I think it's time to call it quits. Since you've been generous and understanding of his situation, and allowed him more time to recover. I personally would not offer him the whole $700 he originally quoted for body and paint work. I would simply go over and ask him what he thinks you owe him to date, and tell him you'd like to pay him to this date and take the car.
Maybe you'd like to tell him you've decided to try your hand at painting it yourself, as you've decided you're wanting it done soon, and you understand he's very busy and not able to finish it.
This way you allow him to bow out gracefully, not have to pay for things not done, and not step on any feelings either.

 

Yeah,it's time to get your car back,if he can't do the job in a year that's total BS.
Family friend or not just tell him you need your car done within a certain time
(couple weeks?) or you want to take it elsewhere with no hard feelings if he can't get it done for you.
He's the one that should be worried about hurt feelings after putting you off this long not you.
Frankly if I was going to do a job for a friend and things came up that kept me from it I would never let that much time go by without contacting them to return the project with no charge and my apologies.

 

yea i know ill probably just tell him to put the doors back on it and give him five hundred or tell him hes got 2 weeks or im takin it home

 

I feel your pain. I am in a similar situation. I struck a deal with a very reputable body and paint shop that specializes in insurance work and collectables. He is one of the best in arizona and is not cheap either. The deal was I had to have it in his shop by June 1st or he had another person on the list he would go with. I worked round the clock to do the trans and motor swap in a week after work hours. It wasn't a hack job swap either, every part was polished or repainted and every wire was accounted for. Needless to say I got the job done and got it to his shop May 29th. Here we are nearly april 1 and....no car yet. As mentioned before, he isn't cheap and I've paid him every time he's asked. The original time frame was from June 1 to around end of October. The dollar quote was 7500-10,000 for all body/paint/subframe connector/badging. Since he isn't even close on the time, I'm now very worried about the dollar figure. I'm at 6k right now and am seriously considering going and re-possessing my car, but they've got you by the short ones. If I get it and go somewhere else it'll cost me a lot more in the end. One piece of advice I can give someone in this situation, get it in writing!

 

Man I hate to hear all these horror stories! It makes everyone who's getting close to pint, or even contemplating a repaint scared! (with good reason too!) I'm soooo glad mine is done, as I worried about these same things and thankfully none of them happened to me!

 

yea i know i am scared to take it somewhere else because i am pretty sure they will want 4 or 5 grand to finish it and i belive that it is simply a case of bit off more than he could chew because he actually feels bad about taking so long and i really want my car back it is my first car the car i drove to school the day after i got my licsense and i want to drive it to my junior prom me and my uncle david have done everything to this car ourselves its like a member of my family i mean i have literaly had the whole if you would spend more time with me instead of that damn car speach four times with four different girls this car means the world to me but iguess all i can do is hope its done by the summer time or save up 3 or 4 grand and take it somewhere else