Just shoot me!!! ARGH!!!!! THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!!!!!

[Telvis]

I just arrived at the Hotel in Columbus for the Mopar nationals. My son and I had a great drive up and were getting ready to go get something to eat. We hadn't been in our room ten minutes when my cell phone rang. It was my body guy. Apparently his wife is ticked off at him because he is spending his evenings working on my car. I get to go pick my car up next week. Now I have to find someone to finish it. That S.O.B. was supposed to have been done a long time ago. He even told me a month and a half ago it would be three weeks. What a jerk! What a bittersweet weekend. I guess I will make the best of it.

[ChgrSteve67]

Why should we shoot you.

Shouldn't we go shoot your body guy?

[Telvis]

Put me out of my misery...I'm just tired of stressing over my car being painted...I don't think there's a decent body man left in Kentucky!

[ChgrSteve67]

You could take it to Jamaica where the string your car up in a tree and then paint it.
I hear they're pretty good.

On a serious note. I'm sorry to hear your having trouble. It is so hard to find good and honest craftsman these days.
I work in the computer field and all of the time I hear promisses and few results. Mostly B.S.

A friend of mine sent his wife's 53 GMC flat bed pick-up up to a guy in Washington to have it restored and after a year I don't believe the guy has done anything but take the truck apart.

[Silver R/T]

well did he overcharge or what? you know other families have to have family time, so if he couldnt do your car...no big deal find someone else. Wife comes before some guy that wants to get his car painted. No excuses

[Telvis]

Easier said than done. I'm just tired of hollow promises and excuses. I am probably just going to try to do the car myself. It may take me a couple of years but at least I will know it's getting done. I had a Challenger that was in the body shop nearly two years and almost nothing was done to it. I finally got it out of there and ended up selling it. My Charger has been with this guy since early february. It was completely disassembled and blasted to bare metal when I took it to him. He had to put in quarter patches behind the wheels and a center trunk pan. The hole is still in the trunk. The engine compartment is still bare metal and the filler work over the metal repairs on the quarters still needs a lot of finishing work. He had started blocking the fenders, trunk and hood but I really don't know how far along they are. He had a guy helping him. He should be a lot further along than he is. I think he was working on it one or two evenings a week for the past few months. I think he was gradually spending less and less time on it. This guy worked for the body shop that did my brothers Mustang. He offered to do my car on the side after my brother told him I was looking for a body man. He has since left the body shop. I am starting to think maybe he bit off more than he could handle. Anyhow it's a moot point. I'm going to pick it up next week. I will figure something out. I am going to make the best of this weekend and try to enjoy the Mopar Nationals.

[41husk]

Hey Telvis, sorry to here about your problems, beleive me I have been there with my Charger and it is not a happy thought but I would try to find a good body man who can fit your car in.

[myk]

Why should we shoot you.

Shouldn't we go shoot your body guy?

No, shoot the wife...Always shoot the wife...

[69bananabeast]

This all sounds familiar I got all the parts to the machine shop almost a month ago now to have them build my motor since I dont have that much time to do it . and a couple weeks ago I called and I was informed that it would be done in a couple weeks and that he had 4 diesel engines to do that week.  Well the two weeks were up today so I called to see what was going on. I got some exscuse that the rods were hard to find for it and that the oil pump and pan were still needed to be ordered. A couple of other things were also needed like cam bearings and a complete engine bolt set and once the conversation came to and end I was told once again that it would be another week and a half to two weeks .   

[Charger_Fan]

Why should we shoot you.

Shouldn't we go shoot your body guy?

No, shoot the wife...Always shoot the wife...

Then you'd both be happy!

[SuBLimE 69]

Not easy to find a body guy worth a damn anymore.   

[BigBlockSam]

enjoy your weekend, this will all still be there on Monday. I've never met a body guy that wasn't screwy. maybe it's working with all those chemicals

[Telvis]

I went to the Carquest paint store yesterday. I was talking to the guy that does the training seminars there. He's going to finish my car for me!! Everyone I have spoken to says he does awesome work. He's supposed to be fast too!! I'm picking it up from the old body guy on Wednesday and the new guy is taking it next week. The Carquest was in my beat before I retired. I use to go there a lot and chat with everyone. I guess the guy feels bad for me. His price is reasonable too.  I can't tell you how relieved I am. I'm starting to think my car might actually get done. He's even going to let me help. He said he would teach me some basics. I am pretty excited.

[ChargerRob]

Good Luck! 

[Silver R/T]

glad things turned up for ya

[TruckDriver]

  COOL!

[Charger_Fan]

Sweet! And being able to help will make your resto that much better, congrats!

[73rallye440magnum]

glad things turned around for you

[MoparYoungGun]

I'm glad to hear you found someone to finish your car Tim, good luck !

[41husk]

great news Telvis, you will have to get some progress pictures up. 

[Shakey]

great news Telvis, you will have to get some progress pictures up.  

I agree.  Get the car away from the body guy that doesn't know how to explain to his wife that work equals money which can be spent doing things that are fun, with her.

Post some progress pics.

Best of luck.

[4402tuff4u]

I hope my body guy does not turn out like yours Telvis. He's had my car since June and has only worked on the tail panel. I'm going to stop by this week and see if he has done anything else to it. I'm really not pushing him because I'm using the money right now for the engine rebuilt and buying other parts. I dont want him to rush the body work anyway. He's really good, but takes forever - he wouldnt give me a completion date. I knew this going in though. He said he was'nt going to give me a date because he did not want to rush the job just to meet the date. I went to twelve different body shop places. You're right it's very hard to find a good body shop!! He told me it was hard to find good help and that critical stuff he can't have amateur do the job, they will always screw it up. This guy is a perfectionist. I dont know how he makes money. I'm almost tempted to offer him my help. He was impressed with my welding on the floor pans. That's the only part of body work I know - how to weld two pieces of metal.

[BigBlockSam]

i wish you luck with your car. my body guy has had my car since dec. all the metal work is done.  4 weeks ago i gave him some more cash. at his request. since then he hasn't done very much on my car.  i guess patient is a virtue. that i don't have. he's doing a good job so i won't say anything yet. Rene

[Dave68RT]

everyone, welcome to my world. this has already happend once to me. hopefully not a second time

[BigBlockSam]

thats what i did. i gave it to him in dec. figure i'll get it back in the late spring. now it's starting to look like next spring. 

[Telvis]

Well, I picked my car up last night. It's in my garage temporarily until the new guy can get it next week. I tool some time and went over everything that has been done so far. I have to say I'm not impressed. I think the guy not finishing my car was the best that could have happened. I'm no body man. I can tell that a lot of the panels he claimed were almost ready to spray are nowhere near ready. My car still needs a lot of work. I am going to take the next week and go ahead and POR 15 the undercarriage. I'm also going to go ahead and weld in the trunk pan. I'm going to do as much as I can before it goes to the new body guy. On a good note I used my truck to pull my charger for the first time. There is a big difference pulling with it versus the old V6 Ram I had.  I pulled my brothers Mustang with the old truck. It did the job but this truck pulled with almost no effort.