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View Full Version : Warning! "NRG" Mugen-style carbon fiber grill from eBay



ragebomb
07-12-2008, 06:29 PM
Hey guys, so I took a risk and bought a Mugen-style carbon fiber grill off a seller on eBay. They sell a lot of carbon fiber stuff, and their eBay listings have some really nice photography, I thought my chances were good that the part would fit. I got it for $160 + $28 shipping. The eBay seller is "StyledJDM" in Orange County, CA. The brand is "NRG" and it's definitely made in China.

Well, the grill didn't fit.

I took the new grill to my local speedshop in Portland (Speed Concepts). They took off the bumper, removed the old grill, and determined there was no way this new grill would fit. It sits about .5" too high on either side, not to mention the top of it would require modification as well. The grill didn't even come pre-drilled.

Anyway I am writing StyledJDM, see if they'll do the right thing and give my money back. I posted some pictures in the next post.

I'll post a few more pics shortly so you can see close-ups of the rest of the grill.

ragebomb
07-12-2008, 06:44 PM
Here are more pics of the grill. The carbon fiber weave was pretty good. I have to say that I'm bummed it didn't fit, it would have looked great.

The grill came with a wire mesh in silver. I removed it and painted it flat black.

The other problem with the grill is that *even if it did fit*, the surface where your red H emblem would sit is NOT flat. It is curved. So the JDM red H would not sit properly on the grill anyway. Another headache to consider.

Anyway here are the pics, I'll let you know what this eBay seller does about the problem.

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09617.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09617.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09618.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09618.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09619.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09619.jpg)



http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09608.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09608.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09607.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09607.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09606.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09606.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09615.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09615.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09614.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09614.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09613.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09613.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09612.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09612.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09611.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09611.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09610.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09610.jpg)

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/th_DSC09609.jpg (http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii455/ragebomb99/ep3/?action=view&current=DSC09609.jpg)

v1c10us
07-12-2008, 06:48 PM
All items for return must include an invoice by a professional to warrant uninstallable items
thats what it says, so have your mechanic say these parts wont fit.
They wont accept the part though cause you painted the grill black, and they have a disclaimer saying carbon fiber items may have imperfections that require modification to fit.

ragebomb
07-12-2008, 07:20 PM
All items for return must include an invoice by a professional to warrant uninstallable items
thats what it says, so have your mechanic say these parts wont fit.
They wont accept the part though cause you painted the grill black, and they have a disclaimer saying carbon fiber items may have imperfections that require modification to fit.

Thanks man. Yeah, I did get a written note from the mechanic saying it didn't fit. But you are right, the painted grill gives the seller an easy out. Ugh. I believe in karma, I believe in karma, I believe in karma.... :)

tonysi
07-12-2008, 09:16 PM
Wow! that sucks it don't fit. I was actually thinking about buying that same exact grill...maybe I won't now.Deffinitly let us know what the turn out is.

v1c10us
07-12-2008, 09:39 PM
Thanks man. Yeah, I did get a written note from the mechanic saying it didn't fit. But you are right, the painted grill gives the seller an easy out. Ugh. I believe in karma, I believe in karma, I believe in karma.... :)
They might give you a replacement piece if you cover the shipping expenses.
it is possible that it was a bad piece.


Wow! that sucks it don't fit. I was actually thinking about buying that same exact grill...maybe I won't now.Deffinitly let us know what the turn out is.
like i said above, since these items are probably hand laid and dont use vacuum molds, etc, there is a good chance that they just messed that one up and that you could order one and have no problems.

as for the curved emblem mounting location, if you wrapped sandpaper over something hard that wouldnt conform to the shape of the grill you could sand the epoxy flat if the curvature isn't too extreme, or you could use a few layers of double sided adhesive, the foam stuff, sticking them to eachother so it could conform to the curve

civictype_r04
07-13-2008, 05:58 AM
That sucks man stay off ebay.

Strife
07-13-2008, 06:13 AM
Wow, you got screwed. I used to buy a lot of things off of eBay, but never anything for my car.

WhiteComet
07-13-2008, 09:19 AM
yeah this is a textbook example of how ebay parts are just cheap knockoffs that dont fit right

ragebomb
07-13-2008, 07:08 PM
They might give you a replacement piece if you cover the shipping expenses.
it is possible that it was a bad piece.


like i said above, since these items are probably hand laid and dont use vacuum molds, etc, there is a good chance that they just messed that one up and that you could order one and have no problems.

as for the curved emblem mounting location, if you wrapped sandpaper over something hard that wouldnt conform to the shape of the grill you could sand the epoxy flat if the curvature isn't too extreme, or you could use a few layers of double sided adhesive, the foam stuff, sticking them to eachother so it could conform to the curve

Those are great suggestions, thanks man.

ragebomb
07-13-2008, 10:58 PM
Update ... I got a response from the eBay seller. Those guys are doing the right thing. :) He apologized and says he'll look into it. Here's what he wrote:


"First off very sorry for this to happen to you. I will also be taking this up with distributor that provides me these items. May i ask with your opinion what do you think is making the item either misshapen or not fit correctly? Please ship the item back and i will cover the return shipping and provide a full refund once received."

