Horrible body shop experience-350Z ruined - Page 2

johny · 10-05-08, 09:50

It was painful to scroll through all those horrible photos ... I think the misaligned (wood) screws and the piece of wood are what stand out in my mind the most ... but everything about that bodywork was a nightmare.

FairladyZ32 · 10-06-08, 02:46

the screws on the side skirts are just awful. when i installed my sideskirts, i just used 2 screws on each end and 3m dual stick tape along the door sill.

David Fermani · 10-06-08, 04:09

I've heard of Deminished Value from an accident, but not from a repair!

Robb · 10-06-08, 04:13

Thats just awful

ofl0926 · 10-10-08, 01:22

i am a memeber of my350z and thats not right. i am sorry and hope for the best

Xtreme-Klean · 10-10-08, 02:49

Ouch!
I can take it to a bodyshop school and get better results from a rookie.
The shop person must be on drugs while working.

stiffdogg06 · 10-10-08, 03:15

Man, this thread is plaguing every car forum like the uhhhh plaque.

It's on every car related forum I am on.

Luigi · 10-10-08, 03:30

Hahah same here, on about 3 or 4 of them. It's getting around and I assume thats the purpose.

Terrible what happened to it though.

shadow85 · 10-10-08, 04:12

That person should really sue. I think he has enough evidence and momentum.

jimmie jam · 10-11-08, 06:35

[quote=John Henry;1182323What are these guys thinking?! They're sitting on a goldmine, with a minimal capital investment.[/QUOTE]

not hardly. there is no "goldmine" in production work. it's a very difficult and nearly impossible task to do quality work on a "production" model. just doesn't work unless you deal with only "one" customer/client who will accept the work no matter what.

quality does not cost more...it lasts longer. there is no such thing as "minimal capital investment" unless you are spraying in your backyard. time is the key to painting. time is money. again, no goldmine here with minimal capital investment. you witnessed that youself.

David Fermani · 10-11-08, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmie jam

not hardly. there is no "goldmine" in production work. it's a very difficult and nearly impossible task to do quality work on a "production" model. just doesn't work unless you deal with only "one" customer/client who will accept the work no matter what.

I tend to disagree with you on this. The high volume/production body shops I frequent tend to produce alot more revenue and profit then the restoration/high-end medium volume ones. Same goes for detailing. You'll always make more money with volume. Yes, quality won't be priority #1, but as long as the client's expectations are met/exceeded on a continual/reliable basis there's no problem. Maaco, does crappy work, but I bet their profits are much greater than most others. Out of all the details shops I know, the ones that focus on high quality(retail work) always get blown away by the ones that are doing volume(dealerships).

John Henry · 10-11-08, 11:24

Jimmie,

I don't think that you understood my point... probably my fault.

I would agree with you to some extent if we were talking about a start-up. But in the case I mentioned... not naming names, but very well known... the "capital" (building, lifts, compressors, phone system, furniture, etc.) is already amortized, I would guess. "Expense" (labor and materials) is baked into each job.

Marketing is done very effectively by the corporation as part of the franchise fee (or by the grace of God) because in this case, the shop turned away more cars than they painted.

All that was lacking was sound management. I do not know the reason for this, low pay, overwork, foolish stinginess by the owner...? I made the "goldmine" comment because that is the potential I saw, given the franchisee's structuring a pay plan based on performance, productivity and quality. A mature, experienced and well compensated management team could, in my opinion, clean this shop up, recruit enthusiastic technicians, set and communicate clear objectives and expectations, and run a decent operation, maximizing return for the owner.

Economy auto service customers don't want to pay for, and don't expect, a "Mercedes" job. But they do expect and deserve a little respect, where some level of of care and pride shows in the product.