AWOL restorer - the next chapter (resto update)

I posted a thread on here late last year about the [glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300]FACT[/glow][/glow][/glow][/glow][/glow] that the guy doing my resto had gone AWOL and was missing. Before I update you, here is a reminder of what happened......

My bus went in for its resto in May last year and was due to take a few weeks to complete. Unfortunately, the guy’s father died during this period so he had some time out. I understood this and was OK that this may delay things a few weeks. I saw the bus in August and he had stripped it down, done some of the panels and the engine was out.

Then all went quiet. No phone or text contact and when I went to his workshop it was locked up. As this guy was 120 miles and a 2 hour train journey from home it was not an easy job for me to pop over on a regular basis! No one had heard from him for weeks but apparently he was in dispute with his landlord over the rent for his workshop as the roof leaked, his wife had ran off with his mate and got pregnant and he had been barred from a local pub for fighting!!! I contacted the courts and started proceeding but there was still no reply to any correspondence. The police would not help, or my insurers or the landlords. I was tempted to go down there and get my bus out, but there were 2 locked doors to get in in initially, a car and another bus in front of mine plus a security barrier in the unit. Let alone the [glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300]FACT[/glow][/glow][/glow][/glow][/glow] that the parts from my bus and new ones supplied were dotted all other the place.

Then in December I got this message - Hi. Just a short message to all customers. Broke my spine a few months ago, a 2 ton block and tackle smashed me in the back. Am home now, got a few plates and screws left in , and will be removed early January. Got 1200 e-mails to get through, customers first. Have been stressed out about it. Back to work January. Still no other correspondence from him and then in January I heard he was selling a bus on ebay (yikes!). The good news it was not mine but the bad news was that the listing had ended so I could not follow this up via ebay. I kept looking for him and then this other bus was re-listed on ebay. I got my friend to contact him and arrange a viewing which he agreed to. 2 mates went there 1st and got him to get this bus outside for them to 'view' - leaving the way clear for me to reach my bus. Once we got the nod some other friends and I pulled into his yard. I told him I had come for my bus and his face was picture!!!! I was ready to tow it out and stick it in a storage unit along with all the parts until I could get it sorted. However, he was very apologetic, said he owed me and wanted to finish the job he had started as this was his last resto now that his health was not so good after his accident (he looked terrible, thin and gaunt). Initially I said no as I could not see it getting done but he said will have his ex employee back to help him, he would give me set of keys so I could get entry anytime and he would charge me less than initially agreed. He could afford to do this as he had paid off debts and had some money left after selling his house and then inheriting a property from his father. Eventually I thought I would give him a chance to put things straight.

All went well for a few weeks. He was getting the panels on, stripping the engine and prepping for paint. I saw it in about May and there was even paint going on! I went there again a couple of weeks later but could not get in as one of the padlocks was jammed. When I called him he said this was strange as the lock should be fine but he could not come over to let me in as he was away. Fortunately I had checked the door and gate security out on a previous visit so I knew that a 13mm spanner would help me get in despite this padlock. I walked to the local hardware store and bought one. When I got in not much more progress had happened. I tried to contact him to find out what was going on and he said he had a couple of weeks off as he had his divorce hearing going on but would get back on to it now that was over. Unfortunately I mentioned my spanner to him......

I went there 2 weeks later after little further contact. I took my spanner, just in case! When I got there one of the locks was still 'faulty' so I could not get in. I went to use my spanner as before but some cement stuff had been put over the bolt heads. This was obviously to stop me getting in. I looked around and managed to find another way to get in. No further work had been done at all. I walked around and as I walked into the toilet to wash my hands he was hiding behind the door! He asked me what I was playing at breaking in so I reminded him I had keys and asked him why he was such a lying git. He looked a mess and told me everything was too much for him. His ex wife was taking him to the cleaners and he had been sleeping in his workshop. I offered to help or listen but he would not talk. I told him enough was enough and I thought it was best for all concerned if I got my bus out of there. Then he said he couldn't face it and that he had to get out of there, so he walked out and left. I left a not and sent a text to tell him I'd be back to collect my stuff and would appreciatte it if he would allow me access and undo all the gates as well as get my parts together.

A few days later I went back to get the rolling shell, boxes of parts and interior. The body is 80% painted inside and out apart from the doors, sliding door, pop top parts , engine bay, engine lid and bumpers. The underside has been media blasted but needs paint/waxoyl. Most of the parts seem to be there but my original door cards are missing along with a new stainless exhaust. Although I didn't pay up front, I did pay a deposit and a 'stage payment' All in all I am probably a little down on the deal but I must admit that the work he has done looks pretty good.

I have found someone who will finish the paintwork. I will then store it and look to get the engine in, glass in, lights fitted and get it MOT'd. I will find out in a couple of weeks what the outcome of cutbacks at work are, it seems I will have some time to try and finish these bits of myself while I am on garden leave. Standby for lots of questions of how to put a bus back together!

So that's it, so far.............

Fronk

Before



During



As it stands

 

Glad u got her back

 

Well done, mate. You've been through hell. You must feel very relieved. And yes, the bus doesn't look bad at all. At least you got it back and at least some work's been done on it. Things could've been a lot worse.

