Opinions please

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Tell him ,"being an asshole", rates just went into effect.
$50/hr x 10, now come get your possibly "cracked" engine..............
 
I've found over the course of my automotive career it's actually a much better feeling to just say sure, come get your engine and smile the entire time. At the end of a bad transaction it's always better to let someone else be the dick head. Ask him when he'd like to pick up his engine, smile, and tell him to have a great day. If he calls again, say thanks but no thanks.
 
There are always people out there who think others have larceny in their hearts, probably because they've crossed that line a few times in their lives. Move on and write this off, you did nothing wrong. I would find the quickest solution, and not give this issue another minute of my life.
 
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408 swinger said:
Talk with him and make DAMN sure he understands the EXACT condition of the parts he's about to haul out of your life forever.
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Seal it with a signed and carbon copy statement of condition. Save that with your photos.
 
I have no real advice, "been there done that."

One thing you might consider as insurance in the future, is use your oldest camera LOL and take photos of a job such as this

Years ago, before the internet, "some outfit" wanted me to get a 396 to run in this complete rust pile of a 69 Camaro ragtop. Most of the car was full of about 6-8" of MUD. I managed to pull the engine. The pan had been damaged in a "hard landing" on some rocks. This was after work a bit at a time. I guess I had the engine about a month.

One Saturday here she comes with her aggressive boyfriend, who had been filling her head with all sorts of horror stories about what he imagined I have been doing with their "valuable collectible car."

HE ACCUSED ME OF STEALING THEIR ENGINE, because it had "truck" cast on the rear of the block.

I told him "You have exactly to the end of today to round up somebody to get down here AND GET THIS **** OUT OF MY GARAGE

Never got paid a cent for that and it was the best feeling I ever had on how to get rid of an a-hole
 
67Dart273 said:
I have no real advice, "been there done that."

One thing you might consider as insurance in the future, is use your oldest camera LOL and take photos of a job such as this

Years ago, before the internet, "some outfit" wanted me to get a 396 to run in this complete rust pile of a 69 Camaro ragtop. Most of the car was full of about 6-8" of MUD. I managed to pull the engine. The pan had been damaged in a "hard landing" on some rocks. This was after work a bit at a time. I guess I had the engine about a month.

One Saturday here she comes with her aggressive boyfriend, who had been filling her head with all sorts of horror stories about what he imagined I have been doing with their "valuable collectible car."

HE ACCUSED ME OF STEALING THEIR ENGINE, because it had "truck" cast on the rear of the block.

I told him "You have exactly to the end of today to round up somebody to get down here AND GET THIS **** OUT OF MY GARAGE

Never got paid a cent for that and it was the best feeling I ever had on how to get rid of an a-hole
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Agreed, the very best part of working for your self- smiling at the (&#$@&) and very politely saying that I can't do this job..:rolleyes:
 
Get rid of it like a hot potato. Guy is obviously ready to start ****. What if you keep it, build it and then he comes back and tries again legal or otherwise?...Even if he doesn't succeed, not worth the :bs_flag:over what might be scrap metal.
As for the $. He did agree to pay. Ask him what he thought it was going to cost. Get as much as he will agree to and tell him to pick it up.
AND I would give a receipt detailing what you did. Note need for further cleaning/checking needed by machine shop to check for damage. Show Full price and hours, previously agreed price, adjusted hours and final accepted discount price. Have him sign a copy noting picked up for your records.
 
How far do you want to go?

Live and let live means he walks away with his engine and you got screwed. Pretty sound advice to turn the other cheek. He winds up being the asshole, you get to sleep at night.

Or... You can make a few phone calls, drop a word and every machine shop in the area won't do his work. You work for an auto parts place. Most garages won't touch him either, knowing he won't settle on his spoken agreements.

Heads you win, tails he loses. Up to you. That's what bouts of conscious can do to a man.

Rebuilt a 392 for a guy once. Right off the bat he accuses me of keeping his 392 and trying to pass off a 354. Says the machine shop and I were cahoots to keep his engine. The local dealership didn't help when they told him that the block should have his VIN stamped. What a bunch of idiots.

Spent an hour going over the piston size difference with him between to two, measuring the bores, and showing him the pistons I bought were .020 over for a 392. Showed him the stamped numbers that verified the engine on the stand came out of a '57 New Yorker, it was, indeed, a 392 and asked him how many other '57 New Yorkers were sitting in my parking lot.

Should have cut him loose right then and there. It was supposed to be a total restoration. Hours of tear down in the body, hours on the phone looking for parts, hours in documenting everything he demands his car and his deposit back.

Yeah, no. I didn't do all that authorized work for free. And I damned sure wasn't going to stand there and be called a thief just to have him turn out to be a dickhead in the long run.
 
You could ask him what he feels the tear down labor was worth. Maybe you'll realize something positive out of it as you send him packing with his parts.
 
I k now my opinion is worthless around here but....an agreement is an agreement. Pretty simple. He agreed to give it to you as payment. He wants it back, no discounted rate, either monetary or hour wise. Would also tack on a few hours for the time it was sitting with the crap in the cylinders. Would also tack on a minimum of an hour for the time you no doubt spent cleaning all the rust and s hit off the floor of your shop.
 
I say, give it back and eat the $...... could well be money well spent on your part!!!!

I learned this many years ago: seems like 99% of the time I try to be overly good to someone, it will most always bit me on the ***!!!! So that is what I expect!!!!!
 
