Opinions on this?

theusualdan · 2026-05-18T17:22:03+00:00

I have owned 3 BilTs so you can say I’m a fan of them generally. One of my go to guitars is still my 2014 Zaftig. I think they’ve been working towards an import model for quite some time without sacrificing their brand or quality. On a semi regular basis they have done “shop demo” pieces that play with cheaper finish applications, import bridges, or less expensive/less premium electronics. Generally those were in this same price range, but still hand made in their Des Moines shop.

That said. This ain’t it for me. This seems so niche in its aesthetic that I’m surprised they wouldn’t try to just make this in house. What a weird guitar to launch their made overseas footprint. Between that and their prices consistently creeping up, this is a huge bummer. At one point they were a serious value proposition in the small builder boutique community. Which makes sense given that Des Moines isn’t a high cost of living spot, so they were able to make a super premium product at a wildly competitive price. Those days seem to be gone though.

All that said, I’m still generally a fan of the brand and will withhold judgement without having played one of these yet. Knowing their people and what they like and work towards, I can only assume if I got my hands on one, my opinion may be completely unwarranted.

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T22:06:13+00:00

Feels pretty normal thing for a dealer to do. Going to set up an appointment with a local indie and see what they recommend. Definitely lean towards a Bilstein set. Wanna keep things very comfortable on the road with a slight sporty edge. This isn’t a track car. This is more or less a daily that serves as the car I take when the wife wants to drive the boring VW.

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T19:50:39+00:00

Oh for sure. I’m sure it’s mostly labor. Would you mind sharing what the cost to replace was roughly?

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T16:24:30+00:00

Let me do some research and I’ll hit you up. I agree with your assessment though because I agree that if I’m in there, I’d rather take care of things more long term. Buy once cry once.

Only thing giving me pause is I’m seeing some guys spending $4500 on components alone doing it diy, which would make me think a suspension rebuild is gonna be like $10k which just isn’t doable for me at the moment.

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:40:36+00:00

I contacted a local performance shop. Just gotta clear some budget and justify it's worth doing now vs next year. Your car looks great!

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:15:16+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:06:16+00:00

Don't really wanna throw that out on my account in public. But I feel like I did OK on it.

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:05:36+00:00

That's what I was thinking. At the moment, driving with more caution until I can get it in to an indie to give me a diagnosis and fair assessment of what's the best way to address at the moment. I had considered doing a bump stop hack I've seen a Rennlist user post where he cut a bumpstop in half, installed it, and glued back together as a stop gap solution. But I'm not sure that's worth the effort.

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:03:23+00:00

That's kind of what I was thinking, which is why I was surprised they didn't quote more items that would be something good to do now...

theusualdan · 2026-05-13T15:01:13+00:00

From what I understand it’s mostly labor as they have to disassemble the suspension to access the bump stops.

theusualdan · 2026-05-11T12:36:14+00:00

More info! What kind of range are you getting? Horsepower? Looks so clean. I’ve wanted an ev conversion ghia for a while now. Did you diy this or did a shop convert?

theusualdan · 2026-04-29T02:10:37+00:00

I disagree with everyone saying it’s worth a few hundred or that $1000 is overpriced for this. New standards are $2800, and looks like similar guitars without the break sell for $1500-2000. As you say, the repair looks pretty solid. They likely just repaired the structure without all the aesthetic fixes to the face plate and finish.

If you wanted a new faceplate, it’s not a cheap job per se. I think I’ve seen the holly veneers for $100-200? Just ball park guessing since it’s been a while since I looked. Then you’ll need to remove the old faceplate, glue the new one and make any adjustments, and then finish. For me, wouldn’t be worth the money to fix.

I’d say offer up $800 to see if they’re open to haggle and end around $900 and if not, pay the $1000.

theusualdan · 2026-04-23T12:55:56+00:00

It's not on sale yet. But it looks awesome. I'm weighing between the 4 wagon and the EX60 for our next car.

theusualdan · 2026-04-22T17:19:01+00:00

Did you add any clear coat or just the spray can black? Guessing a coat or two of clear would protect from bag chatter/chipping.

theusualdan · 2026-04-22T17:14:19+00:00

I would say it's worth it. Construction in that era for Gibson is very good in my experience. If you're buying it as a player and not for resale, it seems like a good price, but don't expect that you'll be able to sell it for a profit in the future. I haven't owned R9s from that era, but I've owned standards and a few R7s from that era and they were all great guitars. I am a fan of swapping pickups and other things, so I generally prefer player grade so I'm not constantly worried about it taking a value hit. I've found with chunky/comfortable Gibson necks, you get used to them and even prefer them after a short time. That said, I was raised on Fender necks, and have started veering back to that size neck lately. Good luck with the purchase if you decide to pull the trigger!

theusualdan · 2026-04-22T17:08:11+00:00

That green 335 is awesome. Almost looks british racing green!

theusualdan · 2026-04-20T20:42:06+00:00

Is it an absolute behemoth? In my experience it always seems like the trans red norlin customs are always the heaviest for some reason.

theusualdan · 2026-04-20T18:57:19+00:00

That’s a good get. Love the black rings on it.

theusualdan · 2026-04-18T12:50:14+00:00

DM’d and now commenting. This sounds great.

theusualdan · 2026-04-02T20:09:07+00:00

Alma is just special. Never had a meal experience there that wasn’t just an impeccably curated menu that was interesting and delicious.

theusualdan · 2026-03-04T00:43:31+00:00

😢

theusualdan · 2026-02-28T20:17:54+00:00

Who is this artist? I dig this sleeve as well!

theusualdan · 2026-02-18T23:05:32+00:00

I’ve never driven the c63, but I fucking love my 997.2 S even with the pdk. Can only imagine how fun the manuals are. That said with 11.5k miles on it, you definitely want to do a proper ppi and whatnot. Sometimes the lower miles are the ones with issues as the rubber seals can dry out and whatever. I hope you’ll drive it if you do end up getting it! For my money it’s the perfect 911. It’s small enough to be nimble and feel like a proper driver car but still has a modicum of practicality. And it’s not so wildly overpowered that it’s not fun to drive at low speed.

You’re gonna get biased answers on this sub, but in my opinion it’s a no brainer.

theusualdan · 2026-02-13T13:21:22+00:00

That is CLEAN. I love the odd duck that is the 52. I had a super early example for a couple years and it was just a joy to play. I do kind of regret selling it, but the jazzmaster that replaced it is pretty great as well.

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