Some Body Shop Advice
06-13-2006, 07:23 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 3
Some Body Shop Advice
For those in the Joliet, IL area:
In December 2004, my '86 300ZX was hit in the driver's side quarter panel in a parking lot, which pushed my car into another parked car, thus damaging both quarter panels. I went to a shop which butchered the vehicle, and basically the entire job needs to be redone. I have written a full complaint with pictures at:
http://www.freewebs.com/gregsmess/
In short, Greg's Body Shop is quite incompetent and should be avoided at all costs.
In December 2004, my '86 300ZX was hit in the driver's side quarter panel in a parking lot, which pushed my car into another parked car, thus damaging both quarter panels. I went to a shop which butchered the vehicle, and basically the entire job needs to be redone. I have written a full complaint with pictures at:
http://www.freewebs.com/gregsmess/
In short, Greg's Body Shop is quite incompetent and should be avoided at all costs.
06-13-2006, 09:33 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Houston Tx. Cleveland Tx. New Caney Tx. and every other Tx.
Posts: 532
Man you sound like a real pain in the *** to deal with. let me ask, did you talk to the guys about the work, check it out befor you drove off? if so what did they have to say? if they were will to take your car back in you should have taken the deal, but if they were asses about it, you have the right to be an *** back.
About the shops in IL, I just moved to IL a few weeks ago from TX, and I only stayed about 3 weeks and I have allready moved back to TX, because you IL drivers don't know how to drive, let alone do anything els. No offence.
About the shops in IL, I just moved to IL a few weeks ago from TX, and I only stayed about 3 weeks and I have allready moved back to TX, because you IL drivers don't know how to drive, let alone do anything els. No offence.
06-14-2006, 05:06 AM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 3
Eatmydust:
I just do not want more of the car in disaster. I tried telling the owner the problems during pick-up, and I even wrote him a letter afterwards. His letter blames myself for the faults since he repeats I saw the car's progress and should have seen the problems. He is supposed to be the professional and not depend on me for showing where the body is rough, where there is an alignment problem, etc. And in court, all he told were lies: that I picked a custom color, that I complained and yelled at him during a phone call (I NEVER called them afterwards, only wrote a letter so I have proof of a response for court), that 1987 rear end parts WILL fit a 1986 (I'm sorry, but no), and that the uni-body needed replacement (though I took all the interior out and found no such work done).
I will not take the car back from the mere stupidity and ignorance over there. Hell, my amateur paint job was perfect with a little orange peel, but NONE fell off. My paint was also the CORRECT color the first time.
As for Illinois drivers, there are plenty who do not deserve a license up here, and I do not know how they legally obtained one. Once you get to downtown Chicago, you can easily point the good drivers from the terrible.
Thanks for the replies,
Mitch
I just do not want more of the car in disaster. I tried telling the owner the problems during pick-up, and I even wrote him a letter afterwards. His letter blames myself for the faults since he repeats I saw the car's progress and should have seen the problems. He is supposed to be the professional and not depend on me for showing where the body is rough, where there is an alignment problem, etc. And in court, all he told were lies: that I picked a custom color, that I complained and yelled at him during a phone call (I NEVER called them afterwards, only wrote a letter so I have proof of a response for court), that 1987 rear end parts WILL fit a 1986 (I'm sorry, but no), and that the uni-body needed replacement (though I took all the interior out and found no such work done).
I will not take the car back from the mere stupidity and ignorance over there. Hell, my amateur paint job was perfect with a little orange peel, but NONE fell off. My paint was also the CORRECT color the first time.
As for Illinois drivers, there are plenty who do not deserve a license up here, and I do not know how they legally obtained one. Once you get to downtown Chicago, you can easily point the good drivers from the terrible.
Thanks for the replies,
Mitch
06-14-2006, 07:18 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: z junk yard
Posts: 1,271
im so sick and tired of people screwing people with Z cars around.. even in my home town hear in clovis new mexico... people with hole in the wall body shops try to charge 3 times the normal rate and they all do a half *** job ive seen it on my other friends z cars. thats why i try to do my own work... yea its not the best in the hole world but at least i know " im doing it " not letting some other incompatent people work on my car...
lesson learned do your own work save money ....
lesson learned do your own work save money ....
06-14-2006, 08:27 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Houston Tx. Cleveland Tx. New Caney Tx. and every other Tx.
Posts: 532
Not good advice for somone who has no experiance, or knowled on how to do such work my friend. even a hole in the wall shop has enough sence cause they do it every day.
06-15-2006, 05:38 AM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Plainfield, IL
Posts: 3
Well, I demanded a refund of the quote, which is $4,200. Greg's only wants to try again, something I will not agree with.
And Nismo619, you are correct for doing the work yourself. I painted the entire car after reading a 300 page book and used more than enough paint. It looked great, but had some minor orange peel which could be easily dealt with by color-sanding. I'd show some pictures, but my camera broke yesterday. Even my friend who took a body repair course was laughing at the weld seems, telling me I could do a better job with a little practice. If you want something done right you have to do it yourself, or take the car to a restorer ($15,000 for the Quarter Panel replacement).
Once I get a few grand saved I will redo ALL the work and use lead filler, not this Bondo crap that the quarter panels are full of now. I even did a little practice on scrap sheet metal and the lead is not too difficult to do, and flexes with the car. It will not fall off if a cart or something hits it. It also won't rust, as the Quarter panels are doing now.
And when I do this I will probably find more things not done which the shop said they fixed. When we do our own work, we know every part which is being replaced, therefore we cannot be ripped off. With a little practice anyone is better at fixing their own car than some illegal who does not care about the job.
Thanks for the replies,
Mitch
And Nismo619, you are correct for doing the work yourself. I painted the entire car after reading a 300 page book and used more than enough paint. It looked great, but had some minor orange peel which could be easily dealt with by color-sanding. I'd show some pictures, but my camera broke yesterday. Even my friend who took a body repair course was laughing at the weld seems, telling me I could do a better job with a little practice. If you want something done right you have to do it yourself, or take the car to a restorer ($15,000 for the Quarter Panel replacement).
Once I get a few grand saved I will redo ALL the work and use lead filler, not this Bondo crap that the quarter panels are full of now. I even did a little practice on scrap sheet metal and the lead is not too difficult to do, and flexes with the car. It will not fall off if a cart or something hits it. It also won't rust, as the Quarter panels are doing now.
And when I do this I will probably find more things not done which the shop said they fixed. When we do our own work, we know every part which is being replaced, therefore we cannot be ripped off. With a little practice anyone is better at fixing their own car than some illegal who does not care about the job.
Thanks for the replies,
Mitch
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bookmarks
