Subscribed! Great channel. One thing Ive always probed the customer for is their propensity for the blame game. “I didnt know this would cost double the estimate. I cant believe I let you talk me into this” Or “I read on the internet that this job can be done way cheaper” If I get that inclination from a customer before starting a job, I cancel the deal on the spot. I dont have time for mind games. One of my mentors once told me. Every once in awhile, a customer comes along that youd be money ahead having sat and twiddled your thumbs for 6 months than ever starting on their car. He told me to learn to weed out that customer and fire them.
I have been lucky to have a customer base that appreciates what I do, and I don't suffer fools. I'm also lucky that I don't have to accept every job that tries to get in the door! Thanks for subscribing. I'm honored.
“Let me turn this around. I just want to get a fire extinguisher just for the hell of it” Love it. The car is in good hands Tom. Keep it up. The owner should do the minimum to be safe and enjoy it.
As these old cars age, the modern cars may eclipse them in performance, but nothing sounds like a carburetor V-12 engine, and a 2+2 was the "cheapest" cost of entry. $12K might sound cheap now, but in the 70s, that was a lot of coin! I always say, "Ferraris were expensive when they were cheap!" It's always been about how much you were willing to commit to own one of these cars. I overpaid for my car for $30K 25 years ago and was considered an idiot. It's only now that I'm considered an genius!
Man, my E Type is in similar condition and I always tell people "It needs everything, but it also needs nothing for me to enjoy it". Not worth spending 250k to restore so I'm just going to drive it. Love your attitude about the car.
Not everyone needs to drive a pefect car, but so long as it's safe and the owner is OK with it, I'm going to try to make this car what the owner needs!
Did a similar job, along lines of your plan, on my 53 Arnolt MG in similar condition. It could have soaked up a couple hundred grand (and unlike a Ferrari recovered little of it). Replaced the pop rivet floors with something at least welded, engine had to be rebuilt which on an MG you can do at home, brakes, bushing basics… had the local detailer do a full paint correction… and I love it. I can’t imagine I’d enjoy it one iota more with new paint and professional repairs. I just took care of the worst of the butchery, made the car a little better, and now I drive it. It’s wonderful. Let old cars be old cars.
After spending loads of money on a car in restoration, I sometimes find the owners are too scared to drive their perfect cars! I can go both ways. Restore it and put your patina on it, or drive it and enjoy it like an old leather jacket!
The old V12's have a sound that stirs me. New V12's are cool, but they lack a certain visceral rasp that the old ones have. I think they are TOO perfectly balanced, or maybe that you can't hear the cam chains and valves. Or maybe that the engine sound permeated the cabin more directly in the old cars. Feel free to chime in, but I don't care that the old cars aren't as fast... it's all about the sound and the feeling.
I think it's a combination of things. Fuel injection masks the sound of the induction, and old cars just weren't sound insulated as well. It also helped to have a leaky exhaust! 😅
@@tomyangnet Yes, I hadn't even thought of fuel injection, but I know it's true with American V8's. My hemi powered Chrysler 300 was WAY faster than my '78 Cordoba, but when that Carter Thermoquad opened up, that 400 V8 sounded really impressive! Plus, you could stay on the throttle longer before you got to illegal speeds. I also love the progressive feedback of a real throttle spring, compared with the limp, dead feeling of a modern pedal. So many reasons to envy your interesting line of work. I love that you know the facts about the differences between model years.
@@christopherg9806 Although I like all cars, I really have focused on a two decade run of Ferraris, so I've been lucky to have worked on a bunch of these Vintage Ferraris. Thanks for watching
Stebro, there's a name I haven't heard in years. Put a Stebro exhaust on my former 308, it was great. Quality product back then, really bad customer service though. No stickers on mine though, it didn't look stock but it was a 308 when they weren't worth much money. Love the look of this car, I'd be all for making it safe to drive and just enjoying it.
I have a Stebro system on my personal car! In fact, I think they used my car as a template to make their systems 25 years ago. We've since learned copying a ANSA system was incorrect, and the actual correct system would have been an ABARTH system, but live and learn. My system is still on the car, and still working, but the world has moved on!
Waauu, WHAT a well told story, what a fantasctic showcase ( ugly duckly ) very intertaining to hear tom explaining All the thougths he goes thruu in trying to do this wrigth. I love Jay Leno and others, but i think this ( All together) is a step step up. Tom
Thanks for comparing me in the league with Leno. Even though I work on Vintage Ferraris, it's not like the rest of RUclips where funds seem inexhaustible. There's a more sensible way to own a Ferrari!
