May I have a rant thread too?

[bull]

So I set a goal for myself last spring to have the engine/transmission/front suspension rebuilt and installed by the end of summer. It seemed like a plausible goal to me since I had all the money saved up to do it and all the parts were listed as being available. Turns out the biggest obstacle in achieving this goal was getting the "professionals" to either do their jobs or do them right. Here's a list of what has gone wrong in the pursuit of this goal since late May.

1. Paint: In order to install an engine you need a finished engine bay, right? Well the painter failed to have the engine bay painted right (runs, dirt, peeling, etc.) so I took it back to the shop to have that redone and the final body cut and buff. The person assigned to cut and buff the car burned through the clear coat so the next time I saw the car it was stripped down to the primer again to be repainted (naturally the shop owner lied about that and led me to believe he just "wasn't happy" with the initial quality. Only later did I discover what had happened from a second-hand source). Finally it was "finished" according to the owner but he failed to repaint the engine compartment during the entire second stint at the shop. The body shop experience is a whole story in itself that I won't go into right now. Let's just say the car won't be going to that shop ever again because it's apparent they are incapable of doing the job right. I'm just happy the car is back in my possession.

2. Engine: Federal Mogul lists a Speed Pro flat top forged 383 piston in .040 over with every vendor in the land but do you think you can actually get one? No. The part is being superceded by a new and improved .040 over forged piston but there's at least a six-month lapse between the old part being wiped out of existence and the company even thinking about producing the new part. If I want .040 pistons now I have to pay $400-$500 more for Ross or Diamond to build me some. Meanwhile the engine sits in pieces at the machine shop.

3. Trans: The tranny shop tore it apart so I could have the case powder-coated. The powder-coating didn't take on the tail housing the first time so that had to be redone. It finally gets finished so I take it to the tranny shop to have it rebuilt/assembled. Two weeks ago the owner (a personal friend) says he will have it ready the following week and will not go back to Alaska before it's done (he's building a 2nd house there). So I call the shop yesterday to check in and guess what? The tranny is still in pieces and the owner is in Alaska for three weeks. He didn't say one word to me before he left, and I'm thinking about just going to pick it up while he's gone

4. Heater box: Everything went pretty well here except for the blower motor. Every part vendor that lists one for a non-A/C Charger heater lists an incorrect part (the vent tube hole is in the wrong spot). So after ordering a couple of those and sending them back I decided to have the noisy original motor rebuilt. I got it back the first time and it still made noise so I take it back a second time and guess what? It still makes noise, albeit it a quieter noise. And they tell me that's the best they can do. Said to hell with it and installed it but IMO it wasn't done right.

5. Front suspension: I haven't even bothered messing with that yet since the level of ineptitude/apathy in every other category is so high. Plus I need a front end under the car if I'm going to transport it to another paint shop. Maybe I'll just redo the engine bay myself in single-stage enamel.

So today I'm literally no farther ahead on this project than I was 2-3 months ago and my goal is shot unless I can somehow get the money tree to produce a bumper crop real soon, or turn back time. You'd think it wouldn't be so tough to get "professionals" to do their jobs right but I'm quickly discovering that it's damn-near impossible in my case. What pisses me off most is that all these businesses checked out and have/had pretty good reputations when I started with them but now at least one of them is about to go under and one other is suffering.

I've said this before but if I knew five years ago what I know now I wouldn't be the owner of a project car, I would have bought one finished. That will teach me for setting goals won't it?

[Steve P.]

I feel your pain Bull. I am amazed on a regular basis by the sheer stupidity of so many so called PROFESSIONALS. I don't think they teach ethics in school anymore and I think a huge percentage of people just say screw it when they are taken for a ride. Not so many years ago a business would be held accountable for their screw ups. Now we are use to everything being made to fall apart in a few years and we just toss it away and buy a new one.... (THROW AWAY WORLD)..

4 years ago my grandfather died. In his basement I found toys from all us kids. They had been handed down through at least 8-10 kids and grand kids. I brought home a TONKA TRUCK that was mine from the mid 60's for my grandson. It still rolled and dumped like when it was new and fell out of a derailed train car. You just try to find a toy like that today...

Well, that's how I feel about most things today. Not many take pride in their work. No one builds a product to be around in 40 or 50 years anymore. We just keep spending on crap. Accepting this junk and when it breaks it fills out dumps.  WHY??  Too many places want the quick, easy buck and don't have the grease our grandparents did... It SUCKS!!! I hate it... We need to RAISE THE BAR. EVERYWHERE.....  What happened to our standards??

