Slight rant

[JPSmit]

You would think that if you gave a body shop 9,000 dollars to do your car that they might actually take the undercoat off the bottom and paint it, or clean the mud off the bottom of the engine bay before they painted it or maybe even paint the back of the front valance - which can easily be seen - while they painted the rest of the engine bay. Just spent a couple ours underneath, scraping. I know that it wasn't my money and i even know it is buyer beware. I am certainly aware that you need to do your homework but for heaven's sake - we aren't talking rocket science here.

There, rant done, back to Christmas festivities.

 

[Billm]

But remember JP that those were Canadian dollars that would be nearly $9002 now and for THAT amount of money they should have done it right!!
BillM

 

[DrEntropy]

Very few "hirelings" understand.

No way but to do it yourself, if you expect it to be right.

 

[JPSmit]

Very few "hirelings" understand.

No way but to do it yourself, if you expect it to be right.

amen to that

 

[DrEntropy]

There's another side to it, too. We've had to turn away prospective clients when they couldn't understand things like thorough work (your valence would be painted inside, entire underbody redone), wanting us to half-butt the "stuff that doesn't show" and reduce the costs... can't work that way. One "Upscale Hog-Lot" used car business comes to mind. Guy would buy clapped out EuroTrash at auctions and expect us to: "Just make it run"...

"Want it done right? It'll cost $X, if you want corners cut, see another shop. Sorry."

Our name was PROUDLY on any project we turned out. And we turned out some gems.

This 'artsy' shot is of one of 'em:

 

[JPSmit]

You can have it fast, good and cheap - pick two.

I know how that works Doc though I have to say I am more inclined to think lazy on the shops part - especially with literally 2 minutes of cleaning before paint or 30 seconds more spray in an engine bay you were painting anyway.

 

[JPSmit]

well another hour on the bottom of the car tonight - tedious but I am about 1/3 done - the first pass. A friend said spray with solvent 2 or 3 nights in a row and it will come off easily - Seems to come off pretty easily. The annoying part is that I found a hole. so, will have to figure up how to weld it up and then how to touch up the paint - the body shop should have found the hole. grrrrrr

 

[LarryK]

In 1992 I worked for a shop specializing in Jags that had an XK140 Convertible sitting in the corner. When I inquired about the car I was told it was brought in for us to put together. It had come from another restoration shop. It supposedly had a $20k paint job, of which I saw rust in three places and steel floorboards. Brit cars back then had wood floors. Fortunately the owner sold the car before we were to put it together, saving us from the embarrasment of someone else's botched job. I now paint everything myself and will not take anybody who wants to cut corners, that's what Maco is for.

 

[Steve]

I have the deepest regard for the craftsmen of this world. I can't afford you but I respect you. :wink:

 

[JPSmit]

In 1992 I worked for a shop specializing in Jags that had an XK140 Convertible sitting in the corner. When I inquired about the car I was told it was brought in for us to put together. It had come from another restoration shop. It supposedly had a $20k paint job, of which I saw rust in three places and steel floorboards. Brit cars back then had wood floors. Fortunately the owner sold the car before we were to put it together, saving us from the embarrasment of someone else's botched job. I now paint everything myself and will not take anybody who wants to cut corners, that's what Maco is for.

Was ranting to a good friend about the hole and this was his reply - interesting perspective, I never thought about it this way but I think he makes a point:

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"Your aggravation about the rushed paint results from a project being dropped off at a shop with the stipulation that it doesn't have to be rushed. It then plays second fiddle to any other 'real jobs' that arrive in. After two or three months, the owner of the project gets appropriately impatient, makes a fuss, and the shop rushes it through to 'get it GONE'! The lesson......never say the project is 'no rush'. Be prepared to pay the expected rate and book the project in effectively. Know that your shop has the capability and the professional pride to do the work to the level you have negotiated....being realistic about the anticipated result</span>s."</span>