I worked on Mike Chizek's PullingTractor Hoods for both, "Considered Armed & Dangerous" and "Extremely Armed and dangerous." I designed and worked on the finished product with Randy Russell of Psycolorgy. The job was a nightmare from the word go. Being friends of another former customer of mine (Mark Korth of K3Tire) we pushed on.
I guess the this deal was so important we had to clear our calendar so we could concentrate on this wonderful pulling tractor that was going to have to be even better than it's previous counter part.
As we where told by Mark Korth who was acting as Mike Chizek's Coordinator. We cleared the time and the Tractor didn't show up. We got some excuse about someone's mom being ill or something and that we should hold on. A month or so goes on and we hear that the hood is at a friend of our shop and is waiting for us. Randy and I go over to look at this "hand Rolled" hood from down south. What we found was a roll cage with cracked fenders and a monstrous slapped together enormous mailbox looking thing. Not a square edge or straight body line to be found. Then we find out the body work was already done and they painted for our assistance. This thing may have made a few passes on an English Wheel (Maybe three or 4) but it was assembled out of plat aluminum panels and Wing nut Zeus fastener. (Not a crown in site) We get the thing to our shop (1st mistake) and find one of the reasons that it was so heavy was because the body filler was way over the eight inch recommendation for use.
Well we begin tearing into this thing and spent hours which have been counted and then are told that we have to bill a place called "Truck Country" because they are the ones that did the shoddy bodywork to begin with. This is where I got a hint as to Mikes intentions, We then get a hold of him on the phone (next to impossible) and report the progress, he then says do what you do in so many words and tells us it's one thing to talk about a job it's another to get it done. So we got right back into it, Stencils got cut; paint got sprayed hours turned into days. I may want to mention that my buddy Randy and I work with Places like MATC Madison, and Trek bicycle only as a possible measure of our creditability. We then get the job done with help from another one of our Artist that we also trained and work with, we get it polished as the second the clear is hard enough. Mark North shows up and doesn't say a word and to my objections the parts leave unpaid for.
The next several weeks go by and I'm at Randy telling him to call and find out when we should expect to be paid. Randy lets 30 days go by then calls, only to be called a thief and every other direction I would never expect a professional conversation take, and tells us that we are lucky to have gotten what we got and he will let us know what we deserve and that is that. Apparently we deserve nothing? Because Mike Chizek has paid nothing on his $12,000 balance and much to our surprise won't answer or calls... He must be a very important busy man.
P.S. Thanks for all the help Mark Korth of K3 Tire, don't bother returning my calls if you ever get around to you messages and good luck to all involved in this little struggle. God knows the truth
P.P. S what was that invoice description..."Truck hood repair", wouldn't want the good folks at the IRS to hear about that one we all might be in trouble. As a matter of fact I don't recall collecting any tax at all. Is it possible that you have the worlds first "Tax exempt Tractor Pulling Team"
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