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Recently I've acquired a rare and interesting car. It's something that I feel passionately about as anyone that follows my build threads will know but also something that if I don't step in now, may disappear forever. I've secured storage, I'm in the process of organising getting it transported 280ish miles and will have the means to do the work on it that it requires providing the rot isn't too advanced.
The car in question is believed to be the very first production Morris 18-22, or Austin Princess to use more common parlance for them. It is also believed to have been used as a factory test car until it was registered late (for a Morris at least) in 1977. It's been in dry storage since it was initially rescued in 1997 and does need extensive welding but nothing, from what I know so far, that's terminal. I will note that before I open any sort of crowdfunding scheme I need to confirm the car's history and check that there isn't anything terminally rotten or broken, if the car is too far gone then it will have to be broken for spares and that is my intention.
Assuming the car is rough but salvagable, I could restore this myself on my own time and money and it will take a long time to achieve it all. With crowdfunding, I could accelerate the process by being able to order materials and even farm work out to get the job done in a more timely fashion which in itself will prevent the car deteriorating further.
Crowdfunding is not something I would consider for my other vehicles at this time as they're manageable and not as historically significant as this one. Crowdfunding in this instance is to save a piece of historic motoring.
Your opinions on this idea are welcome, as are your experiences of crowdfunding if you have them. If you don't ask you don't get, so this is me asking whether or not this is a good idea.
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As the car will never be worth the cost of its commercial restoration, how will your investors get a return?
Perhaps donations from the owners clubs or BL Heritage or sponsorship would be the way to go.
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g40jon
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,569
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If it is as rare and significant as you say, surely a car museum would take it, even in a rotting state, not all cars in museums are mint or restored. Has to be better than breaking it up and more achieveable than trying to get people to essentially give you money that they will never see back to get you a working car (I've read a lot of threads and know your intention isn't so you can get a free working car, but more so you can save an old car, but most people won't see it that way imo). People with the kind of spare money to help you save the car will want a return on it, that is the main reason they have spare money in the first place. i.e. they like making it rather than spending it. Having said that, maybe if you specified that the car, once finished would be donated to a museum for all to see and that you would make no profit from it, it might pull on a few heart strings, maybe......
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Mar 24, 2014 12:53:23 GMT
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If I turn it around and look at it from an investor point that's my other consideration, a valid point raised here, what would I get in return? That made me consider things like different levels of donation get investors something; for bigger donators a ride in the finished car or even a drive of the finished car and for smaller investors something like a signature in a book/on the car or a sponsor's button badge or a newsletter update something like that.
I've never done this sort of thing before and I'm not sure how it works, it might not work in this instance.
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Mar 24, 2014 13:56:21 GMT
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Forgive me, this is probably going to sound harsh in response.
So, you're asking for other people to pay for the restoration of an unloved 70's BL car that has caught your eye?
Fair do's to you if you can make it happen, but I suspect you will have to be fairly creative to incentivise people to give you money. There are loads of car lovers out there with projects of their own that they struggle to pay for. I'm not sure the car is really all that covetable to people, other than those with a deep love for sandglow shaped wedges.
Good luck though, I'd like to see it tackled, but there are plenty of other places to allocate my money in the name of charity.
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Last Edit: Mar 24, 2014 13:58:03 GMT by alolympic
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Onne
Part of things
Posts: 822
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Mar 24, 2014 15:36:46 GMT
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Have you contacted the Gaydon Heritage Centre? What did they say?
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1990 Mercedes W126 300SE
1997 Mercedes W140 S320L
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VIP
South East
Posts: 8,302
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Mar 24, 2014 15:41:04 GMT
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I've seen this car in the er...'metal'. It's very, very rough!
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Mar 24, 2014 17:32:14 GMT
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Its fate is undecided. I'm investigating options. The more I investigate the less likely I think it will be that it gets saved whole.
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lilbob
Part of things
Posts: 419
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Mar 24, 2014 20:04:54 GMT
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this might sound nasty and please don't shoot me down in flames but I honestly cant see many people lining to pay towards a resto on a car that they might get a ride or if they pay enough a short drive in sorry but that's just my opinon
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Mar 24, 2014 21:11:48 GMT
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Opinions is why I'm asking, and the more I think about this the less realistic a crowdfund appears to be. It's all good, I'd rather people be honest with this one.
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,002
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Crowdfunding a Restorationadam73bgt
@adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member 58
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Mar 24, 2014 21:56:01 GMT
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I think its an interesting idea, and could probably work if the car was something really rare and special, like an old vintage racer or something.
I suppose an example would be the way that donations and suchlike are used to help fund restorations of planes like the Avro Vulcan, but like the Vulcan it has to be something really special
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Mar 24, 2014 23:06:30 GMT
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Could you not just save it (assuming its in danger or destruction) and stick it in the garage until such time as you have accumulated enough money/ parts to do something with it? If it not going to be scrapped it seems daft to buy it then break it if its such a rarity (however unloved it may be)
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lilbob
Part of things
Posts: 419
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Mar 25, 2014 19:00:36 GMT
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isn't there anyone on the princess forum who would go in on a two way split with you then car share it until the time comes to sell it then split the money in half I know its not an ideal solution but as its been said many times on this forum restoring a car is a labour of love
and thanks for reading my first reply in the context it was ment in if you do take on the project good luck with it
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Mar 25, 2014 19:45:43 GMT
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I think I'm letting this one go. Nobody in the club seems to want to take it on and I think at the moment it's just the wrong time for this project for me. I've looked at some other avenues and realistically I don't think I can make it happen this time. It doesn't help that I've acquired another Princess locally which will either replace my beige car or be broken for spares, fate on that one to be decided once I've inspected it at home.
At least I've learned a few more things about really big projects and the limitations placed on me by my situation, good reference for the future.
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