Thread: Enough is Enough ...........

Tweet

I had a body shop manager that used to work for me running the body shop at our VW dealership. He left to open his own shop and I let him take my 40 Chevy PU to finish. We had chopped it and did alot of the work on it together so I thought it would make sense to have him finish it. Long story short is that after 16 months of getting very little done I went to his shop one day only to find the place empty and locked up. I walked around back and low and behold there was my 40 in the fenced in area but out in the elements in bare metal. I went to the hardware store and bought a bolt cutter and got a couple of my employees and a truck and got it back. I had to start over. But at least I got it back. That was the last hot rod I've built untill now. I sold the 40 in 1995, 12 years after the incident. I have this 29 Roadster that I've built over the last 18 months that is in need of paint and I have decided to give it a go myself this spring. I plan to post a thread on shop talk to get some advice from the more knowledgable people here. I cannot bring myself to let it out of my sight or should I say control. I don't have a Riddler contender so I think that with a little advice I'll be OK. Get your car back and hope that someone will take on an already started project, alot of guys will not. Good luck, it looks like a really nice project.

Originally Posted by Crazyrat

Coyoye, may I make a suggestion. Check out the Hot Rod shop over in Welcome, NC. They do really good work. Complete builds.

If you're talking about Rod Crafters in Welcome, I can't get the car in there for another year or so ............. Larry has 11 cars in there now ......... found a shop over in Advance that can take it ............ small shop, but their work is impressive

Sorry about naming it wrong, yes, Rod Crafters is the one I was thinking of.

My brother had a car in there for about a year and just got it back. Now I have to retrack my statement about them doing good work after seeing what his looked like. I wasnt impressed at all with the quality of the work they did on his. Trunk lines didnt line up nor did one of the doors. He had to redo one of the tunnel bolts because it was put in crooked.

For what he paid I would have though the car would have been in primer to say the least but it wasnt, still bare metal.:eek

The only problems we've really had building cars all came about when outside shops were involved..........painters, upholsterers, etc. I'm pretty good about spelling out what I want done and the timeframe I am working in, yet they seem to forget those elements once the car is in their shop.

It is SO hard to get people to do what they promise.

Don

After being in the industry myself for about 27 years,I think,as was mentioned elsewhere,the biggest problems with this sort of work,is that shops get insurance work rolling through the doors every day,which pays the wages,and there is never enough time to get any constructive work into the big build sitting in the corner,so,it sits,and only gets a small proportion of the labour it should be getting...I have done enough of this to know that the shop owner wants the glory of getting a job like this through his shop,but cant afford to put the best guy for the job,on the job..So it sits,and every few weeks,it gets a marathon effort for a day or two,to please the owner,who is due in to check on progress,and to grease the palm of the shop owner,then it all relaxes for another few weeks...Correct??
I do sympathise with you old coyote,as I have been on the shop floor trying my best to get the job done,for people like yourself,and all the time,trying to get the boss man to see it from both sides..I hope the rest of the build goes well for you,I am a fan for these little English Thames/Anglia vans,and will enjoy seeing the finished product...Now I better get off my butt and go and finish a job I have sitting in the shop..

Just to put my own mind() at ease something positive happened this week to at least partially restore my faith in outside shops.

On Monday afternoon, I left the ho hum black Lokar supplied shifter and e-brake boots at a local upholstery shop to have some replacements made in the color of my car interior. They were also to be made 2 inches longer (ever tried to fit a Lokar boot under their retaining rings?) I supplied a small piece of left over material and was told it would be a couple of weeks - no big deal. This morning at 8:30 I got a call to pick them up as they were done. They were not only done, but the price was several bucks less then quoted - and they are beautifully sewed. Now I have 2 more items to add to my swap meet pile of "treasures"

Originally Posted by lamin8r

..So it sits,and every few weeks,it gets a marathon effort for a day or two,to please the owner,who is due in to check on progress,and to grease the palm of the shop owner,then it all relaxes for another few weeks...Correct??

How correct you are ........... but since September it didn't even get the mararthon ............ it just sat

Just a side note. About 2 1/2 years ago I took my T body and Dons T body to a friends shop to have them painted. He said two weeks. I didn't bother him for 3 weeks, but then I went by to see how they were doing. They were sitting in the same place we parked them, zero done to them, and an inch of filler dust from other jobs all over them. I went home, got my trailer, came back, and hauled them to a second shop who finally got them done.

I just spoke to another friend who tells me the shop that dropped the ball on us is now closed and my "friend" was over to see him for a job. I'm not surprised. It's tough enough to stay in business when you please customers, but when you don't................................

Don

For Coyote's perdicament, 4 years is ridiculous to not have the car done. But in defense of all the shops trying to make it in this bs economy I'd like to say go run a shop for awhile if you think it's so easy!!! Sure you get a guys car in and have full intentions of getting it turned out in the 3 weeks specified.... Then the poop hits the fan and here comes a couple "rush jobs" from one of your customer's who's been bringing you business for 10 years...so the time envelope slips a couple days.... Then the "quick fix" you took on for another guy has frame damage and eats up a full day with your best man on the frame machine, so he doesn't get on to the 3 week car. Then one of your employees gets pissed on Friday, loads up his tools and leaves....

