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Every Car Has A Story....

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Mopar_guy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mopar_guy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/20/2013 at 3:55pm
Originally posted by pacerman pacerman wrote:

I advise you to visit the shop often and let them know that you are interested so they keep the momentum going. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good luck with it. Joe


I agree 100%. I'd show up once a week or at least every other week and don't call ahead to tell them. Just show up. That should keep them on their feet if they care. If no work has progressed, ask politely why nothings done. If it seems to stall because of whatever excuses, just say you'll take it somewhere else again.

"Hemilina" My 1973, 5.7 Hemi swapped Javelin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 401harry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/20/2013 at 8:28pm
Bodyshops who do a lot of insurance work are the worst. They simply want to turn cars for cash, however if you do a lot or all the prep work you can get a good deal. I can do any mechanical work but am an absolute fail on bodywork. I sent mine to a local shop that did about 75% insurance work and had a few restorations underway. They did a decent job getting what I wanted them to do which was a straight body and used good paint materials. Paint jobs aint cheap these days with just the cost of materials well over $500 and my budget job was 3 grand on a rust free car
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dltowers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/20/2013 at 10:59pm
The initial place I had the Javelin at was the "Low-Ball' bid for the restoration, and I took their offer. But as you can see, it has been a full year (I left the car at first bodyshop on 19, July 2012),
and nothing done. The first bodyshop was not an actual business, but a couple of bodymen who rented a building to work on cars part-time. There would be weeks that nothing would be done to car, and when I asked them about slow progress, they always had an excuse that I believed.
I should of picked the car up last December, instead of waiting 6 months to take it somewhere else.
The new bodyshop is charging me about 3 times what the first bodyshop wanted, but overall I feel alot better about getting the car done properly.
 
 
Original Owner, 1974 Javelin:
360ci,2v,727TC. Motorola Multiplex with 8-Track.
G4 Plum exterior with 421Q Black Uganda Interior. Purchased on July 16, 1974 from Hooker AMC, Sherman, TX for $4500.20
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 348AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/20/2013 at 11:52pm
Originally posted by dltowers dltowers wrote:

and nothing done. The first bodyshop was not an actual business, but a couple of bodymen who rented a building to work on cars part-time

 

 


Either that or supporting a drug or drinking habit with it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dltowers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/21/2013 at 1:04am
Everytime I would drop by the bodyshop, they would be working on other projects, and seem to completely lost interest in my car.
When I inquired as to the progress, they always promised to work on it "NEXT WEEK".
I kept believing their excuses, but I was too nieve.
I have learned my lesson the hard way, and will be alot more attentive on checking on the car.
Original Owner, 1974 Javelin:
360ci,2v,727TC. Motorola Multiplex with 8-Track.
G4 Plum exterior with 421Q Black Uganda Interior. Purchased on July 16, 1974 from Hooker AMC, Sherman, TX for $4500.20
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amx39068 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/21/2013 at 9:56am
We encourage people who are buying the cars we do or who's cars we are doing restoration work on to drop by any time. We also send them pictures of progress and send them an email with a spread sheet of the work performed and/or parts purchased every two or three weeks for the prior period. We also only do one outside car at a time so on any given day the max # of cars we are working on is 3, one for each person working at the shop with the work divided by body and paint, restoration and mechanical. By doing it this way there is always progress being made on each car every week which keeps the buyer/customer engaged and excited about their car and keeps our guys motivated.

The biggest surprise about running a shop is how much time it takes oversee operations, do paper work, order parts, drop off and pick up components at the AC, rechrome and machine shops, dialog with buyers/ customers plus the never ending challenge of solving or figuring out how to get past problems/issues that arise from the work being done.

If a shop does insurance work and does not have a methodology/process to ensure that progress is made on each car it is easy to see how things could fall behind on a given car. The best advice I can offer it don't get too far ahead on a payment schedule with the shop. If they want big bucks up front just walk away. We link our up front payment on basically 10% of the total estimated bill up to a max of $2500 and then only charge for actual hours of work performed plus parts purchased during each billing period. There are too many horror stories where the shop has collected all the money they quoted in their price and the car is nowhere near done. When that happens you are usually screwed.

Edited by amx39068 - Jul/21/2013 at 9:57am
Dan Curtis-Owner and CEO AZ AMC Restorations; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcmusclecars/ & Curtis Real Estate Development
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SEdmonds Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/21/2013 at 11:17am
I am really sorry you had this mess with the restoration shop.  As others have said, it happens all too frequently.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 348AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/21/2013 at 12:24pm
I think the way to avoid the "waiting game" is not pay ANYTHING up front. Pay as the work is getting done or not until its completed. This seems to be the same type of problem that people experience with home construction contractors. You give money up front and they show up whenever they feel like it.   We only use contractors that dont ask for any money up front anymore and the work gets done fast and higher quality.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dltowers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/14/2013 at 1:48am
The new bodyman is making steady progress on my Javelin. He has sandblasted, painted, and put all new decals in the engine compartment, and is nearly ready to install the rebuilt motor. One of the main things that has hendered his work is that he is having to sort out bolt by bolt all the parts in the mess that he inherited from the initialy bodyshop.
Original Owner, 1974 Javelin:
360ci,2v,727TC. Motorola Multiplex with 8-Track.
G4 Plum exterior with 421Q Black Uganda Interior. Purchased on July 16, 1974 from Hooker AMC, Sherman, TX for $4500.20
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote abndanger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/14/2013 at 4:28am
Looking Good Dickie, I would put the engine motor mounts on before you lower the engine. Trying to put the 3 bolts on each side would be a pain. Also, if it were mine I would install new brake lines, repaint the blower motor, wiper motor etc while the engine is out. With everything looking so clean from fresh paint the unpainted area's stand out and draw unwanted attention. She is looooooking GOOD!!!
" LIVING THE AMX DREAM"
1973 AMX Javelin Pierre Cardin
1973 AMX Javelin Barnfind "Wifes"
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