On the service side of things I have had some just amazing stories. I had a guy come in probably 5 years ago no that wanted me to build a studebaker truck for him and use every part from this 700 mile explorer roll over. He wanted to use the chassis, suspension, ac, engine trans, steering column, seats, radiator, wiring everything, I mean everything. Then he told me that Time and Materials was a joke he wanted an exact price, and an exact date of when it would be done. So I asked him in amazement if he really thought we would only use the explorer parts that were designed to fit into an explorer to build your studebaker. Some parts may work but the studebaker make look like an explorer when we are done. It was pretty funny So I told him 125,000, and you can keep the explorer and you can come back in 6 months to pick up the truck in whatever color you want the paint and interior.
The really funny part is after he told all his buddies I was way to expensive he came back about 1.5 years later and and wanted me to resolve all the problems of the guy who he got to do the project. He said the wheels rub, it pops out of gear, and the steering column linkage was binding up. I asked him is he got what he paid for because it sounds like he went to the lowest bidder shop. He was hoping I would not recognize him, Well I never forget a face.
I have guys call all the time to get rough idea on price and they hear a realistic number from me and choose to go to the other guy because they trick you with the lower price to get you in the door and ten your kinda stuck. It really amazes me what me people will do to just think they are saving a few bucks.
There are some points that I heard from Posies rod shop when I started in business. One if the shop needs a down payment for work they cannot afford to be in business, go some where else. Physically go to other shops to check different levels of quality. If you find what you want in a complete car that is for sale, Buy it cuz it will be cheaper then building it. Never ever go with the lowest bidder, I don't care how low your budget it. The whole thought about a guy doing work for cheaper to get his name out there is crap, His over head is more then the guy who has been at it for years. Solely because the new guy is usally a one man shop, the experience guy usaully has crew working on other project and make other money. The new guy is just inexperienced and is biting off more then he can chew. And probably does not realize how much work it takes to do it right or does not even know how to do it to the quality you may want.
We hear amny stories on here about many people who get takes advantage of or recieve crapy work results, but 90% of that can be prevented with research and not letting the the all might dollar guide the decisions you make.
There is no way to know exactly what any project is going to cost in the beginning, That is like asking how much is bag of groceries, or how many left hand turn do you have to take to get to New York. In this industry there are guy who bid cars like Boyd did, But he got an insane price for the car. The Time and materiel guys make the same amount of money if they build 1 car for 10,000 hours or 10 cars at 1000 hours each, if they are honest.
Last boring Rant, I had a customer talk to me about chopping the top on a pick up. He decided to go to another shop that charges 20 bucks an hour less. Both shops are time and materials. When he got done, I saw the project and asked what the end result on price was, he said they had 125 hours in chopping the top, which was 5625 ( 45 per hour ). I was blown away we had done the same truck in half the time just a few weeks before by coincidences. Because we had the tools to speed up the process. We had hydraulic sheetmetal shaping machine, and an english wheel. Well these guys had done all the metal work with a hammer and dolly and and tree stump. So that is why they are cheaper, but those methods take way longer. Imagine how much quicker a hydraulic bender is over a manual bender, Or an eckold kraft former is over and set of east wood shrinking tools. Why do you think Body shops use air sanders to knock down the big stuff, Or why a mechanic uses air tools to tear your car down.
You need to be efficent.
Rant over.....
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