Unless you've walked a mile in the man's shoes running a two or three man shop and working under tight schedules, trying to meet payroll, trying to get the mortgage, taxes, insurance, materials, and a whole host of other things paid for on a monthly basis don't think it's so dang easy to do all the work in a time frame that looks very realistic when the work is scheduled!!!!! Things happen, people quit, parts you normally get in 20 minutes go back ordered for a week, and a thousand other things!!!!!! Granted, a lot of shop owners just want your money and get the car in the door, but the majority are out there doing what they said they will do, though maybe not in the time frame that beforehand looked good.... Poor planning???? Probably, but then show me how it is you plan for EVERY contingency when you're the chief bill payer, referee, advertising mgr, and the hundreds of other hats that the owner of a 1 man or 3 or 4 man shop contends with on a daily basis!!!! Are you real sure he was a "failure" as a business owner and want to work in a big shop, or did he just get fed up with all the bs that goes into running a small shop???????

Hooo,boy, Dave, That happens all too regularly,been in that situation,and it has happened to me this week,a job that should have taken three days,is being finished on the fifth,today,Saturday..Meanwhile,I have a couple of development jobs I am trying to finish,and a few more small repair jobs to do,as well as getting stock units laid up..I have a one man business,tried the employment thing,but with all the hassles,sometimes its easier to do it all myself,and do more hours,hence working some Saturdays..Yeah,its lunch time here,so dont make me feel guilty..Going back out soon..okay??

Originally Posted by lamin8r

Hooo,boy, Dave, That happens all too regularly,been in that situation,and it has happened to me this week,a job that should have taken three days,is being finished on the fifth,today,Saturday..Meanwhile,I have a couple of development jobs I am trying to finish,and a few more small repair jobs to do,as well as getting stock units laid up..I have a one man business,tried the employment thing,but with all the hassles,sometimes its easier to do it all myself,and do more hours,hence working some Saturdays..Yeah,its lunch time here,so dont make me feel guilty..Going back out soon..okay??

Some Saturdays????Couldn't tell you the last time I took a full Saturday off...and not a whole lot of Sundays off, either.... Then Wednesday night I took a really nasty fall on the ice trying to get into a pickup...My whole body is one big bruise, hit the truck with the left side of my body and the ground with the right side....couldn't walk very well yesterday, and just did paperwork today...and a car that has to be blocked, painted, and delivered by noon Monday..... Just another wonderful week in a small shop.....

Just as a sidenote....For every story about a shop with poor scheduling or poor quality work, betcha I could tell two stories about customers and some of there "expectations"!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Some Saturdays????Couldn't tell you the last time I took a full Saturday off...and not a whole lot of Sundays off, either.... Then Wednesday night I took a really nasty fall on the ice trying to get into a pickup...My whole body is one big bruise, hit the truck with the left side of my body and the ground with the right side....couldn't walk very well yesterday, and just did paperwork today...and a car that has to be blocked, painted, and delivered by noon Monday..... Just another wonderful week in a small shop.....

Just as a sidenote....For every story about a shop with poor scheduling or poor quality work, betcha I could tell two stories about customers and some of there "expectations"!!!!!

I wish we could have extra days to finish a job. My two brothers and I have run small 2-3 person shops since the 70's and if we were late, you looked else where for work, they usually don't care what you problem was. they said they wanted next Tuesday, they got it next Tuesday. and after that was done, you called around and bid on more work, hopefully for as soon as you finished the other job.
Thats the way the real world works, not when you get around to it!

I understand that body work is a little different as to what is hidden underneath, but don't tell me it'll be done in two weeks, and I show up in 3 and it has not been started, cause it'll be gone, and you'll get no good referrals from me, you could have picked up the phone and say it's going to be little late, is that ok. and I would have said sure, thank you for calling!

I have worked many times hurt, really hurt, but it didn't matter to the customer, his work does.

As far as "expectations" the only one that matters is the one I gave them before I started the work. and that is that it will be done by next Tuesday, like I said.
You need money to keep the doors open, then get my work done and you'll have money, don't and you won't!

Pat

and in a perfect world, that's how it goes all the time....

Hey guys ......... don't misunderstand me here ............. I'm very disappointed that the car is no further along after nearly four years ........ but I'm not condemning the shop .......... they're a good bunch of kids and they do marvelous work ............ and I tried to be as patient as I could ......... I understand that "shit happens" and schedules have to be adjusted ......... but at some point in time you just can't continue down the same path ............. as I said, they do great work with what they know how to do ........... but this project turned out to be so different ........... I honestly believe they simply bit off way more than they could chew

The new shop, while small also, has the experience and capabilities to do in-house fabrication .......... it is a true rod & custom shop, not a body shop like the other

Originally Posted by Crazyrat

Sorry about naming it wrong, yes, Rod Crafters is the one I was thinking of.

My brother had a car in there for about a year and just got it back. Now I have to retrack my statement about them doing good work after seeing what his looked like. I wasnt impressed at all with the quality of the work they did on his. Trunk lines didnt line up nor did one of the doors. He had to redo one of the tunnel bolts because it was put in crooked.

For what he paid I would have though the car would have been in primer to say the least but it wasnt, still bare metal.:eek

I have not been all that impressed with Rod Crafters either ........... but my problem has been more with the attitude rather than the quality of the work ........ every time I have talked to Larry about doing anything on my car, his attitude has been pretty much "I'm not sure I can waste my time with you" ............. I guess my cash isn't the proper color of green for him.