Had to fire my painter

[68Stepbed]

I took my bed to the guy who was supposed to paint my truck back in May. I went by Monday and he hadn't even touched it, so I went and picked it up yesterday. He has built up doing too much insurance work and just doesn't have any time for a resto. We did leave on a good note though. Neither of us got mad. It was just the nature of the situation.

I have another guy that can get to it in about a month. He should be more reliable. We'll see.

[dirtball]

That is frustrating, good luck with the new one.

[N2TRUX]

Unfortunately that's the way it goes. To be a successful paint shop these days you have to rely on production work to pay the bills. The make a much higher profit so it's hard to get them to slow down and take on piece mill jobs.

[Fred T]

You're one of many. Unfortunately, most don't end as peacefully. At least you were understanding about it.

[junkyardjohn]

THATS WHY I LEARNED TO PAINT. I HAD A BLAZER THAT SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN "PAINTERS PRISON" WITH TODAYS PAINT... ANYBODY WITH A SMIDGEN OF MECHANICAL ABILITY CAN LAY DOWN PAINT FOR ABOUT 1/3 OR 1/2 THE COST OF HAVING SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. & WHEN YOU GET ALL DONE YOU'LL GET TO KEEP THE TOOLS YOU NEEDED. I HAD A GOOD FRIEND SHOW ME THE BASICS, & I'LL PROBABLY NEVER BE AS GOOD AS HIM BUT I'M NOT PAYING SOMEONE $2500 OR $3000 FOR A MEDIOCRE PAINT JOB EITHER. SHOOT.. I CAN DO THAT. JOHN

[LockDoc]

..... I do my own, but I don't build show trucks either. I can paint plenty good enough for a driver.

LockDoc

[Gary]

This is why I'm taking a body shop class and painting my own truck, the places who'd even bother giving a quote would just throw out a highass quote knowing I wouldn't pay that much for a paintjob for a truck I'm just planning on driving and cruising around in.

Quotes (when I even got one) ranged from 4-7K for a paint job.

[chevybill]

A friend has been working on mine ( on and off) for 2 years come November and all it really likes is a final go over before painting. He has a lot of insurance jobs, employees coming and going and just went through a divorce. I would only be this patient with a close friend.

[junkyardjohn]

2 YEARS IN PAINTERS PRISON THAT YOU'LL NEVER GET BACK. WHAT A SHAME... YOU'RE A PATIENT MAN. JOHN

[396muncie]

Been there too. My painters were always doing dealer's cars and insurance claims so mine was always on the back burner. The only reason it ever got done was because I worked there and kept hounding them to get it finished

[n2billet]

Originally Posted by junkyardjohn

THATS WHY I LEARNED TO PAINT. I HAD A BLAZER THAT SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN "PAINTERS PRISON" WITH TODAYS PAINT... ANYBODY WITH A SMIDGEN OF MECHANICAL ABILITY CAN LAY DOWN PAINT FOR ABOUT 1/3 OR 1/2 THE COST OF HAVING SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. & WHEN YOU GET ALL DONE YOU'LL GET TO KEEP THE TOOLS YOU NEEDED. I HAD A GOOD FRIEND SHOW ME THE BASICS, & I'LL PROBABLY NEVER BE AS GOOD AS HIM BUT I'M NOT PAYING SOMEONE $2500 OR $3000 FOR A MEDIOCRE PAINT JOB EITHER. SHOOT.. I CAN DO THAT. JOHN

I agree with you because this is the reason I learned how to paint and do bodywork.....but in the defense of all the painters and body guys out there the cost of supplies are increased as much as 30 percent each year. The cost of a paint booth is scary (painting without one is illegal and it's a 2k fine in dallas...ask me how I know ) so with the cost of paint, labor and all the other stuff that is involved it's not uncommon to get 3 times past that $2500-3000.00 mark that you stated earlier.

[al's71gmc]

I got really lucky with my son's project. I found a young guy that took over the shop from his dad. He loves doing resto work on the classics. He did an amazing amount of body work, including welding in a rear fuel door, frenching out the old one, drip rail repair, welding up about 200 moulding, mirror, badge and bed holes, etc,etc. All sanding,primer,paint and clear for 1800. And we got the truck back in less than a month. It doesn't look like a 10K job, but it looks great for a DD. I'm afraid he might have learned a lot about the estimate process and may not be as cheap in the future. He spent almost 2 weeks welding priming and blocking this rig.

[72CSTC5]

Wow Al that is cheap!!!!

[nandress]

We're going through this with our body shop right now. They have had most of the parts for over a year and a half. We are down to the hood, grill, and tailgate to finish and they can't seem to get it done. Part of the problem is that the painter quit (but promised to come in after hours to finish the paint when the body work is completed). Another problem was that the hood was done, but turned out to be slightly different color so it had to be redone. Finally, they wanted us to put the truck in a local show as "Under Construction" (I suspect it was to drum up more jobs) a couple months ago, but we said no, it's not going in a show until it is done...They haven't worked on it since!!

And the worst part is that my dad has spent his days off over this time working at the body shop on the "labor" stuff for them, still to a tune of over $8K so far!! I am fed up, but how do you tell a body shop to get their act in order or else without being the one to be punished.

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by n2billet

I agree with you because this is the reason I learned how to paint and do bodywork.....but in the defense of all the painters and body guys out there the cost of supplies are increased as much as 30 percent each year. The cost of a paint booth is scary (painting without one is illegal and it's a 2k fine in dallas...ask me how I know ) so with the cost of paint, labor and all the other stuff that is involved it's not uncommon to get 3 times past that $2500-3000.00 mark that you stated earlier.

