Projects How many of you has this happened to?

So, many years ago, before I retired, during my day job I worked with a guy who never owned a hot rod and wanted one desperately, so, for his fiftieth birthday, his wife contacted me and asked if I'd help him get there. Sure I said, the steel was bought, a model a cowl was found and the work began, a few months later a chassis was supporting the cowl and home it went. Four bar front and rear, ez steer rack-vega box setup installed, life is good.
A little later, a 32 pickup cab was found, back to my shop, make it fit, weld in firewall, floors, modify homemade box, French in some 59 cad taillights, run all the brake lines, truck is getting closer, I might add that there was no charge for work done, we were friends.
Truck moves on, more work is done. Not by me.
Fast forward, many years, fucking nice truck is done, semi period piece, good enough for a magazine, I read a story online about the owner and the truck, no mention of my work, actually, there's mention of someone I never heard of taking credit for my work, so I fire off an angry email telling owner to make it right. He promises he will, and the matter is settled, or......is it?
Then, last months issue of Canadian rodder comes out and.......there's the truck on the cover, wow I say, run home with it.Yep, my name is there, spelled wrong, and it seems my contribution is rather minor, I only did half the chassis, and again, others get credit for my work. So, another email to owner, and forwarded to the editor of the mag, all backed up by pictures of the build on my website as proof. Pictures that have been there almost ten years.
Magazine editor couldn't have been nicer, explained to him, I didn't care about the glory, never cared if it ever made the big time, I did it as a favour to a friend, a birthday gift, but....I wasn't going to stand by and let someone else get credit for my efforts, that was a different matter.
Why this has happened, no idea, I don't think I'm on the outs with this guy, maybe he remembers things differently than I, it has been a long build and people have come and gone, but still, if you're handing out credit for work done, get it right.

 

Never had anything to this extent... but I have done plenty of "specialty" work for friends, that were not capable of doing said work, only to have my efforts somehow forgotten in my hour of need. It really burns my wife up. Then I remind her that I didn't do the work in order to have some marker to call in later or for a pat on the back. I do it for myself really. I know what a good friend is and what "being neighborly" means to me, and I know what the right thing is. And at the end of the day, I can only make sure that I do the right thing.
I try to never have to look in the mirror and think "boy that was a d!ck move" or "you could have done better". that's not to say that I don't fail miserably on occasion.
I have found that the world tends to want to have balance and I have been blessed in many areas of my life. I have also found that my good deeds seem to come back to me in my time of need... and my missteps seem to as well.
I think the best we can hope for, and a noble goal, is to find ourselves "even" at the end.
Having said all of that I do agree with the OP that in this case his work should be publicly recognized. Doubly so if this work is connected to his livelihood. Its just the right thing to do.
Chappy

 

Yup, happens a LOT! I've talked to guys at cruise nights, and car shows, about their car ( which I built for the previous owner), and am impressed by how much work they did to it, and how well it was done. Of course they never know all the details, and start looking at me strangely when I start to tell them about them. Other times I hear from others how the owners tell everyone they built their car. One even started doing body and paint work, based on the car I did body and paint on! Didn't succeed, and a few guys were pretty pissed off at him!

 

NO good deed go's unpunished

 

Had this happen years ago with a Model A I built, when it went over to Austria. The car was in Hot Rod a couple years later with the guy claiming his hot rod shop built it and somehow now it's a 34 sedan. After that there were/are video's of it on YouTube, again the guy claiming his shop built it. I politely let him know, that no, you didn't build it and left it at that. The only thing left to deal with was the B.S. ribbing I got from my friends about it, but if it was theirs I'd do the same.

 

I have helped on several cars and when the accolades are written I haven't seen my name but I don't worry about it.

It's always gratifying if you get recondition but that's not why I help.

I always make it a point to give my pal Dave credit for all the work he and I did on Brenda's Wagon,from day one to completion,had it not been for his help it would not be on the road to this today.

I can't speak for everyone here but I have had help on every car I have built and if I had to list every who gave me a helping hand it would take several pages,from my daughter helping hold a piece of stainless while I bolt it on or the friends helping install the windshield. HRP

 

Yup same here!


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I notice that the only stories that are wrong, are the ones where I know the actual facts.

 

I have seen magazine articles with some parts I make (dash panels, taillights), and no mention of the source.

A couple years ago I sold a pair of my Stude taillights to a big name shop on a discount, with the understanding that my name would be on their display card for the car. The car was built for the owner of another big manufacturer in the hot rod world. Car was debuted at SEMA, and pics shown all over the shop's web presence. I even saw it in person this weekend at my local GoodGuys show, at their booth. No mention of me AT ALL. I won't be selling any parts at discounts again.

 

Was at a race track (circle) and a new driver and his Dad said he built the car. I said
look at the number on the roll bar, I built it. ???

 

I can understand your ire. In order to be able to deal with the problem, I would recommend that you let it go. You did it as a VERY generous gift. It no longer is a gift if there are any strings attached. Yeah, you did get a dirty deal. But that happens. Whether you choose to remain friends is a decision that only you can make.


