Building a Car, Beware

If you have read the story of my RWD Cobalt project car, then you understand that not everything goes as planned. Here are a few lessons that I have learnt over the past three years.

When you are looking at doing a project car, research everything about your car of choice, then research some more and after that do even more research.

For part of that research you need to find the forums for the car of your choice. Almost every car has its own forum and if the car has been done as a project before, you will find either the person who built it or people who followed the build.

If the car you choose has been done you can get valuable information about what parts were used and where to get them. You will also be able to find out which companies supplied those parts as well as the companies who did the actual work. If you have the skills to do some of, most of the work, then you are in a good position. However, if you are not experienced with this type of work you will need to either settle for what you personally create or hire professionals to do the work for you.

When it comes to hiring the professionals you need to [b]beware of the wannabe performance shops [/b]and other wannabe professionals who promise you everything. I have learnt the hard way that not all promises will be kept nor are all promises based on reality. It is easy for a shop to tell you what they can do; it is another thing if they can really back up those promises.

Before you give a single penny to any shop, checkout that shop, thoroughly. Ask for references of previous customers. If they can't provide you with any, find a different shop. Ask about the company on the forums you visit. If the shop specializes in a particular model or brand, people will know of them. If you hear bad reports, ask other people about their experiences. If you hear a familiar story from different people find another company and start the process over. The one thing I learnt the hard way is, don't ask the company for an explanation. If that company has already failed in another project they are very likely going to lie straight to your face and make excuses for the complaints you have heard about them.

There are plenty of good companies out there so don't settle for a mediocre one. If it is a performance shop you are interested in dealing with, visit the shop a few times before deciding to work with them. If you visit the shop and never see a performance car being worked on, run from that shop very fast. People who own performance cars learn who to deal with and who to stay away from. Seeing no customer's performance car in the shop speaks very loudly and it is saying, [b]warning, stay away[/b].

Another thing to consider long and hard about is allowing the project to be done by a company that is some distance away from you. Not being able to visit the project frequently is something I would recommend against unless that company has impeccable credentials and references. Before allowing any distant company to have your project you need to do be even more diligent when scrutinizing their previous projects.

Once you have found the shops that pass your initial investigations, make sure you follow some simple steps to keep everything moving along without problems. Get everything in writing and it doesn't matter that you want to live life on a handshake. The person you are dealing with may not have the same handshake ethics as you do. Make sure that this written agreement, contract, outlines everything regarding the project.

The contract should be very specific about what work is to be performed. The contract should be very specific about what the cost should be as well as the guidelines to be used when something unexpected comes along. The contract should have a start date and an end date. The company should have a good understanding on how long they will have to wait for parts based on previous experiences with their suppliers. While it is understandable that custom parts and projects are not always predictable, previous experience helps in the planning of schedules and projected costs. Do not just give a shop a blank cheque to do whatever they choose. That will often lead to problems down the road.

In the contract specify the frequency of updates, the method of communication and the requirement of prompt communication should an issue arise with any aspect of the project. Make sure you have a schedule set to be informed on what costs have been incurred, both labor and parts, as well as when the invoices are to be received. The company will have its own policy about payment for their work so make sure you understand that policy before signing a contract. If there is a deposit to be paid, get in writing when that deposit is required and when it will be applied to the bill.

Make sure that the contract also includes the requirement for prompt communication before any changes to the project will be made. If an issue arises it could possibly add significant cost to your project. Do not allow any changes made to the agreed work being performed, without your expressed consent, preferably in writing.

When you are discussing the project with a prospective shop find out everything they plan on charging for. Be very clear on what charges you are to expect. When you visited the shop, were they standing around or were they always working. Did they take extended breaks? Did several employees ‘discuss' small things? You need to see how you are going to be treated because if you pay 8 hours wages for anything less than 8 hours labor, then you will be getting into trouble fast.

It is very important that you are up front with the shop's owner about your project's goals and expectations. If you want absolutely the best of everything, be willing to pay for it. If there are certain items that you are less concerned with, let the shop know. Be specific on what your budget is and before signing, get another quote or two. Also be very clear on the absolute importance of you being treated with truth and integrity.

I have discovered that by not doing even a couple of the previous steps, a dream project quickly turns into a nightmare. Doing a project should be fun experience especially if it is your dream project. The days will drag on and the nights will become sleepless if your dream project goes bad. Many projects never get completed and fail all together because of the broken promises of companies involved and huge cost over runs.

I know this all too well because I am on the brink of failing in my own dream project. I trusted people who made promises about what they could do, when in fact they could not deliver. I believed people when they gave me excuses for their previous failings. I gave many chances because I generally believe in people being inherently good. That turns out to not be the case in some people.

In the end, make sure you have done all of your research thoroughly, check their references, get everything in a detailed contract and visit the shop frequently. The last piece of advice I can give you is an absolute, unequivocal, deal braking rule. If you catch the shop in a single, solitary lie, end your business relationship right then and there because they will have already broken their contract with you. If the shop owner or manager can lie to your face, you will lose in this project. It will only be a matter of when it all comes crashing down.

Good luck on your projects. I hope they all go better than mine has so far.

PS

One of the bigger mistakes I made was liking the person who was initially in charge of my project. While I thought we had a friendship he thought he had a personal ATM machine to use when his bills became due. I have several examples of items that he charged me for but never even purchased. Heck he even billed me $3,000. a couple of days before his honeymoon.

Another bit of advice is to keep every email, every invoice, every single piece of correspondence from the company so that if it all goes wrong, you have plenty of documentation for the court.