28 replies to this topic

[Body stylist]

A few thoughts here, all from experience dealing with the owner

What condition are the moulds in? Going on the quality of the last order we had of James they will be abused and not fit for purpose.

Will you actually get what you buy? James is well known for not supplying all of an order, and what he does supply is not fit for purpose.

James is clearly having to sell as his reputation has ruined any value on these moulds, the last shell we received the components would not fit in the openings, the shell was twisted, and the glass wouldn't even fit - all leading to the moulds no longer being of any use, most likely to user maintenance and or storage.

Price?? Is pure dream land, to register a shell built from these moulds has all sorts issues to do correctly, only the cowboys out there selling shells advise the wrong (and illegal) way, that is no way to start a business.

[ibrooks]

Got to admit I think the price is a bit of a dream because the market simply isn't there. It's so hard to register one of these things that I wouldn't bank on being able to sell more than one or two shells per year. That leaves you looking to sell parts to existing owners - there aren't many out there and even those only need parts when something happens to them (even that assumes you are going to get every single parts order).

 

It's not a profit making business in my opinion.

 

Some years ago I was looking very seriously at buying the FRA Mini rights and moulds. That was before they needed to go through SVA due to a loophole but it was obvious that the loophole's days were numbered so from day one I was looking at having to assume they would need to go through SVA. That's when you start asking yourself, if it's such a good business opportunity, why is the existing owner selling up?

 

Iain

[greenwheels]

Crowd funding? How may of us are there?

[The Matt]

They're overpriced.
They need to include detailed design/layup information.
They need to include some form of stress/structural analysis.
IF someone was to take these on and start selling shells for road use, they would need to be willing to help people with the IVA process.

Don't get me wrong, I've always liked the Hawk Sprint shells. But you can't just buy these molds, slap some CSM in them and hey - presto you've got a new shell for your donor Mini.

A tonne of thought needs to go into it.

[The Matt]

They're overpriced.
They need to include detailed design/layup information.
They need to include some form of stress/structural analysis.
IF someone was to take these on and start selling shells for road use, they would need to be willing to help people with the IVA process.

Don't get me wrong, I've always liked the Hawk Sprint shells. But you can't just buy these molds, slap some CSM in them and hey - presto you've got a new shell for your donor Mini.

A tonne of thought needs to go into it.

And I'm a naggy pessimist!

[silve1999]

me too, especially when it comes to making money off of peoples happiness

[blackbelt1990]

I thought IVA didn't apply to low volume manufacturers, or is that SVA?

[The Matt]

I thought IVA didn't apply to low volume manufacturers, or is that SVA?

To be honest, I'm not 100% certain as I've never built a kit car. I've always wanted to.

This wouldn't be classed as as a radically altered vehicle, it'd be a new kit car build I'd think.

IVA is Individual Vehicle Approval, which I think replaced the SVA (Single Vehicle Approval).

The seller of these would either need to ensure that builders could make their new kit car IVA Compliant by following steps A,B and C. Or they'd have to sell these as race equipment and put the onus on the homebuilder to register them as a one-off amateur build kit car???

I really don't know the ins and outs and it's something I need to learn. Gone are the days of just transferring vehicle A into GRP shell B and retaining the vehicle A ID. I've got a mate with am minus on a mini logbook that recently got "that letter" from the authorities.

[The Matt]

If I was going to take it on as a business, the first investment would be the kit in the eBay advert. The second investment would be to build and register one as a demo car to prove it can be done and document the process for future builders.

[Body stylist]

Another big issue is product liability insurance for automotive use on a public highway. You will be amazed at how many composite companies who sell automotive products don't have this cover, in fact I bet 95% of people who sell mini composites don't have it!!

Suddenly the project really isn't worth buying...

Another note is that most of the products in the images on the listing where not made by James, The pickup is the last one we had, it was shocking, and the front end is, and have a good look at that pic! The rest are old publicity pics.

I doubt you will get to view before you buy as the last time I was there, James wouldn't show his face and his landlord was ready to clear the unit for back rent owed....

[blackbelt1990]

I think Body Stylist is trying to put us off the scent, narrow the market ;) lol

[Body stylist]

lol, to be fair, we are probably the only company with the distribution networks required, the insurance, the knowledge of shell production for road and race use, the storage space and the other mini shells to complement the range. Even then, the sales would generate less than 5 units a year.

But as James cost us thousands of pounds on the last shell (the pickup in the listing) we purchased from him due to it being so poorly made and useless,
The 5 lost orders because of James total lies,
The 4 trips to James factory, to his home, making us deal with his ex-partner at night time in front of his children because he wouldn't show his face, dealing with his landlord, who was happy for us to enter his factory as James owed so much rent (we didn't) each time a 6 hour round trip, not including waiting for 5 hours only to be fobbed off by James yet again.

We wouldn't pay James a quarter of what he asking, and even then I would be wanting compensation for all the above reasons.

James is well known for changing company names, moving assets, in fact he did this on our order in between us paying in full and not getting the bodyshell.

I would not recomend anyone dealing with him, as he will try and do the same again, I'm sure I have emails saying he has nothing to do with the company or the mini shells, and yet, here he is selling them??

[jpw1275]

Who's James ?

Cheers james

[ibrooks]

I thought IVA didn't apply to low volume manufacturers, or is that SVA?

IVA applies to anything that doesn't have type approval so it's specifically for low volume manufacture. It replaced SVA.

 

So unless you start producing these in fairly large quantities yes they all need to go through IVA.

 

Also bear in mind that the IVA rules for a "non amateur" build are different. As an amateur builder you can get away with certain things like catalysts but as a manufacturer any car you build would need to have one and go through the more stringent current emissions tests (with an A-Series?).

 

A guy in the Robin Hood Owners club went through a phase of buying abandoned lightweight's (short run of Hoods with an aluminium monocoque). They were released by a previous incarnation of Robin Hood and then started failing SVA/IVA due to the design of the monocoque. This guy had worked with the local tester to get his up to the requirement so he knew what was needed. He shared the info but a lot of people just abandoned the kits and he bought a few and completed them. He finally got a letter saying that he had done too many and would from that point on be ineligible for amateur build status. From memory he only built around 5 of the things.

 

Iain