Question on repairs

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dwire67

dwire67

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Long story short I am working on a guys car and he works with my wife @ her job. We worked out a deal where I would check his 1966 GTO clone out and get it running for him again since it has been sitting for 10 years. The car has tri-power and the last time he drove it he said it leaked gas bad and would barely run ,along with almost went on fire. I start tearing into it and the tri-power carbs are junk, throttle plates are all pitted & rusted . I talk him into switching it over to a single 4 barrel and electronic ignition for easy of driving.
Then I find the raditor is junk rotted out, freeze out plugs are rotted and where leaking. I tell him the engine has to come out to fix the freeze plugs. So I drain the oil and it stinks bad and looks likes black water! I pull the trans and the clutch assy. and fly wheel are junk, pull the oil pan and check 2 &3 mains the bearings are wiped out and it has broken valve spring retainer. The brake lines are rusted and the rubber lines are junk.
Here is the problem he does not want to fix it right after I told him he looking @ 5 grand to fix it right, he wants it back running as-is. he says it ran before it was parked and should be fine and he wants to drive people around in it?
I am wrong for refusing to do as he asked? I told him he it gets fixed right or come get it as-IS!
 
yeah.... im thinkg from when i ran a shop..... did you tell him you were going as far as you did as you were doing it? or did you just "go for it". I would stick it back together.. charge him for what was done and 1st have him sign stating what you did, what you found, and his request to put it back as it was and release you from any responsiblity....
 
Have you told him that if you don't fix it, it's just a matter of time until it breaks???
 
krazykuda said:
Have you told him that if you don't fix it, it's just a matter of time until it breaks???
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Its ok... its a pontiac..wont miss it... even though its a goat. a fake one unlike the real deal below...
 

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BS, tell him to come get it as is.
It wasn't running when you got it, and there is no reason it should be running when he gets it back.
It's not your responsibility to give him a running car if he doesn't want to do the work.

You might as well get ready for the "It wasn't that bad when it was parked" bad mouthing from him too.

That's why I refuse to work on acquaintances vehicles.
Then the worst thing they can say about you is that you wouldn't work on it.
 
TrailBeast said:
BS, tell him to come get it as is.
It wasn't running when you got it, and there is no reason it should be running when he gets it back.
It's not your responsibility to give him a running car if he doesn't want to do the work.

Yep

You might as well get ready for the "It wasn't that bad when it was parked" bad mouthing from him too.
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And yep!
 
yeah thats going to work well for his wife....might as well be as tactful as possible in this situation before it spirals into his wifes job....Id ease out of it and cover my *** from being sued...guy probably just wanted a tune up and change fluids...
 
Give him a taillight guarantee.

Once the car is out of your way and you can't see the taillights anymore, the guarantee is over....
 
Take pictures, have another uninvolved mechanic verify your findings and tell him to come get it or pay for your time and put it back together and tow it to him. Anytime you get involved in something like this you need to make sure the customer or friend knows what he may be getting into time and money wise. I hope this works out for all parties concerned. I have been in your shoes, it sucks!
 
I have pictures of all the damage and I cut open his oil filter which was like rock in side and saved some what was oil. I explained to him in the beginning that I only work one way the right way! I told everything I was doing and when I found the freeze out plugs where rusted out, I told the engine had to come out and he argeed to it. I told him I was pulling the pan once I got it on the stand.
 

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Yes and the heat riser id frozen shut in the exhaust manifold.

This is the windage tray and the black you see is oil that is like mud
 

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That's what he wants, but I spoke friens who owns a shop and he told me just as you other guys, he said do not give it back to him running and have him sign a liabity release.

I am sure done working on other peoples junk!
 
If it hasn't run in 10 years, it came to you not running and you will return it to him in the same condition.... Not running....
 
Yawn, been there done that.

Agree and push what others have said.

Return it in pieces, because I know that feeling of the no motivation pit in the stomach to put it together again..
 
No offense but I'm going to play devil's advocate here. It sounds like you both had different impressions of what this would be from the start. That's the wrong foot to be on with a customer. Your impression of "doing it right" went up to and included addressing every issue you find. His was getting it back running. If the job was freeze plugs why did you pull the pan? Did he ask you to look in there? Was a budget or total scope ever discussed?
 
I explained to him that I would check the car over and check everything and he argeed. The orginal job was -replace intake , replace engine wire harness , install internal style voltage regulator alterntor , carb with electric choke , new raditor , belts and hoses. Also to check brakes, rear axle ,transmission & clutch.
When I found the orginal raditor was like paper and filled with rusty water, I pressure checked the coolant system and found the freeze plugs leaking, I put the car on the lift to do them and I found the ones on side where under the exhaust manifolds and the ones in back of the heads could be seem and removed in the car. When the oil was drained to pull the engine, it smelled burnt and was like water I knew I had to pull the pan and if I did not I would have bought him a new engine..
 
dwire67 said:
I explained to him that I would check the car over and check everything and he argeed. The orginal job was -replace intake , replace engine wire harness , install internal style voltage regulator alterntor , carb with electric choke , new raditor , belts and hoses. Also to check brakes, rear axle ,transmission & clutch.
When I found the orginal raditor was like paper and filled with rusty water, I pressure checked the coolant system and found the freeze plugs leaking, I put the car on the lift to do them and I found the ones on side where under the exhaust manifolds and the ones in back of the heads could be seem and removed in the car. When the oil was drained to pull the engine, it smelled burnt and was like water I knew I had to pull the pan and if I did not I would have bought him a new engine..
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You are just a good thorough mechanic...kudos.... but... he appears to not be thorough...or... he doesnt have the money to do it all the way... your issue is that he works with your wife... that makes this hairy....this is where the salesman in you has to come out...SELL him the job..convince him of the investment...make the money sound like a non issue... sell him on how nice it will be when its done... he can do it now.. or do it later... your half way there... NOW go sell it!
 
:banghead: So my wife talks to him today and she finds out he never changed the oil as long as he has had the car and that he bought the car 2000 dove it a couple of times and back in 2006 it would no longer run so he parked it. I found paper work in the glove box , that the guy he bought it from had exhaust and tires put on it in 1995 ! I am thinking the oil is that old.
I am going to tell him to take it home !
 
Can you say, 'a can if worms'? No win, no matter what you do. I would take pictures of everything though, just in case he goes into asshole mode. But he sounds like a cheap *** SOB.
 
send it back if he doesn't want to do what you say(as the expert) it needs to complete the requested job. Write it all up, so there's no question what you found when doing the exploratory evaluation of this non running vehicle.
 
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