More interior work done

[Belair-o]

Chevynut,
So sorry to read of your continuing trials in the saga of dealing with a difficult interior contractor situation. Hoping you can see a path out of your box canyon.
Regards, Doug

[tightline5]

Dave and his lady friend got back Wed late from there trip they were in Italy the last three days of there trip.

I'M ONLY GOING TO TELL YOU THIS ONE MORE TIME THEN I'M GOING TO SEND YOU A BILL!!!!!!!
MEET HIM THIS WEEK WITH YOUR BILL IN HAND WITH A LETTER OF INTENT THAT IF THE BILL IS NOT PAID IN FULL IN 30 DAYS YOU WILL SUE, ALSO INFORM THAT HE WILL RECIVE A SECOND NOTICE TO PAY THIS BILL IN TEN DAY'S FROM THIS DATE. THEN FILE ON HIM 30 DAYS FROM ORIGINAL BILL. Don't know about CO. but her in VA. after you win your suit if he doesn't pay we can have a Sheriff go to his property and tag everything that is on his property for an auction sale held by the court!!! WOW that really brings deadbeats around!!

Have a great week Lazlo

[chevynut]

Dave and his lady friend got back Wed late from there trip they were in Italy the last three days of there trip.

After going to Rome for a few days we took the train to Naples, then decided to go to Pompei instead. We spent a couple nights there, visited the ruins, and made a day trip to Sorrento. Then we went back to Naples for a couple of nights, and spent our last night near the Rome airport since we had an early flight. It was a fun couple of weeks. My stepdaughter was with us the first 10 days so we did some bike tours and even rode scooters through Rome. My son arrived in Rome the day we were leaving for Pompei so we never got together with his group. Their flight from Denver the day before got canceled so they arrived in Rome a day late.

MEET HIM THIS WEEK WITH YOUR BILL IN HAND WITH A LETTER OF INTENT THAT IF THE BILL IS NOT PAID IN FULL IN 30 DAYS YOU WILL SUE, ALSO INFORM THAT HE WILL RECIVE A SECOND NOTICE TO PAY THIS BILL IN TEN DAY'S FROM THIS DATE. THEN FILE ON HIM 30 DAYS FROM ORIGINAL BILL. Don't know about CO. but her in VA. after you win your suit if he doesn't pay we can have a Sheriff go to his property and tag everything that is on his property for an auction sale held by the court!!! WOW that really brings deadbeats around!!

I'm going to play it a little more diplomatically to start. He already offered to settle with me 18 months ago, and in retrospect I should have done it then. So at least he admits he owes me. Keep in mind that he still has all my materials that I'll need from him. Ron has some of the leather, but I don't know how much of it.....I paid for 7 full hides. I still need the rest of the leather, the headliner material for the visors, and the carpet. He also has my seat boards and visors so I'd rather try to get all that peacefully.

I'm going to see if he makes any effort to install the dash this week before I do anything. If he does, I'll let him finish it then tell him he's done and I want to settle with him because it can't go on like this. If not, I'm going to send him an e-mail and a registered letter with the invoice. Then we'll see what he does. I don't know how Colorado does this so I'll have to find an attorney if he refuses to settle. He once made some statement that he doesn't owe me any money, just an interior, because that's what our agreement was. I said then finish the damn interior.

I don't need this ongoing stress anymore. One way or another this is over.

[chevynut]

I'm still trying to get as much done on my car as I can while I figure out how to move forward with the dash pad. I removed the valences and disassembled the console again (getting good at that ), and drilled holes under the stereo screen to install switches for the VHX, light controller, and alarm system, and an LED for the alarm. Also looking for a nice dual USB outlet to put there. Also did a preliminary polish of the stainless trim pieces but still have to countersink the holes for the screws and final polish them.


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I also wired up the window and door lock switches so now I have to make sure everything works.

I ordered some orange carbon fiber/kevlar and epoxy and mad a sample to see if I like it. I found out that the orange shows any defects in the cloth so it could be a lot more tricky to apply than regular carbon fiber. I ordered some regular carbon fiber in case I decide to go that route instead. The orange complements the exterior of the car nicely though. This will go on the console top, around the stereo, and on the door spears in place of the woodgrain.


