Tour blog 21

Tour blog 21

04 Nov 2008

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The Aftermarket van does some partying on the way to Aberdeen in support of BEN

Tuesday 4th November . . .

12:45am - Aftermarket is on its way to Aberdeen and is currently soaking up the stunning scenery on the outskirts of Dundee. No disrespect to motoring in other parts of the country but stopping and starting round the Birmingham end of the M6 is not a patch on this.

Here's a look back at the day so far and some thoughts on how hen parties could help your business open up new revenue streams!


Ian McWatt at MVV Performance in Stirling
Sometimes, if things aren't going quite the way you'd like, it makes sense to try a few changes in your business. That's exactly what Ian (pictured top right) has done at his performance upgrade shop and workshop.

To open up an extra revenue stream, he converted a mobility bus into what he calls the 'party bus' inside his workshop with help from technician Mel Innis.

Any self-respecting girl that's about to be wed wants a night to remember before her big day and catering for this market was not something anyone else really did in this neck of the woods - until Ian got involved.

The party bus is fully kitted out with everything a bride-to-be and her sozzled gaggle of mates could want; a DVD player, smoke machine, PlayStation games console, huge sound system, laser light display and enough storage space for a fridge full of Bacardi Breezers.

"That pole's got some stories to tell," says Ian with a grin, pointing to the long vertical hand rail inside.


Ian says that diversifying his business has proved the right way to go. He now has a small fleet of limousines which he also services and repairs.

Ian's business specialises in engine upgrades on cars. His reception area has a Vauxhall Corsa fitted with a high-performance two-litre engine boasting just about every upgrade you could think off.

The best thing is that from the outside it looks like the most budget Corsa imaginable and I'm guessing he's surprised a few people when he pulls away from traffic lights.

"We used to advertise in every magazine going but the internet and ebay have ripped the 'bottom' (this is not the actual word Ian used!) out of the performance business.

"Everybody knows someone down the pub who can do engine upgrades but some of the work we've seen done is terrifying. The guys doing them must have been butchers at some point," he says, clearly slightly annoyed at the level of technical skill sometimes found, or not found, in the performance side of the trade.


John Wright, his son David, his grandson John and Christopher Bell at Burnside Motor in Falkirk
John's business is one of those smart but traditional looking independents that proudly displays its various services, specialism and quality accreditations.

Over the last couple of years, he's started investing in diagnostic kit and training - with Aftermarket technical writer Frank Massey among others - and says the decision is already starting to pay off.

"We've spent quite a few pounds," says John, with a wry smile on his face. "And now we're starting to get a reputation for diagnostics and get quite a few jobs in."

Just about every vertical surface in John's reception area is covered in posters explaining the garage's commitment to the Good Garage Scheme, the operation of petrol injection systems and the various quality claims of the workshop's parts suppliers.

John very kindly donates £50 to the BEN cause. A truly generous contribution.


Craig Campbell at Prolek Mac Auto Electrics
Despite having been wined and dined by Hella as part of a press trip to its lighting research centre in Germany, I've never actually seen a garage that's part of its workshop network - until now, that is.

The garage is in an estate of neat, pre-fab office units and, from the outside at least, looks the least like a workshop we've seen.

The workshop's walls are covered with Hella posters advertising the long-term cost savings of air con services and the garage's specialism in thermal management repairs such as compressors, condensers, receiver driers and more.

Craig asks about our experiences on the trip so far. We talk about those independents that feel they have picked up work at local dealers' expense. "I'm going to start doing the servicing on my van myself," says Craig, pointing to his Mercedes van outside.

"It was going to cost about £300 for the first service. The Mercedes dealer was charging £110 per hour for labour," adds Craig, saying that a number of staff at local dealers were recently made redundant.

Like so many independent businesses we've seen, Craig doesn't advertise and instead relies on word of mouth recommendations for the bulk of the work. The nearby port means there's plenty of CV work and even electrical jobs on cranes to carry out.

Craig says he keeps up to date with electrical technology through the technical bulletin service from Aftermarket writer, and Technical Topics boss, James Dillon. Although he's thinking of possibly making a trip down to Preston for some of Frank Massey's training too.

Before we disappear towards Aberdeen, Craig very generously donates £30 to the BEN cause. A big thank you for a very kind gesture.

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