So I'll send this off tomorrow, and hopefully get my money back. I have the strong feeling that when he gets back my grill and compares it to his remaining stock, he'll find that they are all the same shape and problematic.

Thanks again for the advice guys.

I buy and sell a lot of stuff on eBay. Worse experiences are with collectibles, the sellers never pay. But I've bought a couple car parts, and about half the time I've had trouble; the other half of the time they were legit. When I'm in doubt, I contact other buyers who have bought the same thing I'm considering, and they usually have advice. Best place to look for advice of course is ephatch.com!

EP3_U_SEE
07-14-2008, 12:19 AM
Yeah they been having fake mugen grills on ebay for over a year... i think the china made ones only like 10% of them fit!

fobman
07-14-2008, 12:34 AM
grille looks good though..
only if that shit fits right. damn

kingphoenix07
07-16-2008, 09:15 AM
Almost any aftermarket part is going to have diffrent fitment issues variing from one car to the next.

I have this same exact(although i got mine from tunerzimage) grille installed. I am sorry to say that your body shop is pretty pathetic if they could not get this on.

As with any manufaturing there is going to be extra material on the final product...the less there is the more planned and researched the production process was.

You will need an extra person for the install. 1st remove the stock grille.
To install this grille you must trim the corners off of the backside lip on the 2 top corners(backside...not seen.). Then u must also trim about a 1/4 inch off the rest of the backside lip...this will cut down the angle at which it finally sits at. add industrial double sided foam tape to the remaining back lip.
next drill 3-4 small hole along the top of the grille.(have it resting in place on the car to avoid havig holes conflicting with other parts/holes/fastners.) have the other person help you line the grille up so the corners are even.make sure that the stock part of the grill up by the radiator support goes in to the lip on the new grill where the mesh is tacked on. in one of the holes drilled on top use a small bolt head srew to fasten it into place...lightly...cf cracks easy so be gentle. now pull backing of the exposed side of the double sided tape and lightly press down...making sure every thing is still lined up. go back up to the top of the grille and put in the remaining bolt head srews in...gently. now press down hard on the double sided tape area. and it is installed.
just remember that this grille doesn't sit the same as our and will protrude a lil...but it looks good. also remeber that no knock-off part is going to be as good as the og...expect to have to do a lil more work for the cheaper parts.

one last thing...if u use cheapo double sided tape(like me) you will have to replace it later. I wound up taking off the bumper and fastning it down with the same bolthead srews as the top...u can even use nuts and bolts down there, once the bumper is off.

SinisterCivicSi
07-16-2008, 09:23 AM
stickied


i hate to see hatchers get jipped. sorry to hear bud, its a beautiful grill, but its no good when you cant get it on the car.

kingphoenix07
07-16-2008, 04:50 PM
I'll post up close pics of mine installed in the next couple of days...lot going on right now. but here is one at lil bit of distance:(the NHPB'y right next to the Taffy White one.):

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x72/kingphoenix07/stoney_crk_meet.jpg

fEPst3r
07-16-2008, 10:40 PM
you get what you pay for, sometimes you get lucky and shit fits and sometimes it doesnt, no way to mod it to fit?

kingphoenix07
07-17-2008, 10:49 AM
you get what you pay for, sometimes you get lucky and shit fits and sometimes it doesnt, no way to mod it to fit?

Read previous posts.

black97EK
07-23-2008, 04:00 PM
Looks pretty tight too bad it didn't fit.

PAPITUYO326
07-23-2008, 04:35 PM
All replica mugen grills are made for JDM bumpers. You can get them to fit on USDM bumper, but you WILL have to do some modification. I feel for ya, but if you were willing to cut, and repaint your grill, then you should have been willing to test out the fitment by cutting away at the back.

I had to do a similar procedure on my fiberglass mugen replica grill. It doesn't fit perfect, but its close.

20CiviC02Si
07-23-2008, 05:41 PM
I don't buy anything off of eBay unless it's a used OEM part or an aftermarket name brand part from a big name seller. No knock offs!

NyQuil
07-23-2008, 10:05 PM
Wow, you got screwed. I used to buy a lot of things off of eBay, but never anything for my car.

same here. You could of put that $ towards buying an authentic grill off kings.

ragebomb
08-03-2008, 07:13 PM
Almost any aftermarket part is going to have diffrent fitment issues variing from one car to the next.

I have this same exact(although i got mine from tunerzimage) grille installed. I am sorry to say that your body shop is pretty pathetic if they could not get this on.

As with any manufaturing there is going to be extra material on the final product...the less there is the more planned and researched the production process was.

