WHAT I`VE FOUND IS THAT NOWADAYS THEY TEND TO BE SO SECRETIVE THAT IN ORDER TO READ THE CARDS ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE STANDING BEHIND THEM AND HAVE X-RAY EYES.
THERE ARE THOSE THAT SQUANDER THE HOUSEKEEPING MONEY AND OTHERS THAT THROW BIG BUCKS AT RESTORERS IN ORDER TO GET THAT BITSA FINISHED.
WHEN I WAS BUILDING MY FIRST BITSA THERE WAS A DEFINITE GROUP OF LIKE MINDED ENTHUSIASTS THAT SHARED INFORMATION BUT THAT HAS ALL CHANGED.
THE MOST PROBABLE REASON FOR THIS SECRECY IS THAT THE MOTIVE FOR BUILDING THE CAR IS PROFIT AND THAT PILE OF BITS IS SOMEHOW GOING TO BECOME AT THE STROKE OF A PEN, LEGITIMISED AS AN "ORIGINAL CAR".
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS WORKING IN PROVENCE IN THE LATE SEVENTIES I LIVED QUITE CLOSE TO THE CAR MUSEUM AT ORGON. IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO GO AND BROWSE, AS THEY ALWAYS HAD A SELECTION OF SPARES LAID OUT ON TABLES. ONE DAY I WENT TO THE MUSEUM BUT THERE WAS NOBODY THERE SO I WENT ROUND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING TO TRY AND FIND SOMEBODY. LO AND BEHOLD! I DISCOVERED A TYPE 35 BUGATTI FACTORY, ALL THE PARTS FOR SEVERAL CARS AND SOME SEMI COMPLETED CARS WERE THERE FOR ANYONE TO SEE, STORED IN AN OPEN ABRI. THIS IS A ROOFED STRUCTURE THAT IS OPEN ON ONE OR ALL SIDES.
THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THOSE RUMOURS THAT BUGATTIS WERE BEING BUILT TO FEED THE EAGER MARKET FOR THEM AND THIS WAS PROOF THAT IT WAS HAPPENING.
DON`T THINK THAT THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED WITH VINTAGE BENTLEYS, OF COURSE IT HAS! I REMEMBER GOING INTO A RESTORERS WORKSHOP THAT WAS BUILDING SEVERAL "ORIGINAL CARS" THIS PERSON WAS SO ARROGANT THAT HE DIDN`T SEE THE NEED TO STAMP THE NEW AXLES WITH THE CORRECT PERIOD STAMPS BUT USED MODERN ONES WHICH IS A GIVEAWAY FOR IDENTIFYING REPRODUCTION PARTS.
THERE ARE THOSE THAT PROBABLY HAVE NIGHTMARES THAT THEIR CRIMES WILL BE DISCOVERED AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO FACE UP TO FINANCIAL RUIN WHEN THE WEALTHY NOW OWNER DISCOVERS THAT THE CAR IS A LEGITIMISED BITSA AND HAULS THE CASE THROUGH THE COURTS.
ANYBODY THAT IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD A VINTAGE BENTLEY SHOULD SEEK OUT THE SERVICES OF AN EXPERT IN ORDER TO DELVE INTO THE PAST OF ANY POTENTIAL PURCHASE.
THERE`S NOTHING WRONG IN SOMEBODY THAT HAS THE COURAGE AND STAMINA TO BUILD A BITSA FOR THEIR OWN PLEASURE. OFTEN IT IS SOME UNSCRUPULOUS DEALER WHO BUYS THE CAR AS A BITSA AND THEN PASSES IT OFF AS AN ORIGINAL CAR THAT COMMITS THE CRIME.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE MODERN BREED OF BITSA BUILDERS? AS I`VE SAID, THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS THE STEREOTYPE OF THE IMPOVERISHED ENTHUSIAST THAT STARTS THEIR CAR WITH THE PURCHASE OF A WORN OUT BRAKE DRUM. BITSA BUILDING IS BIG BUSINESS AS CARS ARE REQUIRED TO SATISFY THE INSATIABLE DEMAND FOR THEM. IT`S NO SURPRISE THAT QUITE A FEW OF THE WELL KNOWN BENTLEY RESTORERS STARTED OUT BUILDING THEIR BITSA AND THEN BLOSSOMED OUT INTO RESTORERS FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS.
THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL CRAFTSMEN OUT THERE AND IT`S A JOY TO SEE THEIR WORK. THEY DON`T CHARGE AS MUCH AS YOUR MODERN CAR GARAGE AT AROUND A HUNDRED POUNDS AN HOUR BUT ASK QUITE MODEST SUMS FOR THEIR WORK.
THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE STARTING THEIR BITSA NOW WILL HAVE STARS IN YOUR EYES, YOU WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO TELL YOUR WIFE HOW MUCH YOU ARE SPENDING AS YOUR RELATIONSHIP COULD SUFFER SOME STRAINS IF YOU MAKE THE WRONG DECISION. BE PREPARED TO PUT IN A NEW KITCHEN EVERY SO OFTEN AND PLAY WITH THE KIDS OCCASIONALLY!
SOME FORTUNATE BITSA BUILDERS WILL HAVE CHOSEN A WIFE THAT IS SUPPORTIVE AND DOESN`T MIND RIDING AROUND IN A NOISY, SMELLY OLD CAR THAT BLOWS OUT ALL THE CURLS IN HER NEW HAIR DO. OF COURSE, AS WE ALL KNOW, IN REALITY IT`S THE WOMEN THAT CHOOSE THE HUSBANDS!
THE IMPECUNIOUS BITSA BUILDERS THAT ARE WELL ADVANCED IN THE BUILD, AS WELL AS BEING POVERTY STRICKEN, WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS DUE TO THE FRUSTRATIONS OF THE GAME, THAT`S GUARANTEED! LARGE SACRIFICES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO CARRY ON WITH THE PROJECT.
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, AFTER HAVING COLLECTED ENOUGH PARTS TO BUILD THREE VINTAGE BENTLEYS I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM MY BANK MANAGER ABOUT REDUCING MY LARGE OVERDRAFT. WHAT I DID WAS TO SELL MY MEWS COTTAGE IN KEW AND WENT TO LIVE IN MY HALF RESTORED COTTAGE IN SCOTLAND. GRADUALLY THE SPARES WERE SOLD OFF OVER THE YEARS AS I WAS WORKING FULL TIME ON RENOVATING THE LITTLE ROW OF COTTAGES THAT I HAD BOUGHT FOR A SONG AND WAS ALWAYS SHORT OF CASH.
"NO PAIN NO GAIN" RINGS TRUE HERE
AT THE END OF THE DAY I ENDED UP WITH ONE BITSA COMPLETED AND AFTER THE INITIAL EUPHORIA WAS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT I`M PROBABLY MORE OF A BUILDER THAN A DRIVER OF MY VINTAGE BENTLEY.