Well said Tom. A good mechanic is like a good golf pro. He’ll help you improve the swing you’ve got, not try to completely rebuild it. That could take a lot of time and pain. I hope you’ll give us an update on the decision you and your customer come to. Incidentally, on the strength of your comment about a fire extinguisher I’ve just ordered one on Amazon!
Glad you ordered a fire extinguisher. I've been impressed with the new "Element" Fire extinguishers (not sponsored). They're small enough that don't make them inconvenient, and don't go bad or discharge over time. I'm meeting with the owner this weekend, so we'll have an update soon!
I wish they were too, but sometimes the customer just doesn't hear you! It can go both ways, but often times the shop is more concerned about making rent, than the best interest of the customer. My situation is slightly different. I am one person, without a care to grow more than I need to, so I have plenty of work to keep me busy. This allows me to be honest and straight forward!
@@Schlipperschlopper I like to use the red Baldwin filters here in the States. The irony is most anyone who knows don't use FRAMS, but if you see them on show cars, they're orange painted Baldwins or UFI with a vintage sticker on them. I hate seeing that, because it endorses a crappy filter!
Not always about getting top dollar- fix some of the botched frame stuff, get the mufflers up where they belong and enjoy the car. He doesn’t have to worry about little scrapes or dings, and when he does sell he’ll probably get more than he paid. Restoration can be a fun game, but it’s just that, a game of enjoyment for people that have the time, money and inclination.
I completely agree. I have a customer that is doing a full restoration on a car that had no other choice, but we went into that project knowing it. This car is still on the bubble. It still has some life in her, but needs some repairs to make her safe and reliable, so an option would be to fix what's necessary and enjoy the car. Some people can't live with a rough looking car, but I am going to explore this option with the owner soon!
Well, I'd fix the structural issues and make it mechanically sound, including the exhaust (sounds good now) and the floor pans. Shine 'er up a little. And then I'd drive it. And drive it. And drive it. Let the next guy figure out if it's worth restoring.
That's the plan. I could see a little bit of chassis flex when I put it on the lift, so it needs some strengthening, but I too would drive the wheels off the car, terrorizing the nice neighborhoods around town, showing them this GTE is worth more than new any S Class or 7 series just as it sits!
in my experience its important to start with a squirt of engine oil in the cylinder to have a level field. After cranking for several revs and no start the cylinders can be barren of the customary oilfilm more commonly present in a running engine. JS
If you want it done in a fair amount of time and done perfectly, contact Al from Keep it Simple Garage. He is in Long Island I believe. This would be a great car. He specializes in late 60s Camaros and tackles every inch of the scariest looking projects. Check him out.
Thanks for the suggestion, but part of the reason why this floor pan is so screwed up is the last guy never worked on a Ferrari! It's better to have people familiar with how these cars are made to make the repairs. There's less risk when you pick people who are familiar with the work! Thanks for watching.
Labor rates to make panels from scratch, reinforce and repair frame rust, is not cheap. Otherwise you get work that we see here which is not only ugly, but dangerous. Prices for parts are not getting cheaper either, and everything from chrome plating, upholstery, to painting is $$$. The skills for all these custom trades are getting more rare, so they charge accordingly, that's why I want the owner to pause and really consider what he wants for an end product!
@@tomyangnet I've had my 2003 S JCW since the beginning and still do! I've read over the years that many a Ferrari owner folks love the MINI S. Best part, great DIY car for those inclined which makes it affordable. PS Worked for a couple years many moons ago with a metal man (english wheel) in Sacramento that did the aluminum body work for Joel Finn TR59 next to his house where the carriage house was converted to a shop. Cheers!
This car just needs structural repairs, floor pans, an exhaust, re-run brake lines, and put a new front windshield on it (that wiper scribe in the glass would drive me batty)! World needs 1 less garage / trailer queen, and the owner can drive & enjoy the car while they still can. 🤘😊
That's my suggestion exactly, especially when the owner is not prepared to spend that much money and time on a project like this. Some cars are too far gone to simply repair, but I believe this one can be preserved. That being said, it will still need significant work, but I think he will be happy with the result.
This is a Big Judgment Call... She runs, she needs work... What's the BUDGET??? I'd do the floors and get it back on the road. New subscriber from Litchfield County Ct.
