VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood Anyone Had Trouble With Jim Rodman?

Placed my order in January for some wood. Not a complete kit but about 8 pieces. Cashed my check the first of March and when I call I get a different story every time. I don't mind waiting but would at least like one story told to me. Called last week and it shipped out. Called the first of this week and he hadn't made any of it. Now I want a refund and he said he sent it out Monday and called today and he hadn't sent it. Think I will look for someone else to do my work if I get my money back.

Did you speak with Jim himself or someone else?

Spoke with him myself. I think he has taken in too many orders to fill. I was checking in with another gentleman about doing my wood and he knew by name who I was talking about. He had several people tell him the same thing.

Jim has achieveded a certain amount of fame over the past five years... a number of us have ordered multiple pieces from him... I waited almost 3 years for some of my parts. Sent him $500 in advance, but it didn't make any difference. His work is excellent, but he is trying to be the most efficient that he can be.

First of all he waits until he has a certain number of orders before he begins making specific pieces. Then when he makes them, he makes 2 or 3 times as many as he has orders for... that way the jigs are already set up in place and it's most cost effective.

Also, if you ordered a "kit" then he may already have 75% of the parts done, but you'll wait a long time for the remaining 25%... and he normally doesn't like to ship out partial kits... can't blame him from a book-keeping point of view, but from a customer's view, it is a little disturbing.

Last year I traveled from Seattle to Chicago, then rented a car to drive to his place. He had my parts all done and boxed. I did not open them for inspection, trusting his previous craftsmanship. Went home and waited almost another 8 weeks before they arrived. As expected, they were excellent products.

So, the moral is, that he is the premier wood reproducer for early Chevy's but, you may have to do as I did and 1) move to a new house, 2 ) marry a daughter off, 3) change jobs, and 4) buy another vintage Chev and 5) pay a visit to him, before he finally ships to you.

Not a complaint, just a factual observation. In this case, success has not been kind to the newcomers.

Or.....number 6, call him and tell him that you are the Junkyard Dog (ha ha!) Ask how much for a complete wood kit. Send him the money in full. And wait about four weeks until it all arrives. That's how it worked for me! I had all of my wood, in one order, within four weeks of sending him the check. However, one wood piece was incorrect in the shipment. I called Jim and told him what piece was incorrect. He in turn told me to keep the old piece for firewood and that the correct replacement piece would be on the way. Within a week and a half it was here!

Buy the way, the incorrect piece (which was for a standard coupe and my car is a sport coupe) was so nice I didn't have the heart to burn it!! :eek: :eek:

But one thing JYD forgot to say, He showed Jim his pitchuer, the drowling one, and Jim took Pity on the pore old Mutt!, and he still looks that a-way!

So what? I got my wood didn't I? This mutt may be old, but he is a sly fox. Ya! Ha ha!

Where there is a will there is a way, and usually, there is a Mutt going that way!


Have a happy week and please to keep some control over the pups while Chipper, Gene and I are out having fun in Mo. driving our cars!

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So now you are a 'Foxhound'?

I have never heard a negative thing about the workmanship of Jim's pieces and parts and kits.

But I guess one of the main things that this hobby teaches all of us is ---patience--- So now you are a 'Foxhound'?

I have never heard a negative thing about the workmanship of Jim's pieces and parts and kits.

But I guess one of the main things that this hobby teaches all of us is --patience--- and even ...more patience...to the extreme.

I ordered 5 pieces of wood from jim, said he had them on the shelf and would ship once my check cleared his bank. He was true to his word and the wood pieces fit perfectly. my 2cts. mike

Ordered a kit for my '31 from Jim and he said he had almost the whole kit and would make up the rest. Sent him $1,000 dollars down to show I was serious and said I'd send the rest when he was about to ship. Surprise, I got the kit in 3 weeks. Guess he forgot I still owed him some so I called him to say the check would be in the mail next day. Looks nice and will know more when I start to put it together this summer. Hope to visit him this spring.

I brought my 32 sedan to a shop to have the wood replaced.My intensions were to have him remove the wood,give me the samples and I would make the new pieces.The proprietor told me he would only do the job if he got the wood from Rodman as he did not want to be delayed.I agreed and then he waited over 6 months and when the wood finally arrived it came U.S.Mail next day delivery.(not cheap).The final result is it was darnd well worth waiting for.Jims work is not just good it is exceptional and probably much better than original!

Skip most likely ordered his wood 30 years ago. That's when Jim was not as busy.

Totally wrong and 30 years ago Roadster32 was just getting started on his restoration which he finished last year. ha ha! Anyway, I got my wood around 1996 and Jim was just as swamped then as he is now.

When I restored my 32 coupe, I called Jim and told him I needed not the whole wood kit and just ordered certain pieces. Jim shipped the wood to me and sent me a bill for what I owed him, And as It turned out I kept needing more wood pieces as the restoration went on and on. I think Jim shipped to me six different times and never asked for money up front. It turned out that all the shipments he sent me turned out to be almost a complete wood kit. I would call him early In the morning to order and he had the shipments on the way within a couple of days. This was about six years ago, So maybe with alot more business, Things must be bogged down a little. Also I did not want to put the wood In the doors, So I sent them to Jim and he did a great job Installing the wood and In a quick turn around. Thanks