The painter had not called, but I headed over about 3:30 to take a look at progress. As it turns out, all the problems with the finish were not in the clear coat layer, but the color layer. So the vehicle went through prep again to fix the problems, and I found the vehicle completely re-shot with the color coat (hood removed). We walked around to inspect, and I must say it looked extremely good (this time). They were preparing to shoot the clear coat when I left. It will cure until later in the week, then polish, reassemble and hope springs eternal I'll get it back next weekend.
It appears that he farmed it out to a friend...who did a poor job. That friend was there with him yesterday, and was in no mood to be sociable. Ha! I suspect that he got his butt chewed...and the boss had to fix all his problems and do the job himself.
What's to learn from this? I guess I would say that out-of-the-mainstream budget jobs require a lot of patience. I have the time and patience to "maintain an even strain" (another term from The Right Stuff) to see it through. I know this painter has the skill. I'm disappointed that he would not do the job himself. His decision came back to bite him in the butt. He had to invest a lot more time and all the materials a second time. I've just remained patient and kept the soft-peddled pressure on him to deliver. I have the luxury of being able to do this because the vehicle is not needed as a daily driver, and I have the time to give it. Considering the fairly incredible price he is doing it for, I can be patient. Some might say I'm getting what I paid for. That's true from a perspective of time; we've been at this for months now. But we'll end with a terrific new finish...and then the fun can begin.
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