Old fashioned body repairer.
Discussion
I have had my cars repaired by some big bodyshops that repair prestige cars and I have to say that often there is no connection between how swish a place is and the quality of work. I have had some highly recommended body shops produce some very poor results.
My work car was in for service this week, so I asked the body shop attached to the garage to do some minor body repairs. The old boy that runs it must be in his seventies and not particularly well, by all accounts. The workshop is basic and the equipment old. He gave me a very competitive price for the work and seemed genuinely interested in making my car look new again.
I got a call from the garage today to say my car was ready and was quite excited about picking it up. When I arrived it was waiting outside for me and I checked it over. So, compared to the posh expensive bodyshops I have used how do you suppose this old boy nearing retirement did, using his basic garage and unflashy equipment?
Catastrophically.
Of the four areas he was asked to repair not one of them is right. One is just about passable because it is on a bumper that I will likely scrape again, disguising the fact that he has buffed it too hard and burnt the paint.
A bumper he repaired hasn't even been rubbed down properly much less had the laquer flattened off. Orange peel doesn't cover the finish, it's more lunar landscape.
A flat panel he repaired has got a nice sharp masking line along it which he hasn't polished out, and along the same panel we have more of the lunar landscape.
The other bumper corner he seems to have repainted okay and then re-scraped it on something leaving several deep white scratches in it.
He wasn't there when I collected the car but I did not leave payment. On Monday I am going to have to have a word with him about why I won't be paying. I am not sure the prognosis for the conversation is good. He might be angry and think his work is OK. He may get upset and as he seems to be in poor health I may be the death of him. But the worst possible outcome is that he wants to have another try. I will feel duty bound to let him, but given that he appears to be the worst body repairer in the world I am a bit afraid, frankly.
So, what is the moral of this story? Surely it must be that you shouldn't draw too many conclusions about people. There are undoubtedly many old body repairers who work from modest facilities because they price fairly and are truly skilled at using basic tools to turn out high quality work. But then again there some old boys who work from modest facilities because they are dreadful at their job and cannot afford anything better.
Manks
My work car was in for service this week, so I asked the body shop attached to the garage to do some minor body repairs. The old boy that runs it must be in his seventies and not particularly well, by all accounts. The workshop is basic and the equipment old. He gave me a very competitive price for the work and seemed genuinely interested in making my car look new again.
I got a call from the garage today to say my car was ready and was quite excited about picking it up. When I arrived it was waiting outside for me and I checked it over. So, compared to the posh expensive bodyshops I have used how do you suppose this old boy nearing retirement did, using his basic garage and unflashy equipment?
Catastrophically.
Of the four areas he was asked to repair not one of them is right. One is just about passable because it is on a bumper that I will likely scrape again, disguising the fact that he has buffed it too hard and burnt the paint.
A bumper he repaired hasn't even been rubbed down properly much less had the laquer flattened off. Orange peel doesn't cover the finish, it's more lunar landscape.
A flat panel he repaired has got a nice sharp masking line along it which he hasn't polished out, and along the same panel we have more of the lunar landscape.
The other bumper corner he seems to have repainted okay and then re-scraped it on something leaving several deep white scratches in it.
He wasn't there when I collected the car but I did not leave payment. On Monday I am going to have to have a word with him about why I won't be paying. I am not sure the prognosis for the conversation is good. He might be angry and think his work is OK. He may get upset and as he seems to be in poor health I may be the death of him. But the worst possible outcome is that he wants to have another try. I will feel duty bound to let him, but given that he appears to be the worst body repairer in the world I am a bit afraid, frankly.
So, what is the moral of this story? Surely it must be that you shouldn't draw too many conclusions about people. There are undoubtedly many old body repairers who work from modest facilities because they price fairly and are truly skilled at using basic tools to turn out high quality work. But then again there some old boys who work from modest facilities because they are dreadful at their job and cannot afford anything better.
Manks
Unpleasant situation to be in.
Maybe get him to examine his handiwork from six feet away?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia
Maybe get him to examine his handiwork from six feet away?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia
Babu 01 said:
Unpleasant situation to be in.
Maybe get him to examine his handiwork from six feet away?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia
It is an unpleasant situation and I DO suspect the old boy's health is at least partly responsible for the poor work.Maybe get him to examine his handiwork from six feet away?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia
Whatever the outcome I am unlikely to feel good about it.
Manks
Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff