Unique Performance scam

[68Formula]

So if Unique couldn't make money on this business model, what makes Year One's Bandit builds feasible?

[Flash68]

Year One makes its profits from selling millions of parts and that is the established part of their business. They can afford to churn out some cars as a different profit center for them. If it works, then great. If it doesn't, they shut it down and have plenty of profits from the parts biz to fall back on. Those Bandits are only a small % of their overall biz anyway...

[Bob Johnson]

So if Unique couldn't make money on this business model, what makes Year One's Bandit builds feasible?

how many times have you seen Year One's Trans Ams in magazines, shows, TV. etc...Advertising and exposure my man...they aren't going to make any money building those cars, but they are getting one hecKuva lot of exposure for Year One and their Parts Business which is what they're after..I don't know if you're confusing Unique with Year One here..they are 2 totally different companies with no association whatsoever except some TV stuff they've done together..If Unique makes a profit I would be surprised..Year One's business is parts..they just build cars to promote their parts business..

[muthstryker]

I know a guy who went for a walk at an outdoor show, came back to get in his car for a drive and was blocked in by a car that was double parked. "Anyone know who owns this car?" "Yeah, that's him over there." He walks over to find Boyd with a few people around him. "Could you please move the car so I can get out?" Boyd answers "Do you have any idea who the F*** I am?"

I would of keyed it after that

[68Formula]

I don't know if you're confusing Unique with Year One here..they are 2 totally different companies with no association whatsoever except some TV stuff they've done together..If Unique makes a profit I would be surprised..Year One's business is parts..they just build cars to promote their parts business..

I wasn't calling them the same, I was comparing them. Both are (were) selling turnkey keys with modern upgrades for $125k+. It's good self promotion for Year One, but I doubt they are setup to lose money on each car built.

I've never bought a complete redone car, but I would think you could get a one of one built for this price. And if your setup to make a few hundred it should be even easier since you can have amortise the development costs and gain a certain amount of speed improvement in the processes (assuming reasonable employee turnaround) to make it even more profitible.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I've never bought a complete redone car, but I would think you could get a one of one built for this price. And if your setup to make a few hundred it should be even easier since you can have amortise the development costs and gain a certain amount of speed improvement in the processes (assuming reasonable employee turnaround) to make it even more profitible.

LOL! I bet Unique felt the same way when they jumped ass first into this. I do not know those guys that well, but I am sure this WAS NOT the ending they planed!

It is hard to build cars for profit. And doing higher production runs probably does not increase your chances of making a profit, but most likely opens up the possibility of bigger losses.

Being in the business, I talk with a lot of builders, and everyone of them is trying to figure out how to make money doing this.

I used to tell people only Unique was successfully at building production Hot Rods, now I guess I need to change that to only Unique was successful at selling production Hot Rods!

[Bob Johnson]

I wasn't calling them the same, I was comparing them. Both are (were) selling turnkey keys with modern upgrades for $125k+. It's good self promotion for Year One, but I doubt they are setup to lose money on each car built.

I've never bought a complete redone car, but I would think you could get a one of one built for this price. And if your setup to make a few hundred it should be even easier since you can have amortise the development costs and gain a certain amount of speed improvement in the processes (assuming reasonable employee turnaround) to make it even more profitible.

If you take a TV Spot or especially a whole show, several whole pages ina major magazine, etc..the cost of building a car looks cheap. i'm sure they don't like losing on the builds, but this isn't an assembly line process...building kit Cobras would be a process that you could get better at and increase production but these cars aren't quite the same..granted you are right they do learn from pervious like builds, but it still isn't a real money maker for them..but they will continue even if they lose because it's the cheapest advertising they can get.

[Bob Johnson]

LOL! I bet Unique felt the same way when they jumped ass first into this. I do not know those guys that well, but I am sure this WAS NOT the ending they planed!

