[BenStang09]

I just got my 1966 mustang back from Artisan Auto Body in Manassas park VA. What ever you do dont take your car there.

I went in for a restoration project in April of 2008. I was going in for a repaint and new chrome. We were going to keep it the same color.

The project went fast at first, ripping out the old and sanding the car. The Car quickly went to a complete primer coat, and due to the extensive sanding work, we dicided to change colors. This cost alot more, but at the time I was ok with it.

By August of 2008 it was painted, just no trim put back on the car. Things were behind schedule, but moving along. At this point the project ground to a slow crawl. I should have towed it out then. September, October, through March 2009 ran throught with little progress. I dont know why I didnt tow it out. The guy is easy to work with at times, but dosnt have enough people on staff so my project stopped. In July 2009 I towed it out and had another shop complete some of the gauges and the exhaust. I still have to hook up the stereo, and fix some minor trim issues.

Here are some problems with my project :

I was billed for stuff that I didnt get, I should get my money back for that, I will update on what happens.
They also lost my license plates!

I put a little bit of gas in the car, only to find that the gas tank filler neck still leaks. I tighted it up with a screw driver, why leave some thing like this half way done?

I got my car back and washed it. Its a wet 10. It looks great wet and 10 feet away.

Other then that I am extremely disapointed. The paint looks terrible.

The paint has cracks, bubbles and drips. Not to mention a bunch of scratches and white over spray. This part should buff out.

In direct sunlight you can see spots through the paint, and the clear coat is not right. Its bubbled and smeared.

I have a crack between the rear window and the trunk lid. I have paint chiped on the hood.

The door jambs have bare metal showing and other paint chips.

They billed me $600 for a wet sanding job, I didnt authorize. I think it might have been done to some one elses car, this one looks terrible.

I have a pic of the car from august 2008. It was painted then and outside. That kind of shows why the paint looks so bad, it was in and out of the shop and the weather for almost a year. this also shows that I gave you ample time to work on the car, but so much was left un done.

The invoice shows they charged me charged me 3.8 hours to put the carpet in? I could put the carpet in faster then that.

The speaker system was billed at 16 hours. We spoke about it and they said it would be a day to do. A month later it still wasnt done.
The only thing that was done was:
power wire ran (not hooked up)
speaker wire ran(not hooked up)
3 rca cables ran through the car (not hooked up)

All this was done with nothing in the car, no seats, no carpet, so it should have taken a couple hours to lay the wires. They are not even hooked to anything. I dont see how that could possible take 16 hours to do at a pro body shop.

Just thought I would put a post out here for any one looking for a body or paint shop so they dont fall into the same trap I did. Artisan Auto Body in Manassas park VA bungled my car restoration, the owner even told me he didnt like doing restoration projects any more. He did offer to fix any paint problems and do a buffing for free when the other shop had it completed, but I cant take it back to his dusty, dirty, slow shop.

The project was so bad, I almost want to sell the car... but then I look at it from 10 feet away and its great to have my stang back, even if the paint is peeling. Any one know a place I can get it fixed?

Over all Artisan Auto Body in Manassas park VA gets 10 thumbs down.

[Jay H 237]

Good to know. No excuse for the paint problems and the extreme padding of the bill for the incomplete stereo work.

The long time of the car sitting there not being worked on isn't surprising though. Most body shops rely on insurance work, that is thier bread and butter, where most money is made. Older cars with body work and repaints take low piority and are commonly used as fill in projects for when the shop is slow. Many times these cars will spend months......even years there slowly being worked on or even periods of just "storage". The body shops by me don't even want to mess with a car if it's a not an insurance collision. This is what has made me buy the tools and start doing the body work myself on my 68.


Sounds like your place was smaller too and when they ran out of room with your car in there they put it outside to sit while they tended to the insurance jobs.

[66Sprint200]

That is horrible. That is sort of what happened to my friend Chris. He took his MGB GT to a shop to have it finished. They lost parts, damaged parts, did work that he didn't autorize, charged him for things he didn't get, double charged him for things he did get, and they cut corners while doing the wiring putting him in the hospital. They hooked up a switch wrong and when he flipped it he got electricuted.

