Need advice on a customer

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darepairman

darepairman

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I have a customer who has a 65 Valient convertable with front end damage I have the honor of fixing. The problem I have is he wants to convert it to a Barracuda, grill/ insignia the works.
For one I don't like misrepresenting a car, and I think it will devalue the car, how hard should I push to keep it original or should I just do what he wants? how much value would be lost converting it? I am just looking for some ammo for the discussion. Any thoughts?
Thanks Ed
 
Not much value lost in the switchover. Its all cosmetic and a direct bolt in to change the grille, and the rest of the sheet metal is all the same!! Do as he requests, it can always be changed back!!

I am doing the same with a 66 Valiant convertible, changing it over to all Barracuda items, but i am going all the way and switching seat covers, dash, all the trim, everything!! My car, my way!! No regrets!! Geof
 
At IBM we used to have a saying: "The customer is King. He makes payday's possible".

You can do the work, or not, but as business owner, and especially in your trade, your job is to build the car to the customer's specification. It's his car, it's his money, and it's his wishes.

The way to handle this, is to advise the customer of your opinion, once. If he agrees, fine, but, if he doesn't agree, your opinion of his car no longer matters. At that point you can decide if you want to be a businessman and build it to the customer's specifications, or be a puritan and pass the work to another shop.

Understand, if he want's it done, he's going to get it done with you, or without you. He controls what gets done to his car. You control whether you will be the one to do it, or not.
 
Thanks guys I guess he gets what he wants, The guy is someone I work with, the car thing is just a side liner for me. I was more worried about the value mainly, this is his first hobby car.
Thank Ed
 
I think it sounds like a fun idea. I wouldn't worry about misrepresenting the car. He's just modifying it to fit his tastes. Ma Mopar never made a Barracuda vert so it's not like he is cloning or making it something it's not. Do what he wishes and like cosgig said, it's just cosmetic. tmm
 
Frankie said:
At IBM we used to have a saying: "The customer is King. He makes payday's possible".

You can do the work, or not, but as business owner, and especially in your trade, your job is to build the car to the customer's specification. It's his car, it's his money, and it's his wishes.

The way to handle this, is to advise the customer of your opinion, once. If he agrees, fine, but, if he doesn't agree, your opinion of his car no longer matters. At that point you can decide if you want to be a businessman and build it to the customer's specifications, or be a puritan and pass the work to another shop.

Understand, if he want's it done, he's going to get it done with you, or without you. He controls what gets done to his car. You control whether you will be the one to do it, or not.
Click to expand...

Totally agree.
Either you will get the money or someone else will.
Note that we will still harass you about it down the road, just for the fun of it. :-D

Valiant Killer.:glasses7:
 
If it's reputation that's bothering you, state all the modifications in the contract that the customer wants. Have him sign for it and you'll at least have documentation should the need arise.
 
I feel your pain, though from a different perspective. I've done some ---- well, ugly ---- color combinations in my day but the thing that shines through in this industry is the same in all others: The Customer Is Always Right. You're just helping make his dream come true is all.
 
For what it's worth, there used to be a 65 Valiant conv. here in town that had a 65 Cuda grill on it. It was silver with black top/interior. It had Cragar SS mags, with the biggest blackwall tires the dude could get under it....and it looked AWESOME! As someone stated above, it also had the fancy Barracuda seat covers. I think your customers car will look good. If you could gently get him to compromise on not putting the Barracuda emblems on the fenders, consider it a win-win. :glasses7:
 
99.9% of all people won't know what it is either way, and the other .1% know there was no '65 Barracuda convertible, so will know it's a custom. And the VIN will always tell the truth anyway, so what's the difference... to anyone doing even the most minimal of due diligence when buying, they will know what the car really is. There's lots of custom cars out there, sounds like it will be a cool one, hope to see it around when done.
 
They didn't make a 65 Barracuda convertible so the misrepresentation issue really isn't there.
The value on a 65 Valiant convertible, isn't very high, even if restored, so the value loss thing goes away too.

