Looking to buy a General Lee? STAY AWAY FROM BK AUTO!! It's almost over!!!

[Back N Black]

I like to paint behind the 1/4's before I weld them on. I dont know anybody else that does this. Looks good & nobody will see it but protects much better then just primer & will last longer. LEON.

Hemi you do great work! i would not hesitate to drop my car at your shop. 

[BigBlockSam]

I like to paint behind the 1/4's before I weld them on. I dont know anybody else that does this. Looks good & nobody will see it but protects much better then just primer & will last longer. LEON.

wow, real nice . i spray it all with eastwood's rust encapsulater before i put the quarter back on . leaves it all satan black too

[joflaig]

I like to paint behind the 1/4's before I weld them on. I dont know anybody else that does this. Looks good & nobody will see it but protects much better then just primer & will last longer. LEON.

What about e-coating?

[dodgecharger-fan]

What about e-coating?

e-coating is a dipping process.
It'd be a neat trick to dip a partially assembled car.
You'd have to take it down to the bare shell before you could e-coat it.

[Mopar2Ya]

I threw up a little. 
Good luck w/the rebuild. I'll be doing similar soon, after a body shop messed mine up too.

[Cozmo]

Wow, some good progress made on the car. Are you usuing the same shop that did your paint job on the Z? They did an awesome job on that. 

[BKautomotive]

I would like to make a response here. I havent read everything in this post, and dont think I need to, but its easy to point fingers at a faceless company name and push blame. I just want to make a statement for consideration. I want you to know compaints of any sort are not something I brush aside. They stay with me no matter the reason. And this has been something I have thought about this week.

I started building cars for myself over 10 years ago, and eventually, someone would see one and ask for something, and things go from there. What I do I learned by sitting down, doing it, and screwing up. I have and will conitnue to make mistakes, cant help that, but I can and do learn from them. Someone on this board said something about making 99 bridges and being a bridge builder, one collapses and then its different. thats very true. Its something I learned years ago that I try to live and work by, and I do spend alot of time in most cases screening customers and making sure we both understand what we expect from each other. I do not lie, theres no benifiet to dishonesty, but I cannot read someones mind, I have to take thier word, and do the best with what I am dealt.

The Hemi-General is not a restored car. Its not a half restored car, was never intended to be. Its a cheap replica of a TV car that was modified later with an expensive driveline. In fact, nearly all of the additional costs were things I forced the owner to do to make the care at least halfway decent. There are alot of details left out and twisted in this thread, I read about 15k sandblasting and 20k body shells, which is ridiculous, and its because what I am saying is geting lost by being read in a blurb or my inability to get my point across correctly in this format.

I have been doing this now for a decade. I started by building cheapo sub $10k cars and currently we do work up to the $250k mark. The TV/Movie replicas dont even blip on the screen today when it comes to paying our bills, they cost as much as they bring in, but its where I started and they are alot of fun in most cases. I have (counting this one) 4 major complaints in 10 years, and they are all available for review. thats not a bad record. but I am not working secluded in backwoods Tenn, so our complaints are very public. I understand, and I dont mind discussing these in detail with anyone who asks. I can try, but I cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes its my fault, sometimes its not. In this case, I share blame for certain, and in hindsight the best thing i could have done was hang the telephone up and blocked the number, and never took the job. In the end, I lost money, he lost money, the only one who looks to win on this in JB which is good for him. The car looks like it is being done VERY well and from what I hear its a more than reasonable cost. It will be well worth it once complete.

In closing, there is NEVER any intent to defraud or 'scam' a customer. Make all of the accusations you want, but illegal is illegal and I wouldnt have the rep and business I have if that was my practice. I lay everything out in the open up front before I take a dollar. I have spent months and in some cases years with a customer working with them before I was paid a red cent.  Sometimes it doesnt work out. I have recieved emails about this car and how I  should have done this and should have done that, and I think of all of the times I have had a business card thrown in my face because I told someone he couldnt afford to build the car he wanted and needed to wait. its a tighrope and I loose on both ends. The only smooth sailing is dead in the middle and it wont always work that way. The constitution doesnt guarantee us the right to life, liberty and the fully restored car of your choice.

Do I think JB should have inspected the car? Yes. Do I think the car should have been built better? Yes. Do I think i somehow owed it to reach into my pocket or my kids savings to build a car for someone who hears me tell them what they need and says no? No.

