Shop horror stories

[Flchallenger]

I have my car in a shop getting painted and have been very frustrated with them. Just wandering I never see anyone posting about this. Maybe if I heard other peoples problems mine would look better to me. I really want to just scream don't ever take your car to this shop. I called around, asked people and was recommended this shop by a another reputable shop. It is so difficult to find honest people to do work on cars. I guess that is the way it's always been. I wish there was a web site like Angies List for car shops. I guess they can't find anyone with a high enough rating to make Angies List.

 

[DetMatt1]

I think part of the problem is there are not enough younger people choosing to make a career out of this and as a result the labor pool is shrinking.

 

[js29]

Detmat hit that one right in the bulls eye.us old timers are not as fast as we user to be. some shops use old car restoration as fill in work between insurance work. if A shop charged the going hourly rate for the actual time spent restoring an old vehicle it would not be cost effective for ether party.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

And, some shops are just plain crooks.

 

[DetMatt1]

Well there's that too...

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Well there's that too...

But, I do agree with the OP, it is very difficult to find an honest & reasonably priced shop with the technical expertise to properly do a full restoration. I finally found the technical expertise part of the equation, but the lack of customer service and the final cost were not what was expected. Car is now done and done well, but I'll NEVER put myself through that process again. EVER!

 

[moparleo]

One of the biggest problems is not having a signed contract that states time promised and initial agreed cost. If you don't put it in writing you are limited to what you can do to apply any kind of pressure on the shop/owner that is doing your car. Remember that this is a business and you should always have a signature in your hand.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Don't think I didn't try to get that kind of arrangement. But shop owners must just have SO much work available on others cars that they just laugh at you if you suggest a written signed contract. These were 2 of the most prominent nationally known Mopar restoration shops that you can think of. They have cars in the Mopar magazines ALL the time. You would KNOW who they are if I were to say. They basically tell you it will be their way or the highway. The third shop was local, the guy just kept making promises and lying. Spent two years with him getting NOTHING done on the car. You can't get that part of your life back.

Curious Moparleo, did you get that written signed contract on a full up restoration of a car of yours? Or is this just a theory of yours as to how it SHOULD work? If you did, good for you. But I didn't have that kind of luck.

 

[aussiemark]

If you want it done properly and in a reasonable time frame the only way is to get a specialist who only works on these types of cars and no insurance or new cars. people like Alan Gallant they have the special tools and jigs and more importantly the experience and passion to make it happen.

 

[moparleo]

On having someone else work on my cars. no.. I am in California and just retired as a store manager for Bridgestone /Firestone. Largest tire co in the world. In my state you don't even touch a car without a signed estimate. Even for an oil change. Here is the thing. There are more than 2 famous restoration shops in the US. If you say that everybody is too busy to work on your car....keep looking. Don't take the first guy who says he will do it and then cry about it. Business is business. Just like these shops tell you that they have plenty of customers, There are more shops as well. Do your homework. If you are serious, keep looking. Look what has happened to you already. Don't just look for a place to complain about it. Do something about it. Maybe there is a trade school or Junior College locally who will do your work in a class for a discount. Think outside the box.

 

[Cuda_mark]

I agree with moparleo that there are more than just a couple of shops that do great work. My car is at a shop that is only 15 minutes from where I work...he specializes in mopars and has plenty of high end restorations in magazines. He was completely up front with me when he told me that there is no possible way any good restoration shop would give you an estimate because they have no idea what they are going to find after they start tearing the car down to bare metal. What my guy would do is give me estimates in chunks...it will be X hours for me to get the car down to bare metal, then once he knew what we have he gave me an estimate on metal work, etc...

I think it's also important to have a shop that is close by so you can pop in unannounced. If you're spending decent money to have a job done, you deserve to see every step of the progress.