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I never, ever looked for credit, built lots of cars, and if the owner don't mention me, I'm fine with it, cause mostly that's how it is. But, if a car makes a magazine and credits are handed out, they should go to the rightful owner of said effort and not someone else, ESPECIALLY when ALL the build pics are on my website. www.trolls.quack.net. All the big builders you read about would never tolerate this, and I think I shouldn't either.
I'm happy to know that the owner got a good driving car that's reliable and will last, and a car that others in the know will see it's put together properly.

 

I have built numerous cars and trucks, that regularly collect awards in the US, and Europe, and a few that have had magazine features.

There has been no mention of me. All credit went elsewhere, and my shop is now out-of-business.

 

Not worth getting excited about.

 

Low down A said it! I think you did the work as a friend and it meant something to you. Obviously the guy is not who you thought he was and from here on out you know exactly what he is. Its aggravating when someone else takes credit for your work but I think your better off just letting it go.

 

What does make me shake my head is the guy that bought the car from a friend of mine and lives in a different state and tells total strangers that he built the car.

Case in point we were in Pigeon Forge and happened up on a Ford sedan that looked familiar,but it now had a nice paint job and that threw me off until I commented on the car and he started telling me all the modifications he had done,he did have the details down pat as the previous owner had told him,the chop was spot on but when he got to the drivers door I knew it was Alex's old Ford sedan.

When Alex was building the sedan he decided it would be cool to suicide the doors but when he finally got finished the drivers door he said it was such a PITA that he decided to the the passenger side as is,so this was the give away and as he was talking a few more people joined in the conversation and I left without saying anything or busting his inflated ego.

On the way back to the room I ran into Alex and told him about the car,he ask where it was and he would like to see it again,after all it was built almost years ago.

I didn't see Alex again for a few weeks and he told me how he had went to look at the car and the owner told him verbatim what he had told me and when he started explaining all the work he went through to accomplish the suicide door Alex stopped him in mid sentence and said, Wait a minute,let me show you a few photo's I happen to have in my pocket to show you and these guys how it was actually done, he said the guy ask him who he was and he said, "I'm Alex and the guy that really but this car".

Alex told me man looked like he was going to cry and without saying another word walked away,shut the hood,cranked up and left. HRP

 

My story is a little different in that I have a friend that built a car about 15 years ago and has had it in a few shows. My contribution was that I would stop by every week or so and BS with him for about 1/2 hour over the five year build process. I was surprised when I saw it in the first show as my name was on the build sign as a contributor.

 

Please tell me how to get people to ignore you---that would be my dream. I don't fish, hunt, do sports or games, eat out or go out, drink, smoke, or chase pussy; I work on cars period. Not interested in your kids, lawn, or marital problems. A pristine 32 roadster is junk to me but if it has been run over with a tractor pulling a disc and panels are laying around disjointed from rust then that's my passion. If a project can take at least a year of 6am to 9pm days 7 days a week then it's worth while. What I DON'T need is people wasting my time talking about a finished project; it serves no purpose. Shop had no name and no phone for 35 years till my nephew took over three years ago when I was 78. Now there are ones wanting to stand around and TALK---I've gone to Hell before I died.

 

Gratitude is the shortest-lived human emotion.

A boss told me that years ago. Now I'm the boss and see his point.

 

Happened to me. I built a T Bucket from the ground up. Had it in a lot of shows and won a lot. Sold it to a guy that put it in an indoor show. The TV news interviewed him and asked him about the car. Said he built the whole thing, oh well.

 

Tell us how you really feel? HRP

 

How to avoid a lifetime of anger and heartache.

If you do a favor for someone don't expect any thanks or gratitude. If you can't accept that, don't do the favor.

If you loan money don't expect to get it back. If you can't accept that, don't loan the money.

If you lend someone your car, trailer, tools etc. expect to get them back out of gas, smashed, busted, or not at all. If you can't accept that, don't make the loan.

If you follow these rules and do the favor anyway, expect to be pleasantly surprised, but not very often.

 

I have never had that happen in the car world but many times in my working life. I was an Electronic Tech for 40 years in various roles from bottom to boss. Worked at one place for 20 years and knew my job well and was often asked to design test fixtures and procedures to test equipment. Often there were others helping me and when my back was turned they took credit for my work. I always said I do not want credit but I don't want anyone else taking it. Luckily most of the higher ups knew me and my work so they knew where the credit should lye. Jim

 

I've got a friend who many older PNW rodders know that is really good at hollering out "Hey look, there's old __________'s old car that ______ built back in _____ I wondered what happened to it after he sold it". That usually just about the time the current owner is telling us how he built the car himself or had some big time shop build it.
He blew more than one overinflated ego over the years.

 

Matthew 6:1-4
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

 

What's that from?

 

Dammit Gimpy, you made me spew a beverage there.

 

Gimpy, that WAS funny! When you're dead will it really matter who did what on an old car? Life is short, let it go.

 

Giving credit where credit is due is easy and rewarding. But stories (details) get told and retold and the next thing you know...the story teller believes he is telling the truth (his truth). I have been rewarded with many talented friends that help me with my projects. I think about their efforts every day. Kind of brings a tear to my eye. Gary

 

You guys do Know that these folks who take undue credit are compensating for something......use your imagination.