Reflections on GTM over the years
 

I had a 2009 G37 for a number of years. It was then that I first became interested in GTM's big announcement, that they were working on a CARB certified supercharger kit. I sold that car in 2011 before GTM could deliver the kit. In June 2012, I was back with a new 370z and with excitement, searched for updates on the kit.. Still not out.

Over the years, there has been many inconsistencies and head scratchers in their reasoning for the delay. They supposedly went to get tested and the car didn't have enough miles on it. Then the problem was the retest costs versus the opportunity. Then the problem was finding a test car with proper miles and they wanted an M37 to get certified on - not a very popular car. Then the updates just went dark - they were supposedly working on it, but never could provide updates. Throw in a bold announcement that based on their experience with the supercharger kit, they were going to try to get a turbo kit certified. That of course went nowhere..

Over the years, GTM supporters got mad when I asked for updates and pushed them to live up to their commitments. My motives were questioned by GTM and others, like I was some plant from a competitor. As someone who understands business, I often stated what I felt was the real reason this was never completed; that people in California were still buying the kits based on the vaporware promise of eventual CARB certification. GTM felt they weren't missing many sales and it wasn't worth the investment to finish this. If they had been honest about that, there would have been no problem. As people now know, that level of honesty didn't fit into the "marketing machine" that was GTM.

Anyway, as I complete the sale of my 370z to Carmax today, GTM's unfulfilled promise has now outlasted another car for me. I feel bad for the members still caught up in the group buy with their money on the line, but I'm not shedding a tear at the demise of GTM.

What happened to GTM?

thanks for posting.

from what i understand, their customer service is almost non existent any more. Also, the MHI TT group buy that started a year and a half ago completely stalled out, which sucks for the people that put deposits or paid in full on a kit they havent received

Sam died and zombie Sam isn't as skilled in business.

Dude...You just can't help yourself, can you? You don't even own a VQ platform anymore....Move on with your life:tiphat:

I talk to Sam almost every other day...

His service is perfectly acceptable to me. Maybe not the group buy situation, but not overall.

hey SAM :hello:

I have been lurking the forums for awhile. GTM and myself have had some issues in the past, however it seems to be working itself out now. My car is at their shop as we speak and should be back in Nebraska in 2 weeks or so. They are taking care of my build and installation of my TT kit and supporting mods. Every step of the process has been discussed between Sam and myself, or Pablo and myself, the entire way. The communication has been great in my personal experience.

Like I said, I know they have screwed up recently with the group buy, they screwed up BIG time. Despite that, GTM and myself are on good terms.

I just want to let people out there know that it is not a COMPLETE waste of time going to them with business, as long as it is not group buy related :icon18:.

I am not Sam, I promise :tiphat:. Here is my car being prepared to be shipped. I figure it will be some kind of proof I am who I say I am.


http://i57.tinypic.com/2hfkk7k.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/b6546g.jpg

Good luck. I steered away from therm back in 2009-2010 when I was looking for a forced induction solution. I talked to Sam quite a few times and never felt like I was getting good information/answers, but that is only my opinion. I made a statement about not giving GTM any of my money ever and got ridiculed for days on end.

My Greddy manifolds have not cracked and my journal bearing turbos w/o water cooled cartridges (20G-10CM2) are still running strong. The only issue I have had with my build is that I am on my 3rd CSF radiator. And they just released a revised one (FML).........

:wtf2:

My head hurts reading the dilemma of the MHI kit. Really unfortunate that that got started prematurely.

My experience with GTM AND Sam was based upon existing, proven parts: the Stg II TT setup (for the G37). as I see it, woe are those who wish to be early adopters for the non-shelf-ready products.

This said, Sam was there for me as I bungled my way through our installation and helped as he should. I had a bunch of dillemmas (self imposed) and he guided us.

In the end the 'bungling' made it's way to perseverance, consistency, and ultimately the quickest VQ37VHR on the planet. GTM powered.

For every nightmare story there will be more quietly successful builds.

Just a counterbalance to the theme. Not a dismissal.

Coop

I knew all that but op was making it seem like they closed so thought I missed something.

Reflections on GTM over the years
 

My experience with GTM has been positive (for the most part). If I was one of the people affected by the MHI group buy then I would certainly be feeling pretty upset with them. I expect that Sam will honour the commitments he made with his clients who put down deposits. I will lose a lot of respect for his business if it turns out that isn't the case.

To be honest, as of late I have told people to stay away from GTM. Mostly due to the stories I read about here as well as my latest experience with them about 6 months ago when some crooked GTM downpipes arrived. That cost me about $2500 for just labor for my mechanic to straighten them out and make them fit. Perhaps my mechanic was in a straight jacket when he was doing the job. That turned into a finger pointing situation between Sam and my mechanic.

Anyways, I think we all have to at least acknowledge that GTM developed the 370Z FI application to a large degree. Sam, Mike, George and Pablo have contributed much to our Z community and on these forums. I know that I'm really happy with my GTM stg 2 kit and everyday it brings a smile to my face. Without GTM I probably never would have had a vendor that I trusted on my car. That said I would probably be bored of an NA Z by now and I would have sold it for some shitty BMW by now.

I hope Sam makes it right for everyone who are still left in a financially bad situation with His company. Until he makes it right I will not support anyone I know doing business with GTM.




NOBLE