This would be my first question as well...Without knowing the circumstances and budget number for the work everything is just speculation for what happened..And this is where you get into trouble...I know plenty of reputable shops that will not take the job before they will "work within the budget" then get flamed after the fact..What's going on here is a perfect example..

Surely you're not suggesting that such hideous workmanship is somehow defensible, based on cost or any other factor.

The body & paint were $16,500 alone, with 2 lower quarter patch panels the only panel replacement.
This was a 75,000 mile dry Nevada car.
Total bill was over $47,000, without drivetrain & suspension, which were handled separately elsewhere.
That's a big ticket in that timeframe, and I'm having to correct some of that as well. Including sourcing missing inner parts.
In 40+ years of working/managing shops, both restoration & high-end collision, we dealt with a lot of folks with tight budgets.
Sometimes you had to turn them away, but to hack the vehicle was unthinkable.
I've never seen or allowed such crap - essentially dishonest & fraudulent work - not once, even if we didn't make much margin on it.
One weld or panel like that, you'd be gone within the hour. And it would be corrected at shop expense.
As for "skim-coats" and filler-primers like Alu-spray or Feather-fill:
I never wanted to see more bondo than required for proper finishing - or certainly anything that appeared beaten with a ball-peen hammer.
Feather-fill or Alu-spray (blocked, obviously) leave a better and more durable surface for paint.
I've seen the cars 30 years later, no deterioration.

It is great to see so many people ride in and claim that they would never allow this sort of work in their shop.
Of course they wouldn't but what boss oversees every step the employees make? I suspect that a lot of work never gets seen. The Boss may ask for a progress report and get one, then go back to answering phone calls, dealing with customers, ordering supplies, etc.

I can tell by statements using featherfill that your body work skills and knowledge are quiet old, maybe not bad but out dated . im out dated as well ,but the products that I use are still available. that being said (jokingly) . After reading most of this I have to ask how you came by the information that Julius did the work ? I believe someone else said it was done by somebody else. I am not defending anyone here or there , but asking the question why do raise so much hell, you did not pay for the "shoddy work". if I understand correctly you bought the car in its current condition . if you bought the car under the impression that the repair work was excellent from the previous owner then ui would think your beef is with him. not all previous owners are 100% honest or accurate. I hate seeing a third party complaint that comes from a second party conversation.
I agree that I probably would have been happy with surprise you received , but I really don't believe its fair to hammer somebody else 's work with out all the facts . the old phrase coms to mind "buyer beware", meaning check it out good .

That is embarrassing.

Something doesn't balance out here...
Southern California has the most stringent air pollution standards anywhere, an average complete paint job for multiple stage base/clear coats (water-based) start @ $25K not counting any prep and/or metal work...
Thats why in SoCal if a car guy wants a cheaper paint job, they go to Nevada and get a single stage paint job for $12K....


Just my $0.02...

Yeah, I use the "featherfill" term like "kleenex" for facial tissue. And I guess I am old.
The loophole for avoiding waterborne is to bring it in from out-of-state.
Before someone attacks, I'm not endorsing that, but it happens and did in this case.
Waterborne materials are much more expensive than solvent-base, not to mention the booth requirements, etc.
Whatever happened here, it's obviously substandard quality vs what's advertised.
We're fixing that by stripping & re-doing the car, but the shock of what we found pi**es me off especially after being BS'd by the man himself.

I hate body shops you just cant be present the whole time the work is being performed,you can stop by from time to time & inspect the work performed but have no idea what lays underneath,this is why rat rods make so much sense.

They should be taking many pics as work progresses!! No Excuses. With digital camera/phones these days; no excuse like older times where 35mm film had to be bought & processes. The only $$ involved would be the few minutes to snap a shot. If they "resist", then walk away, they aren't too proud of their work they do/

I hear ya. Or if I take my daily driver, even my classic, to a garage and they won't let me in the garage for "Insurance reasons", I will walk away as well.

Body shops could install Live stream cameras, so you can watch whenever you want and they think they're always being watched.

complaining about body shops seems to be a regular thing on moparts, and by no means am I in anybody's corner , while I do restoration work also and shody work is not something I do at any price. I always give it my beast whether it be quoted or hourly. as it should be. however when unforeseen issues come up it should be documented and discussed with the customer. way to often that is where the problem comes in ,usually those decisions are based on financial factors established by the customer, at that point the shop has a decision to make ,and that is where the second issues comes in to play. the shop has to decide to compromise his work ethics or stand his ground , and possibilly lose the customer. . in most cases the shop compromises and for financial reasons, (the first sing that your in the wrong shop) its a 2 fold problem that's for sure . as for stopping by the shop everyday that's fine with me, then the customer can see what we have to do , everything is not a ten minute job and just because we do it for a living doesn't mean its easy for us. just like your job , not everyday is a good day. to put things in perspective . How much do get paid for your job and what tools of your trade does it take compaired to the resto shops investment to do his . of course that has nothing to do with shody work .