Could approach it like that. But put it back in his lap. Tell him he's right (takes the tension out of the start of the conversation). It's his engine and he's welcome to take it back. Then ask, what the original agreement was? And what the decision was when you recommended stopping? Then tell him to bring what he thinks owes and take his engine. If he wants to know the hours - you have them - so you can tell him. All is square. If he's a dck, you may end up with less cash or value but its gone, and he's the dck. If he squares up - at least you got time paid. If he tries to put it back on you, tell him you already told him, and now its up to him.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I usually don't post a lot of personal business stuff........but.........I would like some opinions. For me or against me, that's ok. I am just looking for input.

Alright, here's the story.

Bout a month or so ago, I was approached at work by a fairly regular customer and pretty cool old dude. Been out to his house before to check out his cars and all. He's a Chevy guy, but that's ok, he has some cool stuff.

Anyway, he asks me if I wouldnt mind takin a look at an old 396 he has to see if it;s any good. SO I said sure. I went to get it and this thing is a rolling pile of rust. So much so that the old cool Erson valve covers are rusted slam through and you can see the rusted valve train. I told him I would not charge him my going rate (50 an hour) but I would go 20 an hour since he's a good customer and I consider him a friend. He agreed.

So I take the thing home. First thing I notice is the intake bolts are so rusted, a socket or wrench will not fit. I had to remove the heads and intake as one piece. I later chiseled the intake bolts out one flat at the time. Very time consuming.

Once I got the heads off, I realized this was a very rusted up engine. So much so, I decided it was the worst one I had ever seen. So I called him and let him know. He said "go ahead and get it apart". So I proceeded.

I propped up each deck surface level and poured Evaporust in the cylinders and let it sit in each bank for about four days each. I didn't charge him for the time it sat. I took turns pounding the pistons with a whittled 4x4 alternating between the very rusted ones.

Slowly, I began to get one piston out here and one out there. I finally got it all apart. I need to back up and say when I removed the drain plug from the oil pan, I got almost a gallon of coolant and maybe one quart of oil, so I knew I was in for trouble.

I honestly have about 15 hours on and off working on tearing this thing down, but decided to only charge for 10. I swear yall, this thing any machine shop would have told him to come get it and never bring it back. It was that bad.

So, I got it completely disassembled. I called him up and gave him the verdict. He wanted to know if it would be worth building that one, OR one he found locally, fresh, ready to go for 2800. I told him "it's a no brainer, go for the 2800". He asked what he owed me. I told him what I had in it. 200 bucks. 10 hours times my cut rate of 20 per hour labor.......which I think is a deal. He agreed to let me just have the engine in trade, so I agreed.

Yesterday, he called me and said he wanted his engine back. He said he couldn't believe I had ten hours getting it apart. I let him know I actually have more than that and that I cut my rate by 30 an hour because he is such a good customer at work. I also let him know that I have purchased a few parts planning on a future 396 build and that put me even more into it than the labor that we both agreed to trade the engine itself for. He got mad and hung up.

I called him back and told him he did not need to call me at work talking to me like a child and he apologized. But I know he still has hard feelings about this. So what would yall do? Did I do something wrong here? I don't think so. I gave him a deal. He agreed to it. He agreed to let me have the engine for the labor and now he wants the engine back without giving me a dime. So what say you?
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I'd dump the engine, and all the ruined and rusted **** on his doorstep and tell him he is welcome to it, and do not come back to your business. His word is no good, and his attitude is unacceptable in civilized society.

Sad to say it's a crappy learning experience.
 
Adrienne Bar-breast
I mean Barbeau.
 
Write up a work order, charge what the flat-rate book is for tear down. Keep the book handy if the customer wants to see it. He agreed to a tear down, can't argue with the book. Good luck.
 
Still after everybody's comments I stand by just acting country dumb and politely respectfully getting all his stuff together and politely and respectfully giving it back to him and thanking him for allowing you the opportunity to help him out. Also apologize for being so rude as to be presumptuous to charge him so much. After that you can even ask him for his forgiveness and then thank him again one more time before you leave. And then get a great night sleep!
 
Problem in this world, people want to ***** and cry at any age and think they can have their way. Fair is Fair the man pays RRR 200.00 or he keeps its! I don't believe in this turn the other cheek BS! There is no such thing as a free lunch!
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Problem in this world, people want to ***** and cry at any age and think they can have their way. Fair is Fair the man pays RRR 200.00 or he keeps its! I don't believe in this turn the other cheek BS! There is no such thing as a free lunch!
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I like sleep!
 
Ottmundr said:
I'd dump the engine, and all the ruined and rusted **** on his doorstep and tell him he is welcome to it, and do not come back to your business. His word is no good, and his attitude is unacceptable in civilized society.

Sad to say it's a crappy learning experience.
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In the most "Inconvienant" place possible :rofl: bad Alex bad bad Alex
 
A rock and a hard place.
Quoted near 3 grand to fix a few things on a pos truck.
Guy says go ahead.
Bill comes out to 2203 taxes in.
He flips. I dont budge on the bill,as i knocked off about 10 hrs.
Almost a month goes by, he hears a rumor about the garage keepers act and posting his debt publically as specified in the act. Paid up today and took truck.

I have been in your shoes more than once,its never easy.
“Pay me what you think my 10 hours is worth,its directly relevant whether i ever do work for you again”

Can eat it and send him packing,and refuse to go the extra distance for him ever again.

Business is Business,Love is Bullshit.
 
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