I have been recieving a lot of complaint calls on my personal cell about Bad Influence Hot Rods. I DO NOT WORK FOR BAD INFLUENCE HOT RODS!!!!!!! I hate that there are so many of you that got screwed over just as badly as I did!!! I know there are many of you that put down deposits or paid in full, that never got your parts, they were wrong, OR they were just poorly crafted. Though I did work for Gary Trout and Bad Infuence Hot Rods, but I was the Sheetmetal fabricator. I chopped tops, and designed parts. I had absolutely NO idea how the business end of things went there, that is until the day I quit... It started a year ago when I was living in Colorado with my girl and got an offer to work for Gary in his nascar shop. I had been designing suspension parts and laser cut bracketry for him for years, and thought, this is good. I was promised moon and stars. We picked up, moved half way across country, and the moment we got here, the pay i was promised just never did get to me. A little here, a little there, barely enough to survive. But what could I do? It cost us every penny we had to just get here. Fast foward a year, still in Indiana, still barely making it, then I started to get hints and signs of how things went. I would get two different stories from the same guy, in the same day. I was getting angry calls on my personal cell from customers I didn't even know existed. And I was hearing thru the grape vine that everyone was being told it was my fault. This all was still not enough to semd me packing... THEN I found invoices sent to one of my customers billing him $1500+ per week WITHOUT DOING ANY WORK ON HIS RPU!!!!!!!!!!! Months worth!! So when I went up to confront the man, I stopped short of his office door and heard him and another employee talking about me in a VERY demeaning fasion. I went off! Since then, I have heard terrible things said about me, have people who were previously friends not speaking to me, and now notice just how many tools are missing from my personal tool box I had there. Not to mention My girl, who did nothing wrong, who worked in a completely different entity for GT who was immediately "layed OFF" after i QUIT. We were destitute. After I left though, the few customers that had a chance to see the level of work I did and how reasonably I did it, came to me and promted me to start my own shop. I now am a very busy boy trying hard to make it in a very tough market to be in right now. I do not like having to tell what happened. I am not trying to just spread the shit. I feel I need to let everyone know just so that when they are given my cell phone (812.212.5845) to call to complain about Bad Influence, They are calling a person that was fucked over just as badly as them, if not worse. This business is all I know. I've tried many other occupation and this is the only one that is truely my calling. It is hard enough to make it, or even want to keep trying, in this marhket, much less having a grown ass man trying to effect this 28 year old life anymore just becaused I wised up. I now run a nice small managable shop. I offer custom sheet metal work, bead rolling, chop tops, suspension fab, air ride, laser cut parts, And composite repair and fab. IF there was anything that Bad Influence has wronged you on, Please do call(812.212.5845), I want to make things right, BUT Remember I am in the same boat as you, and do not need to be cussed out, or strong armed. I WANT to help. Thank you for reading, If you have had problems with Bad Infuence, PLEASE make them known by posting them here, calling me, or telling your friends. Bad Influence is STILL taking money and taking advantage of customers today with no intent of coming thru for them. Please support your local Hot rod shop, Please support the little guy, please do yourslef a favor and avoid the "Too big for their Britches" shops of the world. Us little guys can work much cheaper, are usually the ones doing the work in bigger shops, and need all the work we can get! I love Hot Rodding and everything tied to it. Please don't let greedy money makers ruin this wonderfull hobby that is now in its 3rd generation(at least in my family). If I couldn't build hot rods, customs, or at least bang on tin, I wouldn't really have a reason to live. Sad I know. If there is anything I can do for ANY of you, PLEASE let me know! The Dude abides... Mike Waechter Weck-Teck Fabrication 812.212.5845
Man I am so sorry to hear that. My wife and I moved halfway across the US a decade ago so that I could go to work for a decent sized musclecar parts & engine shop but it ended somewhat badly for us as well and we ended up moving back here. My stoy pales in comparison to yours! But THANK YOU for standing up and trying to make right what someone else jacked up. That takes real courage. My favorite saying is "What you send around eventually comes around" and your former employer will get his someday, but more importantly, you'll be rewarded for being a stand up guy. Good luck!
