# Anyone else despise 42 Draft Designs?



## ecko2702 (Sep 12, 2008)

I have had nothing but issues with this company. I ordered my downpipe from them and said twice I have a 3in catback so I need a 3in adaptor. Downpipe arrives with the stock 180 adaptor so I have to pay and wait another week for the right one. New one arrives and it's welded crooked. Sell my 3in catback and need a 2.5in adaptor and its 5in too short! They've screwed up every order and my downpipe is starting to rust after 6months! Who else makes downpipes for the 180Q?:banghead:


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

Ive had no problems with them. I bought my DP used, and they still sent me free gaskets. 


BTW, its only surface rust. If it actually rusted trhough, I think youd have a pretty good case for them sending you a new one.


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

I've never had any problems. And their shipping is fast for me. My guess is its just a bad experience.


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## blkjettavr6 (Nov 7, 2001)

ecko2702 said:


> I have had nothing but issues with this company. I ordered my downpipe from them and said twice I have a 3in catback so I need a 3in adaptor. Downpipe arrives with the stock 180 adaptor so I have to pay and wait another week for the right one. New one arrives and it's welded crooked. Sell my 3in catback and need a 2.5in adaptor and its 5in too short! They've screwed up every order and my downpipe is starting to rust after 6months! Who else makes downpipes for the 180Q?:banghead:


Call and talk to John.
Everything can be worked out with a detail filled phone call.


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## [email protected] (Oct 16, 2006)

ecko2702 said:


> I have had nothing but issues with this company. I ordered my downpipe from them and said twice I have a 3in catback so I need a 3in adaptor. Downpipe arrives with the stock 180 adaptor so I have to pay and wait another week for the right one. New one arrives and it's welded crooked. Sell my 3in catback and need a 2.5in adaptor and its 5in too short! They've screwed up every order and my downpipe is starting to rust after 6months! Who else makes downpipes for the 180Q?:banghead:


The original downpipe was not ordered directly through us and was through one of our dealers which did not specify that you wanted the 3" adapter, this is the reason you were sent the regular stock adapter in the first place. 

The adapter you ordered this time was for a 225Q, I apologize we had a miscommunication on what it was for (180Q or 225Q), I must have just assumed it was for the 225, my mistake. You were sent the adapter for the 225Q. I am having our fabrication dept make you the 2.5" adapter for the 180Q and will send it out today for you. 

As for the downpipe starting to rust, it is aluminized steel so there will be a little bit of surface rust but as I am sure you know the materials we use are VERY thick and you will not have issues of it rusting through, I have never had a customer come back to say our system has rusted through and have had these systems on my personal cars for 5 years now with no issues.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me and we can discuss further. 

-John


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## Doooglasss (Aug 28, 2009)

I have to say 42 Draft Designs scored serious points in my book when I had an issue with my downpipe. They replaced it without asking any questions or for a receipt. The actual purchase was made by my friends for me so it wasn't even in my name. They quickly shipped me a brand new downpipe for my 225Q and let me keep the old one as well.

:thumbup: in my book for 42DD


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## notoriouszig (Jun 14, 2010)

i've only ever heard good things about 42dd. i've had good and bad experiences with most vendors i buy from, but it usually comes down to some type of misunderstanding. i hope you get everything worked out.


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## DurTTy (Aug 14, 2007)

i have not ordered anything from 42DD nor dealt with their Customer Service, so i cant really say anything about dealing with them. 

but lets be honest here. 

the price they charge for an aluminized piece of steel bent to fit the TT is atrocious 

its a joke, aluminized steel is super cheap and a heap of junk, end of story, i dont care how thick it is or how great it has been aluminized


their downpipes are overpriced pieces of rusting metal. any1 who does who lives in an area that salts their roads STAY AWAY from that junk. 

stainless steel piping+ stainless catalytic+stainless flex + 3 hrs of loabour is considerably cheaper than the price of what they charge for their DP. 

its really sad :facepalm:


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

I would just get it coated with heat paint or powder coat if I got one.


