How long should you wait?

[CrazyIvan]

Guys, I got a question for you. How long is an acceptable time to wait for a shop to do work on your car?

I'm asking this question because up to 2008 I've always done everything myself, and for the first time I decided to take it elsewhere to get custom IC piping, exhaust, weld the rear wheel wells and do some wiring.

To me it is very simple work to be done, but the first shop I took my car they took 4 months and never did anything, so then I moved my car to another shop and they made the IC piping within the first week or so, but it's been almost 3 months and they haven't touched the car again.

Now I never haggled with anyone's price and am paying what they asked for.
Am I being too demanding (as in being impatiente and not waiting) or am I just being unlucky/too patient? :rl:

[Omarius Maximus]

no, small crap like that should be taken care of in a week. It's best to give them a deadline prior to any work is done, right when they give you an estimate. If they can't have it done when you need it, there are other shops that can.

[bardabe]

Yeah that is unacceptable. I don't take any customers cars untill i have time to get right to work on their cars and give them back asap with a dead line in order and different battle plans in case something comes up. but with something as simple as an exhaust and IC piping. 2 weeks is even too much

[VROOOM]

lol, my first 240 was in the shop for 7 months getting an Sr swap. but this was around 1998-1999 so not many people knew how to do it. but yeah that is the biggest pain in the ass. he did knock off a good chunk of my bill though.

[Homer_Simpson]

Yeah that is unacceptable. I don't take any customers cars untill i have time to get right to work on their cars and give them back asap with a dead line in order and different battle plans in case something comes up. but with something as simple as an exhaust and IC piping. 2 weeks is even too much
You're a good man :bowdown:. IMHO, when a shop keep a car and is not working on it for over a week, that's is just hoarding.

Hey Ivan, is this shop near Project Nissan by any chance? I'd would be going bat shit right now if I were you and would have brought the car home or to someone else more capable by now.

[Kouki_Love]

i would be furious if it was my car... there is no reason for a shop to take months to do that kind of work.. they are probably just bringing in other cars to work on and milking yours..

good luck..

[HyperTek]

some shops will jus grab and hold onto cars whenever potential customers come by otherwise letting them go is like a missed business opertunity. Wack huh. Good shops will make like appointments for you imo like "yo bring it down next week by so and so and Ill start on it, Im finishing up some other car right now".

Id try to get a time estimate, than hold it to them incase something ever goes down like that.

If they have been workin on the car for 4 months straight, thats ok, but if its worked on for a week, than sat for the rest, then id have a problem, unless its something like waiting for rare parts etc.

[CrazyIvan]

You're a good man :bowdown:. IMHO, when a shop keep a car and is not working on it for over a week, that's is just hoarding.

Hey Ivan, is this shop near Project Nissan by any chance? I'd would be going bat shit right now if I were you and would have brought the car home or to someone else more capable by now.

There are 4-5 import/tuner shops around Project Nissan, previously it was with someone who "used to be good", but now my car is with shop #2 who got good references everywhere, so I thought they knew what they were doing. I just dont know why I'm getting the run around like this. I gave the 2nd shop a dealine up to July 11th, but today I asked if they had any updates on my car and they said no. I guess we shall see in a couple of weeks.

[ravinaziankid]

If I bring my car to a shop for work, I want it done right away. I used to go to a shop to get my car fixed and I wouldn't leave it there for more than a couple days without hassling the guy when it's going to be done.

If the shop takes in your car, doesn't that mean they should have the time to finish it ASAP at the customer's time line? Anyways, I would never give someone a deadline, I would say I need it done right away or you lose my business because if you give a deadline, they most likely wouldn't work on it until the day before or after it's due.

[doug200t]

Id would not tolerate that kind of shop... promises you the world and never delivers. Have a serious word with them or pull your car get what you can back and take it to Bardabe ;) Im sure he could have that done in a day

[Vision Garage]

Burn the shop down. After getting your car out first of course!

[silviaguy240]

how much money did you give them up front? how much did you point out that you needed your car back soon or that it was a priority job? if they have larger more expensive jobs for repeat customers they might put you on the back burner for a while. most fab work/machine shops take all that into consideration.

i got a job at a machine shop for a few months while i was getting my engine worked on their. took em a couple of months to start on it because i said it wasnt too much of a hurry. but once i put some more money down and told em i needed it soon they got on it and started working on it. and i was working their at the time too, so even a new employee they were kinda pushing aside for repeat customer.

if its only a couple hundred dollar job and they dont have any of that yet. they arent gonna rush to get it done because as a buisness they are trying to make as much profit as they can. so they are going to take the larger higher paying jobs or the ones that will satisfy repeat customers to keep them coming back.

[msladypaula]

i dont know much about how easy or difficult it is to work on your car, but in general, that sounds wayyyyyyy too long to do the work you are asking for. the manager should gie you a reason what is taking them so long? are they waiting for parts or what? a shop should be able to tell you when you come in how long they think it will take .
I would go, and take my car out of there pronto!
And would tell them you are not paying a dime for wasting your time.

[Gnnr]

1 week max.

I had a regular shop (not a tuner shop) swap my KA back like in 2005. They had it done in 2 days. Why? Because they know that time is money. They move out 5-10 cars a day. At that rate over 1,000 cars come through that shop a year. That's good money for them. That's business sense.

Also, most "import" tuning shops are crap. I've noticed that tuning shops that deal with higher end customers such as Vettes or Porches will do better work, but at a premium. Sometimes that is the price that one must pay for good service. The best thing to do is to ask around (especially to people who are anal about quality service).

[HyperTek]

in this case, custom fab stuff aint worth it.. bolt on jdm parts would save you time and money.

[Homer_Simpson]

in this case, custom fab stuff aint worth it.. bolt on jdm parts would save you time and money.
What he's doing to his car is not exactly a bolt-on situation.

[Bubbles]

Doooohhhhhh!

[bardabe]

if only he was in cali/ I'd handle his car like nothin

[Bubbles]

Handle it baby.