Battersea Cowboy Stuffs My Car Novel

[Patvr6 0]

Right I am going to try and keep this as brief as possible and hopefully avoid any of you Londoners getting ripped off the way I did. In March 2010 I was working for GSF Brixton and delivered to a garage in the Battersea area and met a so called body repairer there called Carl he did not work at this garage but was just visiting. I explained to him the damage that I had on my car being

1. A dent on my drivers side door

2. A dent on my drivers side Wing

3. A scratch on the front bumper

4. I wanted my side strips colour coded (extra)

And lastly I had some work done on my car by Arch Enemy which left some creases, and the arches being wavy. The wheels were still touching the arches so I needed my arches pulled out a little further and then smoothed and sprayed.

Carl said to me ok I will have to see the car, my garage is not far from here, which I understand, so I arranged a meet. I met him at his home one night when I had finished work and on showing him the car he said this will not be a problem, my garage is full at the moment as soon as I get a car out I will take yours in. My main concern was the arches which he also stated would not be a problem, he would heat them up, pull them out pass the wheels a little extra than needed so once the metal cools and goes back in, it should sit pass the rims, so I trusted him as he sounded at the time like he knew what he was talking about and I had no idea as I have no experience in body work.

I gave him my mothers car first which was a red polo that had turned pink, once again I had to drop this off to his house due to the time I finish work and his garage being closed, he had my mothers car for a week, and on collection again from his house he gave it back to me dusty and apologised for not cleaning it. I cleaned it the same night and was amazed as the car looked brand new. I then called him and asked him when I could bring him my car, and he said to me to drop it off to him tomorrow when I finished work as he had space now, so the following night I dropped it off. He quoted me at the time £130 to colour code the strips, £150 per arch and £200 to do the two dents. £630 in total.

That weekend I called him when I had finished work to see how he was getting on he said he had closed the garage and could I meet him at his house, he took me to see his car which was an E30 convertible 320i with 18†Alloys sitting neatly in the arches, custom door builds, ICE etc, I took a picture.

He then went on to explain something on a personal level which I know happened and wish not to explain on a forum as it is not the place, but due to this personal matter our communication broke down, three weeks had passed and still nothing so I called him and he answered, I even offered to take the car back if he had not started the job, but he said no it was already a work in progress but he would need some money.

Now this is where I was probably stupid, having a good relationship with the garage in Battersea that I deliver to where I met him, seeing his car and the work he done on my mothers car gave me some trust in him so I went to meet him again at his house with £200, on meeting him and talking he put two fingers next to my mothers rear arch and said to me, I had to do a slight lip on your car, my first reaction was shock, a lip, that is not what you said you were going to do to my arches, but I thought I need to see the car first and due to his personal circumstances it was not the place or the time to start a debate (silly me)

Anyway I will miss out the following dramas that took place over ten weeks totalling nearly thirteen to fourteen weeks he had my vehicle, I collected my car in mid June 2010 at a cost which finally totalled £730, which I paid slowly as the weeks went on. Once I had seen the car and realised he did not have a garage but works out of an underground garage situated on a council estate in Battersea, I just wanted my car back but not with the filler and primer paint showing. I have £2000 pounds worth of ICE in my car and he parked up in a council estate underground garage for fourteen weeks, I am very lucky no one stole the ICE or the car, as it was a tempting invitation for any local thief.

Once again he gave me back the car filthy and told me to clean it and if there is any problems let him know, so I took the car home and cleaned it drove it to my mates body repairer in Heathrow 21 miles away, and this is the result.

1. Dirt in the paint and blotches of paint

2. Cracked filler

3. Over polishing has removed some of the paint

4. Paint runs

5. No strips

6. Soft top was white which I had to buy a product to clean it with.

7. Rear wheels still rubbing arches, as he lifted the lip but done nothing with the inner skin

8. Arches are different on each side

9. Buckled drivers side front wheel (now I know why he told me my car was fast)

These are the answers I was given to the above in order, on my return to him, even though I knew I would not be giving him back the car due to his rubbish work and location

1. Ok I will have to spray the whole side again

2. I cant see any cracked filler whoever told you that tell them to **** there mother

3. I did not do that that was like that already, I don’t spray up or across I spray down so that is not my problem it was already like that

4. That can be polished out

5. Your strips are all bent get new ones, I don’t want to put rubbish strips on your car for people to see my work and think who done that bad job (HA HA)