I just met with the owner this weekend, and the plan is to fix the floors (still a lot of work), put new carpets in, and do some research to maybe wrap the car so he can drive it a couple years. He may fall back in love with the car and pull the trigger and paint the car, but can wait a few years to see what happens.
I can see how it got there just to keep it on the road but wow what a pile of terrible work over the years. Easy to understand how it will be costly but thankfully it will eventually be worthwhile
The owner has very little money into the car, and shouldn't loose money as long as he doesn't restore the whole car. I'm just trying to keep it an enjoyable process!
@@tomyangnet Trust me I get it, you havent seen my piles of stuff yet (It's Kerry ;) ) I do have an extra Intermeccanica laying around if you run out of work!
There are probably more hidden hack jobs on that car than the obvious ones you have found on the exhaust and brake systems. That rear suspension mounting point looks dangerously rusted and on the verge of collapsing.
Survivor? Well, it's still here but it's pretty roached out. It degraded as time went by because 1) it was not one of the most desirable models and it's value decreased and 2) the price of maintenance/parts/etc continued to climb while the car became older and less desirable. Now it's at a tipping point: spend more than it's worth to restore it or pour a not insignificant amount of money into it to keep it driveable. Tough choice not for the weak of heart or wallet.
@@mitchd949 there was a time when these were unloved, but a six figure car is nothing to kick to the curb! I think there’s a way to make this car safe and still not lose your shirt!
@@tomyangnet I agree with you, it's current value is six figures. It all depends on the customer. I love cars that appear as original - to make that car appear as original and run as original it's going to need a full restoration inside and out. I'm guessing that's about $200-300k USD to do it right. It's also going to take probably a year or two. How many customers will put up with that? To just fix the really bad stuff and make a decent driver (i.e. fix the floors, repair the major rust, and not make it pretty inside and out) will perhaps make a driver but how many guys will want to drive that to the country club to golf or the shooting club to shoot trap and skeet only to have his buddies look at it and see it as tatty since those fixes won't change the appearance.
@@mitchd949 with the rising cost of everything, it can easily exceed that amount, and we're not even talking about making a Platinum winning show car. That's a whole other level. I'm going to push my metal fabricator to fast track this car, but just doing the floors and structural repairs will take 6 months to a year! He's very busy, has a ton of work in the queue, so rushing him will not make a difference. It will get done when it gets done. Each owner is different, and some can live with a rough car, but other's might be embarrassed. I told the owner that when someone tells him his car's paint looks like crap, ask in turn how's the paint on their Ferrari?
TOTALLY UNROAD WORTHY = black 250 GTE = need`s a full rebuild = i have seen about 6 similar ferraris with big rust problems ! patching and that don`t really work !
Replacing the floors and outriggers will bring the structure back. The oval tube rarely gets compromised, but we will fix what's necessary. We're not patching anything, but fabricating new floors and structure, Patching is what was done the last time.
Subscribed! Great channel.
One thing Ive always probed the customer for is their propensity for the blame game.
“I didnt know this would cost double the estimate. I cant believe I let you talk me into this”
Or
“I read on the internet that this job can be done way cheaper”
If I get that inclination from a customer before starting a job, I cancel the deal on the spot. I dont have time for mind games.
One of my mentors once told me. Every once in awhile, a customer comes along that youd be money ahead having sat and twiddled your thumbs for 6 months than ever starting on their car. He told me to learn to weed out that customer and fire them.
I have been lucky to have a customer base that appreciates what I do, and I don't suffer fools. I'm also lucky that I don't have to accept every job that tries to get in the door! Thanks for subscribing. I'm honored.
@@tomyangnetYou are lucky for this. I too decline several customers a month.
Keep up the great work Tom!!
@@CarWizard you the same, and I'll see you on RUclips!
“Let me turn this around. I just want to get a fire extinguisher just for the hell of it” Love it. The car is in good hands Tom. Keep it up. The owner should do the minimum to be safe and enjoy it.
@@Wriggs1898 I treat every car at my shop as I would treat my own Ferrari!
I got to drive a 62 GTE back in the seventies which was immaculate. These things are a delight to drive. It was valued about $12k back then.
As these old cars age, the modern cars may eclipse them in performance, but nothing sounds like a carburetor V-12 engine, and a 2+2 was the "cheapest" cost of entry. $12K might sound cheap now, but in the 70s, that was a lot of coin! I always say, "Ferraris were expensive when they were cheap!" It's always been about how much you were willing to commit to own one of these cars. I overpaid for my car for $30K 25 years ago and was considered an idiot. It's only now that I'm considered an genius!
