Are classic cars discriminated against?

"Classic Auto Works" <mikecaw@mcleodusa> wrote in message
...
> I have to agree hole harted with Bob as I also do this for a living also
..So
> I see this every day and it has nothing to do with deep pockets .A lot of
> customers can't find anyone to work on their car because most of the new
age
> wrench's don't know diagnostics or at least without a scan tool .

<snip>

> Most of the cars I refuse are not because of the car it self but the human
> that drove it in
> Mike Shambarger
> Classic Auto Works
>

Fully agree, many new mechs can't work the old stuff and many clients
*always* look for a cheap fix (especially your CEO type - how do you think
he got there ... )
But what I was saying was that I hoped that the experience with bad clients
does not mean a potentially good client gets jumped and barked at when he
asks "And that is going to be how much 'glups' labor to get that done ?"
Here are my last two capers (one pos, one neg) :

1) Just bought an MGB 63 and brought it to (highly recommended) British
Motorsports Inc in Campbell, CA. The suspension was rebuilt, brakes redone
(the PO had noticed smoking 6 months prior but just continued to drive) and
we discussed options all along the work (1 week) as there were a couple of
nasty surprises (bent pan, leaky axle) but when labor was lower or work
unnecessary this was taken off the final bill. And everything was explained,
used parts shown, suppliers and options discussed. A happy warm-fuzzy
experience.

2) My daily driver is a 1985 Alfa Giulietta 2.0 that is turning into a rust
bucket. Recently had the rear clutch receptor leaking fluid and as I have
another project car in garage, I felt no joy in doing this myself. As the
'real' mechanic is a 30 mile drive I towed it to the local Alfa mech/dealer
(3 miles), I even brought the needed part I had purchased (as agreed since
he had said that he would have a hard time finding it). I also asked that
they fix an electric problem (windows, clock, and heater are out). Two weeks
later no news, I call to find that the piece I brought is 'screwed' (their
words), they tried to fit it but it can't be used and that they will need to
order a new piece ... So 3 months later (yep), after repeated calls and
visits, I get back my car with a new receptor but none of the electrical
work done. They only *yanked* out my fuse box which will need to be
reinstalled. Oh, and on the receptor, when I asked for my original (new)
piece back, they had lost it , when I insisted they found it ... in its
*original* plastic bag, they never even opened the bag. Well, next time
she'll get towed the 30 miles to the guy that know her.

Now, I won't condemn all mechanics because of this incompetent thief, but
unless I know the guy working on my car (and not only the shop owner) and he
knows me, I always ask detailed questions, try to create expectations as to
cost and delays, try to limit the surprises. Still get had from time to
time.

Eugenio

Very true and my .02 on this is there are as many bad mechanics as there are
bad customers. The major problem I have is the type of cars we build ,Rods
and Customs are next to impossible to do an estimate but I spend the time to
inform the customer of every thing that has changed over the guesstimate and
every part we didn't figure in the beginning and to some this is a pain
although at the end when the bill is presented and their eyes roll back
,they say O'yea you called me on all this .One other thing I have done is
send daily emails with pix of progress .If you don't get a pix today that
means one thing your car didn't get any work today . I have even had
customers build their web site with my daily pix .This way there are no
questions as to the work being done or the quality of the work .I also run
an open shop and EXPECT the customer to come and see .Since if you have
nothing to hide why shouldn't they see the work ,the whole work not just the
finished project plus problems and questions are much easier with pix
Here's an example not a rod but off the wall and that's what we do best
http://www.whirlingpool.com/isetta/my%20car/mybaby9.htm
Mike
> 1) Just bought an MGB 63 and brought it to (highly recommended) British
> Motorsports Inc in Campbell, CA. The suspension was rebuilt, brakes redone
> (the PO had noticed smoking 6 months prior but just continued to drive)
and
> we discussed options all along the work (1 week) as there were a couple of
> nasty surprises (bent pan, leaky axle) but when labor was lower or work
> unnecessary this was taken off the final bill. And everything was
explained,
> used parts shown, suppliers and options discussed. A happy warm-fuzzy
> experience.
>
> 2) My daily driver is a 1985 Alfa Giulietta 2.0 that is turning into a
rust
> bucket. Recently had the rear clutch receptor leaking fluid and as I have
> another project car in garage, I felt no joy in doing this myself. As the
> 'real' mechanic is a 30 mile drive I towed it to the local Alfa
mech/dealer
> (3 miles), I even brought the needed part I had purchased (as agreed since
> he had said that he would have a hard time finding it). I also asked that
> they fix an electric problem (windows, clock, and heater are out). Two
weeks
> later no news, I call to find that the piece I brought is 'screwed' (their
> words), they tried to fit it but it can't be used and that they will need
to
> order a new piece ... So 3 months later (yep), after repeated calls and
> visits, I get back my car with a new receptor but none of the electrical
> work done. They only *yanked* out my fuse box which will need to be
> reinstalled. Oh, and on the receptor, when I asked for my original (new)
> piece back, they had lost it , when I insisted they found it ... in its
> *original* plastic bag, they never even opened the bag. Well, next time
> she'll get towed the 30 miles to the guy that know her.
>
> Now, I won't condemn all mechanics because of this incompetent thief, but
> unless I know the guy working on my car (and not only the shop owner) and
he
> knows me, I always ask detailed questions, try to create expectations as
to
> cost and delays, try to limit the surprises. Still get had from time to
> time.
>
> Eugenio

