Internet and kit cars

[seanick]

I was just thinking....how the internet has changed the world, and that of the kit car. Imagine building a special in the 50's without all the hints tips and ideas you can find on various forums. Twenty-five years ago there were kit car mags, but still sourcing the bits must have been slow compared to now, where EBAY seems to provide almost everything.
How would we have heard of the Spyder in the 50's?
Just thinking.....

[Mister Towed]

Yes, the internet has made things much easier but I think it's also pushed prices up. With an ad on ebay when someone's selling an old clunker (like most of our donors were), just over half the people on the planet can decide to have a bid on it. Fifty years ago you were limited to a 'for sale' sign in the windscreen or an expensive ad in 'exchange and mart'.

To see how the internet affects prices just try to find a half decent Vitesse donor for under a grand today. Thanks to Gary prices have gone through the roof. Two years ago you couldn't give them away.

[Nick59]

Yep and the same thing is starting to happen with the spitfires.....think I might buy everyone that comes up under £500 surefire investment.

[lancelot link]

THE INTERNET AND THIS FORUM HAVE BEEN MAJOR TOOLS IN MY BUSINESS GROWTH ....Used more often than Mikes Hammer !!

It is very true that it changes everything .....Off and on for the last 25 years....I know , I don't look old enough !! I have imported Classic American cars , initially for myself but eventually as a business sideline ...those first cars imported involved a couple of trips to the States , making contacts and friends , buying cars and taking / organising their trip to the docks ....great fun but time consuming and obviously costs money for every part of that step..... then I started buying 'blind' based on photos posted to me and mates over there checking some of them out ...took chances on a few ...this involved phone calls late at night , early hours of the morning to U.S. sellers , waiting for pictures in the post , organising payments from my bank account in the states set up previously , etc etc. easier than going there , but still time consuming...more recently ....( bought a few about 3 years ago ) it has been ebay sometimes but mostly old contacts , email pictures , quick phonecall if necessary ,transfer funds ...bang done !! you can buy a car in a couple of hours start to finish !!