[bull]

Exactly. And to be fair it's not just in the restoration arena either. Like you say, it's a total crapshoot in any facet of life as to whether you can find someone who gives a rat's a$$ about service and quality.

[b5blue]

I'm with both of ya 100%....Bull rant all ya want to we are here for ya! That's why I just repair not restore my car!  

[Back N Black]

I feel you pain, my plan was 2 years and now its 4 years and still not completed, plus it cost twice as much as i had planned. 

[Dans 68]

Yes, you may have a rant thread.    Seems you are deserving. 

Dan

[Belgium R/T -68]

I fully agree with you Bull and also understands your pain, been there. I don't know what's wrong with the world today but you see this also
in the youth. They don't want to work unless it's superpaid and short hours, when you ask them to do something you still have to finnish the job
because it's only half done or way to poor done. Qualitycontrole is no longer excisting due to costreasons, it's all about making money.
There is no pride in making a good job anymoore.

Per

[jb666]

Trade it in on a WRX 

Sorry Bull, had to do it!!! 

I know just what you mean.. It's tough finding people that care about quality..  Beleive me, after buying my rolling Bondo-box I've realized there are more people out there that only care about the all mighty dollar.

And look at it another way.... I thought I WAS buying a "finished car" and it turned out to be the world's biggest project car.. So at least you know what you need to do, and I'm confident you'll get it done one way or another 

[b5blue]

The expense of these delays is more than financial, the mental fatigue from basically being lied to constantly is the worst part. We all know about how long stuff should take to do depending on common seance. Bulls situation is exactly why I never even hope to restore my car.....I'd be up everyone's butt so bad they would hate me in no time! Hang in there Bull! The squeaky wheel gets the oil....start squeaking!! Can we help by calling some of these shops and telling them we have work but are concerned about how they are handling you?     

[triple_green]

My hemi engine rebuild and swap into my challenger convertible was suppose to take less than a month(two professionals working together). Now a year and a half later, we are still working out "little details" and the value of my car went down $30K in the process.....me = not happy.......my wife = very very unhappy.....

Mark

[RECHRGD]

I feel your pain!  I've had so much overpriced and inferior work done on my car that I've learned to do most of it myself.  A lot of these "experts" think that they should be paid like a brain surgeon and be accountable for nothing.  But, as said before, the same attitude seems to prevail in all sectors of work.  Come to think of it, I wouldn't even trust a brain surgeon.   Bob

[John_Kunkel]

You'd think it wouldn't be so tough to get "professionals" to do their jobs right but I'm quickly discovering that it's damn-near impossible in my case.

Why do the letters D I Y keep rolling around in my head? Every one of those "pros" wasn't born with their (supposed) ability, if they learned to do it so can anybody else.

[Steve P.]

I agree with you john. BUT, many of us don't have the time, knowledge, space or talent to get a nice job done. I personally don't think there is anything that I couldn't do 13 years ago. I asked questions and read up on everything I attempted. Then I did everything to the best of my ability. Today I have a very bad back and cannot do way more than I can do. So what are my options? This holds true for many of us. Jobs, family time, school, etc. They all take time away from other things. Besides, I would much rather have you build me a tranny than attempt one myself.    Do you have any nuclear stuff you need done that we can trade?? 

[bull]

You'd think it wouldn't be so tough to get "professionals" to do their jobs right but I'm quickly discovering that it's damn-near impossible in my case.

Why do the letters D I Y keep rolling around in my head? Every one of those "pros" wasn't born with their (supposed) ability, if they learned to do it so can anybody else.

True, and eventually I will be doing all the work myself but there are some things I don't want to learn to do on this particular car. Trial and error on a classic Charger is not something I want to attempt, especially with body work. The engine, well, I can't really forge my own pistons, do a computer blue-print or spin-balance the rotating assembly. I guess I could assemble it but that's like 10% of the cost. The transmission I probably could have handled but this guy said he'd give me a good price. And so far it's been free because nothing's been done. Anyway, once the engine and drivetrain are done I'll be doing the front suspension myself and 98% of what remains after that.

[bull]

Trade it in on a WRX 

Don't tempt me. I just might.

[jb666]

Trade it in on a WRX 

Don't tempt me. I just might.

