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Breaking for spares

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Sydsmith
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Breaking for spares

Post by Sydsmith »

The editorial in the latest magazines highlights a problem many of us get frustrated with. The scrapping for parts of a worth while restoration project.

Last year a nice 15 Mulliner sports was advertised on fleabay, it was more or less a barn find, having been dry stored for seven years. I had a good solid body with some woodworm in the frame, needing substantial restoration and a paint job but really sound metal work, all complete with a sympathetic start having been made on a restoration, and just two owners on the green logbook.

The car was bid on by six bidders and failed to sell with a reserve of £3,000.

To cut a long story short, I bought the car and here it is.
Daimler 15 031.JPG
As you can see well worth the reserve price, but I paid considerably less.

Why did such a nice car fail to sell at what is surely a fair price?

No doubt most will have guessed, the chap selling it had robbed the number.

Fortunately a scrap and spares man had bid what I paid but the owner who had dry stored it for seven years could not bear to have it scrapped, I stepped in just at the right time.

It will cost me quite a few thousand pounds to get it right, but it runs well and sounds great. I have spent £300 on it so far to get it on the road, the next thing is a set of tyres and some attention to the paintwork. it really is a great looking car with sound upholstery but a peeling dash leaking sun roof and in need of new headlining.

The real problem is that in the UK we are so obsessed with original registration numbers we fail to recognise the value of the car they are on, in any other country of the world there is not this obsession and cars sell on merit.

This is not as we all know a DLOC restricted problem many other makes except Rolls and Bentley suffer the same fate and in my opinion unless the DVLA step in many more sound restoration projects will be scrapped. Syd

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marchesmark
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Re: Breaking for spares

Post by marchesmark »

Syd, I don't think it is just about the number, it is simply a matter of economics. Restoring any car isn't cheap, let alone a pre-war one where many of the necessary skills such as wood frame work, traditional panel beating and white metalling are hard to come by and expensive. If the car needs substantial restoration it is going to cost a lot unless the owner can do it themselves, and what is a fully restored 15 worth, even if done properly? The sums rarely add up. I can assure you it happens to Rolls-Royces and Bentleys as well; not the pre-war cars which are largely worthwhile restoring as there is a profit to be made, but certainly Shadows, Spirits etc. Have a look at the Flying Spares website where they describe cars in for breaking, which is an entertaining read in itself.

Sydsmith
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Re: Breaking for spares

Post by Sydsmith »

I agree Mark, apart from number robbers there are a quite a number of factors that affect the situation, not least the increasing age & therefore the increasing inability through health issues of those of us who appreciate pre war vehicles and have the skills to restore them.

On the plus side and I take no pleasure in saying it, I guess the more that are scrapped, the rarer our cars become, if or when currently young enthusiasts move into valuing cars of our era, perhaps the values will climb and make them more worth while saving.

I am mindful of the very poor value of veteran cars when I was a youth and the incredible value of them now.

Last week I sold two 1930's Austin engines to a chap in his 30's who is really keen on pre-war vehicles, the engine on his 10 chrome rad was worn out and he had travelled 90 miles with a young family to collect the engines from me. It was very encouraging to see how eager he is to get his car sorted.

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marchesmark
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Re: Breaking for spares

Post by marchesmark »

Yes, there seems to be a consensus amongst the classic car 'chatterati' that pre-war cars are out of fashion, yet go to any VSCC meeting and you see plenty of young people whizzing around in Austin 7s. I do think the pre-war car world is somewhat secretive, and isn't given the coverage that later cars get. There is only 1 magazine dedicated to this era, the Automobile, and that can be insufferably pompous at times. But hopefully not too many younger people are put off, because someone has to take on the cars when the current generation gets too old for it.

Norfolk Lad
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Re: Breaking for spares

Post by Norfolk Lad »

Another load of Daimler Parts from the same man http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-car-1 ... Sw~XpZQalx
think i need to get into the sale of parts for Old Daimler , Lanchesters.

Sydsmith
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Re: Breaking for spares

Post by Sydsmith »

He does seem to get some interesting and rare stuff to sell but only lists it once even if it does not sell.

My dash panel on my 15 is in poor condition, he had the panel from the 15 he has broken listed, it finished without a bid and I missed it, but he has not relisted it.

I see he is down in Sandhurst must have quite an interesting store room.

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