Amerikajin

[Mi Beardo es Loco]

Big thumbs up to Gilbert over at Amerikajin. His cars are really legit! Just built the Kaaz roll cage for their 86 and it looks amazing. He's a one man crew so it's hard to get your car in there but if you're lucky enough to be up there (literally) then you will be very happy with his work. It's a bit pricey but it's all fab work so it takes time. His specialty is cages but he can realy weld anything up. He also has an armada of s13's and s14's w/ sr's, which are his specialty cars/engines.

It's also pretty hard to get a hold of him but here's his myspace

here's a vid of his work

[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=kLSRHvyAqm4[/ame]

[RaceBred 17]

Amerikajin Rocks. Got my RB25 there its a monster

[LADii Z]

Amerikajin is probably one of the most down-to-earth shops I have come across. They are decent and honest workers. It definitely isn't a commercialized type of business. It is more of an underground, real-with-it kind of place. The shop is administered straight out of the owner's (Gilbert) house. All the boys there usually welcome everyone. The only thing I would say they don't tolerate it bull shit and shit-talkers. Come get a drift car built, buy a car or some parts, get a cage done, or even just go and kick it there. The shop is chill, the guys are chill, and their work is good.

People sometimes feel like they've been cheated financially when they go to a dealer or Pep Boys or whatever, but the guys at Amerikajin always make sure to help out the customer. I have personally seen these guys bend over backwards to fix a mistake that the customer made themselves.

If any of you get the chance, make sure and check em out. Definitely legit. Gilbert is the master welder, he can do almost anything you ask him to do! He's the owner, and definitely the guy to go to. Also, Amerikajin was one of the major driving forces that organized the Thursday night drift at Adam's Motorsports Park.

Here's a FEW of the things they do there:
Aluminum fabrication welding, tig mig arc
plasma cutting
SCCA Formula D and D1 spec roll cages
Fuel Systems
Custom intercooler piping and placement
Custom motor mount fabrication:
-VQ35 into s13/s14
-RB26/RB25/RB20 into s13/s14 `
-LS1 into s13/s14
Engines Available:
-RB26/RB25/RB20
-SR20DET
-VQ35/VQ30
Race car wiring
Custom Arms and suspension tuning
Welded Differentials
Building Professional Drift Cars

Hope everyone goes there! I know they helped me out A LOT when it came to my 240, and even my Z! Without them, I seriously would be nowhere in the drifting world...I would still be a lame spectator. Heh..

-LADii Z-

[99maxgtr]

does anyone have the number to this shop or whatever it is?
i know that otis works there and he's not picking up his phone so if i can try to get him through there i would appreciate it. i tried googling amerikajin with no contact info.
please pm me with any info thanks.

[thisisthenewsic]

first off id like to start by telling my story.
i was told to take my car there by a friend of mine. he said they were really cool people and they did good work. so i took his word. i took my datsun 510 there to have the remaining wiring done for my 510 swap.
when we dropped my non running 510 off i paid them 1000$ up front for the work needing to be preformed along with any parts they needed and could get themselves. told them i would pay the rest when the car was done never got a reciept or anything for the work. or even a actual estimate. we did a compression test and found out the engine was blown and needed to be rebuilt. so i picked up the engine to go get it rebuilt. they never told me i needed to pay anything for storage so i left the car there. i brang the engine rebuilt and ready to be dropped in. my car had been there for a month n 1.2 i kept bringing them needed parts for the car to be completed. every day i showed up usually once a week for about a month n 1.2 while my car had just sat there while they were working on their own swap into their own car. not performing work being done to my car. i was talking to another customer and his honda hatch had been there for 2 weeks just to get a muffler welded on. a guy who was there listening to our convo come to find out was friends with them. i told them specificly that i did not want the wiring that came with the car being installed into the car as it looked like a bunch of spaghetti. i brang them the full chassis harness for the car to be used and expected them to wire up the car along with get the swap running. and they also put a scratch in my brand new paint. all i said was that i was not happy they are doing what i told them not to and that they scratched my paint. they called me saying that i was talking shit on their work. when all i said was i wasnt happy with them using it but i wanted the car running as the car was a huge headache to me. they told me that they are keeping my 1000$ and not finishing any of the work that needed to be done.

