Number plates

[Big Al]

Carefull what you say Al, you owned this car once and sold it on!

Did I? I have 'had' three orange P4 from memory. If I had to choose this would be the one the guy bought from eBay and underpaid for. I think I got it from MIke O'Balance. The buyer was clearly interested in something more than the car and a dealer type as he made no attempt to drive the car and left the numberplate behind along with some other bits - so I earned my underpayment back. This car later turned up on eBay again about 6 months later and with a second identical car with the same owner but apparently not the one I sold it to over Gloucester way but in Lincolnshire or Norfolk from memory. I remember thinking it was the same car as it had the same spot lights on it.
One of the other ones was from Mike Ford and I arranged the deal to a Microcar owner who just happens to be from Essex who then failed to pay me for it since he had the car in hand! So NSU are not the best things to trade in as not only are they not worth much but people do not like paying for them! I will not comment on the Essex bit further as it is an old chestnut.

[Bob Purton]

Well I could give a potted history of the car and its last four owners but as its none of my business and Barry might not like it I wont! Suffice to say, the Essex buyer who "didnt pay" tells the story very differently. Water under the bridge and all that.

[Big Al]

Oh I should have paid him as well, cleaned it, delivered it complete with a tank of fuel no doubt? Clearly he has not 'forgotten' the debt but I have never been privileged to an explanation and so understood even if I did not agree, unlike half of Essex apparently. That nugget just makes it a worse situation. Since the deal was a subject and a creation of my traders trust I would say that has been thoroughly abused wouldn't you. Indeed water under the bridge but the water carried off quite a few opportunities that would otherwise have been happily open to our shy and my erstwhile chum in its current so we all lost out in the end. Ridiculous. Meanwhile I'll pop my dart board target backed tee shirt on for the rallies again. Anyone would think I was seriously unreasonable that all this back ground chunter goes on with the odd knife slung from cover for good measure. One bloke is still moaning about an incident from 1987 which I lent over backwards to sort out. I learned not to bother if I saw the signs after that, move on. This guy's life at events partially revolves round telling anyone this tale if they will listen, so he has not, though nice camper mate! Fortunately I am past caring pretty much as I do not look to trade any more but as Root will advise it makes rallies a strange shark smiling experience, see his experience at Bath last year. Will Root bother with it this? I hope so as he need not be involved.
Secondly it confirms my feeling that information is perhaps best kept under wraps as it can be used against you despite the best of intentions. The exact opposite of what a club is for unfortunately.

[Bob Purton]

I get it all the time Al with the antiques dealing, the trade are pretty good on the whole but every now and then when dealing with the public you get someone you just cannot please, what ever you do or say you end up the villain!

[Big Al]

The answer is simple. Don't deal with the public! I have to say it works but only if you have good trade contacts or money from elsewhere coming in. That said it is a growing trend. I know a lot of folk who do not deal with retail and Peter Public, though home internet retail is on the up. He is to expensive to service with a premises legally in many cases. Example - restoring Microcars. You would have thought there would be a number of folk cashing in on their skills. The reality is of the few that do many are very picky about who they work for and do so privately. Consequently there are lot of cars out there restored by non micro people who get them wrong or charge a lot of money to get it right, or both. There are also a lot of cars owned that will never be restored until or unless they change hands as the owner has not the skill, the will or the cash and contacts to pull a restoration off. Of the few 'open market' restorers you hear endless tales of bounderism which I tend not to repeat as who knows the real story? All I can say is these blokes must have skins thicker than a rhino to put up with it for often meagre returns as an hourly rate and I do wonder if they are 100% covered for what they do or rely on their undoubted intelligence to keep one step ahead of the bullshit brigade with their clipboards and fees. Its a lifestyle but one I decided to reject on being able to do so.

[wilksie]

Having sorted through some 100 odd loose number plates from the years of salvaging cars from hedges, sheds, scrap yards and number plate dealers I have just sorted through them with the help of young Root. He has gone off with the ones that have no life left in them, I am left with some to check out further and live ones including machines forgotten about. However in this stuff were some live original number plates plates that escaped supply with the car when it was sold on. So attention if you know the owners of.
Isetta - 604 TKJ ex of Groomfondles yard and currently on the road - hurrah.
Isetta - 349 VMF
Trojan - 193 FCR did this car go to Bob Cotton at one point? I recall a cock up over that cars ID.
NSU Prinz - ONX 840F plates with Stuart
It should be possible to re unite these old plates with their original cars

Somewhat older thread but nice to see that 604 TKJ hasn't only been saved from the scrappy but is described as 'absolutely mint through out'. On evilbay now.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bmw-isetta-300-bubble-car-/270980815400?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f17b71a28#ht_500wt_951