It might help if I lived in Sacramento -- but thanks anyway!
Jeff in SAN DIEGO :-)
----- Original Message -----
From: Garner, Joseph P. <JPGarner@UCDavis.Edu>
To: 'Jeff McNeal' <jmcneal@ohms.com>; Spitfire List
<spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2000 10:16 AM
Subject: RE: LBC prejuduce sure stings... (long)
>
> I jeff, I have found two places up here which will work on spits...
>
> http://www.britishcarspecialists.com/ in stockton (40 miles south of
> sacramento)
>
> and
>
> http://www.britcars.com/ which is 30 miles east of sacramento
>
> both of these places are very helpful and spitfire-friendly
>
> hope that helps
>
> cheers
>
> Joe
>
> ___________________________
>
> Dr. Joseph Garner
> University of California
> Department of Animal Science
> One Shields Avenue
> Davis
> CA 95616
> USA
>
> Phone: (530) 754 5291
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jeff McNeal [mailto:jmcneal@ohms.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 4:00 PM
> > To: Spitfire List
> > Subject: LBC prejuduce sure stings... (long)
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello all,
> >
> > High RPM's or not, I braved the freeway for the first time
> > this afternoon in
> > my car (without a rolllbar, even!) to get an estimate for the
> > body work that
> > I want to have done.
> >
> > The car did just fine, but due to my concerns about the revs,
> > I kept it
> > under 65 MPH, driving in the slow lane at about 60 MPH for
> > the most part.
> > The wind in my hair on this beautiful day felt awesome.
> >
> > I pulled into a body shop recommended to me by the guys who
> > mounted and
> > balanced my wire wheels. The owner wasn't around, but one of
> > his employees
> > (the painter) came out with a big grin on his face and regaled me with
> > stories about the Triumph Spitfire his buddy used to have in
> > 1972. This guy
> > obviously appreciated the car and asked to see under the
> > bonnet. He felt
> > confident that they could do a great job prepping the car for
> > me. Another
> > employeed ambled out and stood there staring at the car for
> > awhile. I went
> > ahead and left my name and number and left -- I had to stop
> > at NAPA up the
> > street to buy some brake cleaner anyway. Perhaps when I came
> > back on my
> > return trip, the owner would be back to give me an estimate.
> >
> > Well, I was glad to discover that he was back and he sort of grumbled
> > because he was trying to eat the lunch he'd just gone out to
> > get and cut me
> > off in mid-sentence after asking me what I wanted done to
> > walk back inside
> > and take care of some other business. Not a good sign. He
> > emerged from his
> > office a minute or two later. "I wouldn't be interested in
> > touching this
> > car", he said brusquely. I was so shocked and dumbfounded
> > that I just said
> > "fine", got in and drove off. I stopped at two more body
> > shops. One of
> > them was called "European Auto Body" -- I figured that they
> > wouldn't be
> > interested either, given all the crunched Mercedes Benz
> > scattered around in
> > their lot. The lady sneered over the desk in the office
> > after I asked if
> > they worked on British cars, being as how they were European
> > and all...
> > "What year is it?", she offered. "1967", said. "Sorry, we
> > can't do it."
> > This time I asked "Why not? Parts are readily available!"
> > The best she
> > could come up with was "We just don't work on cars that old".
> > I asked her
> > for a suggestion and she mentioned a third shop around the corner.
> >
> > The third shop owner wasn't as curt or rude as the first two,
> > but he was
> > clearly uninterested. "If you can even find someone to do
> > this, it's going
> > to cost you ten grand", he said. (ten grand!!??) He
> > mentioned an "Aussie"
> > in a nearby town that does "good work" and might be able to
> > help, but he
> > couldn't tell me his name or the name of his shop.
> >
> > Three strikes. Arc welding and body shaping are NOT two skills I am
> > interested in acquiring, and it pisses me off (sorry) that
> > people who are
> > supposed to be in the business of fixing cars can act so
> > damned particular.
> >
> > Anyway, as I was driving my car on the freeway over the Lake
> > Hodges bridge,
> > watching the sun glinting off the water, my disappointment
> > was tempered in
> > the knowledge that a few rust bubbles notwithstanding -- I
> > can still enjoy
> > the pleasure of driving my car. But it's sure frustrating to
> > want to spend
> > the money to do things right and find that you just can't find anyone
> > willing to help. Sure, there are other body shops around and
> > next time I'll
> > call first. I'm sure I can find SOMEONE who will help, but
> > for right now, I
> > feel pretty dejected.
> >
> > Any listers in San Diego with a MIG welder and the skill to
> > use it looking
> > to make a few bucks in my garage in their spare time? By
> > hook or crook, I
> > WILL restore this car. Has anyone else run up against local
> > resistance to
> > body work like this? And if you'd seen my car, you KNOW it's
> > not even a
> > basket case or anything! What's WRONG with these people!!??
> >
> > Best wishes,
> >
> > Jeff in San Diego
> > '67 RHD Spitfire Mk3 aka "Mrs. Jones"
> > www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
> >
> >
>
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