What the fuck is it with classic car types?

[AnthonyG]

Classic Car Clubs

I've been a member of a couple, one of which was great, another... Well let's just say that as far as the internet goes for this club, it's the biggest closed shop I've found so far. You have to be a member to even see the forum, never mind post in it, and then they want you to have your membership number in your username. I'm not even sure if Google's spiders get to collate info from it.

If it was all paid for by the membership fees, then I could sort-of understand it, but it's a proboard, FFS, it's got advertising on it!

An examlple of the mentality - someone had just bought their membership, got onto the forum, asked what the club could do for him and his car, and got the reply "It's not what the club can do for you, it's what you can do for the club"etc.. If that had been me, I'd have weighed mine in and filmed its fragging just to post on said website as a "Get it right up yiz".

 

Then you go to their national weekend and if you're not showing one that has a pair of twin webers as standard, then don't bother polishing it as you really shouldn't have turned up...

Its not a club related to the vehicle in your avatar is it ? If it is I know what you mean. But then no one posted on their sodding forum anyway!

[pogweasel]

Hmm, I can't imagine who you could possibly mean!

That was pretty much why I set up the Rootes Group discussion board.

[M'coli]

Classic Car Clubs

I've been a member of a couple, one of which was great, another... Well let's just say that as far as the internet goes for this club, it's the biggest closed shop I've found so far. You have to be a member to even see the forum, never mind post in it, and then they want you to have your membership number in your username. I'm not even sure if Google's spiders get to collate info from it.

If it was all paid for by the membership fees, then I could sort-of understand it, but it's a proboard, FFS, it's got advertising on it!

An examlple of the mentality - someone had just bought their membership, got onto the forum, asked what the club could do for him and his car, and got the reply "It's not what the club can do for you, it's what you can do for the club"etc.. If that had been me, I'd have weighed mine in and filmed its fragging just to post on said website as a "Get it right up yiz".

 

Then you go to their national weekend and if you're not showing one that has a pair of twin webers as standard, then don't bother polishing it as you really shouldn't have turned up...

Its not a club related to the vehicle in your avatar is it ? If it is I know what you mean. But then no one posted on their sodding forum anyway!

You might think that, but I couldn't possibly comment!

[dollywobbler]

Club forums are tricky things. I'm webmaster for 2CVGB, despite being about as web technical as Barbie. Our forum is closed to members only. I sometimes wonder if this is a good thing.By way of contrast, the P6 Rover Owners Club is open to all. Now, a lot of non-members are therefore going to make use of their forum, but can it be justified because it draws people to the website, who might just join up?

[pogweasel]

Haven't trotted this out for a while, summarises all that is wrong with 'classic car types'

[M'coli]

Haven't trotted this out for a while, summarises all that is wrong with 'classic car types'

They can just go piss up a rope, frankly.

[AnthonyG]

PRISTEEN!

 

what a bunch of nobs!

 

PPC managed a couple of great misspellings recently in the same article - 'Vallium' and 'Warantee'.

 

Obviously the work experience dogsbody, sorry journalism student, who wrote the article (one of those 'top tens') can't work spellchecker.

[Negative Creep]

I can just imagine the meets for that one. Knitted sweaters, beards, real ale and many tales about how they rebuilt the gearbox using only their teeth. Then a tirade about someone who fitted radial tyres and a passenger mirror. I'm glad the Datsun club, small as it is, isn't like that!

[pogweasel]

real ale

Don't diss the ale, man!

[Richard]

PRISTEEN!

 

what a bunch of nobs!

Concourse too.

[Richard]

Oh, and an L-plate Cortina would be highly unlikely to leave the dealer with black/silver plates.

[garethj]

Fords do seem to have a lot of clubs for all their different cars, there's not just a Cortina club but a Mk1 club, Mk2 club..... is that normal? Must make meetings incredibly boring, shirely?

[Mat.T]

When i was at Uni, Real ale was one of my main food groups RR has its good months and its bad months, i still view it pretty regually but dont post much (but then i never did!) The good threads are still there you just have to look a bit harder. I completely missed the Skool thing probably for the best from the sounds of it.Since RR started there are now alot more smaller forums where the good stuff tends to get posted rather than ending up on rr

[dollywobbler]

There seems to be about twelvty eleven Granada clubs too.

