Car clubs

[Mash]

I read in Practical Classics the short piece about the decline in membership of car clubs nowadays and had a slight pang of guilt as I have been one of those not renewing my membership this year I was a member of a (virtually) one-model club for a number of years and a member of the comittee for some time. I enjoyed my time in the club but a new job a couple of years ago meant I could no longer devote the time needed to my role. I have to confess my interest in the cars waned slightly too and in a club where there is only one model (albeit with slight variations) you get a bit of sameiness going on which does nothing for my insatiable appetite for variety.I've also found that I can do wothout the spares back-up thanks to eBay and my own resourcefulness or contacts (and getting off my arse and going out to look for stuff). So it was with regret I decided not to renew my membership. The subs were not a huge amount but these days every twenty-odd quid means a lot to me!Anyone else got thoughts on the club scene? I find I get far more out of the various forums I frequent these days.

[dollywobbler]

Forums are certainly denting club membership I think. I'm a very active member of the 2CV Club, and a committee member though after doing that for a few years, and with too much other stuff going on, I'm stepping down next year.I still do tend to join other clubs as and when - Renault Classic Car Club when I had the 5, P6 Club when I had the P6 and the Bond Owners Club now. I get more out of some clubs than others but I do make use of forums too.

[Tonka]

People do find it so much easier to source information and parts online without having to stand in a muddy field with a broad cross section of society who also happen to own the same type of car as you............. There are two forums I am involved with on the admin side, one is a fairly small one for the Stagea which has a high percentage of all UK owners as members simply because it's hard to find information elsewhere, no subs no rules it's just there "for the greater good" we post details of events where members are going to be and others turn up.The other one, of which I am Chairman/Editor , the Jago Owners Club is in it's 25th year and has dragged itself into the 21st Century over the last few years through a very successful forum, less than 20% of active users are paid up Club members but it exists and is funded by the Club to promote the preservation and use of the vehicles and along the way we pick up new members usually when they come to an event and enjoy the social side.As many of the owners have been involved with the vehicles since before the widespread use of the internet many still don't go online and look forward to the quarterly magazine, but there is the instant self- gratification value of posting on a forum so while ever you have a good mix of those who are pro/anti online forums your Club will survive and maybe even prosper, our membership has gone up around 50% since we went online you just have to move with the times and offer something for everybody.In the kit car world many of the older established Clubs are really struggling to get numbers to shows whereas owners/enthusiasts of today's kits tend to be part of the ipod/facebook generation and find all the forum stuff essential and wouldn't dream of meeting up once a month in the dark corner of a pub in the middle of nowhere but turn up en masse to shows having enjoyed a cracking trip there in convoy all organised at the click of a mouse.My local classic car club has seen a significant drop not just in members but also attendance at events this year which makes you wonder if many can no longer afford to keep/run their "classic" in today's economic climate or just prefer to go to the events listed online for their particular make/model?

[Guest]

Tough one this.

 

I will be renewing my membership to the VOC this weekend, mainly because of the discount it gets me on my insurance policy. It's a large club and has a great number of useful people and suppliers. However my face doesn't exactly fit and I don't own a BKV candidate.

 

All of the people I'm friends with through Amazons I met elsewhere. It was only really Gordon Hunter - the bloke who worked on my car - whom I heard of through the club, and that was on the forum. I can't really speak of the proper socials because I've never been to one. They're usually way down South and further than I can be bothered to drive, and I'd pick a mixed marque show over a mono affair every time.

 

As with most clubs there's an astonishing amount inter model dialectic going on. The forum itself was actually shut down because someone posted their experiences of a tuning company within its walls and the owner took exception to what was typed.

 

Then some other uppity ne'er do wells seized their moment and chose to rip into how the club itself was run. In the short term the forum was dead because of legal wranglings, and in the long run this resulted in another forum for the RWD stuff (www.rwdvolvos.com) being created. This is a criminally underused forum and I'd urge anyone with a Volvo from a 544 to a 960 to join.

 

Then we come to the IPTOC. If Clive decided to charge a membership fee I would pay it. I have nothing but good things to say about him and his club.

 

I would join a club for the Celeste, but there doesn't seem to be any Mitsubishi specific organisations other than for the later Lancer Evos.

[seth]

We've never joined either of the large Triumph clubs because we've never felt the need. There's such a massive support network for them anyway and we've grown to know the best places to use for parts etc. though partly through chance (Mrs Seth was in Coventry when she first had the Herald and the local specialist happened to be the best there is)We joined the MGOC recently simply so that we could laugh at all the random MG branded tat you can buy from them, such as foot muffs, flat caps etc. Also it gave us a big discount on the insurance.I joined the CO-OC years ago as it made sense to and there was a discount available for one of the suppliers. Met quite a lot of bods though it and going to various events etc. There is a Forum now but I think quite large proportion of the membership are not that internet savvy.Finally I don't think you could realistically own a Borgward without being a member of the Drivers Club. They seem a really happy friendly bunch. Probably all a bit eccentric which suits me I think there will be much help coming from their direction when I get to it.

[Split_Pin]

I'm a member of several Vauxhall forums and I feel I have come to rely far too heavily on them for parts/advice etc.As said in a previous post, I wish I had my own contacts and knew excellent sources of spares without the need to resort to the internet.Saying that, I have bought a lot of excellent items for my Astra through these forums, which may otherwise be very hard to find, such as a pair of Morette headlights (unobtainum new as French company went bust) and also have access to beer money spares for the Vec.Forums are also a good way of reading up about other peoples motoring-related quandries and have helped me learn about solutions to problems before they occur to my own car.I have also met a lot of new people through monthly meets, and have received practical help and assistance with repair jobs/modifications that I want to carry out.

