James Harding (Chops Garage) | The VAT Raffle Loophole, The Cars That Made Us & More (Pt 2)
Wheels & Deals with The Old Car Lady
James Harding (Chops Garage) | The VAT Raffle Loophole, The Cars That Made Us & More (Pt 2)
Wheels & Deals with The Old Car Lady · Apr 3, 2026
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Hi,welcomebacktotheWheelsandDealsPodcast.
I'mSamvilleCarLady,andthisisroundtwowithJamesHardingfromChopsGarage.
Inpartone,weheardhowJameswalkedawayfromacorporatelifetobuildacarbusinessfromscratchandtheharshrealitiesofsellingcarsonthefullcourttoday.
Ifyoumissedit,pleasedogobackandhavealisten.
It'swellworthit.
Now,inthisepisode,wegoalittlebitdeeperintowhatit'sreallylikebeingamoderncardealerandwecompareittodealingbackinthe60s,70s,and80saswellascomparingitwithbeingaclassiccardealertoday.
Fromsocialmediatransparencytoshowingtheday-to-dayrunningofthebusiness,wediscusswhetherornotthisbuildsuptrustwiththecustomers.
SoIwanttoknowasamoderncardealerwithagrowingpresenceonYouTube,TikTok,andInstagramifhethinkssocialmediaisthefutureofthetrade.
Solet'sdiveinandfindouthowmoderndealingcompareswithgoodold-fashioned70smotortrading.
Doyouknowwhat?
IwillputavideooutandI'llsaywhatIboughtacarfor,I'lltellthemwhatprepI'vegotiton,I'llmarkitup,andthesamepeoplethatwatchthatvideoknowexactlywhatI'mmakingoutofthecar,willcomeandbuythecarbecausetheyappreciatethehonesty.
Andtheyworkoutwhereallthesecostscomein.
Andthenwhentheyseeawarrantyclaimcomein,I'lltellthemhowmuchthewarrantyclaimwas.
AndI'llsaytothem,Isoldthiscarthreemonthsago.
SowhateverIthinkImadeonthatday,whatyouthinkImadeatthatdealonthatday,thisnowhastocomeoutofthat.
Idon'tknowwhatI'vemadeoutofthatcarforsixmonths.
Andalotofdealersdidn'tlikemedoingthat.
Ihadsomecommentsinthere.
Theydidn'tlikethefactthatyouwerejustshowingitall.
Butitendedupsellingmemorecars.
AndlikeIsellcarstosubscribers,likeI'vesoldinthelasttwodays,I'vesoldtwocarstosubscribers.
Igetstuck,andwhenIbidsomeoneapriceontheircar,Isay,I'mgonnabuyitoffyouforthis.
I'mprobablyputthismuchinpreppingit.
I'llpaytheVatmanthismuchasitsoI'llendupwiththismuchinmypocket.
Ifyou'rehappywiththat,that'sthepriceI'llpayforthecar.
AndIstillendupgettingtheircarsoff.
AndIthinkI'vedonealotoffavourforthetradeaswellbybeingsoopenabouteverything.
BecauselikeIsay,mostpeopledon'tknowstraightoutofthegatethatwepaytheVAT.
They'reshocked.
Theygo,No,there'snoVATonausedcar.
Youdon'thavetopayanyVATonausedcar.
Andthen,no,IpaytheVATonyourusedcar.
IpaytheVATonthegross.
Onthegrossprofit.
They'reshockedtothatwhentheyhearthataswell.
Itryandremindpeopleallthetime.
Andthenwhenyougetthetrollsandthecommentsgoing,newdealerschargetoomuch,andyoubreakitdownagain,theyalwaysjustendupcallingyouanamebecausewhenyougivethemthelogicofitandthebreakdown,theycan'targueit.
Sothereyougo.
I'veendedupactuallywith£500inmypocketaftereveryone'shadtheirbite.
I'vegot£500inmypocket,butI'mstillresponsibleforthatcarforsixmonths.
Soifyouweretosellthatcaroffyourdriveway.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ifyouwereresponsibleforsellingthatcaronyourdrivewayandyouweregonnaneedtoberesponsiblefordoinganyrepairsforsixmonths,howmuchwouldyouwanttomakeoutofthatcar?
Andmostofthem,Ithink,wouldhavetotheywanttomakeadamnsightmorethanthat.
Coursetheywould.
Andthethingyoutouchedonbeforeaswell,it'syeah,butyoucanclaimtheVATbackisyeah.
SoNajingtheBodyShopisn'tthatregistered.
Petewithhistruckisn'tthatregistered.
MostofthepeopleIandyeah,IgotocolourtoneorMATPaintorwhatofcoursethey'rethatregistered.
ButverylittleofwhatIactuallyspendonthecarisrecoverableintermsofthatverylittle.
Tothepointthatit'salmostnegligible,it'snotworththinkingabout.
ButIthinkthatwedogetabitofabadrep,andIappreciatewherethatcomesfrom,becausetherearepeoplewhohavegivenusthatbadrep.
ButIthinkthatIagreewithyou,puttingyourselfoutonsocialmediawithaveryhonestfly-on-the-wallaccountofhowyouconductyourselfandhowyoutrade,Ithinkcanonlybeagoodthing,notjustforyoupersonally,butforallofus,foreverybodywho'sdealingcarsanddealingthemproperly,moreimportantly.
It'salsofunnyformetoputoutthestories.
SoI'mquitethere'sarisktoacertainextent,butI'llputoutstoriesaboutcustomersandwarrantyclaims,unreasonableclaimsandunreasonablecustomers.
Andit'salwaysamazingtomehowmanypeoplegointothecommentsasconsumersandsayhowunreasonablethesepeopleare.
Thesearetheverysamepeoplethatiftheyboughtacarfromadealerandhadtheslightestproblem,they'dbebackontheirdoorstep.
Butwhenyoupresentittosomebodyelse,theygo,Howwhatdotheyexpectonacarofthatage?
That'saDarthplane,thatis.
Whywouldyoucomebackonacarthatpriceforthat?
Sowhywouldyounotgetthatsortedoutyourself?
It'sjustamazingtoseethosecommentsinthemonthsbecauseyousay,ifitwasyourcar,wouldyoureallyhavedonethat?
Wouldyoureallyhavejustgoneawayandyouputavideoouttherewheresomeone'sboughtlikeaRangeRoverDiscoveryandthey'veusedtheconsumerlawat12monthsor13monthstogetanewengineputinit,eventhoughthey'veput30,000milesinit,becausesomebodyfromafinancecompanysaidthatitmusthavebeenpre-existingfault.
