with someone else, like a painter, when you get it back the battery is drained or some other issue? Argh. I went to pick up one of my cars up today at paint shop, I arrived to see the car on charger. Guy says "hey you need a new battery that thing is drained." I say "funny, I just picked it up last week at O'reilys".,,(which I did) HE says: "must be a bad battery we had trouble starting it all week" I pay the guy, as I am driving home I notice dome light amd heater blower are on. Guess he got in it and turned em on and never turned them off. Yep, I need a new battery. Last time with another painter, the carb was so full of dust and junk the fuel filter looked like play doh. That was fun and lead to a 300 dollar repair bill. Come on guys, you want our business, treat our cars like yours..um..on second thought...
Thats why I do my stuff myself, Its a miracle some of the guys around here can even dress themselves.
They don't fing care and my experience has been that their abiltiy, integrity and intelligence is to low to record.
That sux i was with my neighbor once and he was getting the oil changed and the guy doing it dented the truck right in front of us and still said that the dent was there...
Had my other car in for new paint about 18 months ago. When I stopped by to check it it was blown apart for prep. Doors, hood, fenders, trunk lid, etc. Never really thought about it, but when I picked it up they said the same thing; "you need a battery cause we had to jump it every time we wanted to start it!" Rocket scientists they aren't.
Leaving the doors or trunk lid hanging open for days does tend to run the battery down unless the battery is disconnected. So does having the sound system in your car blast away until the battery runs dead while they are working on the car. I walked in a shop to check on my truck a few years ago in one of the rare times I took any of my vehicles to someone else. It was sitting in a stall with both doors open and the stereo blasting away with someone else's cassette in the deck (it's been a while) I had a little discussion with the service manager in the shop and then the owner of the dealership over that one. And yes the battery was too run down to be able to start the engine without hooking up the battery charger.
mint_ don't be so quick to judge others..maybe you should check the credentials of a shop before you drop her off. I'm a bodyman going on16 years and I always treat every car I touch as if it were mine. Never had a prob like that at my shop. If you can't find a decent shop in your area learn the trade yourself,then work on your own car.
Still better than the deal my brother ran in to. Guy moved the shop including the car & didn't tell him. Had calls into the insurance company and police to locate the car. Only by luck did he happen to run into the guy at a local grocery store & found out where the car was located. 2+ years later and the car is still not painted, windows out, and no interior in the car. We are supposed to go pick up whatever is left next week.
Why is it when some clients leave a car, they blame you for pre-existing problems? I've had a few drop off cars with battery cables that looks like they were put on and tightened with their grandpa's warn pliers. Of course it was my fault that the car starts hard. Or the famous it started fine when I got here. Or that wasn't cracked or broken..ect. That's why I take a memory stick full of pictures of the crap I find before I even turn a wrench. Some of the accuser's are just as guilty as the accused.
damn that sux! Hope you get it all back. Always pays to check out a shop beforehand. There's grreat ones and bad ones.
i believe in any trade there are people who just dont care. i mean any trade [carpenters-plumbers-electricians-the list is endless]. you would be surprised how many people dont know how to start a carbuerated car now days. but i sure wouldnt call them idiots or group them all together. there are alot of quality shops out there with great guys that do care. as the old saying goes if you want it done right do it yourself. or at least pick a reputable shop. may cost a little more but you have peace of mind. my 2cents for what its worth
Back in my "lowrider" days I dropped my car off at the shop to get painted. Explained to the guy about how to connect the hydraulics in the car and I was assured that that wouldn't need to connect them but they needed to know how to connect the system just in case or whatever. So sure enough I get a call that my car is ready but something is wrong with the hydraulics and I should bring some tools and parts. Well turns out these guys must of had a hopping contest or who knows what because 4 of the solenoids were fried and the keys were busted on the pumps! I had to get the car towed outta there and I was assured by the owner that no one was messing with the car and he had no idea what happened... YEAH RIGHT!! I chewed the guy a new asshole and just chalked it up as a loss on my end. At least the paint job came out killer!
Yep, I've worked in shops where the tech will be working on a customer car, and at noon, go to lunch, leaving the car door open, and the key and headlights on, and complain later in the day about the customers junk battery going dead. All it takes is a few seconds to shut everything off, but they must think it easier to have to drag out the battery charger.
And then there's having to make the decision between having the car painted first and praying the upholsterers don't scratch it or having the interior done first and hoping the painter doesn't get overspray on it. Or the glass guy skidding a piece of glass across the fresh painted body... Lots of what ifs. I forgot to block the brake light switch on my truck when I was doing brakes with a cinder block on the pedal to keep all the fluid from running out of the system while I was working on it. The lights were on about four hours. Battery deader than a door nail, but jumping it wouldn't get it to crank, then I noticed the ground strap decided to take that time to rot in two, right off the battery, hanging there under the cab. Sometimes shit just happens! I'm just glad I didn't melt my '59 Caddy tail lights, again. (Brake lights stuck on once before years ago)
Amen brother. I've been in the autobody business for over 25 years, and I see that crap ALL the time. Customer comes in for an estimate, and starts claiming all kinds of non-related damage, until I say, " well, I'll just have to clear that with your insurance adjuster", then they start back peddling. and WE'RE the ones they think are the crooks. Yeah there's some real lousy shops out there, but do your home work. If you don't know the shop, ask for references, walk the shop before committing.
I took a '66 Chrysler down for new tires. The kid in the shop informs me that there is something wrong with all of the lug studs on the driver's side 'cause the lug nuts won't come off. I guess that he had never heard of left handed lug nuts. The result was that I had to replace all of the lug studs. Impact tools are like that, you would think that he would have figured it out after one or two. The shop (a Sam's Club) had a sign that said if it took more than an hour the labor was free. When I pointed out that it had been more than an hour I was informed that it had only taken 65 minutes so no free labor. Then I had to argue with them to get the fender skirts back, you know the ones leaning against the back wall. Ya gotta love idiots, they are fun to watch. Having then work on your car, not so much.
exactly, maybe he should even ask handyandy and puckm2 to help him open his own shop, since they must be the smartest guys on the planet................ fuckin' idiots.
Sometimes they just might be right about the battery... Had my truck in the body shop and they tell me my battery is dead, then they tell me to touch the alternator. Yup something was wrong with the alternator, it was extremely hot to the touch and was draining my battery. I had never noticed because it was a project and I always disconnected the battery.
Leaving the off topic stuff aside,it seems to me that a lot of you guys need to be a little bit more choosy who you leave your much loved Kustom/Rod/classic with. There are four people in the country (England) that I will let work on my kart. I've treated them all well since day one, built up a rapport with them to the extent that they become friends, never complain about what they charge and always pay my bills on time. That's why I don't have any horror stories to add to this thread. Paul
I may not be the smartest guy but I do have integrity and care about my workmanship, not getting paid and trying to cover my costs at customers expense. Your right, I should open my own shop.
Amen! Some customers want to bring thier car to you just so they can blame all the other crap that's wrong with it on you.
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