Scottd

I took my car in for some paint repair last week. 2 fender spots and a spider web crack on the hood. (air cleaner nut!) The paint guy quoted me 1000 bucks. Hes a real nice guy and I liked his approach.

It was problematic from the get go, as he couldnt match my custom paint. He sprayed as close to the color as he could get, then faded it with 2 ounces of left over paint I supplied him. He called me today and said it was all ready to go...except he didnt have enough paint to match the hood and he wants to tackle that at some other time. I asked him what I owed him and he said "I kept it at 1000 like we agreed'. I was happy to be getting my car back in less than a week and said 'ok, see you monday'. But I started to think....the quote was for repair of 3 spots, not 2. My hood still has a crack in it.

Heres my problem. This paint guy is well recommended and a friend of a friend. Should I just assume he spent extra time matching up my custom paint and be happy he got a good match (with paint I provided him) or should I ask him how we hit a grand without fixing the hood? I feel kind of petty because he does this as a side project and he does great work, but I dont understand why Im paying full price for 2/3's of a repair.

What protocol here? Ive never dealt with a body guy.

kjb13

Maybe there won't be any charge when he does the hood.

MakoJoe

Fiberglass it hard to fix on a hood and would be good if you showed us the crack in the hood. The hood is a flexable area and might just need a replacement if the crack is any where near any of the front hinges. For about $600 Bucks you can get a new hood and have it painted for about $100 Bucks. What model year vette?

orourke

Keep it simple....just ask him.

tokim

Always question any bill you don't fully understand.

persuader

If the guy quoted you 1,000.00 to do the whole job than you need to make sure he does the hood without an additional charge.
No disrespect. But I don't know any body shop or restoration shop that can paint a hood or any other panel on any car for 100.00.

txdoglover

Talk to him in a nice tone. You were quoted 1000.00 for a certain repair and you didn't get that. Work something out with him if possible. IF he's good at what he does, which you will know when you see your vette, you don't want to burn bridges for any future work you may need.

txdoglover

Don't feel petty. $1000.00 is a lot of money for a job that wasn't finished.

Alan 71

Hi Scott,
I'm sorry but I think this has become problematic because of 3 things you say in your post.... "friend of a friend", "side work", and "custom paint".
I'd say this fellow has discovered this repair is taking more work than he thought, and thus the $1000 isn't going to be as good a number for HIM as he hoped.
He may not want to see this problematic (for HIM) car again.
I agree that you need to talk to him to clarify just what he's going to do, when he's going to do it, and what it's going to cost YOU.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

Easy Mike

Don't assume anything. Talk to him on Monday.

Scottd

Yeah, its going to be one of those awkward things. "So hey, you did me a favor but Im questioning your prices now". Im going to have to be real tactful with this one. Im just really bummed about the hood not getting fixed. Hes a great guy, but I think he spent way more time matching the paint color than he expected.

minitech

That was my first thought. He just wanted to do it another time, didn't say more charge. Just ask him.

alswagg

Remember an estimate is an estimate, not an invoice. Repairs such as these can grow and grow. Talk to him, get is straightened out. But, don't be surprised if the price does not grow at least by 20%. Custom paint is not going to match, Old paint is not going to match. Al

John 65

What ever happened?

3JsVette

Me either.

And yes as the others have said you need to talk this out. How do you feel about pre paying for rest of the work? What if you're not satisfied when the entire repair is completed?

cb98coupe

Alot of good answers here . I would not pay the full amount until the car is done but that's just me . Good luck .....

NashvilleGrandSport

My front fascia where it meets the fenders around headlight were repainted by dealer prior to delivery and AFTER purchase. Took one week, looks great, my satisfaction was guaranteed and I got a Lifetime Warranty on the repair. Still looks gear after 15 months.

Certainly better in my case than the factory paint, which peeled off the fascia necessitating the repair by the dealer.

Dynra Rockets

Rarely does a shop give a fixed bid quote. Usually it is an estimate. If he used a lot more time than he estimated then it could be higher than $1000 total. Best is to just ask him

vettebuyer6369

Its pretty simple... respectfully ask him if the hood repair will now be an additional charge, as he "kept it" at $1000. He will have the opportunity to explain why you are paying extra for 2/3 of the job. Its probably for good reason.

You have every right to get on the same page, but your OP asks if its OK to "argue," which sounds confrontational and belligerent. If that's what happens, be sure to line up another painter.

rvazquez

Thread is 6 years old...but still could be relevant for someone going through the same thing
Regards
Roy