Anybody know how to fix anything anymore?

[MuscleRodz]

I bought a wrecked 01 Camaro to fix for my wife about 6 months ago. Took it to a frame shop and all they had to do is pull it staight, bob the rails in front of the towers, drill out about 25 spot welds, and install core support and weld the rails together. After paint, you wouldn't be able to tell it had been fixed, right? Instead, they took an air chisel to break the spotwelds, tried to straighten the acordianed frame rails, and welded the core support in crooked, and then tried to hide their work with black undercoater on my white car! (I did take all the body panels to the frame shop with the car to make sure they got it right). Took it back after I trial fitted everything and found the front end wasn't square and the bumper cover sat 1" below the hood. Picked it up a second time, and looked close enough (didn't realize everything was loose underneath). I already had enough of this shop. Well now the car is painted and was final fitting everything only to find out they never took the core support loose and fix it. The bumper cover is still 1" low and I am PO'd. Sorry for the long post but needed to vent. Here is a pic to show my problem.

Mike

[BlazerSpeed]

That really sucks. Have you thought about calling Osha, or the Better Business Bearau (cant spell for crap today ) because it sounds as though they care more about moving product and recieving pay than doing a proper job. Not to mention the fact that your car is now a definite road hazard!!!
DEREK

[68protouring454]

the first site of using an air chisel for spot welds, should of had you running the other direction, i use an air chisel sometimes on spot welds, but only after i have drilled them and they are still stuck a bit, also in spots where you cannot get drill i will use an air chisel but i always hammer and dolly the flange back. should of trial fit the 2nd time, after seeing these amatuers do work, sorry for your hassle, looks nice other than gap at hood
jake

[MuscleRodz]

When I picked the car up the second time it was all assembled and didn't look that far off. The gap was gone but I attribute that to them leaving stuff loose to make fit. My first phone call Monday morning is to the frame shop to try to settle this peacefully by either getting my money back or them paying another shop to fix it all. The sad part is this was a recommended shop! What is even worse I now have to disassemble the front of the car to replace the core support and make the proper repairs. The only reason I sent it out is I had no way to pull the rails back straight. I guess if you want anything done right, you got to do it yourself.

[Ralph LoGrasso]

I'm with Jake,

The only time I use an air chisel on spot welds is either after I drilled them, or if I'm just seperating two flanges, where one won't be used anymore (wheel houses for mini-tub). This is the exact reason why I don't trust anyone to do work on my cars, unless I know them. Good thing my Uncle owns a body shop. Sorry to hear of your troubles.

One a side note, damn that camaro looks SWEET!! That's exactly what I'm going to be buying once I sell my Tahoe. Probably black though. Did you paint the hockey stick stripe, and the other stripe on, or was it a vinyl kit? Is it a true SS?

[MuscleRodz]

I hand laid the stripes myself. They want way to much for a decal that size. Nope not an SS, hence my original handle of SSWANAB. It is a V-6 car, all power, basic suspension mods, looks like a SS. I am planinng on a turbo for it but have not decided on keeping yet with all the fits I had trying to put it back together. I agree with everybody they did it wrong, I just wish I had caught them before they finished. The only nice thing about a V-6 Camaro in my opinion is I can afford insurance.

Mike

[LowBuckX]

No!!! nobody knows how to fix anything correct anymore. I replaced my trunk weatherstip today and found out first hand what butchers do when you hand them a nice car and NOS 1/4 panels. They hack the crap out of everything to fit them. Then Glue the weatherstrip down to bare metal with some sort of silicone caulk that rusted the hell out of the channel. must have used a prduct like dupont 999 silicon that plainly states on the bottle it corrodes most metals. Turned a 10 minute job into an all day affair.. Now I am going to have to pull the rear window trim to see how they put my window in. I hope they didnt use the clear silicone.

[MuscleRodz]

Don't get me started on my 68 Camaro and the left NOS quarter I had installed. That car is a whole different story that I have luckily placed in good hands and two bad ones.

Mike

[Happyfunballs]

I'm sorry to hear about your car. Too many times have I seen this happen. I'm sure you'll work it out.

On the upside, I love the hockey stripe!! Thought about a bumblebee stripe on a late model, that might look cool also.

[68protouring454]

mike, if you can do alot of the work your self, i would make friends with someone at a dealership or somewhere that has a nice frame machine and have them pull it and then you install parts, etc, i do not have a frame machine and do collision work alot, i send it out to the local ford dealer ship, i have some friends there, and they pull it for me, i just need to send proper parts for fitting, but 90% of the time with the laser measuring system etc, they do not ned any parts to trial fit, although it is good practise to have them handy, they treat me real well, charge me hourly, and only what it takes them to pull it, not what the esitmate is, usually i make a few bucks off it, and i do not have to spend 15-25k on a frame machine, sorry about your troubles, they hacked it for sure,
jake

[MuscleRodz]

I have done everything including paint except for the frame work. It has kept me from being upside in this car so far. I went to their shop today and showed the pics and they said sure bring it up and we'll fix it. I said nope, you are coming to my shop and we will reach an agreement before the car leaves. What I prefer is to have my money back but probabaly won't happen.

Mike