Have now begun preparing the Alfa Giulia for a season's hire. The car is delightful and just needs a little finishing off. The bodywork and trim are both excellent with just some detailing work still to do but mechanically, although everything is there, it all needs 'shaking down'. These coachbuilt Alfas were the last really nice cars that Alfa Romeo produced and have become very collectable. However it is not easy to find parts for them, even though there are quite a few specialist Alfa spares placed around.
Having owned a 1960 101 Giulietta Sprint, a few years ago, I was very excited when the owner contacted me to ask if I would be interested in hiring this car out. To cut a reasonably long story short, I picked up the car from Gloucester and brought it back to Dumfries where it stays out of harm's way in one of our outbuildings.
We have already taken several bookings for this car which we think fits very well into the line up. The owner is also happy because instead of paying for storage his beautiful car is earning it's keep but more importantly it's being used.
Friday 6 March 2009
Thursday 19 February 2009
classic car self drive hire
About 5 years ago I made the decision to try and make a go of it locally in Dumfries - well I had met the girl of my dreams and thought it's only going to work if I stick around.
Up until then I had been working as a contract design engineer abroad for many years earning good money. "It must be possible" I thought, loads of people around here seem to be able to earn a crust.
However the transition from not having to think about money to waking at 4 in the morning fretting about it was not easy and the only way to cope was to put money worries to the back of my mind.
"How about doing something with all those old cars? Perhaps you could rent them out?" a friend of mine suggested and so motorparty was born. He actually had one or two cars of his own that were also likely candidates for hiring out and so we went to work. 2 years later we realised that it takes some time to get from an idea over a pint, to a viable business, not to mention how much money you need to put in.
Anyway that was then and this is now as the saying goes and with a lot of help from that girl of dreams (who has since become my lovely wife) I have been able to rake together a not bad line up of cars to rent out. A good website was essential and with the whit and wisdom of our good friend Vernon Ballantine and the tricks he taught us we have started to appear on google's all important first page.
So that's enough for my introductory blog - time for a snorter!
Up until then I had been working as a contract design engineer abroad for many years earning good money. "It must be possible" I thought, loads of people around here seem to be able to earn a crust.
However the transition from not having to think about money to waking at 4 in the morning fretting about it was not easy and the only way to cope was to put money worries to the back of my mind.
"How about doing something with all those old cars? Perhaps you could rent them out?" a friend of mine suggested and so motorparty was born. He actually had one or two cars of his own that were also likely candidates for hiring out and so we went to work. 2 years later we realised that it takes some time to get from an idea over a pint, to a viable business, not to mention how much money you need to put in.
Anyway that was then and this is now as the saying goes and with a lot of help from that girl of dreams (who has since become my lovely wife) I have been able to rake together a not bad line up of cars to rent out. A good website was essential and with the whit and wisdom of our good friend Vernon Ballantine and the tricks he taught us we have started to appear on google's all important first page.
So that's enough for my introductory blog - time for a snorter!
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