JD Classics, what have they been up to?
Discussion
9xxNick said:
CKY said:
This is it, shamefully it seems the number of firms out there doing substandard work seemingly trading on good-will or reputation earned 20+ years ago for business is huge. I came across the below in a bodyshop, a E9 CSL that was purchased from a 'legendary' specialist of the Munich brand, the poor sod paid £180k for this car as it was 'recently restored to showroom standard' and was a significant car from the period.
On getting the new owner's favoured bodyshop to get the doors to hang correctly, something amiss was spotted with the door hinges and A-pillar. On taking these areas back to bare metal, a multitude of sins were discovered, and it was decided to strip the car back to bare metal. All I can say is the quality (lack of!) of the 'metal work' done on this car is shameful, i've seen better panel beating in the paddock at a bloody banger racing meeting! Just goes to show, you can never trust even the 'marque specialists', i'd heard the business has been going downhill since being sold a number of years ago, but this was eye opening....
Rear wing abomination
A pillar sins hidden - no wonder the doors were sagging!
As the 'restored to showroom standard' CSL currently sits...
The courts should be treating this type of work as the fraud which is plainly is. If you took someone for upwards of £100K in a financial transaction I imagine you'd be looking at some jail time.On getting the new owner's favoured bodyshop to get the doors to hang correctly, something amiss was spotted with the door hinges and A-pillar. On taking these areas back to bare metal, a multitude of sins were discovered, and it was decided to strip the car back to bare metal. All I can say is the quality (lack of!) of the 'metal work' done on this car is shameful, i've seen better panel beating in the paddock at a bloody banger racing meeting! Just goes to show, you can never trust even the 'marque specialists', i'd heard the business has been going downhill since being sold a number of years ago, but this was eye opening....
Rear wing abomination
A pillar sins hidden - no wonder the doors were sagging!
As the 'restored to showroom standard' CSL currently sits...
Sadly, not surprised, as I had also heard about said establishment's falling by the wayside so to speak, in terms of the quality of their work, and that was well before Covid.
Even so, that's level of bodgery is still shocking.
AW10 said:
CKY said:
To be honest I think the chap is just exceedingly wealthy with a low boredom threshold
That doesn't sound like the sort of buyer to mess about with; he may pursue the selling dealer simply because he can.I suspect said 'specialist' might be getting a bit sweaty.
aeropilot said:
Sadly, not surprised, as I had also heard about said establishment's falling by the wayside so to speak, in terms of the quality of their work, and that was well before Covid.
Only good memories, but that's back in the 90's.I remember being lent Alex Elliott's E30 M3 as a courtesy car due to a minor comms cockup!
AstonZagato said:
aeropilot said:
I admire his passion. Different strokes and all that but I don't really 'get' those people who collect "many of one" model rather than "one of many" car types. I'd love a CSL though.Earthdweller said:
<clip> Someone need to get Johnny Smith to do a car cave episode on that
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos. 
12TS said:
Companies House is quite interesting. Can’t see any real assets to go after.
According to CH one of the principals has a role in 31 different companies. Hmm...One of the companies is in liquidation and in an industry article dated Nov 22 it's stated that "The company in question is a subsidiary that we used to use but haven’t (sic) traded for nearly three years." Fair enough. But then why does that company appear as having provided labour to one of the other companies in the accounts for the year ending March 22? Might just be me but that doesn't smell quite right. But I is a simpleton.
RichB said:
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos.
Have a read here. He's been around a fair time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Smith_(journal...silentbrown said:
RichB said:
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos.
Have a read here. He's been around a fair time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Smith_(journal...
MarkwG said:
silentbrown said:
RichB said:
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos.
Have a read here. He's been around a fair time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Smith_(journal...If you want annoying look at " number 27 " ..........Don't just Don't
RichB said:
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos.
Give him a few more goes. He is actually the genuine car nut with a passion for cars that transcends his age and the value of the object. 12TS said:
aeropilot said:
Very much so.
I suspect said 'specialist' might be getting a bit sweaty.
Companies House is quite interesting. Can’t see any real assets to go after. I suspect said 'specialist' might be getting a bit sweaty.
https://journal.classiccars.com/2019/02/06/jd-clas... Their house was sold for over £2 million I recall, I think someone on PH bought it.
Edited by lowdrag on Saturday 9th December 02:45
lowdrag said:
12TS said:
aeropilot said:
Very much so. I suspect said 'specialist' might be getting a bit sweaty.
Companies House is quite interesting. Can’t see any real assets to go after. https://journal.classiccars.com/2019/02/06/jd-clas... Their house was sold for over £2 million I recall, I think someone on PH bought it.
"The founder of a British car dealership formerly known as JD Classics has reportedly been sued for allegedly inflating the values of the vehicles he sold, along with this wife."
So, did he inflate his wife and sell her, or just sell her a a flat price?
Of course, inserting 'along with his wife' after 'the founder of JD Classics' would remove the ambiguity but that would take writing skills.
Purosangue said:
MarkwG said:
silentbrown said:
RichB said:
Never heard of him so I looked him up. My immediate thought was, oh no, not yet another 'Crazy YouTuber' who grins like a maniac as he poses for a selfie. Can you imagine Harry doing this to promote his videos.
Have a read here. He's been around a fair time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Smith_(journal...If you want annoying look at " number 27 " ..........Don't just Don't
I showed one to my mate Fabio and he laughed like a drain. Like an Italian version of Allo Allo.
AW10 said:
According to CH one of the principals has a role in 31 different companies. Hmm...
One of the companies is in liquidation and in an industry article dated Nov 22 it's stated that "The company in question is a subsidiary that we used to use but haven’t (sic) traded for nearly three years." Fair enough. But then why does that company appear as having provided labour to one of the other companies in the accounts for the year ending March 22? Might just be me but that doesn't smell quite right. But I is a simpleton.
Is this pertaining to the company that looks to be run by Chuck's less kickass brother?One of the companies is in liquidation and in an industry article dated Nov 22 it's stated that "The company in question is a subsidiary that we used to use but haven’t (sic) traded for nearly three years." Fair enough. But then why does that company appear as having provided labour to one of the other companies in the accounts for the year ending March 22? Might just be me but that doesn't smell quite right. But I is a simpleton.
Normally when you see that many director rolls the person is just a nominee but here it looks to be what the media would refer to as a 'serial entrepreneur'?
I have a near religious habit of skimming CH on a company before getting in a car to drive a fair distance let along before any thought of short hands delving into long pockets to reluctantly produce a wallet. Rightly or wrongly, fairly or u fairly, what I see there would trigger my basic rule to walk away. Fine for buying something cheap and living with any consequences but for a significant transaction it's not for me.
If something goes wrong you do want to know that there are things on the other side the company views as worth protecting so willing to talk and discuss but ultimately you want to know there are assets of note.
To me, if I am looking at the right company, there's nothing of any worth, I suspect the assets are just cars which can be hidden in minutes so worthless and the track record of endless dissolutions just makes me think any dispute would result in pheonixing.
Probably tremendously unfair as I know absolutely nothing of the company, the brand, the people bit just that for me personally, when I look at the basic CH data that's the end of the journey for me.
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