Dear Listers,
i've been restoring a '76 TR6 off and on for the last couple of years.
when i'm done, it is my intention to write a letter outlining some
"universal truths" about car restoration. i'm certainly not intending to
offer myself as some kind of expert (i'm definitely not!), but i think there
is some advice that is worth offering to the newer members of our community.
with that said, i feel compelled to offer this first installment of
advice prior to finishing the car. hopefully it'll help someone else avoid
the nightmare i've gone thru.
the subject is about getting your car painted. i'm doing a frame-off
restoration and had the body/tub completely stripped and ready to hand over
to the pros for the job. after interviewing several shops, i chose one who
was willing to come to my house and personally inspect the car, then
providing an estimate/final price.
after the body had been transported to the shop, i frequently stopped by
to see what progress had been done, after all, i missed her! the painter
and i would have conversations that sometimes would end up being "spirited"
concerning quality of work, what was originally agreed to, etc. at one
point i asked if we could put all details in writing to avoid future
misunderstandings. man, you'd think i just insulted his entire ancestry! he
would not agree to do this and THAT'S WHEN MY TR6 SHOULD'VE LEFT HIS SHOP!
long story short....i ended up paying for a fair paint job that is not
complete and i probably have no recourse if anything goes wrong. at the
end, he basically demanded i remove the car from his business and don't come
back because i would not cave-in to demands for add'l money on work he had
originally agreed to do for the initial estimate. yes, the car is done but
not very well and i damn near get a stomach ache every time i think about
the whole situation.
when dealing with a supplier or contractor and for whatever reason it
doesn't feel right....don't walk away..RUN! if your instincts are telling
you something ain't right, it probably isn't. i forgot to follow a cardinal
rule in business---GET IT IN WRITING. remember it's your damn car, not
theirs, and if you don't like the way things are going, don't let anyone
bully you into something YOU don't want.
sorry about the length of the letter. i hope this can help someone else
who may be entering into a similar situation. now where did i leave my
ulcer pills?
Tom Di Iulio
1976 TR6 (my damn car from now on!)
Denver, Co
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