Andthecomments,oh,that'soutrageous,that'smadness,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah.
Andgo,yeah,butit'syouastheconsumersthataremakingtheseclaimsbecauseMartinLewishastoldyoutoput100quidonacreditcardandyou'llbeprotecteduntilthecowscomehome.
Butyou'restillthoseverysamepeoplethatsaydealershavetoomuchmarginintheircarsandmaketoomuchprofit.
Andit'saveryinterestingthingtodotoseethehumanmindworkoutlikethat.
TherewasavideoonTikTok,anditwassomebodyhadputsomethingonaboutaclassiccarmeet.
Um,somebodyhadputacommentlike,noteveninEnglish,ohman,that'ssick.
Iwantone.
Andsomebody'slikethat,yeah,I'vegotamarktwofiasc,doalltheeventsandshows,it'stheloadoffunandalltherest.
I'mgonnastartlookingforone.
Andthenheput,yeah,butI'mabitscared,it'sanoldcar,whatwhenstuffgowhatwhenstuffgoeswrong,thatkindofthing.
Andsomebodyput,doesn'tmatter,bro,sixmonthsthedealer'sgottosortit.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Iwouldn'tsellyouacar,Iwouldnotsellyouacar.
Ithereisnoamountofmarginorprofitintheworldthatwouldmakemepartwithacartoyou,becauseyouaregoingtobebackonelastic.
SoIthinkwhilstthetheinternetandsocialmediacandousalotoffavours,IIthinkit'sgotalottoanswerforintermsofpeopletakingthepisswiththeconsumer,particularlyonclassiccars.
We'vegotthisongoingbackdropofwemustbringmorepeopleintotheclassiccarindustry,wemustbringthenextgenerationin,weneedthenexttransfercustomers.
Butatthesametime,isthenextgenerationgonnabeismytradegonnabethesameasyourtradebythatpoint?
Becauseeveryone'sgonnaexpectwhatyourcustomersexpectasagiven.
Isthissensibleclassiccarpuntergoingtodisappearcompletely?
Iwishpeoplewouldstopandthinkaboutthelogicofcomplainingaboutdealerpricesbeingmoreexpensivethanprivatesale,andthenatthesametimegoing,sixmonths,bro,dealer'sproblem.
It'sjustludicrous.
It'sludicrousthatweshouldbethebadguysintheindustrywhenthey'retheonesthathavegotalltherights.
AndthedifferencesbetweenIseeprivatesellersputcarswhentheyvaluetheircars,theydo,theylookatwhatadealer'sputtingoutfor,andtheygo,adealer'saskingsixgrandforit,soI'llsixgrandformycar.
I'mlike,butyou'renotgivingthemanyconsumerrights.
You'vehadtodonothingtomakesurethatisroadworthytoavoidalegalcaseifawheelcomesoffitdowntheroadorwhatever.
It'sjustabsolutemadnessbetweenthetwo.
ButweIwashavingthisconversationwithtwoglasses,Pete,mymechanic,inthecar.
Weweretalkingaboutyouandtalkingaboutthat.
Andhewassaying,hesaid,Oh,yeah,butshe'ssellingclassiccars,sotheyhaven'tgotthesamerightsthathavethey?
AndIsaid,TheyhavePete.
Yeah,butpeoplethatbuyclassiccarsaresensible,aren'tthey?
Becausetheyknowwhatclassiccarsarelike.
Youthinkabouttheworldthata20or30-year-oldhascomeintonow,theirentirelifethey'vebeentoldthatnothingistheirfaultandthey'renotresponsibleforanything.
There'saconsumerlawhereortherethatistheirown.
It'llbeafuckingallergyoratriggerwarningorsomething.
Exactly.
They'renotresponsibleforhavingtakenPPIout,they'renotresponsibleforhavingtakenfinanceandagreeingtotheinterestrate.
They'renotresponsibleforallthesethings.
There'salwaysahaveyoubeenmissoldthis,haveyoubeenmissledthat?
Everythingisstackedupthattheyarenotresponsibleforasingleoneoftheiractions.
It'ssomebodyelse'sfault,somebodyelseistoblame,andsomebodyelseshouldpay.
AndI'msurepeoplearen'tgonnabehappyaboutsayingthat.
Butunfortunately,ifyou'vegot,andI'mnotslaggingthatagegroupoff,butthat'stheworldthey'vecomeinto.
Soifyounowhavethosepeopledecidingtobuyaclassiccar,aretheygonnaapplythatmentalityoftheirclassiccar,oraretheygonnasuddenlywakeupandgo,ohwellno,ofcourseitdoesn'tapplytosomethingoldandnewslikethat.
Idon'tthinktheywill.
Ithinktheywillhaveexactlythesamelevelofexpectation.
Iagree,I'mnotslaggingthemoff.
Thatgen,Idon'tknow,Igetconfusedwithwhatallthegensaremeanttobecalled,butI'mnotslaggingthemoff.
WhatI'msuggestingisthattheclassiccardealers'expectationsaregonnahavetoshifttoaccommodatethatnextgenerationbecauseIdon'tthinkyou'regonnagetmanypeoplelikeIgetwheretheyturnuptheoldboysintheboilersuitsthathavebeenspanneringthemforeverandadayandarefullyexpectingtobreakdownonthewayhome.
Theyturnupwiththeirjerrycanandtheirjumppackandtheirbottleofwaterjustincase.
Andbecausethey'vebrokendownamilliontimes,becausewedo.
Wecameupwithcarswoodendidbreakdown.
WhereasIthinkbecauseofthenthisgenerationthathavegrownupwithvastlybettercarsintermsoftechnologyandsafetyandreliability,theyforgetthatcarsthatwerebuilt30,40,50,60yearsagodon'tenjoythose,don'tenjoythesameprivilege.
Whereaswhenwewereyoung,yourfirst,second,thirdcar,theywerealwaysprettybreakingdown,weren'tthey?
Alwaysonthesideoftheroadinacloudofsteamorbumpstartingthem.
Nobodyknowshowtobumpstartacaranymore.
Thefineartofthebumpstartsdyingout.
AndIthinktheindustrywillshift.
Anddoyouknowwhat?
Iwouldn'tbeyoungagainforanything.
Ithere'snochanceI'dgobacktobeing20yearsyoungeranddealingnow.
