Feedback from Kit Car Magazine
Discussion
Good idea
first impressions v good only managed a quick glance during lunch. The one thing that is getting a little tedious is the adverts for which kit?
Just counted 4 1/3 page adverts about "Britain's bent kitcar Mag" amongst other things IMHO all you are doing is encouraging people to buy the other mag to see what all the hoo ha is about Furthermore there is a whole page taken up with mines bigger than yours IMHO childishness
>> Edited by spartan_andy on Thursday 25th September 15:48
first impressions v good only managed a quick glance during lunch. The one thing that is getting a little tedious is the adverts for which kit?
Just counted 4 1/3 page adverts about "Britain's bent kitcar Mag" amongst other things IMHO all you are doing is encouraging people to buy the other mag to see what all the hoo ha is about Furthermore there is a whole page taken up with mines bigger than yours IMHO childishness
>> Edited by spartan_andy on Thursday 25th September 15:48
Like any mag of this type i always start at the back - the classifieds (and yes i do the same with posche club mag etc)
And what do I see in the middle of the classified 2 half page adds having a pop at your competitor, sorry chap but i havnt read any further, i consider this deeply unprofessional, you state in one of these adds that you have twice the circulation etc, then fine just forget about him and move on. but I dont think people will pay to read your personal jibes and regardless of what had gone on in the past you really do need to rise above it, if you want to continue and prove you have the better mag.
If I had paid money for this it would probably be winging its way back to you by know, however tomorrow I will start from the front and have a good read through, more comment to come and please do not take what I have said the wrong way.
>> Edited by dontlift on Thursday 25th September 21:14
And what do I see in the middle of the classified 2 half page adds having a pop at your competitor, sorry chap but i havnt read any further, i consider this deeply unprofessional, you state in one of these adds that you have twice the circulation etc, then fine just forget about him and move on. but I dont think people will pay to read your personal jibes and regardless of what had gone on in the past you really do need to rise above it, if you want to continue and prove you have the better mag.
If I had paid money for this it would probably be winging its way back to you by know, however tomorrow I will start from the front and have a good read through, more comment to come and please do not take what I have said the wrong way.
>> Edited by dontlift on Thursday 25th September 21:14
agree with all.That jibing has to stop to make it more proffessional.In a first glance,although avoiding the stabbing pages,seems a good read with the Avo thing and plenty to read,so as not to be 'done' in an hour and then stay bored for 30 days 'til the next copy.We need more of the manufacturers visits to show how they are devoted to make their products good for the industry we all use.I will send a mail to Kitcarman personally after I've thought of more interesting ideas.
Received mine yesterday, KCM. Yes I read the ads first, the shots at WC are a definite NO NO NO. Some trade ads are unreadable, as if they were done on a bad fax machine and the address flyer that comes with the mag says in big letters, "we take kit cars seriousely". Have you not got a proof reader?
Seriously, KCM, will read and report back, probably by e mail rather than take up Teds web space. Thanks for the mag.
Seriously, KCM, will read and report back, probably by e mail rather than take up Teds web space. Thanks for the mag.
Firstly Kitcarman - Happy Birthday.
Now I have a feeling this may not be the best birthday you've ever had. How honest / brutal do you want us to be?
Firstly just looking at the impact, quality and initial impression. This way you can get an overall view. I believe the editorial content is going to be excellent and that isn't what Mr Filby's bitching about.
If the Times newspaper started telling us how crap the Independent is, would we stop buying it? Or would sales for the Independent increase dramatically? Mr Filby & his team must get physically aroused just thinking of how much (free) advertising they are getting each month.
So I'll start by agreeing with what's already been posted - Stop
Stop 
Stop 
advertising your competitor.
Now if I were advertising / marketing manager of Lamberti, AJ's trimming, ETB instruments, Premier Wiring and many more of the advertisers near the back (yes I start at the back too) I would be giving your design team and print setters shit at the mo.
If I ever placed an advert with a publication and it was printed to that quality I would 1) Refuse to pay and 2) Never trust or advertise in that publication again.
Most embarrassing is that I saw last months where the ads were the same.
I'll wait until you reply before I add any more.
