Pulling the Plug on Body Man

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1969VADart

1969VADart

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I was wondering how many people have had to pull the plug on a shop or body man when work was not getting done? I committed to this guy who I have paid to do the body work on my car about a year and a half ago. He does work out of his shop at home, and while he is a fantastic metal worker, it has gotten to the point where I am doing the work on the car and he is doing nothing. While I appreciate that these restoration projects take time, this guy just seems to be throwing out one excuse after another for why he never actually does anything on my car. Meanwhile, he is jerking the chain of another guy (who just happens to have a 68 Dart GTS) at the same time. He always tells each of us when questioned that he is too busy working on the other guys car, but he isn't actually working on either.

I have another actual professional shop that can pick up the project from here. The pain of this is, I am out some money to this body guy for work that he has not completed yet, and I am not sure he is ever going to get it done. The guy lives like he is on a shoestring as it is. He already had to close up a professional body shop that he was running because he was in over his head.

I hate that I have wasted a great deal of time and some money to get almost nowhere. But unfortunately, this is the direction I have to go.
 
coming from a guy that does all his own work, get your car out of there and either learn how to do some of it yourself or find someone who you can trust and put everything down on paper. if it were me , I would have already had it out of there the minute I saw him screwing someone else around.
 
1969VADart said:
I was wondering how many people have had to pull the plug on a shop or body man when work was not getting done? I committed to this guy who I have paid to do the body work on my car about a year and a half ago. He does work out of his shop at home, and while he is a fantastic metal worker, it has gotten to the point where I am doing the work on the car and he is doing nothing. While I appreciate that these restoration projects take time, this guy just seems to be throwing out one excuse after another for why he never actually does anything on my car. Meanwhile, he is jerking the chain of another guy (who just happens to have a 68 Dart GTS) at the same time. He always tells each of us when questioned that he is too busy working on the other guys car, but he isn't actually working on either.

I have another actual professional shop that can pick up the project from here. The pain of this is, I am out some money to this body guy for work that he has not completed yet, and I am not sure he is ever going to get it done. The guy lives like he is on a shoestring as it is. He already had to close up a professional body shop that he was running because he was in over his head.

I hate that I have wasted a great deal of time and some money to get almost nowhere. But unfortunately, this is the direction I have to go.
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Here is a good read: http://www.autobody101.com/content/articles/confessions-of-a-body-shop-owner/

Pretty much sums up what I've been hearing over and over with body shop horror stories like yours. You should check it out..
 
Do yourself a favor get your car out of DODGE what he is doing is :wack:be careful this guy sounds like a piece of work.I would go unannounced to get the car hint hint, or would you rather him hold a lean on it.
 
You have already answered your own question.......Yank it and move on.

I had a similiar situation, except I did all my own metal fab, paid monies up front to my body & paint friend.......four long years later, excuse after excuse, I finaly got what I paid for.....sweet *** paint job....problem is once I got the car back I had all but lost all interest.......moved on to other things.

The car has sat now for 4 years 95% complete under a car cover in the corner of my shop, just lost interest.......Have considered more than once to just sell it and move on.
 

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73AbodEE said:
coming from a guy that does all his own work, get your car out of there and either learn how to do some of it yourself or find someone who you can trust and put everything down on paper. if it were me , I would have already had it out of there the minute I saw him screwing someone else around.
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I have done a lot of my own work on this project. You can check out the build thread. The only thing I don't really do is welding and precise metal work. Otherwise, I have been in this thing with both hands from the beginning. But I appreciate the sentiment.

Snake said:
Do yourself a favor get your car out of DODGE what he is doing is :wack:be careful this guy sounds like a piece of work.I would go unannounced to get the car hint hint, or would you rather him hold a lean on it.
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I don't think he can put a lien on my car since he actually owes me for work that has already been paid for. That is the hardest lesson I have learned from this experience.
 
65BCODA said:
You have already answered your own question.......Yank it and move on.

I had a similiar situation, except I did all my own metal fab, paid monies up front to my body & paint friend.......four long years later, excuse after excuse, I finaly got what I paid for.....sweet *** paint job....problem is once I got the car back I had all but lost all interest.......moved on to other things.

The car has sat now for 4 years 95% complete under a car cover in the corner of my shop, just lost interest.......Have considered more than once to just sell it and move on.
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Yeah, I had pretty much made up my mind. I just needed to vent because it all is coming to a head now. I have invested so much of my own time in this I don't think I will lose interest. I have had several people tell me it takes years, but it shouldn't have to.
 
bighammer said:
Here is a good read: http://www.autobody101.com/content/articles/confessions-of-a-body-shop-owner/

Pretty much sums up what I've been hearing over and over with body shop horror stories like yours. You should check it out..
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Boy, I wish I had read that article before I started this process. It is like the written word of my experience. I can see some of my obvious mistakes as explained in the article too. But I do have the vast majority of the stuff that came off of my car at my house. Most of what is at the body shop guys place is sheet metal and chassis. Thanks for sharing. I also shared it with the guy with the 68 Dart.
 
