Armour Rustproofing

[carledo]

Yep, i've been self employed and run my own garage workshop since 1982. I've never had a year as quiet as this one. I can't see it getting any better until this Brexit business is sorted.

So much so, that i've decided to bale out at new year instead of next June when I planned to retire anyway!

Not that I shall be selling my spanners, but I intend to concentrate on Triumphs, which are currently around 40% of my business and give the moderns the elbow!

Steve

[ems1]

In our area people go to holiday parks to rust proof the chassis of private static caravans. They also do small caravans, boat trailers, etc.

[Dez]

I’m busy as hell, booked up well into next year and having to turn work away.
Tbh if there was a guy like you near me I’d make it compulsory for all my customers to go to you after they’ve been to mine or they get no warranty on any repairs. I always say they need to get it rust protected after any welding work as most of the cavities will be burned bare on the inside, but I know few ever do.

I don’t think it’s quiet in the motor trade (albeit a very niche part of it) at all. Sales of used parts and the like I thought was a bit quieter, but I’ve recently had a tidy up and listed a load of sale and a load of it has gone so I don’t think it really is.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Nov 12, 2019 21:34:37 GMT Dez said:

I’m busy as hell, booked up well into next year and having to turn work away.
Tbh if there was a guy like you near me I’d make it compulsory for all my customers to go to you after they’ve been to mine or they get no warranty on any repairs. I always say they need to get it rust protected after any welding work, but I know few ever do.

I don’t think it’s quiet in the motor trade (albeit a very niche part of it) at all. Sales of used parts and the like I thought was a bit quieter, but I’ve recently had a tidy up and listed a load of sale and a load of it has gone so I don’t think it really is.

Cheers mate appreciate that 👍🏻

[stealthstylz]

Nov 12, 2019 21:34:37 GMT Dez said:

I’m busy as hell, booked up well into next year and having to turn work away.
Tbh if there was a guy like you near me I’d make it compulsory for all my customers to go to you after they’ve been to mine or they get no warranty on any repairs. I always say they need to get it rust protected after any welding work as most of the cavities will be burned bare on the inside, but I know few ever do.

I don’t think it’s quiet in the motor trade (albeit a very niche part of it) at all. Sales of used parts and the like I thought was a bit quieter, but I’ve recently had a tidy up and listed a load of sale and a load of it has gone so I don’t think it really is.

The more specialist companies seem to be doing OK. We're doing more specialist work than day to day stuff at the moment, the regular stuff isn't anywhere near the levels it was last year.

[surprisingskoda]

Last year was pretty dire for us, very quiet indeed, only just scraped through. This year has been extremely busy and we're booked into next year even though we don't actually do much customer work as such.
The restorations that we were doing, we've finished up and delayed any more, because - at least, in our market - the demand for restored, affordable retros has dried up until it's just about dead. What I can observe of the classic market seems to be the same, although I can't tell you much about the market over £20k whether it's also like that or not. We're not getting nearly as many calls, selling much less and buying a lot - a LOT - more unfinished projects and cars that just aren't financially viable. So while there are a few people left who realise old and appreciating cars are a safer bet than banking, most are still scared of making any sizeable purchase.
I can tell you as well that we offer a rustproofing / underside treatment as well for substantially less and that has totally dried up too, we've done one car this year and there's another in for a small welding job that will also be done next week. People are not willing to spend on this area - for many reasons listed already.
All of our contacts in the mechanic and sales side of the trade say they are suffering right now with a downturn.
We're propped up by a booming parts trade. I've sat on stock for years for cars that are now appreciating at a phenomenal rate and so the parts follow suit, so that side of the business is flourishing. That's bolstered by folks investing in the upkeep and condition of the retros/modern classics that they have, rather than purchasing a new-to-them car.

If I was to offer any advice, it would be to diversify. Find another avenue to complement what you are doing already. It's perhaps the only way to survive - it has worked for me, and for several other businesses I've given advice to over the last few years.

[Deleted]

I'm not in the auto biz at all, but for a bit of perspective I think theres a general downturn everywhere in most everything. I pretty much started again from scratch in January this year for various complicated and boring reasons, and I've been very lucky to have had a damn good year. BUT... my damn good year started with a four month extension of a freelance contract from the end of 2018, and the rest of the year has been taken up by one single client who pays a decent rate.

