Dilemma about glass

[26Tudor]

Okay, I had a local guy cut the glass for my 26 Tudor.
It didn't take him long to come over and get the deposit, but I had to hound him for 3 weeks to get the glass. There are 2 glass guys in town, I chose this guy because the first one, that actually has a shop and doesn't work out of his home, basically destroyed the original windshield frame for the T, putting the w/s glass in, took a lot to get it back to usable condition..This "new guy" was also considerably cheaper in his bid, than the established windshield frame killer guys.
SO, after a bunch of broken promises and delivery dates where I sat and waited for this character to not show up, I am finally ready to test fit the glass and felt channels, prior to painting the car.
It's too wide, I can get the glass in the door, but good luck getting the felt channels in, it's about 1/8" too wide.
SO, I called the guy, and he said he would be here last Wednesday (11/10/10) to pick the glass up and shave some off the side...of course he didn't show up, I waited for him and he never showed, never called, nothing. I had told him that I would leave it in a conspicuous place in the garage, so that he could come and get it, should I not be here.
I have been gone on a mini vacation since Thursday, and not only has he not come by, he never called the home phone or cell phone, to explain why, and ll I get is his answering machine...
I have found out through the small town grapevine, that this guy had a shop, a wife, and all the good stuff, until he discovered gambling at one of our local casinos, and after that, the wife and the shop went away...
my question is, do I try and keep hounding this guy to stand by his work, while my precious time off melts away, waiting for him to not show up, and not answer his phone, or do I give up, tell him I never want him on the property again, and take it and re-pay someone else (there's supposed to be a guy in OR, about 25 miles away, that's pretty good) to finish the job? I know the door windows are too wide, so I suspect that the quarter windows will be, as well, I'll try them out in the channels today.

[Bruce lee]

You are in Crescent city, right?-----If you contact Pat Conway, he ownes Eureka Glass,
and has done all my glass for years, He is really good, fast, and best of all, cheap.Tell him Bruce Hawkins sent you.---------He works in your area from time to time.

[26Tudor]

Yes, I am in Crescent City, and I'll do that, THANK YOU.

This guy has been nothing but over-promising and under-delivering since he got my deposit money. He's gotten the glass wrong THREE times now, even though I gave him the actual Ford document (well, a copy, anyway) specifying the EXACT size and radius, and crown, of the glass...
It's close, but there needs to be about 1/8 of an inch taken off one of the sides, as there is NO WAY the glass, and both sides of the felt channel, are gonna fit, the way it is.
Thanks, Bruce, if the guy in Brookings can't help me, I guess there's a trip to Eureka in my future...

[MelloYello]

There sure does seem to be a lot of disreputable crap going on in the Classic and Custom Car industry lately and that is a shame. Good Luck with your Glass !

[rspears]

For flat glass the only way to get it right, IMO, is to convert that dimensioned drawing to a full size pattern made of stiff poster/matt board, masonite or something else that provides your glass guy with a firm pattern that fits your space. Now curved glass, you'd better have a real pro working on anything compound curved....

[Itoldyouso]

Stuff like this really gets my goat. There is absolutely NO excuse for someone taking your money, or promising to do a job, then avoiding you. I've said it a lot of times before, the only time we have any problems building our cars is when we use some outside vendor to do some aspect of the work. We lose control over the quality and time frame.

I would use the new guy Bruce suggested and cut your losses, chalk it up to experience. However, I would also somehow get in touch with the other jerk (preferably face to face) and let him know what a hack he is and also how irresponsiblly he treats his customers. Some people DESERVE it when their business folds.

Don

[26Tudor]

Well, he made the mistake of answering his phone about 15 minutes ago... he CLAIMS he was here friday to pick up the glass ( I had told him, and he agreed, specifically, to come Wednesday night after work, to pick up the glass) and nobody was home (I had TOLD him I was leaving Thursday morning and going out of town, until last night) then he said his phone hadn't been working, and that he had to take his girlfriend to Eureka for some cortisone shots, so he couldn't call and cancel. I asked if it was the phone that had the voicemail, that I had left repeated messages on, and the one he was talking on right now, and he said "yes". So his phone was working.
He CLAIMS he'll be here before 1:30 today, to pick up all the glass and sand it down so it will fit. According to the Ford measurements, taken directly from their own literature, every single piece of glass is 1/8 inch too wide, and that is enough to stop both pieces of felt channel from sliding down. I know it's a bit of a struggle getting both of the felt channels down, (I have done literally dozens and dozens of VW Bug doors, and they are basically the same...) and they just aren't going to fit, with the glass the way it is now. Again, he claims he will be here before 1:30 PST, and will have it back to me before I get off work tomorrow afternoon. We'll see.
Is it really that hard to follow a factory-issued blueprint, and make the glass the right size, the FIRST time?
In talking with a few car buddies, I have found out exactly where he lives (other than the Indian Casino here in town) so, if he shows up and takes the glass, and it isn't where it is supposed to be after work tomorrow, I'll just go over, pick up the glass, avoid telling him what I think of him and his business practices, and head for Eureka.
Maybe I'll get lucky, and he will, for once, do what he says he will do, and when he says he will do it, but at this point, I must say I'm not too optimistic.
If I had known it was gonna turn into this, I probably would have tried to cut the stuff on my own.

[26Tudor]

UPDATE---

He actually showed up, admitted that the glass was cut too large (well, DUH) and took the 4 pieces with him, and has promised me they will be laying up against the garage by the time I get off work tomorrow.
Maybe, I'll get lucky...
Thank goodness for it all being flat glass....

[26Tudor]

HE SHOWED UP !!!!!!

I don't know if the glass will finally fit, I will try to get some garage time in the next day or two, and we'll see what happens....

[26Tudor]

Well, with nothing to lose at this point by trying, I tried to fit the back window in---- too small. How the heck you can screw up when you have a reprint of an official Ford document giving the measurements is beyond me, so that one's gonna have to be replaced. The door windows are TIGHT, but I was able to get both felt channels in, so I imagine they will loosen up a little with time. I haven't tried to actually roll the windows up and down by using the regulators yet, as the silicone bedding material hasn't completely dried yet. But at least all the stuff fit into the door this time, so I am making progress....

[Itoldyouso]

I think part of the problem is that auto glass guys today are so used to buying windshields that are precut that the art of cutting glass has gone away. I dropped off Dans windshield frame Monday to have glass put in it and I should be able to pick it up tomorrow. The same guy did my 23, so I know he is ok.

Hope you finally get all your windows the right dimensions.

Don

[26Tudor]

Thanks, Itoldyouso, I hope so, too. It's cold up here driving the T without any windows except the windshield. I'm not a wimp, really, but here we have a damp cold that soaks right into your bones.
What kind of idiot builds a fenderless car in a temperate rain Forest?

well...... me. 8=)

[Itoldyouso]

[QUOTE=26Tudor;406099]What kind of idiot builds a fenderless car in a temperate rain Forest?

A TRUE HOT RODDER, that's who.

Don