Projects The stuck in paint prison thread

AMEN!

 

Mine is in paint jail, but since I am painting it myself I guess that makes me the Warden, Governor and Executioner.

 

A friend of my Father's own his own Paint and Body shop out in Bellevue, Nebr. next to Offutt AFB. He did just insurance collision work nothing else. My Father talk him into painting his 51 Nash and the guy did it as a favor, I remember that it came out smooth as glass and still look wet after it was dry. One day I was over at his shop and he was having an argument with his son (future owner of the shop) over doing custom work and fancy paint jobs. The old guy said that he could never make any damn money on those type of jobs and the people were hard to please. After the son took over all the collision insurance came to a stand still. There was room for about 8 to 10 cars in his shop. He could take in custom jobs and complete paint jobs charging by the hour. You would bring your car in and tell him how many hours you could afford at his current rate and you paid him at the end of the week for the number of hours that he work on your car. If you could not afford anything or only a few hours you car would go into the other barn and you would be charge for storage. The son was pretty proud of the face that he was getting paid every week and the shop was making money. On his business card, under the name of the garage was the statement, "Customs done by Schedule not by Chance". If the custom work was on the weak side he would fall back onto the insurance work. He was making money doing something that he really enjoyed, the only thing lacking, it was said that he (the son) was never as good as his Father. I wish that I was older at that time so that I could of taken advantage of the acquired skills, and maybe learn something.

 

I would not admit to being in prison on an open forum but it seems to me like gray enamel and a paint brush is common in most prisons. LOL

 

I am currently in Upholstery Prison, similar to paint prison but my coupe is finished and driveable, other than I haven't had a seat for 6 months. Hopefully light at the end of the tunnel with head liner being installed tomorrow.

 

After having my coupe in "building the body from nothing" jail for 8 years [yeah, my money came in slowly] I primered it myself with urethane primer as soon as I got it home. The primer actually has a shine [avatar] protecting it from weather. It's gonna stay like this.....welds showing with no fillers of any kind. It's done so no paint jail for me!

 

You all crack me up! Is there a contract? Go get your car!! Those type of shops give all of us a bad name.

 

My definition of a successful paint job is that it needs to look better when I finished than when I started.

I usually start with really crappy cars.

 

ive figured out that driving my cars with backyard paint and bodywork is very rewarding .im not sure at all that a 10k paint job would make it any more fun . if i could apply it there is a chance . but id sure cry more over a scratch or the person parked next to me letting the rug rats open the door in to it. 3gallons of $50.oo paint and if i drive bye at 100 mph and your 50 ft away youl never know . now if i can only get it to go 100 mph!!

 

Thanks for the replies, simple job, 1 more coat of primer to allow for more final blocking, and single stage paint, it was already jammed when I bought it, same color as I'm going with.... roof is now painted and then came to a complete stop.

How do you remove a car that is this far into it,? Nobody else is going to complete the job now. 50% paid up front and no problem paying the rest when finished as agreed btw...

 

I was asked this question just last week “why do you not paint your own rides”
I’d rather own and enjoy a handful of beaters than one nice one.
I had customer cars in “prison” before. Sometimes the answer is the limited amount a customer can afford. Sometimes the customer wants the worst POS car turned into a show winner.
Sometimes the shop is so good they stay covered up and the boss, remembering when times were tough, takes on too much work.
Some shops can’t find decent help, usually due to poor pay or just a bad run shop. Some skills are just very hard to find and the shop can’t or doesn’t want to invest in an employee.
Some shops do both collision and resto work. The resto work is always on the back burner.
Some shops try to discourage a customer from dropping off a car but the owner talks the shop into taking it. These generally end bad.
Some shops are crooks or just poorly managed and bill for work not completed or parts not bought and get themselves into financial binds.
I’m thankful I don’t have to depend on “body shops”.
I guess I’m also thankful I like rusty beaters.
I honestly feel for you guys having to deal with shops that do not meet expectations or timelines.

