On to the work...
First, the color is not correct. The color code I requested was
1971 Ford "J" (Grabber Blue, as seen on the Mach I, Pinto, and Maverick). The cab color has too much white in it... so it's more pale blue than it should be.
Second, much of the paint work redefines the concepts of
orange peel and
dry spray. The roof appears to have been painted at an extreme angle, and so streaked, dry in some places, and wet in others (see above photo). Perhaps Tony failed to stand on something when painting the roof? I do know that he is very short.
Third, the body lines, jambs, and panel alignment is atrocious. There is a 3/4" gap between it and the glass in the center, but is tight on the edges. The door gap is very inconsistent all the way around, and the door-to-cowl gap is huge. I can't wait to see what the fender gap looks like. (A friend who saw the gap suggested I use it as a brake cooling duct
).
Next, one of the areas Tony was asked to take particular care in was the drip rail. Because a) my current cab has water/rust damage there, and b) because, with the chopped top and slammed truck it would be easy to see, I wanted to make sure that the drip rail was properly sealed, smooth, and clean. Here's what I got (and it gets worse on the sides of the cab)--
Tony's handling of body work is well represented by this shot of the passenger side of the firewall. Those are not cracks, but simply an improperly prepared surface.
In this shot, you can see a stain of some sort bleeding through the paint. He was supposed to shave the brake booster holes. Aside from the bonus semi-shave I got of two of the steering column holes, the color bleeding through is pretty strong in person (marked by arrows in this pic as the camera doesn't pick it up as well as the human eye).
Tony, if you've read this far, feel free to point out any incorrect statements you feel I've made in this thread. I have documented nearly every conversation, email, and PM we've ever had, as well as all payments made to you. I also have the cab itself as proof of what I would describe as your utter incompetence. I hope anyone who thinks of doing business with you will benefit from this thread, and the information contained, and will be able to make their own decisions based on this and any other information they might have.
As for what I think of you as a bodywork professional, it it isn't obvious, I think you're one of the worst I've ever seen. As for what I think of you as an individual (an "honest, Christian man, as you have promoted yourself")... based on this experience, I find you to be a liar and a cheat, and a man without dignity or shame. We may yet meet again, if I choose to pursue restitution from you through the courts or otherwise.