>>>>People suck RANT!!!!<<<<

[Chuck A]

very sad, indeed

[JetMechZ16]

Originally Posted by dvarapala

People are lazy assholes, and with few exceptions you need to micromanage them to get them to do their jobs.

Sad but true.

Originally Posted by aerovette

You were supposed to post this 3 minutes earlier. Do I need to set reminders for you? The forum moves fast and you're falling behind. If this is too much for you we can find someone to post in your place. Have you posted in that other thread yet? Do you plan to?

I hired you to do one job and that was to keep Phreddy in line!!! So, WTF??

[The_Dude]

I'd be pissed too, but as was said earlier, it's not altogether unexpected. Although your dad already paid (with his own labor) up front, I'm sure the guy prioritized work that would pay him now.
Research other shops and find someone with integrity. They are out there. Good luck!

[Chuck A]

Originally Posted by The_Dude

I'd be pissed too, but as was said earlier, it's not altogether unexpected. Although your dad already paid (with his own labor) up front, I'm sure the guy prioritized work that would pay him now.
Research other shops and find someone with integrity. They are out there. Good luck!

very well said, indeed

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by The_Dude

I'd be pissed too, but as was said earlier, it's not altogether unexpected. Although your dad already paid (with his own labor) up front, I'm sure the guy prioritized work that would pay him now.
Research other shops and find someone with integrity. They are out there. Good luck!

That's the hard part, with every single shop, I did my research. Transmission shop was the ONLY place that was honorable and did work they were paid for in a timely fashion. No shocker the shop owner was in his early 70's and ran the place with an iron fist.

As for the Jag, finding a place that works on classic British cars is to say the least HARD and to find one that will get involved in a concours restoration project are, as I am finding, non existent other than than East coast and west coast. Then I am back in the same boat with entrusting a vehicle half way across the country and unable to monitor and stay on the shop.

The last chitty part, is I have spent all the funds we had saved up for the project and so finding another shop is great, but then accessing more funds, that have already been flushed down the toilet, is a whole other issue.

[dwjz06]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

People ask ALL the time why hubs and I do not "Pay the guy"

The instances where "paying the guy" resulted in more problems than resolutions, is too frequent to count.

Starting to wonder if I have been jinxed by some distant cousin of S~N~V

As any of you that have known me for some time, know I am dealing with the restoration of a 68 vette as well as a 68 Jag XK-E E type convertible that my father was in the final stages of a concours restoration.

My father was a journeyman machinist prior to retirement, and was helping a buddy of his work in his Mustang Shelby/cobra restoration specialty shop (without pay). My dad "worked" there for over 15 years. His "friend" and shop owner had an agreement that in trade for FREE labor and my father using his machinist skills to fabricate parts etc, he would help with the concours restoration of the Jag. Needless to say, my Dad did 99% of the work on his own car without any help, and spend most of his time helping with cars coming into the shop. Some of these cars were extremely rare and a few sold for millions at Barrett-Jackson.

So.... on my fathers death bed, my dad spoke to the shop owner and made him "promise" he would finish the last of the restoration so that I could show the car as my father had dreamed of.

It has been 5 years since my father passed. The wife of the shop owner is a friend of the family. She has constantly said that they will get to the jag in a couple of weeks, after they move a current car out. Well this was the story for the entire time my Dad was there: "your car is NEXT!

Well, a month ago, she called and said her husband got fired from his 35 year career as a shelter insurance agent, due to a sexual harassment accusation by his secretary, and they are not able to do the car because he needs to do other work for pay.

To say I am so fuggin DONE with lying people is an understatement. People of honest character are a rare breed in todays society. Everything from simple home projects, to these auto restoration projects become a cat a mouse game of lies/promises and dead ends. When I tell someone something, I am a person of my word, and I expect the same from others. SO disappointed that integrity/ethics seems to be extinct in the majority of people!!!!

RANT OVER....... fug people.

Sorry Candie. These cases really suck after you have dumped a lot of money in to them. I have the honest character part, but cannot help re-build cars. I can wrench on them for sure. No place to keep them or work on them anymore.

[The_Dude]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

That's the hard part, with every single shop, I did my research. Transmission shop was the ONLY place that was honorable and did work they were paid for in a timely fashion. No shocker the shop owner was in his early 70's and ran the place with an iron fist.

As for the Jag, finding a place that works on classic British cars is to say the least HARD and to find one that will get involved in a concours restoration project are, as I am finding, non existent other than than East coast and west coast. Then I am back in the same boat with entrusting a vehicle half way across the country and unable to monitor and stay on the shop.