This kind of crap seems to be a recurring theme in our hobby based industry. I have heard the same thing about some "big name" shops here on the west coast. I wish you luck in your endeavor.
Thanks fellas, I really do believe its us that made this world, Our kind, Thinkers, Workers, Blue collar.
good luck man , thats a tough story , seems like the good guys are getting the short end of the stick with all the slivers lately ,
Talked to u earlier today about setting up rear end and front end on a 29 model a ford i bought from badd influence hot rods .my email address is [email protected] help will be great.thanks
Mike, I met you at there shop about a year ago and you helped me on a sheet metal part. I really hope everything works out for you. I can tell you have a gift for working on cars. Let me know where your shop is and maybe I can pass some work your way. Being honest running a buisness is a must, and sounds like Bad Influence just wasnt doing that. Good, Luck. Greg
i have no clue who you are, but i respect you made a stand.. sometimes very hard to do especially when you moved half way across the states for broken promises.. iv read to many times of company's in this hobbie ripping people off.. RPU's seem to be quite common in this trend.. i guess because they are being made. at any rate, seems like you have made a stand for your self and i wish you great success.. and you are right this is a small niche environment to try and survive.. being honest will take you a long way. i hope the cell phones go from being negative to work as things slowly get out of the grape vine.. and it sucks to be talked behind ones back.. i grew up in a small town where you word and a hand shake ment something.. never thought that day would change.. just seems like such simple logic to follow through.. you say you gonna do something you do it.. period.. im a simple person so maybe thats why i look at things in black and white.. and yes iv been walked over but, i just to old to change my values. good luck, and hope the your girl is as strong as you sounds like she is in the same boat.. rock on, chris.
The sad truth is... these people that are taking people's money and not delivering are making it so hard for us honest shop owners. All we can do is what you're doing, keep doing good work for a fair price, keep looking up and the word WILL get out. In our town there's a guy that has made a practice of ripping off any and everybody he's ever worked for. He used to work for me until I caught him stealing parts, paint and time! Since he started his own shop, he's bad-mouthed me to everyone he can, but the facts are... we're swamped with work and he's drying up because he's screwed over everybody he's ever dealt with. It may take a while, but keep on keepin' on, it'll all work out for you.
It's not just in hot-rodding, guys... My kid just went through it too...he's an AIRCRAFT MECHANIC for fuck's sake.
This shit started when the "Open your WALET and build me a car crowd showed up" when I was working on other peoples cars I was honest with them and they were honest with me, closed up shop when i could no longer compete. Now all you get is HORROR stories. Hang in there, honesty is still the best policy, and quality work will always outdo liars , predaters, and theives. Good Luck and keep the faith.
I don't know you from Adam , but i do respect your story being put out there & telling it like it is. My DAD WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU. Keep up the good work . "AND THE BOWTIE ROLLS ON"
This happens in every industry. I have a competitor who likes to underbid me but can't deliver nor is his quality where it needs to be. He also likes to bid low and then jack up the prices once he has the contract, too bad they are firm fixed price. There was a poll a few years ago that asked what the most common thing was between people who were self made multi millionaires. The common thread was a high level of integrity. Everyone of these self made rich folks said that honesty was of the upmost importance. Run a clean shop and you will make it.
As a Pinstriper I've worked for hundreds of shops all over the country in the last 32 years and will back you up on this dilemma. About half of the shops turn this industry upside down ruining what could be a good thing. I've seen shops start-=up with good intentions with the opportunity to do good but once the coins start coming in everything changes. I just updated my book, which is on Amazon a kindle book, "How to Start Your Own Hot Rod & Custom Shop" and it talks about this problem in depth, how to deal with it and how to treat your clients with respect so they love you and gladly pay for what you do.
Since I have originally posted this, I have kept to my idea of what a shop should offer, quality work, fair prices, and fun. Suprise suprise, work is solid! I'm actually getting ready to move into my new shop in Cincinnati! Thank you everybody for the support. If there is anything I can do for anyone, let me know! P.s. KapitalcityKustoms, its in the mail! Mike Waechter Weck-Teck Fabrication 812.212.5845
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