how could one butcher this valuable t-5 cab

[George Hussey]

We worked on this car mechanically several years ago while in its original faded and a bit rusted state, but a good preservation car. Finally just recently, the car showed back in our shop all clean and fresh looking, the proud owner wanting us to reassemble it

[George Hussey]

looks pretty good "huh" Well it is not

[George Hussey]

As you can see by the following pictures, some body man paid no attention what so ever to fitting the doors and deck lids, and hence NOTHING fits.

[George Hussey]

hard to see, but the front hood overlaps the front panel, the right door front gap comes and goes, the rocker panel goes from round to flat and back again

[George Hussey]

the doors do not fit the holes, sag down at the rear and do not close unless original factory metal would be cut away

[George Hussey]

the rear rack has been painted red, the paint already flaking off the door latch side

[George Hussey]

and doors and deck lids are so close to the quarter panels and fenders, that chipping has already started.

The only solution is to dismantle the car, media blast all of the paint, and start all over again. Door bottoms, fender dog legs, and the usual repair panels, all to be realigned and then re welded. WHAT A MESS! Nothing that a couple of months of an experts time will not cure.
So this 125 to 150 thousand dollar car has been reduced to a 75 grand beater, IF one can get the doors to close!!!!!! What a butchered mess. (and I thought that I was critical of my t-5s!)

[George Hussey]

I guess this relieved place on both sides of the hood is to get a finger in to lift!

[Dan Epperly]

Wow.
Did you have the heart to point all this out to the proud owner?
A friend of mine owns a VW bus restoration shop and some of the stuff I've seen roll in from other shops and th rmoney people paid and the level of cluelessness by th owners over how poor the quality is never ceases to amaze me. You can see why some guys produce these hack jobs, it appears many people simply don't notice!

[Sebastian Gaeta]

nm

[George Hussey]

yes I had to break his heart, I was not going to be complicit. If after he saw this and wanted to continue a reassembly, then we would do it for him. He wanted to continue.

Wow.
Did you have the heart to point all this out to the proud owner?
A friend of mine owns a VW bus restoration shop and some of the stuff I've seen roll in from other shops and th rmoney people paid and the level of cluelessness by th owners over how poor the quality is never ceases to amaze me. You can see why some guys produce these hack jobs, it appears many people simply don't notice!

[George Hussey]

I went home and felt my body lines, just to make myself feel better (LOL)

[Martin Benade]

Is there any chance that it was an inexpensive job and it's good enough to make him happy? Maybe he got what he paid for.

[Steve Harrison]

Fitment?,...yea, that’s where the main problem lies,...but get a gander at all that orange peel,..no,..not orange peel, an orange is not that rough. Wavy Gravy is more like it.
You are right George,...Butcher job.

That beast needs a full restoration,..of it’s ‘restoration’.

[Steve Harrison]

BTW,...say hey to Pete for me.
Haven’t talked to him in quite a while. Hope he’s doing all right.