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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > General Build Chat

General Build Chat Area for general build chat, questions, tips, tricks and progress

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  #1  
Old 6th August 2021, 20:28
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Jaguartvr Jaguartvr is offline
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Default What's happened to the forum?

It's gone so dead, with the lockdown there should have been hundreds of people out there tinkering with cars, the perfect time to start a new project, but no almost nothing.

Was it the loss of all the photos disappearing when Photobucket got greedy and tried to charge crazy prices? It did make it much harder to post pictures. Most photos now seem to be a link that you have to click to see the picture, not very user friendly.

Could the site have some link to upload a picture more easily similar to when you list an item on eBay for sale? If not there must be an easier way to post pictures........JG, pull your finger out!

Also, there has been the internet attacks on the site resulting in the stopping of new members joining, the site needs a ready flow of new blood.

No new build threads for ages, I'm not including the I've got a new kit, hear it is in the garage and a final picture of it painted, look at the wonderful threads from the past, Seanicks, Eric Holm"s and Scotties for example. I'm even missing the pictures of parcels waiting to be posted by Paul L.

I see from my wife's feacesbook account that "builds" are being posted here now. Not so much builds but a few random pictures and words. No information or help for the builder. Seems a bit pointless to me but then again I am a bit of a dinosaur. You certainly can't read a full build easily as you can here.
On these feasesbook pages there seem to be a lot of Tribute Kobras, looking in the Tribute section on the forum there is only one rather thin Kobra build from "Blueface" and that is from 2014. Must be so much more information available now so many have been built.
Mick has just bought a new project so hopefully, that will bring so more posts, I'm about to start fitting some instruments so will start a new topic on the Tribute section.
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  #2  
Old 6th August 2021, 23:28
molleur molleur is offline
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participation has been rather thin of late.
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  #3  
Old 7th August 2021, 08:35
Mick O'Malley Mick O'Malley is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaguartvr View Post
Photobucket got greedy and tried to charge crazy prices? It did make it much harder to post pictures. Most photos now seem to be a link that you have to click to see the picture, not very user friendly......there must be an easier way to post pictures..
I've been using Flickr for a good while now, I can post several hundred pictures FOC, and it's simple to use for an ageing technophobe like me...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaguartvr View Post
Mick has just bought a new project so hopefully, that will bring some more posts, I'm about to start fitting some instruments so will start a new topic on the Tribute section.
I have two Festivals, Stoneleigh/Gloucester Goes Retro, and Beaulieu Autojumble in the next four weeks/weekends so I anticipate little or no progress until mid September. From then on I'll doubtless find plenty with which to bore everyone.

Regards, Mick
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  #4  
Old 7th August 2021, 08:48
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Your posts are always good as they contain so many pictures. I have been using postimage which is free and pretty simple to use. I'm expecting so good posts on the new Marlin.
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  #5  
Old 7th August 2021, 09:10
Lucky@LeMans Lucky@LeMans is offline
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I'm still here but sometimes I think I'm talking to myself !

I've posted lots in general chat about events here in the midlands but so far nobody apart from MrTowed, as far as I know, has attended any shows that I've been to. Some high profile places like Shelsley Walsh and Prescott Hill climbs are world renowned venues but no other kit cars or specials in sight !

Perhaps we are fast becoming an extinct breed of owner / builders in this hobby. The Stoneleigh kit car show at the end of the month might be a good indicator for the whole scene. The Classic Car movement appears to be gaining strength all the time on the other hand and some older "kits" are now accepted into the classic scene in their own right.

Last edited by Lucky@LeMans; 7th August 2021 at 09:23..
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  #6  
Old 7th August 2021, 15:57
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Possibly, alongside the boom in classic car prices, this kit-building lark has all got a bit expensive for the dyed-in-the-wool shed based enthusiasts who used to be regulars on here.

As an example, in 2011 my Sammio Spyder body, subframe, aeroscreen and grille cost less than the (admittedly beautiful) instrument cluster from Grassbank, while my running driving Vitesse donor car was £800 (I recouped all that and more when I sold off the bits I didn't need).

Fast-forward a decade and similar kits now cost three to five times as much and a rusty Triumph Vitesse is £3-5k, making the genuinely cheap 'new' project a thing of the past.

