The decision has now been made regarding........

[FLYING BANANA]

Originally Posted by T16

Sorry but hardly ANYONE in the UK motor trade has a clue how to spray a car properly. Biggest bunch of con artists and shady clowns I have EVER experienced are car "body shops".

The average quality of work is probably worse than my mother could do.

Unfortunately if you really want "quality" in the UK you really have to pay though the nose for the best in the business. At least "mechanics" are dealing with big metal parts, when it comes to getting a decent finish with something that requires finesse such as paint, your average paint-monkey is absolutely and utterly inept.

If I ever have another bad finish from a body shop again, I am just going to headbutt the guy and smash his face into the paintwork he was responsible for, as you would rub a dogs nose in its own s***.

Edit, I even see on their page they even left the rear window finisher in! (as well as the rear bumper) At least it certainly looks like it. If that is the case, no-one should use AM Restorations in Plymouth, what a bunch of absolute cretins.

53hrs labour @ say £60 an hour = £3180 plus paint and materials....so more like either just under £4k, or ~£4.5k, Shocking.

You are entitled to your opinion, but it was my decision to go with this company. I have complained about the poor workmanship on the parts I have already outlined hence why the car is going back to them again.

The previous paint shop, who came with high recommendations, also failed to carry out the necessary work required. I also complained at the time. The outcome was far from satisfactory. It was never fully resolved as it was an insurance job.

[coab]

I’m not sure T16 is ready to admire the work done!
I hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction.

[paulonsite]

Bob's just helped me out on a freebie so seems wierd to be posting here as well, but I've just had Zed's front end resprayed by a garage I've used forever, and it's stunning. Apparently the paint (HQM) is a complete and utter nightmare....two different paints, three coats required and the lacquer plus a polish. So...the propreitor hates me (well just a bit, known each other decades) but since he does F1/3 cars he gets paint RIGHT



I'd say I was lucky but it was schtoopid me that made it need spraying in the first place! I tried to repair some scratches using nought but a YouTube Apprenticehsip and some eBay Paint.



Oh Dear.


The horror.


So, Banana has had the right approach from the get go, and flippin 'eck she looks amazing! Very jealous

[FLYING BANANA]

Originally Posted by paulonsite

Bob's just helped me out on a freebie so seems wierd to be posting here as well, but I've just had Zed's front end resprayed by a garage I've used forever, and it's stunning. Apparently the paint (HQM) is a complete and utter nightmare....two different paints, three coats required and the lacquer plus a polish. So...the propreitor hates me (well just a bit, known each other decades) but since he does F1/3 cars he gets paint RIGHT



I'd say I was lucky but it was schtoopid me that made it need spraying in the first place! I tried to repair some scratches using nought but a YouTube Apprenticehsip and some eBay Paint.



Oh Dear.


The horror.


So, Banana has had the right approach from the get go, and flippin 'eck she looks amazing! Very jealous

You never know you may get to see her some day.

[T16]

Im not criticising the expenditure or the decision to get her spruced up!

Just the idiots who do not have the skills to a job to what I would call minimum allowable standards.

Its more about time as well as lack of skills in the UK. For instance, I need a scratch repairing in my bonnet on the daily, I will prep the area, fill it with base coat, repeatedly until the scratch is filled, finish off with lacquer, and do a final gentle cut and polish.

All this could end up taking over a week as each layer in the scratch hardens.

Commerical bodyshops just cannot invest this level of time into peoples cars, having said that, neither can I, and if there is a local place that can fill scratches to a decent standard, I will take the gamble with them.

[tourer]

Originally Posted by T16

Im not criticising the expenditure or the decision to get her spruced up!

Just the idiots who do not have the skills to a job to what I would call minimum allowable standards.

Its more about time as well as lack of skills in the UK. For instance, I need a scratch repairing in my bonnet on the daily, I will prep the area, fill it with base coat, repeatedly until the scratch is filled, finish off with lacquer, and do a final gentle cut and polish.

All this could end up taking over a week as each layer in the scratch hardens.

Commerical bodyshops just cannot invest this level of time into peoples cars, having said that, neither can I, and if there is a local place that can fill scratches to a decent standard, I will take the gamble with them.

Hope you don't "headbutt the guy" if you are not satisfied.

