This reply is what triggered me. “Thursday to Sunday, trying to get it done”
- Thursday – July 20th
- Friday – July 21st
- Saturday – July 22nd – CAR IS SUPPOSE TO BE COMPLETE
- Sunday – July 23rd
So what happened since the pick up June 3rd to July 19th? How come nobody said anything to me? No real updates with pictures.
Post argument: before the highlighted part – “problems/rust in a short amount of time“. Short amount of time due to WAITING LAST MINUTE. Again.
I’ve addressed the cost issue in other posts. But the only cost incurred on his part the recent pick up of the car to go back to AZ. Again, if this was done RIGHT AND COMPLETE the 1st time, Sakura Garage wouldn’t have to pick up my car again. I shouldn’t have to pay for someone’s incomplete work/mistakes.
Let’s look at the texts.
May 30th 2023
We planned for the car to get picked up. I offered the refund of my last payment of $1500 if he was too busy or didn’t want to do it.
Let me break down his comments.
- He was doing this as a side job for no money – but he offered to do the car and I PAID EVERYTIME THEY ASKED.
- $12k -$18k for his Z customers. I have never seen any of those cars/paint jobs in his shop. Personally, I think he is bluffing as nothing in there suggested that quality. My car isn’t a full, replace floor board restoration anyways.
- Splitting the hood took 1 day to do and in a week, it was completed. BTW, his dad Chuck did that work. I don’t think Greg would have gotten that far (couldn’t fix my running board initially)
- Greg keeps deflecting to other people taking time. The motor being complete or incomplete has nothing to do with the body work I wanted for my car.
- Completing an engine in no time, but how about focus on the actually job you were paid to focus and do. Don’t worry about the engine, worry about the body work and paint.
June 1st and 2nd 2023 – I offered the refund option again and said I’ll pay for repairs
*Also note: “I’ll pay for that since it needs repairs”.
June 3rd 2023 – July 22nd 2023
Greg picked up the car and said it would only take “2 weeks“. I DEFINITELY didn’t believe him.
If he is projecting “2 weeks SHOULD work”, then he probably hasn’t started on the car. If he did start on the car, he would have given me a more accurate timeframe or even say something or complain how there’s issues and how long they would take to redo.
“You don’t need to message every day”. Really?.. because the communication and work wasn’t getting done.
June 30th, 2023
July 3rd, 2023
He asked about the repairs/repaint and I replied with “Yes”. NEVER ASKING FOR A FREEBIE. I also asked if he NEED MORE TIME.
So I wouldn’t be able to get my car (as I said I would rent a Uhaul and take it back to LA) until the weekend of July 22nd. During that time, there would be no response:
I told him I need to know because I am flying there, renting a Uhaul truck and trailer, towing the car to LA and flying out the next day. *There was no sign of distress or “I need money” or “I need more time” Which ARE the excuses to deflect from a rushed job.
NO COMMUNICATION SAYING THE CAR IS NOT DONE
JULY 22nd 2023
After landing, going to Uhaul and gonig to Sakura Garage, I waited because they were at lunch. When they finally arrived, Greg said, “We have problems”… and when I saw my car JUST started to be sanded… I knew he had slacked off until.
Conclusion
NOT to say the car had some imperfections from working on it, removing fenders… so there were some chips and scratches here, but nothing that cutting and buffing couldn’t take care of for the most part. The other part that I mentioned to them was the rear bumper which was cracked and repaired by the person who damaged it. I know he fixed it, but I’m sure that Sakura Garage smoothed it out. Again, I don’t take anything away from the WORK HE ACTUALLY DOES and if my car was completed, I would pay for additional costs to make it complete.
The whole process was UNPROFESSIONAL. No communication and sloppy rushed work. SAYING YOU HAD 4 DAYS to work on it was total falsehood. I felt that the car was put off until the last 3 days to get worked on and rushing to get so much done backfired on him. Bad time management.
So it makes me think what happened June 4th to July 20th? Obviously nothing, probably was sitting in the lot.
Here is the car when Greg/Sakura Garage picked it up on June 3rd, 2023.
Final thought: When I saw my car in pieces… I thought to myself, “let me try and help to get this done”. Greg offered me to stay in a hotel while Luke and him try to finish up. I said I was there to help too. Now, I hate that it came to this conclusion. I do enjoy hanging with friends and working on cars. I just wish Greg/Sakura Garage didn’t waste time. That’s the biggest thing, he wasted my time and took my goodwill towards him for granted.