time to stop fighting it

[Talonmotorsport]

Is it me or is the production of Haynes Roadster parts jinxed in the fact that those who take it up seem to fall foul of poor health either physically or mentally? What is it about this sodding design that has people falling apart after 2-3 years of making it, does it take over their lives that much too cause this much stress or is it just coincidence?

Chris Gibbs
John @ 3GE
Andy H @ Saturn
Nathan @ NTS
Handy Andy
Me

It has been pointed out that I have been fighting depression for the past 18 months what with me being a carer to my wife and trying to run a business on a shoe string. So it's now time for me to get it sorted before I do some thing silly or hurt some body else. Funny really because I thought if any thing was going to stop me from being in the workshop it was going to be arthritis in my elbows and knees, not the thought of wrapping a rope around the lathe chuck and my neck.
So if you see me posting on here at random times during the day it's not because I have internet in the workshop (I wish) it's due to me having some time out between sessions.
Peace all.

[jps]

Too many people pretend they are 'fine' until its too late, i hope things start to look up for you Phil.

[spud69]

Phil you are very right, it's a very hard business to be in. I think all of us you've mentioned started out after buying the book and building our own cars or being involved in some way and then falling in love with the whole concept / community of the "self build sportscar". It's perceived as a low cost way of producing a hi-tec roadster on a budget whereas the components take a lot of time and effort to make and as we all know material prices are going through the roof and builders don't expect to pay anymore for parts due to the locost attitudes and state of the economy. You end up working more and more hours for no gains and just end up chasing your tail and getting more stressed and worried about it. There is a business to be made out of it but it's low margins and very hard work. At the end of the day personally i took on too much with trying to develop the industry with the single seater, mx5 build and virtually supplying a free car to a company for the race track when he turned out to be a complete knob while keeping up with roadster orders basically on my own with a 60 hour week and no quality family time.

I've just got to the stage where i am chilled again and am enjoying producing the grp parts in my own time with minimal overheads and stress plus we've just been upgraded to band 2 foster parents on the pay scale so things are starting to come together now, should have done it years ago and got into roadster supply just as a supplement but it's easy to get sucked into it more and more especially when you've got Haynes as a customer. The suppliers you have mentioned have all maintained a high level of customer service and not been out to rip of other builders, you even hear off some bad goings on from the big suppliers of other marques, so hopefully we can hold our heads high in what we have achieved and still enjoy the community. Still got roadster to blast about in and now got a good quality family life again so it can be turned around Phil.

Other builders don't take it the wrong way, i'm not having a bitch at the community it's just the way it is...........AndyH

[shh120m]

I know where your coming from, Its a hard business to be in as it is, let alone nowadays when nobody has any money to spend. Trouble is there just isnt enough of a market for the haynes roadster, yet fabrication time for a one man band means not enough time ( and money ) to spend diversifying into other areas. The haynes is not a good enough sole base for a business due to the "locost" ethos and the type of people building them ( on a budget i mean, ie not johnny rich man, no offence intended)

But then to design a totally different car you need a whole lot of capital, and time to develop which means turning your back on bread and butter work then chances are no one wants it, especially in this climate.

Its shit, and until the ecomony recovers the entire kit car industry will be in the shit.

I dont know what to suggest phil, other than its obvious you need to get diversifying or find something else to make you money cos one things for certain, your not going to get rich building chassis


Yove also got to look after number one first, or youll end up like me im a proper head the ball nowadays, with serious physical problems to boot. Comes a point where there is no way other than up, f*ck it all. End of the day in this country no one starves, most millionaires end up bankrupt several times before they make it. Its only folk like you, me and many others that have consciences that end up in the gutter, its called capitalism

[shh120m]

virtually supplying a free car to a company for the race track when he turned out to be a complete knob

haha, i couldnt have put it better myself:D :D :D

[flyerncle]

Have to disagree Andy, "complete and utter knob with hanger on and spoilt brat for a driver.:rolleyes:

He crapped on Nathan too.

Even with new engine etc He's still crap.

[flyerncle]

It's not just the kit car buisness,its everything because people cant afford to spend on the luxury of a hobby at this time of everything going through the roof and unless we have a miracle and the government sort themselves out and stop giving our money away to all and sundry,now is the winter of our discontent.

[shh120m]

The more i read the more i think karl marxx was right

[vmax1974]

I gotta agree with the health woes of building since getting a few plates and pedal boxes laser cut I have broken my nose and found out my kidney is failing but hey ho

[spud69]

The suppliers you have mentioned have all maintained a high level of customer service and not been out to rip of other builders, you even hear off some bad goings on from the big suppliers of other marques

Just doing a quick search this morning Phil and couldn't quite believe how extreme it had become:

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=170816

Look down to the posts by Tracy, it is quite unbelievable. I've also been told of other bigger marques not sending to overseas builders.

[robo]

I dont think its all gloom and doom. Supplying kit bits or even complete kit cars is a cottage industry, nowt wrong with that but it should be run alonside other things so as to share the overheads. I was fitting and supplying diesel conversions for rangerovers for years but ran it alongside a buisiness that paid all the overheads, it was all very good for me:) Had I relied on the conversions it would probably have gone tits up.Me thinks you basically need more than one iron in the fire to survive in this country period.

bob