The Truth about AJW Performance - 818Donors

[AZPete]

For the 818 I know I could have bought a wrecked Subaru, rented a trailer to get it home, taken it apart (penetrating oil, band-aids and adult words) and then disposed of the extra parts, fluids and carcass by trying to sell online (my time, no-shows and packing/shipping) or paying a trash hauler. I don’t have the space or patience for all that. When I built an FFR roadster I bought a donor pallet from a California company. The engine arrived rolling back and forth on an open pallet and grimy parts were piled into a cardboard box along with clumps of grease and gravel. For the 818, I saw the 818 Donor program by AJW Performance and was skeptical. I didn’t know who they were and they had never done this before. However, I could find only positive reports online, and they have a relationship with Factory Five so I plunked down the $5,000 deposit and crossed my fingers.

Two weeks ago two wooden crates were delivered. A week before, Tim at AJW had emailed me a “report card” about a 2006 WRX that showed the leak down test was excellent and they had replaced the timing belt and all four rotors and pads. The report included the VIN so I checked Carfax to find it had regular dealer maintenance and the specs and mileage matched AJW’s info. The price was less than I expected so I bought that donor kit and AJW arranged shipping to Arizona (5 days).

Here’s what I have found:
The crates are well-built and protected the stuff, plus I could remove the tops by removing only 8 torx-head screws. (I’m saving the wood to build a chassis dolly)
Everything was individually wrapped in plastic film and labeled, and delicate stuff like the gauge pod and the fuel pump were protected in bubble wrap. The tubes and openings on the engine had been taped over or had a plastic plug to keep dirt out.
Everything had been cleaned and fluids had been drained. By cleaned, I mean brushed off so there were no clumps of grime or dirt. Some stuff has surface rust and corrosion that I will remove and polish or paint, but I’m anal . . . . and I would have had to do the same for parts I pulled from a wrecked car.
Everything on Factory Five’s list of needed parts was included, plus a few valuable extras like the windshield wiper motor, mechanism and wipers, the A/C compressor, the ABS module and various brackets.

The truth is that I’m very happy with the 818 Donor kit from AJW Performance and recommend them to others. The quality is above what I expected and the price was lower. The price of each donor kit is different because each donor car is different but for me I also like the no surprises aspect. I know the engine has been checked by Subaru experts and they warranty it, and there will be no surprises like unseen damage in a wrecked car.
Thanks Andrew and Tim at AJW Performance!
Pete

February 2014: Not so much now. See post #24 below.

[Matty_STi]

Usually threads that start with titles like that get hella messy. Glad to see it wasn't. :)

[Vman7]

Great info on your experience dealing with AJW Performance. Glad to here everything worked out really well.

[mekohler]

I agree with AZPete, the packaging was first class and Andrew has been very professional and helpful in making the beginning of my 818 project a success. I would recommend anyone who is looking for a clean palletized donor give Andrew a call.

[Silvertop]

My experience with AJW is exactly the same as AZPete. Nicely packaged, labeled, and cleaned, and the extra work that I commissioned was done (cam installs), and they made needed replacements and repairs. Water pump, head gaskets, etc. Couldn't be happier. I too recommend them for those who don't want to deal with a donor car.

[SkiRideDrive]

Thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity, how much was shipping to AZ?

[Xusia]

I have spoken with Andrew on the phone and he seemed like a very good guy. It's good to know my intuition is sound, but I'm even more glad - no.. OVERJOYED - to know there are still companies out there that, like FFR, place value on a job well done and doing right by the customer. Kudos to AJW for being such a company. :)

[wallace18]

I bought a 176K donor car for my build. If I had to do it again I would have bought a donor palet from AJW. I bought all my upgrade parts from AJW. They helped me pick out what was needed for a power upgrade without losing reliability. They are knowledgeable and prices are very good IMO. I highly recommend them to anyone.

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

While my build is a couple years off (we are in the process of moving to Florida), I'm glad they really worked out. From day 1 when I read about AJW performance, my plan was to use them IF they really did deliver. My past experience shows that vendors who are reputable stay around. It doesn't take long for the ones that make promises they can't keep to go out of business.

I look forward to doing business with AJW.

Need to get the house in PA on the market and SOLD! Once the house in PA is sold I will be building my dream garage (3+ car with a lift).

Steve

[BrandonDrums]

Nice review, thanks for sharing. Have any pictures of their handywork to post?

[AJW Performance]

Thanks for the kind words everyone, we appreciate the support!

