Xtreme vertical door company Q&A

[cjthor]

Since Kyle cannot respond in the buy/sell forum I will start a thread here. Feel free to post any questions you all might have.

[cjthor]

Posted by Tempus...Guess we will start here.
So I've been seriously interested in this GB, and was only wanting to get a few questions answered about differences in the kits before sending in my deposit.

So I tried to contact the XD people at the number provided in the GB thread. I called several times during their supposed 'business hours' but always rang through to an answering machine. Furthermore the machine gave me a choice of 'press 1 for <listofnamed> or press 2 for Extreme doors' Which seems a little fishy for a full blown business, and more like a startup. sokay I think, small places can still make quality products with the right people and tools..

So Thursday I leave a message. many hours pass. no callback. Leave another message.. nothing repeat the next day.. stilll no callback. Call friday evening, nothing

So I start digging on their website, FAQ is short, and doesn't address my questions. Customer gallery is 'coming soon' Link to a video is 404.. Link for prospective dealers is 404. Site says stuff about now offering suicide and gull wing doors, but no product info for them on the site. I am concerned that all I can get off their site is a picture of ONE car with their hinges installed. Most other lambo places have lots of pictures of different rides with their products installed.

Sokay thinks I, has anyone actually installed this guys products? well if they have, surely they have talked about it online or at cardomain or somesuch and google ought to find it.

What google found me were several forum postings by XD on various car specific and tuner forums, trying to drum up interest in their products, and two group/test/sample buys, started around the same time ours was, both of which have gone very poorly so far. Many people never got product and ended up asking for refunds from their credit card companies Other folks got product but the boxes were damaged and parts missing (so either DHL is really really sucky, or these people don't use strong enough boxes or wrap/pack their stuff very welll). People that got complete products are having fitment issues.

IMHO the phrase 'not ready for prime time' comes to mind. I don't THINK The XD people (husband/wife??) are trying to rip people off, but there seem to be an abnormally high number of shipping problems, product lost in shipping, and more than anything serious communication issues. It feels to me like a small startup, which is trying hard, but also trying hard to look llike an experienced established company. The address given on their website turns out to be a townhouse. XD started out communicating with both groups directly, via their forums, then suddenly stopped. They started their own forum as a way to communicate with people online but then suddenly shut it down as well. They are supposedly moving their 'shop' but do not give an address of the new shop.

I could go on, but I think it best if interested people read for themsellves and come to their own conclusions. Here's links to the appropriate threads about the time things got interesting.. If you have time I encourge reading the entire threads..

G6 Performance forum:
http://www.g6performance.com/forum/view ... 819#125819

Club3G Eclipse forum: http://www.eclipseforums.org/post2906245.html#2906245

XD started a forum online to communicate with people, but the link to it from their website has been nulled, and the forum itself http://www.phpbbcity.com/forum/index.ph ... tremedoors has been shut down, apparently by XD's forum admin

Right now I'm not comfortable with this group buy. Frankly I'd like to see us hold off a bit, and see how these other buys settle out. I especially want to see how fitment issues get resolved, and want to see better communications between XD and their customers. I'd REALLY like references to a few people who have installed and lived with their products for at least a few months, to see how they 'wear in'.

I also seriously think that for this to work right, we're going to need someone who is 'local' to these folks to be "MX-3 Customer #1" so that we can pre-resolve any fitment issues, and get a product that is truely 'bolt on' for our cars, and not a universal kit that has to be modified (or the car extensively modified) in order to work right..

[Nd4SpdSe]

Hmm

Maclean, J
253 Taylor
London, ON N5Y 2J6
(519) 432-1768

I though the area code looked familar

There's a few mx-3ers in the London area and I know a few others arond that area as well, there should be someone around that's willing to look into it for you guys

[bgracing]

Hey everyone, here are the answers to the post by TEMPUS. If any further information is needed, feel free to post, or PM me with your
number that way I can call you personally and make sure your questions are answered.

Question - Rang through during normal business hours and never went through. Also had multiple options on the answering machine.

