Allignment Sham <mini novel>

[trnsfrma@ix.netcom.com (Shawn C. Meze)]

Those of us that have installed the lowering or race springs might get a kick 
out of this. 
I called around to find out if I could get a custom allignment on my GLi and 
my Scirocco. Most places skoff at the idea of setting something other than a 
stock factory allignment. One place even went so far as to lecture me on the 
DANGERS of not using the factory numbers. (whadda DOLT!) Whatever.

Just for giggles, I called my local Firestone Tire dealer who also does brakes 
and allignment work. I asked my question and the guy says, "Sure we can do 
that, bring it in!" So, Thursday morning, 9:am im there with the GLi, waiting 
to have the Neuspeed recommended -1 deg camber and 1/16 toe out allignment put 
on the car. 

I tell the service manager exactly what I want, he writes it down. The game 
plan was I would bring the GLi, drop it off and walk home (I brought my dog. 
the main idea was she gets walked, alot!) and bring the Scirocco back to have 
it done as well.  Just before I leave, I ask if I could sit in the Scirocco 
while the allignment was being set. (we all know why you need to sit in the 
car, still, he looked at me like I was some kind of freak) He said, "no, we 
cant have anybody on the rack while the allignment is being done. Its policy". 
Fine. 

So, while im strolling down the street, im thinking about the attitude I heard 
on the phone the day before, (warn, friendly, willing to work with customers, 
cool.) and compare it to the one I just got. (cold, short, "we do things one 
way and any other way is wrong", "you dont know anything".) was completely 
different. Obviously, I wasnt dealing with the same person that I was on the 
phone. 

After I get home, I decide that for $50.00, I should get exactly what I want 
in an allignment and not what they wanna give or do. Screw it, im not gonna 
let them set my allignment on the Scirocco. Then I look over the paperwork he 
gave me. He wrote 1/6 instead of 1/16 toe out. Hmm. So, I hook up the dog 
again and we take another walk. 

When I get there, there is this girl working there that wasnt there earlier. I 
tell her who I am, why im there. She finds the paperwork and I requested she 
ask her mechanic what he set the toe to. Then I pointed out the error on the 
write up. She whips out this print out and looks it over and eventually says, 
"I dunno, lemme ask him what he set it to".   
In the background, I can hear him saying, "The suspension has been changed so 
I cant set the allignment exact. I can only get it as close as I did". The 
girl and I go round and round about allignment numbers, the more I talk, the 
dizzier she looks. (Im pretty sure she is clueless about what exactly it is 
that shop does for a living.) Then she says my favorite line in the world. 
"Let me go get my manager". 
Thank God! its about time! Finally, somebody with a clue! (Why is it, the 
clueless ones man the desk?) 

Out comes the manager and I explain the whole scenerio to him, he understands 
and then tells me that its the policy of Firestone to only set factory 
allignment specs. We went over the fact that my time has been wasted, his time 
had been wasted and hes gonna loose $50. I will say that on his behalf, he did 
handle the situation properly. One of his new people screwed up in telling me 
they can do the allignment I wanted. He was wrong in doing that. So, the 
manager gave me 2 numbers and address of places that will and do custom 
allignment work and he made the work order to reflect a $0.00 ballance. 

So what did I get? I got a factory spec allignment on the Jetta for free. 
Julie likes it so it looks like I wont have to have it done again on her car. 
Lucky me! 
Now I just gotta get the Scirocco alligned.............
<END>



Shawn Meze
86' Jetta GLi
82' Scirocco GTi
The Fastest, Quickest, Cleanest and 
best looking Scirocco in all of San Diego! 
http://members.aol.com/ShawnMeze1/index.html
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send email to scirocco-L-request@privateI.com,
with your request (subscribe, unsubscribe) in the BODY of the message.