Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted Mr. Johnny Dalton's company to have a 1951 Ford Woodie restored and brought up to a standard of being able to use it for long distance travel. He agreed that he was capable of completing this work to my satisfaction. However, upon delivery of the vehicle, it was far from this expectation and even unsafe. It immediately leaked fluids, the doors were not operational to a safe standard, the air conditioner did not function, etc. The vehicle was taken to a subsequent mechanic and then to another Car Restoration company  ** ******* to have be evaluated and have work redone that was either not completed or done incorrectly. Please see attached invoice from Dalton's Auto as well as documentation from ** ****** and a letter sent to Mr Dalton asking for compensation. Mr Dalton has replied with a poor explanation of his work and a minor check of $1100 without any regard to the cost of needing to extensive work redone or completed correctly.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2025

  Tell us why here...Dalton’s Auto Restoration LLC (DAR) knows the time to complete the car was longer than expected due to Covid and not receiving the frame from *** *** *********** until April 25th 2022! The frame customer ordered was delayed 8 months; nothing DAR could do about that except keep the customer informed of delays.  DAR stayed in touch via calls and 171 emails on progress on the 51 Ford and delays due to parts was also stated on invoice #**** many times the reasons for delays. The air condition system was also backordered causing delay.  The last parts we were waiting on were the wheels which did not arrive at DAR until October 2024. DAR did their best to keep you informed of parts delay and expected shipment time. DAR has no control over how long parts are delayed. DAR just finished a 1965 GT -350 Shelby which was also delayed due to parts. The Shelby won Concourse Award  at ********** ********* ********* in May 2025 it also won ****** ****** ***** ** **** **** ** ** in June 2025. DAR has been recognized nationally for outstanding work. DAR does regret that you had some issues with the 51 and the *** *** Frame. The 1951 woodie is a custom street rod with  30,000.00 parts removed and installed with many being custom parts. This complaint is on 10 items,  1. Door latches, 2. Power steering issue which is the responsibility of ****** ***********, 3. Horn, 4. Antifreeze / Thermostate housing, 5. Muffler which exhaust shop should have been notified, 6. The air conditioner which worked when serviced by a/c shop and the owner agreed worked when the car was picked up,  7. Plug wires touching headers, 8. Vacuum leak, 9. One Transmission bolt missing, 10. Steering linkage hitting column which hard to see how line up shop missed and no complaint of steering when car drove home.   The owner picked up the car and drove it from ***** to Lynchburg but called to say that it was heating but made the trip. DAR then installed a new radiator and the owner did not state there were heating problems after that, just the power steering leak which is *** ***** responsibility on their new frame bought by the customer. The last trip up to the owner was for no start condition, which came to find out the car was out of gas. DAR put gas in the car and it started right up, also showed that the gas gauge was working at the time as it did move when gas was added. The owner gave DAR some used wheels as payment for coming to his home that day. Dalton’s Auto restoration LLC worked to resolve any  issues with the doors not working with remotes all the time and showed you how both doors worked when the car was picked up in 2024. The line up shop, upholstery shop, exhaust shop never called or said they had issues with using the door remotes. However , per this letter notification, understand you're not satisfied with the remote door system and had another shop install complete new outside door handles and latches. The current shop did not improve the remote system or install a better one; they completely removed the door remote system! DAR did not know it was an option to have complete new outside door handles / latches installed in the doors removing the remote system altogether. The car did not have outside door handles when received at DAR.  However due to the your letter of not being satisfied with remote system, DAR is fully refunding all labor for installing remote door latches/ remote system and remote parts from invoice#**** total of 325.00. Not sure what the shop charged you for installing the new door handles and latches but DAR is refunding their total charge of 325.00 so that makes you only pay once for the choice you made to have the complete new door latch system to the new shop.DAR did try to get *** *** *********** to replace the faulty leaking power steering system as soon as we knew it was leaking with no success.  Worked with the owner and suggested he call them as he paid for the frame not DAR and any warranty would have to be handled by him with ****** ***********.  The owner talked to *** *** *********** and they kept saying they would get a new steering unit for him, but they never did.  DAR did not install any of the steering / brakes / power steering system / rear gears / housing/ axles/ wheel bearings / seals/ grease/ on the *** *** Frame itself, if bolts were loose as stated by the current shop, then they were installed on frame at ****** ***********. Also the owner states that precision automotive replaced the front faulty steering rack from *** *** *********** after they failed to replace their new parts,  so if something was loose on steering rack or steering joints then precision was last to install those components before the car went to ** ***** **** *** ***** ***!! Providing photo of frame as received from *** *** ***********!  Furthermore, the 51 was also taken to a professional line up shop * *** * **********, as we do not have line up equipment here and would have thought if there was something loose on steering they would have noticed it.  However, now that owner has had two other shops work on steering that voids all responsibility of previous line up shop In your letter it was stated there was no grease in the wheel bearings from *** *** ***********. DAR did not install the wheel bearings they were installed by *** *** *********** so that is poor workmanship by ****** not DAR. DAR does hope you receive compensation from *** *** *********** for all power steering and frame issues! Suggest asking  *** *** to  include a new pump on the engine as from discussion with the owner the leak from *** *** parts caused the pump to run dry before the main steering unit was replaced. From your letter it sounds like after using the fuel system you are not satisfied with the used fuel tube DAR installed to the tank.  DAR is also refunding all labor/parts for fuel tube and gas hose to fuel tube and clamps paid on invoice #**** totaling a total of 250.00. DAR came down to your home on the last visit to check no start condition, had a trailer to pick up the car, fix any issues,  and come to find out that the car was out of fuel. DAR  put gas in the car and checked that the gas gauge at that time was working. This was the last issue DAR knew of until this letter 10 months later!  DAR did install new old stock gas gage price was 40.00 on invoice #****. The new shop says the fuel gauge is bad?  I am afraid there is no warranty on the gage. It was new old stock which means it was new in the box but was made in 1951. The horn issue sounds like something DAR  should have caught, it was working when the car left here but understand there had to be repair done to the horn/ steering column,  so DAR will refund the charge of 150.00 paid on invoice #**** for installing horn and steering column at DAR.  From your letter there is a question on the antifreeze that was installed, it was the new orange kind and charge was 65.00 and 40.00 for antifreeze and power steering fluid / trans fittings on invoice #1331.  Total of 105.00. DAR put this same type of antifreeze in many of the last builds over the past 2 years with no complaints to include 1965 GT-350 Shelby and 1969 Shelby both cars have had no issues with the antifreeze. DAR did change antifreeze twice as after the heat problem was discussed with the owner,  it was agreed to order a new radiator which was installed. DAR did not charge for flushing the system as it is a new radiator and heater/ ac unit. If antifreeze is dirty then it has to come from a used engine. The current shop ** ***** **** is charging 298.50 for just the antifreeze! The used thermostat housing does look corroded after it had developed a leak and was not aware of any leak after you took possession of the car in 2024 until this notification in the letter Aug 2025. However, DAR does agree from photos that the housing needs replaced. DAR refunding  antifreeze charges from invoice #****  Total 110.00. And thermostat gasket charge of 5.00 on invoice # ****. DAR never charged for the used thermostat housing. Total refund from DAR for antifreeze and gasket due to corroded thermostat housing is 115.00 from invoice #****.