About to go pickup the wife's car

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

She wrecked her car and pushed in the rear quarter panel, pushed up the rocker panel, and looked to shift the axel about 2 inches.

We took it to our trusty mechanic, but he said he couldn't do the body work so sent if off to this other guy. From what I gather, he is pretty good and fair priced, but I am not sure, I don't know him.

He said the only thing he had to replace was "some bars" on the rear end. I am guessing stabilizer bar.

We took it to our trusty mechanic, but he said he couldn't do the body work so sent if off to this other guy.

He was supposed to fix "everything" which from the way he said included the body, I never talked to him, just the wife. Mistake.

Anyways he is charging $1050, I am thinking for that price it better include the body work, and if not paint, then the prep work for paint.

He called my wife last night and said it was ready and "looking good".a

We will be leaving to go get it in a few minutes, and I am nervous, because I am afraid its not done right and I am going to have to tear this guy a new *******. Am I expecting too much?

What would you expect done for the $1050? Its a 01' Firebird V6

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[pitbull12887 10+ year member]

1050 is cheap for bodywork from a wreck alone..much less if he put on a new stabalizer bar and such...and y did you write some of the info twice lol

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

1050 is cheap for bodywork from a wreck alone..much less if he put on a new stabalizer bar and such...and y did you write some of the info twice lol

**** I don't know I was in a hurry lol.

To much surprise the body was completely fixed and repainted. Can't even tell it has been wrecked

I was totally surprised. He did say he replaced the wheel, but he didn't and it is still just as warped as it was, but the car seems to be in proper alignment.

 

[pitbull12887 10+ year member]

if the wheel is warped buy a new one...you might think its in proper alignment but it could still be a little off and slowly cause wear and tear on your suspension

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

Did you or did you not get a detailed written estimate of necessary repairs and projected cost and then give the bodyshop the OK to proceed with the work? That's normally the way things go.

Don't accept vagueness when dealing with these people. You really need detailed parts and labor estimates in writing from each shop and you shouldn't be sending your car in to get something fixed when you don't understand it or don't know what it does. You need to make someone educate you on exactly what's wrong and how it gets fixed if you don't get it.

Don't take the car back and pay if things you were told would be fixed or replaced haven't been fixed or replaced.

He said he replaced the wheel but he evidently didn't. Do you have any way to know if he charged you and didn't do it?

Sorry to be so blunt, but handling these transactions like you and/or your wife did is basically asking for a financial ass raping. You don't need to be a car guy or be an expert on mechanical or body work, you need to ask questions until you understand and get things specified in writing ahead of time.

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

Did you or did you not get a detailed written estimate of necessary repairs and projected cost and then give the bodyshop the OK to proceed with the work? That's normally the way things go.
Don't accept vagueness when dealing with these people. You really need detailed parts and labor estimates in writing from each shop and you shouldn't be sending your car in to get something fixed when you don't understand it or don't know what it does. You need to make someone educate you on exactly what's wrong and how it gets fixed if you don't get it.

Don't take the car back and pay if things you were told would be fixed or replaced haven't been fixed or replaced.

He said he replaced the wheel but he evidently didn't. Do you have any way to know if he charged you and didn't do it?

Sorry to be so blunt, but handling these transactions like you and/or your wife did is basically asking for a financial ass raping. You don't need to be a car guy or be an expert on mechanical or body work, you need to ask questions until you understand and get things specified in writing ahead of time.

He does the work out of his home garage, just a guy that works on cars as a side job. I am very impressed with the work. He gave us an itemized receipt I haven't looked at it yet, we took the car to a family friend to fix the A/C. We are supposed to have it back on monday. I will look at the receipt and if I see he charged for a new wheel, believe me I will raise hell. He said he balanced the tire and everything, but you could see that thing wobbling from a mile a way. The family friend is going to look at that too.

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

So your mechanic outsourced your body work to some guy who works out of his garage?

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

So your mechanic outsourced your body work to some guy who works out of his garage?

guessing they wanted cheap?

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

You get what you pay for. If this dude works out of his garage and for instance doesn't have a properly ventillated paint booth or a shoddy makeshift one I for one would start wondering about the quality of the paint job, beyond what you can tell by giving it a quick once-over in what were probably not ideal lighting conditions for checking that type of work. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to wash his car and starts spotting random **** like flies, specks of dirt, and other debris trapped under the paint. On a vehicle I care about I wouldn't be averse to shade tree mechanics who know their stuff but probably wouldn't go that route for paint.

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

Well iam not sure if he works out of his garage, I just know I went to his house to pick it up. He was wearing a work shirt with his name on it and a shop name.

He may have done the work somewhere else and just brought the car home with him. From what I could tell the paint looked flawless, but I only got to examine it for about 30 minutes before we took it to have it finished. I am still pissed he charged us for a new wheel but didn't give us one, as soon as I get the receipt out of the glove box I am going down there. He probably should have left the car wherever he done the work, cuz now I know where he lives

 

[eutechnyx 10+ year member]

pics before and after?

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

pics before and after?

Will do once I get the car back. I will try to find some pics of it wrecked, my wife has some somewhere on the interwebz

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

Here is one picture. You can't really see all the damage from this pic, but the rear quarter panel is pushed in pretty far and the rocker panel got pushed up causing the door panel to pop off enough to where it caught on the front fender.

I will try to find some more, but I am not having any luck

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

you probably won't be able to tell anything is done when you get it by looking...i'm sure the $1050 is just alignment and stabalizer bar...it should be driveable now...it will probably still need the same body work //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

you probably won't be able to tell anything is done when you get it by looking...i'm sure the $1050 is just alignment and stabalizer bar...it should be driveable now...it will probably still need the same body work //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

I already seen it, had fresh paint and new metal fabricated. I could tell where he cut off the metal inside the door jam, but everything else is as smooth as if it were new. He said it may need to be aligned, which it is being checked by a mechanic, but I was behind my wife when we were driving it over to the mechanic and her rear end was no longer trying to pass the front end which was a plus.