 

Well it sounds like you're in a pickle. But I'd go tell the guy enough is enough. And see what you can work out. On an allover job I require 30% deposit for material. If someone wasn't happy, I'd give them their materials and they can be on their way.

 

I'm sure there are 100s of reasons for the long waiting periods. And, not all of them are because of the shop. But, most probably are. One shop I worked at (about 1982) had a 1st gen Camaro sitting in the corner, with some custom fender flares & paint. After a few weeks of working there, I asked what the deal was with it, and the owner informed me the guy I replaced took the job, and he didn't want to work on it. I said I would & he was happy as hell to get it done & out of the shop. He just didn't want to do custom work.

 

I have one right now that I bought 2 gallons of victory red basecoat for. 6 months into the job I sent him pictures of the car, ready to spray. He proceeded to tell me that he changed his mind on the color and asked if that's a problem. I said not a problem at all, the new color "garnet red" is $378 a gallon, bring me enough money to get 2 gallons. He said i already paid you for materials, and I replied yes you did, and these 2 gallons of victory red are still yours. Come get them and bring the money for the garnet.

 

I thought all good body and paint jobs were like fine wine

 

My 57 150 in my avitar was in paint jail for three years..... It was just painted a month or so ago and it looks BAD ASS! The wait was worth it , car was stripped to bare metal and all the gaps look great. A couple of my HAMB buds have seen pics I will probably post something soon once I hang more trim and stainless.

 

I'm with Lloyd. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

 

At least only one person complained about upholstery jail. Even thou this thread is about paint jail. Do you want it Quick , good , or a cheap price . Pick just two.

 

Not having a clear plan is a huge reason for body shop jail.
A customer constantly second guessing or changing their mind.
The fastest car builds I ever was a part of were the ones the customer stayed away. Make a plan, pick a color and pay the bills

 

I had a first gen Camaro for about 3 years. I was doing the job by the hour. One day, about 7 or 8 months in, the guy calls and told me to stop working on the car. He was getting divorced and wouldn't have any money. I told him to come get the car, and when things got better, he could bring it back. He told me he had nowhere to take the car. So I stored the car for almost 2 years. Then one day he showed up with another guy and sold the car. Wasn't that nice of me to store it for 2 years? For free?

 

You could have owned it

 

That happens a lot, or it did in the shops I worked at, slow pay, no pay, stop, roll the car into the storage building. Car owner needs to start with a pile of money, "PAINT ONLY" money, or have a job that pays enough for two or more guys to live on until the job is finished. It is simple math.

Bob

 

My ex father in law was a builder, he always said the best way to build a house was to send the owners on a world cruise while he built the house, no changes along the way, might even save the owners money.

 

14 years and started on the paint prep and viola put on hold for emergency in family.....still i likey... View attachment 5221813 View attachment 5221813

 

Maaco, $800 and done. Shoot it your self with acrylic enamel and sand and buff out any mistakes.

 

how the hell can they do that at todays paint prices?

 

I'm currently in body shop prison with a deuce highboy sedan and have been for over a year and when the body work is finished I'll go to paint prison. Can't seem to get this guy motivated. He's done 9 cars for me so far and has finished them in good time but not no amount of pressure gets him going. He knows I have the money and don't complain about the bill. At 76 I'd like to drive it before they take me to the old folks home. I also am starting a deuce roadster and will do most of that myself.

 

Body Shops often are running their day to day from deposit money so they keep them coming in take the deposit and then push it in the corner. Threaten them with the Better Business Bureau and the local Auto Repair Bureau, they'll move you to the front of the line, well maybe they will.

 

I think they use Nason paint and buy it in bulk for the 10 or 12 colors they offer.

 

These kind of shops are the ones to avoid as ultimately are not going to survive. I have a very close family member who is also a car guy and has his own shop. From what I have seen from being close to the business and being in the car hobby for over 40 yrs "paint prison " is usually the blame of the car owner. Do your homework , ask a lot of question, have the money to pay when needed and get it all in writing including finish times. As Lloyd's says "Where's the contract?"