"Classic Auto Works" <mikecaw@mcleodusa> wrote in message
...
> Very true and my .02 on this is there are as many bad mechanics as there
are
> bad customers. The major problem I have is the type of cars we build ,Rods
> and Customs are next to impossible to do an estimate but I spend the time
to
> inform the customer of every thing that has changed over the guesstimate
and
> every part we didn't figure in the beginning and to some this is a pain
> although at the end when the bill is presented and their eyes roll back
> ,they say O'yea you called me on all this .One other thing I have done is
> send daily emails with pix of progress .If you don't get a pix today that
> means one thing your car didn't get any work today . I have even had
> customers build their web site with my daily pix .This way there are no
> questions as to the work being done or the quality of the work .I also run
> an open shop and EXPECT the customer to come and see .Since if you have
> nothing to hide why shouldn't they see the work ,the whole work not just
the
> finished project plus problems and questions are much easier with pix
> Here's an example not a rod but off the wall and that's what we do best
> http://www.whirlingpool.com/isetta/my%20car/mybaby9.htm
> Mike


Damn, you set a new standard, ... pictures !!!! Sure you don't want to move
into my neighborhood, I like the shop pictures, I like the Isetta, guess I
might just have to move to Texas.... You certainly have the right
attitude... gotta go the women are calling ...

Eug

Rustler wrote:

>I keep running into more and more problems getting service on things I can't do
>myself. It would be interesting to know if others run into this too. On the
>first visit, some places flatly refuse to accept customers who have older cars.
>Others keep coming up with excuses as to why they can't get to the car. One
>complained about people going to big auto parts chain stores for "cheap"
>supplies. Another wouldn't look at the car because I told them I had put new
>spark plugs in it--they said they didn't work on cars that had had things done
>to them.
>
>If this has happened to you, what do you do about it?

I NEVER let anybody else work on my cars. That's the best solution.

-Rock http://www.rocky-frisco.com
--
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Amen to Rocky. That's most right. You don't let anyone else touch
your car except maybe for inspection, or alignment, or perhaps
painting. DO YOUR OWN WORK.

Everytime I ever let someone touch my 66' XKE, they messed it up.
They don't touch it anymore. I've had it since 72' and have rebuilt
everything on it. When you do your own work, you know what has and
hasn't been done, where the parts came from, and that nothing else has
bee nbutchered in the process.

Mike

I aspire to be like you good people with my 1960 MGA.

I earned two degrees in engineering, but have no practical experience with
"car stuff".

Nevertheless, I have single-handedly made the thing street-legal (though I
occasionally bring it into a good garage and ask them to inspect it and look
for potential problems with my work).

As a somewhat academic engineer, this car is giving me a fabulous education
on mechanical design. Every engineer should be encouraged/forced to do
something like this. For a semester's tuition (in my case, $4995), I am
getting a master's degree in mechanical design experience: materials,
processing/manufacturing, design, optimization, and mechanics.

Anyway, I haven't boogered anything up yet... but I'm trying!

-Mike

Mike,
If the light comes out of the headlights, instead of being sucked into them,
then you're doing better than the engineers at Lucas ever did...lol
Cheers!
Steve Sears, P.Eng. (Civil)
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - aka - "complex simplicity" -
don't recall my friends in Mech Eng talking about "reverse loop scavenging
two-stroke engines"....but I'm learning about it anyway....
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