Kit Car Magazine Questions
Discussion
I’ve been an avid reader of Kit Car and Which Kit? for about three years now and have been following this forum for a few months. Suddenly I thought it was time to register so I can chip in! I’ll try to be as succinct as I can.
I have a few thoughts that I’d like Den to expand on? Hope you don’t think Im getting at you Den – I’ve just always been someone who knows my own mind and doesn’t follow the herd. Probably why I’ve owned a GP Buggy for 24 years (in yellow)!
You talk about the way PF obtains his kits for build features as though this displays a lack of integrity. What’s the difference between discounted advertising and paying cash for kits? It’s all Filby’s money. As a reader I couldn’t care less what deals he does as long as the build stories appear. Why doesn’t KCM have some build serials. What happened to the Stuart Taylor build you started this year? I was looking forward to that!
On a related subject, you said PF doesn’t know a spoon from a spanner. I was under the impression that Nigel Dean and John Watson wrote the build articles. Are you saying they don’t know what they’re talking about? Den, even you’ve got to admit these features are pretty good.
A couple of weeks ago, you said no manufacturers have tried to defend PF. Is it any wonder when you launched such a personal attack on Terry at Marlin. Maybe they all know what reaction they’ll get?
How would your readers react to you calling PF a w***er on this forum. Is it really necessary? Bet you wouldnt do that in your magazine!
You keep saying its interesting that PF hasn’t responded to any of your allegations. I’m personally glad he hasn’t – tit for tat arguments aren’t what I buy magazines to read. In my opinion, in your magazine we’ve too much tat for there to be any need for tit.
I appreciate you pointing out that PF is allegedly involved with some kit car companies, but I’m adult enough to tell the difference between advertising puff (which all manufacturers deliver) and biased editorial. I don’t think WK has any of the latter. You even quote Ian Stent’s criticisms of the Razer to try and make that point. Aren’t you contradicting yourself?
You made a big deal of the Pilgrim being left out of the Cobra book by Ian Stent. I bought the latest version any way and found that it was included!
While I feel it’s a shame you’ve been banned from Donnington, I praise Iain Ayre for his MacIntyre report. Should you not sponsor a national show?
Ian Hyne’s articles are very good. He knows his stuff and seems to keep out of the politics. He’s an asset to your magazine.
Your classified ads are famously printed in ‘sections’ which are repeated (hence the long-running PF photo’s). Is that just cynical cost cutting on your part? Surely that means I’m buying whole chunks of the magazine over and over again? Isn’t that being disingenuous to your readers?
You have the sales ranking figures for both magazines and from that deduce the exact sales figures. How do you do that, down to the last copy i.e. 6243? Also you know WK gets £1000 a month for subscriptions – how? Have you got a spy in the camp Den?
When you got a reply from Ted of Ultima, you said that you just ‘suggested’ you knew the deal between WK/Nigel Dean and Ultima. Does that mean all your other claims are merely ‘suggestions’?
Personally I want both magazines to succeed purely because I enjoy having two magazines to keep me entertained! I also like the fact they don’t cover the same ground. They are both worth buying. For instance I really enjoyed Matt Stead’s “Who dares Spins” story. That’s just the sort of thing you should be filling your pages with!
If I was going to suggest ways to improve your magazine, I’d cut the horse references (the end is ‘neigh’) and, if you want to build a future for British kit cars, learn to spell ‘Britian’.
PS Den What did you spend the damages you were awarded in the court case on?
I have a few thoughts that I’d like Den to expand on? Hope you don’t think Im getting at you Den – I’ve just always been someone who knows my own mind and doesn’t follow the herd. Probably why I’ve owned a GP Buggy for 24 years (in yellow)!
You talk about the way PF obtains his kits for build features as though this displays a lack of integrity. What’s the difference between discounted advertising and paying cash for kits? It’s all Filby’s money. As a reader I couldn’t care less what deals he does as long as the build stories appear. Why doesn’t KCM have some build serials. What happened to the Stuart Taylor build you started this year? I was looking forward to that!
On a related subject, you said PF doesn’t know a spoon from a spanner. I was under the impression that Nigel Dean and John Watson wrote the build articles. Are you saying they don’t know what they’re talking about? Den, even you’ve got to admit these features are pretty good.
A couple of weeks ago, you said no manufacturers have tried to defend PF. Is it any wonder when you launched such a personal attack on Terry at Marlin. Maybe they all know what reaction they’ll get?
How would your readers react to you calling PF a w***er on this forum. Is it really necessary? Bet you wouldnt do that in your magazine!
You keep saying its interesting that PF hasn’t responded to any of your allegations. I’m personally glad he hasn’t – tit for tat arguments aren’t what I buy magazines to read. In my opinion, in your magazine we’ve too much tat for there to be any need for tit.