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[chevynut]

Last Wednesday Gary and I went down to Denver to see the other shop I had talked to. I called and discussed having him help me do parts of my interior, so I can continue fab work on it. He told me he was interested and I sent him some pics of the car and interior a while ago.

It's about a 2 hour drive to his place, and his shop is at his house. He has room for one car at a time.

I took a door panel, the valences, and a side panel from my console down to show him what I've done so far. I told him I didn't want any padding on the valences but I wanted a French seam, and he didn't seem to like that idea. I know it can be done because I've seen car parts done like that, and I've looked at videos showing how guys do it. He seemed overwhelmed when looking at the door panel and the console. I told him they weren't ready to cover, and needed some clearancing and other work.

This guy has done some high-end work and did a vehicle for SEMA Battle of the Builders last year. He told me he wanted me to bring the car down and he would only work on it. I asked about metal fab work and fiberglass work, and his wife said their son did metal work. They didn't say anything about the fiberglass work that still needs to be done.

Gary then asked how much they would charge to do a complete 55 Chevy stock interior. After thinking about it, he said $30K. Then he said a Ciadella interior would be cheaper, but not much. I asked what their hourly rate was and his wife said $100/hour. That's a lot higher than the $80-85 per hour I got from Tracy Weaver and Ron last year. I don't know if they just jacked it up based on seeing pics of my car, or what.

Anyhow, I got home and checked Ciadella and an entire interior kit is $4900. I can't imagine labor to install one being more than $5K so that's a $10K interior. His price was three times that.

So I'm pretty sure this one isn't working out either. With them 2 hours away, I can't be running back and forth finishing parts and taking them down. And he wouldn't even give me an estimate of the time he thought it would take to finish it. Based on his $30K stock interior, I'm guessing he'd be well over that for my interior. Not doing that.

So I'm kinda stuck and don't know what to do. I should not have done this deal with Larry, and I should not have built this much of the interior myself because nobody else can finish it from here.

[chevynut]

Last Tuesday I sent Larry a message asking him when he planned to install the dash in my car. I heard nothing back. On Wednesday when I was going to pick up Gary I called Ron and asked if he had heard from Larry. He told me that Larry picked up the finished dash leather on Tuesday. Larry didn't say one word about that. I told Ron I was going to go to Larry's and get my seat boards and take them to him if he would do the foam work on them. He said Larry already dropped them off the week before and asked him to do it. Again, neither Ron nor Larry said anything to me about any of this. It's so frustrating dealing with these guys who won't tell you WTF is going on.

So I sent Larry a text again and only wrote "??" since he never answered my question. He replied that he had drywall coming next week, and that he needed to get ready for it. He said "I'll touch bases next week". The guy knows I'm leaving for Montana, since I've told him twice in e-mail the past month. Now he's bought himself another 3-4 weeks of time until I get back again. Gary offered to let him into my shop and stay there while he installs it while I'm gone. I may take him up on it, but I'm guessing Larry will just continue his games.

This shit just keeps going on and on and on. I was told that he'd have "more time" to work on my car when the shop was closed in. Bullshit.

[chevynut]

I finally heard from Larry last Friday, after I left for Montana. He texted me in the afternoon, like he always does on Fridays. He said he had everything ready for the drywallers and "should be able to make it up sometime next week". He knows I've left since I told him I was leaving on the 15th of June. This is how he plays the game....acts like he's going to do something but it's my fault I'm gone. I gave him my schedule three months ago and reminded him when I got back from Italy.

This morning I sent him a text and reminded him that I was gone. I told him that since he seems to have some free time maybe he can get my visors done. Gary offered to let him in my shop and stay to help him install the dash while I'm gone, so I told Larry that. Gary is gone until next week but he can do it when he gets back. I expect Larry to just ignore me until I return, then tell me he'll be over "sometime next week". I'm going to demand a DATE from him, none of this "when I have time" bullshit. I'll bet he doesn't touch my visors either.