Answer - As I stated in a PM as I was not able to post on the thread myself, we have been busy moving from our location in Wallaceburg to London (1034-1036 Dundas Street, London Ontario, for those that would like to know) and that is why we are usually not able to take calls during the day, also, the answering machine is set up that way because while we are switching facility there is no phone in either of them. While this may sound fishy for a full blown business I can assure you it is not, and I have the Business Licence as well as the Vendor Permit to prove it which I would be more than happy to scan and post. Also, I have checked my voice mail daily and have not received any messages, not sure if it is a problem on my end with my phone service or what, but feel free to PM with your phone number and I will be MORE than happy to call you and answer any questions.

Question - So I start digging on their website, FAQ is short, and doesn't address my questions. Customer gallery is 'coming soon' Link to a video is 404.. Link for prospective dealers is 404. Site says stuff about now offering suicide and gull wing doors, but no product info for them on the site. I am concerned that all I can get off their site is a picture of ONE car with their hinges installed. Most other lambo places have lots of pictures of different rides with their products installed.


Answer - While the FAQ is short, it addresses the most common questions we receive hence the title FAQ. As for the customer Gallery, it is not up yet and neither is the video, why, because not only do we run this business designing kits and manufacturing them, but we also do everything on the website ourselve (my brother Chris actually). We have switched to a new format for our website and it takes a while to get everything up and running while trying to run the business at the same time, and moving definetly does not help this. As for the suicide and Gull wing doors, yes we do have them, and yes we are now offering them, but again we just have not been able to get the site fully functionally yet so I do apologize for that. As for the lack of pictures, I will post some pictures of customers cars, I was not able to do this on the other threads so please forgive me. Again, we are a new company.

Question - What google found me were several forum postings by XD on various car specific and tuner forums, trying to drum up interest in their products, and two group/test/sample buys, started around the same time ours was, both of which have gone very poorly so far. Many people never got product and ended up asking for refunds from their credit card companies Other folks got product but the boxes were damaged and parts missing (so either DHL is really really sucky, or these people don't use strong enough boxes or wrap/pack their stuff very welll). People that got complete products are having fitment issues.

Answer - What happened with these packages is we shipped using Purolator in Canada, I will never use them again. I have the bills to prove (can scan and post) to prove that all of these kits were shipped out but were either damaged or lost all together. This is what caused all of the delays. We have since sent out any parts that customers may have been missing, as well as replaced any parts that were damaged. Also, when shipping with Purolator in Canada, once it reaches the US, it switches to DHL which again make it harder to track missing packages or to file claims. Also, most of these kits were "test" kits that people bought to help us ensure fitment and to address any fitment issues. Some people received the kit and we not willing to do this when they realized that it was neccessary.

Question - IMHO the phrase 'not ready for prime time' comes to mind. I don't THINK The XD people (husband/wife??) are trying to rip people off, but there seem to be an abnormally high number of shipping problems, product lost in shipping, and more than anything serious communication issues. It feels to me like a small startup, which is trying hard, but also trying hard to look llike an experienced established company. The address given on their website turns out to be a townhouse. XD started out communicating with both groups directly, via their forums, then suddenly stopped. They started their own forum as a way to communicate with people online but then suddenly shut it down as well. They are supposedly moving their 'shop' but do not give an address of the new shop.

Answer - As for the phrase "not ready for prime time" no we are not, we are a new company trying to get our name out there and to work our way up. Every company has to start somewhere. As for this being a Husband/Wife operation, it is not. We are two brothers who are both Mechanical Engineers and we decided we wanted to open a company that would allow us to supply people in the car industry with high quality Kits for Lower prices. Again to address the shipping issues, I can Scan and post the shipping bills to prove ALL kits went out and then I can scan and post all of the claims I have filed with Purolator as well as DHL. I apologize for the communication issues as during December and the end of November, we were without a phone due to construction, and the shop in Wallaceburg does not have a phone. Also, we are a small business which is trying very hard, however we are not trying to look like an established business, check our website, you can see when we first began in the About us section. Also, yes the address on our website is our townhouse, as that is where we want correspondence going. Again, we did not say it was a 30,000sq/ft facility, rather it was an address where we could be reached.

