am I over reacting on the body shop?

[68topls]

I had my 1st gen firebird in a shop. It's been there for a year. The work included replacing both rear quarters, tail panel, deck lid, door skins, assembling the front end which was entirely re-pro except the bumper and valance and putting the car in primer. At the time he verbally told me but did not put it in the contract that he would prime the floor panel and the underside of the car. The cost was $5,000 and 3 months. I put $1400 deposit down. My car had been completely stripped of everything already. A completely new suspension had been put into place with a new sub frame, and DSE quadra link kit, mini tubs, weld in sub connectors, etc. The front sub frame was removed, stripped, jigged, rewleded and painted. The place had several resto-cars in mid form and several that had been in magizines and won awards. I figured after getting the car in primer I would put all of the mechanicals in as nothing except engine and trans placement had been done (after all of the suspension work) prior to dropping it off, then remove them for the paint job and re-install.


Long story short it'll be a year next week. I visited every couple of weeks and work on my car was real slow. In april I was told it would be ready in may. In may june. In june july. Every once in a while he would call and say he needed a part. Finallly at the middle of june he calls and says the car will be done in two weeks. The speed of the work increased but everytime I came by it was always in two weeks. finally two weeks ago he called and said he needed a hood and the car wold be done friday. I showed up with a tow truck but the car wasn't done. Then last week he calls and says he's done and did I want to make a decision about having the car painted before he put on the front end. I declined to have the car painted and told him I would come pick the car up. On Tuesday I went by to pick the car up and the front end was not on the car nor was the interior primed. He mentioned he was going to do it by Wednesday. On Wednesday I go by and he's still working on putting the fenders, hood, etc, on. On Thursday I go back to pick the car up after he's called me in the morning. I arrive about twenty minutes before closing and the fenders and hood are on the car but on the passenger side of the car there is 1/8 inch gap problem that he says is caused by the aftermarket parts. As the hood and fender contours there is a slight rise in the hood about half way down. Then he basically says if I want it fixed he'll have to brake the welds on the fender and hood and align them and that will be an additional $1k. Secondly the front nose, rear bumper, fender extension and valence is not on the car. There is a guy priming my interior floor panels while I'm there. He says he's not going to put on the bumper, extensions, valence because one of the extensions he has lost, (offered to pay for it), the valence has a crease in it (which only he could see) and he didn't know he had to put the nose /bumper on. Also I'd have to pay him an additional $1k for priming underneath the car and I owed him an additional $400 because he had to re-adjust the door skins and quarter on the driver side. Keep in mind these are the door skins and quarter panels that he installed. Car will be ready Friday. I pay him $3000 of the $3600 I owed him. And told him I wanted the rest of the front end put on the car. Friday I get no call from him then I head out of town over the weekend. I was going to be gone until this wednesday (tomorrow). I get a call on Saturday. Then Monday I get a voice mail that says I owe him $120 in storage. So I call the guy and say hey I'm out of town, I'll be there to pickup the car Thursday. He says thats fine but the storage is going to continue to increase daily because it's gone. I ask him why is trying to nickel and dime me about the car and that I've been patient with him etc. He tells me he's chargin me extra because the parts I bought (new repro's) were junk and he had to do extra work on them to get them lined up right. And the front end of the car is still off because of the repro and he's not fixing that either. Tells me I should not have bought parts from a local distributor even though he recommended the place and told me to tell them I was "with him" so I'd get his discount. Plus he believes my frame is bent and thats whats causing the porblem. Then hangs up on me.

Obviously I'm steamed. Before I go in to the shop Thursday morning and act like a total ass, I want to ask "am I over reacting?". One of my buddies is telling me to go pay what ever he wants get my car and forget about it. My other buddy says go there try to negotiate and if that doesn't work just call the police, though that can be hit or miss. what should I do? Any thoughts?

[TreySmith]

Get it out of there as fast as you can.

My boss doesn't charge customers for storage, that's wrong, we do charge insurance company's though, but that's different. Repro skins suck, I was watching them weld up a Cuda and the skins don't line up very good at all so that is reasonable.

Be an ass, it helps. Don't yell at the detailer though, you may end up with half a fish sandwhich stuffed under your seat.

[ItDoRun]

This seems to be more and more common of body shops working on our cars. My car was strung out way too long and was never finished. I called up the body man and told him I would be there the next day with a trailer to pick it up...and I was. The car is now in my hands and I've learned how to do sheetmetal work. Granted, I should be driving the car by now, but at least I have control of the schedule now.

Your situation is slightly different. I wouldn't pay him an extra dime especially since he didn't do all of the work he said.

Good Luck! Keep us posted.

[BRIAN]

Remove the car but you should negotiate the price. I will guess you are at a production collision shop? Aftermarket parts do not fit end of story. They require adjustments I do not care where you get them or what stamp is on them. That is why you see such a huge premium for a rust free car or NOS parts.

He is inexperienced in using restoration grade aftermarket parts and is lost as to why he can't get them to fit. It has cost him huge time that he did not allow for in his estimate. Pay him and them take him to court. Make sure you have a paid receipt and documentation. I would first try negotiating and be happy you are out of there.

Don't let the magazine or internet hero sway you when picking a shop. Ask to see a car with welds and fitment in bare metal in person not pics. Primered cars are useless for showing work.

Also be realistic as to quality in your price range. If you are paying premium expect premium work. Budget gets budget work.


Good luck!!!

[67rstbkt]

If I can put together a car using repro panels without hardly any experince doing so, a body shop has no excuse. You are not over reacting.

[rjsjea]

Pay what you gotta pay to get the car back.....then take him to court if you feel you have been wronged.

Brian who posted above is right, budget pay gets budget work. The guy isn't making much if the car has been there a year and you have spent +/- $5000.