More interior work done

[BamaNomad]

That's a good one!

[chevynut]

Hey I this Larry's shop ???

Sid

Could be. He's building a huge monstrosity and it looks like a commercial building with concrete steps and a 12 foot high block wall all the way around it. I think it's 5500 SF and it's just for his cars. Way too elaborate and expensive for a 70+ year old guy imo. He's been working on it over 2 years. Mine is big, but nothing like that and it should be done in a few months.....I hope.

[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.

Gary still hasn't heard anything from Larry, so I asked him to contact Larry to schedule the dash installation this week like Larry told him he would. He said he'd do that and let me know if Larry replies. I'm betting he doesn't. The asshole has had the sewn up dash for weeks and keeps playing this cat and mouse game with me.

Ron was gone and replied to my e-mail and told me how many of my hides he has, but didn't say a word about other questions I have. I like to communicate via e-mail because things are documented that way and it's easier for me to go back and read what was said. Seems Larry and Ron don't like to have things in writing.

I'm heading back to Colorado after my shop slab is poured, likely next week if everything works out. Dash finished or not, I'm going to Larry's house and getting my materials and parts, and demanding my money. Then I'm going to Ron's and discussing the seats with him. If he doesn't want to do them I'm taking them with me. I'm sick of dealing with these guys.

[WagonCrazy]

Plan on just getting all your materials and stuff and move on. This drama is reducing the fun factor considerably for you.

[chevynut]

Plan on just getting all your materials and stuff and move on. This drama is reducing the fun factor considerably for you.

Yeah Paul, this isn't fun anymore. I talked to Gary earlier today and he hadn't heard anything from Larry all week....this is the game that asshole plays. I just sent Larry a text asking him what the hell is going on and why he hasn't contacted Gary this week like he said he would. If I don't hear anything back I'll be sending him a registered letter with a bill for the work I did for him, plus interest, when I get back. The ckskker owes me an interior and one way or another he's going to pay for it. If he ignores me, I'll be contacting an attorney to figure out the next steps. I also tried to contact the other guy he screwed over for the electrical work he did on his shop. I tried the number listed for him and can't get through. I found him on FB and sent him a message a while ago but he hasn't replied to me so I've tried to message one of his Denver friends and his wife or GF on FB.

I plan to contact Ron when I get back to Colorado and go see him, and see if I want him to do anything on my car. So far I'm not impressed with his communication or timeliness of doing things. I'm betting he hasn't done anything on my seats, but maybe that's because I'm jaded by Larry.

[WagonCrazy]

Pick up your materials and move on. That's the only way the upholstery will be done in 2024.

[chevynut]

Pick up your materials and move on. That's the only way the upholstery will be done in 2024.

Yes that's the plan. I'm going to tell Larry to take all my shit to Ron's shop and I'll either have him do the interior or pick everything up and take it somewhere else.

[WagonCrazy]

Honestly man, I wouldn't count on this Larry loser guy to do anything more you ask of him. You need to go pick up your materials from him in person (unannounced or he'll just be gone which will add to the drama). That way you make darned sure you get it all. Hand him an invoice for what you believe he owes you while you're there. Then move on.

[BamaNomad]

Good advice... but I'd think about sending him your invoice 'certified mail'....

[chevynut]

Well I finally did it. I told Larry that I'm done with his bullshit and he needs to get the dash leather and all the rest of my materials down to Ron's shop this week, and if he can't do that I'll come by his house and pick everything up by Friday. I told him I'll send him and invoice for his frames in a few days and if I don't hear from him in 30 days I'm taking the "next step".

I've been back in Colorado since last Wednesday. I haven't heard a word from Larry in weeks and he's never answered my text from 10 days ago asking him what was going on and why he's not doing anything. Gary got a text from Larry last Monday and here's what it said, but he hasn't said anything to me....

IMG_7979.PNG

I'm so done with this crap. I'll probably not finish this car anytime soon now, but I may get some nice seats from Ron. I may even be able to have him do the door panels and rear side panels and armrests. I really need to find someone to install the dash pad, or do it myself....or just paint the damn thing so I can install the windshield. This guy has jacked me around far too long and I know I've let him, but it's ending. Gary still told me Sunday that I should wait and I said what for? He won't do anything and he's seen it first hand. So he agreed that I need to tell Larry I'm done with him.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can with the car. Everything seems to work fine but I may get it off the blocks and try driving it without the windshield so I can check if the steering, brakes and clutch are working right. Hopefully Ron can get the rear seat foam done so I can fit them and start shaping the rear console. I am going to talk to Ron about the rest of the interior soon, and I know of another guy in Denver who I'm going to go see too.

[WagonCrazy]

Moving foward now Laszlo. This is good...

[chevynut]

Got an e-mail from Ron this morning saying Larry dropped off my visors, carpet, dash, and the rest of the leather at his shop last night. I have the settlement spreadsheet done crediting him for what little he's finished at today's interior shop rate, my timelogs for his frames, and have written the letter to go with it. I did the calculations two ways, first charging him interest on a personal, unsecured loan for the amount of the projects using my shop rate at the time I did them. The second method is using the hours worked and today's shop rate for custom chassis work. Both methods end up just about the same. He once told me he wasn't paying interest but he can't expect to just pay my shop rate from ten years ago so this may end up in a battle. That's also why I did it using today's shop rates. I have to pay today's shop rate to get my interior done.

I feel pretty disappointed that I had to do this with Larry as we became good friends over the years. The tension has been mounting over the past 18 months, however, culminating in this "divorce". That's what it feels like to me but I had to do something to stop this endless waiting that I've documented here. Now I have to go back to finding someone else and probably waiting for them.

[BamaNomad]

Suggest: Talk to him Lazslo; if he's willing to compromise, then do so... and put it behind you!

[Custer55]

Suggest: Talk to him Lazslo; if he's willing to compromise, then do so... and put it behind you!

Agreed, sometimes it is better to just cut your losses, Get all you can from him and move on.

[chevynut]

I've been busy with stuff at home and still haven't mailed the letter to Larry but I plan to do that Wednesday. I have to go to check out some siding for my shop so I can run by the post office and send it registered mail. I'll see what his response is before I make any other plans. The other guy he screwed over contacted me Sunday and sent his phone number. I want to see what his situation is.

Today I got a call from the other shop Gary and I visited a couple months ago. He really wants to do my interior but I told him I had some concerns, the first of which he's 2 hours away. Also, I need a good shop that can do metal and fiberglass work and he claims they can handle it, as his son does a lot of metal work. It makes me nervous turning that work over to someone I'm not familiar with for some reason. I may ask to see some of his work before I commit. The upholstery work I can't do so I don't have a problem with that.

I told him I'm not ready for anyone to take the car yet, and I'd really like to get everything done on it except the interior work. I tried to get him to come up and take a look at the car, and he said he might want to do that. Then I tried to get him to bring stuff to install the dash on that trip and he balked. It would really help me to get that done as I can install the windshield and assemble everything under the dash then. Since he really wants to do the car I might make that a condition and see if he'll do it. I also told him I couldn't have the car ready for him until around October/November since I'll be gone for around 4 weeks.

I'm going to talk to Ron on Thursday and see if he wants to do any of the work. He's half the distance and has a lower shop rate, but it seems like he's hesitant to do any more than the seats.....we'll see.

Anyhow, getting rid of Larry seems to really have taken the chains off of me. I have been waiting for months for him to do something, and now I can determine my own destiny. LOL!