Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Hi all,

What legal obligations does a restoration company have to the client? I'm assuming duty of care, but what about when it comes to progressing with a project, or the project management of the build? Just curious for a couple of reasons, one being that I'd like to update an existing article on the main site.

If anyone can point me to relevant links online, it'd be handy. I had a quick look at Trading Standards but only found this very brief overview:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/problemswithvehicles-sum2.cfm

thanks, R
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

That's a good question Rick, and one to which I have no answer.
I would like to comment though along the lines of what counts as a restoration? I ask because I recently had a dynamo reconditioned. When it came back I dropped it and broke off one of the front cast mounting lugs. I have several old ones so I set about swapping the front casting to find the it still contained its old bearing (maybe ok as it seemed serviceable) but also its old grease. I washed the bearing out with some petrol and followed this up with some spray lubricant and then regreased it properly. It sounds ok, but I reckon that what I did, at least, should have been done in the reconditioning. So what counts as reconditioning or restoration?

Paul

[Riley Blue]

The answer is to always ask precisely what work will be carried out, write it down there and then - I did that when I had a gearbox rebuilt, we both knew exactly where we stood.

Regarding restoration, be your own project manager and make sure your instructions are full understood and that you get detailed reports of work done, parts used (make sure you get back any parts removed) and time taken. All common sense really but essential.

[Salopian]

It is essential to have some sort of document agreeing what is to be done and in how much detail. Some sort of figure as to cost is important as is an agreed plan if more problems/cost found. Restoration is really not the same as having a modern serviced and regular liason with the restorer is a very good idea.
Briefly I'd suggest based on my professional experience the following-

Check references and previous work of firm
Visit the workshop and see what it feels like
Agree some sort of time scale
Detail work and standard
Have a figure for cost and for notification if overruns etc
Keep in regular contact and monitor progress

I can recall the two worst cases I dealt with-

A client accepted a quote at £1500 for a respray of his Lotus (some years ago). He was telephoned as the firm found further work needed he visited and inspected then instructed them to send a new quote before proceeding. A few weeks later he received a letter saying the car was ready together with a bill for £8500!

Another client left his MGB with a local firm for sills and paint but not being able to contact them on the telephone a few weeks later visited and found the landlords bailiffs had taken possession of the premises and his car had been removed elsewhere.

The Lotus owner eventually agreed a substantial reduction in the bill as he did accept some additional work was required. The MGB owner did eventually recover his car but after cost and time.

Usual disclaimer as I no longer practise but take care when parting with your car.
_________________
Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[michael1703]

I dont like the 'weve found more problems' bit

I restore cars and if somebody wants a full restoration then its my way or not at all, car fully stripped and then shot blasted to bare metal and etch primed.

You can then see the extent of the damge and at the same time all the good bits covered in etch primer give you a sense of hope that its not all bad

Certain custmers who dont want to pay for this and want it done the cheap way regret not going this route as you keep finding more and more rot as you get further into the job

stripping a car is around £250 for average car, obviously more if something bigger and blasting is £150-£250 dependant on car size and number of panels

Its well worth doing, most car shows have shiny cars displayed but a majority of them will be rusty/bodged uderneath

[Salopian]

[Nic Jarman]

I was having a chat with the man who tests my cars and he said " I cannot fail a car for perished tyres unless they are showing canvas". By canvas he meant the stucture under the rubber - just so people dont start getting picky. I thought there is a proviso that if the tester believed that a fault that is not covered by test but makes the car dangerous can still be a fail. Is this so?
_________________
1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[Salopian]

Mornin' Nic
In this case the canvas was visible in the cracks - in fact you could almost rub perished rubber off with your fingertips.
At least it was the nearside front so he'd end up in the ditch rather than the other side of the road.
JB
_________________
Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[baconsdozen]

Many years ago I took a motorbike for an MOT.On the way i thought the rear brake had excessive travel and stomping on the pedal outside the garage the cable parted.I left it where it was and went in the stores to get a cable,when I came back the bike was gone,I could see it inside the workshop being looked at and decided to wait untill it came back out on test and I could then explain what had happened.
It did come out a few minutes later along with a new certificate!.
This was a lot of years ago and the garage isn't even there anymore,hopefully standards have improved in the meanwhile.
_________________
Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).