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Lost interest?
Markp - 18/6/23 at 06:38 PM

I finished my car back in 2001, I have decided it needed some love to get it back on the road. I went to the Malvern show and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It wasn’t a show how I remember, there was one stand that offered spares, a few manufacturers and apart from the cars that was it. The show used to be a place you could get everything from, carpet, filters, suspension literally everything. Also back then this site was a place of community, new topics and hundreds of messages a day. What’s happened? Has it really changed for the worse over the years? And where do I now get stuff from now? It’s very sad to come back to a community that is only just surviving.

[Edited on 18/6/23 by Markp]

[Edited on 18/6/23 by Markp]

JoelP - 18/6/23 at 08:30 PM

I think we're lucky the site is still here at all! People drift on over the years. I was gone for a good few, trying to be back more regularly now. Many are on Facebook apparently, but I've ditched most socials.

On the plus side, driving the kit is still a proper buzz. Managed 200 miles this weekend, and didn't even die!

Mr Whippy - 19/6/23 at 06:47 AM

Last big car show I went to with over 200 cars on display, there were over 30 stalls but not even one of them was actually selling any car parts!, FS one was selling fresh fish! absolutely mental

Slimy38 - 19/6/23 at 07:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Last big car show I went to with over 200 cars on display, there were over 30 stalls but not even one of them was actually selling any car parts!, FS one was selling fresh fish! absolutely mental


At Malvern there was one selling old peoples hats... To be fair, they were doing really well, talk about a captive audience!!

Slimy38 - 19/6/23 at 07:14 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Markp
The show used to be a place you could get everything from, carpet, filters, suspension literally everything.


I remember those days, I used to go with a handful of cash just in case. Of course, I'd never come back with anything useful (the last trip to Stoneleigh I came back with that aluminium solder that is bloody useless on anything other than the bit the guy had on his demo stand).

I have gone on to a couple of the Facebook groups, although they're very different to LCB. Lots of big builds going on, in countries that will allow any sort of wildlife on to the road. On the weekend someone had built a gorgeous Jaguar C type in South Africa, the one thing I couldn't get over was the sharp edged glovebox they had fitted just in range of the passengers knees! There is no sense of 'locost' to any of it, and more importantly no questions or discussions.

I doubt the DIY builders will ever go away completely, and the government can't do away with individual vehicle approvals because that would impact the supercar market. As for this particular site, it's showing more than 200 visitors at the moment so I think it's still getting at least some interest? Although I wonder how many of those are after somewhere to talk about what pointing to use for a 20 year old extension, or whether they should use 5 or 6 Accrow's for a span of 2 metres...

nick205 - 19/6/23 at 09:51 AM

I too remember the days when a kit car show had plenty of kit cars to see and more parts stalls than you could get round.

I also used to take a pocket full of cash (just in case) and come back with none left.

That said I built, drove and sold my car a long time back now. Haven't been to a show in years. As for many, kids and family life took over and diverted the money elsewhere.

Might be an EV build when I get beack to it!

Benzine - 20/6/23 at 06:39 AM

What's happened? Older folk with bags of money are able to continue their hobbies and say things like "it's a shame youngsters aren't interested in xyz". I disagree and say that they just don't have the money. It's been that way since the noughties and no sign of improvement on the horizon.

nick205 - 20/6/23 at 09:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
What's happened? Older folk with bags of money are able to continue their hobbies and say things like "it's a shame youngsters aren't interested in xyz". I disagree and say that they just don't have the money. It's been that way since the noughties and no sign of improvement on the horizon.



Indeed - disposable incomes seem to be a thing of the past!

Also seems to be more of a push on people to do other things with available money they may have. I know several who in the pandemic had to work from home. Commuting cost was saved and put into maybe updating a family car or chipping off some mortgage. A few years back that money might have towards building a kit!

Bluemoon - 22/6/23 at 06:54 PM

Still a active industry, Malvern is new, mail order parts are about. I think fb/social media has taken over forums, but fb is not a spot on a forum as you can't find things on fb.

I would guess people are usig this site as reference..

[Edited on 22/6/23 by Bluemoon]

Mr Whippy - 23/6/23 at 06:32 AM

It think Benzine is mostly correct. Everyone seems to be strapped for cash and the 7 isn't really much of a daily driver. I'm glad there are still people building them from scratch but it's not a locost hobby that's for sure.

I've actually removed FB from my devices as it's virtually malware the way it behaves.

Slimy38 - 23/6/23 at 07:30 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
but it's not a locost hobby that's for sure.


I'm finding even basic materials have really jumped up. Steel in particular is not just a little bit more expensive, I paid more than double for my last batch. Donor cars can be a challenge, although I still see plenty of MX5's on Ebay. Parts are going up though, and I don't remember the last time I was able to go into a scrapyard and start climbing around cars for bits. And of course if the breaker is removing the parts (or even putting them through Ebay) there is a premium to pay.

Even when I started many years ago the '£250' option was a distant memory, but even now the 'on a budget' version is still a bit of a stretch.