Man, my E Type is in similar condition and I always tell people "It needs everything, but it also needs nothing for me to enjoy it". Not worth spending 250k to restore so I'm just going to drive it. Love your attitude about the car.
Not everyone needs to drive a pefect car, but so long as it's safe and the owner is OK with it, I'm going to try to make this car what the owner needs!
That car should be repaired, not restored, if it truly only has 37,000 miles. A car is original only once. That is a candidate car to be conserved.
I'm going to try my best!
It's front line ready for Beverly Hills Motor Club
Or Gullwing Motorcars
Perish the thought guys! I'm going to give every effort to keep this car from falling into those hands!
Honest and knowledgeable mechanic. A rare person. Thank you for helping a normal person reach their dream.
It all started with me trying to figure out how I was going to afford and keep a Ferrari. When there's a will, there's a way!
Make it a good safe driver, and enjoy the heck out of it.
I hope so!
This is the kind of advice every shop should give. Chapeau Tom.
Not every shop has the same interests of the customer in mind! Thanks for the support.
That's a great advice for the customer ❤
agreed. This is a make it safe and just drive it car/situation
Did a similar job, along lines of your plan, on my 53 Arnolt MG in similar condition. It could have soaked up a couple hundred grand (and unlike a Ferrari recovered little of it). Replaced the pop rivet floors with something at least welded, engine had to be rebuilt which on an MG you can do at home, brakes, bushing basics… had the local detailer do a full paint correction… and I love it. I can’t imagine I’d enjoy it one iota more with new paint and professional repairs. I just took care of the worst of the butchery, made the car a little better, and now I drive it. It’s wonderful. Let old cars be old cars.
After spending loads of money on a car in restoration, I sometimes find the owners are too scared to drive their perfect cars! I can go both ways. Restore it and put your patina on it, or drive it and enjoy it like an old leather jacket!
Great video Tom , thank You !
What a blast from the past, I used to follow you way back when you first got your GTE. Will have to go through all your vids..
@@hkmonaro8153 where have been? I never left! Welcome back!
The old V12's have a sound that stirs me. New V12's are cool, but they lack a certain visceral rasp that the old ones have. I think they are TOO perfectly balanced, or maybe that you can't hear the cam chains and valves. Or maybe that the engine sound permeated the cabin more directly in the old cars. Feel free to chime in, but I don't care that the old cars aren't as fast... it's all about the sound and the feeling.
I think it's a combination of things. Fuel injection masks the sound of the induction, and old cars just weren't sound insulated as well. It also helped to have a leaky exhaust! 😅
@@tomyangnet Yes, I hadn't even thought of fuel injection, but I know it's true with American V8's. My hemi powered Chrysler 300 was WAY faster than my '78 Cordoba, but when that Carter Thermoquad opened up, that 400 V8 sounded really impressive! Plus, you could stay on the throttle longer before you got to illegal speeds. I also love the progressive feedback of a real throttle spring, compared with the limp, dead feeling of a modern pedal. So many reasons to envy your interesting line of work. I love that you know the facts about the differences between model years.
@@christopherg9806 Although I like all cars, I really have focused on a two decade run of Ferraris, so I've been lucky to have worked on a bunch of these Vintage Ferraris. Thanks for watching
"Leave it as is..." Right on! You're kind to remind him of the "slippery slope."
Just being truthful!
I like your approach to cars and your video presentation. Great episode
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!
Stebro, there's a name I haven't heard in years. Put a Stebro exhaust on my former 308, it was great. Quality product back then, really bad customer service though. No stickers on mine though, it didn't look stock but it was a 308 when they weren't worth much money.
Love the look of this car, I'd be all for making it safe to drive and just enjoying it.
I have a Stebro system on my personal car! In fact, I think they used my car as a template to make their systems 25 years ago. We've since learned copying a ANSA system was incorrect, and the actual correct system would have been an ABARTH system, but live and learn. My system is still on the car, and still working, but the world has moved on!
@@tomyangnet Back in those days Ansa and Abarth bought their systems custom made by IMASAF
Awesome!
