Topic: Venting about my 79 S.E. re-paint

[Starsky]

After 8 months, turned out great

[gotsmoke?]

don't really know what to say..I just hope that in the end you have a great paint job that you will be proud of for years to come.  That will ease the sting of the current situation.  I think we all have been in those shoes one way or another.  Keep your head up man, good luck. 

[jphillips3333]

They're renting it out for $100 an hour to Japanese tourists buying cowboy hats and red long sleeve shirts.

Seriously, sorry about your plight.  I'd keep doing what you're doing.  I'd start a log on dates/times you've visited.  I'd right them a final check, drive off, call the wife at the bank ready to put a stop payment on it.  Take 'em to court for mental anguish.  You're at their mercy and they know it - me thinks they're unethical and just playing you along until you get sick of it and drive it away.

[Starsky]

Thanks for emphathizing..

[Helter80]

hey Starsky, i TOTALLY know what you are going through. i will try and keep my VERY similar story brief. i got my T/A painted 4 years ago. its beautiful. BUT, i dropped it off at a body shop that had a good reputation of doing excellent work on classic cars. him and i agreed on a price, and the same thing happened with me that happened to you.
this guy's shop was totally empty and i was the only customer, he said it would be done in 2 weeks........it took him 4 months to finish the car. it got to the point where i would get stern to him, and a few times i got angry to him while talking with him. after the car was finally painted, the paint was only 3 days old and the guy left the car with the hood off underneath a tree where sap was getting on the fresh paint. and on top of that, the hood was off and the newly detailed engine and engine compartment got wet from rain, it ended up getting rusty and i had to re-finish the engine compartment once i got the car back from the body shop.
BUT there is something great that i did. once the car was finally done, i took $500 off the price that him and i agreed on. he didn't like it and i told him "too bad". so i ended up paying him $500 less and i got in the car and drove it home. i considered the $500 deduction as a "inconveniece charge to him" 

[rkellerjr]

Wow, sorry to hear about your woe's Starsky.  Hope everything works out.  It's hard to understand what people are thinking at times.  The owner should be furious at this time as they are making little to no money with all of the issues they've had to fix. 

[brian c]

Sorry to hear that Starsky. I hope it works out for the best. I know its frustrating some times, and I'm a laid back kinda guy too and that's probably why I have about triple what I should in my car. Talk with the owner and find out what's happening.

Grit in the paint is not good. I had the same problem and actually asked Tom from MCA to leave it in on the underside of the trunk lid so I could show the quality paint work the first shop did - Buffalo Street Rods in Kenmore NY. Now, everyone who comments on the paintwork Tom did gets a little extra info on the kind of work Buffalo Street Rods does when I have them run their hands under the trunk lid. I figure if I go to enough shows, and I did one and bumped into one of BSR's workers who was helping run the show!, that the word will get around about that shop. And trust me, its getting around!

What I did was put together an xls spreadsheet and printed a copy to hand to the owner. I was very polite and asked that we discuss it when I got back from a parts run to a local shop for him (parts were for my car). I knew things were bad when he started insulting me saying I had no idea what I was doing restoring a car. Pretty much sealed his fate at that point and I pulled the car a week later when it was securable and somewhat water tight.

[jphillips3333]

Initiate a paper trail - write a letter to the owner of the shop (it's somewhere in the business registry web site - FL has one) indicating the vehicle needs to be completed in two weeks.  Point out your displeasure in the progress and the time it has taken.  Indicate you WILL be picking it up, regardless of state, and that a price adjustment will be made for work not completed.

Have a tow truck lined up if needed - cut your losses.

It's been four months.  No more showing up and pointing to the issues.  Brian's right, you need to document everything and write things down that need to be completed to include;
Interior detailed
Grit removed from paint
Blemishes
Stripes
Decals

cc: Yewl, Bee & Screwed, attorneys at law.

That might get their attention.

I've never sued anybody, however I know that at some point the smiles between people require documentation detailing the sequence of events that otherwise will serve as a record of what's transpired.  Legally, he said/she said means nothing.  Certified letters documenting whats required per the terms and conditions of a contract are what holds up in court.  If this guy has screwed up your car letting his kids and nephews paint their first car, why should you be out of pocket for their incompetence?