It is hard to build cars for profit. And doing higher production runs probably does not increase your chances of making a profit, but most likely opens up the possibility of bigger losses.

Being in the business, I talk with a lot of builders, and everyone of them is trying to figure out how to make money doing this.

I used to tell people only Unique was successfully at building production Hot Rods, now I guess I need to change that to only Unique was successful at selling production Hot Rods!

The bigger you are, the more people you have to have. The chances of having all good people decreases. I can tell you as the earlier post have confirmed by ex employees, they didn't have all good people. You can't grow a business overnight that requires competent skilled labor. Furthermore, you better have a competent, experienced, knowledgeable, etc guy at the helm that's there all the time tending to the shop.. Owner/Manager presence is the best fertilizer for a growing business...or any business for that matter.. I looked at the set up for one minute and told Alan that was a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one. The celebs etc that bought and actually took delivery of those heaps are also going to be sick when everything on them turns loose. I saw the white convt. that brought $500K...wouldn't have given 50K for it..He's gonna challenge me for the most money lost on one car...wish I could say lol...

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

.He's gonna challenge me for the most money lost on one car...wish I could say lol...

ouch...

[Steve1968LS2]

I know a guy who went for a walk at an outdoor show, came back to get in his car for a drive and was blocked in by a car that was double parked. "Anyone know who owns this car?" "Yeah, that's him over there." He walks over to find Boyd with a few people around him. "Could you please move the car so I can get out?" Boyd answers "Do you have any idea who the F*** I am?"

Should have said "Yea, your the guy that doesn't know how to park."

[Young Gun]

Should have said "Yea, your the guy that doesn't know how to park."

hahahaha I think had I heard somebody say that I may just fall over laughing, especially to boyd

[compos mentis]

[/quote]It is hard to build cars for profit. And doing higher production runs probably does not increase your chances of making a profit, but most likely opens up the possibility of bigger losses.

Being in the business, I talk with a lot of builders, and everyone of them is trying to figure out how to make money doing this.

I used to tell people only Unique was successfully at building production Hot Rods, now I guess I need to change that to only Unique was successful at selling production Hot Rods![/quote]

Frank,

A lot of us here would like to build cars for a living, realistically or unrealistically.

If you don't mind sharing your experience, help me/us understand the challenges in making money at it.

What are the common hinderances to making money in your business?

Thanks,

Skip

[Bob Johnson]

Frank,

A lot of us here would like to build cars for a living, realistically or unrealistically.

If you don't mind sharing your experience, help me/us understand the challenges in making money at it.

What are the common hinderances to making money in your business?

Thanks,

Skip

friken people..if you had the right people, you can conquer the world..getting business is easy..getting the cars built with quality is the challenge. If a guy can do a good job, he's usually so slow you can't charge enough to make a profit on him..But the bulk of the guys can only talk a game..or the want to steal everything that isn't nailed down.
This is a universal problem though...Not just in the car building business..Another big problem is that most builders in this neck of the woods are in the $50 to $60 dollar an hour range. Hire a competent guy, pay overhead, make a profit on that....especially when your local RV, Chevy, motorcycle dealers etc...are charging upwards to twice that amount. And their TECHNICIANS can't fix squat.. All they can do is plug into an analyzer and change a part...if that...Let's not even get into Mercedes, Porsche, Rolls etc..

[paul67]

Din't I read somewhere that ford shipped a certain model car overseas for it to be built then shipped back.

[Dayton]

..But the bulk of the guys can only talk a game..or they want to steal everything that isn't nailed down.

Truer words were never spoken...

[ProdigyCustoms]

I was talking with another builder, and we figure there is about 200 hours at the end of a build we cannot charge for for faulty new parts, weird "WTFs" and basic boo boos. I cannot tell you how many times I have sat down and reviewed the labor hours on a project and said, I cannot charge that much!" The market just won't sustain the true hours and cost of doing a lot of this stuff. Very rarely does a job go as planed as it should were there is no rusted broken bolt, faulty new part, incorrect part, or human problem. It is difficult. And it takes a long time to reach a level where you CAN charge for all those hours.