As long as he isn't making you scrounge up the parts, go for it.

We have people come in the shop asking for weird, custom things. These are the two questions we ask ourselves:

Will it diminish the safety of the car?
Will we be able to offer our standard lifetime warranty on the modification?

If the answer to #1 is "Yes", we won't do it. If the answer to #2 is "No", we explain why and leave it up to the customer.

For example: I did a custom bumper cover on an 06 Mustang. New, after-market part. I was paid 20 hours to body work the part and another 5 hours for fitting. That means the customer paid $1,250 + The price of the bumper cover + refinishing cost to have that polished turd on his car. (it was a true piece of garbage)

It looked perfect but left with a 30/30 warranty. 30' or 30 seconds, whichever comes first.
 
do it!!! It will look good & customer will be happy-- win-win-- just note changed parts to b-cuda stuff-- ,
Also post up some before & after-- this site loves pictures!!!

Lawrence
 
I've only turned away one customer, he wanted a 350 chevy engine in a 69 charger, I've done a lot of things for customers that I told them not to tell anyone that I did the work on their cars, ugly *** colors, stupid hood scoops and things like that, but no way in hell was I gonna stick a chevy engine in a mopar.
 
Frankie said:
At IBM we used to have a saying: "The customer is King. He makes payday's possible".

You can do the work, or not, but as business owner, and especially in your trade, your job is to build the car to the customer's specification. It's his car, it's his money, and it's his wishes.

The way to handle this, is to advise the customer of your opinion, once. If he agrees, fine, but, if he doesn't agree, your opinion of his car no longer matters. At that point you can decide if you want to be a businessman and build it to the customer's specifications, or be a puritan and pass the work to another shop.

Understand, if he want's it done, he's going to get it done with you, or without you. He controls what gets done to his car. You control whether you will be the one to do it, or not.
Click to expand...

I agree with you Frankie, i used to work with harley davidsons, lots of bikes customized not the way i would do it, but the look of the bikes made their owners happy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I used to do some of the most godawful looking **** to nice bikes because the bikes owner wanted it done. Had a softail custom come into the shop for maintenance i could barely ride and i am 6' tall. The ape hangars were so tall , and the chickie stick ( sissy bar) , was equally tall topped off with a polished brass skull. It also had 6" over forks , but no rake on the neck. This made it look like it wanted to pop a wheelie all the time . At the shop we all referred to it as Mister Rediculous. And it truly was. But the owner loved it and thought it was cool, we did the work he wanted and he went away with.a.lighter wallet, and a big smile on his face LOL.
 
I have seen some cars with the different face on them that look great and this will be one of them.

If he has good valiant parts to come off suggest he hang on to them in the just in case, but value of either a 65 Barracuda or Valiant will not be hurt it might even make it more valuable as a custom 65 Plymouth convertible.

I feel my slant 6 auto on column is more valuable as a clone GTS with 340 4 speed than stock.

Some here might not agree but I was offered STUPID MONEY for it that a stock convertible wouldn't ever get.

Seen a charger grill and hidden headlights in a 67 Coronet and it look fantastic. Wish I had thought of that for my 67 Coronet convertible.
 
If you do it, post pics or it didn't happen.
 
I will answer from a customer standpoint. I have taken engines and parts to a machine shop. Told the owner what I wanted done. When I picked up the parts they were not done as I had wanted. Told the owner he owed me new parts. (440 block, that he honed .002 larger then I wanted) The owner stated what I wanted would not work. That is not the issue, I stated what I wanted and paid for that. I had my reasons, right or wrong.

The shop I have now been using for years, will do what I want. He will tell me if he doesn't agree with me, and explain his reasoning, but will do exactly as I decide.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys,and cudachic, Looks like ill do it. I have done coustom work before I was just worried about the value mainly. Ill post pics when I do it but being in Wisconsin the real work wont start till spring. Again Thanks. Ed
 
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