edinmass Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 (edited) OK- I hope this title passes the rule for this section. ID hidden to protect the guilty. I’m fortunate to work on many of the greatest cars of the pre war era. Recently I fixed a very nice open car that won its class at Pebble twenty years ago. (Big boy toy.) Obviously a very nice car. Over time, a tractor mechanic got his hands on it, and hacked all the usual items to death. Spent a few weekends fixing everything back to proper standards, and sorted the car. It was driving fantastic. 75 mph all day long, put a ton of miles on it. Returned it to the owner, who was very happy. Three months go buy, I get an angry phone call. Car is broke, starts and dies, yada-yada-yada. I drive over to the 40 million dollar house, and pull up in front of the garage. I look over the car and in less than ten minutes ask……..who put the battery in backwards? You said no one touched anything on the car! Well apparently installing a battery “isn’t working on the car”. When I asked why they hooked it up backwards……..different than the way they took it out. Answer….I don’t know what I am doing, I was just installing a battery. (Literally the gardener installed it.) You can’t fix stupid. They were flabbergasted when I told them they owed me for my time. Seems it’s fine to blame me for something I didn’t do, and my time and gas isn’t worth anything. Edited November 7, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history) 10 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 (edited) Feeling your pain, brother. Don't you know that if you fix an old car for money, there's a lifetime guarantee? Edited November 7, 2022 by Matt Harwood (see edit history) 4 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 (edited) Forrest Gump said it best, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Ron White said "You can't fix stupid" Both equally apply. Edited November 7, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prewarnut Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 Sounds familiar. A certain TV lawyer wouldn't pay my dad because his consultations were free. Funny how the check came in about 10 years later. Turns out my mom was so incensed she sent him to collections for this nominal amount. Turns out he was trying to buy a new house..... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 In the marine trade it's the sailors that don't want to pay. After all, the wind is free. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brasscarguy Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 On 11/7/2022 at 4:58 PM, prewarnut said: Sounds familiar. A certain TV lawyer wouldn't pay my dad because his consultations were free. Funny how the check came in about 10 years later. Turns out my mom was so incensed she sent him to collections for this nominal amount. Turns out he was trying to buy a new house..... Having been in the automotive service industry for 30 plus years, there are those that always want something for free. When we quote a particular repair, we always make the cost clear and they sign the quote sheet that specifically shows the price with the understanding that it may be more depending on what we find when we get inside and then we always communicate with them if the cost is going up. We send the customer either an email or fax and require they sign and return it to us before we go on. So they are totally informed before we touch the car. When they come to pick it up upon completion, they will ask if we can take payments, this is after they signed the estimate that clearly spells out ALL COMPLETED WORK REQUIRES CASH OR CREDIT CARD BEFORE THE CAR IS RELEASED! So I tell them well, down the street is a Safeway store, and if they go down there and arrange credit for me in the amount of the repair bill, I will in turn give them credit. Of course they then say well Safeway won't give them credit, I then say well if a company that big won't give credit, then maybe I can't afford to either. Funny then they always come up with the money to release their car. As for the cheapest customers are always the professionals, doctors, real estate people, and dentists. brasscarguy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete O Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 There should be basic mechanical aptitude requirements for the privilege of antique car ownership. 😁 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 10 hours ago, brasscarguy said: As for the cheapest customers are always the professionals, doctors, real estate people, and dentists. brasscarguy Hey there now!!!...... Don't mistake our foolishness for being cheap! John 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 Real estate people for sure, they work on large commissions. If it's been a while between closings, they may be broke for a while. I had trouble with people being slow to pick up their boats after winterizing. Very expensive storage after ten days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 Amen on some of the professionals paying. A local guy asked me to do a little work on an early car. A retired doctor, he lives in a fine home on about 100 acres, nicely kept, nice cars and trucks. Bill was 1200 bucks. He told me he’d get the car and pay 300 a month for 4 months. Nope, as stated, not the way it works. Told him if he did it that way, I’d keep the car and charge 200 a month storage fee. Funny how the money was suddenly available… 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 A co-worker was installing a new battery in a 17,000 mile 1939 Ford Coupe I caught him prying on the battery cable end with a screw driver. He would not believe me that it was positive ground and the posts are different sizes for a reason. Sometimes one has to work a bit more to screw something up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 Geez, Ed, if a car can drive both in forward and in reverse, why can't the battery go in either way, too? Seriously, though, that's amazing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 It doesn't help that 6V Cads were positive ground through 1942, then changed in 1946 to negative ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 On 11/8/2022 at 11:42 AM, JACK M said: In the marine trade it's the sailors that don't want to pay. After all, the wind is free. Your post made me recall this: Guessing Ed's client was an Admiral 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp1gt Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 That is why I do not work on other peoples stuff anymore. This way I take less anxiety pills--- 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary W Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 On 11/9/2022 at 12:40 AM, brasscarguy said: As for the cheapest customers are always the professionals, doctors, real estate people, and dentists. Ouch! 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 On 11/12/2022 at 2:17 PM, Gary W said: Ouch! Generally speaking, all generalizations are false. Ouch is right! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp1gt Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 One time after the guy found out that I lien saled his car he came to the shop in a hostile mood. I said to the guys grab the breaker bars---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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