For those interested in old cars.

[Oldddudders]

23 minutes ago, gr.king said:

 

I wouldn't want my comments here to lead to a prolonged digression from the old cars topic, but I suspect that a number of us will be sadly familiar with at least one person who has joined an organisation, demonstrated apparent gushing enthusiasm (including willingness to take on a committee post that is otherwise difficult to fill), has rapidly evolved a domineering attitude, with disregard of others' feelings as well as their views, and brought about forcible but incompetent re-organisation of things that were okay in their original form. Then when everything is thoroughly messed up the "wrecker" suddenly becomes much more interested in something else (that they can spoil) so they move on...

 

Please don't suggest any names.

Clearly written from the heart. Such a shame in any hobby. 

[russ p]

1 minute ago, Oldddudders said:

Clearly written from the heart. Such a shame in any hobby. 

 

Unfortunately its rife in many an organisation especially those which involve cars and railways 

[Northmoor]

26 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Unfortunately its rife in many an organisation especially those which involve cars and railways 

When I was an Alfa owner and a member of AROC, I seem to remember that went through precisely the upheaval described above.

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

That club hardly functions now unfortunately,  about ten years ago it was fantastic then a member seemed to take it over using it for her self promotion rather than being a club for the preservation of those vehicles. 

Most people left when the forum was rejigged and became so horrible to use and this individual wanted everyone on Facebook. 

Quite a lot of us keep in touch but unfortunately none of us has a decent drivers door

 

I was a member 3/4 years ago and went to the AGMs, I have to admit your description doesn't tally with what I saw... However if you want to see where it goes really wrong then try the Rover P6 clubs!

[russ p]

5 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

I was a member 3/4 years ago and went to the AGMs, I have to admit your description doesn't tally with what I saw... However if you want to see where it goes really wrong then try the Rover P6 clubs!

 

It was longer than four years ago, its maybe got better but the forum is still very quiet.  In the old days the forum was nearly as busy as this

The 75/ZT club is a very good one and has an excellent forum 

[boxbrownie]

37 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

When I was an Alfa owner and a member of AROC, I seem to remember that went through precisely the upheaval described above.

I joined when I bought a Giulleitta (the 2Litre TC 4 door type) back in the early 80’s, I got accosted at Beullieu in the car park once by none other than Derek Bell who wanted a chat and look at my very shiney red Alfa, he was apparently a member (or something to do with the club at the time), nice bloke, nice chat.  

[Hobby]

It rather depends on how many people actually have the cars on how busy a forum is, especially for relatively unpopular models... Bear in mind also that the MG clubs have nicked most of the MG versions members so it only really caters for the normal models. The only way seems to be by combining a range of models as numbers of survivors get lower, even then it doesn't always work, as the Rover 200/400 club has proved. Facebook, for all it's faults is better for small number groups than a forum, the only issue you have then is that it's easier to have splits as people fall out...

 

I try never to take sides when this sort of thing happens, though the difficulty comes when no-one else is willing to take on the lead "job" in a club and the one person that does doesn't do what some people want and so they leave... 

 

Catch 22.

[russ p]

29 minutes ago, Hobby said:

It rather depends on how many people actually have the cars on how busy a forum is, especially for relatively unpopular models... Bear in mind also that the MG clubs have nicked most of the MG versions members so it only really caters for the normal models. The only way seems to be by combining a range of models as numbers of survivors get lower, even then it doesn't always work, as the Rover 200/400 club has proved. Facebook, for all it's faults is better for small number groups than a forum, the only issue you have then is that it's easier to have splits as people fall out...

 

I try never to take sides when this sort of thing happens, though the difficulty comes when no-one else is willing to take on the lead "job" in a club and the one person that does doesn't do what some people want and so they leave... 

 

Catch 22.

 

I don't think the MGOC takes many MMM models as they barely acknowledge their existence 

The 200/400 club still has a half decent forum 

What is really needed is a club to cover all Austin rover/ rover models from the 80s until the end as as you say numbers are dwindling so much 

[railroadbill]

Had a Maestro once. Most practical car I've ever had, due to boxy body, and very good visibility with the large windows/screen.  Did 167K miles in it. Problem at the end was the rust under the windscreen.  Haven't seen one on the road for years so thought they'd all gone.

 

Re car clubs, we've belonged to a one make camper-van club for years, made lots of friends, good magazine, been very very useful for technical knowledge and support but the AGM discussions have often  been somewhat heated....

[PhilJ W]

Such makes/models disappear quickly once the manufacturer has ceased to trade. In documentary films from the early 50's you will probably see a few Jowett Javelins but only a few years later there were few if any to be seen.

[alastairq]

Re-the Facebook groups?

 

I 'belong' to several.

All are either 'make' specific, or motorsport-specific. [By that, I mean, focusing on a  particular branch of motorsport]

Given the 'running 'costs of various forum platforms, Facebook groups are a cost effective way of maintaining interest.

 

All the make-specific groups I know, whilst having  their own forum contact, get more input & exchange from the Facebook groups than by any other means.

 

Some are closed to the public, some are more 'open.'

 

All have certain criteria to 'join'.

All are also moderated, some very strictly.

 

It is this 'friendly' moderation which encourages folk to contribute. To 'stay in touch'.

 

There will still be the odd one or two who don't 'do' Facebook, so tend to 'miss out'....and there can be a tendency to try to influence 'club' policy via the 'social media', but a strong committee ensures balanced influence.