so the moral to the story was.
i paid 1000$ to have my engine and tranny dropped in. and bolted up. and have them keep me waiting a month and 1.2 to have no work being done. they did not tell me i had to pay storage so the time being at their shop and i previously told them i wanted to pick up my car from them because after the engine rebuild i was short on cash. they told me that they had spent my 1000$ deposit and they arent giving it back. when i picked up my car i only asked what was fair. i wanted half of my money back. they would not even work with me and pretty much told me to go fuck myself

i feel as since i gave them money they kept me waiting because they already had my money. i think the work would have actually got completed if they had yet to get paid and to be expecting money.

you take your choice if youd like to take your car to them or no.
i will never recommend them to someone and make sure know one i knows takes their car to them.

[jdm2191]

sad to hear about that man me & my friend had some work there done to are 240's

they got the work done but it seems that they like to take there time (longer than what it takes)..........

[Troof]

Im sorry but the whole "cool hang out atmosphere, my shop is place where everyone can come and drink beer and smoke w33d" just doesnt fly, if thats what this shop means by chill hang out. IMO, Its unprofessional.
definately not a way to run a reputable business.

I have yet to see one car that comes out of there in a timely manner with quality work.
All i hear left and right is that customers cars have been for 1, 2, even 3 months at time and cars are left unfinished, money has been taken, poor attitudes and customer service

I saw the kaaz cage at spocom and it was average work, definately not the work of a "master welder".
I hope all the certs are up on the shop wall.

So many hacks around nowadays, its hard to find quality and i mean quality work.

I dont meant to sound harsh but it dont have anything good to say because i havent heard anything good.
When and if i do, then I will change my point of view.

[Sergio180sx]

Originally Posted by Troof

Im sorry but the whole "cool hang out atmosphere, my shop is place where everyone can come and drink beer and smoke w33d" just doesnt fly, if thats what this shop means by chill hang out. IMO, Its unprofessional.
definately not a way to run a reputable business.

I have yet to see one car that comes out of there in a timely manner with quality work.
All i hear left and right is that customers cars have been for 1, 2, even 3 months at time and cars are left unfinished, money has been taken, poor attitudes and customer service

I saw the kaaz cage at spocom and it was average work, definately not the work of a "master welder".
I hope all the certs are up on the shop wall.

So many hacks around nowadays, its hard to find quality and i mean quality work.

I dont meant to sound harsh but it dont have anything good to say because i havent heard anything good.
When and if i do, then I will change my point of view.

You guys are trippen i got my t28 put in by gilbert and wes and all my custom intercooler piping and belts changed and custom dump pipe i came late thursday around 10pm and they pulled a all nighter and didnt sleep till they finished my car and then drove my car to vegas friday morning so dont talk shit about a shop you havnt taken your car to dumbass

[thisisthenewsic]

^^ you must know them proviously. but as far as someone not knowing them previously(me for example) they took my money and fucked me over. i wouldnt recommend anyone to them as for they wouldnt know them and probaly get their car stuck there for quite some time. and um i have taken my car there. it was there for 3 months. a month an 1.2 they were waiting for the engine to be rebuilt but they still needed to installed the break pads and rotors for the front. could have started on doing the wiring for the car as i bought a factory harness to be put back into the car because the car did not come with one. then once the engine was actually rebuilt it didnt get put into the car for over a month.( a week before they told me to pick up my car) because i was "suposidly talking shit. well if the work was done right and how i wanted it i wouldnt have said anything. along with i was fed up with every day i go up my car still not being touched. one day i went up and they were working on their own 240sx putting in the vq35 engine in it. i paid money my car should have been a priority before their own car.


oh also. you only had to have a turbo put on. and some pretty easy custom fab work for the intercooler piping done.
nothing that would take alot of effort nor time compared to an engine swap or any MAJOR work

