Looking for build name?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Thealien

We’re down to probably a dozen or so things and most of them aren’t that complicated. A few of them are making custom mount end or pieces.

Also trying to have him re-gear the rear end from the 308 it is to most likely 373

And there’s still plenty of snow on the ground up there, but he’s going to have my front end. Alignment done locally also.

I’m hoping sometime this summer I will be going up to pick it up. He’s been very fair with me on pricing and even said he will never do another project like this as he can’t Bill for all the hours he works on them. I feel bad but I’m glad he’s been as good as he’s been.

That is unfortunate but understandable until they have an established name + customer base. Once that's achieved, they can work off a different system.

My buddy sits down w/his customer/s & documents the game plan. He gets a set payment up front & then records work that's done daily until the labor has caught-up to the pre-paid amount. He arranges/schedules work for his customers based on what they can afford monthly. This allows him to remain busy on each projects itemized punch list while spreading the monthly income on shop expenses (materials, payroll, sub-contractors, etc). One customer running low on his account? Shift effort to the other customers. No money to fund continued work @ the beginning of the month? You owe a pre-disclosed storage fee instead & no work is done on the vehicle until the next pre-paid allotment.

I know you're getting antsy for sure waiting for the Summer to get here!

[Thealien]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

That is unfortunate but understandable until they have an established name + customer base. Once that's achieved, they can work off a different system.

My buddy sits down w/his customer/s & documents the game plan. He gets a set payment up front & then records work that's done daily until the labor has caught-up to the pre-paid amount. He arranges/schedules work for his customers based on what they can afford monthly. This allows him to remain busy on each projects itemized punch list while spreading the monthly income on shop expenses (materials, payroll, sub-contractors, etc). One customer running low on his account? Shift effort to the other customers. No money to fund continued work @ the beginning of the month? You owe a pre-disclosed storage fee instead & no work is done on the vehicle until the next pre-paid allotment.

I know you're getting antsy for sure waiting for the Summer to get here!

He is well established in the Gloucester Massachusetts area and was well known for painting, Porsches and other exotic European cars. He’s done a few paint jobs on similar era trucks.

All the mechanical work was done when he got the Blazer. I waited a year to get the Blazer into him. Everyone else in the area is $125-$150 an hour he bills out at $100 to me anyway. On as many invoices, something will be listed as 10 hours discount 4, Billed for six hours. On some of the time-consuming projects like sanding he bills me $50 an hour. If I get an invoice for $2800 I send them $3000 and even though I tell him not to he deduct it from the next invoice.


When he first started, he did have a couple of employees, but since Covid, he’s been working on his own, but does have some people at his location that can give him a hand from time to time. He probably had over 10 hours working on the tailgate. He said if he billed me for all the hours, we could’ve just bought a new tailgate. I feel bad and tell him to bill me for the work he does but actually there’s no way I could afforded this project if I paid him for every hour, he worked on it.

One of the things that helps is he actually really likes the project. And I wasn’t really ready from to finish a couple of years ago and he asked that I gave him permission to work on other projects and work on mine on the downtime. I wanted to be alive when it was finished so I asked him if there was anyway he could finish it this year and he is trying and his latest issue is he is having a very hard time installing the windshield with the stainless trim. He asked if it was OK to purchase another gasket/seal and aftermarket trim. I approved and said whatever helps your life be easier. Let’s get the windshield in. He even found me made in USA glass made by Pilkington. He said he’s going to take some measurements and compare it to the old windshield and I again told him if there seems to be any problems or the Chinese glass that’s in my bronze Blazer and seems to be OK. I bet he’s got 15 hours trying to get that windshield in and there’s no way he’s gonna build me for 15 hours to install one.

I am looking forward to getting it home and enjoying it.