Re: Paint Jobs and Cost

[trnsfrma@ix.netcom.com (Shawn C. Meze)]

At 11:10 PM 4/10/97 -0400, Hulda wrote:
>I found that if your VERY up front about what you expect from your 
>painter, you'll both be happier in the end. I'm very anal about certain 
>things on my car. 
>Yes I paid $400 for those Bilsteins, they came yellow, I don't 
>want red overspray on them. See the black plastic wheel liner, it's 
>black, I don't want it red either! Same for the radiator. See those 
>little windsheild washer nozzles? Don't even think about masking those! 
>If in doubt, pull it off. I won't accept any runs, fish eyes, or dust in 
>the paint. I'm the customer you hate!
>Brian


Im the same way, ask Mike, im the customer from hell! When I had my car 
painted, I walked with the shop foreman (Woman actually) and pointed out 
exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it done. She took notes on most every
thing I said, especially the specifics like 2 silver racing stripes, off center 
over the drivers side 2" wide, one inch apart. The painter was with us when we 
didscusses this specifics of the paint scheme. 
When the day finally came to pick up my car (2 1/2 agonizing weeks later) even 
from the distance I could see that they had screwed up the stripes. I dont 
understand how the painter could have screwed up the written and verbal 
instructions I had given them. What I got was 2 silver stripes (That part, they 
got right) 1" wide and two inched apart. (The pictures of my car on the various 
web pages show these lame stripes. New Dimensions web page at buttonwillow 
raceway shows these the best I think...) SO after a few months after I got my 
car back, I took it back with a list of all the things they did wrong. They 
ended up repainting my whole car again. Another 10 days later I got my car back 
but I was so sick of not having it, I ended up cleaning all the silver 
overspray from my once beautiful engine compartment myself. 

Another point in getting exactly what when you are getting your car painted is 
to be sure to ask them if they will color sand (AKA "Cut & Buff") the car once 
its finished. It makes all the world of difference to a paint job. The 
Potterman got his GTi repainted after a mild rearender a few months back and 
they completed the paintjob with the color sanding as part of the deal. They 
did an outstanding job on it and Im really pissed that for the money I spent on 
my car, they didnt do this for me. When I asked, after the paint was finished, 
they said they dont do it (Nobody there is qualified to do it) and that if they 
did, it would be another $500! Well, that lead to my next bundle with my paint 
job and it just isnt gonna get told. 

Moral of the story; Sometimes it doesnt matter what you ask & pay for, your 
gonna get what your gonna get, and that's all. 



Shawn Meze
86' Jetta GLi
82' Scirocco GTi
The Fastest, Quickest, Cleanest and 
best looking Scirocco in all of San Diego! 
See it at:
http://members.aol.com/VWNUT99/mezescirocco.html

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