Halfpenny 114 Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) Hello Gents... Been reading the forum on and off in spare moments and thought I might as well sign up and chip in now and again... About me.... Well, I am semi-retired now. Made enough from the car business to spend half the year in the sun - other side of the world from Blighty. I do two months overseas, two months back in UK.. and so on. Sold my first car at age 18 back in 1978. A Hillman Imp bought for £70 and sold for £150 a couple of days later (after a tub of Isopon P38 and some brushed-on gloss paint)!. I parked it in a back street in Coventry city centre with a hand-written For Sale in the window and my home phone number (no mobiles in those days). Two Sikh guys bought it off me next morning. After that bought a rusty Triumph Spitfire which I welded up and sold for a good profit. Then more old Spitfires - used to buy cheap and repair - everything - body. mechanical and interiors. It was a good niche market. After that build up the business into general sales and repairs - employed a couple of mechanics and ended up with a pitch with about 40 cars.. Seen most things over the years - had a few disasters but also some good luck. Its much tougher now than it ever was. Unrecognisable from the 80's and frankly I don't know how the younger one-man operations make any money. Anyway, couple of years ago at age 57 I decided that I had enough money put by and a good enough pension plan so I packed in full-time work. Now I have a 50% share in a 30-car pitch. I am basically a sleeping partner and just work when I am back in the UK and get bored. Act as a bit of guiding hand for my younger business partner. What we like: Most things Japanese and recent Korean (especially petrol), intelligent customers..... What we don't like: Any JLR product, German SUV's, Autotrader, Insurance companies, a certain type of customer that thinks they own you because they bought a car off you (you know what i mean). Edited January 23, 2020 by Halfpenny Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arfur Dealy 823 Posted January 23, 2020 Great introduction, welcome Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
umesh 336 Posted January 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Halfpenny said: . "a tub of Isopon P38 " many on here won't know isopon p38 ...remember the stuf well!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arfur Dealy 823 Posted January 23, 2020 20 minutes ago, umesh said: many on here won't know isopon p38 ...remember the stuf well!! Don’t forget P40..... still got tubs if the stuff.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justina3 518 Posted January 23, 2020 22 minutes ago, umesh said: many on here won't know isopon p38 ...remember the stuf well!! I am convinced I am going to get some nasty disease at some point due to dust that stuff and mdf used to make, H&S I used to think that was some fancy clothes shop up London way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trade vet 701 Posted January 23, 2020 Hi Halfpenny Great intro.You are needed on here but can you apply to use the private lounge.Look forward to your input.However be prepared to get slagged off from time to time by the younger ones.Isopon p38 ,we used to call it Mary Bakers after Mary Bakers spongemix which was often advertised on telly.When Spitfires were introduced they were good sellers but I seem to recall you had to tell the punters to be carefull when driving in high winds.The wind could get under the softop and blow them over ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halfpenny 114 Posted January 23, 2020 Back in the '70s tubs of Isopon were a vital weapon in the armoury of the used car dealer. I used to buy tons of the stuff. P38 for surfacing and P40 for the larger areas of damage. We also used chopped fibre mat and resin to bridge the larger holes. Spraying cellulose paint with a cotton-gauze face mask. It all seems another world now. We also used to sell and fit Sparkrite and Piranha ignition systems - these were aftermarket electronic ignition systems you fitted to a distributor to give a more reliable spark. That was about the extent of electronics on cars. Of course cars nowadays are way faster, safer, more durable etc. When I first started out we'd have cars not much more than a year old with knocking diffs and slipping clutches. Quality of things like Marinas and Avengers was shocking. Back then mechanical/electrical repairs were mostly cheap and straightforward though. I remember even in the mid-80s we could buy an exchange short motor for a Chevette for about £150. Now everything is a bonkers price and mechanics with proper diagnostic and repair skills are thin on the ground. Fed up with overcomplex modern German stuff that breaks too easily. For example last year we took in a perfect five year old one-owner X5 off a guy I know (rich uncle of daughter in law). Only about 65k miles. Sold it easy and two months later it completely trashed its autobox...'box sump full of shrapnel...customer demanding immediate refund etc.. And don't get me started on Minis - refuse to touch those things now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Horgan 564 Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said: Don’t forget P40..... still got tubs if the stuff.... Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications 6 hours ago, Halfpenny said: Hello Gents... Been reading the forum on and off in spare moments and thought I might as well sign up and chip in now and again... About me.... Well, I am semi-retired now. Made enough from the car business to spend half the year in the sun - other side of the world from Blighty. I do two months overseas, two months back in UK.. and so on. Sold my first car at age 18 back in 1978. A Hillman Imp bought for £70 and sold for £150 a couple of days later (after a tub of Isopon P38 and some brushed-on gloss paint)!. I parked it in a back street in Coventry city centre with a hand-written For Sale in the window and my home phone number (no mobiles in those days). Two Sikh guys bought it off me next morning. After that bought a rusty Triumph Spitfire which I welded up and sold for a good profit. Then more old Spitfires - used to buy cheap and repair - everything - body. mechanical and interiors. It was a good niche market. After that build up the business into general sales and repairs - employed a couple of mechanics and ended up with a pitch with about 40 cars.. Seen most things over the years - had a few disasters but also some good luck. Its much tougher now than it ever was. Unrecognisable from the 80's and frankly I don't know how the younger one-man operations make any money. Anyway, couple of years ago at age 57 I decided that I had enough money put by and a good enough pension plan so I packed in full-time work. Now I have a 50% share in a 30-car pitch. I am basically a sleeping partner and just work when I am back in the UK and get bored. Act as a bit of guiding hand for my younger business partner. What we like: Most things Japanese and recent Korean (especially petrol), intelligent customers..... What we don't like: Any JLR product, German SUV's, Autotrader, Insurance companies, a certain type of customer that thinks they own you because they bought a car off you (you know what i mean). Welcome aboard , Remember the Hillman Imps very well Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark101 536 Posted January 23, 2020 6 minutes ago, David Horgan said: Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications You did it properly then. Scruched up newspaper and a GB sticker usually worked a treat on rusty boot lids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trade vet 701 Posted January 23, 2020 1 minute ago, David Horgan said: Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications Do you not mean newspaper and cardboard ( smiley ) 9 minutes ago, Halfpenny said: Back in the '70s tubs of Isopon were a vital weapon in the armoury of the used car dealer. I used to buy tons of the stuff. P38 for surfacing and P40 for the larger areas of damage. We also used chopped fibre mat and resin to bridge the larger holes. Spraying cellulose paint with a cotton-gauze face mask. It all seems another world now. We also used to sell and fit Sparkrite and Piranha ignition systems - these were aftermarket electronic ignition systems you fitted to a distributor to give a more reliable spark. That was about the extent of electronics on cars. Of course cars nowadays are way faster, safer, more durable etc. When I first started out we'd have cars not much more than a year old with knocking diffs and slipping clutches. Quality of things like Marinas and Avengers was shocking. Back then mechanical/electrical repairs were mostly cheap and straightforward though. I remember even in the mid-80s we could buy an exchange short motor for a Chevette for about £150. Now everything is a bonkers price and mechanics with proper diagnostic and repair skills are thin on the ground. Fed up with overcomplex modern German stuff that breaks too easily. For example last year we took in a perfect five year old one-owner X5 off a guy I know (rich uncle of daughter in law). Only about 65k miles. Sold it easy and two months later it completely trashed its autobox...'box sump full of shrapnel...customer demanding immediate refund etc.. And don't get me started on Minis - refuse to touch those things now. I think Marinas and Avengers were good compared to the modern shite.You must have had a upmarket operation as we never bought short motors,we used the scrapyard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark101 536 Posted January 23, 2020 I will be the first to admit that I wish I had experienced the cars of yesteryear. I started in early nineties (dabbled from my childhood home) aged 18. Mini 1275GT, XR3i type stuff and had fun but made no money. Started again early noughties and even back then cars were far less complicated. I was one of the first with a website and card payment machine. Had a long sabatical and got back again in Feb 2018. On the whole, I love it but every day has its challenges. I can either buy or well but never at the same time. I either have plenty of customers or reliable staff but never at the same time. I have garages that cannot keep up when I am busy but come asking for work when I am quiet. Challenges. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halfpenny 114 Posted January 23, 2020 24 minutes ago, trade vet said: I think Marinas and Avengers were good compared to the modern shite.You must have had a upmarket operation as we never bought short motors,we used the scrapyard. We saw plenty of Marinas and Avengers that were clapped out at four years. Oil contamination of Marina clutches was a common job for the workshop. We also used to look after a couple of Talbot Tagoras for a local taxi company - they spent a lot of time in the workshop.... We used to source exchange engines from a place in Derby. Blue Diamond or Blue Star or something... they were good and cheap. Many many years ago though.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Horgan 564 Posted January 23, 2020 35 minutes ago, trade vet said: Do you not mean newspaper and cardboard ( smiley Talking about newspaper ! We have a chap across from us sells a few obscure old motors , has them hanging around forever type of thing . He had a Sorento 05 plate that needed welding on rear arches , so instead of getting it welded he filled it and undersealed the thing went for MOT and the guy there shoved his finger through it shite job mind . Brings it to us and asks us to weld it up , my son pulls reams of newspaper out of it , The Chap says dont know whos done that till my son says to him , Mate its got last weeks date on it Still goes on today obviously. And yes cardboard was used frequently back in the day of P38 17 minutes ago, Halfpenny said: We saw plenty of Marinas and Avengers that were clapped out at four years. Oil contamination of Marina clutches was a common job for the workshop. We also used to look after a couple of Talbot Tagoras for a local taxi company - they spent a lot of time in the workshop.... We used to source exchange