I thought I would log on after a brief hiatus and update everyone on the status of my 1955 F100. With the help of so many people on here and online research I had built my truck myself and used it as a daily driver for a little over 2 years. I'm sure most of you know the glow and feeling of driving around one of these old beasts and especially if you really slave over it too. Well after working really hard, saving my money and doing some research I decided to take it to Bobs F100's in Riverside. What a mistake and an absolute nightmare. After 6 months of excuses, lack of communication, and disorganization, I now have to tow... yes tow my truck out of their shop and to somewhere else where they are going to finish it. Never have I see such a lack of leadership and outright unprofessional-ism.

After giving them a 30 day extension to wrap everything up I called and said "So I am going down today as agreed to pick up my truck". The response was "Ok, she'll be ready for you no problem. Come on down". I was very excited to finally sit in my truck again and get her on the road. I'm a young guy and worked so hard to get money together to take it to a pro to take it where my skills and experience didn't allow me. People in my family were equally as excited to see if finally get finished and my parents and grandparents even lent me the extra money I didn't have (all of which I already paid back). Among the long list of things that were to be done included a Volare front end, 4 link, all new wiring, tilt front hood, new bed,bed wood, fenders, body work, paint, interior, posi, second tank etc. SO after many failed attempts to pick it up. I took more time off of work and drove 1hr and 45min in traffic (I live in LA) to the shop. This would be the 3rd time I was told it was done. I get there and see it on jack stands with the hood open. Not only was 40% of what I paid for not done but the paint was scratched, chipped, and not matching. The tailgate didn't close, the bed was off, the tilt hood was put on incorrectly and NOT bolted together. It sat a good 1/2 inch above the fenders. My battery was dead, brand new Diamond back white walls scuffed, and steering column installed wrong just to start. One "tech/mechanic" couldn't get a door handle on that fell off....so he threw it at David in front of me and yelled "Bob sells **** to all his customers, I can't work with this and I'm not touching this truck anymore". I was less than 5 feet away.

Others have mentioned this before and I kept a close eye on him in regards to billing but things he quoted me for were grossly overcharged. The paint alone was 2k more then he quoted me and it's unfinished! Parts were double charged, parts missing, and work paid for that was never completed but which I was told was done. I am in shock that we agreed to a price where he said "I am charging you X amount" then I see it on a bill and it's twice as much! They still suggested I leave with the truck and come back with a "bitch list" of things that I wanted redone. I got in the truck to test it out since I drove all the way out there and discovered that I could barely keep it on the road. The wheel had more play then my Toyota box I put on myself, my HID headlights were gone and in place were stock headlamps which 1 was already burnt out, the brake lights didn't work, nor did the brakes. My dash was covered in scratches and sharpe pen marks from where they cut the dash for my AC. The motor was slower then when I brought it in and the belts screeched from the second you turn it on, my $300 head unit was propped up on a block of wood and fell out of my glove box. I was told "this is the best we could do on a stereo install". I swear these things happened as unbelievable as they may seem.

Needless to say this project which I had such high hopes for going into this shop has turned into a disaster. I now have to come up with money to get it fixed as I have zero faith in that shop or their skill set. For example, the door wouldn't close when I got there and they kept slamming in. I asked for a Phillips head screwdriver and adjusted the striker plate on the cab. In less then 2 minutes I diagnosed the problem and fixed it myself. I was told this issue took them 2 hours to work with. I really am at a loss for words and am in awe at the mistreatment and disrespect I was show in this facility. 20k went to nothing, I have no car, I'm using the bus and a skateboard to get to work in LA, and Bob is out of the country for another 2 weeks. I am sure this is not going to go down lightly but I am going to seek a solution to this outlandish treatment.I was called 5 times in a row when my card didn't go through due to bank fraud protection. Bob started yelling at me for his money which I calmly addressed the issue and had him paid the next day. Then I go to call and can't get a single answer or him on the phone and when I do I was fed lies and BS. Great customer/client service and trust building.