Waauu, WHAT a well told story, what a fantasctic showcase ( ugly duckly ) very intertaining to hear tom explaining All the thougths he goes thruu in trying to do this wrigth. I love Jay Leno and others, but i think this ( All together) is a step step up. Tom
Thanks for comparing me in the league with Leno. Even though I work on Vintage Ferraris, it's not like the rest of RUclips where funds seem inexhaustible. There's a more sensible way to own a Ferrari!
Nothing unrepairable and that engine sounds great! It's in good hands!
we'll get it done together!
Well said Tom. A good mechanic is like a good golf pro. He’ll help you improve the swing you’ve got, not try to completely rebuild it. That could take a lot of time and pain. I hope you’ll give us an update on the decision you and your customer come to. Incidentally, on the strength of your comment about a fire extinguisher I’ve just ordered one on Amazon!
Glad you ordered a fire extinguisher. I've been impressed with the new "Element" Fire extinguishers (not sponsored). They're small enough that don't make them inconvenient, and don't go bad or discharge over time.
I'm meeting with the owner this weekend, so we'll have an update soon!
If only every restorer were that upfront and honest...
I wish they were too, but sometimes the customer just doesn't hear you! It can go both ways, but often times the shop is more concerned about making rent, than the best interest of the customer. My situation is slightly different. I am one person, without a care to grow more than I need to, so I have plenty of work to keep me busy. This allows me to be honest and straight forward!
The two different brands of oil filters are not a good sign.
agreed!
In Germany we use UFI Filters for Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia and Alfa not those horrible Fram orange death cans
@@Schlipperschlopper I like to use the red Baldwin filters here in the States. The irony is most anyone who knows don't use FRAMS, but if you see them on show cars, they're orange painted Baldwins or UFI with a vintage sticker on them. I hate seeing that, because it endorses a crappy filter!
Tank said Two Paws up
the best kind
Not always about getting top dollar- fix some of the botched frame stuff, get the mufflers up where they belong and enjoy the car. He doesn’t have to worry about little scrapes or dings, and when he does sell he’ll probably get more than he paid. Restoration can be a fun game, but it’s just that, a game of enjoyment for people that have the time, money and inclination.
I completely agree. I have a customer that is doing a full restoration on a car that had no other choice, but we went into that project knowing it. This car is still on the bubble. It still has some life in her, but needs some repairs to make her safe and reliable, so an option would be to fix what's necessary and enjoy the car. Some people can't live with a rough looking car, but I am going to explore this option with the owner soon!
Well, I'd fix the structural issues and make it mechanically sound, including the exhaust (sounds good now) and the floor pans. Shine 'er up a little. And then I'd drive it. And drive it. And drive it. Let the next guy figure out if it's worth restoring.
That's the plan. I could see a little bit of chassis flex when I put it on the lift, so it needs some strengthening, but I too would drive the wheels off the car, terrorizing the nice neighborhoods around town, showing them this GTE is worth more than new any S Class or 7 series just as it sits!
in my experience its important to start with a squirt of engine oil in the cylinder to have a level field.
After cranking for several revs and no start the cylinders can be barren of the customary oilfilm more commonly present in a running engine. JS
Some of the prep to start this car was lost in the edit, but yes, good suggestions!
Hey Michael he had the engine running with oil pressure before compression test
If you want it done in a fair amount of time and done perfectly, contact Al from Keep it Simple Garage. He is in Long Island I believe. This would be a great car. He specializes in late 60s Camaros and tackles every inch of the scariest looking projects. Check him out.
Thanks for the suggestion, but part of the reason why this floor pan is so screwed up is the last guy never worked on a Ferrari! It's better to have people familiar with how these cars are made to make the repairs. There's less risk when you pick people who are familiar with the work! Thanks for watching.
Hack-A-Moe-Joe's Repair Shop did all the work. Moved to Cuba, I heard...
5:41 how much for restoration? 17:28 yikes 😳
Labor rates to make panels from scratch, reinforce and repair frame rust, is not cheap. Otherwise you get work that we see here which is not only ugly, but dangerous. Prices for parts are not getting cheaper either, and everything from chrome plating, upholstery, to painting is $$$. The skills for all these custom trades are getting more rare, so they charge accordingly, that's why I want the owner to pause and really consider what he wants for an end product!
R53 Nice!
Good eye. Nice, until that $%&@ starts leaking coolant from behind the supercharger! The things we do for our kids...