 

That Cortina thing has left me rather stunned I must admit. I'm guessing that Nightmares on Retro Rides is not a member!

 

[Pete-M]

One of the reasons I left the RS Owners Club was one of their concours windowlickers spent about 10 minutes picking over my car marking it down for having stainless steel screws instead of rusty ones....

[j-j]

Now ^^that^^ is wikid.Re. all this 'skool' stuff on RR and it getting too big for its boots, I only joined RR last year and I find it to be pretty interesting - I feel more interested in some cars that I'd previously not cared so much for. though I'd say AS has definitely contributed to this even more! I've been on here since near the beginning!Maybe it's a good thing I missed the aggro on RR.

[dollywobbler]

I've somehow made over 5000 posts on RR, so I clearly like it, even if I have been on less lately. Sure, I don't always get it - putting a stupid amount of camber on the back of a car just seems like a good way or ruining tyres - but there's usually something of interest. The Vanning thread was excellent!

[shite_meister]

Last year during my short ownership of a smart but shite 1979 MGB GT I thought I'd go and have a look at the MG Owners Club bash that the hold every year here in sunny Jersey.I didn't take the MG with me because A=I was busy so it was only a fleeting visit on the way home and B=I find the idea of parking my car in a park all day whilst dullard nob-jockies talk to me about as appealing as watching big brother. Anyways I'm looking at this late rubber bumpered MGB GT and start making small talk to the owner-BIG mistake, he just came across as a arrogant miserable twat so I fucked off home vowing to keep clear of beards and 'traditional British classics' and all I did was take a polite interest in his car.The amount of Ford Granada clubs was/is just silly, I can only imagine the sort of in-fighting that goes on in these clubs and its sad and pathetic, I shudder when I hear the word 'Committee'

[pogweasel]

LOL. Old Granada's seem to be the very worst for 'People's front of Judea / Judean People's front / Popular Front of Judea' syndrome.

[retrogeezer]

Reminds me of my time in the 'XR Owners club' 'Southern Branch'.... I only wanted to take my Supersport to shows so people could see it but this 'club' wanted you to go to pub meets, car treasure hunts and worst of all, a fooking christmas dinner/dance!!As if it wasn't bad enough that I had a Supersport (i.e - not a 'proper' XR!) - If you didn't go to the meets, no-one spoke to you. It's a car FFS, I have a life, I have friends already - I just want to take my car to a show..thats it.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Club forums are tricky things. I'm webmaster for 2CVGB, despite being about as web technical as Barbie. Our forum is closed to members only. I sometimes wonder if this is a good thing.By way of contrast, the P6 Rover Owners Club is open to all. Now, a lot of non-members are therefore going to make use of their forum, but can it be justified because it draws people to the website, who might just join up?

I wasn't planning on joining any car clubs, but Club Triumph's messageboard has been such an invaluable source of friendly help and advice, I'll be joining them later this year.As I see it, open forums aren't just beneficial to the club, but to the cars themselves as they're a constantly growing database of technical information and advice. That might not be so important for a popular car like the 2CV, but for more obscure models or newer cars, it's fantastic. Case in point - every little problem our Laguna has developed, from a broken turbo to a faulty air-con display, is covered in detail at renaultforums.co.uk. I doubt that information would have been available if not collected by users on a forum.

[Father Ted]

I suppose I'm lucky really, I simply dont have the time to spend on lots of forums so stick with a couple, this one and BXC are my "homes", so I miss anything "kicking off" (though latey i've stepped back a lot from BXC and knocked the modding on the head as there was too much going on at home to be having to put up with other peoples shit). I dip in and out of ARO and VxON, though the latter I dont bother posting on now after being flamed for my first post on the Zafira, actually VxON is bloody complex to navigate round with sub fora within forums (and Woe Bedide You if you post in the wrong bit). Probably why i like this place so much, easy to navigate, easy to get on with and no one seems to give a shit if i say something that makes a dick of myself

[andrew e]

What he said To be honest if I'd not bullied my mate Mr Average into a ex-Torsten impulse purchase I would have never known about autoshite A lot of the posters cross over and appear elsewhere, the crux is I'm not marque specific - I post on to Pro Rover forums and own a BMW I like cars full stop.

[TheScrapman]

Don't diss the ale, man!