[Flash_RPS13]

I Went their to get my powersteering set up with them
and they finished it while i was their,it was really quick with SS lines
and really cheap

[ETHANOLED SR]

I think it's kind a sad in a way, but wrong for a shop to have a reputation like this with it's customers. If it was my shop I would've tried my best to make thisisthenewsic happier with the end result or at least work something out with him. Now you have an unhappy customer who's gonna spread what happened to his car to everyone thus causing a bad rep to the business. As far as the place being chill, I don't see anything wrong with that. But, work is work and should be taken seriously. Mixing a serious shop or business place with fun and hangin' out usually leads to not getting any work done on time and properly. I would not even bother going there after hearing this neg. feedback. Just not worth the risk for me! This is my opinion, you can do whatever you like!

[thisisthenewsic]

id like to let everyone that t's s-14 was who recommended me to that shop. i guess i was stupid for trusting someone who i thought i was actually chill with.
terrell
i recall you talking shit on them too. but now when it comes down to it. you go and suck up to them.

one the engine was unloaded from their truck. we did a compression test. the engine was blown. they left my car on their trailer outside of their house for quite some time. i believe around a month til they needed it to tow another car.
i brang them parts weekly so they had shit to work with. i brang them all the brake parts before the engine was brought back.
im not saying that they had much to work with while the engine was being rebuilt.
they could have worked on wiring up the chassis of the car and worked on the brakes.
like i said before i brang them parts weekly so they always had new shit being able to be installed on the car.

[thisisthenewsic]

Originally Posted by ETHANOLED SR

I think it's kind a sad in a way, but wrong for a shop to have a reputation like this with it's customers. If it was my shop I would've tried my best to make thisisthenewsic happier with the end result or at least work something out with him. Now you have an unhappy customer who's gonna spread what happened to his car to everyone thus causing a bad rep to the business. As far as the place being chill, I don't see anything wrong with that. But, work is work and should be taken seriously. Mixing a serious shop or business place with fun and hangin' out usually leads to not getting any work done on time and properly. I would not even bother going there after hearing this neg. feedback. Just not worth the risk for me! This is my opinion, you can do whatever you like!

exactly.
when they told me to come pick up my car i was like fine. but i want only whats fair. and thats to get part of my money back as my car only had the engine n tranny dropped in
that would not cost 1000$ at any shop
if they were a true business they would have wanted to deal with me but they didnt and told me i can go fuck myself.

[LADii Z]

Originally Posted by thisisthenewsic

exactly.
when they told me to come pick up my car i was like fine. but i want only whats fair. and thats to get part of my money back as my car only had the engine n tranny dropped in
that would not cost 1000$ at any shop
if they were a true business they would have wanted to deal with me but they didnt and told me i can go fuck myself.

Firstly, deposits at MOST businesses are non-refundable. So get over it. I understand that it's a lot of money, but what other place in the world is going to give you a DEPOSIT back. Nowhere.

Second of all, stop talking about how you came up there oh so often and never saw them working on your car. Yes they work on their own cars, well um maybe because they're people that like cars and have their own shit to handle. Okay, I understand you see them working on their own cars in the middle of the day, but you seem to be disillusioned. They run a business out of a house. They can go outside and work at 3 in the morning (which they often do) if they wanted to. So if you don't see them working on YOUR car right when you get there, then you must really be waited on like a king at home or something. This is real life dude. They're not going to be working on YOUR car all day long.

Third, you honestly would have been a hell of a lot more respected up there if you didn't threaten them. Okay you threaten them by wanting to take legal actions. Smart one. This is a business that puts food on the table for these guys, and you want to see their business suffer because they couldn't serve you like your daddy does? It's okay. Grow up dude, and just look at how they did go out their way for you in a lot of other aspects.

Also, I am not excusing the lagginess of work being done there. There is a certain individual that works up there that tends to lag. I won't be mentioning any names, but the MAJORITY of workers up there do excellent work and do that work in a timely manner.