[FLYING BANANA]

........................................ at AM Restorations this morning after we delivered Banana back. He came out and examined Banana in detail and made notes. And he found blemishes in a few other places that we had missed. He assured me everything would be rectified. However he did say that the car should had not been released with undercoat showing or dust in the paint.

Allen had offered to follow me up this morning so to give me a lift back. So Banana led and Ratty followed. Lovely sunny morning and with the sun glinting off of the paintwork we convoyed to the garage.
They will phone when ole Yella is ready.

We have a mini tour coming up beginning in July. Be one of the rare trips Banana makes up country for awhile.

[first-things-first]

I know the firm you mean Bob round 'ere in the smoke. I looked at a Ferrari they had painted orange peel grey. Suffice to say they won't get my business!

May I suggest another pair of eyes to come with you when you collect? Best of you get someone who does not "feel" the cars as we do, but has a critical eye. I've done it for friends when viewing cars. I look coldly at them, pointing out all the flaws discreetly to my friends. Just so they are aware of why they are getting. This way you can reject it again (hopefully not) until they get it right for you

We get too invested in the car we want, so you get rose tinted specs. Also we are too British and will accept faults quietly and seeth later. I don't expect you to be T16. Good knows we only need one of him! I know it had happened to me. I bought a car with filler in the door. Never noticed it until I had a bump and the chunk of filler feel out!

[FLYING BANANA]

Originally Posted by first-things-first

I know the firm you mean Bob round 'ere in the smoke. I looked at a Ferrari they had painted orange peel grey. Suffice to say they won't get my business!

May I suggest another pair of eyes to come with you when you collect? Best of you get someone who does not "feel" the cars as we do, but has a critical eye. I've done it for friends when viewing cars. I look coldly at them, pointing out all the flaws discreetly to my friends. Just so they are aware of why they are getting. This way you can reject it again (hopefully not) until they get it right for you

We get too invested in the car we want, so you get rose tinted specs. Also we are too British and will accept faults quietly and seeth later. I don't expect you to be T16. Good knows we only need one of him! I know it had happened to me. I bought a car with filler in the door. Never noticed it until I had a bump and the chunk of filler feel out!

Taking a negative pair of eye with me is not that easy asI’m new to this area and have not made many new friends yet. Plus the good friends I have are all 75 or ZT owners and they all know how special Banana is to me.

So when the garage phoned to say Banana was ready I hit upon the person who I would ask to look her over. He owns his own cab firm here is Saltash. I phoned him to book a cab. When he arrived I steered the conversation around to asking him to give Banana a look over. He said he would but had no idea what he was looking for, my reply was just look for any faults that you would look for in your own car.

We pulled up and ole Yella was still sitting in the paint booth, in front of her was a Jaguar XJR in bits and behind that was the absolutely stunning Jaguar 3.8 saloon in fire engine red. They started the 3.8 up and oh! my! What a beautiful sound. A lovely purring cat. With that reversed out they had to push the XJR out of the way. I explained to the boss Andy what the cab driver was going to do. No problem he said, we have nothing to hide. So with Banana now parked out in the sun with her boot, bonnet and doors ope. The cab driver had a look.

I followed him round and studied the areas I knew about. No undercoat showing, no overspray, no dust in the paint all was looking good. Then the cab driver noticed something and brought to our attention. Right on the edge of the bonnet was a splatter of bird poo, just been deposited as well. With that cleaned off we agreed she looked really good. The mirror case had been stripped and resprayed. The rear spoiler was looking better, also been resprayed. Evenly matched everywhere.

The receptionist wanted to charge me for the repair to the mirror housing, as that had been my fault, but the boss waived the cost as a sign of goodwill. Lovely jubbly.
I paid the cab driver off plus a tip, 3.30 at Kempton (old joke from old me).
And with that I drove ole Yella home.
Got the thumbs up from a lady driving a ZR. Then the thumbs up from a motorcyclist on the A38.

Now parked up with Rhubarb in the road. I’ll move the Bear out of the parking space tomorrow and put Banana back into that space. I won’t cover her up yet, I’ll wait till it rains and see if the rear window leaks or the side trims.

[Teflon]

Originally Posted by FLYING BANANA

…….... Right on the edge of the bonnet was a splatter of bird poo, just been deposited as well. ……...

Isn't that just typical .

So glad Banana is being sorted. It sounds like the bodyshop is quite happy to work with you to get the right result, so all in all a good choice on your part.

Cliff