Here here!Only ever belonged to one classic club - Morris Minor Owners Club - when I was 17/18. They were absolutely brilliant, and were always keen on rusty nails, modifications, and of course the concourse stuff. They seemed happy that you owned a MM, never mind what state it was in. I built a balls-silly-fast 1320cc a-series with full race cam (for road use obviously!) and even the old duffer beardies were genuinely interested.

[Triang]

Reminds me of my time in the 'XR Owners club' 'Southern Branch'....

 

I only wanted to take my Supersport to shows so people could see it but this 'club' wanted you to go to pub meets, car treasure hunts and worst of all, a fooking christmas dinner/dance!!

 

As if it wasn't bad enough that I had a Supersport (i.e - not a 'proper' XR!) - If you didn't go to the meets, no-one spoke to you. It's a car FFS, I have a life, I have friends already - I just want to take my car to a show..thats it.

Exactly my experience when I bought a basket case Austin Healey 3000 for peanuts years ago.

 

I only joined for the spare parts info and had a naive idea that chatting to people with the same interests would be worthwhile.

 

But turning up at a pub meet really put me off. Driving up in my old ex PO Commer van went down like a bucket of sick and the rampent snobbery between the 3000 owners and the Sprite owners about whose car was a REAL Healey would have had me reaching for my Kalashnikov - if I had one.

 

Left the pub sharpish and never ever participated in a club again.

 

But I missed out on the Easter Egg rolling contest they held in Lewes the next week...

[r.welfare]

The only club I've ever been a member of is the Autobahnstormers. Interestingly, they have a website exactly like the one M'Coli describes.A bit clique-y TBH, and Lotus-Carlton-centric (the original members who liked the cars I had - 2 Opel Rekords and a Mk1 Senator - have either retired from the club or have no day-to-day hand in running it), there were some good people in it (like a certain R-R moderator who kindly gave me a professionally refurb'd alloy for the Senny for nowt) but I did feel a bit ostracised when I parked the motors up at Billing. Didn't really bother me, mind, as I just went for a wander round the autojumble instead.When I had the Granada I just couldn't be arsed choosing from the multiple clubs. And for the other motors I've had, I've just used forums for tech help - the FCF is GR8 4 405s, and the Omega Owners Forum is really good as well.

[seth]

On the subject of clubs, the Cambridge Oxford OC is really rather good. Covers the whole gamut form ratty daily cars through to pristine restos and doesn't take itsefll to seriously. Doesn't ignore the inexorable link to banger racing either as it forms part of the history of the cars though there are obviously members who don't like it but that's hardly surprising.There's currently efforts to try and re-do the "badge engineering for beginners" display (that was put on at the Longbridge centenary) for the Farina 50 event later in the year. Involved a car beign transformed from one model to another within about 5 minutes under the watchful eye of "Prince Phillip", "Mr Farina" and "BMC Staff"

[254575]

the Maestro and Montego Owners club is top drawer, you dont have to be a member to post on the message board and you get genuine help from people interested in all types of M and M, modified or not.Their web page is excellent and you can even join up by paypal, none of this "please send a cheque", i mean, like most under 30's i dont even own a chequebook.

[Guest]

I quite like The Original Old Japanese Car and Vehicle Society, we only have a few rules:1) No modified rubbish allowed2) Vehicle must be pre-1978 or pre-1982 if Datsun, no Subarus allowed at all3) Must have received 5 local show rosettes or equivalent to be on the OJC stand at formal gatherings4) No Bluebird 910 Wagons due to "hooligan" image5) Drivers must have clean UK driving licence with no points6) Beards/moustaches must be neatly trimmed7) Smart blazer/pressed trousers combo must be worn at meets - no t-shirts, jeans, etc. New members must supply two references, one from a member of authority (judge, police officer, headteacher)9) Members must attend all formal gatherings in the calendar or be expelled from the club - this includes all tea dances, tombolas and beetle drivesHowever, an Easter Egg rolling contest sounds like a terrific idea - I'll put the idea across in the next meeting.

[Father Ted]

I quite like The Original Old Japanese Car and Vehicle Society, we only have a few rules:7) Smart blazer/pressed trousers combo must be worn at meets - no t-shirts, jeans, etc.

Could I wear a sports jacket instead of blazer?