Here, why not try some of these guys, or search for reviews about them. I did a google maps search for auto paint shop in the Manassas Park area. Unfortunately, Aritisan Auto is on there as well. auto paint shop, Manassas Park, Va - Google Maps

[BenStang09]

Originally Posted by 66Sprint200

That is horrible. ...... They hooked up a switch wrong and when he flipped it he got electricuted.

Wow thats terrible. I wounder if mine is safe to drive. The guy is a complete bum. They would work on the insurance jobs when they came in and they would go right out.... My car and other old cars would sit there forever. Just trying to prevent some one else from having the same problem with this guy.

I am going to go to some car cruises and show his quality of work before getting it redone. I have some one in Maryland that can do it, I didnt want to take the car 300 miles to get it worked on, but this one is a better place. Probably wont happen till next year.

[BenStang09]

ok I called the shop up and told them about my problems with the paint quality and he claims he will fix any paint blemishes for free. What would you do? Remember this project started in april of 08 and I had to tow it out in July of 09. The car had paint on it in Aug of 08, so it sat there that long. I dont think I can trust them and go back into the dungeon. He claims it will take a week to do, and no additional cost. I dont know. he cant do it in a 14 months, how could he do it in a week. I dont think I can trust him with a lug nut.

[C25sailor]

You have a difficult time "bad mouthing" him if you don't give him a chance to fix it. Get a written agreement and put in a penalty clause if he doesn't meet the time table. Ask him to deposit the penalty clause amount with his attorney pursuant to an escrow agreement requiring him to complete the work and redeliver the car in the agreed period of time. Also take photographs of every defect you want fixed, and put them together with the list itemizing them in the contract.

[BenStang09]

c25 sailor.. sounds like a good idea, but alot of work. If they couldnt get it right in 16 months, why give them another try?

[66Sprint200]

don't forget to get all your parts back and everything, like your plates.

[andrewmp6]

That is why you never take a older car to a body shop.You take it to a restoration place.They might charge more but they get the work done and right.Like anything get it in writing and have a payment plan and never make the last payment tell your happy.

[Zaikur]

I would give them the chance to make it right, tell them that if they don't get it right this time you will be reporting them to the BBB.

[67ragtopStang]

What did he charge you for the work?

I think you have to give him a chance to correct the problems, before taking any further action against him. At least he is willing to correct the problems with the work he did.

Make a list of the difficiencies before going to the shop and go over it with him, item by item. Try to get a timetable from him for fixing/finishing it and make him honor it.

If he doesn't fix it to your satisfaction, the next step would be Small Claims Court.

[nigel]

Sorry to hear about you car. Hopefully things work out for you.

[BenStang09]

Thanks for your feedback.

Not sure if I want to have him fix it, I dont know if I can trust him. The car was painted in 4 months and was slowly worked on at (artisan auto body in virginia) for another 12 months. Towards the end of the project I would say I can do the interior and the trim and he would say "I want you to leave with a complete project... blah blah bla" but it never moved fast enough. As others have said here, when insurance work came in my project was pushed aside. Currently he has two other classic cars stripped apart, man those guys dont know what kind of a ride they aere in for.

Even if I make a list and have him agree to do it in a certain time frame, I dont know if I can trust him. I am going to think about it and see.

As for the cost.... I started out going in for a 6k paint and new chrome job, and well it quickly grew out of control.

I am waiting for a refund check on parts I was over charged, I am going to see if I get that before I decide on taking it back.

[rpmcarter]

I would suggest that if you don't give him a chance ....you're out any way. C25's ideas along with an agreed time line for completion. Make your list, take pictures....and bite your tongue. Go in as the nicest guy in the world (you don't want a pizz'd off body shop on your car). So be polite and factual, who knows he may realize how you feel and what REALLY happened and clean the job up properly.

You and him both sign it!!!!!

Now then...if you get it back and it isn't right?....THEN go bizerk!!!!

[reign444]

If you plan any legal action in regards then let him try and fix it as he has offered to. If it does not work out then you can at least say you gave them a chance to make things right. I would ask them what the fix involves and keep track of the progress closely. Sorry for your bad experience.