I looked at my texts and Larry contacted me on April 1, April 15, May 18, June 13, and June 21. That's the only communication I've had from him and he says virtually nothing. I can't deal with a person like that. Here in Montana I contacted two builders for my shop. The first guy gave me a bid fairly quickly, and kept in close communication. He did the re-bid within a couple of days when I decided not to build the living area. The other guy still hasn't given me any numbers in over a month, so I decided I didn't want to deal with him and informed him of that this morning. I can't stand working with people who don't communicate.

I also sent an e-mail to Ron this morning asking about the plan for my seats and if he needed anything from me. He ordered the foam for the rear seats a while ago and I haven't heard anything more from him. I want to know who is going to fit the rear seats in the car, or how we're doing that to make sure they fit correctly. I also told him I will be settling with Larry once he finishes the dash and anything needed on the rear seats, and asked him to keep it to himself for now. He already knows I'm tired of Larry's bs. If he tells Larry, no big deal at this point. I also told him I want to talk further about how he can help me finish the rest of the interior.

I don't know if anything is going to happen between now and when I get back home, but as far as I'm concerned Larry is going to pay me for what he owes me after credit for what he's done. If he wants to do more work for me, I'll pay him by the hour but I will require a date for completion of anything he wants to do. I'm just sick of the lack of communication, the ongoing delays, and the fact that he doesn't care about my schedule.

[WagonCrazy]

Frankly Laszlo, I'm shocked that you are still entertaining the idea that Larry is going to do anything more for you at this point. You have his track record. What more do you need to just cut bait and fish elsewhere? He ain't ever going to pay you either. You will just lose your time and energy chasing this turd. Move on buddy. Your happiness and longevity are more important that needing to get fulfillment from this guy. Cause the long term pattern here is that it's not gonna happen. So we all support you here, and are glad you have this forum to help shed the frustration this is giving you, but life is short man. Get your plan B going with someone else and seriously consider moving on.

You need to be done with this Nomad and driving it all over SOON.

[chevynut]

Frankly Laszlo, I'm shocked that you are still entertaining the idea that Larry is going to do anything more for you at this point. You have his track record. What more do you need to just cut bait and fish elsewhere?

Everyone I have talked to says Larry does great work. I need the dash done and he's offering to come this week to do it, but I won't be there. So I proposed next week with Gary helping him. I can't take the car to another shop for the dash because everyone is booked up. The ONLY way I would do anything else with him is after we settle, and with a time limit, and an estimate of cost. That's ONLY after I get paid by him and I can't find someone else to do it. I'm going on the other side...if you don't do your work, you don't get paid. And my car isn't going to his shop either because I'll never get it back.

He ain't ever going to pay you either. You will just lose your time and energy chasing this turd. Move on buddy.

Sorry, but I'm not walking away from the $34K plus materials that he owes me. I will hire a lawyer to go after him if I have to. I have a letter from him stating what our agreement was which I only got a year ago. Before that I had basically nothing but my e-mails to him. Maybe you'd give in and lose the money, but I'm not going to. I think he will settle, the question is for how much. I'll have to weigh that in to my decision but I need all of my materials from him. I'll try to settle first, if he refuses I'll have an attorney send a demand letter. If he ignores that, I'll sue him. I'm confident I will win...the evidence is indisputable. The only concern I have is if he files bankruptcy, which his shop may do to him.

Get your plan B going with someone else and seriously consider moving on.

I have worked on a plan B and even plan C, as I have mentioned. I have approached Ron to finish it but he says they don't do fiberglass and metal work like I've done and he's not sure he wants to take it on. I'm still working on him to see if we can work something out. I'm not throwing out all the hours I've worked on this interior. The other shop I talked to is insanely priced and I'm afraid it will be "interior jail" with him too. Did you read that he said a STOCK 55 Chevy interior would be $30K if he did it? That's pretty simple stuff and mine is a lot more complex. And he said he wants to take it from here, which I don't believe he can do after seeing his shop and talking to him. His wife said their son can do "metal work". I'm not so sure, but I'd be willing to discuss it if his rate wasn't so high. Gary agreed. I need someone who will work WITH me to finish this, like Larry is supposed to be doing. I don't know if I'll ever find that person. I have one more lead I'm going to talk to.