I just wanted to let my fellow truck enthusiasts in So Cal to know what they might be in for in case this shop is in consideration for your project. David as well as the other mechanics pulled me aside in some sort of consoling manner to let me know that people bring their trucks back a lot for incorrect work or projects run way over budget. I think it's time to get the word out beforehand instead of after the fact and thousands down the drain. I really hope this is resolved in a timely manner, I guess we shall see.

 

thats evil. They deserve to get their @$$e$ Kicked.....sorry your experience you shared riled me up! Thats just so wrong its....oh that kills me. I know how it is with saving money and obsessing over my truck and the hours I put into building it. You deserve your finished truck. They are lousy people. Gosh that makes me mad!

 

He's been 100% paid off at this point. I have all the bank statements and card statements to prove he has almost 21k. The sad thing is that looking at the truck there are so many things that were billed but never done. It was just hard to keep going over there all the time to check up so I had to go on the mans word. My lawyer that I keep on retainer as well as a second one has already been contacted and I have another shop that is getting my truck in the morning. They are going to do a thorough estimate of the cost to fix it and an assessment of Bob's invoices vs. what the truck shows up with when they get it. More heartbreaking than anything is to wait so long, especially when I always babied that truck and it's sitting in the back covered in dust and grease. He really took the money and ran. I'm 32 and while not a kid I still don't have the money to play around with cars like my grandparents and parents friends do. I went from driving a cool truck I built myself to riding my skateboard and fall just hit. Awesome...

 

over 20 grand?... damn.. I'd done more for 15!

Sorry it was such a nightmare... There's two reasons I don't farm out my work. Lack of trust in folks to do a decent job.... and lack of funds to pay someone else to do it...

 

File a complaint with the Riverside Better Business Bureau, might save somebody else from having to go what you are going thru, though I don't think you are the first.

 

I wish that I could say that I have never heard a story like this about Bob's, but it would be a lie. A guy came to one of our club members (Pickups Limited San Diego) with his 56 truck and wanted to have it fixed. Bob's had supposedly rebuilt the Y-block, rebuilt the transmission, and installed a new wiring harness. When the guy brought the truck here it would barely run...the owner had spent $18K and the truck was in worse shape than when he first took it to Bob's. After opening up the engine it was obvious that it had not been rebuilt and the little work that was done was poor at best. The owner was encouraged to take Bob's to court but he declined saying that he had been so abused by Bob's that he just wanted to get his truck fixed and move on. Another sad story but maybe if he had followed through with a lawsuit then good folks like yourself wouldn't have to suffer.
Get a hold of our sister chapter, Pickups Limited of Orange County, and talk to Ed Oe (edsF100 here on FTE) or Steve Stillwell...they can lead you in the right direction when it comes to getting reputable support for your truck in your area.

 

thanks for posting, i've been thinking of getting a cab from bobs. now i'll source it somewhere else.

 

Your experience at that business has really got my ire up too. I bet (he-they) were taking your good parts and selling them to some body else or taking them home for their own use. This really pisses me off. I would have been happy to help you build your truck to your specifications for the experience and beer, all you would have had to do is supply the parts.

Get a can of gas and a match. ahhh, don't do that. He'll just collect the insurance and run off leaving all his customers in a huge mess.

 

I've got beer if you'll come do mine!

 

Don't forget to get at least two independant inspections done as to the condition its been left in. You might well be able to claim a fair wedge of your money back...

 

I am outraged by this. We have all had unskilled folks work on our trucks and been disappointed, but this is a breach of contract plain and simple. Get your lawyer to go after that SOB. I've seen his ad in Classic Trucks for years, but since I live on the East coast, I've never dealt with him. I am so sorry, I think we all feel your pain. If it makes you feel any better, (and it probably won't) I had my door skins warped beyond repair by a guy who didn't adjust the pressure on the sand blaster. When I wanted him to compensate me, he sicked his dog on me. I've paid $2500 for a paint job that was so bad it's taken my two years to get it ready for paint. I don't know if you get Classic Trucks,but the editor Jim Rizzo is a great guy. I know he would be quite upset that his mag is using Bob's ads. His email is jim.rizzo@ sorc.com. If you don't want to email him I will. I've been in touch with him many times and is the real deal. Don't give up. I wish you lived near me, I'd be glad to help.

