Been Done Over By A Car Painter!

[Keeper]

Hi,

My flatmate just got his brand new bodykit for his S1 R33 GTSt, previously he had a 400R front bumper and skirts put on the car after an accident, he got the bodykit made & fitted though a fibreglass shop on the gold coast, who then sent him off to a painter to paint the bodykit.

The painter couldn't fit the bodykit back on once it was painted so cut it in half and modified it so it would fit better, we did not mind as you could not tell the difference before and after, and the 400R is a GTR bodykit as we all know anyway.

The paint work was below average, a couple sections on the skirts missed out on paint on closer inspection, some oversprays, and some big runs which he said he wouldn't fix unless my flatmate took some new work to him to get done at the same time.

What has just made us flip the cannon, today after ordering a new front bar, side skirts, rear bar and wing my flatmate went back to the glass shop to get them fitted, only to find out that they had to break the front bar and side skirts to get them off. The painter had stiko-flexed them onto the car, that sort of epoxy like rubber stuff. We had intended to resell the front bar and skirts to help make back some of the costs for the new kit and the painting but now we wont be able too.

Do you think this is acceptable? Should the painter pay the costs to repair the front bar and skirts, the painting is not important as they will probably be resprayed for whoever buys them.

Is there any sort of legal proctection against the work or him not doing the work to a high standard when it comes to painting, or him modifying and fitting the front bar and skirts in a way that they wouldn't be removable even if we needed to install a front mount???

[n15m0]

if u can prove the painter broke the bar and skirts u might have a leg to stand on...

thats bloody dodgy....consumer affairs, fair trading, current affair...jst throw some of these names in the air and see if he's willing to pay for the damages...

[mr_crust]

if he broke panels that you left there in good condition, he has to pay for them. if he couldnt remove the kit , he should have called u first for ur consent to break the parts.....i'd be really pissed off

[dano4127]

wow thats bad!

i agree just start throwing a few names up in the air like current affar, fair trading etc.

I take it you have asked him nicely first if that does not work stick it to him!

[GreddyGo]

Why would it be the painter's fault?

He sticker flexed them to the car so it wouldn't come loose and flap around!?

If anything it would be the glass shop.

Cheers

Josh

[SKY031]

stiko-flex

sticker flexed

First let me be rude and correct both of you, it's actually "Sikaflex"

Sikaflex shouldn't cause damage, it doesn't cure like silicone, and should stay pliable.

It sounds like you have a fairly solid case with the bad paint work, but as for the kit issues, it could be a bit trickier.

Any kit parts should be able to be put on/taken off without causing damage to the kit, or the car itself.

If not, they have been fitted incorrectly.

However, the people who cut and re-fitted the kit aren't the same people who broke it.

It sounds like the people who fitted it originally did it properly.

The painters obviously have no idea, and they had no business cutting anything to "make it fit" when the only dimensional changes made to the kit by a coat of paint are minuscule, and should make no difference at all to fitment.

It seems a bit odd that you'd get the kit fitted first, then take it in to be removed, painted and re-fitted?

It wasn't stuck on with 2 gallons of sikaflex when it left the glassers workshop, so they obviously weren't expecting it to be there.

If they undid all the screws, then went to yank it off the car in the usual manner, it wouldn't have moved.

They yank harder, it breaks.

The glassers can probably deny any responsibility, because someone else has tampered with it.

If you're wanting to take legal action, it would be worth getting some free legal advice to make sure you're chasing after the right person.

[GreddyGo]

^^ Thanks for the correct, I couldn't remember the spelling.

It sucks but I think you will find it hard to get any sort of "legal" compensation for the damage.

Why did u get it fitted,painted and then removed anyway??

Cheers

Josh

[thizzle]

has happened to me before sounds like they polyurethaned the bar on..

broke an original veilside kit worth 3 grand...i told em i was gonna go to departmant of fair trade and the gave me a new kit and some other goodies,free paint every time i damaged my bar etc etc..dont stand for it...was it a expensive store or a dodgy one??

cuz ya get what ya pay for usually...

weird the glued the front bar though there easy to bolt up...

Edited October 4, 2006 by thizzle

[2BNVS]

ive had my front bar removed plenty of times when its been urethaned on, just takes time and its a bit hard to get the hands in there, and i did it with a stanley knife in my garage, if hes a panelbeater and cant then its got me worried

ben...

[Silent]

I fit kits, anykit i fit can be removed with very little effort and a little know how. Sikaflex is great stuff! All it takes is stanley blade to removed.

Theres is NO WAY you would use any adhesive on a front bar.

Sounds like some slack lazy worker to me.

Good Luck man pm if you have further trouble, I can point you in the right direction.

[Silent]

O and I mite add sikaflex products are used all over cars!

[braadz]

he has to pay for the parts he damaged ( i rekn he broke it off seeing as you were replacing them, cause its eaiser then cutting it if ur lazy ) even thou cutting the sikaflex isnt hard.. just time consuming lol

fix the runs and dust and whatever shit is in it

as you paid for it to be sprayed, not f**ked

Edited October 4, 2006 by braadz

[Silent]

At the end of the day you trust the tradesman to do his job, I mean it cant be hard its his job tittle its what hes trained to do.

If he cant be f**ked well thats when then work goes to crap. Its not an overnight thing to take action against a business. Most times it cheaper to cut your losses and seek a well knowin and trusted workshop to do your work.

Or hey learn to do yourself.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Silent

[interkool]

you dont think they changed the front bar for a cheap aftermarket one?

just an idea..

[Keeper]

Or hey learn to do yourself.

Seams the only feasable way for the future, thanks for the input guys, was what I was thinking more directly - front bars shouldn't need Sikaflex to be attached, f**k knows what would happen if I fitted a front mount.

BTW the glassers are great, we got a Supra done there recently and the bar came off with the 8 screws/bolts no probs, its the dodgey painters work that f**ked up the fitting the glassers did

ANYWAY, will go see him next week and ask for the money to repair the skirts and bar which will be interesting,

anyone want to buy a 400R front bar and Nismo side skirts with some cracks in them, should be repairable???