And for those of you saying that you haven't seen any good cars come from up there with no good work, then YA'LL are trippin. Are you forgetting the gangster ass r32 and VQ s14 that Otis and Gil own? Or the numerous amount of customers that come to get their cages done there. To name a few, Ryan (with the R33) and Chris (with the RB s13), 2 very reputable drivers in the drifting community, came to Gil with their cars. Regardless of whoever had to say what about the Kaaz car, I would like to see you bust out dozens of spec cages and see how they turn out. Don't talk shit, unless you can do something better.

So tell me people? Is there always 100 percent of customers that are satisfied with a business' service. No, definitely not. So ya'll going to listen to the spoiled rich kid with the 510, or the more credible sources? Doesn't matter to me.

But speaking from personal experience, the guys are chill and are big on respect. If you don't respect them, their business, or their lifestyle, then you're not going to have things handed out to you. They bend over backwards for customers so often, and they can't keep doing that otherwise they won't be able to pay the bills! So sorry that you didn't get half of your deposit back, but honestly I wouldn't have either. Coming up there and acting like you're completely fine with the work, not saying shit about how your upset about anything, then leaving and talking shit to everyone else. Real cool dude. One lesson, don't ever front with those guys. Don't front with me either. Because even if Wes took a long time to work on your car, as far as I'm concerned, you're some punk ass kid that couldn't even tell them what you wanted until after the fact.

So stop acting like you're the shit online. Because you I bet you would never go up to the shop and say anything you're saying on here.


To everyone else. I love Amerikajin. It's a second home to me. They help me out. They help my friends out. They help everyone else. But rule number one, they definetely don't like to help no punk ass bitches.

Be real with it, and you'll be fine. That's just a life lesson.

[udon!]

Originally Posted by LADii Z

Firstly, deposits at MOST businesses are non-refundable. So get over it. I understand that it's a lot of money, but what other place in the world is going to give you a DEPOSIT back. Nowhere.

Second of all, stop talking about how you came up there oh so often and never saw them working on your car. Yes they work on their own cars, well um maybe because they're people that like cars and have their own shit to handle. Okay, I understand you see them working on their own cars in the middle of the day, but you seem to be disillusioned. They run a business out of a house. They can go outside and work at 3 in the morning (which they often do) if they wanted to. So if you don't see them working on YOUR car right when you get there, then you must really be waited on like a king at home or something. This is real life dude. They're not going to be working on YOUR car all day long.

Third, you honestly would have been a hell of a lot more respected up there if you didn't threaten them. Okay you threaten them by wanting to take legal actions. Smart one. This is a business that puts food on the table for these guys, and you want to see their business suffer because they couldn't serve you like your daddy does? It's okay. Grow up dude, and just look at how they did go out their way for you in a lot of other aspects.

Also, I am not excusing the lagginess of work being done there. There is a certain individual that works up there that tends to lag. I won't be mentioning any names, but the MAJORITY of workers up there do excellent work and do that work in a timely manner.

And for those of you saying that you haven't seen any good cars come from up there with no good work, then YA'LL are trippin. Are you forgetting the gangster ass r32 and VQ s14 that Otis and Gil own? Or the numerous amount of customers that come to get their cages done there. To name a few, Ryan (with the R33) and Chris (with the RB s13), 2 very reputable drivers in the drifting community, came to Gil with their cars. Regardless of whoever had to say what about the Kaaz car, I would like to see you bust out dozens of spec cages and see how they turn out. Don't talk shit, unless you can do something better.

So tell me people? Is there always 100 percent of customers that are satisfied with a business' service. No, definitely not. So ya'll going to listen to the spoiled rich kid with the 510, or the more credible sources? Doesn't matter to me.