I appreciate you pointing out that PF is allegedly involved with some kit car companies, but I’m adult enough to tell the difference between advertising puff (which all manufacturers deliver) and biased editorial. I don’t think WK has any of the latter. You even quote Ian Stent’s criticisms of the Razer to try and make that point. Aren’t you contradicting yourself?
You made a big deal of the Pilgrim being left out of the Cobra book by Ian Stent. I bought the latest version any way and found that it was included!
While I feel it’s a shame you’ve been banned from Donnington, I praise Iain Ayre for his MacIntyre report. Should you not sponsor a national show?
Ian Hyne’s articles are very good. He knows his stuff and seems to keep out of the politics. He’s an asset to your magazine.
Your classified ads are famously printed in ‘sections’ which are repeated (hence the long-running PF photo’s). Is that just cynical cost cutting on your part? Surely that means I’m buying whole chunks of the magazine over and over again? Isn’t that being disingenuous to your readers?
You have the sales ranking figures for both magazines and from that deduce the exact sales figures. How do you do that, down to the last copy i.e. 6243? Also you know WK gets £1000 a month for subscriptions – how? Have you got a spy in the camp Den?
When you got a reply from Ted of Ultima, you said that you just ‘suggested’ you knew the deal between WK/Nigel Dean and Ultima. Does that mean all your other claims are merely ‘suggestions’?
Personally I want both magazines to succeed purely because I enjoy having two magazines to keep me entertained! I also like the fact they don’t cover the same ground. They are both worth buying. For instance I really enjoyed Matt Stead’s “Who dares Spins” story. That’s just the sort of thing you should be filling your pages with!
If I was going to suggest ways to improve your magazine, I’d cut the horse references (the end is ‘neigh’) and, if you want to build a future for British kit cars, learn to spell ‘Britian’.
PS Den What did you spend the damages you were awarded in the court case on?
Ferg said:
So there we have it.....one minute it's the 'WTF?' thread, now this one. You can't win Den, please, please, please let's not cover this ground again. 
Yep, well said Ferg, Big Ron, (Saw you on Match of the day the other week btw...
made some fair points there, but most have been covered in previous threads.. I think Den has learnt the error of his ways
sort of way
BigRon
I'm not about to get into a (another) slagging match here, but I do feel that most of what you are saying is either your opinion or has been aired (and sorted) previously.
One point that you made I would like a little more information on. That is:
What was the attack you are referring to? My interest is purely personal (as I'm buying a Marlin and I do have great respect for Den). In the interests of this not becoming a back biting excercise, please email me with your reply.
I'm not about to get into a (another) slagging match here, but I do feel that most of what you are saying is either your opinion or has been aired (and sorted) previously.
One point that you made I would like a little more information on. That is:
BigRon said:
A couple of weeks ago, you said no manufacturers have tried to defend PF. Is it any wonder when you launched such a personal attack on Terry at Marlin. Maybe they all know what reaction they’ll get?
What was the attack you are referring to? My interest is purely personal (as I'm buying a Marlin and I do have great respect for Den). In the interests of this not becoming a back biting excercise, please email me with your reply.
Welcme BigRon,
I don’t mind answering questions because I’ve nothing to hide and a lot to gain from truthful answers. I’ll provide answers to those questions that have not previously been answered. Here they are:-
When payment is made for editorial, particularly in a ‘Which?’ type publication, then there arises a potential conflict of interests. Does Which Kit? truthfully report the true difficulties and costs on behalf of readers or gloss-over contentious issues because he’s in receipt of a £6,000 kit?
Ask yourself what you’d think about a policeman who was also being paid by certain businessmen on his beat.
Hard to bite the hand that feeds you? Me thinks. Ponder who’s doing the feeding, then think about the situation were that same policeman then opens his own night-club on his beat which he polices. Mind boggling.
I’ve no problem with Dean or Watson, indeed if either are looking for employment they’d be welcome to work for Kit Car. My point is that the editor has no knowledge on the one hand but claims expertise on the other. Two problems arise. Firstly he makes statements of fact that are accepted by members of the public at face value. An example close to me was his saying ‘it would not be wise to build a Sumo with Chevy power, as the chassis simply isn’t up to it’. That statement (or more precisely the spiteful reason he made it) resulted in our first legal argument. The second point is that Fib’s edits all of the articles and I’m very well aware of the fact, because Ian Hyne told me so, that he adds the odd superlative here and deletes the odd word there to substantially alter the overall flavour of articles.