Aside from those two things that I've been fortunate to have, I have not had a single other enquiry. Not a single one.

So next year could be tough going for me unless this one client keeps pumping stuff my way.

I know a fair few small businesses in my area of work who have spent the last few years establishing offices overseas. New York, Singapore, China, Australia, across Europe. They're all quietly closing them down again. Nobody seems to have any new work that they're "proud and excited to share" on LinkedIn. It's all gone eerily quiet.

[Dez]

The more specialist companies seem to be doing OK. We're doing more specialist work than day to day stuff at the moment, the regular stuff isn't anywhere near the levels it was last year.

I suppose the difference is the ‘normies’ fall into the ‘throw it away and buy a new one’ category, compounded by parts availability for new stuff you have mentioned, whereas the more specialist stuff is the ‘fix it cos it’s worth money’ category, Because the falling supply of old stuff makes stuff that would have previously been deemed uneconomic is now worthwhile these days. A few years back fitting liners was a rare thing reserved for generally quite special engines cos it was easier and cheaper just to get another block for most engines. now most stuff ends up with em. Same goes for welding heads and the like.

[stealthstylz]

Nov 12, 2019 23:57:24 GMT Dez said:

The more specialist companies seem to be doing OK. We're doing more specialist work than day to day stuff at the moment, the regular stuff isn't anywhere near the levels it was last year.

I suppose the difference is the ‘normies’ fall into the ‘throw it away and buy a new one’ category, compounded by parts availability for new stuff you have mentioned, whereas the more specialist stuff is the ‘fix it cos it’s worth money’ category, Because the falling supply of old stuff makes stuff that would have previously been deemed uneconomic is now worthwhile these days. A few years back fitting liners was a rare thing reserved for generally quite special engines cos it was easier and cheaper just to get another block for most engines. now most stuff ends up with em. Same goes for welding heads and the like.

I think it all seems to follow on from whatever the second hand car market is doing and as far as I can see it's absolutely curse word - I pass the same lineups of cars outside 2nd hand car dealerships day in day out, for months on end. Nobody seems to have any actual cash. PCP is gonna be the next bursting financial bubble I reckon

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Thanks for the ad.
I provide a Rustproofing service in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
The option I've posted is the basic one at £450.
If you want anymore info please Msg me through my page armour Rustproofing

/

There's now a Facebook page 👍

[lordyoung1980]

This looks like good stuff. I think my Defender 110 will need some of this when I've finished the jobs on it.

[mk90]

That's odd!...  Thats my car. I recognise the photos as the company that did the underseal sent me them when they did the job over a year ago.
That wasn't you though that was JR Classics in Doncaster

How come they're on your advert?

Bit baffled - i've never been to armour or heard of them till coming on here

M.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Nov 27, 2019 22:49:11 GMT mk90 said:

That's odd!...  Thats my car. I recognise the photos as the company that did the underseal sent me them when they did the job over a year ago.
That wasn't you though that was JR Classics in Doncaster

How come they're on your advert?

Bit baffled - i've never been to armour or heard of them till coming on here

M.

That's where I worked, I did the whole Rustproofing on that job and took those photos 👍

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Defender 90 in last week.
In tomorrow to wax and black it.

[mk90]

Nov 28, 2019 10:51:27 GMT slackerTHEpinstriper said:

Nov 27, 2019 22:49:11 GMT mk90 said:

That's odd!...  Thats my car. I recognise the photos as the company that did the underseal sent me them when they did the job over a year ago.
That wasn't you though that was JR Classics in Doncaster

How come they're on your advert?

Bit baffled - i've never been to armour or heard of them till coming on here

M.

That's where I worked, I did the whole Rustproofing on that job and took those photos 👍

That explains the pics then. I've had a few of my Defenders done at JR Classics over the years and all were good jobs. 👍

I'd be a bit careful about passing off pics or jobs done by any previous employers as ones done at your new venture though. From experience I know I can be looked at as false advertising or at least misleading by trading standards.
Not preaching just a bit of advice if your a fledgling business. Far better using your own portfolio and building it up. Reputation is everything in business.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Glamorous job, just finished a 15 hour day

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

First Retro Rides member vehicle in this week.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

Pics above are the Delica.
So clean underneath so it's getting a Dinitrol 4941 coating as the customer requested a full wax coating rather than the Shutz finish I usually use