 

In the end, they create a place whereby information, help, advice, etc,  can be exchanged with a degree of instancy and access  the old style forums simply lacked.

 

There will always be those who rage against the progression of technology.  This can create policy rifts in certain long established 'clubs,' I'm sure.

 

What is the difference between an 'Owner's club', or a 'Register'?

 

All my memberships have not been subject to actually owning the make of vehicle concerned.

 

Indeed [as my avatar may suggest?], I joined one Register a few years before actually getting to own a subject vehicle. 

 

I belong to another motorsporting club, yet have not participated for some years now [costs, even though very cheap, and aches & pains, discourage me...as well as being able to find, and rely upon, a willing, but required, passenger]. 

Being a cash-strapped pensioner doesn't help! 

 

Everything seems to carry a far greater additional cost these days....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hobby]

4 hours ago, russ p said:

 

I don't think the MGOC takes many MMM models as they barely acknowledge their existence 

The 200/400 club still has a half decent forum 

What is really needed is a club to cover all Austin rover/ rover models from the 80s until the end as as you say numbers are dwindling so much 

 

You'd be surprised that they have taken many members, simply because there are more N

MG varients left than the others! 

 

I agree about an AR groups, though AR Online had one but wasn't used very much. 

[PhilJ W]

I once belonged to the Reliant owners club (I had a quite rare Reliant Kitten van). The problem was that as far as they were concerned anything with more than three wheels they weren't interested in.

[pH]

1947 Monarch convertible in a mall parking lot this morning:
 

 

 

 

Monarch was a marque used by Ford of Canada. These convertibles were built in 1946 and 1947 only - I found a site which says there were only 91 built in total.

Edited May 16, 2021 by pH

[Captain Cuttle]

23 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

You'd be surprised that they have taken many members, simply because there are more N

MG varients left than the others! 

 

I agree about an AR groups, though AR Online had one but wasn't used very much. 

I used to like AR Online, good info on rare prototypes, what happened to it?

[russ p]

23 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

I used to like AR Online, good info on rare prototypes, what happened to it?

 

I think he probably ran out of the rare stuff. I still look at it quite often

[MrWolf]

On 15/05/2021 at 12:54, PhilJ W said:

Such makes/models disappear quickly once the manufacturer has ceased to trade. In documentary films from the early 50's you will probably see a few Jowett Javelins but only a few years later there were few if any to be seen.

 

Ditto Hillman Avengers.

[MrWolf]

Another problem with car clubs is in my experience, that they tend to end up benefitting the few rather than the many.

I have seen several where the person in charge of club spares has turned it into his own business and prices have rocketed. Just as often the committee members are collecting a complete set of new old stock panels and chromework just in case and the only parts available to members are used rear axles and glass.

That is despite numerous published reports of having cleared out old dealerships or the family of a one make hoarder has donated their late relative's collection.

Or they will be just plain cliquey and constantly pick fault with your vehicle. Especially if it was offered to the club and everyone else turned their noses up because it wasn't the "right" model. But it turned out to be a one owner peach just as prices went stupid.

It's a damn shame because there's a hell of a lot more people out there owning classic cars that are a pleasure to know than not.

I haven't been a member of a car club since the early 2000s for the above reasons and then some!

[rocor]

On 15/05/2021 at 10:34, russ p said:

 

Unfortunately its rife in many an organisation especially those which involve cars and railways 

 

Maybe what every forum requires is adequate moderation, or else it will end up imploding. The firm, but fair moderation exercised on the RMweb site seems to ensure that everything continues to tick over amicably.

[Rugd1022]

I've just found the (almost) perfect garage companion to my Cooper S 'WMU 211G', sadly it's beyond my budget but what a corker....

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303996726647?hash=item46c79ded77:g:b1MAAOSwKiZgnjeI

 

 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

I've just found the (almost) perfect garage companion to my Cooper S 'WMU 211G', sadly it's beyond my budget but what a corker....

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303996726647?hash=item46c79ded77:g:b1MAAOSwKiZgnjeI

 

 

Oh my Lord......that is far too good for anyone but myself to drive, what a beauty.

[Oldddudders]

If it was good enough for Idi Amin, then....

[MrWolf]

Always liked the Citroen SM. It's not too long ago that old wives tales of complexity and unreliability, added to elitist attitudes rendered them almost worthless. I remember Practical Classics or someone doing a feature on them as an endangered species.

 

[Northmoor]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Always liked the Citroen SM. It's not too long ago that old wives tales of complexity and unreliability, added to elitist attitudes rendered them almost worthless. I remember Practical Classics or someone doing a feature on them as an endangered species.

 

The "market" has seen some incredible inflation in the 21st Century.  I bought a J-reg Range Rover Vogue SE when it was about 16 y.o. for £1400.  A couple of years ago, an identical one (although hopefully with fewer faults....) was for sale at a dealer for over £20,000.

[Rugd1022]

The asking prices for the very early Range Rovers from 1970 / 71 would make your eyes water, most have rotted away by now but mint / restored examples come up now and again at well over £100k, whether or not they actually change hands at that sort of money, well who knows.

 

I'm thinking of taking up prevaricating as a full time occupation - I still haven't bought anything 'special' to fill the vacant half of my garage since I sold the Mini 30, I'm going round in circles as usual with Fiat 130 Coupes, Alfas, Lancias and Maseratis of various hues and the smaller American V8s messing with my mojo .