Hi Folks,
Just recovering after a very busy Newark kit car show. As with Stoneleigh, very many people coming onto the stand to see the car and many many positive comments. My main concern now is that quite a few of the potential 'new' builders are planning on waiting until the 'darker' nights to build their cars. I can see that around September/October time we will have a sudden rush and a few customers will be disappointed to learn that their kit won't be ready until next Spring!
I keep trying to tell them that they need to order straight away so that the work load can be spread out evenly and therefore be in with a chance of having something to work on over the winter, but there are still those who don't believe me.
We could have sold the 'Demonstrator' several times again at the show but then the stand would look a little empty for Peterborough and Exeter.
Some of our customers from far and wide came to Newark and it's always nice to meet people you've only previously spoken to on the phone. I don't know why it seems 'better' to be able to put a face to a voice but that's the way I've always felt. It seems somehow more personal.
Anyway, just finishing off some seats, hood frames and various parts for another slightly 'bumped' Gentry so off to the workshop for me.
See you again at the end of next week.
Geoff
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Friday, 13 June 2008
Brought to Task!
Hi all, if anyone is still reading!
At a social function last weekend I was brought to task over the lack of entries on the blog since completion.
With that in mind I will return to the Blog, if not every week, then every fortnight to provide further info on what we are doing etc. However, unless we just repeat build issues every time I may be needing your help. To make it more interesting it would be better if everyone reading who had a story, comments, advice etc joined in the blog and published those comments it would make the pages much more interesting.
Previously to avoid false links etc I had restricted the blog so that any comments made had to come through me to be approved first. In that way I could filter out the 'bad links' placed by non-Gentry interested folk. For a short while to see how it goes I'll open the page up again for your comments to be placed directly.
Geoff
At a social function last weekend I was brought to task over the lack of entries on the blog since completion.
With that in mind I will return to the Blog, if not every week, then every fortnight to provide further info on what we are doing etc. However, unless we just repeat build issues every time I may be needing your help. To make it more interesting it would be better if everyone reading who had a story, comments, advice etc joined in the blog and published those comments it would make the pages much more interesting.
Previously to avoid false links etc I had restricted the blog so that any comments made had to come through me to be approved first. In that way I could filter out the 'bad links' placed by non-Gentry interested folk. For a short while to see how it goes I'll open the page up again for your comments to be placed directly.
Geoff
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Update Tuesday 21st May 2008
We returned today from the VOSA site in Birmingham with our 'Minister's Approval Certificate' having successfully passed the outstanding parts of our SVA test!!
It has taken a few weeks to get back in for a test after it wasn't possible to complete the test in April but all the outstanding matters have now been tested and much to our delight the tester was very happy with his short drive around and quickly developed what we all know as 'the Gentry smile'
He made comment that how nice it was to have a car that looked so good and also drove so well.
Apparently all to often a car is presented to him that looks good, but when it comes to the driving experience it all falls flat. Not in our case.
He thought it handled very well, was responsive and he liked the driving position.
So it's all steam ahead as the orders start coming in.
Geoff
It has taken a few weeks to get back in for a test after it wasn't possible to complete the test in April but all the outstanding matters have now been tested and much to our delight the tester was very happy with his short drive around and quickly developed what we all know as 'the Gentry smile'
He made comment that how nice it was to have a car that looked so good and also drove so well.
Apparently all to often a car is presented to him that looks good, but when it comes to the driving experience it all falls flat. Not in our case.
He thought it handled very well, was responsive and he liked the driving position.
So it's all steam ahead as the orders start coming in.
Geoff
Sunday, 11 May 2008
2nd post of the day!
Above are two pictures of the 'alternative' Gentry as modelled by Gentry Register members Andrew and Sue's daughter Catherine. The magnificent top for our launch cake was made from pictures of an incomplete car! The attention to detail is just like the 'real' one and given the fact that when it was made some of the detail was not available the finished car can only be described as outstanding.
Thank you to Catherine. This car will be with us for ever as a momento of the launch day and all the hard work that led up to it.
New Midlands secretary Jurek took this photo of the car on the stand. It was one of the few occasions throughout the weekend when you could see the car!
Geoff
Update Sunday 11th May 2008
Well to have got this far you have probably come via the website and so you will have seen that I've changed things around a little and also provided the pictures of the demonstrator directly onto the website.
I have also had to change the post comments section of the blog, so please continue to leave messages. They are then emailed to me before appearing on the Blog. I then get to decide whether they are published or not. I haven't done this to keep any criticism off the Blog as we will always take on board constructive comments. Unfortunately some of the spammers and advertisers had found that they could put links onto the page via their comments and so before you knew what was happening you were whisked off to some other site/advert just by trying to read a comment apparently placed on the Blog by some Gentry fan!
We have been taking a well earned rest since the show last Sunday/Monday. It has given us a chance to catch up on all those little jobs that have been put to one side for a few months.
On Monday we start again as we re-organise the workshop back to a production area for fabricating chassis' and bodies.
Still searching around various manufacturers and suppliers for various bits and pieces so we can continue to develop the car in one or two small areas like door locks etc.
Many thanks to all those who came to the show and spoke to us about the build and the Blog. From your comments it has all been worth while.