Ijustwouldn't.
Idon'tthinkIcouldhavecare,Ihaven'tgotthepeopleskillsanymore.
Iwassayingexactlythistosomeonetheotherday,talkingaboutwhatmyfirstcarsarelike.
Somydaughter'sjustgotherfirstcar,andobviouslyshe'salittlebitspot,she'sgota16-plateFordKAPlus,butshe'sgotABS,cruise,satnav,blahblahblahblahblah,turnsonthekey.
Iwastalkingaboutmyfirstcar,whichwaswouldn'thaveohthesearerareasrockandall'spoonow.
TalbotSambress.
DoyourememberTalbotSambress?
Ohno,IpickedoneofthoseupifIifonecameacrossmypast.
Jesus,howmucharethoseworthnow?
ButIhadtoputabrickupbehindthewheeltostopitrollingdownthehillwhenIusedtostop.
BecauseIdidn'tknowanythingabouthowtofixhandbrakes,andthat'swhatyoudid.
Weneverusedhandbrakes,youjustleftitingearbecauseyourhandbrakewasinevitable.
Yeah,butyouhavetoworkinordertostickonifyoudiduseit.
Yeah,anduhyeah,ImeanandIranacarforitmusthavebeenthreeorfourmonthswithacompletelydeadbatterybecauseIcouldparkourhousewasononthetopofahill,soIcouldjustbumpediteverymorning,andthenIparkeditonthetopofatopofthecarparkatworkwhereIcouldbumpitagainattheendoftheday.
I'mlike,yeah,IwasjustitwasjustleaveitrunninginthepetrolstationbecauseIjustcouldbeaskedforgettinganewbattery,really.
ButImeanIyeah,Icanbumpstartsomestuffyoucangetenoughspeedupdoingitonyourown,evenifyou'renotonahill.
ButIhadamidgetaswellthatneededastartermotorforaboutsixmonths,andIjustusedtodrivearoundwithaplankandamalletinthebootandjustgiveitacrackeverytimeIneededtostart.
Well,yeah,nooneremembershowthatdothey?
Hadtodothatallthetime,didn'tyou?
No,theylookatmelikeI'mnuts,butyeah,Ido.
Ithinkthetradeisreallychangingatmyendofthegameandatyourendofthegame.
Idothinksomethingneedstobedoneaboutringfencingoldercarsandclassiccarsforconsumerlaw.
Thefactthattheyare,likeIsay,alreadyringfencedforMOTandtax,itseemscompletelynonsensicalformethatthey'renotringfencedintermsofconsumerprotection.
Ithinkthereshouldbesomesellerprotectionsaswellfordealers.
IIthinklikeyousay,thataboutthatblokethatboughtthatcarbackonday29,hecouldjustdothat12timesayearandhavefreecarrentalfor12months.
Itblowsmymindthatit'spossible.
YouheardthestoryaboutthelawyerwiththeTeslas.
DidyouhearthatstoryaboutthelawyerwiththeTeslas?
SolicitorwiththeTeslas,sorry.
Yeah.
Youheardthatone.
Yeah.
Sothat'satotal,that'swhen,likeyousay,someonelearnshow14-dayreturnhowthe14-dayreturnrulesworkwithdistanceselling,andit'sjustabsolutelymilkinglivingbejesusthatactivelyseekingoutdealersthatareagreeingabouthowitworks,makingsuretheydon'tgivehimthepaperwork,keepingacarforayearandthenjustchurningitbackagainforallofhismoney.
Ithinkthatessentiallythequestionis,andalotofthequestionthatgetsraisedonthispodcast,particularlybecausewespendmostofthetimetalkingabouttheoldendays,isweretheybetter?
Wouldyougoback?
Arewelinkingbackwithrose-tintedspecs?
ButIactuallythinkalotofwhatwentonthenwascommonsenseanddidaifyousoldacar,soasadealeronapitchinthe70sand80s,youcouldagreeapricebasedonsoldascene.
Andifyouwroteitontheinvoiceandyoubothsigneditandyouwereonyourown,thatwasit.
Youwentbackoutthebunting,you'dsigned,you'dtakenthesoldersceneprice,andyouandthat'sonyou.
AndIthinkthatthefactwecan'tdo,Icanputonallmyinvoicessoldasacollector'sitemandnotasamodeoftransport.
Butagain,itisopentointerpretation.
Unlessit'ssparesandrepairsareaprojectcar,thenitnothingelsereallywilloverridethelawinanyway.
AndIthinkthattheoldendaysofbeingabletosellacar,eventonotnecessarilyeventoatrader,butjusttosellacarsoldasseat.
Sowhatcarshaveyougotatthemomentthen,yourclassics?
SoI'vegotaMGBinthecornerthatIcutallthearchesoutandputaseabringbodyonit.
Andit'sanarrowtransmissiontunnelmarksoneaswell,sothat'llupsetalotofpeople.
Wait,isthattheonethatyouputtheengine?
Youre-No.
SoI'mabusingmy.
Whichoneareyousupercharged?
That'sgotaballedouttwo-litrefromBarhamEngines,abordertwo-litreoutformetogoinaseabringbody.
AndI'vebeenworkingonthatoneforaboutfiveyearsandnevergotachancetodoit,Nick.
Who'sgottheslightlygasbootlid,bonnet,doors,rearquarters.
Ilovethat.
Makeiteverythingout.
You'llweighnothingout.
Itotallygetwhatyou'vedonewiththat.
Icompletelygetwhyyou'vedonethat.
Yeah.
AndsoI'llbothbecauseI'mnotamechanic,butIjustfindMGBssoeasytoworkon.
Andyoucangeteverything,can'tyou,offtheshelf.
There'sno,oh,Ican'tgetthatpart.
It'sjustallbrandnew.
It'seasiertodoitbrandnewthanitistobuyanddoit.
Oh,they'reajoy.
Yeah,thatlisten,they'reawildlyunderratedcar.
Theonlyreasonwhythepricesarewheretheyareisbecausetheymadesomanyofthemandsomanystillsurvive.
Becauseifyoulookatthesortofvalueintermsofdrivabilityandlooksandownership,theyareabsolutelyincredible.
Yoursisgoingtobesuperlight.
You'regoingtoputbagsofconcreteintheboottokeepitonthewetbend.
Haveyouthoughtaboutthecounterbalance?