But speaking from personal experience, the guys are chill and are big on respect. If you don't respect them, their business, or their lifestyle, then you're not going to have things handed out to you. They bend over backwards for customers so often, and they can't keep doing that otherwise they won't be able to pay the bills! So sorry that you didn't get half of your deposit back, but honestly I wouldn't have either. Coming up there and acting like you're completely fine with the work, not saying shit about how your upset about anything, then leaving and talking shit to everyone else. Real cool dude. One lesson, don't ever front with those guys. Don't front with me either. Because even if Wes took a long time to work on your car, as far as I'm concerned, you're some punk ass kid that couldn't even tell them what you wanted until after the fact.

So stop acting like you're the shit online. Because you I bet you would never go up to the shop and say anything you're saying on here.


To everyone else. I love Amerikajin. It's a second home to me. They help me out. They help my friends out. They help everyone else. But rule number one, they definetely don't like to help no punk ass bitches.

Be real with it, and you'll be fine. That's just a life lesson.

sounds like radii zee knows what shes talking about.

ive been to this shop like twice, although i have never had any services from them, these guys are pretty chill.



oh and to the 510 guy, dont get all butt hurt just because you got screwed in a craigslist deal. dont blame your shit on someone else.

[Mi Beardo es Loco]

I've had nothing but positive experiences. Like most businesses, however, there are always unhappy customers, and they're not shy about saying so. HOWEVER, most of the problems arise because the customer doesn't have the money to pay. For example, there was a poster on here name Robby that had work done there and pretty much gave the shop a runaround. Bought a rb25, had it installed, custom intake manifold, interior, etc... in fact the car on the first post was his. Couldn't finish paying and stole the car from the shop. Gil took him to court and because there was a non street legal motor in there the cop allowed the theft to happen. Things like this happen at build shops.
They are 100% legit and most customers that they have end up being friends of the shop and stop by from time to time, which is why a lot of people have become so defensive of them. And honestly, Gil is one of the nicest persons I've ever met. He opens his house and shop up to anyone who needs it and the only rule is to respect him and his shop.
You also have to understand that his work revolves around a youth movement, which involves kids who aren't exactly the most knowledgeable about how much certain work should cost. He works with people and allows them to help him out using his tools and lift etc... at a break but again, this is his life and business.

And to the owner of the 510, to have a car towed from Temecula to Riverside, compression tested, waiting a month and a half to have the engine rebuilt (storage fees), assembled the clutch kit, change the vacuum hose, block the egr, coolant bypass, getting tranny and flywheel bolts, layed out and connected the harness, checked the continuity on existing harness, mounting the tranny to the motor and dropping the engine in would (which involves dropping the crossmember in a 510) cost a hell of a lot more at another shop. They even gave the guy a list of things to buy for the car and had him go price hunting to keep the cost down. Most shops consider it a HUGE no no for the customer to obtain their own parts but that's just the cost of doing business.

So, yes, the customer is always right but a lot of times the complaints are uncalled for. and judging by the positive responses on this thread, I would say they're not doing too bad.

[thisisthenewsic]

Gilbert n wes told me my car would take a few months. I knew that and was fine with it. but when you tell me 2 weeks. then a week and a half later I get told another 2 weeks because nothing has been done to my car. then after that 2 weeks passes I'm gold another 2 weeks. wes kept tellingme they were gonna drop the engine in and kept puttig my car off. I'm not saying their life revolved around my car that's why I never had a problem with seeing them leave early on a Thursday or Friday to go drifting. bit ts the fact of the matter that my car kept gettin pushed to last priority when I have already paid money. they said I was "talking shit" when I was not. not willing to talk it ofer with me. just told me to pretty much go fuck myself and to pick up my car with no refund. I'm not taking the car anywhere else. I'm doing the work myself. and I'm gettin work done even with my busy schedule of working 2 jobs and school. I went to Gilbert because I was told he does good work. I'm wasn't asking for my every need. so whoever thinks that can do as they please. but I told wes not to use a harness that was there because it looked like shit and if there was ever a problem it would be a mess to find it. I wanted my car done in a clean manner. who doesn't. I was letting them do their work and was patiently waiting til they told me to pick up my car. but honesty dropping an engine into the car and that's pretty much all the was acomplished does no cost 1000$ even at a shop like mckinney.