restoman
The paint fumes have cleared so I'm
A customer brought me this Merc that he just finished spending a lot of money on, to try and straighten it out.
Take a gander at the pics. It makes me almost sick, to see this kind of crap!
The story goes - he took it to me just before my shop closed, obviously I wasn't in a position to help him out at that time. So, to another bodyshop it went, to sit un-touched for most of the winter. The owner's patience ran out, he paid the minor bill at that shop and took it to someone who had bugged him for years for some work. He got an estimate (nothing on paper, sadly), they did some work, then demanded some more money in order to finish the car.
Now, keep in mind, I've worked for this guy many times in the past, money is NOT an obstacle for him. As long as he gets what he wants, he's happy to pay the bill.
This Merc is also a Southwest US car, with very little rust, and the owner brought it to them totally disassembled, sitting on a rolling cart. That's the way he operates - he puts them back together himself.
So, the owner agrees to pay the extra $$$, providing the car is the way he wants it when he picks it up.
When he gets the call to "come pick it up, it's done", he dispatches his son in the company flatbed, and heads out to meet him at the bodyshop.
Now the price is almost double the second estimated amount, and the shop insists on payment before he loads the car.
Some words were exchanged, harshly, I'm sure.
Long of it is, the car leaves on the flatbed, and not one penny more than the second estimate was paid.
It sits in a trailer for a month while emotions settle, then it comes to me.
It's frick' horrible! I've seen smoother sheetmetal after a demo derby. The paint has that really thick, orange-peely, run infested look to it. Crooked paint lines, over spray throughout, no seam sealer anywhere. exposed welds wherever any welding had to be done. yadda, yadda, yadda....
Take a peek at the pics. I don't know how someone could do this kind of work and look at themselves in the mirror.
Filler over rust, at least 6 seperate coats of primer, it was sprayed white then some more primer was applied with filler put on top of the primer (likely because it was too wavy), several areas had at least a full 1/2" of filler, fender skirts that were not fitted, expensive Glasurit base coat topped with cheap clear, runs, .....
I can use the money, but fixing this kind of stuff is fast becoming un-fun!
Take a gander at the pics. It makes me almost sick, to see this kind of crap!
The story goes - he took it to me just before my shop closed, obviously I wasn't in a position to help him out at that time. So, to another bodyshop it went, to sit un-touched for most of the winter. The owner's patience ran out, he paid the minor bill at that shop and took it to someone who had bugged him for years for some work. He got an estimate (nothing on paper, sadly), they did some work, then demanded some more money in order to finish the car.
Now, keep in mind, I've worked for this guy many times in the past, money is NOT an obstacle for him. As long as he gets what he wants, he's happy to pay the bill.
This Merc is also a Southwest US car, with very little rust, and the owner brought it to them totally disassembled, sitting on a rolling cart. That's the way he operates - he puts them back together himself.
So, the owner agrees to pay the extra $$$, providing the car is the way he wants it when he picks it up.
When he gets the call to "come pick it up, it's done", he dispatches his son in the company flatbed, and heads out to meet him at the bodyshop.
Now the price is almost double the second estimated amount, and the shop insists on payment before he loads the car.
Some words were exchanged, harshly, I'm sure.Long of it is, the car leaves on the flatbed, and not one penny more than the second estimate was paid.
It sits in a trailer for a month while emotions settle, then it comes to me.
It's frick' horrible! I've seen smoother sheetmetal after a demo derby. The paint has that really thick, orange-peely, run infested look to it. Crooked paint lines, over spray throughout, no seam sealer anywhere. exposed welds wherever any welding had to be done. yadda, yadda, yadda....
Take a peek at the pics. I don't know how someone could do this kind of work and look at themselves in the mirror.
Filler over rust, at least 6 seperate coats of primer, it was sprayed white then some more primer was applied with filler put on top of the primer (likely because it was too wavy), several areas had at least a full 1/2" of filler, fender skirts that were not fitted, expensive Glasurit base coat topped with cheap clear, runs, .....
I can use the money, but fixing this kind of stuff is fast becoming un-fun!
I worked a couple years in a really good body shop on the west coast, got to work on a lot of older stuff, and can still remember a few of the things I learned. The stuff in your pics definitely ain't any of them.
Me too just didn't want to admit it. :bravo: But then again I work/learn on my own junk and never considered charging money to some unsuspecting sap.
