Sorry to hear that Dan.

I really hope that you get your money back and the van back and get onto a good body place. It is probably at a stage now that you would've spent too much on it not to finish it off so you can at least enjoy it.

I hope you sort it out soon.

_________________
"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Bummer but this is happening all too often to our projects. It appears you have had two bad experiences. I gave my matic shell to a guy in Brisbane 4 and a bit years ago, agreed on $4500 woth of work, paid $2500 deposit then later turned up with some good but shopping trolley dented doors which were supposed to be added to the work. Well the guy can't even remember who he sent it to for blasting and priming and the doors have vanished too. Not even a sorry mate. Just a shoulder shrug and a woe is me all my job cards floated away in the flood. Also told me my shell probably was at a shop that flooded and was closed with everything scrapped... if it's the one he thinks he may have taken it to. So my shell and my $2500 and my doors have vanished...

So we both write off thousands of dollars and get the sh1ts with minis. Remember the guy I bought my latest shell from had receipts for $26,000 and the floors hadn't been straightened, parts of the shell had been blasted or cut/welded and didn't have a lick of paint on them. He was absolutely fleeced a Beauty!

I don't know about you but I am extremely wary of everyone now. I've had PMs telling me not to trust high-profile engine builders who lose parts or mix up engine parts with other customers or just don't deliver. So, if you can't trust people for the hard parts of body prep and engine building then you're stuffed.

Maybe I should have stuck to MX-5s they just need stuff bolted on to go fast, almost never rust and you just drop in a new motor if you somehow manage to blow one up.

M

Too this date I have spent $23000 on panel and body mods, that's not inluding new subframes or Bodykits or anything else. The shell costed me $3000 (it was a real nice shell to begin with). I couldn't sell the van too anyone at the moment, not even a blind man would buy it

_________________
If you want more inches, stroke it
Life's a garden.... Dig It!
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20746

Sorry to hear Dan

We've had a car at a panel beaters for 2 years now, agreed on a price, paid 1/3 to start, 1/3 when prepwork is done and 1/3 when finished and happy - car has been blasted and a little bit of beating done but that's all.

_________________

Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

How can anyone morally run a business like some of these stories? I've been screwed by a private guy with really bad panel repair work, but getting delayed for such long periods of time, or screwed around by a business is unforgiveable. How do these people continue to get business?

_________________
-Alan
I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.

You talk to panel beaters and they grizzle about how the insurance companies are screwing them out of business. But if you leave them a cash job they will ignore it so that they can get screwed by another insurance job that came in after your car.

Damn, that is one sad story. How can there be so many people out there who can get away with this??? I am nearly to the point of getting my car done, and yet another horror story just makes me want to do it myself, but at that rate it will be another 10yrs away!!

Best of luck with it all.

Madmorrie

Wow, that is really Sh*t!!!

I Really hate hearing bad stories like this..
As a spraypainter, i love doing custom and interesting private work. So i can't understand how people in my industry would not only not be interested in doing it, but screw over these people after taking on the work.
They should not be in business.

_________________
Tim
Dusk Blue
1964 850

How can anyone financially run a business like some of these stories?

Unfortunately, it happens with everything. Not only with panel beaters. I've been doing some house renos lately and everything I've paid for to be done I'm not happy with.
Better off learning how to do it yourself. Google is your friend!
I might make a few mistakes and take far too long for the mrs, but at least I don't have to go through the nightmare of getting my $$ back or getting the work re-done.

There seems to be so little skill out there!

_________________
-James.

Toyota 4EFTE Powered Minivan.
102 Kw @ The Front Wheels....Oh What a Feeling!

I think it often happens to people that try to get the job done as a spare time job for the panel beater, and the last thing the beater wants to do in his spare time is fix another car!

I am pretty handy with most things and will work out anything I need too, with the money I have spent I could have taken months off work and taught myself how to weld perfectly! Looks like I'm going to have to fly to Sydney again (just another cost I don't need to have)

_________________
If you want more inches, stroke it
Life's a garden.... Dig It!
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20746

Bring it to Brisbane and finish it in my shed. To rent the shed space you'll need to buy a warterproof tarp to cover the Moke so it can live outside. You can even use my welder (crappy gasless mig).

M

Thanks for all your support guys! It's all greatly appreciated

_________________
If you want more inches, stroke it
Life's a garden.... Dig It!
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20746

Like a certain Melbourne Engine boring place. It took the two MK.2 coopers blocks to get one right, thats right they ruined 2 MK.2 cooper S blocks. Went somewhere different the third time and they bored the A+ block perfectly. So two more Cooper S blocks will never see the road again he said sorry i slipped. Yep thanks mate you knackered two blocks

Like a certain Melbourne Engine boring place. It took the two MK.2 coopers blocks to get one right, thats right they ruined 2 MK.2 cooper S blocks. Went somewhere different the third time and they bored the A+ block perfectly. So two more Cooper S blocks will never see the road again he said sorry i slipped. Yep thanks mate you knackered two blocks