 

Pleased that you got it back at last ;D ;D

 

really glad to hear you've got some sort of conclusion to it now

......not exactly 100% how you wanted things to play out but at least you've got it back and a lot of the hard work has been done

K+ for all your patience

 

Patience of a saint...K+2U!

I remember this one from last year, and thinking "go and get her back"..glad you have and that she looks good, albeit with some putting back together to do, but that's the fun bit, at least you've got her.

Well done and good luck with the rebuild!

 

glad you've got it back mate, i must admit at one point i thought you'd lost it - as i'm sure many others did, if anything you've taught me a valuable lesson, pay a bit more and go somewhere recomended where the work is proven, i'm pleased for you.

 

Brilliant ,like Ricky i was fearing the worse
Good luck finishing her

 

Really pleased you got the van back. Quite a saga!

 

what a tale ... glad its back with you now ...

 

I'm glad you finally have some closure

 

Great news - it does look like a big chunk of the work is done.
I know how your ex-restorer must feel - there's a lot of parallels with my own situation. Despite all the crud I'm frankly amazed he got any of it done so maybe he's not such a bad 'un, just screwed up and stressed. Probably done him a favour as well as yourself getting it out of there. Sorry to hear bits have gone missing - I'm guessing they went on a bus he sold, but from his actions, I'd also guess he had the intention of replacing them at the last minute with the money he got from sales but you never got that far.

Yes I know most of you would have hung him and kicked the carcass, but this restoration business is tricky to make pay even when it's all going well so I have some sympathy for him. However, that's not your problem. I had one in mid-restoration when my life went to the wall, but managed to come to a cash settlement suggested by its owner. In fact I paid them 50% more than they asked for, thinking they asked for a sum they thought I'd be able to cough up, whereas in fact I could afford to pay a little more. Made me feel better - one less pressure - helped them move on and buy a completed bus elsewhere. If I had no money they and I would also be in a right pickle.

Stuff happens.

 

blimey the storey continues. at least you have it back and a good bit of the work is done. would have been a whole lot easier if the guy involved had just been honest from the outset. even just having a voice mail message on mobile only would have taken him a minute.

the bus is looking good all the same. glad

 

I'm glad you got it back - and fair play to you for your patience.

An observation - the guy looks talented, the mechanic I mean.

Appreciate this might not be a popular question - do you know if he is alright now? Having watched breakups and divorce from afar it takes a hell of a toll on some people - plainly things have got too much for him (he may have always been a shyster - he may not and could be simply a very bad liar when the pressure is on).

I have no idea what the job situation is like in the restoration game, but maybe not being the boss somewhere might help him. Dunno if you can make that suggestion to him?

Appreciate you might not give two hoots after being put through the ringer, and I can respect that.

 

You must have the Patience of a saint, love the colour.

 

Good News.

I applaud your patience and tenacity, along with your willingness to try and help the guy out.

He wasn't called Wayne by any chance was he?

 

Nice one mate, glad you've got it back.

 

Glad you've got it back - albeit not in one piece, but it is at least well on the way to recovery!!!

 

jjjeeessssuuusss.... just so glad you got her back... what a worry!

you def did the right thing but as zed said looks like the majority of the work has been done which is a positive
k+ x

 

Lord Charles, he's not called Wayne but I won't name him as he's been through the mill enough . Yes Moons, the guy knows his stuff. I have spoken to several people who have had work done by him and they are pleased, even a few years down the line - despite him being a little elusive sometimes and with flexible timescales (but that seems to be par for the course with this sort of work with unknowns). He was in business for over 13 years and did about 50 resto's of various degrees apparently, as well as some custom paint work on trucks and scooters.

It seems it has ALL got too much for him and while it seemed he intended to get back on track after his injury, his divorce hearing sent him over the edge. I gather he will have to sell the property he inherited in order to settle this. His landlord has apparently sent 'the boys round' to his workshop in order to take it back. I was preparr ed to give him a chance earlier this year and for him to get back on his feet as I understand times have been hard for him, and hey, they weather was poor so I figured I wouldn't be missing too much for a few weeks more. I did try and talk to him. When I 'bumped into' him there I told him that I would take my bus and get that out the way and tried to talk about what he could do going forward and if I could help. He would not talk, just said it was all too much, that his doctor had made appointment to see someone but he had not gone, then just walked out. Yes it's a shame but if he won't help himself........

As Zed says, this sort of business is tough at the best of times - let alone in the current climate and after all the bad times that hit him. Someone did break into his unit apparently and stole some stuff including tools and my parts. I'm glad I chose not to go in there gung ho and try to get my gear back. At best I would be no further forward, and at worst I would have left bits behind, got arrested or even worse. It all sounds so easy to say go and get the thing out of there, but in reality it would have been a nightmare. Even now I can't believe how much stuff there is with all the engine, glass, poptop, interior, flooring, lights, etc etc.

I hope he gets his life back on track but I can't worry about that too much now - I have a bus to get finished and rebuild! I will need to get it on a low loader to the painter to get the rest of the paint sorted and the doors and roof put on, then trailer it out again. I seem to have found somewhere with container storage units big enough to take the bus so I will use one of those as a makeshift workshop to then get the engine in and all the bits and pieces fitted back on.