Classic VW BuGs NewsLetter: Putting on a Vintage Movement! Pasco Bug Jam 2011 a BUST!
Hey My VduB BuDs!
The week before Thanksgiving already, unreal!
Thanks to everyone this past week who responded to my calling for a 54 motor. What’s amazing is that I have had a wanted ad out on www.thesamba.com for over a year looking for that motor and I have maybe, MAYBE gotten two responses from it. Both went south and never came to fruition. But this past week I must of had a dozen responses from my newsletter, I am already in talks with 5 owners who have them, go figure, just in one week. C YA later samba. HA! :o)
So this week in store:
1. My visit to the Bug Jam in Dade City FL, inspires me to put together a VINTAGE MOVEMENT.
2. I am mentioned in a top selling amazon and NY times Entrepreneurial Book
3. 1954 Build-A-BuG is about done, just gotta do the Motor!
The Pasco BuG JAM in Dade City FL.
Well I gotta tell ya, I was really looking forward to going to this show only to be disapointed once I got there. The place was packed, most likely had 500 cars or so crammed into a small area not even sectioned off by class. I did film it, and I will have a video sometime next week before Thanksgiving. Took me 3.5 hours to get there from Palm Beach, I seriously should have stayed by the beach. I really hate to say this but it is true.
95% or more of the show was flat out CUSTOM. Every car was looking the same that I literally had to just STOP filmming because it was getting so redundant. Too many cars dropped, narrowed, pimped, suped up, it was getting irritating. Out of the 500, there was maybe 3-5 cars that were bone stock. One car wanted me to scream, it was a 1947 Beetle, A 1 9 4 7 BEETLE, that was DROPPED, PHAT RIMS, A MOTOR THAT COULD EAT A KID in it, I cringed.
Too man early cars customized. Then people ask me why they can’t get the prices for their cars when it comes time to sell them. Ya know you may have a ton of time, money, and effort into getting your car the way you like it, but once you shank off the historical essence of the car, you lose an audience, you diminsh its value. I tell this to a lot of VW owners and many seem to still not get it. I have the track record to prove it, I have only lost money on one beetle, and that was my first beetle that I ever bought.
I see so many bugs for sale on eBay that are customized, and week after week, months after months, they do not sell. I even see some up for over a year and no sale! Sometimes you have to face reality and say, “hmmm, maybe I am doing something wrong.” Guys ask me, “Chris I can’t sell my bug, what do I do?” First thing I say is, “put white walls on it.” I don’t care if they are porta-walls, PUT EM ON! And they say, “but I don’t like white walls.” Ya know, I don’t care how you feel about them, but the mass audience CARES about them, do what the buyer wants.
In the past, (believe me I have tested the waters) white walls boost the $$ sale of the cars by a few thousand dollars. It makes the car PoP. And you do not have to buy expensive white walls, you can go with porta-walls. So for a fraction of the cost, the return is good. I have a video here on it.
**TIP**
Bottom line is, STOCK VINTAGE increases in value. Now I don’t always go FULL 100% stock on all my cars, I sometimes put in cloth interiors that were not originally offered, but I always keep the vintage feel regardless, it fits, and its return is great. Custom is a FAD, and fads die out. You tell me, who’s buying a bug that went custom in the 80s or 90s or 2000s? Are those styles going to be remembered? HELL NO. Well they might be remembered, but as the time goes on that particular custom style that was popular then, will be ugly NOW and for the future.
This show has inspired me to put on a VINTAGE VW MOVEMENT, stay tuned for that.
This book 101freemarketing.com by Jim Cockrum was recently released and it has hit the tops of the charts at Amazon & Barnes and Noble. Jim has been my mentor for a few years now, and many of the tips he preaches has helped me build my biz to where it is now. I was mentioned in his book as a entrepreneurial example on pages 87 and 88 of the book, really cool, I have never been in a book before. You can see what was written about me HERE. Basically what is on that page is in the book. I have just started reading the book and I am only on page TEN, but my mind is already flurrying with creative ideas to expand my lil BuG Biz. I recommend the book wholeheartedly.
1954 Build-A-Bug Project almost there!
Cosmetically and mechanically (but motor) this car is just about done. We put the top on yesterday that we got from SewFine in TX, tight as a drum! Gas tank is in, brakes, wires, interior, chrome, is done. Still have the steering wheel to finish, chrome the tail light bezels, rebuild the motor, then take her for a run. I might put a donor motor in there for the time being just to run her. Here are the UPDATED PICS. I will be putting out a steering wheel resto video soon from this very car.
Until then! Have a great weekend, if I do not speak to ya, have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
