Restorer trouble...
Discussion
A couple of years ago I entrusted a classic car body (fully stripped) to a specialist.
We agreed a fixed price up front. I paid a 25% instalment up front, plus the cost of panels as they were bought.
Progress has ground to a halt and I've had a string of excuses - some are genuine, some sound pretty fishy.
Over the years I've paid a fair chunk of the total bill (over half) and he reckons he's done about that amount of work. Convenient.
I've lost patience in the excuses and missed deadlines (deadlines set by him, not me although he knows I want it done) and just want it either done or returned to me and I'll get someone else to do it.
I'm a pretty patient person but I've run out of it now.
I'm tempted to turn up with a trailer.
Any thoughts?
We agreed a fixed price up front. I paid a 25% instalment up front, plus the cost of panels as they were bought.
Progress has ground to a halt and I've had a string of excuses - some are genuine, some sound pretty fishy.
Over the years I've paid a fair chunk of the total bill (over half) and he reckons he's done about that amount of work. Convenient.
I've lost patience in the excuses and missed deadlines (deadlines set by him, not me although he knows I want it done) and just want it either done or returned to me and I'll get someone else to do it.
I'm a pretty patient person but I've run out of it now.
I'm tempted to turn up with a trailer.
Any thoughts?
I feel your pain
I had the same situation with a mustang Resto.
In fact I did the body into paint and the engine and handed him the car and all the bits for build up.
Was quoted less than a year.
7 years later I eventually got the car back sort of complete though spent another 10k getting it to work properly.
Tricky one that only you can answer. If you’re upside down with costs then you’re rightly reluctant to go get it but I wouldn’t rule it out. If you’re not upside down then go get it.
I had the same situation with a mustang Resto.
In fact I did the body into paint and the engine and handed him the car and all the bits for build up.
Was quoted less than a year.
7 years later I eventually got the car back sort of complete though spent another 10k getting it to work properly.
Tricky one that only you can answer. If you’re upside down with costs then you’re rightly reluctant to go get it but I wouldn’t rule it out. If you’re not upside down then go get it.
I would speak to (the main man) at the Bodyshop first.
I know from experience, the whole Bodyshop industry is under extreme pressure, costs have since about Sept last year have spiralled upwards badly.
Labour costs, paint cost, gas and electric etc. etc have risen beyond reason, he just might need bring back down to earth?
I know from experience, the whole Bodyshop industry is under extreme pressure, costs have since about Sept last year have spiralled upwards badly.
Labour costs, paint cost, gas and electric etc. etc have risen beyond reason, he just might need bring back down to earth?
I had the same issue, a 6 month job turned in to 3.5 years and not even 50% finished, in the end I took along a ‘handy fellow" and we left with my car and goods to cover the value of how much I had overpaid.
It was a litany of broken promises, he turned nasty at times, pleaded at others. Go get the car and consider a claim in small claims court but give them a few weeks to give you some refund or something in return.
It was a litany of broken promises, he turned nasty at times, pleaded at others. Go get the car and consider a claim in small claims court but give them a few weeks to give you some refund or something in return.
Blimey and I thought I'd given a bodyshop a decent length of time at 6 months without a lot of progress.
In my case I had a friendly conversation with the owner about the situation, and we agreed that he was no longer in a position to do it having lost staff, we agreed a figure for the work done so far and parted ways as friends, with me having the car restored elsewhere and him no longer having to worry about how and when he was going to fit in the project around his regular insurance contracts.
Appreciate not every such story has a happy ending, but it does happen
In my case I had a friendly conversation with the owner about the situation, and we agreed that he was no longer in a position to do it having lost staff, we agreed a figure for the work done so far and parted ways as friends, with me having the car restored elsewhere and him no longer having to worry about how and when he was going to fit in the project around his regular insurance contracts.
Appreciate not every such story has a happy ending, but it does happen
jeff666 said:
Organize a trailer and go and get it,
If he priced the job 2 years ago he realizes he has probably underpriced it so no interest in finishing it.
Good point.If he priced the job 2 years ago he realizes he has probably underpriced it so no interest in finishing it.
There will be a lot of time, hassle and almost certainly extra cost if I have to move it, so it might be worth me throwing an extra £500 in as an incentive for getting it done by date X.
Don't want to spend extra, but pragmatically this might be the way forward.
anon123abc said:
Good point.
There will be a lot of time, hassle and almost certainly extra cost if I have to move it, so it might be worth me throwing an extra £500 in as an incentive for getting it done by date X.
Don't want to spend extra, but pragmatically this might be the way forward.
Trouble is 500 quid is only 10 hours labour at my shop,There will be a lot of time, hassle and almost certainly extra cost if I have to move it, so it might be worth me throwing an extra £500 in as an incentive for getting it done by date X.
Don't want to spend extra, but pragmatically this might be the way forward.
But I do agree trying to reach a compromise for both parties could be the way forward, just out of interest what car are we talking about here ?
jeff666 said:
Trouble is 500 quid is only 10 hours labour at my shop,
But I do agree trying to reach a compromise for both parties could be the way forward, just out of interest what car are we talking about here ?
Nothing too exotic, but worth restoring now.But I do agree trying to reach a compromise for both parties could be the way forward, just out of interest what car are we talking about here ?
Full update when all resolved.
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