[estrellajon]

My 930 is currently undergoing some major paint restoration. The car has been taken apart and stripped off its old paint down to bare metal. The car will have a fresh coat of paint. The problem is, they've had this car for 3 months instead of 8 weeks which is their initial timeline.

The question is, Is it normal for a paint restoration to take this long? Three and half months and still not primed or painted? Has anyone gone through a paint restaration who can share experiences?

[targa911man]

Sees to me that an explanation is in order. I have only had a car repainted once (accident repair, not restoration), but, with all due respect to any body shop guys on the board, painting a car is not brain surgery. You don't need to be an expert to figure out that it does not take a month past the due date to paint a bare metal car.

[estrellajon]

My thoughts exactly. I wanted to gather as many facts first before I talk with them. My problem is that they scheduled for me to drop off the car to their shop. They told me it will take upto 8 weeks. However, the car sat in their lot for over 2 months with nothing done to it until last month when I started "barking". Granted that within this month, then they have stripped the old paint to bare metal. But as I remember from high school, you never leave a bare metal chasis for a long period because of rust.

My concern is that if the bare metal is exposed like this before primer, will this a pose a rust problem in the years to come?

I just think 3 1/2 months in counting is way too long for a project like this and it's not like I'm getting a good deal out of it. I'm paying $7000 for this. Am I getting robbed here or what?

[William Miller]

Who is doing the work?
Depending on the qualifications of the shop, their reputation and the work that they produce the price could be good or bad.

The PO of my car took it to Wagon works for paint and restoration of the exterior rubber ect. I recall him saying that they quoted over $15,000.
I was told that Wagon Works had a very good reputation, but I would not pay the freight for that.

I plan to get my car painted in the next year or so. My neighbor's brother manages the body shop for a car dealer in Tysons. I asked him what it would cost to do the final prep and shoot the car. (A moonlighting job.)
I will strip the parts off the car and supply the body parts and reinstall what I can.

He told me he could get it done by one of his best guys for 1500-1600.
It's not a big car and it's not that special. The labor is in the major prep work and in getting it ready to paint and then putting the stuff back on without scratching the paint.

I did a simular deal with a 63 Jaguar E-Type in 1985. It needed a ton of body work. The guy's in the shop were allowed to work on their own projects one Saturday a month. I think they snuck some work in in between. That cost me $2000 and the job was perfect. It was judget a 98+ on a concourse in Boston. Best in Class.
So if you do the grunt work you save a lot of cash.

I don't think what you agreed to is high if the results are good. I think it's rape if they don't meet your expectations and that includes time. There is no excuse for a car to be sitting arround in someone's lot for 2 months.
That just means that thay have jobs to do that will produce higher profits then your job. I bet they got a lot of insurance work with IZZY. They can make a fortune if they get paid on scale and pump out the work faster.

One of the Layers on this BBS should be able to tell you how to extract your car from where it is and get it someplace that will give it the TLC it deserves. Problem is that they all may be too busy to take it in. If they are honest at least they will tell you up front!

[estrellajon]

You're absolutely right Bill. I took my car to Euro Pro's in Gaithersburg. the story behind this is. I also heard about the reputation at Wagon Werks over the years when Mr Anderson SENIOR was running it. When junior took over, all the guys on the Porsche department, including the painter left. One of the guys, named Jack Ford established Euro Pro's 10 months ago and took all the good people with him. All the guys that established a reputation for Wagon Werks are now in business for themselves. I have seen the work they've done and its awesome, mostly high cost cars. Which is why I took my car there. But for them to sit on my car for so long with a good relationship with them, I just don't understand. I check on the car weekly so they know that I'm on to them, they promise one thing and always late on the other. I know these guys can do an awesome job and they know I'm in the PCA and hoping to get more Porsches to there shop, but I don't understand why they are dragging like this. They tell me 8 weeks, I'm now in 15 weeks.

[William Miller]

Did you pay them anything yet?
Obviously this guy Jack knows the business.
What excuses did they give you?
Maybe one of the layers on this board would be willing to take a few minutes and draft a short letter.
I would be very intrested in what your rights are and how you would go about getting your car back from a repair facility.

I don't know how I can help, but I will if you can think of something.
With all the members here somebody has been thru this and probably knows what to do.

[KeithLambert7]

Originally Posted by estrellajon

My 930 is currently undergoing some major paint restoration. The car has been taken apart and stripped off its old paint down to bare metal. The car will have a fresh coat of paint. The problem is, they've had this car for 3 months instead of 8 weeks which is their initial timeline.

The question is, Is it normal for a paint restoration to take this long? Three and half months and still not primed or painted? Has anyone gone through a paint restaration who can share experiences?

Hmmmm, and to think you're just entering the traditional 'busy season' for most paint and body shops?

Why busy season? D-E-E-R....Those bucks chasing does around makes for lots of front-end collosion repairs this time of year. 75% of all cars rented in Leesburg at National are for deer collision repair work. I always have trouble renting cars for our company this time of year. Even a small agency like that could have a dozen a day. Insurance repairs (because there are rental cars involved) are the noisy wheels and get done quicker than the guy who's brought in his weekender for a re-spray.

Make a stink and tell 'em to move it up the line.

Keith

[estrellajon]

Ahhh....That's what I've been hearing from other boards as well that insurance claims somehow take precedence over my weekend car. Interesting!

I have told them 3 months ago that I wanted to take delivery by a certain time. At this time, not even close.

Do insurance companies pay these guys more or something?

[KeithLambert7]

Originally Posted by estrellajon

Ahhh....That's what I've been hearing from other boards as well that insurance claims somehow take precedence over my weekend car. Interesting!

I have told them 3 months ago that I wanted to take delivery by a certain time. At this time, not even close.

Do insurance companies pay these guys more or something?

No, but think of how important that insurance referral lifeline is to that bodyman? A good friend in the insurance business can refer him dozens or more jobs a year. So, he tends to move those referrals to the front of the line so they keep on comin'.

I'd pay more visits, and generally make a PITA of myself until he starts moving again.

Keith

[estrellajon]

Keith, actually I know I'm being a PITA by calling to get status and 1-2 visits a week. Even with that, they promised to have the car primed last week and they're were just in the sanding phase.

I think you're right about the insurance referral thing. I guess they have to bank on them for furture business to stay open.

At this point, I guess I don't feel cheated on time to get my car done. Just itching to get it back