[skullandbones]

I've known AZPete over a year or so. From our discussion of the Cobras, FFR, and cars in general, he is a real gearhead. He is a certified auto technician (hope he doesn't mind me saying that). Also, I can verify, he is anal (very detail oriented). So if he gives a glowing recommendation like above, AJW must be pretty good. We have discussed the donor pallet process. Both of us went that route for the roadsters. Having some historical perspective on this process and experience with it tells me the standard is not that high. I think AJW has set the bar higher for the 818 community. Glad you guys have a better source for your donors. I will surely consider them when the time comes. WEK.

[Silvertop]

Thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity, how much was shipping to AZ?

I can't speak for Arizona, but shipping to Minnesota came to $405. Probably a couple hundred more to AZ.

[AZPete]

Re shipping, it was about $550 to AZ. Tim at AJW arranged it and emailed me the tracking number and phone number to communicate with the trucking company. It was flagged for residential delivery. I got a call the day before with a delivery time and the driver had a pallet jack to roll the crates up my driveway and into the garage.
Pete

[Silvertop]

Re shipping, it was about $550 to AZ. Tim at AJW arranged it and emailed me the tracking number and phone number to communicate with the trucking company. It was flagged for residential delivery. I got a call the day before with a delivery time and the driver had a pallet jack to roll the crates up my driveway and into the garage.
Pete

That's precisely the way my delivery went as well. Driver even positioned the crates exactly where I wanted them in the garage. I tipped him $40 for being so accommodating (though he didn't know I was going to do that.......).

[SkiRideDrive]

Thanks guys! Looks like this might be the way to go.

[AZPete]

Here's a photo of one of the 2 crates that shows how everything was wrapped. The long black piece is the panel from the donor dash with the VIN (good to have).
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/Crate2.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/Crate2.jpg.html)

Here's a photo showing the front hubs, brakes and LCA as received and then shots of how they clean up nicely, especially the aluminum lower control arms (pieces of art).
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/frontbef-after.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/frontbef-after.jpg.html)

[bobzdar]

What's the cost range for a donor pallet?

[conmech]

Nothing like good report cards this early in the game. VERY good for business. Thanx for sharing.

[RSxx]

Ever since i heard of 818donor beta program I have followed them. I am by no means an expert on mechanical stuff but after speaking with Andrew I got a great feeling of confidence in them and I had decided to go 818donor route right then and there.
I have a production date of Nov 2013 for my 818 kit and just this past monday placed my order with 818Donors. Reading reviews like these from knowledgable forum members like AZPete, Silvertop and others only reinforces the fact that I made the right choice with 818donors.

Look forward to continue speaking with Andrew at AJW Performance in the near future to nail down the specifics on my order.

[Silvertop]

What's the cost range for a donor pallet?

The cost can vary widely depending on what you buy. NA or WRX, Age and Condition, additional options selected. You get a "Report Card" on the donor(s) you are interested in, and a baseline price will be provided. My donor, which was a 2004 NA Outback Sport, had a baseline price of $5600, which is surely on the low end of the cost range. It might have been slightly higher cost than a similar car of the same type and year class because it was in very good condition (completely drivable, according to AJW's owner who had in fact been driving it back and forth to work), and because it came with stock WRX wheels and tires which were also in very good condition. Wheels and tires do not typically come with the donor....

A reasonable range (for stock donors) will probably run between 5K and 10K (again, depending on NA vs Turbo, Year Class and Condition), though I can only speak for the range of the donor Report Cards I actually looked at, which ranged between $5600 and $8000. Beyond the baseline price, the sky is the limit. If you want performance upgrades, AJW will be happy to install before shipping. I wound up adding about $1500 to the price of mine because I wanted high performance cams and springs, and a couple of other bolt-ons.

In general, I would say that the premium for having AJW put together a pallet for you is about $2K (plus shipping) over what it would cost to buy a donor car and strip it yourself. Worth it, for me.

[bobzdar]

The cost can vary widely depending on what you buy. NA or WRX, Age and Condition, additional options selected. You get a "Report Card" on the donor(s) you are interested in, and a baseline price will be provided. My donor, which was a 2004 NA Outback Sport, had a baseline price of $5600, which is surely on the low end of the cost range. It might have been slightly higher cost than a similar car of the same type and year class because it was in very good condition (completely drivable, according to AJW's owner who had in fact been driving it back and forth to work), and because it came with stock WRX wheels and tires which were also in very good condition. Wheels and tires do not typically come with the donor....