There was a full professional inspection of the car by a professional of the owners choosing before it ever left my door. And I do warranty what work we do in almost all cases had I been asked and if it had been paid for. Doesnt matter now, but I just want to make sure the record is straight on those few things. There is alot here thats not represented. When it comes to information, I am about as open as you'll ever find someone.

For those that are curious, steps have been taken in response to this mess on my end. I have decided to stop buiding or offering turnkey products. It seems wrong in my opinion, as I'll serve 15 happy customers for ever 1 gripe, but I do listen, and in this case its a good decision. We don't make nearly anything on those cars and its not worth hearing about a mess like this because some guy couldnt listen to his builder or pay for a properly built car. its a tough line to walk between classic restored and these replicas, and its always been a headache, and one I think here on out i could simply do without.

Currently, the best and ONLY place in my opinion to have a General Lee built would be the Smith Bros and I have always and will continue to endorse them. I dont think there would be many that disagree.

JB - Car looks very nice. The shop obviously knows what they are diong, and I wish you the best of luck with it.

To the rest of you, its a VERY good thing to have infromation so readily available. It helps people doing research to decide on where they should go or what tehy should do. I have a current customer who bought a HALPAG car and he could have done with some advice before spending 20-something k only to have to bring it to me to tear down and start over and spend another 30-40k on top of it. But it should be pointed out that research should include personal inspection and direct questioning. Seeing something in person is ALWAYS recommended BEFORE you spend money. forums like this often tend to be shaded one way or the other and often by some people who may mean well but simply do not have all of the information on the subject.

I wish you all Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. Thanks again for the time and space.

[skip68]

I would like to make a response here. I havent read everything in this post, and dont think I need to, but its easy to point fingers at a faceless company name and push blame. I just want to make a statement for consideration. I want you to know compaints of any sort are not something I brush aside. They stay with me no matter the reason. And this has been something I have thought about this week.

I started building cars for myself over 10 years ago, and eventually, someone would see one and ask for something, and things go from there. What I do I learned by sitting down, doing it, and screwing up. I have and will conitnue to make mistakes, cant help that, but I can and do learn from them. Someone on this board said something about making 99 bridges and being a bridge builder, one collapses and then its different. thats very true. Its something I learned years ago that I try to live and work by, and I do spend alot of time in most cases screening customers and making sure we both understand what we expect from each other. I do not lie, theres no benifiet to dishonesty, but I cannot read someones mind, I have to take thier word, and do the best with what I am dealt.

The Hemi-General is not a restored car. Its not a half restored car, was never intended to be. Its a cheap replica of a TV car that was modified later with an expensive driveline. In fact, nearly all of the additional costs were things I forced the owner to do to make the care at least halfway decent. There are alot of details left out and twisted in this thread, I read about 15k sandblasting and 20k body shells, which is ridiculous, and its because what I am saying is geting lost by being read in a blurb or my inability to get my point across correctly in this format.

I have been doing this now for a decade. I started by building cheapo sub $10k cars and currently we do work up to the $250k mark. The TV/Movie replicas dont even blip on the screen today when it comes to paying our bills, they cost as much as they bring in, but its where I started and they are alot of fun in most cases. I have (counting this one) 4 major complaints in 10 years, and they are all available for review. thats not a bad record. but I am not working secluded in backwoods Tenn, so our complaints are very public. I understand, and I dont mind discussing these in detail with anyone who asks. I can try, but I cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes its my fault, sometimes its not. In this case, I share blame for certain, and in hindsight the best thing i could have done was hang the telephone up and blocked the number, and never took the job. In the end, I lost money, he lost money, the only one who looks to win on this in JB which is good for him. The car looks like it is being done VERY well and from what I hear its a more than reasonable cost. It will be well worth it once complete.

In closing, there is NEVER any intent to defraud or 'scam' a customer. Make all of the accusations you want, but illegal is illegal and I wouldnt have the rep and business I have if that was my practice. I lay everything out in the open up front before I take a dollar. I have spent months and in some cases years with a customer working with them before I was paid a red cent.  Sometimes it doesnt work out. I have recieved emails about this car and how I  should have done this and should have done that, and I think of all of the times I have had a business card thrown in my face because I told someone he couldnt afford to build the car he wanted and needed to wait. its a tighrope and I loose on both ends. The only smooth sailing is dead in the middle and it wont always work that way. The constitution doesnt guarantee us the right to life, liberty and the fully restored car of your choice.