Ihavegotthattwo-litreMGBenginethere,butIhavethoughtthere'sanewconversionforaFordFiestatwo-litreSTenginetogoinwithenginemountsandthrottlebodies.
Sothatwouldbe200brakehorse,butthatsoundslikethat'dbealotoffun.
Ohareyougoingtogetthat?
I'vegotthat.
I'vegotmystandardGT,BritishRacingGreen,withthat'sallstandard.
AndthebestthingIeverdidtothatwasbuy,Isaidtoyouearlier,theblockthe155tiresonithandlessomuchbetter.
Iboughtitwithmoderntireson,butcrosspyreplicaswiththenarrowerjustsomuchbetter.
Andit'llbereallytirepressuresensitiveaswell.
Ifyouifyourpressuresareeveroff,it'llhandlelikeabikeofspammers,butgettherighttiresonattherightpressure,andit'sacompletelydifferentcarthanwhenit'swrong.
They'rebrilliant.
DidyougetthemfromLongstone?
Wheredidyougetthetiresfrom?
IboughtthemfromBlockply,Ithink.
Ithinkthat'sthecompanyname.
Blockley,Ithinkthey'recalled.
Butthat'smyfavouritetypeofclassicbecauseIdon'thaveIdon'thaverestoredclassicsbecausewithmybusinessheadon,whenthey'rerestoredandthey'remint,IneedtosellthemstraightawayandIcan'tusethem.
Myowncarsareusablecars.
Youknow,IIgoshoppinginthem,Ipickthekids,andifIrunround,Iuseitasadaily,soIdon'twanttobeworryingaboutitinSainsbury'scarpark.
Ithastobeausableone.
Becausewhen,likeyousay,whenthey'remint,thenIwantthemuptheroadbecausethere'sprofitinthemthere.
Yeah.
Sothat'sTatty,buttotallyusable.
Sothat'smysecondMGB.
MythirdMGBisaroadsterIrestoredwithmyfather-in-law,nutandboltedinthegarage.
That'salater,likea77orsomething,Ithink.
Roadsterinred.
AndthenI'vegotafour,isthatmyfourthMGB?
MyonewiththeMX5engineandgearboxandminisuperchargeronit.
It'sasupercharger.
Yeah,it'sgotaminisupercharger.
Soit'sanMX51.6
withasupercharger.
That'sin240Zalloysonitwithmassive245sontherearand195sonthefront.
Ididaskyouthequestionyesterday,didn'tItalkabouthowdoesitdrive?
Bloodyawful.
BecauseI'mtight,IdidtheownexhaustsystemjustcuttingstuffupfromeBay,it'stwoandahalfinchalltheway.
Soit'sjust,Idon'tknowifyousawmyTikTokormyInstagramhowlouditiswiththesupercharger.
It'sabsolutelymentallyloud.
Yeah.
AnditisbecauseIdidastandaloneECUonitandIknownothingaboutthosethings.
EverytimeIchangeonepartofit,ithastogetbacktothetuner,andit's£500everysingletime.
SoIthinkI'vegotabout10grandinatotallyundesirableMGB.
Sothat'sabitoffun.
I'vegotaCitroenAcadianvan,whichyou'veseen,thatoneI'vesothat'sagain,it'sjustratty.
I'vegotaMorrisItoingoldwithbluevaloreinthe.
IIhaveabitofasoftspotforthatone.
Ijustthinkit'ssuchperiodcolours.
Ithinkitit'sjustitsitsreallywell,Ithink.
Ilovethat.
Ididawarrantyrunforaguythatwashavingaproblemwithhisbatteryintown,andIdecidedI'dgointhat.
AndheactuallylovedthefactIturnedupinthat.
That'sofallthecarsI'vegot,ifI'moutandaboutinit,that'stheoneIgetstoppedandspokentoaboutthemostbecauseeverybodygoes,that'sanawfulcar.
Mydadhadonehideinthefootwells.
It'sanostalgiathing.
Ihadanambassadoracoupleofyearsagoanditwasthesamething.
Ihadacrowdatthepetrolstationtellingmehowshititwas,butacrowdneverthelessthatcameovertotalktome.
ButIIthinkthatthethingwithcarslikethatisthattheywerebecausetheywereeverywhereinaperiodoftime,there'ssuchnostalgia.
Everybody,therewasalwayssomebodywhohadoneontheirroad,orsomeone'sgrandmahadthem,orifsomebody'sdad'sbosshadone,orIjustthinknostalgiamakepeoplesmilewhenIthinkcarslikethatbecausetheyweresoordinaryinperiod,yeah,thateverybodyhasanoteverybody,butbecausetheywereordinaryinperiod,there'salotofpeoplehavememoriesofthem.
AnditwasI'vebeenIobviouslyspendalotoftimelookingatoldvideosofcars,godowntherabbitholeonYouTube.
Andthethingisifyoudoeverwatchanyvideosfromthe70s,thatthethethere'ssofewercarsontheroad.
Youforgetthatinthosedaystherewerealotfewercarsontheroad.
Noteveryhouseholdhadone,noteveryhouseholdhadtwoorthreeorfour.
Speakingtomykids,I'vegotmymiddleoneisjustabouttotakeherdrivingtest,andshe'soh,whatwillIget?
Andit'sagivennowthatkidsat17getacar.
Andthatjustthatwedidn'tgetthatinthe70sand80s.
Itwasn'tagiven.
Youhadtodoapaperround.
Obviously,thepresentcompanyacceptedbecauseitwasacardealer'sdaughter.
It'slikemyhusband,hehadtodoapaperroundandamilkroundtosaveuptobuyhisgranddad'scarandstufflikethat.
It'sjust,itwasn'tagiven.
AndIthinkourIthinkthewholemotorinculturehaschanged,andthat'swhyIthinkthatthenostalgiaofclassiccarsstillmakespeoplesmilebecauseittakesyoubacktoatimewhenmaybeyoudidyoudoifjustgoforadriveforthesakeofitwhatwe'redoingtosay,we'llgoforadrive.
Nobodyjustgoesforadriveanymore,dothey?
No,theydon't.
IIremembermydadgivinguphisjobatBritishAlcananddecidedtomoveustoCornwallandsetuphisownbusiness,andhewasobviouslyrunningonabudget,andIrememberhimturningupinapurplewhatwasthewhatwastheMorriswasittheMorristheestatewiththetickupatthebackonit?
I'mtryingtoIshouldknowMorrisItal.
Itwasthethree-doorestatewiththesortoftickatthebackofit,it'supontherooflineattheback,andithadthetwosquareheadlights.
