• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Body Shop Blues - Car Jail Plus Other Issues

67GTX440

Well-Known Member
Local time
4:21 PM
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
1,014
Reaction score
424
Location
Jacksonville, FL
I have accepted the fact that my 67 GTX is in car jail and the work is progressing slowly while the shop does insurance repairs and repeat customer (car lot) repaints around it. The car has been in the body shop 9 months as of Feb 21st and so far they have pulled out the passenger door jam at the front of the rear quarter where the car was previously hit and filled with an inch of bondo, installed both trunk extensions, fabricated outer wheel houses, installed full length patch panels on the bottom of both quarter panels and cut off the entire top to replace with a rust free one. The fabrication work is pretty much done with the exception of installing fabricated patch panels where the sail panels meet the quarter panels and reskinning the bottom of both doors. Work to this point has been slow, but looks good, and I have been impressed with their finished paint work.

Today I visit the shop to find the following. The guy who is always working is working his *** off. The two other guys who are iffy are both missing. One has supposedly had pneumonia for three weeks, but he misses at least one week a month. The other guy is sick, but gets pissed off and quits every month or so and then comes back a month later.

The owner is sitting in the office rubbing his chest and left arm and saying both really hurt and he thinks he needs a bypass, but his wife lost her job and their insurance, and his Obamacare does not kick in until March 1st. I am guessing he has no cardiologist appointment, but is planning to go to the emergency room tomorrow,

There are also three cops at the place with a clipboard writing down the VIN number of every car in the shop. He said it was a routine check to turn up chop shops, but that they also asked if this was a business. I have the feeling now that he may not have a business license and that the entire body shop may be a violation of zoning, although he has been open for 15 years.

I have paid the guy in advance for about $2,800 in work he has not yet done.

If he drops over dead, I am screwed. If he gets closed down, I am screwed. I have 14K in new parts sitting in my garage waiting to be installed and no car. Finding someone else to finish the car may be a problem. It ran when I drove it into the shop, but now it will not crank even though the battery has been on a tender and is 100%.

Should I get my car out now and take my lumps, or leave it there and see what happens. I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling. Should I get in line first to sue the guy for the prepaid but unfinished work since the agreement we have in writing was the car would be finished and returned by March 15th? I think he has collected 50% up front on a lot of cars that are not done.

My wife kept telling me she thought I would never see the car again, and today was the first day I thought she may be right. I hate it when that happens!
 
I have accepted the fact that my 67 GTX is in car jail and the work is progressing slowly while the shop does insurance repairs and repeat customer (car lot) repaints around it. The car has been in the body shop 9 months as of Feb 21st and so far they have pulled out the passenger door jam at the front of the rear quarter where the car was previously hit and filled with an inch of bondo, installed both trunk extensions, fabricated outer wheel houses, installed full length patch panels on the bottom of both quarter panels and cut off the entire top to replace with a rust free one. The fabrication work is pretty much done with the exception of installing fabricated patch panels where the sail panels meet the quarter panels and reskinning the bottom of both doors. Work to this point has been slow, but looks good, and I have been impressed with their finished paint work.

Today I visit the shop to find the following. The guy who is always working is working his *** off. The two other guys who are iffy are both missing. One has supposedly had pneumonia for three weeks, but he misses at least one week a month. The other guy is sick, but gets pissed off and quits every month or so and then comes back a month later.

The owner is sitting in the office rubbing his chest and left arm and saying both really hurt and he thinks he needs a bypass, but his wife lost her job and their insurance, and his Obamacare does not kick in until March 1st. I am guessing he has no cardiologist appointment, but is planning to go to the emergency room tomorrow,

There are also three cops at the place with a clipboard writing down the VIN number of every car in the shop. He said it was a routine check to turn up chop shops, but that they also asked if this was a business. I have the feeling now that he may not have a business license and that the entire body shop may be a violation of zoning, although he has been open for 15 years.

I have paid the guy in advance for about $2,800 in work he has not yet done.

If he drops over dead, I am screwed. If he gets closed down, I am screwed. I have 14K in new parts sitting in my garage waiting to be installed and no car. Finding someone else to finish the car may be a problem. It ran when I drove it into the shop, but now it will not crank even though the battery has been on a tender and is 100%.

Should I get my car out now and take my lumps, or leave it there and see what happens. I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling. Should I get in line first to sue the guy for the prepaid but unfinished work since the agreement we have in writing was the car would be finished and returned by March 15th? I think he has collected 50% up front on a lot of cars that are not done.

My wife kept telling me she thought I would never see the car again, and today was the first day I thought she may be right. I hate it when that happens![/QUOT

When I read your post I thought I had written it. Went through something very similar... it doesn't get better and my wife said the same thing. . I'd seriously consider getting your car out of there. BTW I just replied to your earlier PM to me.
 
Doesn't sound promising ... I'd be thinking of cutting my losses and what was he going to to for $2,800?
 
I would get my car and take the lumps! Look at it this way if they are being investigated and things turn out not to be on the up and up then everything in that shop gets inpounded by the police! Then you can get your car back at their yearly auction.I wouldn't take the chance.
 
Been there too, a long time ago. I went and got the car back just a couple of days before the guy closed his shop and left town for good. I haven't seen the guy in over 20 years! But at least I had my car. I did get it finished and then sold it.