Bob can speak from experiance, but even at Bob's / Alans level, I will bet even Alan absorbed a couple hours on the Cuda during shakedown. It is part of the business.

Bob is 100% right, we charge $50 to $60 per hour depending on the service, and the guys in the shop make upwards of $25 and bonus. then add another 20% to 25% for employee cost. Then figure if your lucky you can charge for 75% to 80% of that employees hours, so your really not working for $50 or $60, but more like $40 to $50. So there is not alot of extra cheese there. Then facor in Ahh ****s through the month, our A/C quit this year, $4000, My Snap On bill has been $100 a week for 25 years and most of that is replacing lost or broken stuff, or upgrading to required tools. trailer tires, or in our case a new 2 car trailer. Travel expenses to go to shows (our fuel bill for SEMA is totalled now, 6000 miles, 8 miles to the gallon, 750 gallons of fuel, $upwards of $3.49 a gallon, $2500 for fuel, plus a trailer fender and marker light, don't ask!). That does not include rooms, airline tickets for the crew, Per Diam, bla, bla, bla.

there is a lot to it.

The producers of Wife Swap are fiming a show at our place at the end of the month called Life Begins at 40. It is about a EmptyNest 50 Y/O couple in the coporate world that have a few bucks, kids are gone, they are ready to do their own mom and pop business. He wants a Hot Rod shop in Florida, she wants a Bed and Breakfast in Pa. They are spending 4 days in each business. They are commited to doing one or the other. I will be shocked if they open a Hot Rod Shop!

The only way we make up for it all is with hours. We work 7 days a week, most nights, and a lot of that time is building personal toys. So we get a basic income and toys! Which is good for us because we love it.

[compos mentis]

Thanks Bob and Frank,

Those 200 hours you speak of Frank that you feel you can't charge for...plus the material costs on the unplanned stuff..obviously that adds up to close to out of pocket close to $10K.

The people factor... I don't know if you guys have done this, but what about working on a program with local high school or trade schools to try out their most talented...maybe the students could get class credit for it and you could finds some 'stars' at a low rate of pay...at least for a while. Or have them bring their project car or bike in and watch them work on it to see if they have skills, rather than risking your precious 'tin.

Then there is the parts issue...any ideas on solutions?

Thanks for your input.

Skip

[ProdigyCustoms]

My business changed its name to Prodigy Customs because of a couple young Prodigy's we have in the shop. We have run a dozen other kids through the shop. In fact the local "trade school" sent us their "Super Star" at our request. Make a long story short, I got so pissed when I fired that a hole I almost got physical with that useless piece of dung. Foot dragging, pants hangin off his ass, bad attitude, thinks he is the ****, but is really a just a piece of ****, no good for nothing loser!

OK, so anyway, you get the picture. I still like to work with young guys that want to do this, but it is hard to find them. But we always have a least one newbie in the shop. Problem is to build cars at this level, you can only have rookies do so much. And you cannot in good conscience charge even 1 hour for every 2 they work if they are fumbling their way through, so you end up in the same financial situation.

As for a parts solution? As long as we let China import stuff duty free and make it attractive to manufacturers to build offshore, and force what little manufacturing is done in the USA compete with China, were going to have these issues. But now were talking politics, and I do not go there in public.

I do not want to make it sound hopeless, but if you want to get rich, don't build cars. If you wanna have fun and some cool toys...............

[novanutcase]

Let's not forget the wonderful Workers Compensation System we have here in California and the cost of paying into it...........

John

[compos mentis]

I think that's a good thought to keep in mind...don't get into it hoping to get rich.

Do it to enjoy it.

As far as the parts issue, I didn't realize it was as big a problem as I'm learning.

Too bad.

Thanks for enlightening us Frank.

Skip