Since you basically just called me a thief

Is anyone else still whining about that roof rack , or are you the only one? Stolen huh? You obviously haven't seen my truck. While it is nice , the rack is one piece in the whole puzzle. It hardly represents "half" of anything that I've done.

Maybe you are still confused about the facts. It wasn't Calmini's project vehicle. It was a pre-production X that a magazine got from Nissan for a YEAR that Calmini was given a chance to demonsrate their products on. So was Skid Row , ARB , Yokohama Tires and whoever supplied the ugy ass wheels.

The magazine did a write up on the truck and used it for a year. It was not Calmini's project truck. If so it would have spent the year in Bakersfield and not Placentia. When a manufacturer DONATES parts to a project truck , they are doing so to gain exposure for their business. They do it with the expectation that they are never going to see the parts again.

The logic is , that the exposure from a major off road magazine reviewing their parts is a greater benefit than the cost of the parts. It happens all the time. Do you really think that after SEMA the project vehicles are delivered to all the participating companies so they can be dismantled?

Calmini got the exposure they wanted , as did Skid row , Yokohama , PIAA , the ugly wheel manufacturer and that was that. Nissan wanted their truck back and the parts were distributed and the truck was destroyed. I got the rack. Someone else got the skid plates and someone else got the ARB. and you're still whining about it. Before you call me a thief here get your facts straight.

It's pretty par for the course that when I give facts about Calmini, I get attacked with this bullshit. The torsion bars problems , the blue paint on their steering , late arrival and people waiting for their bumpers and steering are all facts . Aren't they? Am I bad mouthing them? No. Are they using a "pre-runner" style bumper on their Frontier in their magazine ads that is not avaible to anyone while listing "pre-
runner stuff" as being available? Absolutely.

Facts.

If you cruise the same boards that Carlton used as examples of dissatisfaction with SLR you will find some people unhappy about delays with Calmini as well. You will also find people who aren't 100% satisfied with the product. Hell if you go on the Sami boards or Pirate you will find people there too who don't think the world of Calmini.

My point was not to slam Calmini. I think it's great that they make anything for Nissans at all. I love my rack. It get's compliments all the time and I allways point people in their direction. But the point was that there is no company that is 100% insulated from production delays and less than perfect products.

I'm sorry if you think that on one hand giving examples of SLR's deficiencies is allright but fairly and accurately stating issues with Calmini is somehow slamming them.

The point I was making , and that no one here has disputed , is that some people are going to have some problems every now and then no matter where you go. Calmini is not perfect and constantly bashing SLR every time their name appears on this board is rediculous.

Carlton has no problem bashing them , but at the same time he also has no problem sending them an advertising proposal. It looks a lot like if they were willing to pay you money for banner ads they wouldn't be so bad. But they aren't so we get the bullshit quips ever time their name is mentioned. Is there a connection?

Other than the gears , what new products for the X have they introduced? Why if Nissan is so important to them why is Full Traction on the list of exhibitors at the Off-Road Expo this weekend but not Calmini. It makes sense for them to concentrate on competing with the likes of pro-comp in the lucrative Jeep market. Add that with their work with Isuzu and Suzuki and SASing old harbodies and it's easy to understand why there hasn't been more products available from them for our trucks.

The fact of the matter is that they have a lot on their plates and the primary concern is not making new parts for Xterras and Frontiers.

SLR's only focus EVER has been Nissan trucks. They haven't been the most dependable when it comes to shipping and on time production but they are making progress. He is young. But I think Spencer is learning what it takes to take a small fabrication shop and turn it into shop that makes bolt on production pieces for the masses.

It's a switch from what they are used to. And it takes some time and genuine effort to teach a guy , who's focus has been racing and fab work, the art of running a detail oriented , production business. But , I think he's making progress.