Good luck.
 
I agree with everyone so far, get your car and take the 2,800 loss. Try to make the extraction agreeable because unless you have an estimate in writing, he still can inflate the bill.
 
Wow! I also could have written a very similar story. My car sat in a body shop for 4.5 years. Seems this situation is all too common. I would cut my losses and take it out of there. Like has been said already, it's not worth losing your car. The guys that had mine ended up going bankrupt less than 6 months after I got my car out. All of the cars were seized and it was a real pain for anybody to get their car out of there afterwards.
I have since met several people who got screwed by the same guys at different places and times, for a lot more $ than I lost too.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck.
 
If you know for a fact that he has been there for 15 years,unless he keels over he ain't going anywhere.Try to have a conversation about how you feel and see what type of response you get.If you still don't feel right,tell him you'll be back with a flatbed to pick up your car.:blob1:
 
Hey 67,

Check the piece of paper you (probably) initialed when you dropped the car off. It's probably simple "boilerplate" type language that the State approves for contracts. See what it says about the "contract" between you and the shop.

Check the State's laws on vehicle service contracts. Most states have them, and they are different. Some really favor the shop. Some favor the consumer.

That said, your car will be much more fun for you sitting in YOUR garage. And by the time you're done, $2,800 will be insignificant. I spent $3,800 on my car when I first got it just to get it running, only to later undo or redo (myself) everything that the shop had done. I'll bet that sitting in your garage you can get someone to help you with the welding, and then learn the other stuff on your own or w help from here. Lots of guys on here have done it. In fact, I'll bet the hard working guy from the shop will come help you, particularly if he needs the work!

With $14,000 in parts at home and the prospect of your car coming home tomorrow, and with the GOOD WORK THAT WAS ALREADY DONE, I'm actually happy for you. If your car was running when it went in, whatever is wrong with it now is simple (starter solenoid). you'll have THAT fixed before the end of the weekend...

Call AAA and have them pick her up and bring her home!
 
Doesn't sound promising ... I'd be thinking of cutting my losses and what was he going to to for $2,800?

The $2,800 for work yet undone was additional to finish the fabrication of the sail panels to quarter panels, reskin the bottom of both doors, install new door hinge pins, paint the inside of front doors and door jams, rear seat side window panels and steering column, and have the rest of the car exterior prepped and primed for paint. The final paint exterior paint has not been paid.

- - - Updated - - -

AAA won't tow without up to date registration. That's their policy in my area.

Registration is current. Brand new J DRT tag I planned to put on it before I drove it back home. All I need to do is to put the rear wheels back on (off from doing quarter patch panels) and do some troubleshooting as to why it won't start and drive it home without a windshield the same as when I drove it in. Trunk lid and hood are both off also.

I don't think the guy is going anywhere since he owns the property and he and his mother both have houses they own on the same property. Him dying or the city shutting him down is my biggest concern. Like many in the car trade, he does good work, but is piss poor businessman. His management of his staff and scheduling really suck. Maybe I should ask the guy who works his *** off to just take the car home to his place and finish it up.
 
Great idea Grabinov911 and 67GTX440 .. get it out of there and get some progress going vs sitting waiting for something to happen .. you're burning daylight hehehe
 
I hate these stories, makes me sick to think this stuff goes on and good car guys are ripped off and treated like crap.
I would have to agree with others to get your car home and do do some good research on who will finish it, if not yourself.
 
Went through a similar but shorter period of frustration. I talked with my friend (who happens to be an attorney) and he offered to write a letter basically stating he now represented me in the matter and would be in pursuit of a remedy in court. He told me that 90% of the time, these guys don't want to incur the expense of going to court--especially knowing they're going to lose--and typically finish the car asap. He was 100% correct--got my car back (delivered to my house on a rotisserie) within a few months--and the work was exceptional.
 
Sounds way too familiar. After 18 months late, at least the base on mine is done and it is back in my garage. I will have to finish some of their work and replace a bunch of small items that got "lost" over the time. Once done and back on the road, they are supposed to do final touch up and rub out, supposed to take a week. I guess we will see.
 
Any chance of "tricking" him into getting it done faster with a fake incentive (i.e. more money for the next phase?) something to the effect of: "You're already past the contractual date and I have a lot to do before Spring and have to get it back to you with another deposit to finish the exterior paint etc...) Chances are your deposit is long spent but maybe at the thought of getting the next chunk of cash from you he may hurry up what's there!

Always a pain being pushed to the side for the insurance jobs! I understand that's how most bodyshops make their money but they know what kind of date they can honestly commit to so I hate the jerking around. I would pay a bit more to find someone just doing this stuff on the side from home or the like when it comes time for me again... at least they have less cars to jump to and from!

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do! Follow your gut!
 
Go get your car man! Forget the lost money. I'm not being callous, its on old CAR, we throw money at them as a HOBBY ;) think of this as a learning experience.
 
It sounds like there is no incentive for him to finish the work; you paid in advance and the money is long gone. There is a payday at the end of each insurance job and not at the end of you car. It's sad, but it happens all the time in our hobby. You really have to be careful where you take your car to have work done.
How well do you know the owner? You need to apply ant leverage you have-mutual friends, contract, attorney, etc.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top