Whats a car guy do on a day off?

[Da Tinman]

I'm not one for taking days off, I'm usually at the shop 7 days a week, 10-12 hours at a time. Today was one of those days that I really didnt feel like messing with customers cars.

So whats a guy to do on his day off from working on customer crap? Work on my stuff for once.

Started by polishing the headlight surrounds, a lot of work for something that most wont notice. I had one done before and finshed the other one this morning.





Once that was done I started removing the gauges for a cosmetic resto, here are the finished clusters, yeah the speedo is in the wrong place but thats where it makes more sense to me. The car had a clock delete, I deleted it for a clock that looks great but doesnt work. At least it lights up!







everything was dissassembled, cleaned, lubed, polished, and the needles all got painted too. I fixed all the lights as well.

I even pulled the PeN DeaLeR out and polished it.

Not bad for a days work.

[Bullet]

VERY nice. Love the 63 Larks

Mark

[Alexander Feiman]

So whats a guy to do on his day off from working on customer crap?
Do you tell your customers that you don't enjoy working on their crap? If I was one of your customers I'd try to find someone who was interested in helping me.

[Da Tinman]

Whoa,, I never said I didnt enjoy working on customer cars, however after working for 3 weeks straight on one customer project without a day off I needed a break.

Both projects in the shop are long term projects, its very easy to get overwhelmed when you work and work with little visible results. Its nice to take some time to be able to do a quick project that leaves you with a visible and tangable end product in a few hours. Its called relaxing.

And the crap remark is very tongue in cheek,,

Pile of crap #1,,


more here: http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...s57/?start=all

Pile of crap #2,,



More here: http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...ose/?start=all

and the answer to your last question,,, Yeah sometimes I tell my customers that I'm not having fun working on thier stuff. Doing this professionally for 20+ years now I will tell you the same thing. Some projects are not any fun at all, but they still have to be done.

Case and point to that statement,, the 32 ford I have been working has a new chrome windshield frame, when we recieved it there was some of the chrome popping off. Called the supplier and told them of the issues, they say no problem chop/fit it to the car and send it back, we'll get it redone. Gruvy,, how long will that take? Bout a week or so.

Fit it to the car and send it back,,,,, 4 months later it arrives, rechromed but the underlying repolish was horrible, so I sent it to my chromer,, he has it a week and when we get it back its nearly perfect.

Glass guy comes over makes his patterns and takes the window frame to the shop to put the window in, brings it back glass installed and covered in fingerprints. When I wiped it down I find my freshly chromed window frame full of scratches, not just a few but a lot and all the way around the frame, so its back to the chromers for the FOURTH time.

So far I have 2500 bucks worth of time and effort in a window frame that is still not right. 2 grand of that is out of my pocket, with another 200-300 out of pocket coming up with the rechrome, So NO thats not been fun and games.

You as a customer have every right to know what and why your project isnt moving foward at the expected rate. Or I could be like most other shops and just fill your ear with some BS and take your money.

[ceecab]

After my dad sold my '55 Stude coupe out from under me while is was away at Penn State, I owned a "57 ford exactly like POC 1
stock of course
I dated my wife in that car
And my fondest memory of the Ford was drag racing a co-worker who bragged about his 58 Chevy Impala, and amazingly I toasted him--badly

[woodysrods]

Hey Jay
I feel your pain first hand. I too have had a Street Rod Shop for a long time! And yes, I think I use that exact phrase everyday, as our Studebakers sit in the corner awaiting my attention. But, I have to work on "Customer Crap Today" is just a phrase that comes out when you would rather be doing something else.
I too truly love my customers cars and treat them as if they were my own, but this business does have its' frustrations.
So don't get bent or feel a need to defend yourself against comments from those who have not walked the walk!
Good Roads
Brian

[sweetolbob]

So whats a guy to do on his day off from working on customer crap?
Do you tell your customers that you don't enjoy working on their crap? If I was one of your customers I'd try to find someone who was interested in helping me.

I think 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a days is sufficient to let his customers know he cares about them and their projects. I think you need to check out Jay's work.

Bob

[Da Tinman]

Sorry for the rant, thats about the only thing that really gets under my skin.

for those still interested,, here's a pic of what the gauges looked like before,



and here's the freshly chromed windshield frame. Still makes me sick to look at.

[Da Tinman]

this turned out awesome! not perfect but its usable till I can afford to chrome it.

[Da Tinman]

state of the art,,, 20 years ago. I dont need a booming system and that hooked up to a couple speakers hidden under the dash/kick panels will do nicely.

[4961Studebaker]

I say........treat yourself to a couple more day's off.