I've had many a car scuffed, primed & painted and completed in well under five business.  Granted, they were $1000 paint jobs.  If I paid $3000, it'd take three to four weeks ...but not four months.

[brian c]

Also start looking into the DMV. In NYS, the DMV issues licenses to repair shops. They have a complaint form to fill out - I've never followed through due to the amount of time that's elapsed and I didn't have a written agreement which won't EVER happen again. You can also check with your state's attorney general to see what recourse you have. Got a local TV station that loves to do investigative stories? Give them a call too!

That last one wrangled a bunch of missing parts from shop #1's fingers for me! I did get some satisfaction that way.

[cobray]

WOW
Tha's why I like to dod as much as I can myself.
I had a hard time with the gut who assembled my engine. It took 7 months and I had to push and push.  turns out the rear seal leaks and I have to pull the engine.  He never instaled the internal dip stick tube.  i will put that in as well.
The guy that did my trans rebuild did not do so well.  Or maybe the 560ft lbs of tourq is too uch.  anyway I will just install a 5 speed myself.
I get tiered dealing with people.
I figure they make as many mistakes as I do.  It does not bother me as much if I make the mistake.
I did everything on my restore but assemble the engine.  I should have done that too.

I think Hitman may be the only guy out there!  Whish he was in Detroit!
Hard to find good local people.

I always recomend the people I find compitent.
The only ones I know are Cliff for carb rebuilding and Dave at SD Performance.  They both really know their stuff!!!
I wouldn't want the other guys to cut my grass!

Jeff

[brian c]

Ohh btw...if the guy misses more deadlines then pull the car!

Here was my final straw...when we met to discuss my xls spreadsheet on Monday I had enough being insulted and gave the owner 3 things to do:

1. Install the (2) bolts for the front calipers and bleed the entire system. At that time all the lines were run and that was the only piece left to do to get the brake system buttoned up.
2. Install door locks and handles.
3. Install T-top hardware so they could be secured.

On Thursday - 4 days later - I got a call asking where the door handles and locks were along with the T-top hardware. So it took them (4) days to install 2 bolts and bleed the brake system - supposedly?!?!?! Stopped work on the car and arranged for a tow truck to pull the car. Later found out they never bled the brakes and left the lines loose. Wasn't until I got the car running 4 months later that I found that out.

Bottom line...you need to do what's right for you but start documenting things now.

[madamfootball]

I sure hope you documented all interaction between you and every employee @ the shop - including a written estimate w/the time line AND amount being charged.

If you had wrote "Time is of the essence" you could sure as heck have cause for legal action.

ALSO HOPE the estimate included  pricing...if there wasn't, sounds like you could get jacked not only for extra time, but extra $$$...

Also, I'm NOT A LAWYER but do have a little experience w/these situations.  You can't sue for emotional distress for contractual law.  (I sure think they need to change this!!!!)

[tonyuh60]

Starsky,
After visiting about 14 body shops, 6 engine shops....I've come to believe...that the majority of the  car businesses in the cen-tex area don't know their a$$ from a hole in the ground.  I've never seen anything like it....If you car doesnt have hail damage...they dont want anything to do with you....they want the quick money.  I live an hour north of you, and still had to go another hour north to find some reputable businesses whom I would trust and didnt seem shady.  I got bit a little at first, but looked the owner of the shop in the face...and I had to say this without smiling.....and I quote" you know...I'm pretty sure I could puncture your lung if I stuck my knife between your second and third rib"  I got my car back the next day and took it to another shop who was more reputable.

long story short...I feel your pain...but if the work isnt being done...I believe the squeeky wheel gets the grease...either bother the hell out of them til the work gets done...or til they finally say uncle...and tell you to take your car and get the hell out....I will admit...the latter was more of an instant gratification

[Helter80]

if you have a second set of keys for the car, and the car is outside when the shop is closed, i'd go there and take the car back home and find someone else.

[brian c]

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

What I would do is show up with the sherrif or state trooper and pull your vehicle from the shop so the owner KNOWS you mean business. Also affords you protection since the fuzz will be there when you collect everything. Extra layer of protection and you have instant witnesses should the business owner decide to go after you for some trumped up charge.