You need to be done with this Nomad and driving it all over SOON.

I should have been done years ago. If I can get the dash installed, I can basically assemble the rest of the car and drive it. The only alternative is to just paint it, or find someone else who would come to my place and install it....or install it myself. It's just glue at this point.

[chevynut]

Well it's been five days since I sent Ron an e-mail on Monday morning with some questions about my seats and I've heard absolutely nothing from him. I'm beginning to believe he's as bad as Larry like my friend said. I sent Larry contact information for Gary yesterday, who will be available to help him starting Wednesday next week. I told him Gary can let him in my shop and help him, and that I don't know when I'll be back in Colorado because my shop keeps getting delayed due to rain. No reply, nothing. Not even a thumbs up or acknowledgement of the message. Both these guys are horrible communicators. I'm so sick of dealing with this shit on top of all the other stuff I have going on.

[tightline5]

Well it's been five days since I sent Ron an e-mail on Monday morning with some questions about my seats and I've heard absolutely nothing from him. I'm beginning to believe he's as bad as Larry like my friend said. I sent Larry contact information for Gary yesterday, who will be available to help him starting Wednesday next week. I told him Gary can let him in my shop and help him, and that I don't know when I'll be back in Colorado because my shop keeps getting delayed due to rain. No reply, nothing. Not even a thumbs up or acknowledgement of the message. Both these guys are horrible communicators. I'm so sick of dealing with this shit on top of all the other stuff I have going on.

I worked with an attorney for 18 years and I can tell you right now I would have already read the tea leaves and would have my money by now or he would not have a pot to piss in. I would have attached a lien to everything this DIP SHIT owns. The last time someone pulled this kind of shit like that on me he came running to my door with CASH cause the Sheriff was putting tags on everything on his property to be auctioned off!!! Now get it together Lazlo.
This saga has to end if not for your sake do it for your followers
Love Phil

[chevynut]

Update. Gary called Larry this morning and told him he needs to know when he's going to install my dash, so he can plan his week around it. As usual, Larry doesn't answer his phone so Gary left a message. As of tonight he hadn't heard a word. This guy is really starting to get on my nerves, and he thinks he can just blow me off.

I sent Ron another e-mail reminding him that 2 weeks had gone by since I sent the last one, and he hasn't replied to me. One of the things I asked was how many of my leather hides he has. He knows I have been planning to tell Larry to f* off and he probably told him. I think he and Larry are now just ignoring me. I'm going to call him and ask what's going on. Looks like I may need to go to Ron's and get my front seats, rear seat boards, and my leather that he has and tell him to F* off too. I hate guys who refuse to communicate and I'm not putting up with this shit from anyone.

[chevynut]

I worked with an attorney for 18 years and I can tell you right now I would have already read the tea leaves and would have my money by now or he would not have a pot to piss in. I would have attached a lien to everything this DIP SHIT owns. The last time someone pulled this kind of shit like that on me he came running to my door with CASH cause the Sheriff was putting tags on everything on his property to be auctioned off!!! Now get it together Lazlo.
This saga has to end if not for your sake do it for your followers
Love Phil

How do you attach a lien to his property when my interior work has nothing to do with his property? This is starting to shake out now, and I will be contacting an attorney as soon as I know Larry refuses to settle with me. First I'm going to tell him that I'm done with his bullshit, then I'm going to send a registered letter to him with an invoice for his frame work and a deadline for payment. Then if he ignores me I'll contact an attorney to send a demand letter....if that fails I sue his ass.

[chevynut]

So Gary called me today to let me know that Larry contacted him. Guess what he told him? He said he'd call him next week to schedule something with him. This is the game he's been playing with me for months. Gary will probably get a call next Friday afternoon (the 19th) telling him he'll call early the following week. Same old shit, watch and see. If he actually installs the dash next week I'll be amazed.

Still no word from Ron. I plan to call him when I get a few minutes to see what's going on. It's possible he took an extended vacation.

[567chevys]

Hey I this Larry's shop ???

Sid