Now I have a feeling this may not be the best birthday you've ever had. How honest / brutal do you want us to be?
Firstly just looking at the impact, quality and initial impression. This way you can get an overall view. I believe the editorial content is going to be excellent and that isn't what Mr Filby's bitching about.
If the Times newspaper started telling us how crap the Independent is, would we stop buying it? Or would sales for the Independent increase dramatically? Mr Filby & his team must get physically aroused just thinking of how much (free) advertising they are getting each month.
So I'll start by agreeing with what's already been posted - Stop
Stop Stop advertising your competitor. Now if I were advertising / marketing manager of Lamberti, AJ's trimming, ETB instruments, Premier Wiring and many more of the advertisers near the back (yes I start at the back too) I would be giving your design team and print setters shit at the mo.
If I ever placed an advert with a publication and it was printed to that quality I would 1) Refuse to pay and 2) Never trust or advertise in that publication again.
Most embarrassing is that I saw last months where the ads were the same.
I'll wait until you reply before I add any more.
Ex-Biker said:
Emmm….
Brutal
frank honest and open is how it’s got to be if it’s going to achieve anything
. Don’t worry about kitcarman
or kitcarman
. He’s a big boy (the spam bots have seen to that) 
! I’d hoped for a more positive start because if you add all the Which Kit? bashing together it comes to around 5 pages which is less than 3% of the magazine. I think it would be a pity if your view of 3% tainted your opinion of the 97%. But you’re right to deal with the contentious stuff first.
It seems that the 3% is condemned as childish and out-of-order
before anybody has asked about its reason, background and truthfulness. Surely it isn’t childish if it’s true and has a genuine commercial objective (that it’s achieved BTW). Maybe I’m sick, but I find it really funny
. There’s a genuinely pointless, silly and moronic piece on page 14
. I’d say it was far more ‘childish’ than the piece on page 192 (for example). Can anybody tell me the difference 
? I accept that even if it’s not childish, it could still be out-of-order
, but I think that’s a different issue. In respect to the ‘bitmapped’ (the technical term for what laymen call shite) ads. See how the rear end of the magazine is made up of dated sections (date code at bottom of most R/H pages). Each of these sections is printed 4 issues worth at the start and are replaced on a rotating basis. It saves a fortune, but whatever’s in it is fixed for 4 issues. That particular section has been an absolute pain in the arse because not only are the ads bad, but they’ve had to be repeated elsewhere for obvious reasons. That brings about a bona-fide criticism from Which Kit? Notice that four dollops of the assault are in such a section too. If I could, I would have removed some of them – but I couldn’t
. Is this enough to be getting on with?
>> Edited by kitcarman on Friday 26th September 10:43
kitcarman said:
I’d hoped for a more positive start because if you add all the Which Kit? bashing together it comes to around 5 pages which is less than 3% of the magazine. I think it would be a pity if your view of 3% tainted your opinion of the 97%. But you’re right to deal with the contentious stuff first.
It seems that the 3% is condemned as childish and out-of-order
Maybe I’m sick, but I find it really funny
In respect to the ‘bitmapped’ (the technical term for what laymen call shite) ads. See how the rear end of the magazine is made up of dated sections (date code at bottom of most R/H pages). Each of these sections is printed 4 issues worth at the start and are replaced on a rotating basis. It saves a fortune, but whatever’s in it is fixed for 4 issues. That particular section has been an absolute pain in the arse because not only are the ads bad, but they’ve had to be repeated elsewhere for obvious reasons. That brings about a bona-fide criticism from Which Kit? Notice that four dollops of the assault are in such a section too. If I could, I would have removed some of them – but I couldn’t
It may only be 5 pages but (again from impact) yellow is one of the most effective colours for advertising - it stands out, so your bitchin' stands out more than many of the other ads etc.
Genuine commercial objective? What? Are you talking about the 'Razor' etc? Or are you talking about 'The end is neigh!!!'
The sketch on p14 is amusing, p192 is bitchy. Why not call it 'Pete Duff's Motoring Gizmo's' then those in the know would have a laugh, without the bitch.