Do I think JB should have inspected the car? Yes. Do I think the car should have been built better? Yes. Do I think i somehow owed it to reach into my pocket or my kids savings to build a car for someone who hears me tell them what they need and says no? No.

There was a full professional inspection of the car by a professional of the owners choosing before it ever left my door. And I do warranty what work we do in almost all cases had I been asked and if it had been paid for. Doesnt matter now, but I just want to make sure the record is straight on those few things. There is alot here thats not represented. When it comes to information, I am about as open as you'll ever find someone.

For those that are curious, steps have been taken in response to this mess on my end. I have decided to stop buiding or offering turnkey products. It seems wrong in my opinion, as I'll serve 15 happy customers for ever 1 gripe, but I do listen, and in this case its a good decision. We don't make nearly anything on those cars and its not worth hearing about a mess like this because some guy couldnt listen to his builder or pay for a properly built car. its a tough line to walk between classic restored and these replicas, and its always been a headache, and one I think here on out i could simply do without.

Currently, the best and ONLY place in my opinion to have a General Lee built would be the Smith Bros and I have always and will continue to endorse them. I dont think there would be many that disagree.

JB - Car looks very nice. The shop obviously knows what they are diong, and I wish you the best of luck with it.

To the rest of you, its a VERY good thing to have infromation so readily available. It helps people doing research to decide on where they should go or what tehy should do. I have a current customer who bought a HALPAG car and he could have done with some advice before spending 20-something k only to have to bring it to me to tear down and start over and spend another 30-40k on top of it. But it should be pointed out that research should include personal inspection and direct questioning. Seeing something in person is ALWAYS recommended BEFORE you spend money. forums like this often tend to be shaded one way or the other and often by some people who may mean well but simply do not have all of the information on the subject.

I wish you all Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. Thanks again for the time and space.

       

[SFRT]

hey BK dude.

it costs EXACTLY the same to do a decent weld or to crap out a total ass-weld. it MIGHT take say...an extra 30-40 seconds to do a decent weld.

but yeah i guess at say 60 bucks an hour shop rate or whatever that extra 50 cents of time for each weld is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much to expect.

[bamadukefan02]

I have a current customer who bought a HALPAG car and he could have done with some advice before spending 20-something k only to have to bring it to me to tear down and start over and spend another 30-40k on top of it.

Man talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The Hemi-General is not a restored car. Its not a half restored car, was never intended to be. Its a cheap replica of a TV car that was modified later with an expensive driveline

Thanks for clearing that up because several of us here thought that it was a fully restored car, and by "cheap" I hope you mean quality and not cost

Bk your posts do absolutely nothing to help your argument. All you do is seem to admit that you know the car was not done right and you sent it out anyway. 

[skip68]

He is taking part of the blame and that's a good thing.    I know that I don't ever want to hear anything about BK Automotive making Dukes of Hazzard cars, Batmobiles, A-Team vans, Knight Rider cars or ANY movie cars for that matter.  -----  EVER !  -----  And I'm pretty sure that BK Automotive wants this to all go away about now.      I'll talk with you later Jeff.       It looks to me that someones a little nervous.       No more turnkey products ?     It sounds to me that he is still going to make these cars but just as a painted roller.  Well, we will see about that.   

[Ghoste]

Fiberglass framerails.  That pretty much sums up how bad he feels about losing all that money on a 50k body job.

[jb666]

Fiberglass framerails.  That pretty much sums up how bad he feels about losing all that money on a 50k body job.

yeah, and after all this he still feels he doesn't owe anything. How comical. I don't want his money, and HE is killing his reputation , so I'd say this is working. I don't know what to say, I'm floored right now

[dkn1997]

As if coming on her hat in hand makes it ok.  I think the worst thing about this is that he really thinks he did nothing wrong.  Sure, the tone of the last post was a little more humble, but it really looks like he wrote those things because of the perverbial "gun to his head" 

[ac_knight]

As if coming on her hat in hand makes it ok.  I think the worst thing about this is that he really thinks he did nothing wrong.  Sure, the tone of the last post was a little more humble, but it really looks like he wrote those things because of the perverbial "gun to his head" 

I agree.  He sounds like he is taking "SOME" of the blame, but this is because of all the bad press.  This sounds more like a PR attempt to save some face.  Yeah JB should have inspected it better, but for the money BK is saying it cost, there should have been no question it was done and done right.  That kind of money gets you a fully restored car lmost anywhere.  This just seems like a lame, half-hearted attempt to save whatever reputaion he might have had.

