Bodyshop Woes

[Mr9146]

My project has stalled ... the bodyshop is to blame. My story is a miserable one and I'm not going to bring everyone down by telling it.

I need emotional support as I have fired my body man and am in the process of trying to reacquire my car.



I'm sad.

[69Sman]

Marco, I feel your pain, and I know how that is. Who is it?? What happened? I know some GREAT metal and paint guys if you need referrals - most are OUT of the normal Registry and Rgruppe circle, call if you need them, your dad knows my numbers.

[Mr9146]

Thanks, Stacy. BTW, I saw you driving down Sherman Way today ... finally brought the 356 to the right mechanic?

As for my story:
It was a guy who no longer has a shop - hence the beginning of the problem. We were trying him out and, if things worked, were going to start giving him referal business. Apparently that's not going to be happening.

Once he lost his shop my car went MIA for a couple of weeks. I finally caught up with him and fired him. I've already made payments so I'm out a bunch of cash; but I don't care so long as I get my car (and bumpers/hoods/doors) back. We're in the process of reclaiming it...

The metal work is done, the outside of the car is blocked, and the inside is stripped and ready for primer. The problem is that the shop I've chosen to finish the project (a long-time friend of my dad) wants to redo the outside to ensure that the paint sticks when he uses his materials - I completely agree/understand, it just sucks as far as $$$$ and time is concerned.

[69Sman]

Thanks, Stacy. BTW, I saw you driving down Sherman Way today ... finally brought the 356 to the right mechanic?
.

That was me, in the Irish Green Baby...and yes, I'm glad to finally be able to use your Dad; I SO RARELY drive the 356 lately, that it hasn't needed anything basically since we all met; it also helps that Redline in Santa Monica went out of business recently (not that they're been the same since Pete sold it to Mark, but THAT is a WHOLE other story....)

Anyway, sorry to hear about your nightmare - get your car back NOW NOW NOW! Get it OUTTA there, even if you have to do it 'New York' style...

[Zeke]

Thanks, Stacy. BTW, I saw you driving down Sherman Way today ... finally brought the 356 to the right mechanic?

As for my story:
It was a guy who no longer has a shop - hence the beginning of the problem. We were trying him out and, if things worked, were going to start giving him referal business. Apparently that's not going to be happening.

Once he lost his shop my car went MIA for a couple of weeks. I finally caught up with him and fired him. I've already made payments so I'm out a bunch of cash; but I don't care so long as I get my car (and bumpers/hoods/doors) back. We're in the process of reclaiming it...

The metal work is done, the outside of the car is blocked, and the inside is stripped and ready for primer. The problem is that the shop I've chosen to finish the project (a long-time friend of my dad) wants to redo the outside to ensure that the paint sticks when he uses his materials - I completely agree/understand, it just sucks as far as $$$$ and time is concerned.

Marco, I don't quite understand. Sounds like a lot of work for 2 weeks, or did I misunderstand? I guess you've already made your arrangement, but couldn't you have had the guy come to your shop and work under your supervision until you got squared up?

Anyway, glad you're moving forward. At least you have a car.

[Mr9146]

Marco, I don't quite understand. Sounds like a lot of work for 2 weeks, or did I misunderstand? I guess you've already made your arrangement, but couldn't you have had the guy come to your shop and work under your supervision until you got squared up?

Anyway, glad you're moving forward. At least you have a car.

Zeke, you misunderstood. He's had the car for 2 months, and once he lost his shop I couldn't even get him on the phone for 2 weeks. It's been another two weeks since I caught up with him and I still don't have my car back. Grand total - 3 months. But, there've been numerous problems since the outset. Here's my favorite:

Prior to my giving the car to the bodyshop, the metal man who did all the major work on my car - the guy who did my dad's 356 and whom I trust implicitly - fit the lids, fenders and doors.

We shimmed the door hinges and set the gaps to EXACTLY where we wanted the doors. When I gave the car to the bodyshop I SPECIFICALLY told them NOT TO UNDO THE HINGE BOLTS! In order to remove the doors they were merely to remove the hinge pins.

During the bodywork process, the bottom rear edge of driver door had a minor fitment issue. When this was brought to my attention the body man said he was gong to have to readjust the door because my guy "didn't know what he was doing" (despite the fact that he's been restoring Porsches for the past 30 years). I told the body man to leave the hinges alone and fit the car to the door. Simple instructions, right? Apparently not. I went to check on the car and saw that the hinges had been moved ... the body man then said that there were "a whole lot of other problems that he had to fix with the door." Problems that didn't exist until he loosened the hinge bolts.

This may not sound like a big deal, but it is a HUGE deal. I gave an instruction, and it was ignored. My instructions came from years and years of experience - both my Dad's and the metal man's - and the body man thought he knew best and disregarded our instructions despite the fact that this was the first major Porsche restoration that he was involved with. This was also the first of many incidents like this.

As for having him come to the shop to work under my supervision? OH HELL NO!! Bodyshops are too messy, too noisy, and we just don't have the space - plain and simple. I admit, however, that it would be the ideal situation to have him there so I can keep an eye on things, but I honestly don't want the headache or the mess. Been there; done that.

[Milou]

God they work fast in America. I had my car in the workshop for a year...and in the end only the wings had been fixed and primed. The worst was how unwelcoming I felt when I went there, only to see that nothing had been done...2005 was a nightmare from a Porsche view...

[Zeke]

I completely understand now. Sorry for your troubles. You did the right thing by cutting your losses. AFA door shims and adjusting, too bad he couldn't figure out how to pull the pins w/o making a mess. But, that's one thing that can redone correctly w/o a tremendous strain in about an hour per door, or less, if they are not too far out of whack. It's when the front fenders come of that it really gets involved. Ask me how I know.

Mabe a little OT, but the alignment of the doors, fenders and hood is the art of fixing a 911 body. It's a little like a tough chess match. The best part is, you can go back and play the same match over and over untill you win. Not so with chess, it always changes. I love it.

[YTNUKLR]

Don't you hate it when this happens? Makes you just want to scream. Similar story to mine, taking forever and ever, now I FINALLY got it lugged from AZ to TRE where it's waiting for some love and a motor. If someone even went so far as to breathe on my hinges now, that would be the end!! haha. I hope it's straightened out soon enough!

PS. I've been SO BUSY lately! Gotta get over to TLG sometime.... Hopefully with a running 911...


Cheers
Scott

[execmalibu]

J-P,

SWISS WATCHES ONLY TURN AT 1 (RPM)! A HIGH PERFORMANCE GERMAN MACHINE (EVEN A 911 T) SHOULD RUN BETTER THEN THAT!

IF YOU DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO TLG AT 1 RPM YOU WILL GET THERE BY 2010... BETTER CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! LOL