Classic van restoration- dispute- need your advice, everyone
Discussion
Crikey.
24k worth of work without any paper trail.
Do you not even have receipts?
Surely you need them to prove it's a business expense?
You said it was about 3k on bodywork, that means the rest is on the interior kitchen?
It been a while since I drove a rusty classic around, but I think that 3k isn't a lot of money when it comes to bodywork and restoration.
24k worth of work without any paper trail.
Do you not even have receipts?
Surely you need them to prove it's a business expense?
You said it was about 3k on bodywork, that means the rest is on the interior kitchen?
It been a while since I drove a rusty classic around, but I think that 3k isn't a lot of money when it comes to bodywork and restoration.
MX7 said:
No way the rust should come through that quickly. He doesn't know what he's doing.
This.Piss poor prep.
90% of paintwork is in the prep. Blowing a few coats of paint at something and polishing it after is nothing compared to the prep that should go on beforehand.
If the filler is cracking already it shows that his prep has been crap.
Sorry fella, it ain't going to get better.
Talk to him. Tell him that it is up to him to "get it sorted" by a professional bodyshop, not bodged up by him again. If he declines tell him that a small claims court will agree in your favour and that is the only course of action left to you.
It's a s
t situation to be in. Hope it gets sorted for you.BTW, mmmmmm, crepes.
sat1983 said:
I have been in contact regularly with him throughout the summer, he's always got some other excuse. I mentioned the rust coming through last saturday and he just brought some touch up paint and said I'd have to keep painting the spots coming through.
I know I'm used to modern cars but after 2 weeks???
WTF?I know I'm used to modern cars but after 2 weeks???
Oh yeah. Photos, photos, photos.
Upload them to the web so you can prove the dates on them. Document everything you can. It sounds like you're going to need to. :/
You could get a very nice splittie for that kind of money. I can't see the pictures on the original thread due to computer so it's hard to judge the work involved.
Sorry but it sounds to me like you'll have to put this down to experience and move on, is he a well established company? It's sad but true that for this kind of money he'll probably wind up and move rather than pay you back if you try legal action.
We had a T2 bay window camper and had some resto work done, our guy took much longer than quoted but stuck pretty much to a quoted price, detailed what costs were material and what was labour and although at times he was hard to pin down, he was genuine. All in about £6K for some new panels, new inner, outer sills, 2 new doors, new rear valence and a respray. I wasn't happy with some of the quality of the work but I am fussy ass and the van sold 18months later for much more than the cost of the original and the work so it couldn't have been that obvious.
Sorry but it sounds to me like you'll have to put this down to experience and move on, is he a well established company? It's sad but true that for this kind of money he'll probably wind up and move rather than pay you back if you try legal action.
We had a T2 bay window camper and had some resto work done, our guy took much longer than quoted but stuck pretty much to a quoted price, detailed what costs were material and what was labour and although at times he was hard to pin down, he was genuine. All in about £6K for some new panels, new inner, outer sills, 2 new doors, new rear valence and a respray. I wasn't happy with some of the quality of the work but I am fussy ass and the van sold 18months later for much more than the cost of the original and the work so it couldn't have been that obvious.
Rather belated, but have you since carried out a google search on the guy's business, or searched any classic forums etc.
Obtain one or two experts opinions and quotes, then offered him first the opportunity of either correcting the works or a financial refund, if a refusal to either is received, then consider legal option. Although any legal action may receive success in the courts, because of the lack of paperwork, that success may be tempered by you not recovering your legal expenses, the same that might be very costly.
Obtain one or two experts opinions and quotes, then offered him first the opportunity of either correcting the works or a financial refund, if a refusal to either is received, then consider legal option. Although any legal action may receive success in the courts, because of the lack of paperwork, that success may be tempered by you not recovering your legal expenses, the same that might be very costly.
sat1983 said:
I'm worried about this- what makes you come to that conclusion?
Well I don't want to sound too harsh here but if you don't know how much labour was involved, how much was spent on materials etc... If the 20K includes the van interior etc... (I haven't seen the pictures but have you got some sort of cooker/fridge/coffee machine, electricity generator or something in there?) I can see he can quite easilly demonstrate where the money has gone and you can't demonstrate it hasn't.It's the same when employing any skilled tradesman, plumber, builder, electrician etc... people are always shocked at what things cost, but he's in a much better position to debate the cost than you if you have no real idea what he's been doing, you know what I mean.
As for the quality of the work, well yes obviously rust should not be coming through new paint that's only a few months old, but these old motors are made from mild steel, they rust, it's a fact of life, it will be hard to demonstrate what is new rust, what is old rust and what rust has been caused by him.
The best you can hope for is to appeal to his humanity, if he hasn't got any then well it's not worth the fight... i'd concentrate on getting the business up and running and creating profit which should allow you to fix things as you go, or flog it on.
Sounds like filler has been used, I would have asked for lead loading.
As for the fitting out, all I can tell you is that I fit out catering trailers, I can't fit out a trailer for less than 15/18k Mat/labour, and that's the cheapest, I don't know what you have had done inside, so I can't tell you what value you have had. If I was you however, I would take it else where and have the filler taken out and lead put in it's place, then spray just that section, not the whole van.
Get a fixed price in writting of what they intend to do for the price, clarify, clarify, clarify!
Lead loading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upn_20rqGE4
As for the fitting out, all I can tell you is that I fit out catering trailers, I can't fit out a trailer for less than 15/18k Mat/labour, and that's the cheapest, I don't know what you have had done inside, so I can't tell you what value you have had. If I was you however, I would take it else where and have the filler taken out and lead put in it's place, then spray just that section, not the whole van.
Get a fixed price in writting of what they intend to do for the price, clarify, clarify, clarify!
Lead loading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upn_20rqGE4
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