may have a fight on my hands....

[Wasted youth]

[blue77bay]

_________________
I like hammers. Lots of hammers. Hammers and me go way back.
A large hammer collection is like an instant problem solver
Mark tucker wrote:,wack off as needed

[skills@eurocarsplus]

aero~

could be old gas, etc...not my problem. I thing it runs like a bag of assholes, again, not my problem.

I spoke with him yesterday. the bus runs, stops (using ebrake only) and is about 80% complete.

still need to:

finish brakes
tie up a few loose ends in wiring
finish right side ball joints
install tie rod ends
all glass
pop top tent
install front seats
etc

he is to worry about the interior. I tried to get him to take it the fuck out of my way, do the interior and bring it back when he can. then I got the it's going to cost me xxxxx to tow it home, blaaaa blaaaa blaaaa.

I got pissed. told him I have 90% of the parts I need. I am going to rip thru this thing and pay me when you can. if you don't pay me, I don't give a fuck at this point. the space your bus is taking up is far more valuable than the 1,500-2k I will "make" off the job.

shame on me for trying to help, give a discounted rate on the labor, free fucking storage for 8 months (adding up the time cards I have logged 2 1/2 weeks to date...it should have taken a month, month and a half TOPS for me to do the work)

I am sorry I work too fast for your checkbook. how many fucking disaster restoration stories do you hear that go like this:

"shop A has had my car for 23 months and hasn't gotten anything done. I am out 4k blaaaa fuckin blaaa"

now, you have me who can build a bus from a oil stain move at an above average rate of speed who is begging the customer to get this thing done...what is wrong with this picture?

fuck the excuses...I don't care if your wife is cheating on you with her brother, if your kid lit the cat on fire, if your boiler shot through your roof, if your boss is a dick, if you have a bad case of the clap, if your sister is banging your fathers uncles wifes cousin...it's called life. we all have personal problems...they are not MY PROBLEM

my problem is to get your car back together, the right way (or as "right" as you can afford) if I was dropping the ball, he would be all over Gods green earth telling people what a douche I am...but I'm not...I am working too fast for his budget.

to ANYONE that even *thinks* about paying someone (reputable) to do a car for you....know this.... the name of the game is get it done. it isn't "layaway motors, building your dream one payment at a time" I gave a reasonable estimate (not like I didn't just build one from the ground up) I stand to "make" under 5k for building a whole bus which includes running all over the place for shit, polishing/sand blasting/painting etc etc.....more work than it's worth.


so, the punch line is, I will take a loss just to get on with my life. and if my phone rings about doing a build for someone ever again I will just hang up. I don't care if you come with a 50 pound bag of 100's. if people think the have it "so bad" with me.... they have no idea what's really out there

and I'm back at 11:15...so bite me
_________________

[Xevin]

could be old gas, etc...not my problem. I think it runs like a bag of assholes, again, not my problem.

There's the Skills we know well said indeed. Sounds like you went above and beyond. Sorry you got bent on the deal. I appreciate your input on the forum.
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Keep on Busin'

[skills@eurocarsplus]

sorry for the semi rant....but as most of you know, I take this stuff seriously. the problem is when you talk to people, the ALL talk like "I'm so-and-so what's it cost and when can you get it done?" so, you tell them that the parts are what they are and I try to get close to what they should expect. labor is pretty much a set price, but as always when the project get out of hand, I am responsible?

it is no surprise when you have a naked car that you need it all. not to mention that is was hacked by years of p/o's....right down to the coolant hose used to hook the lower reservoir tube to the master cylinder. uggh...this too shall come to pass

whatever. lesson learned
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[busdaddy]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[bugger101]

i'm dealing with this guy that i am working on his $100,00+ L88 corvette. cheap fucker bought a china heater core that started leaking after 2 days of being in . the master cylinder is blown out along with the booster, radiator is rusted out, ect... . whoever buys this thing when it goes to auction is screwed
_________________
75 west deluxe http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5270450#5270450

2010 ford focus

[williamM]

Ya- but did it have a $200 bud vase on the dash? - I feel that pain- had some of the same stuff fixing boats. Finally decided -a few rules

ONE- nobody needed a boat but Noah.

TWO- You can't make payments and take the boat as-- you will just spend the money having a nice boating weekend on MY MONEY.

Three- You want to supply your own part? Get the fuck outa here.-- BUT- you can pay for them before I buy them.

15 years -never went to court- But did stand in a guys boat in his driveway once-- with wrenches in my hand.






So would not worry about how much shit one guy writes on your wall-
_________________
some days I get up and just sit and think. Some days I just sit.

opinion untempered by fact is ignorance.

Don't step in any!

[70westie]

You're absolutely, 100% correct, skills.. except that I would have started charging him storage fees.. Some time is ok, but Months? Aw hell naw...

-70

[raygreenwood]

Man...you poor soul!.... This is why I have not worked on others peoples cars except out of favors for good friends or good Samaritan/emergency service for a long time.

Its bad enough doing the resto work you guys are doing...but all I really work on is type 4 cars anymore.
I have had numerous people ask if I could do entire front suspension resto work for them...or whole sub-assemblies. I would love too...but I know that none of these peoples bank accounts or time tables could keep up with the realities of type 4 car parts fabrication.

I mean....when you guys have to start rebuilding centerlinks....or making your own struts...or casting your own gaskets, window gaskets and weatherstripping, making your own tie-rods...and making balljoints.....and the whole slew of other stuff that is just not for sale....its game over for doing it for other people.

I think a lot more of the bus resto work is moving that direction. Finish this one and get out while you have some sanity. Ray

[BellePlaine]

Our company had a 54 chevy pick up built as a promotional vehicle. The shop that did the work would only go so far before we had to pay to catch up and the work stopped until payment was received. They also only gave us 10 days to pay after emailing the invoice before we got notices of late payment. I believe for big parts items we had to pay in advance.
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

[SGKent]

Bring in a stray cat and that is what you get 9 out of 10 times. It is also why buses are a dying breed. TCASH said it best in his animation. Maybe he can do another one from the perspective of the end seller and mechanic.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[raygreenwood]

[my59]

The guys that used to work on my vw's let me get my own parts after i had been a client for a while and showed some aptitude. I have been in enough shit shows in construction with owner supplying things to not show up without every part, gasket and screw.
If you were storing his project while he was parts chasing (or not, by the sound if it) I'd think storage must be discussed.its one thing for a project to molder in the corner of my barn. It's another when it is taking up your space and getting g in the way. Tell him to come over and roll it outside or better yet drag it home and do not come back without all the bits needed to finish.
As to the engine running like hell now? WTF does he expect after not supplying parts in a timely fashion?
_________________
my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[richparker]

Skills, thought of you on Saturday when I dropped off my bus.

I took the Mechanic to lunch, left him with quality parts, a 12 pack, some of Colorados finest and $500 (to get started). I found things get done faster and you get better workman ship when you pay in advance.
_________________
__________
’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[old DKP driver]

I had one of the smartest and coolest bosses many, many eons ago and,
he would politely run this by the customer.

"would you bring a steak to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for you"

Stand your ground on this job!!!! and maybe let him go here and read what others think of this ball of Shit your customer has created.

On a lighter note: In the movie 'Oceans Eleven ' They weighed the $100.00
bills in 50 pound increments .
_________________
V.W.owner since 1967

[cmonSTART]

[Tom Powell]

from Answers.com

"Considering each U.S. bill weighs exactly one gram, and there are 454 grams to a pound that means one pound of $100 bills would be worth $45,400... multiply this by 50 and you get about $2,270,000 for 50 pounds of $100 bills!"

Aloha
tp

[raygreenwood]