Why it's important to "shakedown" a car before delivery to the customer

[Smartin]

This was a delivered to my client 12 years ago as a complete rotisserie restoration.  From what I have heard by others, they were still installing parts as it was rolling out of the trailer for delivery.  It's very apparent that they didn't get a chance to go through the car mechanically before handing it over.  Ever since he picked it up, there have been issues constantly popping up that put a sour taste in his mouth about the car. 

 

I am finally able to take the time to go through the car and tie up all these loose ends.  This is a two-part video, because I am still working on issues.

 

 

[60FlatTop]

I watched it with all kinds of memories. In the 1990's I found a niche servicing recently restored cars, and some not so recent.

 

The underlying question to all work- "Would you be comfortable tossing the keys to your wife and sending her out for a gallon of milk?". Talk about a range of looks on that question.

[Matt Harwood]

Nobody does shakedown runs. Most cars don't even get finished. Eventually the owner of the car shows up and sees that the shop has mostly turned it back into a car. He's tired of writing checks and just takes it as-is. It runs well enough to limp onto a trailer and he's not going to drive it anyway, so good enough.

Very few people are willing to pay a shop to get that last 10% of a restoration done. It doesn't help collect trophies, it just costs a pile of money. A vast majority of people skip the sorting phase of the restoration. Heck, there are guys who have been driving cars for 10 years going to cruise nights without knowing that it runs and drives like crap. They just don't know the difference.

[Bloo]

This.^^  This right here.

[60FlatTop]

It is the same in the commercial contracting business. The 10% hold back for As Builts and verification are usually built into the bid for forfeiture. I have been in 80 year old buildings that never worked right. Human nature kind of works that way. The closer the project comes to an end the more hesitant the final stamp becomes.

 

Car restorations require many more skills than one would expect. I have disassembled a lot of cleaned and painted worn out parts getting some restorations to steer, start, and stop.

 

I recently bought a very clean 15 year old vehicle. I will maintain it in top condition and age along with it. I bought a 15 year old car like that when I was 30, another when I was 50. Those two are old now without the restoration.

 

On the building construction side, a few years ago I was involved in a structured commissioning of a $50,000,000 research building. I asked the lead architect what he thought of the commissioning process. He said "I guess it is OK. But they keep fixing the things they find wrong and it delays my C of O." Just made myself laugh again.

 

Yeah, it's a human nature thing.

 

Bernie

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

On 6/7/2021 at 11:11 AM, Matt Harwood said:

Nobody does shakedown runs. Most cars don't even get finished. Eventually the owner of the car shows up and sees that the shop has mostly turned it back into a car. He's tired of writing checks and just takes it as-is. It runs well enough to limp onto a trailer and he's not going to drive it anyway, so good enough.

Very few people are willing to pay a shop to get that last 10% of a restoration done. It doesn't help collect trophies, it just costs a pile of money. A vast majority of people skip the sorting phase of the restoration. Heck, there are guys who have been driving cars for 10 years going to cruise nights without knowing that it runs and drives like crap. They just don't know the difference.

 

It hurts to be one of those guys.  I've said over and over that so much good work has been done- the last 10% done and everybody would be happier.

I just today had a conversation regarding this - a "done" car going to another shop for the final sorting and in this case some redo. 

One trait i do not have and I admire in others- the ability to finish the job.  Here is one that needs that last push.  

 

[60FlatTop]

You get a group of guys together talking about those shoddily competed cars on the market and one could walk away thinking all those cars need disc brake conversions, radial tires, electronic ignitions, electric fuel pumps, and a whole bunch of gauges to warn of the immanent failures.

 

Just got home from coffee at the other end of town with my original '60 Electra. I made it home without 3-5 major panic stops so I didn't experience drum brake fade.

 

Now I'm getting ready to go out and prepare my garage floor for a coat of white paint. Do all old cars leak or could my reservoirs be dry?

[60FlatTop]

8 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Now I'm getting ready to go out and prepare my garage floor for a coat of white paint.

 

A place for skaken down cars.

 

And the back gets vinyl flooring. Front right quadrant gets a coat or two of gray.

 

Because the cars pictured have been pretty much disassembled, reassembled, and sorted out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Matt said: "Eventually the owner of the car shows up and sees that the shop has mostly turned it back into a car." 

I see Adam as a closer on these - he is already booked :)