How could they? She was the very first. Anyway, as I said, there’s a history of extreme hypocrisy in relation to Marlin. They stumble from one excuse to another to avoid supporting Kit Car. Better look at my response to Ted in which I think I’ve been quite calm and reasoned.
The book came out at Donnington in September. The reference in Kit Car up until September (October issue) said that the advertisement for the book neglects to mention Pilgrim. It would seem that in between advertising the book and publishing it, he added a chapter. Wonder why?
Cost cutting, yes! Cynical, No! The reason is that the cost savings are passed back to readers in the form of a much larger publication for their money. No complaints either.
The first figure is taken from wholesalers statistics, the others are educated guesses. No, I haven’t got a spy.
Read my words. Sometimes I quote facts and sometimes I express my opinion based on facts and sometimes I express my opinion in the absence of facts. The passage invariably makes clear where I’m coming from.
I wasn’t awarded damages.
Den.
I don’t mind answering questions because I’ve nothing to hide and a lot to gain from truthful answers. I’ll provide answers to those questions that have not previously been answered. Here they are:-
BigRon said:
You talk about the way PF obtains his kits for build features as though this displays a lack of integrity.
When payment is made for editorial, particularly in a ‘Which?’ type publication, then there arises a potential conflict of interests. Does Which Kit? truthfully report the true difficulties and costs on behalf of readers or gloss-over contentious issues because he’s in receipt of a £6,000 kit?
Ask yourself what you’d think about a policeman who was also being paid by certain businessmen on his beat.
Hard to bite the hand that feeds you? Me thinks. Ponder who’s doing the feeding, then think about the situation were that same policeman then opens his own night-club on his beat which he polices. Mind boggling.
BigRon said:
. . . you said PF doesn’t know a spoon from a spanner.
I’ve no problem with Dean or Watson, indeed if either are looking for employment they’d be welcome to work for Kit Car. My point is that the editor has no knowledge on the one hand but claims expertise on the other. Two problems arise. Firstly he makes statements of fact that are accepted by members of the public at face value. An example close to me was his saying ‘it would not be wise to build a Sumo with Chevy power, as the chassis simply isn’t up to it’. That statement (or more precisely the spiteful reason he made it) resulted in our first legal argument. The second point is that Fib’s edits all of the articles and I’m very well aware of the fact, because Ian Hyne told me so, that he adds the odd superlative here and deletes the odd word there to substantially alter the overall flavour of articles.
BigRon said:
. . . you said no manufacturers have tried to defend PF. Is it any wonder when you launched such a personal attack on Terry at Marlin. Maybe they all know what reaction they’ll get?
How could they? She was the very first. Anyway, as I said, there’s a history of extreme hypocrisy in relation to Marlin. They stumble from one excuse to another to avoid supporting Kit Car. Better look at my response to Ted in which I think I’ve been quite calm and reasoned.
BigRon said:
You made a big deal of the Pilgrim being left out of the Cobra book by Ian Stent.
The book came out at Donnington in September. The reference in Kit Car up until September (October issue) said that the advertisement for the book neglects to mention Pilgrim. It would seem that in between advertising the book and publishing it, he added a chapter. Wonder why?
BigRon said:
Your classified ads are famously printed in ‘sections’ which are repeated. Is that just cynical cost cutting on your part? Isn’t that being disingenuous to your readers?
Cost cutting, yes! Cynical, No! The reason is that the cost savings are passed back to readers in the form of a much larger publication for their money. No complaints either.
BigRon said:
You have the sales ranking figures for both magazines and from that deduce the exact sales figures. How do you do that, down to the last copy i.e. 6243? Also you know WK gets £1000 a month for subscriptions – how? Have you got a spy in the camp Den?
The first figure is taken from wholesalers statistics, the others are educated guesses. No, I haven’t got a spy.
BigRon said:
When you got a reply from Ted of Ultima, you said that you just ‘suggested’ you knew the deal between WK/Nigel Dean and Ultima. Does that mean all your other claims are merely ‘suggestions’?
Read my words. Sometimes I quote facts and sometimes I express my opinion based on facts and sometimes I express my opinion in the absence of facts. The passage invariably makes clear where I’m coming from.
BigRon said:
What did you spend the damages you were awarded in the court case on?
I wasn’t awarded damages.
Den.
BigRon said:
Thank you for your reply Den. Some interesting suppositions in there. I don't think you answered all of my 'new' questions but I'll let the subject drop.
Good luck in the future.
If I’ve not covered something of concern to you then send your question by e-mail. I note that you couldn’t quite grab the concept when Mark suggested it, but it’s no harder than posting to a forum. Honest. Just private.
My e-mail address is the same as my tag @ntlworld.com
Den
Glad you liked the article "who dares spins", the cheques in the post 
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