help Thomas. That's what we as Registry members do. However, whether Thomas, you are just trolling us or unable to comprehend the lunacy of continuing to deal with this shop is at this point inconsequential.

You need to stop asking us for advice because it is painfully obvious you are unwilling and incapable of following any of it. We are not here as a quasi-Facebook platform for your entertainment. In short, you need to stop asking us questions and soliciting advice as it has become an exercise in futility.

We wish you all the best in this process but, there is no reason to continue to respond to your posts.

[Jules Dielen]

THOMAS, BUY THE REPRO FUCHS WHEELS BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE SNATCHES THEM FROM UNDER YOUR NOSE!!

[Wes Bender]

Oh oh, wait until Al sees that!

[Vic Skirmants]

Oh oh, wait until Al sees that!

They have probably already sold his original wheels.

[Bruce Smith]

Ron says troll, I say just as likely a scam. This guys says he's been a member since at least 1990, but his profile says he joined in March 2021. Mike says Thomas A. Arima is 73 years old and lives in a condo in Oahu, but it'd be simple to post here as someone else. The guy claims he doesn't even have a parking place, so where is he planning to put his car when it's done? Look at what and how he writes. He's not stupid. This isn't a 73 year old Porsche 356 lover living in Hawaii. Jay may be the closest, guessing the guys running the repair shop are on meth. But I think the guy posting as Thomas A. Arima is as likely the tweaker. How about this scenario. Some of us buy into this act and thinks this poor soul is being taken advantage of. Then Thomas A. Arima, frustrated and with few options left, decides that he needs to sell his car and is willing to let it go real cheap. Who's going to be suckered? Any other possible scenarios? Are the guys at the shop the ones behind this? Sure, there's entertainment value in keeping this going. But the warnings should go only to those reading this nonsense. And what will it take to offend Thomas A. Arima, if he hasn't been offended yet?

[Martin Benade]

I doubt if that’s the story because typically if you are selling a car you don’t make it common knowledge that the shop working on it is incompetent. We all know way too much about his car.

[Ron LaDow]

I'd say we all have better uses for our time.

[Adam Wright]

It's kind of like those video montages of car wrecks or people doing stupid stuff, you find yourself watching for a few seconds and then quickly realize it's just sad and turn it off. Concerning this guy, I suspect it's probably exactly like it is presented, he is getting taken for a ride by a not so great shop. He's probably very intimidated by the shop owner and is probably very non-confrontational by nature, so his only outlet is to tell his story to get sympathy or to hopefully prove to himself that he is getting the run around. He may hope if he can do enough research and query the group he will be able to somehow "prove" the ripoff and get up the courage to confront the owner and get him to do the right thing. A fool's errand. Pull the car, if you don't have a space for it, put it in a storage space, and find a new shop. Throwing good money after bad only benefits the person who put you in this position, remember that Thomas. Oh, and get your wheels back, they are worth more than the fake FUCHS.

[Mathieu Lecomte]

If you really want Fuchs, get Maxilites, they are TUV approved (German certification) and a set of new ones will be less than what the shop is asking you for these unknown things...

[Thomas A. Arima]

Found out on my visit to the shop last week that the new tires that they shod my car with are a Walmart brand called Supermax. Apparently made in Thailand.

max1.jpg (335.17 KiB) Viewed 1608 times

A search on this forum for Supermax turned up zilch, which also about sums up my knowledge of tires.

The cost for all five tires doesn’t begin to approach the cost of one fake Fuchs wheel that they are selling to me.

Are these tires safe? The car will be a weekend driver.

[Joris Koning]

Thomas, have fun playing somewhere else. These is no room in our sandbox for you.

[Joris Koning]

Guys, previous posts have made it very clear that it is a waste of time to try and help Thomas. Many have tried. He is just here to rock our boat