I'mtryingtothinkwhatMorristhatwasnow.
Yeah.
IrememberturningupinthatandmymumhadthetowerhadaTauberHorizon.
Shereallycool.
Yeah,soIjustIrememberthoseoldcarsagainwithabitofnostalgiawhilehewastryingtobuildhisnewbusinessout.
Soyeah,soI'vegotthat,andthenI'vegotsomemorewhatsoI'vegotanultra-lowmileagefiatBarquetta.
That'showtheygot10,000onit.
Yeah,no,they'rereallygoodnews.
I'vespokentoyouaboutthatonebefore,they'rereallygoodnews.
Andyeah,weneedtogouptoyourauction.
Yeah,becausethere'salotofrattyones,aren'tthey?
With100,000on,butthisone'smegamintwithuh10,000onit,isn'tit?
We'vehadthisconversationbeforeaboutsometimeslowmileagecarscanbemorehasslethanthey'reworthbecauseifthey'vebeensatstillforthepast20years,everything'sgonnaneedchanging,butyou'vealreadygonethroughthatanddoneitall,haven'tyou?
Don'tgetmestartedonit.
I'vedoneIhadtheheadoff,hadeverythingcleanedinsidetheheadbecauseitwasallgummedup.
I'vehadallnewO-ringsfortheinjectors,I'vehadallnewevapsystemtostopsmellingfuel.
ThenIdroveitoffandthenI'vedidallnewtiresonit,andthensomethingelse,andthensomethingelse.
I'vejustbeengoingthroughthecar.
EverytimeIuseit,somethingjustfromitsittingfailsandithastobedone.
I'mfinallygottoapointwhereit'swhereit'sallrunning.
Soyeah,someonewillbeveryluckywiththatbecausethey'llgetalltheworkbeingdone.
Yeah.
Someonesentmealinktoa106rallyandIboughtthatoneandIwaspissed,sothatsatinthecorner.
UmIknewthatwouldbethecarforyou.
Yes.
Thatsittinginthecornerwaiting,awaitingrestday.
Orwe'llgettheengineoutandI'ddosomeworkandputitbacktogether.
Ican'tbelievethebiggestthingforthatwaswhenIopenedthebonnetandithadtheoriginalairbox.
I'veneverseena106rallywiththeoriginalairbox.
They'vealwaysbeenout,haven'tthey?
Iwouldn'thavespokentoyouaboutitifIdidn'tthinkititwasworthapuntforyou,butit'sthey'rejustquiterare.
Butareyoudoingrufflesthisyear?
Yeah,Idoraffles.
SoI'vegotuhIboughtaearlyPorscheboxtheotherday,didn'tI?
Whichisforthemoneyisjustthebestfunever.
Ineverthoughtaboutitbefore.
ButI'vegotitfortwogrand,andit'sgot130,000milesonit,butit'sfreshlyMOT.
LikeIsay,it'sacaryoucanusewithoutworryingaboutputtingmilesonit.
Iboughtitfromamechanicwho'dgonethroughandsortedit,andI'veneverdrivenonebefore.
I'vehada911before,butobviouslythatwasahellofalotmoremoney.
Forfun,youandyoucangetitinit,turnthekey,andyou'reaway.
It'slike100%reliable.
Youcouldithandlesreallywell,itmakesagreatsound.
See,withthatmileageaswell,ifit'snothadballscoreatthatmileage,it'snotgoingtogetit.
ButI'vehadaboxerofmyownyearsago,andIuhyeah,I'llgetstonedtodeathforthis,butIthere'sabigargumenttosaythey'reabetterdrivethanthe9-11.
They'recertainlybetterbalanced,butthey'realotoffuntodrive.
ThemistakeImadewiththe911ers,Ialwayswantedone.
SoIwentoutandboughta2006CarreraanditwashadeverythingitshouldhaveChrono,telephonekit.
Itwasmint,itwaslike40,000miles,itwasimmaculate.
IusedtoTwo,Ithinkitwas.
Yeah,two.
Sothatloadsoffun.
They'rereallylikethey'renice,they'repure9-11.
ButIusedittwice,Sam,andIwaslike,thiscar'swaytoonice.
I'mgonnadiganalloy,someone'sgonnaopenadooronit,andthepaintwillhavetobedone.
I'mgonnaputmilesonitwhenpeopledon'thavemilesonit.
Itradeditout,Ijustputacoupleofgrandonitandtradeditouttosomeone.
AndIthought,doyouknowwhatIneedtodo?
Ineedtogoandfindonethat'sabitbatteredwithloadsofmilesonitthatIdon'tmindactuallyusingdrivingacarwithprofitinsucksallthefunoutofit.
Ithinkthat'stheproblem,isn'tit?
TherewastherewasBentleyArnagethatwentthroughanauctionacoupleofweeksagothatImentionedonthepodcast.
Itwaslikeithaddone130,000miles,Ithink.
Butithad21stampsinthebook.
Now,ifIwasgoingtobuyoneformetorock,uhthat'stheone.
That'sthethattheleggyonethat'sbeenservicedtowithinaninchofitslife,that'llneednothingdoing,that'llberunningwellbecauseit'sbeenrunregularly.
Ithat'stheoneIsmokeroundin,notthe40,000miler,whereI'mworriedabout,oh,when'sitit'snotatabeltandwhenwasitlastserviceandeverything'sperishedandeverything'sgonnawarmupandpingoffbecauseit'snotbeenwarmedupforawhile.
Ifyou'rebuyingacartouseregularlyandjusttosmokeroundin,there'salottobesaidforawell-maintainedleggyclassic,orawell-maintainedleggymodernclassic.
Ihavethisconversationwithpeopleallthetimeaboutcars,andI'vegotthemonmodernstuff,andthey'vegotthisobsessionaboutmileage,andIliveinDevon,andIsay,letmeexplainthistoyou.
Ifyou'vegotacarthathasliveditslifeinDevondoingfiveorsixmilesadaythroughthelanes,it'sgoneupanddownthroughthegearbox,theclutchhasgoneupanddownallthetime,thesuspensionhasbeenbangingaround.
Ifsomeone'stakenthatcaroutandgonestraightouttothedualcarriagewherethemotorwaystuckitinfifthorsixthgearandsatfortwohoursandthenturnedaroundandcomebackagain,thatcar'shadnexttonowearinitincomparisontothelowmark.