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE COST. EVERY TIME THAT I'VE GONE INTO A PAINT STORE IN THE LAST 7 OR 8 YEARS, I'M JUST FLABBERGASTED BY THE PRICE INCREASES FOR ALL MATERIALS. THEY SEEM TO GO UP EVERY MONTH. IT DOES MAKE SPENDING $300 OR SO ON A GOOD SPRAY GUN A LITTLE EASIER TO JUSTIFY. AFTER ALL.. WHO WOULD WANT TO SHOOT $600 OR $700 WORTH OF LIQUIDS OUT OF A $39 GUN & EXPECT ANY KIND OF DECENT RESULTS. DO A SEARCH ON EBAY FOR "SATA GUNS" OR "BINKS GUNS". IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU'LL EVER USE IT AGAIN, YOU CAN ALWAYS SELL IT ON EBAY & GET MOST IF NOT ALL YOUR MONEY BACK. (TRY THAT WITH A $39 GUN) JOHN

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by nandress

We're going through this with our body shop right now. They have had most of the parts for over a year and a half. We are down to the hood, grill, and tailgate to finish and they can't seem to get it done. Part of the problem is that the painter quit (but promised to come in after hours to finish the paint when the body work is completed). Another problem was that the hood was done, but turned out to be slightly different color so it had to be redone. Finally, they wanted us to put the truck in a local show as "Under Construction" (I suspect it was to drum up more jobs) a couple months ago, but we said no, it's not going in a show until it is done...They haven't worked on it since!!

And the worst part is that my dad has spent his days off over this time working at the body shop on the "labor" stuff for them, still to a tune of over $8K so far!! I am fed up, but how do you tell a body shop to get their act in order or else without being the one to be punished.

TWO WORDS COME TO MIND... YOU'RE & FIRED

JOHN

[timcos]

After about two weeks separated from my truck...I jones real bad for it.

It is either my truck or porn...and I can't afford porn.

[Gary]

who pays for porn? You're on the internet man

[Mudder]

My body man has three guys working for him. He does insurance jobs but he also keeps restro jobs there to work on when and in between insurance jobs. During the summer months if I have something that needs to be taken care of he will have me bring it right in. If its a winter time job we make arrangement when and what is to be done. Oh and I never know the costs until he is done and figures his hours. I have never been unhappy and some of you already know, he works on it about every winter. I have a very good body man.

[72CSTC5]

Try to motivate them with money. When you work on projects you should negotiate with the shop to pay weekly based on what is being done. For instance lets say they are going to do bodywork on two fender for "x" amount of dollars. Show up on friday with money in hand and check to see if it is done. If not, do not pay anything. Trust me the owner of the shop will want to get things done that way. If you pay too much in advance and he has the already spent the money than no motivation to get it done. Try it and see what happens, I could be wrong.

[ND_guy]

My fathers 70 Chevelle was in two different bodyshops for two and a half years before he found a moonlighting bodyman from another shop in town who finished it in 5 weeks after hours.

[Draggn66]

When it comes to the mechanical part I have no problems. Been wrenchin on cars, trucks, Harleys & planes forever. But doin the paint thing is a different story. I would like to give it a shot but all I've got right now is a 2.5 attached garage. Not sure if it would be a good idea or not to paint in there.

[nandress]

Originally Posted by 72CSTC5

Try to motivate them with money. When you work on projects you should negotiate with the shop to pay weekly based on what is being done. For instance lets say they are going to do bodywork on two fender for "x" amount of dollars. Show up on friday with money in hand and check to see if it is done. If not, do not pay anything. Trust me the owner of the shop will want to get things done that way. If you pay too much in advance and he has the already spent the money than no motivation to get it done. Try it and see what happens, I could be wrong.

Our original deal was that every two weeks we would pay for what work was getting done. I guess it worked for a while, until the redos and f-ups got to be too much to keep track of what was really getting done and what had already been paid for!! I guess in hind sight it would have been better to spell out the progress to be made each time a check was handed over, but it's tough to take when you know the money will be paid promptly but there is nothing to pay for.

For the shop we are dealing with, the only way to keep progress going reliably was for my dad to show up every day like he worked there!!!

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by 72CSTC5

Try to motivate them with money. When you work on projects you should negotiate with the shop to pay weekly based on what is being done. For instance lets say they are going to do bodywork on two fender for "x" amount of dollars. Show up on friday with money in hand and check to see if it is done. If not, do not pay anything. Trust me the owner of the shop will want to get things done that way. If you pay too much in advance and he has the already spent the money than no motivation to get it done. Try it and see what happens, I could be wrong.

I'D BE THROWING THINGS ALRIGHT.. BUT IT WOULDN'T BE MONEY. JOHN

[57sailplane]

man

i had the same thing happen only i had striped and primed my cab outside and painted interior. i took it down to him he assured me he would have it done in about 2 months..
well 2 months came and no word from him. i went down to talk with him. the truck was inside with hood and fenders removed and what appeared to be a start. he said he was having family problems and didn't have the funds for materials.

this is were i really screwed up..

he was a cousin of one of my good friends so i fronted him 300.. for materials to get started and i was prepared to front him some more after i seen some progress. he said to check back with him in a month. so a month went by and i called unfortunately i was to busy to drive down. he said he had started on it and had enough material for now. well another month wen by and no word. i called him again and he said he was really busy with insurance jobs.. so i wen down there a few weeks later

that sun of a b1+(H.

he had not done anything to my truck worse than that he had left it outside from what appeared to be a long time. probably right after i gave him the money. the primer had all rusted through and pieces were missing.. i wanted to sew him but he was bearly making it the way it was and he has a family with young kids. if didn't i would of kicked the crap out of him but i figured the hole thing was a wash and took my truck home.. he still owes me and i no i will never see the cash...