Could I make a living repairing S's?

[Barkychoc]

I am just thinking out loud here but I currently have 3 weeks left on my current contract which will not be renewed.

I am thinking could I make a living fixing S's?
More the big stuff - body off repairs etc.

I have a local shotblasters and powder coaters and can weld, I just wanted to gauge if there is any interest?

All comments good or bad welcome.

[Mr Sheen]

.....why stop at S's, Wedges are relatively easy to work on?

Someone will always want a new chassis etc but how much are people willing to pay and how much profit is in it for you?

Sounds like a good idea if it's profitable

[V8 GRF]

I guess it's getting the initial business and doing a good job that still enables you to make money, and then as Andy suggests working on anything that you feel competent to do

[phillpot]

Barkychoc said:

I am thinking could I make a living fixing S's?

How many times have I thought about this,especially when someone comes on here saying about spending £100's to have this or that done !

One big issue I think would be distance, how far would people be prepared to bring their cars even if work was top class and competitively priced ?

My very best wishes for success should you go for it

[DJ8226]

Chris, yes go for it. Or edge your bets and set it up as a sideline, to gauge interest and take it from there. Your not too far from me and current specialist I use is at least an hour so not much in it.

[V8 GRF]

I personally don't think distance is an issue. If you've got a good reputation then people will travel. A good example is the distance people travel to use S&D in Blackpool, they have clients not just from the UK but mainland Europe and Ireland.

[Oldred_V8S]

V8 GRF said:

I personally don't think distance is an issue. If you've got a good reputation then people will travel. A good example is the distance people travel to use S&D in Blackpool, they have clients not just from the UK but mainland Europe and Ireland.

Chris

Judging by the standard of the work you did on your own car, I don't think you will have a problem attracting customers. I would have no hesitation in using you, especially for chassis work.

[GreenV8S]

Barkychoc said:

I am thinking could I make a living fixing S's?
More the big stuff - body off repairs etc.

It's quite a specialised market and therefore small, and you'd be in competition with a lot of established specialists who do the full range of work and not just major repairs/rebuilds. How much would you need to charge per rebuild to make a living at it? How many people are there realistically willing to pay that for a rebuild, in any given month? Out of those, how many will decide to use you rather than anyone else? I suspect you could earn a nice bit of money from time to time but jumping straight in to making a living at it sounds a bit brave. Better start off treating it as a part time job, and then if you're getting enough work to make a living at it (and believe the business will be reliable year round, not just for a month or two) you can always make that leap. It would be great if it works out, but my feeling is things are getting lean for the established specialists never mind for a new startup with very limited offering.

[Barkychoc]

I agree with you entirely Pete - but I may not have any work shortly so I will have to do something!

[tinks v8S]

got to say whatever happens GOOD LUCK Chris

[Gerald-TVR]

Tempting idea if you have the space and facilities, nowt to stop you having a bit of a go if you cant get a new contract I guess but would be a bit difficult if you took on some work and then a new profitable contract was offered.

Either way good luck Chris

[Dave_M]

You are good enough to suceed in anything you try Chris, I have no doubts.

Making something and making enough (at least at first) may be slightly different. Perhaps a tie in with a local specialist may work? As stated above, also look at wedges and maybe classics. I realise many will do some work themselves, but some will get stuck and may want to buy-in labour foor 2-3 days when time is an issue or when 2 people are needed.

Whatever you do, the very best of luck.

[Last S4]

I would love to spend my time making money restoring classics. Just having a job you enjoy counts for a great deal.
I do however agree with the feeling on here that the S is such a specialised market, and you should be targeting a wider market. Perhaps specialise in all classic TVR's or cars up to a certain age?
The fact that your car is so good is a fantastic selling tool for your business.

Have you run a business before? I have ran a few for the last ten years or so and if you would like any pointers PM me. I am not Alan Sugar but all advice is free.

[mycroft]

Hi Chris , probably not would be my answer to your question , but it depends what you can afford to risk in terms of time and money . Buying up the non runners and selling on ( would this make you trade ?) may need to be a part of your repertoire & storage and transporting ?
You undoubtedly have the skills , whats the worst that could happen if you try it could open up other possibilities for you that you've not thought of .

[wizzer]

Give it a go. As Del boy says,"He who dares wins." What have you to lose, if as you say you are out of contract in a couple of weeks, and you have work to start you off go for it. I'm sure you good reputation throught out the TVR owners club will carry you through and on to other models in a short space of time. I live on the south coast but would be happy to travel to someone who knows what they are doing at the right price.

[barefootoo]

The essance of starting your business no matter what is to keep overheads down! Have seen some realy good ideas go tits up due to people thinking that turnover is profit, and it aint. So work from home if poss, dont buy all new gear, and try not to start with a bank loan. Remember that their is a great black hole out there and its called advertising, you can waste a lot of money on not targeting the right market. But have a go I ran a very successful MOT welding garage in the good old days of cortinas & escorts, before they sorted the metal worm out. But as a thought why not shot blast as well! Mobile blasting is realy used by lots of people, for all sorts of work and you can do that on site. So no overheads.

[Barkychoc]

The plan would be to do it from home (Double Garage), and I am running my second limited company now so that aspect doesn't scare me at all, and I understand the turnover vs profit argument!

[mohitos]

Hi Chris,

I think there will always be demand for good people able to work on the S, so I'm sure you'd find plenty to keep you busy.

The key for me is whether you could charge enough to make it worthwhile and provide you with a decent living. I think there's a real distinction between the number of hours one might spend on their own car, and the number of reasonable chargeable hours you could pass on for specific jobs.

I'm not saying that you chargeable hours would be unreasonable, just that people will only pay so much for work on their cars and that might limit the quality of work you are able to produce within those hours. In all likelihood that quality will then be below that you have produced on your own car.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck.

Stuart

[gifdy]

I'm sure there is a market for an S repair specialist but I would question whether there is enough money in that alone. Perhaps you could supplement the repairs by offering upgrades and 'kits' ? Things I would dip into my pocket for would be along the lines of :

- kits for changing out the switchgear to aluminium/ shiny stuff( I know you can get bits and pieces from different suppliers but I dont think anyone offers the whole set ? )
- is it possible to Engineer side impact protection at a reasonable cost ?
- refurbished dash incl. lighting, switches, veneer (drive in/out package)
- stainless nut & bolt kits for various jobs, ,like the suspension kits
- track day preparation

There's also a wealth of information not in the bible. Maybe cut a deal with Steve Heath to write a new edition ?

Not sure if it's any help - just thinking out loud.....

[GadgeS3C]

Having spotted this thread and being in the position of trying to sort the 3000M to go to Le Mans in June I thought I'd try giving Chris a shout to see if he could help me out. Sod's law that work is at its busiest when I need fettling time. I knew Chris was fairly local to me which helped.

On Monday he had a fun day dropping the sump and replacing the gasket to cure a nasty leak.

Just wanted to share that I was very impressed with his work. Not sure many would have spent quite so long preparing the gasket faces to do the job right.

I have no hesitation in recommending his services to others.
Gary

p.s. disclaimer - other than on this virtual world I'd not met Chris before Monday.