All these "I didnt see it happen" shop owners.

hot rods went though the same growing pains. shops like fastlane that turn out just AMAZING stuff eclipse the home builder by a long shot but also cost a small fortune to the buyer. Built not bought still rages there too, there are 9000 half ass garage guys for every one that builds amazing stuff just to drive.

I want to sell my truck, but it is hard decision not to just strip it and burn it in a field so I dont have to worry about a thread being started about "russ-d sucks and here is why".

It starts out as a single shop guy working hard. As soon as he hires a guy to "help out", quality suffers if the work isnt 50-50. The more the orginal shop guy wants to relax and reap the rewards of shop ownership, the lower the work quality can go. This is not just true for shops that do work, but also for shops that build parts. Some parts suppliers had EXCELLENT shipping and customer service, as soon as they grew it became less about the customer and more about covering everyones salary and still making profit.

I know this seems like a random collection of observations in a thread I dont have any experience with, but the point is that as soon as you value money over your customers satisfaction, the shop has reached a turning point that is hard to reverse.

I said it once and i'll say it again, PREACH ON! Great thread guys! One thing that really bothers me is when somebody gets on a forum, any forum, and post pics of his new "project". Then everybody posts, good job man, great job, keep it up, looks good, and all the other responses that people post about work that isn't really that great. Its like they post things to make that person feel good about themselves building whatever it is that they build or because they don't want to be a "hater" if they tell the person that its wrong or they just don't know what their looking at. I'm with the rest of you guys and am getting sick of all the hacked up rides too. I do sell mail order control arms, custom machined parts, and build a few trucks, but I to keep everything in order and build in a timely fashion. Sometimes timelines suck when you get a customer that keeps adding aparts and pieces to his project, so what starts as a couple month project turns into a year project, lol.

Sorry i didnt mean to put u in that catergorie Chris ive seen ur work and it is very nice. I meant to say they dont need to get on large scale with the mail order parts. I know that u, Max, Seth and a few others offer mail order parts on a small scale and keep up with the demand, but the ones that try to go big with it almost always seem to fail due to not keeping up with demand. And like Chris said PREACH ON!!!!!!!!!!

i agree with 95% of whats been said , but what really pisses me off is when you do a good job and the owner still bitches and moans to anyone who will listen (including SSM) . example . i bagged a kids s10 for $1500 including parts , just to help him out cause i thought he was a good kid . kid takes the front bag out a month later and doesnt alinn the cup up properly when he puts it back in. next thing he knows the bag pops cause its rubbing . kid told everyone that it was my fault for not welding (the bolt in ) the cup in .

this is a damn good read. its kinda like bitching for a good cause. lol

if this is the case, people need to stop callin people "haters" for pointing stuff out. its a VERY common sight, on this site. someone asks a question about quality and get a label of hater. its been like that for years, atleast the 4 or 5 I have been here.

i agree though, i dont fully trust myself with welding just yet but have been practicing a lot, and as soon as i feel that my welds are worth showing (visually) i will post them up for all to critique. not to blatanty bash, but to critique. theres a BIG difference between saying "the looks like shit" and "maybe you could try this, it might just make it that much better" if they dont listen....fuck em. if they do....you know they care about their ride and the safety of others...and themselves.

im tired of people saying "your a fuckin hater man! you need to chill!" when you say something like "i'd cut that off and redoit, maybe practice a little before you lay down the final weld"

as for shops, i agree 100% (and another 10 too). i took mine to a reputable shop (innovative customs) , and had seen their work online, up close, and had seen his personal truck. I was probably annoying but it was my first time on air and I was stoked. I know they need time to double check shit, and will allow that from now on. I'd rather let it sit a couple days til my next day off now, thinking back on it. But like they say....hindsight is 20/20. these shops that pop up, make a few grand, and die out are killing the scene more than people "talkin shit" on here.

Originally posted by 72bumpside



if this is the case, people need to stop callin people "haters" for pointing stuff out. its a VERY common sight, on this site. someone asks a question about quality and get a label of hater. its been like that for years, atleast the 4 or 5 I have been here.

i agree though, i dont fully trust myself with welding just yet but have been practicing a lot, and as soon as i feel that my welds are worth showing (visually) i will post them up for all to critique. not to blatanty bash, but to critique. theres a BIG difference between saying "the looks like shit" and "maybe you could try this, it might just make it that much better" if they dont listen....fuck em. if they do....you know they care about their ride and the safety of others...and themselves.

im tired of people saying "your a fuckin hater man! you need to chill!" when you say something like "i'd cut that off and redoit, maybe practice a little before you lay down the final weld"

as for shops, i agree 100% (and another 10 too). i took mine to a reputable shop (innovative customs) , and had seen their work online, up close, and had seen his personal truck. I was probably annoying but it was my first time on air and I was stoked. I know they need time to double check shit, and will allow that from now on. I'd rather let it sit a couple days til my next day off now, thinking back on it. But like they say....hindsight is 20/20. these shops that pop up, make a few grand, and die out are killing the scene more than people "talkin shit" on here.

Your point has nothing to do with this thread. This is about shops not using quality control and not checking their work. Nitpicking on rides that in reality don't have an issue isnt what this is about. Instilling your "knowledge" is not what this is about. This is not an opinion forum about how evil shops are and how static drop is the way to go and whatever else was the trend of the moment a few months ago. Simple. Shops need to check their work before it hits the door. Shops producing products need to produce. And creating a fake name because you have been booted from SSM for theft doesnt make you more knowledgable. Dev has the perfect flip side and shops should be aware of it. Max has a good friend flipside. There are flipsides to everything. But shit work is shit work. When you are praised as a god and act like it. Then be it. Own it love it. In the end. Egos and persona's don't mean shit. It's the work that will be out there long after the hype has passed.

LOL @ this thread

SOMEONE DELETE IT QUICK! THERE IS SHIT TALKING !

Well fuck answering my question, LOL.

Would like to hear what some of the shop owners here would suggest.

^ Your situation is a tough one. It is not one I have encountered so I do not know much about handling it. I do know there are things the shop can do after completing the work to be paid, such as mechanics leins. But I am not sure what the customer can do if that work is not up to standard. Someone that has gone through this may have some insight. Small claims was mentioned, but seems like it will cost more in time and money than the work may have costed. Doesn't really seem fair if you think about it.