@@tomyangnet I've had my 2003 S JCW since the beginning and still do! I've read over the years that many a Ferrari owner folks love the MINI S. Best part, great DIY car for those inclined which makes it affordable. PS Worked for a couple years many moons ago with a metal man (english wheel) in Sacramento that did the aluminum body work for Joel Finn TR59 next to his house where the carriage house was converted to a shop. Cheers!
@@SFFOGDOG4865 my kid loves the Cooper S, so we may not be able to get rid of it it when it starts leaking from age!
This car just needs structural repairs, floor pans, an exhaust, re-run brake lines, and put a new front windshield on it (that wiper scribe in the glass would drive me batty)! World needs 1 less garage / trailer queen, and the owner can drive & enjoy the car while they still can. 🤘😊
That's my suggestion exactly, especially when the owner is not prepared to spend that much money and time on a project like this. Some cars are too far gone to simply repair, but I believe this one can be preserved. That being said, it will still need significant work, but I think he will be happy with the result.
This is a Big Judgment Call...
She runs, she needs work...
What's the BUDGET???
I'd do the floors and get it back on the road. New subscriber from Litchfield County Ct.
I just met with the owner this weekend, and the plan is to fix the floors (still a lot of work), put new carpets in, and do some research to maybe wrap the car so he can drive it a couple years. He may fall back in love with the car and pull the trigger and paint the car, but can wait a few years to see what happens.
I can see how it got there just to keep it on the road but wow what a pile of terrible work over the years. Easy to understand how it will be costly but thankfully it will eventually be worthwhile
The owner has very little money into the car, and shouldn't loose money as long as he doesn't restore the whole car. I'm just trying to keep it an enjoyable process!
@@tomyangnet Trust me I get it, you havent seen my piles of stuff yet (It's Kerry ;) ) I do have an extra Intermeccanica laying around if you run out of work!
@@tomyangnet Whoops, sorry multiple accounts gets confusing
250 swb !
Perish the thought! I'm not a fan of replicas created from the bones of real, legitimate cars!
It did sound beautiful , pretty scary what people have got up to underneath previously but thats amateurs for you, quite likely a 'home repair' 😱
@@lyonheart84 someone really did a crappy job, but we’ll make it better.
There are probably more hidden hack jobs on that car than the obvious ones you have found on the exhaust and brake systems. That rear suspension mounting point looks dangerously rusted and on the verge of collapsing.
The welding and patching of the floors and structural repairs were pretty sketchy!
Survivor? Well, it's still here but it's pretty roached out. It degraded as time went by because 1) it was not one of the most desirable models and it's value decreased and 2) the price of maintenance/parts/etc continued to climb while the car became older and less desirable. Now it's at a tipping point: spend more than it's worth to restore it or pour a not insignificant amount of money into it to keep it driveable. Tough choice not for the weak of heart or wallet.
@@mitchd949 there was a time when these were unloved, but a six figure car is nothing to kick to the curb! I think there’s a way to make this car safe and still not lose your shirt!
@@tomyangnet I agree with you, it's current value is six figures. It all depends on the customer. I love cars that appear as original - to make that car appear as original and run as original it's going to need a full restoration inside and out. I'm guessing that's about $200-300k USD to do it right. It's also going to take probably a year or two. How many customers will put up with that? To just fix the really bad stuff and make a decent driver (i.e. fix the floors, repair the major rust, and not make it pretty inside and out) will perhaps make a driver but how many guys will want to drive that to the country club to golf or the shooting club to shoot trap and skeet only to have his buddies look at it and see it as tatty since those fixes won't change the appearance.
@@mitchd949 with the rising cost of everything, it can easily exceed that amount, and we're not even talking about making a Platinum winning show car. That's a whole other level. I'm going to push my metal fabricator to fast track this car, but just doing the floors and structural repairs will take 6 months to a year! He's very busy, has a ton of work in the queue, so rushing him will not make a difference. It will get done when it gets done.
Each owner is different, and some can live with a rough car, but other's might be embarrassed. I told the owner that when someone tells him his car's paint looks like crap, ask in turn how's the paint on their Ferrari?
TOTALLY UNROAD WORTHY = black 250 GTE = need`s a full rebuild = i have seen about 6 similar ferraris with big rust problems ! patching and that don`t really work !
Replacing the floors and outriggers will bring the structure back. The oval tube rarely gets compromised, but we will fix what's necessary. We're not patching anything, but fabricating new floors and structure, Patching is what was done the last time.
.............A Suburban Gas Station butcher...........
I don't understand how people who do work like this sleep at night knowing how dangerous they made the car!