OnlymoderncarIhadtobinoffhad40,000mileswhenithadabadengine.
120people'sobsessionwithmileageisreallystrangebecausemywife'slastcar,wemadeherkeepitto260,000miles.
Itjustpeoplehavegotthisreallyweirdthingaboutmileage.
SoIbuyclassicscompletelythewrongway.
Again,it'severybitofadvicefromtheprofessionalslikeyourself.
SoIbuyyouyousaybuyaleggyonethat'sbeenreallywelllookedafter,Ibuyaleggyonethat'sbeenreallypoorlylookedafteranduseloadsofwork,it'smysinglesmallthinginitandnevergetroundtoit.
Thatticksnoneoftheboxes.
Thatticksnoneoftheboxes.
Exactly.
Ihearsoforme,ifI'mbuyingforthebusinessforprofit,obviouslythemoneyisalwaysinlowmileagebecauseyougetthecollector'smarketthen,andit'sonlylowmileageonce,it'sonlyoriginalonceandallthatsortofstuff,andIcompletelygetthat.
ButlikeIsay,tojumpinandgo,I'dratherhavealeggywell-looked-aftercaranyday.
Andareyoubuyingitforyouorareyoukeepinghalfaneyeoncollectability?
That'sthething.
Andtheproblemisaswell,whenyou'vegotalowmileagecar,youshityourselfputtingthemileageon,you'relike,oh,I'vegottogotoLondon,I'lltakethat.
Andyouthink,no,becauseit'sgoingtoput500milesonit.
Idon'twanttodothat.
Butyeah,therealityisthatI'dratherhavesomethingthat'sbityouknowthat'sdone150,000milesupanddownthemotorwayallitslifethansomethingthatNana'stakentothecornershopforthepast10yearsandhasdone15,000mileseachother.
IshouldsaythatPorscheisabitofarevelationforme.
Ididn'tI'veneverhadaboxerbefore,andforthatkindofmoney,foracoupleofgrand,tobeabletogetsomethingthat'sMOT'danddrivesfairlycomfortableandsoforth.
Butyoumentionedraffle,soyeah,whatIdowithinterestingstuffthatI'vegotatdecentprices,weraffleitoff.
Andthatisthebestcarsaleintheworld,andI'mprobablygettingmyselfalotoftroubleforsayingthis.
Doyouknowwhenyouraffleacar,there'snoVAT?
SoyoupaynoVAT.
No,Ididn'tpay.
Theprofitistheprofit.
Andbecauseit'sagift,itdoesn'tfallundertheConsumerRightsAct.
ThisiswhyIthinktheseraffleswillgetcancelledverysoonbecauseeverybody'sonit.
Butthere'snoconsumerrightsbecauseit'sgivenasagift,andthere'snoVATtopayonit.
Soifyou'vegotacarandyouthinkitcouldflyonaraffle,you'llmakefourmorefarmoremoneyrafflingitthanwhenyouwilldoeverjustsellingitasaretailcar.
WhatIdo,Imean,wedoworkwithcharities,wechooseacharityeverytimetogivemoneyfromtheraffletoo.
Sowe'vebeenabletoraise,Ithinkwe'vedoneoverOkay.
Ithinkwe'vedoneoverthelapseof18months,somethinglikeover30grandforcharitiesjustrafflingthecarsoff.
SoifImakesomemoney,thecharitygetssomemoney,andsomeonegetsacarforapoundorsomething.
Youcandocarslikethatwhereyougo,it'sgoingtoneedmaintenance,butattheendoftheday,you'vegotitforapound.
SometimesI'llgivethemlikea500poundsortofkittyforthemtohelpthemoutwithanyinitialissuestheyhave.
Butwe'vedonelotsof,yeah,we'vedoneawedida106GTIthatdidreallywell.
OneofmyfavouriteonesisaitwasanoldToyota,likeareallyearlyToyotacamera.
Ididn'tthinkit'dgoanywhere,butitdid.
Spentafortunegettingitbacktogetheragain.
Itdone130,000miles.
Thatdidalright.
Butwe'vedonequiteafew,quiteafewclassiccars.
Everynowandthenwethrowinamoderncar,butwedoquiteafewclassiccars.
It'sawonderanyofusarestillretailing.
Ididn'tknowthat.
I'vegotaquestionforyou,andthiswillbeabigmarkerofthedifferencebetweenmycarsandyourcars.
Whenwasthelasttimeyouhadarearparcelshelfwithspeaker-shapedholesthathadbeencutoutofit?
Becausesomeonehaddecidedtheyweregoingtoputtheirownstereoandspeakersin.
Noonebothersme.
Oh,Ihaven'thadacarlikethatforadonkey'sage,butIknowwhatyou'retalkingabout.
Yeah,weusedtobuycarswhenwecouldputsupersportwheelsandastripeonat1.1
pop,andthey'reverydisappointingatthelights,butweusedtochargealot.
Myfirstcar,Ithink,wasaMarkIAstra1.3,
andIthoughtIwasthebee'snewsbyputtingOvalMountedGTEalloysonitandcuttingholesintherearshelfandputtingspeakersin.
I'mgonnalooktwiceatthatandthelights,I'mgonnatellyou.
That'sit.
ButwedidbutourcarswerebecauseA,youownedit,youdidn'tleaseit,itwasyours.
Andtherewasasenseofprideandjoywithitthattherejustisn'tanymore.
Andyouwouldgoandyouwouldlookatthingslikewheelsandstereosandspeakersandsteeringwheelcovers,andyou'dmaybechangeyourgear.
ButIcanrememberstupidthingslikeyougaveashitaboutyourkeyring.
Itwasjustdaftthingslikewe'dallarriveinthepubandit'dbelikeyourkeysandoriginallyourbigbrickstereoswithourcarryhandle,andthenitwastheflipfrontinthebar.
Thebaseoftheproblemandyourfagsandyourlighter,andthatwaslikeandeveryonehadthesamepileonthetableinthepub.
ButIjustdon'tthinkthere'sthatsenseofprideandownership.
AndIthinkwhenyouhadtoworkreallyhardtobuyandmaintainacar,youlookedafterit.
WeweretalkingwithSimonaboutdrivers'aids,makelazydrivers.
Youwenttoyouwerewewewerequite,IthinkourgenerationlearnedtodriveasquitedefensivedriversbecauseifyoucrushedA,itwouldreallyfuckinghurt,andB,thatwasyourprideandjoythatwouldbecrumpledaroundalamppost.