The last chitty part, is I have spent all the funds we had saved up for the project and so finding another shop is great, but then accessing more funds, that have already been flushed down the toilet, is a whole other issue.

This guy has done a lot of work for us. He's honest and does excellent work. I know he's half way across the country, but he might know of a shop that specialized in British cars. Shoot him an email.
https://www.nwautofab.com/

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

As for the Jag, finding a place that works on classic British cars is to say the least HARD and to find one that will get involved in a concours restoration project are, as I am finding, non existent other than than East coast and west coast. Then I am back in the same boat with entrusting a vehicle half way across the country and unable to monitor and stay on the shop.

The last chitty part, is I have spent all the funds we had saved up for the project and so finding another shop is great, but then accessing more funds, that have already been flushed down the toilet, is a whole other issue.

Doing a true concours restoration on a car like the Jag is not something most shops will or can do, and yes, it's VERY expensive. Is the Jag really worth what a concours restoration will cost, or will you end up with more money in it than it's worth? I suspect it's the latter, and a concours restored car is not one you'd want to drive. Why not restore it and drive it, which would seem to better honor your dad?

[Grey Ghost]

Originally Posted by Raazor

pics of secretary

[mrvette]

Some of yawl maybe know that I moved to Floriduh here on account of BAD lo back/skeleton and onset of Arthur RONG us......so back in '97 I finally sold my house in the Wash DC region and moved south....spent my first year here recovering in the sunny weather, enjoying all sorts of car hobby places from Cypress Gardens to Daytona race track, to many other car shows/events.....including massive local cruise nights....local car council/aggregate of many car clubs.....joined one of the local Corvette clubs, like I did up north, which was a very positive experience......including friends with a local Corvette shop and treated VERY fairly......

WELL, come to pass, I lost some 40 grand in a stupid move prompted by my ex wife, who's timing was just perfect.....threatening legal action to grab money from me, just when I was thinking of NOT going into business with a local hotrod shop.......and so about a year later the head crook died of cancer...and the other one fled town, leaving wife/kids behind.......

So that was not the end of it of course.......another group entirely into the computer business, setting up web sites for small businesses......the head guy was a Corvette friend....ZR1 and so there is that one involving him and some other crook.....my vette friend also died of CANCER......

so go figger.......lost at total of 75 grand in about 3 years.....

the names are Steve Szala, Kevin Hester, Tony Gonyon, Douglas K. Johnson, William F. Tschanen.......

nuff said......

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

Doing a true concours restoration on a car like the Jag is not something most shops will or can do, and yes, it's VERY expensive. Is the Jag really worth what a concours restoration will cost, or will you end up with more money in it than it's worth? I suspect it's the latter, and a concours restored car is not one you'd want to drive. Why not restore it and drive it, which would seem to better honor your dad?

Yes, the car is very valuable, was owned by a doctor, purchased by my dads band mate and best friend. Only had ~5K miles on it. Dad's best friend went to Vietnam and when he came back from nam, the car had been in the garage for 4 years and would not run.

He told my Dad he could have it for a ridiculously low price because my dad knew a lot about cars and could get it running, which he did, but did not drive it. Maybe drove it twice a year to pull it around the block and wash it. The car sat, garage kept till my Dad retired and started the restoration. The car was 100% original and extremely low miles.

My Dad knew the value of the car and rarity, and made it clear it would be a trailer queen and not driven, also that it would be a concours restoration.

I promised my Dad I would show the car, but cannot do that till the restoration is complete obviously. Unlike many others, I plan to honor my word.....

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by The_Dude

This guy has done a lot of work for us. He's honest and does excellent work. I know he's half way across the country, but he might know of a shop that specialized in British cars. Shoot him an email.
https://www.nwautofab.com/

Thanks, will reach out.

[Chuck A]

any pics of the Jag?

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Chuck A

any pics of the Jag?

Will look for the pics I took at the shop more recently since the resto started.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Chuck A

any pics of the Jag?

Dad ALWAYS kept this car covered, it now sits in his so called friends shop like this, no cover, and prior to being put up on the top, had all kinds of crap sitting on it. Damn expensive shelf.

[Steve_R]

A neighbor here has one. I'd call it a high-end driver restoration. We take drives in it and my C7. Here's at a recent Cars & Coffee. I've never wanted a concours trailer queen but understand wanting to honor your dad.