Question - Forum Shut down

Answer - Yes the forum was shut down, but before hand, we posted on the website that the Forum would be down as were are trying to get all information posted on it (such as instructions) and we are revamping the layout. Everyone on the forum was notified that it would be getting shut down for a while.

Question - Right now I'm not comfortable with this group buy. Frankly I'd like to see us hold off a bit, and see how these other buys settle out. I especially want to see how fitment issues get resolved, and want to see better communications between XD and their customers. I'd REALLY like references to a few people who have installed and lived with their products for at least a few months, to see how they 'wear in'.

Answer - If you are not comfortable with this group buy, by all means wait and see how the kits work. We are not going to force anyone into purchasing a kit and again I will answer any questions you may have so that you have all the facts before the kit arrives at your location. Again about the fitments, these were TEST kits, and with testing there are bound to be some fitment issues. I will also be MORE than happy to post a few customers as reference.

Question - I also seriously think that for this to work right, we're going to need someone who is 'local' to these folks to be "MX-3 Customer #1" so that we can pre-resolve any fitment issues, and get a product that is truely 'bolt on' for our cars, and not a universal kit that has to be modified (or the car extensively modified) in order to work right..

Answer - Anyone who is local to us are MORE than welcome to come and meet with us during this group buy period once we are settled into our new shop (very soon). Also, these kits will be TRUE bolt-ons and we have purchased an MX-3 so that we have a car there that does not have obligations and so we can take measurements as we need them as well allowing us to test fit the kits thoroughly before hand. Again, not forcing anyone into a purchase, if you are not comfortable, please by all means wait and see what others have to say.

Question - Outstanding orders.

Answer - To answer this question is very simple, we use a Merchant Account that is set up in a way that if the customer does not receive the product, we do not receive their payment. Anyone who has not received a product should have received a refund already. And again, the forum was shut down for updates and this information was posted on the website to alert people ahead of time. As for the calls, never received them so I apologize for this.Furthermore, ALL packages are shipped with couriers that provide full tracking information.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

Also, My personal email is kwesley@xtreme-doors.com . Feel free to email me.

[bgracing]

Here is just a sampling of pictures we have of customers with our Systems installed on their vehicles.

[bgracing]

Also, to answer a question I am sure will come up. The number is registered to a Maclean J as you can see. She is my Fiancee.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

[bgracing]

Here are some more pics from the show we helped with in the summer.

[Tempus]

Also, to answer a question I am sure will come up. The number is registered to a Maclean J as you can see. She is my Fiancee.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

Ah unless I miss my guess, she's the voice on the answering machine also right? (I thought she might be 'chris', hence my incorrect guess at husband/wife and not the correct guess of two brothers)

Thanks for responses to my concerns and observations so far.. great to have some more direct communication. It's late and I need to be up early, so I'll try to get my other questions to you tomorrow. I'll post them here because there is a good chance that others will be interested in the answers.

[Tempus]

Called and left a message on your machine yesterday.. did you get it? instead of just hanging up I both reviewed the message to be sure that it was there, and pressed keys needed to 'send' it.. With most machines and voice mail you can just hang up after saying the message, but on the off chance that yours was different I made sure to go through all the steps and take no shortcuts.

If you didn't get the message let me know and I'll PM you..

In the meantime here's one question that I'm sure might be of interest to more than just myself.

What Exactly is included in the powered version of the 90 degree kit? Does it include door poppers, remote, etc?

If there are controls required inside the car, how many and what sort of area would be needed? (could they be mounted below the stereo? (presuming you have single high stereo).. (note that one of the members here can have made very nice laser cut plates to fit that particular center console opening)

Would I be able to walk up to the car, click a remote once or twice and have it open and raise the doors?

If I wanted to 'shave' the door handles, what other parts if any would be required (not counting filler plate for the hole in the door)

This might be a standard thing but, if the battery dies, how do you get into the car? (craw in via the hatchback?) would you be able to raise the doors manually if the battery is non-functionial?