Youweren'titwasn'tjustacaseofsosomebody'dsendyouahirecarthatyou'drun,yourcargotsorted.
That'dbethecarthatyou'dspenthowmanyweekendsmakingyourown.
AndIIthinkthathasgone.
NowI'mnotsurethatwillcomebackforthenextgeneration,whichiswhyIthinkthatouronlyhopeofthatsortofsenseofprideandownershipwillbewithaclassiccar.
Andtothem,whatwillbeaclassiccar,Idon'tknow.
Don'tyouthinkeveryone'sgoingtocatchacoldwiththeseCosworthsandallthisFordstuffatmassiveprices?
BecauseIthinkthatappealsto40,50,60yearoldmenbecausethat'swhattheywantedwhenthey'reeight.
They'vepaidthisstupidmoneyforit.
Idon'tthinkthere'sagenerationfollowingthemthathavethesamepassionaboutaCosworthoranythinglikethatatall.
Ijustcan'tseehowyougetoutofpayinghalfamillionforaCOSI.
Ijustdon'tseewhereyou'reat.
I'mnotreallyaFordgirl.
I'veneverreallygottheFordthing,tobehonest.
AndIthinkforalotofpeople,itisum,likeyousay,it'stheownership.
IhavegotthelowestmileageofthecarthatIalwayswantedwhenIwasyoung.
Andthat'sgreat.
Butwhowantsitnextwhenyoufinishwithit?
Whenitcomestimetosellyourcollection,oryourchildrenchoosetosellyourcollection,andit'sthingslikethee-type.
There'slotsofe-typesoutthereworth40,45grandthatsomeonegave120for.
Iknowachapwho'sgotacollectionofcarsandhe'sgotane-typeinit,andIknowhissonquitewell,andhissonkeepstryingtotellhisdadhe'snotworthanywherenearwhathepaidforit,andhisdadkeepsthinkingit'sgoingtocomeback,andIdon'tknowthatitwill,becauseit'shisgenerationthatlovedthem.
Ithinkthattheproblemistheyobviouslywhenthemarketdip,likethere'safewcarsthatdidthere'safewAstinsthatlostalotofmoney,bighealers,e-typesinparticular.
Andthethingistheymadealotofthem,sothey'renotparticularlyrare.
There'salotofe-types,youcanprettymuchspecthemifyoureallywanttogoshopping.
ButIthinkthatthethey'vedroppedoffthecliff,andIdon'tknowasthemarketstartstocomebackroundagainwhetherthereisenoughappetiteforane-typebackupatthatlevelinthemarket.
Ipersonallydon'tseethemcomingback.
IhopeI'mwrongforthepeoplethatdoownthem,butIdon'tseeitnow.
IfIwasputtingmoneyintocarsandinvestment,IthinkI'dbeputtingmymoneyintothelastofthethingsliketheBMWM5withtheV10init.
Iknowit'saterriblecarandthey'restillrelativelycheap,aren'tthey?
Butyou'renotgoingtogetany.
E39.
E39,Ithink.
Yeah.
Stillnowsix-cylinderturbochargedstuff,aren'tthey?
They'vehadtogobecausetheemissions,basically,it'salmostliketheAmericanstuff,isn'tit,backintheday?
Everythingwell,theearlyAmericanstuff.
Wehaven'tcoveredmyFirebird,havewe?
My77Firebird.
Butthatwastheemissionsstrangledyears,wasn'tit?
Igetupsetwhenyoutellmeyourplansforthat.
That'swhyI'veswervedthatoneonpurpose.
I'mnotgoingtodothat.
I'mnotgoingtodothat.
I'mnotgoingtoputNexusV8inwithanautobox.
I'mgoingtoleaveitasitis.
Thisisatroublethough.
See,peoplecomeinandI'vereallyenthusiasticgotome.
It'slikethecarissmokingthebandit,andthenlookatme,smokingthebandit?
What'ssmokingthebandit?
AndIlikerealisetheydon'tknowwhatthatmoviewas.
Ihadtheminacoupleoflike25-year-oldsinearlier.
AndImeanit'sacoolcar.
Iwaslike,yeah,it'sabitlikethesmokingthebanditcar,isn'tit?
No,don'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout.
Don'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout.
Blank.
Sothedifferencebetweenthedifferencebetweenourkidsisyourdaughterwenttoprominyours.
Ithreatenedtopickmineupinmineiftheydon'tcleantheirrooms.
It'slikethebigembarrassingmumthreatforme.
AndIpickedoneofmydaughters,shewenttoaconcertinManchesterwithsomefriends.
Iwaspickingupatthetrainstation.
AndIdorunmycarsaslongasit'snotsalty.
Ilovethem.
Iactuallyenjoydrivingthem.
Ilovedrivingthem,andit'sthebestwaytokeepthemrunningwell.
IhadashadowonthepaththatI'dcomehomefromworking.
SoIjustjumpedinthat,Iwenttopickupatthetrainstation,andshecameout,andyoucouldseetheyallcameoutlikelaughingafterthisbignightout.
AndherfacejustwentwhenshesawwhatIwasin.
ButIwaspickingforlikefourteenagersupfromatrainstation.
It'stheperfectcar.
Andshewasdeadembarrassed.
Andthentheygotin,andIwasrunningthemallhome,andherfriendswerelikethat,ohmygod,lookatallthewarding,it'slikesittingonasofa,andthere'slikealittlemirrorthere.
Andshewarmedupintoitabitthenbecauseherfriendswereslightlyimpressed.
Butherinitialreactionisalways,oh,likedeeplyembarrassing.
SheflatlyrefusestogoonanMTBthough.
Shesaysshecan'tunderstandhowyou'reallowedtodrivethem.
Shethinksthey'relethal.
She'sthisisabsolutelytiny.
We'resittingonthefloorandit'sreallynoisyandshesaysscarynoisy.
AndI'mnottalkingaboutmysuperchargedone,I'mtalkingaboutthenormalone.
Here'sthething:thisiswhyourgenerationare,anothersweepingstatementhere,suchgooddrivers.
Becausewedrovearoundincarswhereifyouhadaprank,itreallyhurt.
Sowearewegotogreatlengthsbecauseweareincarswherewe'reclosetotheground,wehaven'tgotalotaroundus.
Itisgoingtohurtifwehitsomething.
AndIthinkititmakesyouamoredefensivedriver.
WeweretalkingaboutthatwithSimonHopelastweekthatallthesedriversaidjustgeneralawareness.
