Thread: Enough is Enough ...........

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The only problems we've really had building cars all came about when outside shops were involved..........painters, upholsterers, etc. I'm pretty good about spelling out what I want done and the timeframe I am working in, yet they seem to forget those elements once the car is in their shop.

It is SO hard to get people to do what they promise.

Don

After being in the industry myself for about 27 years,I think,as was mentioned elsewhere,the biggest problems with this sort of work,is that shops get insurance work rolling through the doors every day,which pays the wages,and there is never enough time to get any constructive work into the big build sitting in the corner,so,it sits,and only gets a small proportion of the labour it should be getting...I have done enough of this to know that the shop owner wants the glory of getting a job like this through his shop,but cant afford to put the best guy for the job,on the job..So it sits,and every few weeks,it gets a marathon effort for a day or two,to please the owner,who is due in to check on progress,and to grease the palm of the shop owner,then it all relaxes for another few weeks...Correct??
I do sympathise with you old coyote,as I have been on the shop floor trying my best to get the job done,for people like yourself,and all the time,trying to get the boss man to see it from both sides..I hope the rest of the build goes well for you,I am a fan for these little English Thames/Anglia vans,and will enjoy seeing the finished product...Now I better get off my butt and go and finish a job I have sitting in the shop..

Just to put my own mind() at ease something positive happened this week to at least partially restore my faith in outside shops.

On Monday afternoon, I left the ho hum black Lokar supplied shifter and e-brake boots at a local upholstery shop to have some replacements made in the color of my car interior. They were also to be made 2 inches longer (ever tried to fit a Lokar boot under their retaining rings?) I supplied a small piece of left over material and was told it would be a couple of weeks - no big deal. This morning at 8:30 I got a call to pick them up as they were done. They were not only done, but the price was several bucks less then quoted - and they are beautifully sewed. Now I have 2 more items to add to my swap meet pile of "treasures"

Originally Posted by lamin8r

..So it sits,and every few weeks,it gets a marathon effort for a day or two,to please the owner,who is due in to check on progress,and to grease the palm of the shop owner,then it all relaxes for another few weeks...Correct??

How correct you are ........... but since September it didn't even get the mararthon ............ it just sat

Just a side note. About 2 1/2 years ago I took my T body and Dons T body to a friends shop to have them painted. He said two weeks. I didn't bother him for 3 weeks, but then I went by to see how they were doing. They were sitting in the same place we parked them, zero done to them, and an inch of filler dust from other jobs all over them. I went home, got my trailer, came back, and hauled them to a second shop who finally got them done.

I just spoke to another friend who tells me the shop that dropped the ball on us is now closed and my "friend" was over to see him for a job. I'm not surprised. It's tough enough to stay in business when you please customers, but when you don't................................

Don