A reasonable range (for stock donors) will probably run between 5K and 10K (again, depending on NA vs Turbo, Year Class and Condition), though I can only speak for the range of the donor Report Cards I actually looked at, which ranged between $5600 and $8000. Beyond the baseline price, the sky is the limit. If you want performance upgrades, AJW will be happy to install before shipping. I wound up adding about $1500 to the price of mine because I wanted high performance cams and springs, and a couple of other bolt-ons.

In general, I would say that the premium for having AJW put together a pallet for you is about $2K (plus shipping) over what it would cost to buy a donor car and strip it yourself. Worth it, for me.

Thanks for the info. Sounds fairly reasonable, I'll have to look into it if/when the time comes...

[AZPete]

I suggest you get your crates from AJW at least two months before your 818 kit arrives. I got my two crates nearly 3 months ago and have spend many evenings and a most Sundays prepping the parts before the delivery of my 818 next week. But, I'm anal and want everything on my 818 to look and perform as new. I used degreaser, aluminum cleaner, rust remover, wire wheel, paint and Sharkhide. I replaced the clutch plate and pressure plate and the wheel bearings and oil seals only because it's easy now and tougher later. Of course, if you can spend full days or don't want everything looking new then you can shorten the lead time between the AJW crates and the 818 kit delivery.
Pete

[AZPete]

When I got my crates I was pleased, as Post #1. However, now after nine months I have doubts about recommending AJW to future builders. At the time I ordered the online description said any parts not on the current list from FFR but added later would be supplied. Later FFR added the rear sway bar to the donor parts list but AJW has not supplied it after numerous requests from me. I finally bought the sway bar elsewhere. Andrew has been unresponsive to my requests to buy additional parts, like HVAC components, and the AJW web site blog has not been updated since Oct 2013, nor have posts on this forum.
Pete

[Doowop]

I was wondering about that. I sent 2 emails with pricing request and have not gotten any responses....

[Goldwing]

I didn't get a swaybar either. I had a similar experience, but gave up after 1 call. I did get hvac and abs/stability components for no charge thrown in at the time of ordering. If they do come around, think through any extras you plan to use first and get those delivered with your crates. Even if you're not sure, get it thrown in. On the front side, they're pretty good, but it seems once things are transacted, the backside service is weak so far. I'm still building, so they have plenty of opportunity to redeem themselves. As a beta, we were supposed to get wheels as well. 2of the 4 were not usable. Overall, I guess I don't feel burned yet, but I'm on the fence about recommending them. I have some medical issues I'm fighting, and i just wasn't ready to tear a car apart. I needed a service like this. I'll reserve final judgement until my build is complete. Just my experience and lessons learned so far. If Wayne is offering donor crates, I'd strongly consider him, he has a lot of Factory Five experience and has built, say, 1-1/2 818s. He knows what is needed. It might just be cheaper to find a shop locally to tear one down for you. A place that buys wrx wrecks (search Craigslist for parts, you'll likely find one such place) and parts them out. They'll have the experience dealing with the typical problems and have replacement parts on hand to sell. Hint that you'll be back for a few upgrades and they'll be motivated to give you good service. And, raid their bolt bin while you're there, they'll come in handy, trust me.

[Goldwing]

In other words the suggestion to consider is: if you need a tear-down service like I did, find your donor yourself, but have the shop tear it down, negotiating a fee.

[AJW Performance]

We were unable to introduce items that FFR originally did not list. We tried our best to do so, things like the door latches and hood hinges and the optional swaybar were added well after our beta donor run, which is where these "complaints" seem to be. We do not include the seat belts either, and will continue to do so (not include them). It was wrong of me to think that FFR's list was dialed in and that we could fulfill ALL the parts during a beta run when FFR themselves didn't know yet (apparently).
Many of these items were thrown away, I did my best to send customers parts that I could find from Ebay, other cars, etc.
If anyone has any concerns please email support@ajwperformanceproducts.com and we will do our best to get you situated.

Goldwing, the wheels were meant to be used as a roller, were the 2 that were not usable not capable of that? PM me the best number to reach you at. This is the exact reason why we did not want to include wheels off wrecked cars. Our purpose for beta guys was to help them to have a roller.

When I set up an auto response from the 818 email and a FWD to my personal email it didn't work, so apparently I have 2 months of missed 818 emails for those who emailed that directly.

Shop line is 603 715 9076

[Goldwing]

AJWPerformance: Glad to see you're still around. I pm'd my contact info. I also sent an email to the above, but the email above came back undeliverable. I copy/pasted to avoid any mistakes.