My Experience With Jeff Kleiner Part 1

[Mark Eaton]

Jeff Kleiner, I feel your pain. I truly do. If I still lived in Indiana I would buy you a beer.

[WBILB]

Jeff just informed me that I'm next up after getting on the "list" in June of 2019. In my experience, all gifted, and talented "Artists" (Jeff surely is one) such as portrait painters, custom boot makers, car painters, custom interior guys and others seem to have a different perspective when it comes to time in general. Not to put too fine a point on it, I remember the saying "The good stuff ain't cheap and the cheap stuff ain't good" perhaps "The good stuff ain't fast and the fast stuff ain't good" applies even better. Yeah Jeff could communicate a little better, but after much research and many conversations with other Cobra owners there is no one I would have do my car then Jeff Kliner. Get over it he's an "Artist" in every sense of the word.

[GoDadGo]

Maybe we should all send our future builds to Dave Kindig or Chip Foose going forward.
I'm sure the quality and price of either of these shops will be pretty good.
Yes, I Work With Sarcasm Like An Artist Works With Oils!
It is how I make my living so forgive me.

[rich grsc]

Maybe we should all send our future builds to Dave Kindig or Chip Foose going forward.
I'm sure the quality and price of either of these shops will be pretty good.
Yes, I Work With Sarcasm Like An Artist Works With Oils!
It is how I make my living so forgive me.

Nope, send them to the complainers, and see how well they handle a half dozen or more cars to be prepped and painted. All during a pandemic, with sick family members out of state.

[Jetfuel]

...you can't rush perfection...

jet

[BEAR-AvHistory]

NO YOU DON'T - So lighten up Francis.

The horse is dead & the jury of public opinion finds for the defendant. Really hate these kinds of he said she said threads against a specific individual. Especially one who has demonstrated over a long period of time his skill, unselfishness & willingness to help even though he will get no monetary gain.

[RaserX]

I don't drink, but I live close enough to buy him a beer some day soon.I wouldn't mind swinging by sometime to check the place out.

[wareaglescott]

Never paid Jeff to paint a car but I can tell you he has given me plenty of free advice and is a great asset to the community. Have his number in my phone and I know he is someone I can call on and is always happy to help.

Everyone isn’t going to be pleased all the time. The totality of the overall satisfaction with Jeff’s operation is a strong statement for what he offers! This thread can continue to go back and forth with no resolution.

[GoDadGo]

Carl,

Your post from your build thread is a 180-degree about-face compared to this thread.

Understand that oftentimes a sag or other flaws will show up a few weeks after a car has been painted...Basically, the material shrinks as it degasses so I've had to deal with a few issues that were easily corrected with a little 2000 grit wet sanding and proper buffing...I guess you were having a really bad day and had to kick the dog when you got home, but didn't have a dog to kick so you kicked Jeff instead...What perplexes and/or baffles me is on your build thread you praise Jeff while the other you crucify him.

I had to double-check both threads to make sure you were the same forum member.

Steve

NOTE:..My car was colorized at my pal Ernie's shop and he's only been professionally painting cars since 1978 yet we still had a few issues to deal with after it cured.

https://youtu.be/9WEe6-wdNtA

It's Christmas Eve Morning, 5:00am. I just woke up and the first thought on my mind was the beautiful Factory Five 20th Anniversary Mk4 that is sitting in my garage. I just walked out, turned on the 15, 4 ft long LED shop lights and lit the garage up like the operating room of your local hospital (67,500 lumens). Bam, it really hits me, Santa came early. Look at the body work results that Jeff Kleiner gave me. In earlier posts, I shared several photos that Jeff Kleiner sent me of the body work he was doing on the car. I truly did not understand how his experience and knowledge of these cars and the work he was showing in those photos would create the final outcome that it did.

Look these photos, NOT for the shinny Porsche Carmine Red w/metallic gray stripe paint job, everyone can see that, but rather look at the fitment of the panels, the precision of the gaps and cutouts. The body work and adjustment made to the hood, trunk and door hinges. I remember when I put it together in gelcoat how much trouble I had getting it to come close, and now I realize just how far off I really was.

This is what you pay for when you want and get great body work on your car.


Notice the door and body alignment, spot on.
Attachment 139803 Attachment 139804


Notice the uniform gaps and how the hood and trunk are level with the rest of the body.
Attachment 139805 Attachment 139806
Attachment 139807 Attachment 139808 Attachment 139809



Notice the straight, smooth cuts on the body openings
Attachment 139810 Attachment 139814



Add it all together with a quality paint job, a fantastic cut and buff, and this is what you end up with. Bravo Jeff Kleiner.
Attachment 139812

[edwardb]

This is an unfortunate thread IMO. The usual he-said and he-said and somewhere in there is the whole story. Public service? Doesn’t seem like it. More like an airing of grievances and should be worked out in private between the affected parties. What’s really to be gained? Jeff has been one of the longest running contributors and gives freely of his time whether on the forum, texting, or phone. Has certainly helped me. The experience he brings to prepping and painting these cars is only available at a handful of places in the country. And the price? Well let’s just say I’ve had to make progress payments for more than this total job.

Does Jeff have a commercial shop with a full booth, etc.? No. Is he one person. Yes. Can schedules which aren’t always predictable suddenly become exact. No. Can communication be improved? Always, and that’s probably true for all of us. But better to be in the shop working than continuously hanging out on-line or on the phone. Like always, a balance is necessary.

Do paint jobs sometimes require correction after “finished”? Yes. Every one that I’ve had done, for way more money, has. Can be approached constructively or otherwise. Was the overall timeline longer than promised and expected? Yes. Probably not that it will make you feel any better, but that’s very typical in this business. If you were to do a survey of all the body and paint work purchased by forum members, almost certain you’d find your final timeline was on the low end. Talk to some of the guys who’ve had their cars at Whitby, for example. Ask them about price too…

Interesting that the engine problem which mucked up the schedule is treated as “normal” while Jeff’s “delays” are treated as unacceptable. Then there are family emergencies that have to be dealt with. That’s the right priority and perhaps a little more empathy would help? Life isn’t only about these cars.

At the end of the day, part of maturity is balancing expectations with reality and reacting appropriately. Without (hopefully) sounding too much like a grizzled old man or someone willing to accept compromise. High expectations and standards are great, and I’m right there too. But sometimes life deals lemons and we need to be ready to make the best of it. When it’s all done, looking back, I wonder how all of this matters? You have a great car that you were lucky to get in the first place (all the 25th anniversary cars were gone…), built it faster than maybe only the pro builders, and have had a chance to drive it extensively (Power Tour, etc., right?). And helped extensively BTW by the forum you’re posting this in including Jeff. Now you have a very reasonable and nice-looking paint job that you've bragged about in other posts as several have pointed out. Perhaps a little perspective is in order.

I’m not interested in a back and forth and won’t respond. Just wanted to state my impressions FWIW as another long-time forum member and contributor. I’m out.

[cv2065]

Understand that oftentimes a sag or other flaws will show up a few weeks after a car has been painted.

Sags in the clear coat happen a few weeks after the car has been painted? I've never heard of that unless there was an adhesion issue.

[David Hodgkins]

This thread is lingering, with nothing being gained. It’s been open too long already, after both parties have had a chance to speak.

Thread closed.