Talk about being ripped off by autobody/ mechanic shop

[ASCMCLRN]

Please take the time to read this and comment. There was a local shop I brought my car too. He did both mechanical and bodywork, I didnt hear anything bad about the place so I decided to go with him. Well my guy had my car for 6 freak'in months and still couldnt do a half decent job! All he did was very minor mechanical and some bodywork.

The mechanical consisted of passenger side valve cover 2 hours labor, replace starter with hi performance starter I supplied 1 hour, then he added a sensor on oil pan that he said was dripping some oil forgot the labor on this but I had just changed the oil and added slick 50 a week before so that was a total waste. What he did was tell me the valve cover took much less time to do, would you like me to fix the sensor that is causing a drip? I figured the money I save from the valve would cover the cost of the sensor but when I got the bill he charged me full price on the valve cover anyway and never told me the job conisted of another oil change. I confronted him on this and he said my supercharger was also in the way. I told him show me how and he never did. The s/c pipe is just as easy to take off as the stock pipe from the fenderwell no difference. He also charged me for two oil pan plugs on a crate motor with less then 1k miles! I had a short in my car he charged me to look for but said the car was fine. When I got the car back stilll had the same problem. I had another mechanic look at it who found a stripped wire under the dash that was shorting out the system as well as two whatchamakalits from the old alarm no longer in use drawing power.

Bodywork. Tasks were to repair small rust spot under both sides of tonneau cover, there is a picture in my album to show the area and that it was just minor surface rust. Then inside the trunk the center was rusted through. I asked him to swap my fuel pump while the tank was already supposed to be dropped. Lastly paint from the rear quarters back. As far as the job I got. Inside the trunk it appears he took sheet metal and welded it on top of the rusted peice so he can use the original tire tie down and covered it with a little sound deadener. Now I have to worry about the rust continuing but at least it looks good under the sound deadener, sigh. There is some overspray on the vinyl tonneau cover which is no longer glued around outside only center. The Tonneau, trunk and gas door arent lined up properly and my tonneau is pushing the interior panels forward. I also have to play with the tops motor now in order for it to work. I imagine its not resting properly from the line up. You can see daylight under the rear spoiler into the trunk so water can easily seep in. There are what he called some eyelits in the paint I pointed out to him they look like dots in the paint. A few small dings on the trunk that should have been fixed. Also on rear bumper there are a few spots he never sanded down that are going to make the paint crack.

He told me it should be a couple hundred in supplies but then charged me over $700-800 in supplies. After paying him $2500 in cash I cancelled a check of $650 which would make the total a whopping $3150!!! Which is what I am sueing him for. Tell me does it take two containers of paint to do 1/3 of the car? How many gallons of clear coat if he were to do 3 coats for 1/3 the area (quarter panels to rear bumper)?

Even though I was paying the guy in cash he kept taking insurance jobs and putting off my car then rushed last minute to get my car out of there. If it werent for my car being all apart in his shop I would have taken it out a long time ago. I also told him I expect a top notch job for all the time he took cause in the long run I will remember what I am left with not how long it took. He still did a crappy job! Oh also my Peter Muscatt emblem is missing he said it was in his workers toolbox. What the hell was it doing there in the first place? Oh another thing, the power trunk button was no longer working, he said he didnt touch anything electrical back there. The new mechanic showed me the connector was broken that is why it no longer is working. I imagine when he took off the third brake light he might have yanked at the wires a bit, is that possible? Either way it worked before I gave it to him then it was given back broken. I am definately sueing him. Anyway glad I could vent. I am sure I can go on with this rant but need to cool down. Any comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

Nick

[75coug]

That is a rough experience. It demonstrates why I have a couple of cars that have forever needed paintjobs and a little body work: I just don't trust anyone to not rip me off and/or do a poor job.

I am giving serious thought to buying a trailer and driving a car ten hours to where I grew up so that the guy who last painted it almost twenty years ago can do it again. I know that he will do a good job for a fair price.

[McLarson]

Another reason I try to do it all myself. I can't trust anyone either... Sorry to hear of your negative experiences

[shelbyscarab]

My god...... When I first saw your project starting back at the beginning of August it looked great, what I saw of it.

Sorry to hear about all your trouble. I try to do as much myself as I can, unfortunately there are somethings that thats not possible. I've had the Ford dealer where my car was purchased from deal with most of the general issues that have arisen thru the years. Vinyl tonneau replaced 3 times, reglued the original once. (Mclarens weren't meant to go over 100 I don't believe)

It is sooo hard to trust people out there in the auto body/service business. Mainly due to many bad apples in the bushel. Once you find a good one, you hold onto them. I found a great upolstry/top guy in Ohio thru other guys in the hot rodding biz. The day I dropped the car off in 2003 for a new top install, I was NERVOUS as hell.

Good luck with finishing it!

Chris

[351mclaren]

I hate that you had to experience that. I have had my share of idiots do work for me and just recently been going through it with two different mechanics. Both ripped me off. I am lucky to say that I do know of three guys that are honest and reasonable now. They are just expensive. I am looking into a new tool set as we speak and plan to spend some time in the garage. I'm rarely satisfied with the work people are doing. The scarier part is that I use my other stangs as practice runs. The car I first registered with Sandy years ago has sat innear completion for that reason. I have wanted a complete repaint for some time but have been scared to follow through due to all the rip off work...

[RARE-ASC]

Man Nick sorry to hear that mess i know when it comes to relying on folks to do something the way you want and when you want it is very very tough! I feel very blessed i have a very good body guy and mech with-in 3 miles of my house and both have been excellent and reasonable for years i have learned in the past how to read folks in this line of business maybe that has steered me clear of disaster but who knows! And in your case a perfect example of a shop owner who over commits jobs rushes and scrambles and under delivers as you now well know! Truly hope all works out on you end and you get some satisfaction!

[Sandy]

Simply terrible. A real nightmare. I suggest that people only use restoration shops with glowing referals, for these cars and be in constant touch with the car's owner, who should try & visit the shop at least 3 times a month.

[GQ 1949]

Nick, WOW! I'am sorry you have to go through this.You have every right

to feel the way you do and I truely hope the court sticks it to him and

hangs him and his shop out to dry. Don't forget to report him to the BBB!

good luck!

Gee.

[ASCMCLRN]

I just want to thank you all for your responses, it means more then you can imagine to me. The story doesnt end to good right now.

Small claims required I have either a bill of the repairs from his work being fixed or two estimates. I brought in two estimates of the work one was for $1,950 the other was $3,150 (this estimate is from a shop that charges more per hr on labor). I was only awarded $1,850 from an arbitrator. The Auto Shop appealed the case.

About a few months later we went before a Judge who was not allowed to view what had happened in court with the arbitrator for some reason. This judge was so confused by the paper work or lack of paperwork for that matter from the shop and had little to go on. We never had a signed agreement as to what he was supposed to be doing in the first place. Only recieved the receipts he gave me at the end that were poorly drafted. The Judge in turn only awarded me the $65 for the emblem nothing more!

Now I appealed the Judges decision. This is going to cost me a couple hundred dollars in order to have the tapes of the case transcribed into text for the courts. Sigh... to be continued...

Nick