Those who desire classic race-car looks without the multi-million dollar budget now need much deeper pockets, and that seems to have led to a trend towards buying in the skills to achieve the desired result rather than building it yourself.

Look at Gary J's Formosa, the spiritual successor to the Sammio Spyder which sold in quite large numbers as a kit. I understand that there have been very few 120GR's bought in kit form, but Gary's order book for turn-key cars at £25k+ is overflowing (and bloody good luck to him!).

That possibly explains the dearth of new builders, as bunging a couple of grand at a project you might never finish is one thing for the average hobbyist, but when the costs start to rack up towards £10k and beyond it can be something that attracts too much attention from a significant other for many people.

I have to say that I'm also aware of one or two real enthusiasts who are still heavily involved in the scene, but dropped off the radar due to the sheer rudeness of some contributors on what had been a very friendly platform.

For my part, life has somewhat got in the way of kit building for the last five years since I retired from the Po Po, but I've now decided to give up work completely and get on with building my dream car(s), so hopefully I'll have some progress to report on my Speedster soon.

Anyway, I shall continue to follow the build threads we do have with interest, and I do regularly look back at old posts for inspiration and ideas, which was always the attraction for me anyway.
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  #7  
Old 7th August 2021, 20:30
Lucky@LeMans Lucky@LeMans is offline
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Costs have risen to build a kit to a good standard thats for sure. The basic kit price is just the start as we know ! There are a few options out there which won't break the bank but you will be investing a lot of time.
The time aspect and the inclination to build will put a lot of people off, but many will have deep pockets so are happy to pay and buy a finished car.
Many people of a certain age will simply not have the skills and that will be most under 40's ! I'm 55 and did a full engineering apprenticeship in the early 80's. That was the time when engineering was being hit really hard in this country and companies stopped their apprenticeship schemes . Not saying it was essential but I learned a lot back then and it has proved very useful.
The classic scene has gone bonkers , who would have thought old Ford Escorts would worth 5 figure sums just 20 years ago and not long before that they were £50 in your local paper every week !
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  #8  
Old 7th August 2021, 22:40
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Now Escort based kit cars, eg Rickman Rangers are being bought to be stripped for escort bits. Is this what recycling is about? At a recent Landrover meet the lack of 'youngsters' was very noticeable. They can buy cheap hot hatches and modify them less expensively than building a kit car. Sadly the 'Special' era passed, now maybe as we get older building is going upmarket to the people with more money than skill.
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  #9  
Old 8th August 2021, 12:12
Mick O'Malley Mick O'Malley is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dpaz View Post
Now Escort based kit cars, eg Rickman Rangers are being bought to be stripped for escort bits. Is this what recycling is about? At a recent Landrover meet the lack of 'youngsters' was very noticeable. They can buy cheap hot hatches and modify them less expensively than building a kit car. Sadly the 'Special' era passed, now maybe as we get older building is going upmarket to the people with more money than skill.
Quite apart from the expense, I believe the introduction of SVA and IVA had a negative effect on the kit car world. Having to jump through additional hoops must surely put off many a prospective builder? The demise of traditional breakers' yards has also taken away much of the fun of parts sourcing, only partly mitigated by the advent of the internet. For myself, abandoned projects and shed finds are the way to go, but then again, I have to say that JaguarTVR's 'dinosaur' comment resonated strongly with me...

