Some of you may remember I had a fire in 2017 that damaged my beloved `71 XR-7 convertible.
After a LONG search for a body shop to handle the repaint, I finally found a local shop to take it.
We sent him the car in 2018, stripped to the rolling shell and media blasted to bare metal. Fenders had some bad dents, so to make the job easier, I bought a pair of NOS fenders. I bought a repro trunk floor.
Aside from trunk floor rust, the body was SOLID, as a lifetime Southern California car should be.
Three years and $5k later, the shop owner says, “sorry, I’m too busy - come get your car”
So, here it sits, back in my garage.
Nothing significant has been done at all. For some unknown reason, he cut my repro trunk floor into six pieces, and it’s ruined. I need to buy a new one.
Am I annoyed? Yes. Lot of time and money wasted, but what’s worse is being bullshitted by a shop that agreed to do the work, strung me along and vacuumed $5k from my wallet. No wonder mechanics and auto shops often rank at the bottom of consumer trust ratings, just above personal injury lawyers.
Screw it. I’m going to do it myself.
The car needs minimal metal work (a few small rust patches, new trunk floor) and I’ll paint the car in a friend’s booth. Maybe it’ll be a good learning experience…