Hot Rods No more "bro deals"?

you think thats bad, try selling some thing to a antique dealer, they wont buy it ,unless they can double the money

 

It get's worse when you have a shop, wether behind your house or a true commercial deal. Everyone wants a deal, they don't take into account overhead, they think you're swimming in money.

 

If supply is low, price will be high.

I'm one of the guys who likes to give good deals and help guys out much to my detriment, but If a person can't readily afford a certain part and I cut them a deal, am I really "helping" them? Maybe they should save their money and wait like in the good old days.

There is a reason they call a price "FAIR market value". If the "rich guys" are paying a particular price, I guess that's the fair market value, sad but true.

I don't know who's worse at keeping prices high and cars off the road, the people selling stuff at high prices or the bastards hoarding parts, keeping the supply low and the price high. I trust the people with rooms full of intake manifolds and masses of other valuable parts sitting around lose the appropriate amount of sleep over them.

 

This reminds me of the "What line can I use to talk the Farmer outta his stuff for cheap" type threads.

Now you know how the Farmer feels...

 

HAHA I was thinking the same thing!

 

Usually if a freind is in need of some certain part and i have it and dont need it they will get a screamin deal, usually i dont have alot into it and thats what they get it for, its funny too, ive had buddys that have had parts ive needed and i know they got for relitivily reasonable price and i ask em about it and they want a fortune for it, i say no thanks and go on looking somewhere else.

i was assembling a 454 bbc for a buddy a year or two ago, my dad and i had just picked up a 40 tudor project that needed a decklid, and i had remembered that my buddy had an extra one that came with a car he bought, so i called him and asked him about it, he said sure its yours, ill figure out what i want for it.......oh ok, bring it along, he got to my buddys place where we were assembling the motor and tells me he wants $100 for it, so needless to say i didnt get a decklid and his bbc never got fully assembled, and wont ever get fully assembled by me! i wasnt looking for a deal, but he got it for nothing with the project, and i was puting his motor together for free.

i still see and talk to him alot but never again will i help him with anything.

im a very giving person, ill help anyone that needs help, let people keep there cars in my shop and help them fix it or work on it or build it,. but its caused me to be walked all over by many, so im tapering off on who and what i help with and making more time for myself, thats the way it goes.

but ill still always help a friend out.

JEFF

 

If you are selling diamonds, charge diamond price. Otherwise your customers don't know for sure what they are buying. A bargain diamond is obviously less quality. Right?

A bargain is something you bought before the "Others" knew what it was worth. Thats the only bargain you are ever gonna get!

Kevin
Ooltewah Speed Shop

 

I imagine everyone is out to fuck me until I determine otherwise.

 

This is a funny thread to me! I can remember a while back getting the reverse bro treatment - bend right over - now ain't that the truth. I determined the problem was ME!! I used to figure if I was good to them - when the shoe was on the otehr foot they'd be good to me ....ah not! My bad for expecting anything in return.
More recently my philosophy is simpler - I expect absolutely nothing. When I pump up a buddy I do it and immediately afterwards I consider us EVEN. I want nor expect anything back in return. Not all that long ago a buddy of mine picked up an injector - I wanted it but NEVER said a word and even told him how scare they are and what they were worth. I never asked about buying it, never mentioned I even wanted it. Well 2 weeks later I'm over his place and he HANDS IT to me. Saying he appreciated the help I gave him and he figured I'd like this injector. I was speechless as I didn't previously pump him up THAT MUCH!!!! I told him he'd be better off hanging onto it even if all he ever did with it was to bolt it to the shop wall. Nope! He insisted I have it. I was totally speechless. He DID mention he'd be real disappointed if I'd go and put it on Ebay. I reassured him I'd NEVER do that. I don't think that him saying that was the least bit selfish as has been suggested in previous posts - I think saying how you feel about something UPFRONT is simply trying to avoid hurt feelings later.

So yep - I've been on BOTH ends. Having expectations is definitely NOT good - it's rare they'll ever be met anyways. Having a buddy pump you up outta the blue is pretty spectacular!

I am way more selective on who I pump up these days - but rest assured I do it completely without expectation of anything coming back - expect nothing and NEVER be disappointed!!!! Easier said than done, but definitely the way to fly IMHO.

