I emailed Ron and he sent me an email and tried to call (I was in the shower and missed it) and we have emailed some and I am getting a refund of some extent and they aren't doing plastic gauges any longer. Most of the work that I am unhappy with is more of a detail thing such as unfinished letters and overspray that I think would be an issue on any material, but I guess it's better than nothing. He also doesn't seem to get the issue of sending something in that's in good condition (new circuit boards, new bulbs/clips, etc) to get retrofitted with new parts and getting it back with rusty hardware. I am sure it works, but not really confidence inspiring or what I expected.

I know the frustration, any more for service work, I deal with local shops that I can easily reach out and touch or I figure out how to do it my self.
Certainly there are good shops out there, but with out actually visiting the location, understanding exactly how they do the job, you are really just rolling the dice.
Even recommendations from others can be deceiving, unless you review actual finished parts or before and after photos because there are ranges on what people find acceptable and are willing to pay for.

An example is I was shopping for a someone to renew the front trim surround and grills on the 68 Barracuda. Talked on the phone and via e mail with a couple of shops that were recommended over at FABO. Found that those shops were either secretive about their process or were taking short cuts,, blasting and clear coating the aluminum in stead of polishing and anodizing,, did a google earth search of the ship to address and its either a PO box or a house trailer up in the hills, not exactly a warm and fuzzy feeling. So this is a project that I will figure out how and just do it myself.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

He offered to reimburse me for shipping it back in and fixing it, but has already said he doesn't know how long it will take. I have already missed the fall driving I was hoping to do, so I think I will take him up on it. Have plenty of other projects on the dart and like I told Dad truck, getting a new daily driver this weekend so have some things to do there too.

Update in case anyone is ever looking for input on sending anything to Williams Instruments, I sent the parts back in shortly after my last post and still don't have them back, as well as no further mention of a partial refund or reimbursement for shipping. Communication has still been pretty bad, played phone tag with him the week of 2/1 (I had to go to the office and told him a voicemail or email would be best) just for him to say it would be headed to me expedited the following week, and nothing more since then. I am somewhat sympathetic since he said his whole family got covid, but he keeps making promises, not following up, and then not communicating anything proactively. I am a very patient person and try to be understanding having spent plenty of time in customer service positions. What I was told by a previous manager and try to abide by myself is to "under promise and over deliver". This has been the complete opposite and no effort seems to have been made to make it right, I am not even that concerned about incurring a second shipping cost or getting a partial refund at this point, I just want my stuff back!

Got everything back yesterday, paint is much improved. The voltmeter nuts were still rusty, he says he is sending new ones. At this point I'm just happy to have my stuff back and the paint is better than I could do myself, but still a very frustrating process with poor communication and promises that were not kept. There also was very little effort to make things right. I.e. no further mention of a partial refund or reimbursing me for the return shipping, and I still received my "new" voltmeter with rusty nuts after 6+ months when I was originally quoted a few weeks. I am cautiously optimistic to hook it all back up, with the overall experience I am worried that something else will be done wrong.