6. Told you it would come off

7. You need to get your wheels skimmed about 5mm then they will sit inside the arch and not rub

8. No two things are ever the same, your left foot is not the same as your right foot, your left shoe is not the same as your right shoe if you wanted them the same you should have said, I can do them symmetrical, but this will cost you symmetrical money if it takes four weeks I will charge you four weeks money (is he stupid HA HA)

At this point I did not even bother with the buckled wheel as I had heard enough nonsense to last a lifetime and he seemed to get offended by the rubbish work he had done to my car and the stuff I had pointed out to him, plus I think he liked the sound of his own voice as he never shuts up and goes on and on, and on. I then asked his friend do you think what he has done is a good job to which Carl then said

“why you asking him, did he do your car, I put my heart and soul into your car (right), do you know how long them arches took me (yeah I do, fourteen weeks), I will spray the car but not the arches, you will have to pay if you want them done symmetrical (what a joke), why are you still here, WHY YOU STILL TALKING†(he began getting aggressive because I have offended his rubbish work) at that point I said just give me back my strips and we will call it a day, to which he answered, “I have not got time to look for strips†so your not giving me back my strips (no answer) So I drove off, I went to the police station, made a statement and I am now in the process of taking this fool to court on a civil claim.

I will lose but I don’t care, I wont get back any money but I don’t care, just the idea of him getting a court summons and having to appear is good enough, and I will go out of my way to slander his name everywhere I go.

So if anyone recommends a guy called Carl who drives an E30 and lives in Battersea and once upon a time owned a body repair garage and is in the process of setting up a new one, loves the sound of his voice, and gets annoyed when you show him faults he has done to your car, PLEASE AVOID HIM, take it from me his work is rubbish and he will not do as he states.

His answer to me for lifting up my arches was, it would have been too much work, them arches are too strong, so why the hell did he not pick up the phone and tell me that and just concentrate on the other things but no he gave my car wings like it had a glass of Redbull.

So after spending £730 with him, I now have to spend £500 to rectify my arches, and £190 to buy back all my strips, the rest of his rubbish work I will have to sort out another time.

So Please be careful, this guy uses his car as his way of getting business, apparently he has won loads of awards and medals at BMW shows and been in a Magazine with his car and is also responsible for spraying Brian Harveys E30 car from E17, which is now owned by my good friend Ben, who knows nothing of this guy Carl, let’s hope that is his real name.

Oh i forgot some pictures,

in his spray booth ha ha ha ha

[soul-2-soul 3]

I'm originally from Battersea & think I may know this guy. If it's the same guy I assume that he still lives near Battersea Tech College?

[gavinvr6 0]

i had similar probs with a so called german performance car specialist who took 4 weeks to do an engine swap, and in the process busted my gear selector burnt out my wiring loom and burnt out the ecu then had the nerve to try and charge me extra's for him fixing it all.

now i will not use anybody who isnt reccomended by a good friend or if i can i'll do it myself

[Nero Mk 2 8]

Yeah, think similar things have happened to all of us at some point..

Usually naff all you can do about it..

You Live And Learn

[The Monk 50]

Buddy, it is an arse ache and the loss of money and time is a **** take. Just take comfort knowing that it could have been much worse or even stolen.

I hope you do manage to kick his backside in court.

[Patvr6 0]

I'm originally from Battersea & think I may know this guy. If it's the same guy I assume that he still lives near Battersea Tech College?

Yes he does, have you had any experience withhim or have you heard of his cowboy work.

[Patvr6 0]

Buddy' date=' it is an arse ache and the loss of money and time is a **** take. Just take comfort knowing that it could have been much worse or even stolen.

I hope you do manage to kick his backside in court.

[/quote']

the good thing is the car is metal so it can be fixed, thank god this guy is not a surgeon lol, the car is in safe hands now, but 21 miles away from me in heathrow, i tried to find someone local so that any body work needed my car stays close to home, my last sprayer was in Chatham in Kent, now i am using a guy in heathrow who does loads of project cars everyone local to me either sucks or overcharges for rubbish work.

[soul-2-soul 3]

I'm originally from Battersea & think I may know this guy. If it's the same guy I assume that he still lives near Battersea Tech College?

Yes he does' date=' have you had any experience withhim or have you heard of his cowboy work.

[/quote']

I know him to say hello (knod of head) to as I used to have a friend who lived right next to him & he was always cruising about in his BMW Convertible. Did not know that he worked on cars.

Let us know how it goes. Also anyone wanting bodywork done I have great guy in West London who has done loads of cars for me & friends over the years