I picked up my project corvette back in summer of 2016. Its a 1969 427 numbers matching red/red 4sp w/ac. Shortly after getting it delivered i went out to get estimates from local body shops for either repair the front clip and painting or replacing front clip. Long story short I found a body shop, had good reviews at the time and an A with the BBB. His price was fair for the work and seemed to know what he was talking about. We agreed that i would give him 1 year for job completion. Fast forward to today 2.5 years, he has caused more damaged than help on the car. It sits completely disassembled by looks of someone that really just unbolted whatever bolt the could find and throw them where ever they felt. Poured POR15 all over the windshield washer bay and let it glob up all over the place, and biggest annoyance of all lost many parts. Even though my friends and family told me numerous times to pull it out a long time ago i tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt (i didn't realize all the damage and missing parts at the time). I been slowing pulling all parts i could find out of the place telling him i was organizing them into bins, having them sandblasted, etc,etc I almost got all the parts that can be found out of the place. Only thing really left is the shell of the vette (engine is already at a different shop being gone through and started), and the new press molded front clip and hood. My question is what is the best way to try and recover the vette. On the invoice he did he stated it would only be a year, even though i already gave him about 7k for the work, that will be a different story to try and recover but i will not hold my breath. If i was to go there with a flat bed is there anything he could do to stop me from recovering the rest?
thank for any help on this frustrating road

 

Are you on friendly terms with the shop owner? If not, you should be looking for an attorney.

 

I been keeping everything on friendly terms so far. He has no idea that i am taking it somewhere else to be painted. I just tell him i having other people prep it to get it done faster and he hasnt said anything. I not wanting to ruffle and feather till i get the rest of it out. I already told him the engine shop is going to install the engine and i would have to take it to them. and even mention a person i was using for fiberglass for other things i might have him put on the front clip. Been trying to tip toe around it all.

 

SAme problem I showed up with the sheriff while picked it up. Ask him for money owed, if not quietly walkaway and file small claims. He aint gonna finish it.

 

Golden rule. NEVER pay in advance only when job completed. Hope you get it resolved.

 

Stay on friendly terms with him and get you Vette out of there. Than get a lawyer to try to recoup your money. All he's doing is stringing you along.

Tell him the engine is done and the rebuilder wants to put it in.

 

He robbed you of $7,000, and stole 2 years of your life. Get an attorney, get your car back, sue his *** off, and move on.

 

 

por-15 all over the windshield bay is a major sign that your birdcage is toast. perhaps there is a miscommunication between you and him..
if I was a shop and I found that my customer's birdcage is toast. I would stop all work since I could not guarantee my work unless my customer committed to a major increment in restoration cost.
and such a repair may be way beyond the scope of what I could repair.
sure would like to hear both sides of the story.

sometimes it takes several thousand $$ of disassembly labor to find birdcage structural problems. and several thousand in reassembly to give back to the customer.

 

​​​​​​​This has been my idea. Friends and family want to go full throttle attack (sister, mother, work for different firms, and wife works at the solicitor office), The 7k i am already considering it a lost, will still follow a suite against him but not expecting anything from it. I am pretty sure i can get it out when i tell him i am taking it to the placing that is going through the engine, because i already told him i was having them reinstall it. My only concern is could he prevent me from pulling the front clip out and hood when he realizes what i am doing. Even though 7k is alot of $$, the car means more to me getting back and on the road.

 

The car arrived already almost stripped. Birdcage is in really good shape for age i think. On a different note its been a long time since i checked though but isn't that compartment fiberglass also? I think he just had his guys do stupid things to show he was working on it and hit me up for more $$. I will make note that on the top of the birdcage there was a small hole prior as in picture but no rust left or anything. Previous owner redid everything it. The picture is how i received it prior to bodyshop. And it was where the windshield wiper compartment is that he por15, nothing on the windshield area of birdcage itself.

 

To say the birdcage e is toast is about as responsible as the guy who did the work cmon where did you find any proof to back up that statement Phil

 

I wonder if I paid $7000 down on a new car, and did not receive it after 2 years if would feel okay.

If you paid $7000 for a new kitchen, and after two years, ...............

 

File a suit in small claims court....that shop owner should be shot! [and would if he was in Texas!]

 

Possession is 99% of the law as I always heard. So get the car...and when it is rolling down the road to the engine shop on the roll back...hang out for little bit and go look at your front clip and then take it due to 'things' you want to do to it to free him up.

If you have the receipt for the front clip and parts ..Have it with you if you feel the law is going to get involved... so you can prove it. is yours..then he cannot stop you. and tell him whatever you want. .

DUB

 

Agree. Tell him you are getting it out of his way to free him up to do the other work he needs to clear out so he will have time and space to devote to your car. Is there still an old clip on the car now? If not, the engine guy needs it for clearance and to set up rad support and see where on inner fenders he is gonna mount the fuel pump, nitrous bottle, intercooler, muffler bearings...

 

Currently there is no front clip on the car. He had his guy remove the old one any way he could. I went and already picked it up. He threw it outside on top of a pile of trash. He left all the wire clamps and even the radiator overflow brackets on it. When i found out i quickly went and picked it up. Unfortunately one of the radiator overflow brackets is missing (the ones for the brass tanks). Another aggravation with the shop is the vette had all original interior inside it. His guy sprayed primer all over the back of the car and over sprayed over all the interior as well. When i called him out on it. His response was i thought you was buying new interior anyway. Long and short this being my first real experience doing something like this. I am just taking it as a lesson learned. I still intend to take him to small claims court but don't expect much from it. I still have the receipt from Corvette Image where i ordered the press molded front clip and new 427 hood. So worse come to worse i can argue those aspects of it. I took numerous pictures and kept record of all the parts i had for it. But at the end of the day i just want to get it back on the road. This has been a dream car of mine. I had a 69 350 in high school and sold it for a 427 that sold right before i sold mine.

 

Total cluster... I'd get it out and now then goto court. They obviously had no idea what to do or thought they landed a big fish they could milk.
I'm hoping you haven't laid out 7k already... Any changes from original agreement need to be in writing. Better get your receipts in order and document everything while fresh in your memory.

 

So tell him you need the car and nose to get the engine installed. And he wants to start this week. From the sound of it, this guy only knows how to do collision work on common recent stuff. Clueless about preserving something older and valuable.

 

Boy do I feel your pain. The same thing, well with a 1949 Diamond T pick-up, happened to me. Frame was already restored I had the engine rebuild, new wiring harness, glass, etc. etc. All this clown had to do was finish the cab and wire basically. Told me 6 months. 3.5 years later & 4K I got it out of there. Had it for sale and finally a fella called about parts. Somehow the conversation got around to him having a '79 4 speed. We traded straight up.
Good luck to you.