Body shops are like contractors.....

[McCoyAZ]

Well the body shop guy let me know that he is working on my truck as we speak.

Wiring is nearly done, the roll pan is done, he is welding up the seams and extra holes on the 61 hood I am putting on the truck.

He didn't say when the big back window was going in and he said he was going to have me come over and take pictures of frenching in the caddy tail lights.

At least some progress is being made, albeit far from what was promised.

I'm anxious to get it to the stage where it looks closer to what I am trying to accomplish.

Still have to lower it, find some wheels and tires, and get the body work and paint done.

[hugger6933]

Now this is coming from a body shop owner [who does'nt take out side work] unless I know the customer and have dealt with them in the past through a car or truck deal of some kind and some of the things mentioned here is why I don't do any outside work any longer. I have gotten rid of all my helpers that I have had through the year at times running as many as two shgifts and ten men in my shop, to just me and my dad comes out to help he love to tear down. I am in the used car business and in my shop I buy insurance wrecks and rebuild them and resale them to the public, I tell everything that is done to all my units and if the truck won't make the grade for me I'll junk it out and use the good parts on another truck that is good. I want to be able to see these customers in the grocery store at the ball game at the country club on the golf course at church and at Bible study. I don't want to have to duck behind a display at the parts store because so and so bought that ol put together whatever. That is not me or how I roll. I have not got rich doing that way but when I turn this off I can lay down and go to sleep and not worry about being talked about or called crooked. Now I am in two lines that people love to hate, body shop and used cars but we are not all the same, I am glad you are getting your truck worked on now and I want to say I hope your legs are not to sore from jumping to conclusions ,but I won't because you had every right to do that. Hope you get it back real soon. Jim

[ChevyFreak60]

Where are the updated pics of your truck bro? Sorry if I missed them on another thread.....

[McCoyAZ]

This should be a reality TV show.

I just talked to him yesterday and I get this sad story about how he is sick and the meds he is taking makes him feel so bad that he can't work on anything.

Last time I threatened to come pick up my truck he pulled it in the shop and did enough to appease me at the moment, and I fell for it. Thought the work would continue until he was finished. Was I ever wrong.

I have resigned myself to the fact that he has chopped up the back end of the truck and it lays in pieces in the yard awaiting my getting pissed to the max and I go get it or I believe his sob story and leave it there another 3 or 4 months.

3 weeks he said.......15 weeks ago.

[gimmy 64]

sounds to me like the meds he is taking is either drugs or booze

[HeloCrewChief]

I've tried 6 different body/paint guys over the years. Some were back east and some were on the west coast. Some were really expensive and some were really cheap. They all had the same things in common. They all messed something up really bad and went months-years over the time estimate. That's just way life works. Unless your willing to take your time and do something yourself, you will always have to go back and fix things.

[BMERDOC]

People call it "Paint Jail" for a reason. We all know that IF you can even get them to take your truck and do work on it, its gonna be a long time before you see it back. Rarely does a shop take a vehicle in, fix it and return it. I can't even find a shop in my area that will do ANY work on my truck and I know people! I have resigned myself to doing my own work and hopefully by the time I'm finished I will have found someone to paint it.

Good Contractors should not be offended by the title. I think we all knew what he meant. Maybe you shoulda titled it "Bad Body Shops are like Bad Contractors..." I have a few bad contractor stories of my own.

[Gokart Mozart]

I'd make a surprise trip just to take a look at your truck to make sure the 15 weeks don't turn into 15 months.

[McCoyAZ]

Funny you should bring that up.

I dropped by there yesterday and the truck is pushed off into the back lot.

I tracked him down and told him to put it back together and that I was coming over this Friday to pick it up.

[AustinScott]

Just to add to this story..
My dad told me that he once had to "baby sit" his project in "body/paint jail"... a weekend ride....
What he did was take a fist full of 20's with him every day he could to the place working on it & paid the guy for progress.... not ideal if you don't have time. But my dad said, he had time, just not the skill to do the work needed... so he was there every day he could be, with money in hand telling the guy.. money talks.... let gets this done.......
My dad said he got what he wanted in the end & the guy doing the work liked the fact that he felt like he was making money on every bit of effort he put into the car.

It was a win, win for a shop that was below average in customer service, but good in craftsmanship

Keep in mind this was early 80's

Now not sure if this fits for your situation at this point in your build, but figured I would offer a story.


Good luck with everything man!

Scott

[McCoyAZ]

Well if I hadn't already paid the guy 4.5 months ago 1/2 the money to do the work, maybe that would do the trick.

Saw the truck today, one tail light is mocked up, the hood seams are all welded and mostly sanded, other than that he really hasn't done a damn thing.

Roll pan was supposed to have been made already, he was supposed to install a big back window, we were to re-locate the chains on the tail gate and add a passenger door mirror also.......nothing is done and i'm tired of waiting.

I can kiss my money good bye, pick up my truck and find someone else I guess.

Hoping I haven't lost interest in the project and I can work on it some more.

[61K10]

don't give up--you have come to far with your truck--------------

[McCoyAZ]

Well I am supposed to get the truck Friday morning, not complete as we had agreed upon 5 months ago, but I got tired of waiting and told him I was picking it up, finished or not.

He was supposed to finish off the tail light frenching and the roll pan. Guess I will find out what all was done on Friday.

[pat 70/71]

Sorry to hear of your issues with paint jail. I'm a general contractor (18 years in business )
I have never left anyone holding the bag. Not really offended by the title of this tread. And I do understand the stigma that surrounds my industry. Not all body shops conduct business this way so, one should not pre judge all shops by the actions of one shop.And on the same note, there are a lot of good contractors providing great service to their clients.
My advice to you is get your truck out of that shop ASAFP!

Cheers, Pat
Posted via Mobile Device

[McCoyAZ]

Picked up the truck today. Still a long way to go to achieve the look I want.

Need to find a new shop to work with, one that I can trust and depend on.

Added a 61 Hood with all the seams welded, a 61 grill (I think it's a 61), upgraded the headlight wiring harness, had a roll pan built with the license plate holder built in place and had caddy tail lights frenched in. Also plugged the stake pockets and the top rail end was welded closed.

Never got the Big Back Window installed, didn't get the passenger mirror on, never got to welding up the bolts on the front bumper and grinding them off, didn't get the gas tank under the bed or the filler door on the rear fender installed either.

The list is endless, the money......well that does have an end to it.

But it is home where it belongs and I will enjoy it for a few months before I find a body shop to work on it over the winter.