[Anjdog2003]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

People ask ALL the time why hubs and I do not "Pay the guy"

The instances where "paying the guy" resulted in more problems than resolutions, is too frequent to count.

Starting to wonder if I have been jinxed by some distant cousin of S~N~V

As any of you that have known me for some time, know I am dealing with the restoration of a 68 vette as well as a 68 Jag XK-E E type convertible that my father was in the final stages of a concours restoration.

My father was a journeyman machinist prior to retirement, and was helping a buddy of his work in his Mustang Shelby/cobra restoration specialty shop (without pay). My dad "worked" there for over 15 years. His "friend" and shop owner had an agreement that in trade for FREE labor and my father using his machinist skills to fabricate parts etc, he would help with the concours restoration of the Jag. Needless to say, my Dad did 99% of the work on his own car without any help, and spend most of his time helping with cars coming into the shop. Some of these cars were extremely rare and a few sold for millions at Barrett-Jackson.

So.... on my fathers death bed, my dad spoke to the shop owner and made him "promise" he would finish the last of the restoration so that I could show the car as my father had dreamed of.

It has been 5 years since my father passed. The wife of the shop owner is a friend of the family. She has constantly said that they will get to the jag in a couple of weeks, after they move a current car out. Well this was the story for the entire time my Dad was there: "your car is NEXT!

Well, a month ago, she called and said her husband got fired from his 35 year career as a shelter insurance agent, due to a sexual harassment accusation by his secretary, and they are not able to do the car because he needs to do other work for pay.

To say I am so fuggin DONE with lying people is an understatement. People of honest character are a rare breed in todays society. Everything from simple home projects, to these auto restoration projects become a cat a mouse game of lies/promises and dead ends. When I tell someone something, I am a person of my word, and I expect the same from others. SO disappointed that integrity/ethics seems to be extinct in the majority of people!!!!

RANT OVER....... fug people.

I got as far as "People ask ALL the time" then i nodded off. Must be the Meds.

[Iron Chef]

I’m very sorry to hear about this. As someone who has restored a few cars and sold them at auction, I completely understand your frustration. Auto and/or concourse restoration is a flaky business with mostly flaky people. It’s a lot of “feast or famine” and as a result, shop owners tend to take more work on than they can handle in case work starts to dry up.

Your dad was obviously a very good person and a kind soul. To put in that many years for no pay is above and beyond the call. BUT...and I say this with no malice whatsoever...it is a choice that he made. Unfortunately, nothing was put in writing (if I understand you correctly) and while on a moral level they should have finished the car, the shop legally owes you nothing except to give you your car back, deathbed promise or no. And to be honest, letting it go for 5 years seems excessive although when you're dealing with supposed friends, it's sometimes hard to follow what your brain is telling you to do. I was having a ’71 Charger painted B5 Blue, and I got six months worth of excuses from the shop owner. One day I just came over and said I wanted my car NOW. All of a sudden it was “It was going into the paint booth on Monday!!!” No, it wasn’t, and it isn’t. Give me my keys. I wrote a check for the work done and drove off.

I learned long ago by watching others that working for and/or investing with and/or loaning money to friends is fraught with peril. It never, ever ends well. A friend and former boss decided to start his own business and open one of those craft wineries where they basically give you concentrate to ferment. The stuff tastes like absolute swill, and I told him that I didn’t think it was a wise move (which was confirmed when I saw that he gave himself the title of “Master Vintner”). Sure enough, about a year later he came to me, hat in hand, for a $10,000 loan. I told him that my funds were tied up in stocks and I’d pay dearly in taxes to remove them (which was actually true). The other person who did loan him money hasn’t seen it back and the business went under 6 years ago.

I know this hurts and angers you, but the best thing is to chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on. It’s about all you can do. As far as restoring the Jag is concerned...I don’t know how much you want to spend, but Jaguar does have a factory restoration facility in England called Jaguar Classic. I’m sure it isn’t cheap, but you’ll get the car of your dreams done right. I've been there and seen the work and it's phenomenal. I’ve included a link because it’s still a cool read.

https://www.jaguar.com/about-jaguar/...sic/index.html

Hang in there and best of luck.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Anjdog2003

I got as far as "People ask ALL the time" then i nodded off. Must be the Meds.

You sure it wasn't hitting that 3 syllable word "instances" that stopped your progress?

[gs568]

Sadly for so many, their “word” means nothing. Good luck finding a reputable shop to finish the car.