What got left behind

bluecoupe30!

bluecoupe30!

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Most of us have had to leave their Coupe at some shop, sometimes for an extended period of time. We drop it off, and patiently wait for the day we can bring it home. I am certain there are times the car comes back, but some pieces are missing. In my case, the trunk cover floor over the gas tank has become, misplaced. I was fortunate, however, to reconfigure an E3 gas tank cover, reuse the elephant skin, line up the very same holes for the screws, and replace this missing piece. What have you lost?
 
It's all those extra nuts and bolts that I find on the floor after someone leaves my shop. But no one calls and says anything is missing Just kidding, I don't know what it is like taking a car into a shop. Does big stuff like that really go missing ? Maybe they just forgot to put it back in Why do shops do that?

Thanks, Rick
 
Lets see c.1999/2000...when my polaris car spent six months at a well-known shop in central NC, I went to pick it up, as it was supposedly complete... and the glove box and console were AWOL, along with all associated hardware. None of the old dash/upholstery/carpet was even touched. "we thought that you said that you wanted to do the upholstery/interior at home"...They chucked the old/big bumpers and auto trans, driveshaft, and diff, "we assumed you didn't want them". When I asked for all of the leftover old parts, I was given three boxes of stuff that wasn't mine, and told to "just take it..." And a box of new parts that were paid for, but not used. Doesn't count all that wasn't done, was done wrong, and the double-billing for various parts/things. I paid the huge bill (that I thought was to cover all of the above), took the car and went home. I was too embarrassed to even tell my wife the entire scenario... Pretty expensive lesson... My brother, my attorney, told me that since everything wasn't specifically spelled out/contracted, that our chances would be poor to get anything but more shoddy work to "complete" the job. I could only guess what kind of job it would be. I punted.
My lesson, is , it's like managing your own healthcare, if you don't pay attention, you can't expect anyone else to. Obli-di, obla-da. I'm almost over it.
 
dave v. in nc said:
Lets see c.1999/2000...when my polaris car spent six months at a well-known shop in central NC, I went to pick it up, as it was supposedly complete... and the glove box and console were AWOL, along with all associated hardware. None of the old dash/upholstery/carpet was even touched. "we thought that you said that you wanted to do the upholstery/interior at home"...They chucked the old/big bumpers and auto trans, driveshaft, and diff, "we assumed you didn't want them". When I asked for all of the leftover old parts, I was given three boxes of stuff that wasn't mine, and told to "just take it..." And a box of new parts that were paid for, but not used. Doesn't count all that wasn't done, was done wrong, and the double-billing for various parts/things. I paid the huge bill (that I thought was to cover all of the above), took the car and went home. I was too embarrassed to even tell my wife the entire scenario... Pretty expensive lesson... My brother, my attorney, told me that since everything wasn't specifically spelled out/contracted, that our chances would be poor to get anything but more shoddy work to "complete" the job. I could only guess what kind of job it would be. I punted.
My lesson, is , it's like managing your own healthcare, if you don't pay attention, you can't expect anyone else to. Obli-di, obla-da. I'm almost over it.
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Wow Dave, that is really a shame.

At some point I will have some paint work done and have been thinking about how much prep & part removal and storage I want to do at home just to make sure that stuff doesn't grow legs.
 
This can all be extended to home ownership as well. My kids gave me a Gomer Pyle jumpsuit for father's day that has "The Man" embroidered on it because I fix everything myself. They always ask why we don't just get someone to do the work.........had enough experiences like Dave has had.

The only thing I don't do is the paint on my cars. Both the E3 and E9 were stripped by me, parts tagged and stored. I brought parts as needed for the E9 to ensure proper fitting but retrieved them once done. I made sure this was understood before hiring them.
 
I've in fact wound up with extra parts over restoration projects. I try to be as efficient yet sometimes forget what I have, despite labeling things & buy a few things twice. Luckily I have been able to supply some parts for other peoples restorations with my spares.
 
I brought my car from storage and found this in the trunk.................they said nobody complained so keep it. Sometimes we get lucky.

charger.jpg
 
Dave V's story was quite sad. I am sure it haunts him to this day. I know a couple of guys that trusted a capable restoration artist with their cars, until he ran into "Financial troubles" and they got wind of this and appeared at the shop only to find a bailiff had padlocked the place. Nothing to do with these two owners who were paid up and had seen progress, however slow. They ended up in some dark-of-night caper where the padlock was "removed' and the 2 cars were "rescued". What a nightmare. I never like leaving may car anywhere but in my barn, plus gates, plus security alarm + 2 large Great Pyrenees/Bernese mountain Dog guardians who absolutely LOVE to bark! ;) BTW BavBob, would love a photo of the Gomer Pyle Jumpsuit!
 
Stan said:
Usually it is stuff I bought but was not the right part for my car
Click to expand...

Stan, the big difference is the shop you and I use is managed by some rrally wonderful/decent people. Some time ago I spent a day at a BMW shop in central NC (the one Dan used), and thought the manager was not to be trusted. That shop’s namesake was ok, just not the guy actually hands-on running the operation.
 
And my advice, always pay in arrears and upon your personal inspection and approve. Ok to make partial payments as the work gets done, but do not get ahead with the payments relative to work you have personally seen and approved.

Shops which need advance payments to stay afloat are telling you their business is fragile.
 
I work out monthly payments with all my customers, whatever time and parts put out for that month gets paid. That way, I am not funding someone' else project, same deal with parts and any sublets, shipping costs and anything else spent on the project That way, customers are not putting out a huge amount at 2-3 times and if there are any issues on either side, easier to deal with Tons of pictures ongoing to see what is happening and why.

Thanks, Rick
 
Update. Had an epiphany today, a recollection of sorts. I had the feeling I really had stashed that trunk floor piece that sits over the gas tank, but I knew had already looked in all of the usual places. Then I looked up. Way up there, in the rafters of my garage, was the missing piece. I had placed it in a location where it would not have to be handled until I needed it again. So, there it was, sitting high above any casual sighting, safe, and in my own garage! Doh! Anyway, always happy to have all the original pieces still available for my car.
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