[Spridgets] Paint shop fiasco

[Robert Evans]

When I was getting the BusterCluster Sprite ready for the restoration, it
had never been re-sprayed, and I wanted the paint to match the original.  I
had stripped it of everything except the rear wheels, and then searched all
over Orange and L.A. counties, but no specialty shops would touch it.
Finally, I stopped by a new Maaco shop-yeah, I can hear the laughter and
sighs already-- about 4 miles away in Stanton.  As it turned out, the
estimator had bought a new Sprite at the same time I had, back in 1960, and
was excited about the prospect.  The new owner (who had been an agronomist)
was anxious to do the work, and do it to my specifications which included
some significant crunch work to the right front fender and some occasional
grotty cancer spots.  Price:  $3,000.  But well worth it.

 

The body man (who spoke English like the native he was-remarkable in
Southern California) was an artiste who was rightfully proud of his work,
and even added the strengthening rods to the hood that Frank sketched out
for him.

 

Getting the color right was a real challenge.  The shop found a pristine
sample of the original paint UNDER the filler neck grommet.  Of course, the
original blend was long gone, and the formula no longer *reliably* to be
found.  The shop found a pristine sample of the original paint UNDER the
filler neck grommet.  I got a lot of advice from people on the list,
including Frank, but none matched the original to the shop's satisfaction.
The owner was getting advice from the MAACO corporate offices, and
eventually began working directly with DuPont.  They had mixed up four
different formulae before they had what to them-and to me-was the perfect
match.  In the end, they produced a beautiful job that cost them much more
than the quoted $3,000.  I insisted that I wanted to pay the ACTUAL end cost
(plus profit), but the owner was even more insistent that $3,000 was the
price agreed upon.  That was it.  No arguing.  End of story.  Period.

 

So, just hang in there and keep searching until you find one of the good
guys out there.  And don't dismiss any simply because, like MAACO, their
reputation is not the best.  You will always be able to get what you want if
you are willing to pay the price.

 

Buster Evans

"The BusterCluster Sprite"

http://www.ado13.com/BusterCluster.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs1klEzra24

http://bustercluster.blogspot.com/