Newly painted w/ scratches and swirls. What to do?

[69L78]

I had the same problem when I had the vinyl top put on my 69 Chevelle, when I took it to the ulpholstery shop, the paint was perfect and when I went to pick it up, there were fine scratches all over the quarter's on both sides. The scratches did buff out completely, but I would not let them do it, a friend of mine details cars for a living, and is one of the best I know with a buffer. If the guy who buffed it before couldn't get all the scratches out, there is no way I would let him buff it again, what makes you believe he could do an excellent job the 3rd time.

[Tim Greer]

Exactly, if he didn't do a good job the first time, second or third, let alone have the respect, caring or capacity to even "recognize" the problem that existed when I looked at it, I don't have faith he can buff it out. There's still the question of *if* he was, how it would actually look, and I wonder how much of the clear would be burned through at that point? I suppose it would be a question of caring about it or not at that point, rather than having someone reshoot the entire thing. The problem is the scratches and scuffs and swirls that might be deeper than he can buff out, but like you said, even if they could be, _he_ is not _able_ to, in which case someone else would maybe.

I do think they could prep and reshoot it all and reclear it all, and it would be fine. However, I'm not sure they will. I don't know if they'll have to, but I just get the impression that they will. My father will say one way or the other, and if that's not good enough for them to agree, if they are still proud of the work, I'll get other body shops to say so, as well as some members of the classic muscle car club I belong to.

They still might refuse and say we're all being picky or they might accuse me of trying to get out of paying them, but if they did the job they were supposed to, I would pay them no problem. Therefore, I'll offer them to re-do it right, and then I'll pay them. That's all I want. The thing that bugs me so badly, is that they should know this and it's supposed to come out of their shop with a perfect paint job (or close to it). I don't like all of this re-fixing the scratches and I just foresee a problem, but maybe it'll work out... and maybe they can buff them out (someone else, not this same guy).

I just have doubts. I'm hoping for the best, but I also won't accept shoddy work... and I'm not going to allow them to keep stalling on this car either. This is very frustrating and it allows the body shop to put people into a situation where they feel like their car could be basically held hostage if they don't pay for poor quality work (and that's not going to happen here, but I can't wait months more either). Ugh!