I feel your pain. I just did the same thing. Went and bought a new 24' enclosed trailer, went to the guys shop and picked my car up after 2 years in his shop and way more money than he told me in the beginning. It's sitting in the yard in the trailer still. Not sure what the hell I'm going to do with it.

Here is the thread.



http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=190196
 
I feel your pain brother. I've been waiting on my buddy to spray my engine compartment so I can install my 408 for over three months now. I swapped him out some work for it, and since he's not getting paid, it's not a priority for HIM. He keeps making excuses, promises and deadlines, but they all come and go. My wife even suggested going and getting it and taking it to someone else to paint it.

He did come by yesterday and sprayed my engine. I told him, I needed a car to stick it in. Supposed to be delivered back to me tomorrow. We'll see.
 
I have another actual professional shop that can pick up the project from here. The pain of this is, I am out some money to this body guy for work that he has not completed yet, and I am not sure he is ever going to get it done. The guy lives like he is on a shoestring as it is. He already had to close up a professional body shop that he was running because he was in over his hea
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take th eloss and get the car to someone that will do what you need..

these body shops and even a bunch of machine shops just don't know how to budget their money.
 
There is shops around here just like that & I cant believe they are still in business. Its a shame you don't live closer to me id do the body & paint for ya. Cheeper ! Love doing it ! & its a mopar
 
Gave my car to a friend for painting, paid him a couple of thousand dollars to get started and it took 5 years to get my car back! Rule of thumb, DO NOT PAY UP FRONT FOR ANYTHING! It's bad enough dealing with a body shop, but when he's a friend it adds a whole new level of complexity to the game, go get your car and Good Luck to you.
 
I too have been bitten by the body shop swindle.Best part I was willing to pay any price . First shop let my 67 Dart with 10,000 original miles sit outside for over a year.I was a work-a-holic and never checked on the car.. I called every few months and was told things were moving along.After that first year, I went to see and found the car in the same spot when I left it with a trunk full of water and the spare tire floating.All I said to the guys was "If you aren't going to do the job you should of told me. Now it needs more work than before.Second shop you could see the primer thru the paint it was so thin,,and they had over spray all over the vinyl top.Third shop did it right and gave me a great job.ALL were pro Mopar restoration shops.
 
Well, on the bright side, you made a friend with a guy that owns a GTS.....
 
Go get your car. Did you get a receipt for the upfront money paid? Ask for your money return. No refund, file in small claims court, file complaint with BBB.
 
I do work "on the side" too. I've had a Super Bee in the garage for almost a year. There are weeks I work 30-40hrs on it, and weks I don't even turn on the lights. I said a year and it will go a month or two past I'm sure. But all that being said - I track the hours. He hasn't paid me for any labor beyond 50% of the original estimate - only materials and shop supplies. The estimate has more than doubled, and I'm at the 80% completed mark. So he owes me a bit. But he calls and stops in fairly randomly and I send him pictures. You need to have a relationship with the guy working on your car. Might be friends, but should b business, then firends. Regardless it has to work for both of you because once that falls apart he won't want to work on it, and you won't want to pay him. At that point - just pull it and move on.
 
I actually have the opposite situation with a couple friends I use, one a body and paint man and the other can do anything! When I get the call that it's my turn, I better get my project over there, and they do NOT sit around! Sometimes I like a couple weeks to get reorganized for the project to return, not with these guys!! My stuff gets worked on right away, and my payment is expected when they ask! Neither are willing to let anybodys stuff sit there after its done, and when they say it's ready, it's ready!!! If I give up my spot in line, it could be a while before another spot opens up......and they're both retired!!!
 
The main problem I am dealing with now is he has long since taken my money that I paid and pissed it away wherever in the process of having to shut down his previous "business." And now he knows I am not paying him anymore money anytime soon, so he has no incentive to work. The bad thing about the guy is even if I sued him for my money it looks like he has almost nothing to take anyway. And we do happen to be friends, somewhat. We are also veterans so we have made that connection. I am even helping him through his VA stuff, but that just doesn't even seem to matter with him. A colossal disappointment.
 
I say do your own work, make it as nice as YOU want it. YOU control the show. IF you are going to actually drive your car, it will get rock chips, scratches, dirty .... it will not stay looking perfect!!!?????
if someone has to have a show poodle and ( can't do the work,) and can afford it, find a REAL shop, have a contract, and NEVER pay ahead!
 
cosgig said:
I actually have the opposite situation with a couple friends I use, one a body and paint man and the other can do anything! When I get the call that it's my turn, I better get my project over there, and they do NOT sit around! Sometimes I like a couple weeks to get reorganized for the project to return, not with these guys!! My stuff gets worked on right away, and my payment is expected when they ask! Neither are willing to let anybodys stuff sit there after its done, and when they say it's ready, it's ready!!! If I give up my spot in line, it could be a while before another spot opens up......and they're both retired!!!
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Sounds like a good problem to have!
 
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