The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post

ace of shades · 01-09-2010, 07:54 PM

I hate to say it - because the shop I work at is exactly like that (with out the leans)- Everything that everyone is saying is spot on true. Most of the restos, basically just completes for us, have been the "good buddy" deals

[story time]

Take for instance a 1982 corvette - the boss man quoted them "I'll do it for $4,000 plus parts" All that needed to be done was body work, paint and clean up the interior, nothing major (didn't take the bumpers off or anything), blocked it with 80, threw some mud down, primed it, painted it a tri-coat red (newer dodge intrepid color I think) and I redid the interior from shag carpet orange to black.
Now when the boss first took on the job the two brothers that had the car had already been around shopping for prices. We do have a "resto" shop and they told them it would get done for around 30K (including parts). They took it around and other shops were basically in the same price range. So wanting the job for something to do during the slow time he told them 4K

His idea was that he would tell them that to get in into the shop - knowing damn good and well that its going to cost more than that for the materials let alone labor - then later ask for more money. After they gave him $5,500, still needed to buy more parts and the car wasn't even half done they were getting pissed. After The painter/body man had over 200 hours into blocking it, and i had over 100 into the interior the boss started to get pissed that they wernt paying more. We got the car together, buffed and ready to ship. He went to the restaurant the brother's own and hit them up (in the middle of lunch rush) for ANOTHER 2 grand before they got the car. From what I hear the police were called to escort my boss of the property and to get their car.

That hole thing could have been avoided if my boss would stop under-bidding S**tto get it into the shop and then jacking up the price. On that note, a friend of mine that the boss didn't know got backed into while he was working. Insurance wanted to total the car but finally gave in and gave him 2,000 to fix it. He made a deal with my boss that he would fix the damages if we could paint it for him and the boss told him that the body shop would fix the car, make it straight and then paint it for 2,000. Right before he was to bring his car in to get fixed the boss made a comment about doing the car, but "we're going to come up with some un-expected problems that will cost some more to fix". I looked my boss in the eyes and told him "Don't ever expect to see that car back around here. You just told me that we're going to f**k a good friend of mine"

[/story time]

and such is the way small body shops work. Maybe not all of them, just the ones I know of

01-09-2010, 07:54 PM	#18
ace of shades NEWBIE!! Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Prineville OR Posts: 114	Re: Resto gone bad! I hate to say it - because the shop I work at is exactly like that (with out the leans)- Everything that everyone is saying is spot on true. Most of the restos, basically just completes for us, have been the "good buddy" deals [story time] Take for instance a 1982 corvette - the boss man quoted them "I'll do it for $4,000 plus parts" All that needed to be done was body work, paint and clean up the interior, nothing major (didn't take the bumpers off or anything), blocked it with 80, threw some mud down, primed it, painted it a tri-coat red (newer dodge intrepid color I think) and I redid the interior from shag carpet orange to black. Now when the boss first took on the job the two brothers that had the car had already been around shopping for prices. We do have a "resto" shop and they told them it would get done for around 30K (including parts). They took it around and other shops were basically in the same price range. So wanting the job for something to do during the slow time he told them 4K His idea was that he would tell them that to get in into the shop - knowing damn good and well that its going to cost more than that for the materials let alone labor - then later ask for more money. After they gave him $5,500, still needed to buy more parts and the car wasn't even half done they were getting pissed. After The painter/body man had over 200 hours into blocking it, and i had over 100 into the interior the boss started to get pissed that they wernt paying more. We got the car together, buffed and ready to ship. He went to the restaurant the brother's own and hit them up (in the middle of lunch rush) for ANOTHER 2 grand before they got the car. From what I hear the police were called to escort my boss of the property and to get their car. That hole thing could have been avoided if my boss would stop under-bidding Stto get it into the shop and then jacking up the price. On that note, a friend of mine that the boss didn't know got backed into while he was working. Insurance wanted to total the car but finally gave in and gave him 2,000 to fix it. He made a deal with my boss that he would fix the damages if we could paint it for him and the boss told him that the body shop would fix the car, make it straight and then paint it for 2,000. Right before he was to bring his car in to get fixed the boss made a comment about doing the car, but "we're going to come up with some un-expected problems that will cost some more to fix". I looked my boss in the eyes and told him "Don't ever expect to see that car back around here. You just told me that we're going to fk a good friend of mine" [/story time] and such is the way small body shops work. Maybe not all of them, just the ones I know of __________________ Water is for the weak I don't like cocaine.. I just like the smell of it "Well there might be a dime up a goats ass too, but I ain't looken" - Grandpa VolksRods Last edited by ace of shades; 01-09-2010 at 07:55 PM.