engines from a place in Derby. Blue Diamond or Blue Star or something... they were good and cheap. Many many years ago though.... wow some old names there , Bet you remember the Simca Engine Tappet Rattle too , was in those talbot things wasn't it if i remember 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DPF 18 Posted January 23, 2020 No much change this day. You bought your Hillman £70 sold for £150 healthy profit £80 in 1978 now some dealers bought Ford Fiesta £2500 sold for £2700 £200 profit :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halfpenny 114 Posted January 23, 2020 13 minutes ago, DPF said: No much change this day. You bought your Hillman £70 sold for £150 healthy profit £80 in 1978 now some dealers bought Ford Fiesta £2500 sold for £2700 £200 profit :-) Well I just did a Google and apparently £100 in 1978 is worth £577 today. So I made about £450 on a £370 car in today's money, less the cost of some filler and paint. Of course there was no CRA or any of that nonsense so once the buyer had driven off that was the end of the matter. 25 minutes ago, David Horgan said: wow some old names there , Bet you remember the Simca Engine Tappet Rattle too , was in those talbot things wasn't it if i remember The Tagora had a 2.2L version of the Simca 180 2.0 engine (remember the Chrysler 180?). It was a rough old thing with troublesome Solex carbs. It was the Simca 1294, 1442 and 1592cc engines that had bad rattle - remember Talbot Horizon, Solara, Alpine... ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trade vet 701 Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, David Horgan said: Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications Welcome aboard , Remember the Hillman Imps very well Now they were shite.I think they were described on launch as having a state of the art transverse alloy block which represented a breakthrough in automotive engineering.What happened,they kept blowing head gaskets and jumping out of gear and there were so many warranty claims I think the cost put the manufacturer Rootes Group ( who had been around for ever ) out of business. Something similar might happen with these new higher powered hybrids with valeters and mechanics getting electrocuted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Horgan 564 Posted January 23, 2020 32 minutes ago, trade vet said: Now they were shite.I think they were described on launch as having a state of the art transverse alloy block which represented a breakthrough in automotive engineering. Mate of mine back then had a dad who bought 4 of those Simca Vans i 1975 for his business , they rattled their tits off after about 2,000 miles . Sounded grim , and the paint fell off too in great big rusty blebs . My god they were crap Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casper 272 Posted January 23, 2020 Welcome to the forum I must be getting old cause it brings back memories for me patching up some auld shite with a bit of filler I had in my teens and early twenties it's always interesting to listen to all the old stories from way back . I remember the coke can and chicken wire to stop exhaust blowing seen that before Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justina3 518 Posted January 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Halfpenny said: And don't get me started on Minis - refuse to touch those things now. I am part of that gang as well its a mini adventure the add says there not far bloody wrong, PS as a keen rugby fan i have to ask, your not related to Lee Halfpenny by any chance, true welsh rugby legend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Horgan 564 Posted January 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Casper said: remember the coke can and chicken wire to stop exhaust blowing seen that before Them were the days Casper , fixing exhausts with coke cans and that stuff you had to wet then apply to the said repair , went bone hard and come off 10 miles down the road 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tony F 38 Posted January 23, 2020 7 hours ago, David Horgan said: Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications Nice intro Halfpenny and welcome. Early nineties and preparing an old Maestro to send down the block with a few other cars I had ready. Big rust hole in the sill, and running out of time to fix it properly, and had no wire/fibre glass to bridge the hole. My eyes rested on an out of date Glass's guide, which was then carefully rammed into the offending hole. Perfect fit!! Skim of p38, brush of underseal and jobs a good un!! At 3.30am the following night i suddenly woke up, remembering the glass's guide has my business name stamped on the spine of the pages.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Horgan 564 Posted January 23, 2020 46 minutes ago, Tony F said: At 3.30am the following night i suddenly woke up, remembering the glass's guide has my business name stamped on the spine of the pages.... So it was you who bodged that car i bought 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tony F 38 Posted January 23, 2020 I still remember the car to this day. 1 vicar owner from new. The drivers carpet was loose when hoovering it. Lifted it up and there was a packet of condoms squashed underneath. He clearly wasn’t going on his afternoon teatime visits unprepared. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casper 272 Posted January 24, 2020 8 hours ago, Tony F said: I still remember the car to this day. 1 vicar owner from new. The drivers carpet was loose when hoovering it. Lifted it up and there was a packet of condoms squashed underneath. He clearly wasn’t going on his afternoon teatime visits unprepared. I remember years ago one of the other mechanics put a bra in one of the mechanics sun visors his good lady at the time found it almost caused a divorce another one same guy made a number plate up with some rude word and put it on the rear off the one of the lads 4x4 at the time he drove about for ages without even knowing then the guy just changed it back Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