 

[1969VADart]

I have found that more than a few of these "good" body men and "restoration" shop-style operations work on a shoestring, particularly if they are small independently owned and not affiliated with a large body shop or a "real" restoration shop. In my experience, a lot of these guys are like gypsies moving around between shops all the time. Local shops function on the edge financially. On my Dart project, I started working with a guy who had a private little shop. He and I were working on my car together, but I was paying him some money for work that it turned out he wasn't doing. Worse, he gave me a lot of excuses or claimed he was doing work on my car when it was completely clear that he wasn't. He almost went bankrupt, almost lost everything, owed people a bunch of work or money, and eventually ran from court judgments out of state. It almost cost me my car, and did cost me a little money before I ended up turning over my car to a more reputable shop to let finish what we had started. It was a painful experience, and I learned to be more careful about who I am committing any project work to.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

On having someone else work on my cars. no.. I am in California and just retired as a store manager for Bridgestone /Firestone. Largest tire co in the world. In my state you don't even touch a car without a signed estimate. Even for an oil change. Here is the thing. There are more than 2 famous restoration shops in the US. If you say that everybody is too busy to work on your car....keep looking. Don't take the first guy who says he will do it and then cry about it. Business is business. Just like these shops tell you that they have plenty of customers, There are more shops as well. Do your homework. If you are serious, keep looking. Look what has happened to you already. Don't just look for a place to complain about it. Do something about it. Maybe there is a trade school or Junior College locally who will do your work in a class for a discount. Think outside the box.

Yes, California has some laws to help protect the car owner, good for them. Indiana doesn't.

More than 2 famous shops?? Tell me something I don't already know. But, they don't have them in Indiana on every street corner like they probably do in your great state. I drove over 500 miles to one of the supposed "Top Shops" and almost 400 to the second one. Proximity to home is a limiting factor.

As for "crying" or "complaining" about it, I'm not. I didn't post here for your approval or your benefit. I was replying to the "original poster" who was asking about "Shop Horror Stories". I think my experiences with Mopar Restoration qualifies me to answer that. It is a topic that you have already confessed you have NO EXPERIENCE with. Yet you want to come across as the know it all expert on the field and tell me and everyone else how to do it properly. Try it sometime and see where it gets you.

"Here is the thing", if you feel I'm complaining, "Do something about it". Don't read or reply to my posts with your "whining", just go on to the next thread. Its really pretty simple.

Bottom line, point I was trying to make, there are MORE "shady operators" and "flat out crooks" in the auto restoration business than there are "honest and trustworthy" types.

 

[rbbruno3]

I also was able to find a shady shop. I basically tore the car back apart. Fixing all the cob jobs poor workmanship . I've been 3 months almost every day trying to get this ready for the road. The only reason I farmed out this work was I didn't have the time to do it. Retirement is just around the corner. Lesson learned , if you want anything done right " do it yourself " the Charger project will be all me. My crook was in Connecticut 2 1/2 hours from home .

 

[Cuda_mark]

I also was able to find a shady shop. I basically tore the car back apart. Fixing all the cob jobs poor workmanship . I've been 3 months almost every day trying to get this ready for the road. The only reason I farmed out this work was I didn't have the time to do it. Retirement is just around the corner. Lesson learned , if you want anything done right " do it yourself " the Charger project will be all me. My crook was in Connecticut 2 1/2 hours from home .

rbbruno - which shop in CT did you have a problem with. I'm in CT and I'd like to know who to avoid! Also wondering if I've ever dealt with them.

 

[Cuda_mark]

Yes, California has some laws to help protect the car owner, good for them. Indiana doesn't.

More than 2 famous shops?? Tell me something I don't already know. But, they don't have them in Indiana on every street corner like they probably do in your great state. I drove over 500 miles to one of the supposed "Top Shops" and almost 400 to the second one. Proximity to home is a limiting factor.

As for "crying" or "complaining" about it, I'm not. I didn't post here for your approval or your benefit. I was replying to the "original poster" who was asking about "Shop Horror Stories". I think my experiences with Mopar Restoration qualifies me to answer that. It is a topic that you have already confessed you have NO EXPERIENCE with. Yet you want to come across as the know it all expert on the field and tell me and everyone else how to do it properly. Try it sometime and see where it gets you.

"Here is the thing", if you feel I'm complaining, "Do something about it". Don't read or reply to my posts with your "whining", just go on to the next thread. Its really pretty simple.

Bottom line, point I was trying to make, there are MORE "shady operators" and "flat out crooks" in the auto restoration business than there are "honest and trustworthy" types.

M&M - Have you ever looked into The Finer Details in Danville, IN? I've heard they are pretty good (but I dont have any personal experience with them other than buying parts off of Ken at Carlisle.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Yes, I've met and talked with Ken Mosier from Finer Details a couple of times. Yes, another one of the high end shops that do a lot of Mopar work. A good friend of mine had his '70 Hemi Challenger done there a couple years back.