DeTomaso Mailing List: March 1997, Message #134
     



From: Kirk Bailey <kbailey@acs.ryerson.ca>

Subject: Re: Stay Away From This Guy

Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 15:57:54 -0800 (PST)



On Tue, 18 Mar 1997, Dick Williams wrote:



> Below is a copy of a letter I sent to "2 On Your Side", an investigative

> TV news show on WBRZ in Baton Rouge, LA.  I thought I would share this

> with you all for two reasons; because he has contracted work with

> several out of towners (including Californians) so I wanted to make sure

> everyone in this group steers clear of him and I am also needing some

> help finding the right person to work on my Pantera.  Any input would be

> much appreciated.  Here is the letter:

>

> Back in April of '96 I asked Bob Miller of Yesterday's Auto Restoration

> in Baton Rouge to do some work for me on my 1972 Pantera automobile and

> it has been a nightmare ever since.

>

> When I took the car in to ask him if he could possibly do the work

> (recover seats, purchase and install stereo, purchase and install four

> new tires and clean wheels, fix problems with electric windows and find

> two emblems that were missing from the rear of the car) I was also

> curious about how long it would take him since I was eager to get it

> back on the road.  His answer to me was that he was the best man for

> this kind of work and that it would only take a couple of months at most

> to complete. He also asked for two thousand dollars in advance for the

> work and the purchases he was going to have to make. I agreed and left

> his place of business with the agreement that he would call me when the

> work was done. Keep in mind that he came highly recommended and his

> office is covered with pictures of some of the rarest automobiles in

> existence (with his shop in the background) and he also claims to have

> done some work for a particular C&W music celebrity.

>

> Four months later I called him to ask him what was taking so long and he

> gave me various excuses that seemed to me to be legitimate so I said I

> understood and that I would wait patiently.  After another four months,

> and not even a phone call, I drove to his place of business and

> explained how upset I was with the lack of respect I was being shown and

> that I would be coming by every week until he finished the work.  After

> returning to his shop the following week I realized that my car was not

> being worked on at all so I called my attorney for advice.  He advised

> that I should, once again, go to his place of business and explain that

> I wanted the vehicle immediately, finished or not or that I would go to

> the Police with a complaint of unauthorized use of a movable.  When I

> arrived at his shop Bob Miller explained that the only thing that they

> had left to do was get the tires on and that he would personally deliver

> it within two days with the money he owed me (I ended up purchasing the

> tires myself to hurry things up).  After three days he drove, not towed,

> the car into my driveway without any of the work done and none of the

> money and said he would pay me back as soon as possible.  I told him

> that I wanted some good faith money and when he said that he did not

> have anything on him I explained that if he didn't have some of the

> money he owed me by the following day at noon I would take whatever

> steps were necessary.  I also said to him, "I don't care if it's ten

> dollars, just have it to me by noon tomorrow."  Needless to say, I am

> writing this three days later and not even a phone call from him.

>

> After some research I have come to find out that he has filed bankruptcy

> before (Classic Auto Restoration), and that he has some serious

> liability to the IRS for not reporting some of his auto restoration

> income so I am convinced that he will file bankruptcy again and that I

> will probably never receive any of the money that is owed to me.

> However, I would sure like to make sure that he pays for what he has

> done to me by not being allowed to do this to anyone else.  Would you

> folks please help to make HIS life miserable for a change?

>

> Thanks for your consideration,

>

> Dick Williams

>

Dick: from Kirk Bailey, Toronto



1. I'm happy you did at least get your car back---to have lost that too

would have been a major blow--you did get away relatively cheap all

considered.

2. You are best to get a parts catalog from the major Pantera parts

guys-I've dealt with Gary Hall, Mike Cook, Cory Gehling in Wisconsin and

Pantera East in Florida- they are all first class! Acquire all the parts

you need yourself!

3. Find a good Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer in your home town- Baton

Rouge must have a number of good Ford or Linc-Merc dealers. Take your

parts and a Pantera manual to them and have them do the work. Ford

didn't import Panteras into Canada but I have one here in Toronto that

was originally a US car. I needed work done beyond my abilities--I took

it to Bay Lincoln-Mercury in Toronto. They had never sold one BUT- one

of their mechanics is a car nut and he asked to have my Pantera assigned

to him. He loved working on it! He did a great job! If a Ford dealer

screws up, there is a chain of command right up to the Ford CEO!

4. If you aren't a POCA (Pantera Owners Club of America)--join

immediately and then ask other Pantera owners in Louisiana and

neighbouring states for recommendations. Otherwise plan a trip to

California and have Gary Hall or Mike Cook or any of the other

California Pantera guys do the work.or Pantera Performance in Colorado.

or call the guy at Pantera East in Florida and ask for recommendations.



Regards



Kirk Bailey, red 71 #1907, Toronto Canada