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## Dutchmastr9 (Sep 13, 2004)

DurTTy said:


> i have not ordered anything from 42DD nor dealt with their Customer Service, so i cant really say anything about dealing with them.
> 
> but lets be honest here.
> 
> ...


you just said you have never bought or dealt with 42dd, so how can you say anything about their quality or price. these exhaust systems are all made here in the us, they are not imported from overseas. this means they cost more to make and yet when i look at other websites their exhausts are far more expensive. APR wants about $1600 for a turboback for the TT and im sure milltek is no cheaper. also all the exhausts are coated to help prevent rust. you clearly dont know what the *f*uck your talking about, so shut up and stop bad mouthing a company that you have no experience dealing with. if you dont want to order from there thats fine, you're entitled to shop where you want, but dont come in here and talk sh!t when you have no basis to do so.


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

Easy fellas.


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## Luis92 (Jan 25, 2011)

DurTTy said:


> i have not ordered anything from 42DD nor dealt with their Customer Service, so i cant really say anything about dealing with them.
> 
> but lets be honest here.
> 
> ...


SO TRUE

the fact that they are not imported doesnt mean it will be that xpensive, they price it at that price because they are the only ones that make them, like a monopoly on them, ive heard that it was "hard" to make, well maybe the first time, but im sure that after that one they can just make copies


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## bvgoosedd (Mar 5, 2009)

I don't think they are over priced. i wish the were around when i got my exhaust. i bought a blueflame for the same price. and mine is a 2.75 in I would have rather a 3in


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## ShockwaveCS (Jun 22, 2006)

man, reading the reviews is like a roller coaster on this thread. double edged sword here for 42DD. i'd say, it's only knock-able if you purchased the product. OP purchased it and hated the experience. Nothing more to say about his experience....it is what it is. Now, I haven't purchased anything from them and would rather just get a relentless DP 2.0.


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## Dutchmastr9 (Sep 13, 2004)

Luis92 said:


> SO TRUE
> 
> the fact that they are not imported doesnt mean it will be that xpensive, they price it at that price because they are the only ones that make them, like a monopoly on them, ive heard that it was "hard" to make, well maybe the first time, but im sure that after that one they can just make copies


WHAT???  42dd is the only company to make exhausts for the TT? what the hell are you talking about. having a monopoly means you are basically the only producer/supplier of a product and can therefore charge whatever you want because people have no alternative. there are many other companies that make exhausts for the TT, and as ive said most of the well known ones (APR, Milltek) charge much more for their exhaust systems. im not sure if you are aware of how products are priced, lots of things factor into the price. you have direct costs, like costs of materials/labor/research and development, and you have fixed costs like the cost of rent on you building/utilities etc. if something is difficult to make the 1st time its going to require extensive research and development costs to make it work and to make production easier. these costs do not just go away once you make a product for the 1st time. they need to be factored into the cost of each product. you sell so many products you make back your money. this is simple accounting.


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

I would like to point out that 42DD has made a good showing in this thread by attempting to solve the issue. People need to chill out and provide solutions to problems rather than talking trash. Being an [email protected]@hole is counter producitve at best.


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## 2kjettaguy (Dec 24, 2000)

*To the original poster*: I would like to directly address some of the issues you have mentioned. I took some time and went over the details of your orders.

When you originally ordered, you placed your order with one of our dealers. Records show this dealer ordering a downpipe with stock adaptor. No mention was ever made to 42 about a 3" adaptor. We can only ship what's ordered, so we shipped a standard system.

When you realized that you recieved the wrong adaptor, you contacted the dealer that you bought it from and they purchased a 3" adaptor and we shipped a 3" adaptor. 

You mentioned having to pay for the 3" adaptor. I'm dissapointed that your dealer charged you for this adaptor when you specifically ordered it the first time around. There's nothing I can do to remedy this customer service mistake. Perhaps a talk with your dealer will sort things out. *42 never charges the customer for a mistake made by 42.* 

You mention that when the new adaptor arrived it was welded crooked. This angle is by design. The adaptor tube on our Mk4 1.8T and 180Q 3" downpipes is welded at a 7.5° angle. This angle allows us to clear heatshields. When installing the adaptor it is clear at which rotation of 3 to install it. The cat-back adaptor aligns perfectly with the cat-back.