 

i had a buddy give me a sob story about how badly he needed a vehicle to get to work , didnt have a lot of money to spend so on so forth . i sold him a nice s-10 for almost nothing , 2 weeks later he sold it for almost 4 times what he paid me....were not buddies anymore

 

A couple years back I sold my 65 Nova on craigslist. I was selling it for $5000.In a few minutes I got a guy calling about it. The guy wanted to see the ride that minute but we couldn't decide were to meet. So I told him to meet me at my work the next day.He said,I'm cool with that.Know he starts telling me that the car is for his wife and it's gonna be a surprise gift.I really want this car.I don't care. I'm gonna get it for sure.Next day he is there with trailer. He was a nice guy about same age.Test drove.Came back.NOW he want to give me $4000. I said you seem like a cool guy no problem.But what he didn't know that I had suspension parts for it.Calvert Racing kit, Shocks,Relocation kit, & mis. stuff if he would of payed $5000.The car was sold and out of my hair. Oh Ya and I also took him some trim I had too.
My buddy calls me a few day's later and told me he saw the 65 on craiglist for $7000.Dude A FEW DAYS!!! Fuck being nice!
On a good note. I've seen the car has found a good owner. Hear is a before and after and new owner.

 

That's the stuff, right there....

 

Uncle dave; I don't agree. Case in point:
A friend of a friend GAVE me a corvette shifter for my 700r4 - Just cause he's a fellow rodder, turns out I'll be going with a Lockar instead, so I'll call the guy & give it back.
It is the principal.
Everyone knows when they got a deal & why, act accordingly.

 

diddo. everyone except my wife that is..

 

I have one brother and he can have anything I have.

 

not really something to brag about............in my opinion

 

I've had similar happen to me several times...

The one that gets me the most is the 66 Chevy I had. It was a very decent truck, 327/pg run great... just needed a little wiring work and was ready to ride. I had it for sale for $1800 and I knew it was worth more, but I found a 54 Chevy I wanted... Someone stopped by the house and looked at it and his son was with him, they talked about how they wanted a good father/son project... He was going to drive it to high school. They talked me down to $1200 and stupid me sold it to them, but I was glad in a way that they'd have a good project to do together. So a couple days later he comes and picks it up... DRIVES IT HOME. I miss that truck...

Well, about 3-4 days later I was at a gas station and went to pay for the gas... I saw an ad on the bulletin board there. It was my old 66 Chevy for sale already... price - $4500

I'll never sell him anything ever again.

This was the truck...




Also had a very good friend of mine do the same to me when I sold him a very solid 48 Buick. He had $800 in the car (had to sell due to enlistment) He bugged me for the car for over a year. I told him if he decided he didn't want it, I'd buy it back. Well, About 2 weeks after I sold him it, I saw it listed in the trading paper for $5000. It's in North Carolina now from what I'm told... I don't speak much of him or to him anymore either.


Couple of my experiences...


Dave

 

I've been bent over before, not cool. I have changed my practices. Kinda funny half of the guys who used to hang out at the shop I hardly hear from now.

 

A very select few get the "BRO" treatment from me. About seven in the car hobby, four in the antique radio hobby, and maybe four in bikes.

The rest, full tilt boogie. Example:

In another old car forum, mainly restoration, a request for various exterior trim parts for a '55 Buick Special 2 door sedan. I have extras, so I answer him. He wants a complete set of stainless side trim, front diecast ofer the grille and taillight housings. I just happen to have almost all of this, only piece missing is one of the rear quarter mouldings. I used to have it, probably lost in in my last move in '04.

Also, I asked him if he was interested in a NIB Petronix ignition for the car, the old non window style disributor. Had one, but at the time, until it was stolen the car was getting a 401 in place of the 264.

I told him 250 for all. The diecast was good and presentable, not pristine but all off southwestern cars, so not a lot of pitting/popping. The stainless was good, very minor polishing needed. The Petronix cost me 90 bucks, still had the recipt in the box for it. Now we go from emails to phone calls.

He was agreeable to the price,asked for photos. Again, I was clear on what I had and the condition. Sent photos of all, nothing in reply for a week.

So, finally hear back from him. Full of excuses, storys, etc. How he bought parts on Ebay, spent too much, things are tight, etc. But he really wants my parts but can't afford over FIFTY bucks for all of it. And he really wants to finish his car soon, he's a young guy, first restoration, all the boo hoo.

Now while I'm not the sharpest Crayola in the box, I'm not that stupid either. That phone call got ended real quickly on my end. I'd scrap all of it first than to sell it for that kind of money.

Not to sound like a prick, but I just sold some parts to a guy in South Dakota. Don't know him from Adam either. We emailed back and forth, I promised to get a price from the post office and email him how much the shipping was. Work reared it's ugly head, started spending a lot of extra time there. So, I was able to get to the P.O. early, boxed it with a note apologizing as to no email for a price, but here is the amount of shipping in adition to the parts. Just sent it, he sent me a check back in a week. Did I expect to get screwed, well yes and no. Was I pleased, yes.

And the price I sold was the average price that they go for on Ebay.