The 'Bitmapped' adverts should have been withdrawn and the clients offered the chance to re-advertise F.O.C. It spoils the magazine.
Regarding 'The end is neigh!!!', what are you looking to achieve? Do you want then out of business? If so this could be the biggest mistake you could make.
Shoulders feeling the weight yet?
Hi all,
Just a quick message to say Hello.
I have a Tiger "Supersix" fitted with 2 litre Pinto.
Regarding the "war of words" with Den Tanner (Kitcarman) and Peter Filby I agree it has gone on long enough, but I must admit I find it amusing, better than buying the Beano or Dandy Lol!
I have written to KCM about this a couple of weeks ago, and got the impression he was enjoying every minute of it....
Alan.
Just a quick message to say Hello.
I have a Tiger "Supersix" fitted with 2 litre Pinto.
Regarding the "war of words" with Den Tanner (Kitcarman) and Peter Filby I agree it has gone on long enough, but I must admit I find it amusing, better than buying the Beano or Dandy Lol!
I have written to KCM about this a couple of weeks ago, and got the impression he was enjoying every minute of it....
Alan.
I can see that people can advertise their private ads for more than 1 month, but why don't you at least change the position of these ads. Why do you put them in twice? I know they are often different angles. Wouldn't it be nice to have 2 pics together and a longer write up?
You advertise the Exeter show twice. Did they pay for 2 ads? I also noticed a few other advertisers that repeat adverts (many smaller etc).'Repeat adverts'- does this ring any bells from someone elses comments?
You slate AF Sports (Unique Autocraft) on p105 and advertise AF Sports (Auto-Forge Mo Co Ltd) on p140 & p160. Why not do an article on the latter, showing they have no association with the former. This serves 2 purposes. 1) It promotes a reputable company and gives them good editorial coverage and 2) Disputes the validity of the former company without needing to do the article on p105.
>> Edited by Ex-Biker on Friday 26th September 12:17
You advertise the Exeter show twice. Did they pay for 2 ads? I also noticed a few other advertisers that repeat adverts (many smaller etc).
'Repeat adverts'- does this ring any bells from someone elses comments? You slate AF Sports (Unique Autocraft) on p105 and advertise AF Sports (Auto-Forge Mo Co Ltd) on p140 & p160. Why not do an article on the latter, showing they have no association with the former. This serves 2 purposes. 1) It promotes a reputable company and gives them good editorial coverage and 2) Disputes the validity of the former company without needing to do the article on p105. >> Edited by Ex-Biker on Friday 26th September 12:17
Ex-B said:Although I notice that the mobile telephone number is the same for both companies.
You slate AF Sports (Unique Autocraft) on p105 and advertise AF Sports (Auto-Forge Mo Co Ltd) on p140
My Quick Review of KC: Looks good; felt myself looking at a few of the cars and thinking 'one of those would be nice'; the publisher's spelling is worse than mine eg. 'Britians Bent Mag' and 'The End is Neigh';
@ people who spend more on a replica than a real one is worth; [cheap shot] spotting several cars which make the FBS look well styled[/cheap shot]; Spotted a glimpse of Evil Phil's race car in a picture; That is all for now. I'll have a more thorough read over the weekend, but I think I'll put KitCar onto the list of mags I read in WHSmiths or Tescos and buy as and when articles interest me.
kitcarman said:
all the Which Kit? bashing together comes to around 5 pages which is less than 3% of the magazine. I think it would be a pity if your view of 3% tainted your opinion of the 97%.
You've hit the nail on the head, the 3% does spoil the other 97%. It makes you look peurile, unprofessional, and negative. And it's boring.
kitcarman said:
It seems that the 3% is condemned as childish and out-of-order before anybody has asked about its reason, background and truthfulness.
We don't need to ask. You keep telling us. Again and again.
kitcarman said:
Surely it isn’t childish if it’s true and has a genuine commercial objective (that it’s achieved BTW).
If it has achieved it, then get over the whole Which Kit? thing and move on. I'm sure you have a very positive contribution to make but at the moment you're in danger of making a bit of a tit of yourself (IMHO
). I say this not to be controversial but because you asked for no holds barred feedback and that is my impression having read the issue you kindly sent me, for which I thank you.
