Body Shop Pickle

[Zoomin]

Did you pay him anything in advance?

[Rag Top Rob]

you have now set the stage for him to put in a few days on your car to get you pregnant. Then he will push your car to the side and it will sit for months. Been there, done that....

Don

exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[minendrews68]

Dennis,
What did you find out about your body shop? Meant to ask you this morning but forgot,

[1976CamaroGuy]

I'm trying to stay on top of them. I stopped by today and they haven't done anything since last week other than some sanding. He said they were going to pull the trunk lid and put the shell in primer this afternoon.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

I would get it out of there.

[Interceptor5588]

Run

[Dusted]

Yeah, my cutlass has been at a body shop for seven months! I had my truck at another body shop paid him 4,800 it was there for 9 months then he hit a horse on Chapman Highway and is on life support!

I can't catch a break in Tennessee with body shops!

[groho]

my coupe was in body/paint for 6 mos. I took the opportunity to knock out all the necessary items while I had the space and time, engine, tranny, interior seats, etc. If you don't think about it, its not a problem. Yes, I was at the shop nearly every week because I commuted right past it and they knew I was keeping an eye on them. In the end, everyone was happy, and everyone was paid. My suggestion, either pull the car or let them be so they can do their job. Fender bender insurance work is likely their bread and butter income, and your car is not the priority. It will get done, eventually. In my case I had an understanding it would be a pay for services, 1/3 up front, 1/3 when its out of primer, and 1/3 at finish, which gave them incentive.

[killer69]

I would Call Kenny Davis hotrods make arrangements to move the car to his shop and be done with it. total BS.

[dk21]

any updates on your body shop issue?

[1976CamaroGuy]

Kind of where it's at, I checked on it Friday 4/3 and the shell was blocked and in primer. Checked on it last friday and the doors appeared to have been blocked and done too now.

Not a lot of fast progress, I noticed last Friday this C3 corvette showed up and sitting next to it now.

He told me last Friday that he would have my Camaro painted and ready by may 1st. Not seeing fast enough progress for a strong commitment.

We'll see I guess...but doubt that will happen. My plan is to check on it once a week, so I'm stopping by again tomorrow or Friday.

[minendrews68]

Dennis,
Looks like he's just got it pushed into a corner to me. Even to the things propped against the back of it. To take on another job (the Corvette) before yours is done... I don't know.... I hope it's going to get better.

[1976CamaroGuy]

I'm watching that corvette closely, if anything gets done to it I'm going to bring that up.

That area in front is weird. It will go from packed with cars, to hardly nothing (which gives me a good feeling because that means my car is getting attention soon) to being full again. A few days ago it was down a bit again.

[1976CamaroGuy]

Did you pay him anything in advance?

No...that's the weird thing. I haven't paid anything yet on this. I offered several times (more so after the third month) and he refused and said it wasn't needed yet.

I just presented it as, let me pay something to get the ball rolling more frequently. I don't think they are taking money yet because they aren't actually working on it regularly. I think once I put some cash in his hands it becomes an obligation to finish it in a timely manner...at least that's the way I see it.

Where the truck is sitting in my pics is the actual "work area" of the vehicles coming in and out..and I have seen several different cars come and go in that spot since October.

[vintageracer]

Yeah I was pretty firm and told him that I'm good with next week and will pull it if there's no real progress from this point on. I've also took a mental picture of what they are currently working on and whats sitting out front too.

BIG MISTAKE!

NEVER "Threaten To Pull Your Car From a Shop Owner".

JUST DO IT!

Your only stop at this shop SHOULD have been with a trailer to pick up your car as suggested MANY times earlier in this thread.

Why in the world would you want to let this LYING body shop owner to CONTINUE to get his hooks in you???

GO GET YOUR DAMN CAR TODAY!!!

[1976CamaroGuy]

Checked on it earlier, he worked the fenders a bit since last week. I asked about the May 1st deadline and he said it would be close...but that would be a no.

Guys I really want to try and see this through since they are working on it some right now. If I pulled it I would have it brought back to my house until I found another shop and that def would be anything getting done to it there

[Wflohr]

I went through the same stuff with my car and they kept taking other jobs first. It was finally done after a year.

[1976CamaroGuy]

Update:

Got a call from the body shop yesterday afternoon that they moved my car around and started working on it now. He said that they hope to have it done the end of next week. If so that would be awesome.

I dropped off a $2,000 down payment check earlier and he was actually working on one of the fenders when I pulled up. It was sitting in the bay where he does the bodywork so it looks promising.

[minendrews68]

Not to be pessimistic but I hope he's not reeling you in with the deposit. Meaning "I've got your deposit so now he won't pull the job regardless"
I'm rooting for your side hope it does well. Why don't you tell him you've been talking to me and I'm going to need a painter. maybe he would think "if Dennis is unhappy he will tell this other guy and I don't want him to tell him that" worth a try...

[1976CamaroGuy]

Normally I would say that he's trying to "lock" me in, but I checked on it Thursday and it was pulled into their "work" bay and the bodyman was working the fender. He had the drivers side leveled out.

I've been up there at least once a week, just popping in. I'm sure they can tell I'm getting anxious. Plus who knows what's going on with the corvette owner, it's been there a good month already.....maybe they are getting anxious too.

Plus to me taking my money means they have to be "committed" to my job now, or at least that seems how it looks. Just trying to keep an open mind and will still be checking on it frequently. And I def won't be recommending them to other people after it taking this long either way....I just want it done and back in my shop lol

EDIT: Went past the shop today, bay door is open and they are working on it