I had a discussion with another person that faulted our horsetrading, saying that it keeps our stuff from outsiders getting it. That it was not fair.

Well, some of these people, well we go back at least thirty to forty some years. We hung together when we pooled our pocket change for gasoline. Pooled out money for a pack of bologna, a loaf of bread and a couple of Cokes when we were out junkyarding. We never sold parts to each other, our garages were always open to one another. And one of this group, well when I woke up in CICU after emergency triple bypass, he and his wife were alongside my wife, they were the first ones I saw.

So, to get the BRO deal, you have to earn your stripes so to speak. I'll be fair to outsiders when I sell something, but there is a definite line in the sand so to speak.

 

If I sell cheap, (or give away) I ask the buyer if he intends to use the parts HIMSELF, and I make clear that if he intends to resale or if he ever does so anyway, that I get first crack at the parts.

Of course, I am sure I have been lied to, but if I find out they will be on my shit list and I will let EVERYONE know what a dick they are right to their face.

 

Blah blah blah......

A FRIEND in NEED is just plain ANNOYING.
There are NO friends in BUSINESS.
It's a DOG EAT DOG world.

Do I need to go on? I never LEND money, I just GIVE it. I don't cast my pearl before swine and I don't sell shit unless I know it's top going rate, because I'm obviously selling it for the cash.

Oh and if you fuck me, that's okay..........it's WAY cheaper knowing now, before you REALLY hurt me. Small price to pay, ya know?

 

Been my experience that the guys who only want top dollar for what they have for sale rarely will pay 20% of a parts worth when they are buying.Know several like that in my neck of the woods and also their cronies.They buy no parts from me.
As far as bro deals go I dont make them.I also dont horse trade.The guys I hang out with I have known for 30+ years and if I ask one to do paint and body I pay full price and if he needs something it's full price.Keeps it all on a clean slate.I've seen those 'build my motor and i'll paint your car' deals tear up friendships.

 

In the end, karma will resolve everything, promise!

 

There's friends, there's family and there's business. Never confuse one with the other.

 

Exactly.

When I buy, I decide what I'm willing to pay, and either do the deal or don't. If I find it cheaper elsewhere afterwards, them's the breaks.

When I sell, I figure out what the going rate is, and then figure out what I'm willing to take. Then I either do the the deal, or don't. No conditions, no "special" deals, no freebies.

Once the deal is done, it's done.

If you don't like the deal when you're making it . . . . . . . . don't make it.

If you want to have a say in how a part or car is used. . . . . . . . don't sell it.

I don't work for my friends for free, and I don't expect them to work for me for free either. Give value, get value. It's not always money that changes hands, but the terms are clear and agreed to by both parties before anything goes down.

I'll help a buddy out with labor or tools for nothing if they're in a bind or something, and they hit me back for the same later on when I need an extra pair of hands, but if I build or modify something for someone, they're paying me for it, even friends and non-immediate family.

Sounds assholeish, I know, but it keeps the drama and hurt feelings at bay pretty well.

 

Right on!

 

All this from the same group of people that say keep your money in two diff pockets, tell him you are going to restore it, and laughing when some old guy gives you a deal on a part that he dosen't know about. When you sell some thing just charge what you want ,then let the buyer do what he wants. Don't sell something you may want back.

 

some folks just deserve a good traditional ass whoopin , hey i dont make the rules i just follow them!

 

As hobbiests we are only too eager to help a hot rod buddy out. Trouble is we don't recognise those what are in it as the business side-line to their hobby.

I've been stung - probably too many times to want to admit to.

For example - I was involved in building a racecar about 15 years ago. When the $ got tight I walked away from it taking only my motor and trans - about 25% of what I had in it. When I asked the "partner" what he wanted for some parts - I was told 2009 prices, and this was way over their value at the time and 1500% over what he paid. Burnt - yes, mates - no!!!

Maybe some of us are sitting ducks waiting to get baited by these types of guys.

Now I say yes to parts that I want to buy, and I'll think about it when some-one asks to buy/swap me for stuff I have. Hot rod parts are too hard to come by,and too easy to loose, and arseholes are everywhere.

 

Did you ever notice that the people who are complaining about having money problems ,Have way more stuff than you and I,I think the same goes for some of these parts guys,My only advise is don't read into there bullshit.I personally did a painting job for my dads friend ,My dad warned me about this guy,MY DAD SAID YOU WILL HAVE TO BUG HIM FOR THE MONEY.Hes good for it.He always cries the blues,But has everybody doing work for him .Just slow pay that's all.Ive learned to listen to him with half an ear.........................Worst of all .Thats not my style ,Chasing someone down for the money you earned .......As soon as I get over this flu Ill call him ,