Fast forward to today. After discussing this situation with John, we're not sure if you specified 180Q or 225 when you ordered your 2.5" adaptor. Because this conversation took place over the phone, we obviously don't record phone calls so we have no record of the details other than memory. There was obviously a reason why John entered the order as a 225 adaptor, but there's no reason to discuss any further. We are building you a 180Q 2.5" adaptor today and shipping it out. There will be no charge for the replacement adaptor or the shipping. We are including a pre-paid UPS label so that you can return the 225 adaptor. 

42 clearly made a mistake with your second adaptor order. There was a miscommunication and we will take the blame. The correct adaptor is leaving our shop today. This is the same way we would have handled this portion of your situation, Vortex post or not. 

To address the rust on your DP - this is normal. Our downpipes are made from a combination of high-quality aluminized steel piping, 1018 cold roll steel flanges, and the catalytic converter is 409 stainless steel. The flex section is 304 stainless steel. Rust is normal. You'll see the flanges rust first, then some rust form on the weld lines of the piping. The flex section will turn dark brown. The catalytic converter will turn dark brown and purple. The hardware will corrode. I will address rust and material choices in a separate post. 

I am not one to normally pass blame, but I happen to take pride in what I have created here. If there's good reason to despise 42 and the company I have built, so be it. When our name is assigned to others mistakes, I apreciate the oppurtunity to clarify. I have no problem discussing the dirty details of our products, our customer service, or any issue you may have with my company. I hope that I have clarified the timeline of your experience with 42 and the actions that took place behind the scenes.

Evan



ecko2702 said:


> I have had nothing but issues with this company. I ordered my downpipe from them and said twice I have a 3in catback so I need a 3in adaptor. Downpipe arrives with the stock 180 adaptor so I have to pay and wait another week for the right one. New one arrives and it's welded crooked. Sell my 3in catback and need a 2.5in adaptor and its 5in too short! They've screwed up every order and my downpipe is starting to rust after 6months! Who else makes downpipes for the 180Q?:banghead:


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

Thats good customer service. How malt companies do you see addressing the problem head on. I love 42 and would do business with them any day. Speaking of I can't wait to go home and instal my LED's, which should be waiting for me. Cheers


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## ecko2702 (Sep 12, 2008)

John I would like to thank you for your help the inital mistake must have been through the vendor I purchased from. I appreciate you helping resolve his issue. I feel I may have over reacted a bit as my TT is my daily driver and now I have to wait another week to get my car back so I was a bit pissed. I will say I am impressed with the customer service. Will I order again from 42dd....yes. it wasn't all there fault it was partial mine and the vendor I bought it from.


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## RabbitGTDguy (Jul 9, 2002)

42DD :thumbup: nothing but good comments and good quality. haven't had any issues with my pipe besides replacing the gaskets...used a Victor Reinz version of the same header gasket they use...but thicker, no burn through *though more pricey at 15 bucks a pop* and that was that. 

They were very supportive with their CS and continue to show that here...

Joe


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## notoriouszig (Jun 14, 2010)

ecko2702 said:


> John I would like to thank you for your help the inital mistake must have been through the vendor I purchased from. I appreciate you helping resolve his issue. I feel I may have over reacted a bit as my TT is my daily driver and now I have to wait another week to get my car back so I was a bit pissed. I will say I am impressed with the customer service. Will I order again from 42dd....yes. it wasn't all there fault it was partial mine and the vendor I bought it from.


gotta love solution :beer:


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

RabbitGTDguy said:


> 42DD :thumbup: nothing but good comments and good quality. haven't had any issues with my pipe besides replacing the gaskets...used a Victor Reinz version of the same header gasket they use...but thicker, no burn through *though more pricey at 15 bucks a pop* and that was that.
> 
> They were very supportive with their CS and continue to show that here...
> 
> Joe


I just removed the gasket. Havent had any leaks since


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## RabbitGTDguy (Jul 9, 2002)

warranty225cpe said:


> I just removed the gasket. Havent had any leaks since


no leaks with no gasket? impressive....the upgraded Reinz units are much thicker, much better and will not burn through compared to the ones that come with the dp. If anyone wants the PN for them, I can provide it...got mine at the local CarQuest...had them in stock. No issues. 

