Not giving up yet!!! SO-CAL L.A here to help!

Hey Jim...

Keep your chin up.

from one business owner to another...i'm feeling your pain.
we didn't see ANYTHING come thru the doors for more than a month and we had to sit down and ask ouselves how long we could do it at this pace.

things have started to pick up this month...steadily... and i'm sure they will for you too. once them refund checks and stimulus deals start rolling in things should start to pick up for everyone.

people are scared and uncertain and everyone really believes the economy is ****py.

well, i guess it is but it only became ****py because everyone was being TOLD it is. so no one spends because they're afraid there will not be any more money or something.

truth is SPENDING MONEY STIMULATES THE ECONOMY AND EVERYONE DOES BETTER.

sure gas prices **** and lots of people made REAL bad home buying decisions, but that shouldn't stop anyone for being a free spending AMERICAN CAPITALIST.

support hot rodding.
Support HAMBERs
Support Alliance Vendors.

 

Sounds like a great idea! I'll make it down at some point for one of them, but May 17th might be a bit soon for me. We have family in Seal Beach, so maybe another visit is in store soon. Good luck with it regardless and good luck with the business. I run my own small business and I totally understand your situation. Your life is your business and there is just no real way of separating it. I have found just doing the best you can and being helpful and nice to people goes a long way. To follow an old Studebaker saying, "Always give the customer more than you promise", is a good thing to strive for. Not that that saved Studebaker obviously, but still a good practice I think, especially in these days. I think having the swap meet and having fun goes along with that. I suggest some grilling or snacks or something too. Food always helps. Maybe get a good taco wagon to come and set up for the swaps.

 

Jim, another thought on business ideas: giving the current gas and fuel price situation, maybe some intelligent thought into how one could apply alternative fuel and power towards traditional hot rodding might be an interesting consideration. I would suggest that it would need to be done in a way that is sympathetic and not out of character to traditional hot rodding or doesn't take away from it in any significant way and hopefully adds a bit. It would take careful and intelligent thought as some of the obvious things would likely not fit in too well - fuel cell and stuff too modern like that. But, one thing I have done is to convert one of my trucks to run LPG. It doesn't save much $-wise as LPG isn't that much cheaper and it gets a bit less mpg. But, it does burn a hell of a lot cleaner and is very easy to do, fairly inexpensive, and can be integrated into a traditional hot rod without changing too much aesthetically. The biggest downside is you can't get auto LPG at every corner like gasoline and the LPG carbs. aren't quite as cool as 97's (but not too far off). But, for non-street cars, you can just use the non-taxed BBQ LPG and that is available everywhere and in a pinch, street cars can use it - its the same stuff, just different filling fittings and road tax vs. no road tax.

LPG is an easy solution almost anyone can do by themselves if wanted as long as they can figure out how to do it and where to get the parts and how to tweak it for an old nailhead vs. a forklift. Opportunities for parts to sell for instance along with advice which I found to be the hardest part when I did mine. Very little advice to be found, especially when I said it was going to be going on a Studebaker truck and with dual carbs. They basically said read the catalogs and good luck (and don't bother me anymore). Anyway, LPG is just one example. I am sure there are others. It doesn't have to be your focus, but just an added thing no one else provides. There would have to be a least a few people in So. Cal. that would be into that on a hot rod. Hot rodding is still about invention too. Maybe time for a little inventing. I'd be happy to give you what I know about LPG as starters if interested. How about a 200+ mph salt flats LPG project to get some attention?

 

What time?

 

Jim A...I am an old speedshop operator from the fifties and sixties.one way we
increased our walkin business ..We had a section of the store that we displayed
used parts(ala swap meet)that we took in on consignment from guys needing to sell..we would add our little profit to what the owner was trying to get for his parts..it was so successful that another guy in town opened up and called his
store "HOT ROD EXCHANGE"..had tons of stuff for sale all the time(with NO cost to him)Guys would check by every day or so just to see what "new"
If they needed corresponding parts you sell them off your own shelves...
Hot Rod Exchange was an ins***ution in Dallas til the owner p***ed away.....
We eventually leaned to the distribution of speed parts to regular parts stores
and finally did away with retail altogether...Just a thought.....

 

Jim,

Hang in there . Wish I was building something so I could send something your way. if you happen to come this way for the H A M B drags you can Bet that I have a place for you to stay. We need to make a road trip again. Lots of laughs.

Catch you later,
****

 

Hey everyone, I wasn't trying to sound grim- just letting my friends know I'm not giving up the fight despite some pretty adverse conditions. I've had to make some pretty steep sacrifices like selling my own car projects and rare parts I have collected for years, but I still believe I can make it work with the good name and helpful people of SO-CAL behind me. So again- it's not that bad- just thanking all that have helped us weather the storm and look forward to some clear sunny days.

We actually have half of our 5,000 sq. ft. store dedicated to used consignment hot rod parts and antique car parts. You probably wouldn't believe whats in there!- some REALLY cool stuff actually. The swap meet traffic should get the word out and we can see some things pick up. Thanks Jim

 

If you come up with a flier and post it,i'll download it and start handing them out. You were the topic of conversation today at the Anti-donut breakfast.

 

Hey Jim, I feel your pain I run a Aftermarket Parts and Repair facility, we are 33,000 sq feet, our business is down 15 percent this year, we are restructuring our business plan now!!!! hang in there!

John

 

Hey Jim, all the best mate, having already done some business with you I'd happily do so again although its a little hard for me to walk through your door

 

This is one of the Best ideas I have seen since the dragstrip idea in Texas, only one request...try to figure a way to start at maybe noon instead of o-dark thirty....god I hate that !!!
Thanks for all t he hard work

 

I think 8AM is a good time.....

 

Jim,

I just sent you a PM about some stuff I need. Really think the swap meet thing would be cool. I'll be checking!!

J.