[bgracing]

Hey,

Sorry, I still have not recieved your message, so I am guessing it is a problem with my Phone service provider, which I will take care of. So if you can PM me, and I will be more than happy to call you. Also, try leaving messages on our personal voice mail as this one seems to be functioning properly.


To answer your question about what is included in the Powered Version of the 90 Degree Kit, below is a list of everything included:
1) Two 90 Degree Hinge Assemblies
2) Two High Powered Gas Shocks
3) Wire Extensions
4) Mounting Hardware
5) Two Linear Actuators (Can include Two Linear Actuator Controllers that allow you to set the doors to open to Three Different Heights for an additional $150, and they mount inside the car)
6) Four Linear Actuator Mounting Brackets
7) One Deluxe 7 Channel Shaved Door Kit which comes with 40lb Solenoids, DP-3 Door Poppers, Billet Door Looms and Emergency Door Release Cable.

Also, about whether there are controls in the car, there are no controls in the car unless you get the Adjustable Control Modules and then they are small enough to practically be installed anywhere such as below the stereo. The Power Upgrade kit is controlled entirely by remote.

And yes, everything is done via remote, so you could walk up and hit one botton to pop the doors open and then another to raise them up. And if you wanted to shave your doors, the power upgrade comes with everything you need minus the filler plates.

Also, if the event your battery does die, the shaved door kit comes with a emergency release cable that will pop the doors open for you manually which will allow you to get in, however the doors will not be able to raise up Lambo Style unless you unhook the Linear Actuators as they are powered by the battery (this can be done by simply removing two dowel pins per Linear actuator to disconnect them from the mounting brackets).

Again, if there are any other questions feel free to post them here or call and leave a message on my personal voice mail should I not be here.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

[Tempus]

Thanks for the answers regarding the power kit. Would I be correct in presuming that without the controller extra, you get just a single setpoint at each end of the actuator travel? (e.g. the UP position, and the Down position) (my concern here is that the actuator stop ITSELF when it reaches the right point, and that it not be trying to strain against the hinges own stop points (which would just place additional stress on everything)

Unless I'm guessing wrong, the additional controller would tend to be something of more appeal to someone building a 'show car' where they want to be able to park the doors at various positions. but it would not be 'necessary' for those of us that just want lambo doors

So next question: I've seen some lambo kits where once you read the fine print as it were, you discover that in order to open the doors horizontally, you have to disconnect the struts. Is that the case with your kits, or can you freely alternate between opening conventional horizontal style, or vertical 'lambo' style? How much horizontal travel is there? (e.g. what angle away from the car body) when you open the door in solely horizontal fashon?

[bgracing]

Hey,

Question #1 Answer : Yes you are correct in a assuming that. Without the controller the linear actuator will go to the up position and down to the down position. Also, all of the linear actuators come with built in limit switches so once they meet resistance, the linear actuators stop and hold that position. It will not try to keep moving causing extra stress. Then once you want to close the door, push the button again and it will go down from that point.

Question # 2 Answer : The controller does appeal to people building show cars, but also appeals to anyone that would like that option. Without the controller you can still set your doors to open to any height with the adjustment points on the kit, however with the controller you can set the doors to open to 3 different heights without having to adjust the Kits adjustment points. So while it is not necessary, it is a great add on.

Question # 3 Answer : No, you do not have to remove the gas struts on our kits to open the doors horizontally. Our kits are designed be able to open up to 45° horizontally. So yes, you can move freely between opening regularly or Lambo Style, its your choice.

Again, if there are more questions, I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

[cjthor]

How far do the doors open outward before they go up?

[bgracing]

Hey,

The doors can open from 0 - 45 Degrees horizontally before they go up. You set how far you want the doors to open horizontally before they go up.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

[cjthor]

Hey,

The doors can open from 0 - 45 Degrees horizontally before they go up. You set how far you want the doors to open horizontally before they go up.

Thanks,
Kyle Wesley
Xtreme-Doors

so on the 90 degree kit you can set how far the open horizontally AND vertically? Sweet!