Supposedly can hold a torch to them and they will not burn through...

Joe


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

RabbitGTDguy said:


> no leaks with no gasket? impressive....the upgraded Reinz units are much thicker, much better and will not burn through compared to the ones that come with the dp. If anyone wants the PN for them, I can provide it...got mine at the local CarQuest...had them in stock. No issues.
> 
> Supposedly can hold a torch to them and they will not burn through...
> 
> Joe


yeah, I was told that alot of guys just run them without gaskets. Since the machined surface is so smooth, the mated surfaces fit perfectly! No leaks!


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

warranty225cpe said:


> Since the machined surface is so smooth, the mated surfaces fit perfectly! No leaks!


MADE IN THE USA
:thumbup::thumbup:


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## exboy99 (May 14, 2002)

when I saw this thread title I was like Wait What? .... no way

.... browse.... some good support for 42DD.

... ohh look, they tell their side....

and resolution.

this thread shows how 42 takes care of their customers.


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## ian c - U.K. (Nov 22, 2001)

exboy99 said:


> this thread shows how 42 takes care of their customers.


wrong . 
it shows that allthough the internet is a wonderful thing , it demonstrates how easy it is for people to rant on the internet with unfounded allegations and potentially ruin the reputation which a company has worked hard to gain and keep .
its not showing how 42 look after their customers , as the o.p wasn't even a customer !!
what it does show is that 42 are prepared to stand by there products and offer acts of goodwill when one of there dealers has a problem with an order .
in all honesty , i think the o.p should be ashamed of his actions and should edit the original post to add that they were a little "economical with the truth" . after all the internet is a powerful tool and a google search for 42dd would show this thread .


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

ian c - U.K.; said:


> I think the o.p should be ashamed of his actions and should edit the original post to add that they were a little "economical with the truth" . after all the internet is a powerful tool and a google search for 42dd would show this thread .


^This.


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## 225TTRoadster (Oct 24, 2007)

I have seen 42d resolve with great solutions. and I appreciate their customer services. 


But I agree with the slight price inflation comments.


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## hutch1973 (Aug 7, 2010)

225TTRoadster said:


> I have seen 42d resolve with great solutions. and I appreciate their customer services.
> 
> 
> But I agree with the slight price inflation comments.


A product is worth whatever those buying it feels it's worth. I've never bought from 42D, but after seeing this thread, I would choose them over others if the prices were a bit more because of the service they obviously provide.


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## exboy99 (May 14, 2002)

@ian you're right about the OP

it is a drag.... hopefully everyone can learn a lesson here
cause it really wasn't fair to call out 42DD

maybe some moderators can delete this thread cause this party is over.


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## l88m22vette (Mar 2, 2006)

ian c - U.K. said:


> wrong .
> it shows that allthough the internet is a wonderful thing , it demonstrates how easy it is for people to rant on the internet with unfounded allegations and potentially ruin the reputation which a company has worked hard to gain and keep .
> its not showing how 42 look after their customers , as the o.p wasn't even a customer !!
> what it does show is that 42 are prepared to stand by there products and offer acts of goodwill when one of there dealers has a problem with an order .
> in all honesty , i think the o.p should be ashamed of his actions and should edit the original post to add that they were a little "economical with the truth" . after all the internet is a powerful tool and a google search for 42dd would show this thread .


QFMFT :heart:

I've dealt with 42DD, they are a good company, they actively develop and support for our car and back things up with experience and good service.


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

Agreed. Thread bashing a good company is fun and all, buttttttttt I think a mod needs to black hole this one. TIA


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