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Every Car Has A Story.... |
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Mopar_guy
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jun/07/2009 Location: Ohio Status: Offline Points: 4837 |
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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. |
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"Hemilina" My 1973, 5.7 Hemi swapped Javelin |
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401harry
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/27/2011 Location: Clearwater,Fl Status: Offline Points: 758 |
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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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dltowers
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Dec/12/2012 Location: Friendswood, TX Status: Offline Points: 5827 |
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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.
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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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348AMX
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 4165 |
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Either that or supporting a drug or drinking habit with it. |
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dltowers
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Dec/12/2012 Location: Friendswood, TX Status: Offline Points: 5827 |
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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.
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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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amx39068
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Feb/21/2008 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 11576 |
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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 |
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Dan Curtis-Owner and CEO AZ AMC Restorations; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcmusclecars/ & Curtis Real Estate Development
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SEdmonds
Moderator Group Joined: Jun/21/2009 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8196 |
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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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348AMX
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 4165 |
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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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dltowers
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Dec/12/2012 Location: Friendswood, TX Status: Offline Points: 5827 |
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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.
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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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abndanger
AMC Addicted Joined: Nov/08/2009 Location: Grand Rapids Status: Offline Points: 550 |
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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!!!
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" LIVING THE AMX DREAM"
1973 AMX Javelin Pierre Cardin 1973 AMX Javelin Barnfind "Wifes" |
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