Regards, Mick
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  #10  
Old 8th August 2021, 14:13
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I think the internet has more than made up for the demise of breakers yards. Recently needed a front wing for a Mercedes CLK, choice of several all in the right colour, less than £50 on eBay.
A while ago I needed a switch for an XJ40 seat adjuster and heated seat, it was particular to the Vandenplas, I really didn't hold out much hope but choice of 4 on eBay.
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  #11  
Old 8th August 2021, 21:23
Lucky@LeMans Lucky@LeMans is offline
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I went to the Prescott Vintage Sports Car Meeting today, a great day out and a lot of very interested folk in my Formosa. Probably around 300 vintage cars on display from early 1900's through to 1950's in all shapes and sizes and around 150 or so competing.
Competition on the hill was pretty spectacular, just about every driver was driving at 100% and the pit area was full with every early marque you could imagine. No shortage of the younger generation there either, plenty of teenagers some of them competing too, I think there was a 16 year old driving one of the cars. Appears to be a very well promoted and supported sector in the car world
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  #12  
Old 11th August 2021, 14:12
Biggles Biggles is offline
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I would like to post, but I can’t view or post anything without constantly logging in, as the site (or my tablet) can’t remember me!
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  #13  
Old 11th August 2021, 23:33
Mitchelkitman Mitchelkitman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaguartvr View Post
I think the internet has more than made up for the demise of breakers yards. Recently needed a front wing for a Mercedes CLK, choice of several all in the right colour, less than £50 on eBay.
A while ago I needed a switch for an XJ40 seat adjuster and heated seat, it was particular to the Vandenplas, I really didn't hold out much hope but choice of 4 on eBay.
There are instances where the internet comes up trumps, but IMHO for kit building the 'traditional' breaker's yards really were useful if you wanted a part, but didn't know which car you wanted it from! eg a suitable bonnet catch or door lock...... just open a few doors/bonnets until you find what you need! Alas even when I've wanted some parts for a 6-year-old car (and I know the part number etc) I've not been lucky in my local 'recyclers'
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  #14  
Old 12th August 2021, 08:09
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biggles View Post
I would like to post, but I can’t view or post anything without constantly logging in, as the site (or my tablet) can’t remember me!
I have the same issue and it's been doing it on and off for three or four years.

I can navigate from the Home page through the different site areas to individual posts, but if I try to go back to the Home page it logs me out. I can get back there by using the 'back' button on the screen, but it's all a bit of a ball-ache.

Not sure what's causing the problem, but it'd be nice if it could get fixed
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  #15  
Old 12th August 2021, 09:52
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky@LeMans View Post
I'm still here but sometimes I think I'm talking to myself !

I've posted lots in general chat about events here in the midlands but so far nobody apart from MrTowed, as far as I know, has attended any shows that I've been to. Some high profile places like Shelsley Walsh and Prescott Hill climbs are world renowned venues but no other kit cars or specials in sight !

Perhaps we are fast becoming an extinct breed of owner / builders in this hobby. The Stoneleigh kit car show at the end of the month might be a good indicator for the whole scene. The Classic Car movement appears to be gaining strength all the time on the other hand and some older "kits" are now accepted into the classic scene in their own right.
I have to admit I only visit here occasionally now my kit is built - but I do try and attend a few of those events you mentioned if the weathers good and they are local to me. (took my Fiorano to shelsley walsh a few weeks back)
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  #16  
Old 12th August 2021, 11:53
molleur molleur is offline
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I'm here, several times per day.
However I have not posted much. Still toiling away
on my Tribute. Life gets in the way sometimes.
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  #17  
Old 12th August 2021, 13:22
Lucky@LeMans Lucky@LeMans is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitchelkitman View Post
There are instances where the internet comes up trumps, but IMHO for kit building the 'traditional' breaker's yards really were useful if you wanted a part, but didn't know which car you wanted it from! eg a suitable bonnet catch or door lock...... just open a few doors/bonnets until you find what you need! Alas even when I've wanted some parts for a 6-year-old car (and I know the part number etc) I've not been lucky in my local 'recyclers'
There were several breakers near me but they all closed down many years ago. Cheap copy parts and the internet have made them all pretty redundant. The days of spending your weekend fixing your car ready for Monday morning are long gone too !
With regard to forum glitches it has happened to me but not for 18 months or so. I went through a period of having to log in constantly as I seemed to loose the connection half way through writing something, very frustrating at the time. Send a pm to JG if you have site problems.
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  #18  
Old 13th August 2021, 09:39
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4 different people on the facebook Tribute forum complaining that they can't join the madabout forum and have given up. I wonder how many others have done the same?
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  #19  
Old 13th August 2021, 10:54
Lucky@LeMans Lucky@LeMans is offline
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I think there was a problem with the site being attacked by spammers / hackers a couple of years ago so JG blocked them by stopping new members joining. I thought it was a temporary thing.

Last edited by Lucky@LeMans; 13th August 2021 at 11:43..
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  #20  
Old 13th August 2021, 11:31
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Hi Peeps.

Have noted the tech issues raised.

Will look into updating the forum software which will hopefully fix the glitches and be more robust to allow registration again.

Just a warning though. If you use the current forum image upload facility (Community > Pictures & albums) you may want to back the images up somewhere else as I don't think that functionality is transferrable to the updated version of the forum software.

Cheers.
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