Closing the loop on this. In addition to the previously mentioned cosmetic issues, upon installation, I discovered two significant fit issues. On the right front door panel, five of the door clips didn’t line up, by between 1/8 - 1/4”. To resolve this, I had to carefully measure and slot the holes. The other fit issue was the shape of the left cargo panel was incorrect around the rear folding seat latch. For this, I had to make a template of what the shape of the panel should have been in that region, peel back the upholstery, trace the outline from the template, and trim the ABS backing panel (about 1/4” x 6”), trim the excess upholstery, and glue the upholstery back down. On top of that, I still had to cut the speaker holes in the cargo that Zac agreed way back in March to cut (have email proof), but since he didn’t put it in the invoice, he refused to do. All in all, I spent my entire Saturday fixing problems.
Zac said he would fix two of the issues (one fit and one cosmetic) of the myriad issues under warranty, but dismissed all the other cosmetic and fit issues, saying “everything else looks very nice”. Clearly my standards for what looks good and fits good are higher than his. Zac was unwilling to pay return shipping. My thought is that if you screw up, you should own it.
I voluntarily opted out of his offer of warranty work. I fixed the fit issues myself and am living with the cosmetic issues. After two sets of panels that each had a slew of problems, I have lost confidence that Zac has the skill or attention to detail to fix them to my satisfaction, not to mention to do it in the timeline he says. Zac offering to pay shipping costs would not have changed my mind.
Someone shared this post to the FJ60/62 group on Facebook a week ago. The responses there, and here, and the private messages I’ve received indicate my experience with Zac is not uncommon. You are all big kids, so you can make your own decision about whether or not to do business with Zac. If I knew then what I know now, I definitely wouldn’t have and I know of other people in the same boat.