It'slikeyoudon'tevenneedtopayattentiontowhereyou'regoingbecausethere'saladyinthedashboardthatwilltellyoutoturnleftat50feet.
It'sjustyoudon'tneedtopayattentionanymore.
Ifyouknowanyanythinghappensandyoudohappentoloseconcentrationanddriveintosomething,you'reinthisprotectivebubbleofairbagsandbarsandallsortsofstuff.
Yeah.
IrememberMichaelandIshutinthedihattoshowaGTTI.
Whichisprobablyalotofodd,buttheyarecollectiblenow,aren'tthey?
Yeah,theyhurtquitealotgoingbackwardsintoaditch.
Ohsowheredopeoplefindyou,James?
Sothere'sacoupleofdifferentthings.
Obviously,there'syouramazingsocialmediapresenceandthere'sthefactyouareactually,youdohaveadayjobofbeingacardealeraswell.
Sowheredopeoplefindyou?
IfyousearchChopsGarage,you'llfindtheYouTubeandyou'llfindalltheotherplatformsaswell.
ThecarbusinessIrunisCGCarSales,whichisaskedaboutfacebecauseitstandsforChopsGarageCarSales.
ButIdidn'tactually,whenIstartedaYouTubechannel,thinkaboutbeingcalledChopsandbeingacardealer.
Peopletellmeallthetime,obviouslyChopShop.
ButitwasjusttheeasiestthingtodowhenI'dthinkofalimitedcompanyname,thechannelwasalreadyrunning,soIjustcalleditCGCarSales.
SoCGCarSalesisthewebsitefortheretailsideofthings,whichisfullofincrediblyboringcarsthatnoonewillbeinterestedin,butthey'regoodsellers.
AndthenandthenChopsGarageisallaboutmewhingingaboutbeinginthecartradeandhowterriblecustomersare.
Youknow,IIthinkyoumakesomeveryvalidpoints.
Itisaboutawarenessaswell.
Idothinkpeopleneedtobeawareofthepositionwe'reinlegallyandprofessionally.
ButIit'sfascinating.
Ilovewatchingyougototheoptionsaswell,orbuyingofftheoptions,orjustthewholeprocessfromstarttofinish.
Andyou'reveryhonestaboutwhatyoudo.
It'sveryflyonthewall,andwhichiswhatIdoonmyendofthebusinessaswell.
A,becauseIdon'thavetheskillstomakeitlookslick,andBbecauseIthinkit'simportantthatpeople,ifyouputyourselfoutonsocialmedia,Ithinkyoushoulddoitashonestlyandauthenticallyasyoucan.
Well,thankyouverymuchforthat.
Greatstuff.
ThankstoJamesforjoiningmeagain.
Andifyou'dliketoseewhathegetsuptoonaday-to-daybasis,pleasefollowhimonallthesocialmediachannelsatChopsGarage.
AndnexttimeI'llbebackwithanotherclassiccardealer,TimAshworthfromStockleyClassics,andwe'regoingtotalkabouthisbelovedmetros,aswellashowhe'sfindingthetradetoday.
Ifyou'dratherwatchthepodcastthanlisten,pleasedoheadovertoYouTubeatTheOldCarLady.
AndtoseewhatIgetuptoonaday-to-daybasis,youcanfollowmeonallthesocialmediachannelsatTheOldCarLady.
Andtogetevenmoreinvolved,pleasegotoFacebookandfollowtheOldLadyClassicCarcommunity,wherewewouldlovetoseeyourcars,hearyourstories,andansweryourquestions.
Sountilnexttime,happymotoring.
Original notes
Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 2 of her conversation with James Harding from Chop's Garage. If Part 1 was about how James got into the trade, this one is about what it's actually like to live in it.
James explains why he puts his full margin on show, what he paid, what he spent on prep, what's left in his pocket, and why that transparency has made him more trusted, not less. They get into consumer law, warranty claims on cars with 30,000 post-sale miles on them, and why the next generation of classic car buyers might be the trade's biggest headache yet.
He also lifts the lid on car raffles: no VAT, no Consumer Rights Act liability, and the potential to make four times the retail margin. He's raised over £30k for charity doing it. He thinks the window is closing.
Plus a proper nostalgia detour via Talbot Samba’s, bump starts, and the lost art of caring about your key ring.
Featured Stories
The Transparent Dealer: James tells customers exactly what he paid, what prep cost and what he's pocketed. Some dealers hate it. His subscribers love it.
Consumer Law and the Classic Car Problem: A six-month implied warranty on a 40-year-old car is a recipe for misery. Sam and James ask whether the next generation of buyers will ever get why the rules need to be different.
The Raffle Loophole: No VAT, no Consumer Rights Act, four times the retail margin. James has raised over £30k for charity doing it and he's pretty sure it won't last.
First Cars and the Bump Start: A Talbot Samba’s with a brick for a handbrake. A Midget nursed along with a plank and a mallet. Two people who learned to drive in cars that genuinely hurt when they went wrong.
Mileage, Markets and the E-Type Question: James would put his money in a V10 BMW M5. Sam wonders who's queuing up for a £500k Cosworth when the people who wanted them are done with them.
What You'll Learn
Why showing your margins online can make customers trust you more, not less. How VAT on the gross works and why it still shocks people. Why a six-month consumer rights claim on a classic car is a completely different beast to the same claim on a nearly new hatchback. How car raffles work, why they're currently tax and liability free, and why that's probably on borrowed time. Why a motorway-mile 120,000-miler might be in better shape than a Devon-lanes 60,000-miler. And why the classic car market's generational problem is more urgent than most people in the trade want to admit.
Key Questions
- Does showing your margins actually help you sell cars? James says yes, unequivocally. Subscribers who've watched him buy, prep and price a car come back and buy it precisely because they trust him.
- Should a classic car buyer expect the same rights as someone buying a new TV? Legally they have them. In practice both Sam and James think applying modern consumer expectations to a 40-year-old car is a disaster for everyone.
- Is the car raffle model sustainable? James doubts it. Right now it's VAT-free and exempt from the Consumer Rights Act because it's legally a gift. He thinks that won't last, but for now the numbers are compelling.
A Nod To
Chop's Garage on YouTube, where James documents the full reality of life as a car dealer. CG Car Sales, James's retail forecourt in Devon. Next week Tim Ashworth from Stockley Classics joins Sam to talk Metros and the state of the classic trade.
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