Panel Project Updates.
 

I finaly got back to work on my panel after suffering a major set back. To make a long story short, I have to strip it down to the bare metal again. Allthough I am not done stripping it and reprimering it, I did find some major issues that were covered up by a body shop that I paid big money to fix. The story is on our "panel project" page if you want to read about it. The roof has been stripped and reprimed, and the right rear quarter with the taillight section has been removed for some big rust issues. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com
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These pictures show the repairs to the rear barn door pillar.
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It just goes to show you that just because you pay a lot of money to have something fixed, it doesn't mean that it will be repaired right. Even if you tell the shop what kind of work that you expect!!! WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

I know exactly how you feel. the identical issue happened to me in NC. the guy said he did top quality work and he even showed me pictures in a photo album that hesaid he did.he does have a very clean well looking shop with a fantastic paint booth on the side of it. well when I told them I wanted the truck back after 15 months of work and a fist full of money paid up front. what I got back was garbage and I had to have it all redone over again what the first guy said he did and what he covered up thinking I wouldnt look at the work I guess. so I do fel your resentment and bitterness.

That really sucks! Are they gonna make it right?

I haven't made it to the shop that did the work yet. My guess is because I will be asking for a couple of thousand bucks, the answer will be no. Then I will probably have to take him to court. I think that because it was so blatent and intentional, that if I have to sue him I will go for tripple damages. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

Good luck, I hate seeing people getting cheated.

Wes you have the damndest luck with body guys if this the same guy that did the work some time ago that you made him redo? good luck Jack

Different guy Jack. You are right though about my luck with auto body men..LOL I don't think that my standards are too high. Even if they are, I was willing to pay for them. :banghead: :banghead: WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

Hey Wes. Glad to see you're back. Hope all is well.

Happy Fourth!

Thank you 71GMCStepside. It was touch and go for a while but my father in law seems to be getting stronger now. He is still in the hospitol, but should be home in a couple of days. :) WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

Bummer on both account's hope that both recover well.

Hang in there Wes,the panel looks good,keep up the good work!

I just dont understand why people cant give a quality job any more? IF i had the money and wanted it done one way it damn well better meet my standards. You get what you pay for should go both ways. Good luck Wes Sue the @##@@ out of him ........Jack

Wes, hope everything is going well with your father in law.It took me about about 5 years or so to find someone to restore my cab on my 72.After talking to talking to many people and shops I found someone to do my cab,he's a board member too.It was rear real rusty,he even put new A pillars in it.I couldnt be happier with his work.I was lucky to find someone to my cab considering the shape it was in.I have heard many bad stories and I was afraid of that to.I hope everything goes well with your panel and everything works out for you.

Ray

We paid a body guy $3600 bucks to get our blazer ready for paint....man he did CRAPPY work!!! A "friend" of my husbands referred the guy and said "I will make good on it if he doesn't" Well that was NOT the case! We then took it to a guy that only charged us $2000 including paint and he fixed that guys work and painted the top and body. Shawn on Rich Road here in Olympia- name of his business is "Shawn's Custom Auto" He is a 23 yr/old dread lock wearing Impala driving "punk", but did a stand up job compared to this other 40/50 something Chevy truck guy.....GO FIGURE!!!

You DEFINATELY can't judge a book by its cover in this case!!! Shawn is the man!!!
Diane

Well I know all to well about shady bodyshops. My father has been in the industry for 37 years and although he is retired he still does side work and quality work is always the first word around the shop. If anybody needs good work and a good price I'd be more than willing to hook you up. He's not automotivly racist either he restores all types and is currently helping me on my 68 swb. oh bye the way he is located in Yakima Wa

Wes, I'm sorry to hear about your incompetent wannabe body man. seems that is the way they are all going these days. they just want to do a pretty coverup on anything that is not an insuarnce job. I dont like to trust anyone else to do work for me. I take that back, there is a guy not far from here up in Madison by the name of Jim Gonyo that is an absolute perfectionist. he does not do the work unless you want it done right & are willing to pay for it. you should see some of his work. WOW!!!! I will have to get some pics of his '73 Riviera with a 12" chop. mege cool!

I know exactly what everyone is talking about, I am the owner of a body shop and see crappy jobs coming out of other shops in the area everyday. At least once a week someone shows up wanting a job redone that was just completed by other shops. I repair every vehicle like it is my own and don't cut corners, I feel like if I am satisfied with the job I won't ever have any problems with customers and I haven't yet. I like money but not enough to do shoddy work just to get a buck even when I screw up and underprice a job, I repair it just like any other job. Wes I am sorry about your bad experience and hope you find someone better to finish the work for you and evrything goes good with your father-in-law. Just remember we are not all bad, some of us have pride in our selves as well as our work.......

I too know of the problems you all speak of. I used a body shop that I felt I had close ties with, but after I stripped the cab to bare metal myself and watched it sit on the front "porch" of the shop for almost a year I got a "little" worried. I paid quite a bit up front, I know stupid, but I was eagar to get the truck started. Anyway after almost year of run-around they finally start work. Patch panels go in ad work stops again. I convince them to give me a key to shop and I epoxy prime and 2k prime the cab aand other parts. Keep in mind that all the parts I took to them were either NOS parts or stripped originals, should cut work time in half, not! They finally paint the truck and send some dumba@@ to rub the paint out, he burns through on both bedsides so thy have to be repainted again, and the shop asks me to buy more paint for their screw up. The paint was PPG deltron and if I had no had an inside on it could not have afforded it to begin with, anyway they start this bs and then wanted to mix paints, I'm no body man by any stretch but I know you don't mix paint systems. I pitch a fit and they drag their feet, any collision job gets first priority, even though they have 3/4 of the money for the job that I have done most of myself (i.e. blocking, wetsanding primer, reshooting, assembly, and final paint finish). Finally three long years later they finally get windshield and rear glass installed and I do the doors and chrome, they were supposed to reassemble the complete truck and I would do the interior, and like you Wes, was willing to pay what ever as long as it was done correctly.... To beat all they actually had he nerve to had me a bill for almost $1500 more when I picked up the truck. I laughed and told them I would get right on it and took the truck home, I know it sounds bad but it has only been two years, maybe I carry them a check sometime next year...... I guess the moral of the story is just because you think you know someone does not mean they will not screw you over just like every other person, now mind you this is a very highly regarded body shop that I had recomended o others over the past years, live and learn. I'm doing the work on my '69 truck myself, I guess the on the job training I recieved from my other truck is comng in handy. Sorry for the rant just my .02 .

hello,
nice panel, i just bought me my first panel its a 68 inline 6 3on the tree and the motor and tranny real good shape body is vey rough planning on restoring it to as much as orriganall as possible except paint and rims,thanks

I have never done body work before but I plan on doing the entire thing myself. I have time, I am in no hurry to get the truck done, and I want to learn how to do this stuff myself. I guess from hearing all the issues everyone else has, I can afford to screw up my patch panels two or three times and still come off cheaper than taking it to a body shop.