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As a classic car owner with vapour and soda blasting experience, I am considering a business offering a high quality car and parts cleaning service using vapour and soda blasting and maybe adding ultra sonic cleaning if there is a demand.
Has anyone had experience of these services?
Would anyone consider using any of these services to assist them in their restorations etc?
Is there sufficient demand for these services?
Is there a demand for any other services that I should consider offering instead of or alongside the blasting / cleaning ie powder coating?
Being located in the UK do you think there is a more international demand or would postage create a problem?
As a fellow car enthusiast you opinion’s matter to me, thanks in advance
Howard
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I think there could be a market for this but people are lazy and a complete service where a box gets picked up from them and dropped back off a week later will appeal far more than having to arrange it themselves. If it were me, I'd want to set myself apart from traditional firms by having clear and transparent pricelists available online because people are rubbish at using phones- the number times I've advertised stuff and said CALL me and got text messages or PMs/Emails because they're too sheepish to pick up a chuffing phone  I'd also want to make it easy for people to send in smaller bits to get done without too much of a penalty for minimum order (you'd be doing batches of various customers' stuff at the same time anyway, so minimum order value would be less of a concern). Good luck. It sounds like you've got a strong idea to me |
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...proper medallion man chest wig motoring. |
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I'd also want to make it easy for people to send in smaller bits to get done without too much of a penalty for minimum order (you'd be doing batches of various customers' stuff at the same time anyway, so minimum order value would be less of a concern). The bloke I used recently for powder coating does this, he only starts when he has enough to fill his oven or the cages or something. It keeps the price really low but means you're not able to get a quick turnaround. He was recommended by a load of guys from local car clubs so nobody seems to mind about the time taken for a decent job. |
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As an example, I've got a set of 16" (6.5" wide) alloys that I want all the paint removing from. They are painted all over but I want them cleaned back to bare alloy...ideally with the lips not heavily pitted from blasting because I'll want to polish them after painting the centres.
Do you have any idea how much this would be and could it be turned around and back to me in less than a week? I'd be interested in doing so if the price is good.
Many thanks.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,950
Club RR Member Number: 174
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I reckon you need some sort of tagging system if you're doing batch work, to keep peoples stuff together. Even if its just different coloured cable ties.
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In fact, if you can put up some prices and they are competitive...I might be up for having about four sets of wheels blasted.
Your location would always be good.
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I people are rubbish at using phones- the number times I've advertised stuff and said CALL me and got text messages or PMs/Emails because they're too sheepish to pick up a chuffing phone The thing is if you run your business in business hours then thats when most people are at work. So they can't really phone you (OK, some people get fairly free options to use the phone at work but not all of us). So make it clear on your website when people can call. If its a part time business an you put a mobile number or land line and never answer it when people call during the day you'll curse word off people who won't then use you. If you put email etc, as a contact then ANSWER IT. I have spoken to loads of companies where my emails were never answered and so I never did business with them.... Ditto Facebook pages and the like. Its not just a make-and-forget thing. EIther you use it or don't bother making it. Mister Tee's website is great because it lists all his products/services with prices and contact details with info on when you should call and so on. Lots of people are very coy about putting prices up on their websites, but really, you should do - unless your prices really are so very bespoke, even then example pricing will cut out a bunch of timewasters and so on. As for the service itself, yeah, I'd be interested. Depending on price and how the services is run. individual panels, wheels, or even a complete shell... |
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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sonus
Europe
Posts: 1,391
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I don't think international customers would be viable. Shipping is too expensive on larger and heavier stuff. Also outside EU you've got to think about duty and VAT. I'd second a price list as well. It'll cut down on phone calls asking for prices so you can concentrate on calls which are closer to becoming real business  You might also consider providing proper etch primer as an alternative to just the regular red oxy primer most sand blasting companies (her in Norway anyway) put on. |
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Current
1968 TVR VIXEN S1 V8 Prototype
2004 TVR T350C
2017 BMW 340i
Previous
BMW 325d E91LCI - sold
Alfa Romeo GTV - sold
Citroen AX GT - at the breakers
Ford Puma 1.7 - sold
Volvo V50 2.0d - sold
MGB GT - wrecked by fire
MG ZT 1.8T - sold
VW E-golf Electric - sold
Mini Countryman 1.6D -sold
Land Rover Discovery TD5 - sold
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another vote for a concise clear price list. I think a lot of people are conditioned to the ebay 'buy it now' experience where what you see is what you pay very quickly and easily by ebay.
Good luck with it 8)
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Nov 11, 2012 21:37:28 GMT
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Thank you everyone who repolied, your comments were most helpful in my decision making. I will let you all know when the buisness is up and running
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