Ex-Biker said:
. . .yellow is one of the most effective colours for advertising - it stands out. . .
Genuine commercial objective? What?
The sketch on p14 is amusing, p192 is bitchy. . .
These pieces are advertisements so they’re supposed to stand out.
You seem to be under the impression that they’re saying “don’t buy Which Kit?” but that wasn’t their primary objective. The message is simple in the extreme. “We sell twice as many” so we’re your best advertising option. Before I started in this vein, Which Kit? was doing what I regarded as disproportionate trade in this area. My simply stated message, that Kit Car was “UK’s Top Selling” and “Others Pretend, but we really are No1” didn’t work. These adverts have.
Which Kit? now runs classifieds for 4 issues (instead of 2) and announced massive price reductions this month, but numbers have reduced, to Kit Car’s gain. A swing of around 30 per month, I reckon. That’s about £900 in my pocket
and out of my rival’s 
. The other advertisements, one way or another, were designed to reinforce the primary message. Which Kit? in being stubborn in continuing to make such an outlandish claims (even after court cases and rulings from the ASA, etc) forced me into a position where I felt I had to bluntly state my opinion that it wasn’t being honest. That in turn forced me to adduce the evidence that supported my opinion, which in it’s turn escalated.
Finally, let me explain page 132. Almost everything after it consists classified advertising, which sub-consciously reinforces the fact that Kit Car is the clear leader in this respect.
So you’re not kidding when you say it’s bitchy are you? What I’m asking is whether its “pathetic, childish or unprofessional”. That was the charge
! Ex-Biker said:
what are you looking to achieve?
Shoulders feeling the weight yet?
Simple answer is a level playing field.
Made more complex by the fact that Which Kit? simply doesn’t play by normal rules.
I’m barred from its shows.
It won’t accept rulings of the court, ASA, PCC or any other.
It isn’t even being sensible when it comes to handling my allegations IMHO.
Such practice forces me to fight like a wildcat.
If Which Kit? were to play by the rules then I’d have nothing of significance to expose.
The end will come when Which Kit? adopts what I regard as fair and honest trading practices. It needs to change or die IMHO. If it changes, my
is over. Supersixfan said:
. . .I must admit I find it amusing, . . .and got the impression he (kitcarman) was enjoying every minute of it....
I think my message is winning the day. To that extent I’m glad to get it off my chest. However, I’ll be gladder when it’s over.
I admit that I find it amusing. My favourite is the row of glum faces with my observation that he doesn’t look like he’s winning - does he? Supersixfan sees the funny side too, and I bet he’s not the only one
. Whilst I’ve been preparing this detailed reply, I’ve noticed loads more post. I’ll deal with it all in it’s turn – honest. No stone unturned. I’ve nothing of substance to hide except that I’ve gone OTT – that’s accepted. As, I believe, is the reason for my so doing.
kitcarman said:
So you’re not kidding when you say it’s bitchy are you? What I’m asking is whether its “pathetic, childish or unprofessional”. That was the charge
Unprofessional. A resounding Yes!
Bitching on a forum and the odd sly dig (eg cartoon) I think is fine, but when it carries over into a large proportion of your print. That's unprofessional. If your not v.careful in what you say, it could end up being slander.
It's a shame we can't do a vote on this forum.
1. Kit Car is justified in what it prints
2. I've had enough of the bull and want them to get back to what they do best, writing about cars
3. I enjoy the constant bitchin'
4. Reading the bits in Kit Car has caused me to buy Which Kit more often.
5. I don't care, can't read anyway.
I think that's enough about the mag war, now onto how good Kit Car is . . . . . . .
meeja said:
Guy Humpage said:
Ex-B said:
You slate AF Sports (Unique Autocraft) on p105 and advertise AF Sports (Auto-Forge Mo Co Ltd) on p140
Although I notice that the mobile telephone number is the same for both companies.
Well spotted! I really would not have noticed that!
Yes . . . . well spotted
What do you think Kitcarman?
>> Edited by Ex-Biker on Friday 26th September 15:37
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