See you later,
Geoff
I have also had to change the post comments section of the blog, so please continue to leave messages. They are then emailed to me before appearing on the Blog. I then get to decide whether they are published or not. I haven't done this to keep any criticism off the Blog as we will always take on board constructive comments. Unfortunately some of the spammers and advertisers had found that they could put links onto the page via their comments and so before you knew what was happening you were whisked off to some other site/advert just by trying to read a comment apparently placed on the Blog by some Gentry fan!
We have been taking a well earned rest since the show last Sunday/Monday. It has given us a chance to catch up on all those little jobs that have been put to one side for a few months.
On Monday we start again as we re-organise the workshop back to a production area for fabricating chassis' and bodies.
Still searching around various manufacturers and suppliers for various bits and pieces so we can continue to develop the car in one or two small areas like door locks etc.
Many thanks to all those who came to the show and spoke to us about the build and the Blog. From your comments it has all been worth while.
See you later,
Geoff
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Saturday 26th April
After our great news at the beginning of the week the car has returned to the trim shop for the final trimming and the hood and sidescreens to be made.
All the small detail is now being fitted ready for the launch on the 4th May at Stoneleigh and barring any great disasters we will be there on time with the car looking how I had always hoped she would look.
I always knew the car could be made to look right and still obtain the SVA approval but it was just the time scale of making sure that we were ready for the show that was always going to be the issue.
We have achieved it because so many people have stepped up to the mark when it was necessary and have delivered on time. To those people I say a huge 'Thank You' without your help we could not have managed it.
Although previously mentioned on the Blog, the biggest Thank You has to go to Cliff Wakelin.
Cliff has been there from the very start and even when his knee surgery forced him to rest he was still very keen to hear how things were going and got back into the swing of things well before his consultant would have liked. His knowledge, guidance, skill and friendship have been overwhelming. Without his help I would still be sitting on the garage floor scratching my head and wondering which way to go. I believe the Register is very lucky to have Cliff as its Chair and we are very lucky to have Cliff and Gill as friends.
Geoff
All the small detail is now being fitted ready for the launch on the 4th May at Stoneleigh and barring any great disasters we will be there on time with the car looking how I had always hoped she would look.
I always knew the car could be made to look right and still obtain the SVA approval but it was just the time scale of making sure that we were ready for the show that was always going to be the issue.
We have achieved it because so many people have stepped up to the mark when it was necessary and have delivered on time. To those people I say a huge 'Thank You' without your help we could not have managed it.
Although previously mentioned on the Blog, the biggest Thank You has to go to Cliff Wakelin.
Cliff has been there from the very start and even when his knee surgery forced him to rest he was still very keen to hear how things were going and got back into the swing of things well before his consultant would have liked. His knowledge, guidance, skill and friendship have been overwhelming. Without his help I would still be sitting on the garage floor scratching my head and wondering which way to go. I believe the Register is very lucky to have Cliff as its Chair and we are very lucky to have Cliff and Gill as friends.
Geoff
Monday, 21 April 2008
Excellent SVA News for the Gentry
We took our 'nearly' complete Demonstrator across to Garretts Green testing station today so that the SVA Inspector could check on our hard work so far and get the okay on certain 'period' fittings like the 'Desmo' type external mirror, bonnet escutcheons, dash layout etc and came away very pleased with ourselves.
The car was considered to be of the highest quality, well engineered, built to a very high standard and presented in excellent condition. As the car is still incomplete it was not possible to complete a full SVA test but the news from the tester that once complete a successful SVA approval was 'just around the corner' was exactly the words we were waiting to hear.
With the Stoneleigh kit car show being only a few weeks away we just needed confirmation from the 'official' quarters that we were still able to produce a car that looked the part and would pass the test.
I am now happy that all our hard work has been rewarded accordingly and so once we hit the show on the 4th May the car will once again be available on the market in self build form!!!!!!!!
What more can you say? Except a very big thank you to everyone who has helped get us this far. The list of contributors grows each day and all I can say to them all is 'Without you, your help and support, we would not have made this progress. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped and look forward to your continued support throughout the coming months and years as we see the 'Gentry' back out there on sale.
Right now I'm not sure whether to look for the nearest pub to celebrate or just head off to bed to sleep for a few days!!
Geoff
The car was considered to be of the highest quality, well engineered, built to a very high standard and presented in excellent condition. As the car is still incomplete it was not possible to complete a full SVA test but the news from the tester that once complete a successful SVA approval was 'just around the corner' was exactly the words we were waiting to hear.
With the Stoneleigh kit car show being only a few weeks away we just needed confirmation from the 'official' quarters that we were still able to produce a car that looked the part and would pass the test.
I am now happy that all our hard work has been rewarded accordingly and so once we hit the show on the 4th May the car will once again be available on the market in self build form!!!!!!!!
What more can you say? Except a very big thank you to everyone who has helped get us this far. The list of contributors grows each day and all I can say to them all is 'Without you, your help and support, we would not have made this progress. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped and look forward to your continued support throughout the coming months and years as we see the 'Gentry' back out there on sale.
Right now I'm not sure whether to look for the nearest pub to celebrate or just head off to bed to sleep for a few days!!
Geoff
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)