That's just wrong.... You'd have to hand in your man card for that one.

And you are 100% right --- Trial and error + classic Charger do not go hand in hand..  Which makes it even more frustrating when you can't find competent help.

[TylerCharger69]

Man....that's a lot of crap to go wrong due to incompetence....Sorry to hear that!!

[Old Moparz]

In one way or another, I think we've all been in that same scenario Bull's griped about. I know I have, & learned a valuable lesson with my '69 Satellite convertible that I hope to avoid the next time around. I posted about it before somewhere, but basically after spending money to have body work done, all that was done, has to be redone before it ever gets painted. I spent $3000 twenty years ago which was a s**t load of cash back then. The worst part was that this happened just prior to buying my house, so I was broke for a long time & I just stored the car.

This is the same reason I'm repairing so much crap on my house right now & will be doing the roof myself very soon. 

[chargergirl]

A good rule of thumb before getting your car done is to ask if the shop has done any other restorations in your area. Go look at the car and talk to the owner. Most of us love to talk about our cars and how they came to be. Also if they have done any cars in the spotlight. These shops will not be cheap but they will do what is agreed to. Everything is documented. Pictures go from start to finish. I can only imagine the frustration of getting nothing that was agreed upon.

[bull]

Another thing I seem to see a lot of lately on newer cars is that the technology moves ahead faster than the mechanics care to learn it. Fewer people know what they're doing or care enough to do good work. Seems like a lot of people are just on auto pilot.

And when you do finally find someone who knows what they're doing they charge 10 times what they should.

[68charger383]

Its sad because everyone wants to do the minimum required to get paid. No care if the work is quality, just can I get this guy to give me the cash the way it is.

Well if its any consolation, it sounds like your car will be ready by the end of the summer.

Just keep cracking that whip bull.  

[BROCK]

Trial & Error on a classic Charger.....Why not?  The skin is thick enough.  The drivetrain plentiful enough. 
Come on it isn't as if it's a WRX.

All kidding aside.  I feel your pain.  I won't be doing my own machining either - but the rest of it?  I hope
to find a way - because appathy amoung so called pros is far too rampant to even begin to bother with
them.

[chargergirl]

Another thing I seem to see a lot of lately on newer cars is that the technology moves ahead faster than the mechanics care to learn it. Fewer people know what they're doing or care enough to do good work. Seems like a lot of people are just on auto pilot.

And when you do finally find someone who knows what they're doing they charge 10 times what they should.

I was a single mom for a long time and would walk in to a repair place for an oil change and be told that all kinds of stuff was wrong with my car. It wasn't when it got there but it would be when it left. I have always taken GOOD care of my vehicles. I also hated the fact that my price was usually $100-150 above what a guys would be. That's not a reflection on guys...just that set of mechanics. Finally found a mechanic that did quality work, at the same price for all. He wasn't cheap however, if nothing was wrong then it stayed that way. All charges were standard across the board. Would I take my car anywhere else cause it was cheaper...HELL NO! People need to remember that quality work, of any kind, breeds loyalty. That loyalty will keep your doors open when everyone around you is closing.

[Ghoste]

Having worked in a dealerships service department and talking to guys in general I can tell you Chargergirl that your experiences aren't just limited to females.  I can't tell you whether it's worse for them or not but I can tell you that people at large today know absolutely nothing about cars and that fact is taken to advantage every day.  I'll bet the vast majority of people out there can't even change a flat tire or check their oil.  Hell they are likely unaware that the oil level should even be checked let alone how.

[chargergirl]

I've seen it happen to guys as well. If they had no automotive knowledge. It doesn't matter what business your in word will get out when you treat people humanely. I started working for a real estate company a little over a year ago and in a conversation I had with the realtor's I told them they took a lot of what they know as common knowledge and it's not. All I ever knew then was that I had purchased a couple homes...my knowledge ended with "sign here", interest rate, and this is what your payment will be. With all the folks in trouble they needed to have a place to go that gave them information. To keep, sell, who to talk to, what to write...etc. We are so busy helping people that what was once a cruise job is now REALLY WORK! One lady asked how we were going to make money helping people keep their houses. We made the bank work with her by filing the right papers. She sent us a few people looking to buy a house and one other who was selling. THAT is how you build a business that lasts. I truly believe people have had enough of the type of service that we are talking about here and are no longer tolerant of it. You want these people out of business...talk about it. Put their work ethic out there. They will be shut down.