You will need an extra person for the install. 1st remove the stock grille.
To install this grille you must trim the corners off of the backside lip on the 2 top corners(backside...not seen.). Then u must also trim about a 1/4 inch off the rest of the backside lip...this will cut down the angle at which it finally sits at. add industrial double sided foam tape to the remaining back lip.
next drill 3-4 small hole along the top of the grille.(have it resting in place on the car to avoid havig holes conflicting with other parts/holes/fastners.) have the other person help you line the grille up so the corners are even.make sure that the stock part of the grill up by the radiator support goes in to the lip on the new grill where the mesh is tacked on. in one of the holes drilled on top use a small bolt head srew to fasten it into place...lightly...cf cracks easy so be gentle. now pull backing of the exposed side of the double sided tape and lightly press down...making sure every thing is still lined up. go back up to the top of the grille and put in the remaining bolt head srews in...gently. now press down hard on the double sided tape area. and it is installed.
just remember that this grille doesn't sit the same as our and will protrude a lil...but it looks good. also remeber that no knock-off part is going to be as good as the og...expect to have to do a lil more work for the cheaper parts.

one last thing...if u use cheapo double sided tape(like me) you will have to replace it later. I wound up taking off the bumper and fastning it down with the same bolthead srews as the top...u can even use nuts and bolts down there, once the bumper is off.

This is great advice, thanks dude.

Ok, so I have already sent the grill back to the eBay seller. They were really cool about the return, gave me back a full refund, including the cost to ship back to them. So they were totally cool about it.

maconperformanc
08-27-2008, 08:50 PM
i wanted to order this one..... crap!

MasterPD85
09-01-2008, 08:48 PM
ive seen this grill before on ebay. I have also seen a couple of sellers but the best one was a guy who showed the product on 3 different ep3's.

-one had it molded into the bumper
-one had a JDM bumper with it on
-one was USD with it modified to fit

he also said it would not fit USD bumpers directly and showed why.




all the other sellers are like "MUGEN GRILL FOR YOUR EP# BUY NOW CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP ....AND ITS EVEN CaRbOn FiBeR!!!11~ *gasp*"

MR.Pizza
09-02-2008, 05:49 AM
Pappy's right of course, the grill you speak of requires moderate modification to fit the usdm bumper. Chris explained it as best as I've ever heard and I've seen his in person, it looks fine.

MaxBoost
09-09-2008, 08:38 PM
this is another example of cheap imitation knock offs, i have a love hate relationship with knock-offs, don't get me twisted, Seibon does make quality reps, but i guess the the sayin stays true "you get what you paid for"

speedstar808
09-10-2008, 01:25 AM
LOL,

I have them in CF and FG that fits perfect. just ask MoonSi.

hit me up if interested?

thx,
wayne

eptwah
03-20-2011, 10:45 PM
Im afraid to buy stuff off ebay. ebay is the devil sometimes. I bought some lugs off ebay like 2 years ago and they looked like they were made out of coke cans. I guess ebay is a hit or miss basis

jubaque
03-25-2011, 08:42 PM
i bought mine from usashowstopper
i think it is almost the same with yours , but i managed to fit it with minor mod...
about the logo, yeah it is not flat, just bend a little bit of the logo and tadaaa....nicely fit!
the logo should be smaller if u wanna use on the mugen grill (check the original mugen grill, see the emblem slightly smaller than jdm logo?)


btw here some pic, good luck with your refund.... the seller was so nice...hard to find those honest sellers


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O20icFg0DWE/TLLUvN9C7pI/AAAAAAAAAzU/g7p65D5GMw4/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG

Lucid Moments
03-26-2011, 07:25 AM
Im afraid to buy stuff off ebay. ebay is the devil sometimes. I bought some lugs off ebay like 2 years ago and they looked like they were made out of coke cans. I guess ebay is a hit or miss basis


i bought mine from usashowstopper
i think it is almost the same with yours , but i managed to fit it with minor mod...
about the logo, yeah it is not flat, just bend a little bit of the logo and tadaaa....nicely fit!
the logo should be smaller if u wanna use on the mugen grill (check the original mugen grill, see the emblem slightly smaller than jdm logo?)


btw here some pic, good luck with your refund.... the seller was so nice...hard to find those honest sellers


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O20icFg0DWE/TLLUvN9C7pI/AAAAAAAAAzU/g7p65D5GMw4/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG


Zombie thread. Did you two catch that the thread is from 2008?

ragebomb
03-27-2011, 09:20 AM
Hi jubaque, that grill looks really clean, nice work. What kind of modifications did you have to make?

On the one I had, it would have only fit if I had the ability to bend the carbon fiber.

If u bought from ShowStoppers, yours may have been a different mold. I've talked to those guys and they are careful to sell only stuff that fits. They had a CF wing that the found didn't quite fit US spec (needed shaving and the holes didnt line up) and had the manufacturer change the wing so it would fit perfectly.

Meanwhile I was able to get a genuine Mugen grill from King Motorsports. I'm really happy with it!

KrypTOniTE
03-29-2012, 04:09 PM
Hey first thing first!! They fit only for the 04-05 JDM bumpers Not the USD. The JDM bumpers have a larger grill and Larger Emblem.
THey are Carbon mugen replicas that fit the 02-04 USD. you just have to do some more homework and ask other sellers if they have the usd versons.

02ep3413
11-30-2012, 12:25 PM
You can notice the difference in the size of the H on the grille.

02ep3413
11-30-2012, 12:26 PM
EBay is a way to go for minor parts. better off finding stuff on here, ive gotten a lot of my stuff from corsport