 

I appreciate all of the support and am going to pursue this legally. I know that his response is going to be "Well just give me more time to fix it" but the trust is not there at all. I can't help but think of all the times he went off on tangents about his religion, character, being a good person and so on. Sometimes people really over talk that aspect because they know they are shady and untrustworthy so they overcompensate. My parts were missing and things that I ordered new, were old parts. My new door hinges at $50 a piece? Someone spray painted my old ones and tried to tell me they were new. My older/new tires were gone, my old stereo unit is missing, and my glove box is now broken and won't close. I bought a vintage air system and what he used was something that looks dated and pulled from storage.

I think that he looked at me and thought "Here is this enthusiastic kid with some money to burn, he won't know the difference". Now of course that is speculation and putting words in his mouth but there really is no other way to look at it. I've built both classics and imports before and while I don't have the experience that comes with age. I really know what goes into these works of art with both money and hard work. I was mentioning things were 1/4" off just by looking at it, parts that were wrong, and other things. Once he knew that I knew what I was talking about the game started to change. He didn't want to talk to me anymore then left the country for a month which I probably funded.

3/4 of my tattoos are all car related so he had to have picked up a clue from that. It is a shame for sure. All I've ever wanted was an awesome old Ford. When I was 18 and bought one with my own money some kids ran a light a totaled it, at 21 I had a 56 and Mercedes lost control of their car and ran my truck off the freeway...totaled. I ended up with some Honda's and imports after that but have always been a classic truck guy at heart. So to be involved in this headache is just beyond me. I just started a new job as a Creative Director and all my focus should be on that but I can't let this go at all. Furthermore I would never wish this on anyone weather it be a new or old vehicle.

 

Thanks, I'd love to email him and I do love that magazine. Part of the reason I've known about Bob's was because I've been reading that publication since I was in my teens. Perhaps you can drop him a note just to give him a heads up that I will be emailing him so he doesn't get a rant from me out of the blue. I'm sure you can all tell that what I wrote isn't flooded with emotion like "F this guy, F that..." and a slew of obscenities. I really just want to get the word out so that people stop thinking this is a reputable shop. We all love these trucks and all work hard to put whatever we can into them and they really turn into a part of us. So when mistreatment, theft, and dishonesty in shops occurs it's like hurting someone in the family. If you can see in my picture the little skull on the hood. It's cheesy but it's something my Dad got for me over 10 years ago. I asked him to please put it aside, that it was from my dad and it meant a lot to me, of course it's lost now.

He sold my good stock parts to people, used lesser or used parts on mine and charged me more then the going rate, promised me to give me credit on things like my Lokar shifter, front suspension parts, and other things that were still good and didn't. He overcharged me and made money off of my stuff on top of that. It's illegal across the board. The fact that my motor feels like it has 1/2 the power is another issue I need to look into. I have a 460 and used to be able to chirp....no, smoke the tires. When I drove it I felt like it was going to die I think it's funny that I built it myself from tutorials and tips online, from talking people here, and just reading magazines. I did it in 3-4 months in my Dads garage and it ran for almost 3 years. 3 years of LA traffic, freeways, side streets rain and summer heat. He is a "Pro" has lifts and tons of tools, had it for 6.5 months and when I drove it less than a mile and I felt 100% unsafe. I said "You really think I should drive this in this condition? The hood doesn't close, the door doesn't close, I can't keep it straight, the headlight is out and the brake lights don't work". Their response, "Yeah, just drive it. I mean you can bring it back with your bitch list of things you're not happy with. Everyone leaves and comes back to get things adjusted". I politely declined and headed back home. There is a difference between adjustments and work not complete that has been paid in full.

 

Sorry folks, while needs to be heard we can`t host any legal or law suite discussions on FTE.
Ford Truck Enthusiasts - Discussion Forum Guidelines
8. Legal Actions .
You may not use this site to discuss or organize any legal action including, but not limited to, class-actions. FTE does not give legal advice or host legal discussion. If you have any legal questions or concerns, please consult your attorney.

 

Thanks for reopening the thread. I appreciate it and I think this does need to be heard so other locals and truck people don't get swindled. No more mention of legal stuff from me, I just wanted to get the facts out there.