[jb666]

This statement cracks me up, and I'll tell you why.

There was a full professional inspection of the car by a professional of the owners choosing before it ever left my door. And I do warranty what work we do in almost all cases had I been asked and if it had been paid for. Doesnt matter now, but I just want to make sure the record is straight on those few things. There is alot here thats not represented. When it comes to information, I am about as open as you'll ever find someone.

One of the people who have made contact with me, off the forum, was in BK's shop when my car was being "detailed". In fact, one of the "professionals" that were mentioned falls into place during this story. This person asked to check out the "finished General Lee" that was on it's way out the door, after detailing. He said he looked at the car inside/out and underneath. He asked Thomas "how much does something like this go for?", and his answer was "There's only about $55k into this job, it was a low budget build". This person (who asked to remain nameless) couldn't believe what $55k got. He said he was disgusted and was happy that he never had any work done. Anyways, this car was not inspected by a "professional". Brian isn't dead, he just doesn't want to chime into this thread, at this point, but he's filling me in on any/all missing details.

The bottom line is that BK KNOWS this car was built to be the pile of crap that it was and they have NO PROBLEM with it having their name on it. If they DID, they certainly wouldn't be sitting here making excuses as to why the car shipped out like this.

So you aren't selling "turn-key cars" any more. BIG DEAL, it's not the drivetrain that you screwed up, it's EVERYTHING ELSE that you would sell as a "roller". Do yourself a favor, open a Texas Barbecue, burn the rest of the cars you were "working on", and then stick to Ribs. Think of all the money you'll save on Bondo alone!!

BK, I'll ask again, WHY DO YOU NOT FEEL THAT YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS CAR RIGHT? You've admitted that this car is a mess and that it should have been built right, yet you have excuses as to why you shouldn't have to take responsibility.  In that case, you've made your bed, now it's time to lie in it...  

[jb666]

Wow, some good progress made on the car. Are you usuing the same shop that did your paint job on the Z? They did an awesome job on that. 

Yeah, the Vette did come out amazing, but no, it's a different shop. The shop that did my Vette is backed up for 18 months and obviously I couldn't wait... Well, maybe I could have, rear frame rails aren't REALLY needed on a car.. I've been told that they provide NO structural benefit. 

[skip68]

Saving face is just what's going on here.   I would imagine by now that BK has been contacted by one of my " new friends " From Texas.     This is not done BK so don't leave just yet.    BK Automotive, What do you mean by turnkey?  DO NOT PLAY WORD GAMES WITH US.    If you think you're going to find another loop hole go right ahead.  I will find 5 to every 1 of yours.  At this point I have no real intrest in your company.  I just want to see this resolved and make sure you are finished with these cars.  This chain reaction that has been started was done by you and very poor business sense.   I think that a nonnegotiable offer should be made to you BK.  But that's just me.  If your company was doing so great and had a great name then 1 car will NOT make or break you.  Especially a low budget cheap car as you call it.  But the REAL TRUTH here is, YOU and I both know you are hanging by a thin thread.     Maybe you don't know, but I'm sure you do.  I would have to be a fool to underestimate you.   So in theory, you should know as much if not more than I.   The only reason you are taking some responsibility now is that you got caught.

[terrible one]

I just wanted to say . . .


Damn Chuck! You're all over this one man! 

[jb666]

I just wanted to say . . .


Damn Chuck! You're all over this one man! 

Oh...... You don't know the half of it. Chuck is THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moparstuart]

 

[skip68]

Oh snaps.     My post got messed up and had double words in it and some of the stuff was gone.    So I've got it summed up I guess.  I tried to make changes and lost a bunch of what I said.  S.O.B.          

[jeff69]

All I can say is WOW!  

[terrible one]

Another short one:

http://knightrideronline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=65283   

[terrible one]

And another:

http://www.knightregistries.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1494&page=3

The Knight Rider guys sure are having a tough time of them . . . only 4 complaints? Ever? Really?



EDIT:

Another

http://knightrideronline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6136&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Hehe, check out BK's replies there . . . same bullshit!