[AXrescuer]

I'm a member of a couple of Vauxhall clubs but I'm letting membership on the dedicated Astra MK3 one lapse in the new year. The club meets were ok but on the actual forum all they seem to do on there is bitch about people and their cars and generally take the piss. Felt like I was back in a classroom most of the time. VxON though is very good and I'll keep paying my subs for that one.

[Mr Lobster]

I'm a member of Renault CCC although other than a magazine three or four times a year don't get much out of it. That though I suppose is because I don't put much in either. I'm not really one for the sort of show where you stand in a field and do a bit of polishing. RCCC forum is ok albeit a bit on the quiet side and can be a bit dull. I've done the whole being on the committee and spending too much time organising stuff in the past and it's not something I want to do again tbh.That said, I am trying to make an effort - we are going to the RCCC / ROC event next summer at the Bubble Car Museum (albeit in a trader capacity) but I'll be dragging the R4 along as well. But a lot of the big classic car shows where the club has a 'stand' don't really appeal. Forums wise, here and to a lesser extent RR is pretty much all that I use and that suits me just fine!

[pbottomley]

Ebay has a certain responsibility here.Pre ebay it was down to the clubs to mobilise their own spares, now its easier to "Bish Bash Bosh" it on ebay.In my experience the majority of people who are either members or guests in the clubs I frequent, cannot be bothered to get off their own arse, and frankly most clubs are better off without them. They leech the clubs dry of enthusiasm, demanding things like they are share holders or something equal. I would rather see a club of 50 people who are all active than a club of 500 leechers.Spoon fed membership clubs have had their day...Simple, either adapt fuck off those free loaders or die....

[Cavcraft]

I'm a member of a couple of Vauxhall clubs but I'm letting membership on the dedicated Astra MK3 one lapse in the new year. The club meets were ok but on the actual forum all they seem to do on there is bitch about people and their cars and generally take the piss. Felt like I was back in a classroom most of the time. VxON though is very good and I'll keep paying my subs for that one.

Is one of the moderators on there called Kev?He's a bit of a mickey taker but a top lad and very dedicated.I fell out of love with one Vauxhall forum but still frequent another (the old Cavalier Owners Network) amongst others.Had planned on joing the CCC but at £35.00 and not seemingly offering any discernible vfm I decided not to.

[VWPowered]

i started a club about 8 years ago called no-rice aimed at VW owners, although i loved it, there was sometimes alot of pressure sorting events/meets etc

 

since leaving the uk i haven't joined any clubs nor will i as i found clubs could be just abit to cliquey especially one model clubs, so stick to farting about on the internet and just attending shows rather than being the other side organising them, back to doing it for the love of it

[Roc 24v]

My clubs are doing well at the moment, maybe because they have a good attitude, and are home to owners of a shite-underrated car (Ford Probe), that non owners don't get, so the members tend to club together.

 

www.ukpoc.co.uk/forum is very busy indeed, with hundreds of owners active daily and a great relationship between most members.

[reallyloud]

Unless we the members of this forum lived within a close proximity of each other, I doubt whether autoshite or OJC would exist in any other form other than a internet forum - and to be honest this kind of 'club' will interest me far more than a any specific one make type of owners club. I've been members of several other clubs and I joined mainly due to the actual people interaction and the obvious perks, knowledge, parts availability and advice. I think both the internet only and physical clubs will co-exist along side each other, most major clubs have used internet forums as a form of communication which will no doubt help aid the survival of them.

[Rusty Pelican]

Im a member of the Imp club , forum is very active as is the club in general , monthly magazine is one of the best , I think clubs are needed to get younger people interested in old motors and continue on getting bits remade , promoting interest etc , Imp club is THE friendliest bunch of car nuts known to man , been a member since 87

[The Liberator]

 

 

We joined the MGOC recently simply so that we could laugh at all the random MG branded tat you can buy from them, such as foot muffs, cat flaps etc. Also it gave us a big discount on the insurance.

 

 

Sorry I misread that, although they possibly do those as well.

 

£39.99

[RENOMAD]

I tried to stir up a bit of Renault interest over here in Ireland and I got plenty of interest,,except that it was a case of "You start and we will join in". My requests for help fell on deaf ears .So then I broadened it to try and get a French Car Club going,and again I asked for help because I couldnt do it on my own because of day job and young family, but same old same old. Nobody wants responsibility anymore. All part of the "Ala Cart" lifestyle that people want nowadays. By that I mean that they want the option to chose on a daily/weekly basis what lifestyle/hobby/interest they wish to indulge in,and if they dont like it well at least they havnt committed to anything and they can move along to the next "in thing".My passion,and I am not afraid to say is Renaults. My day job is Renault,and my hobby is Renault and thats the way it is...The below thread about the Fuego being scrapped certainly got too many posts and not because of the Fuego itself, but because of what certain people said. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,and personally I love the Fuego..It is not a beautiful car, but it does have character. But that is why we are all here,AUTOSHITE. It is a place where different people, with different motoring interests can share their experiences and enjoy and pass comment without offending each other-------REMEMBER ITS IN THE COMMON GOOD...I am always bemused and the way Car Clubs seem to have cliques in them. This should never be the case in a hobby situationI know that the car club that I am a member of over here has many different makes of car,,but a number of us seem to think that it is slowly becoming a Ford CLUB unless you turn up with a mk2 Escort or an Anglia 105E,,NOBODY NOTICES-----the Escort being a dog to drive compared to drive any Renault,,but thats just my opinion

[Rusty Pelican]

MG cat flap , Thats a joke , got to be , WHY

[VWPowered]

MG cat flap ,

needs montego below it ftw

[Guest]

Crikey, that MGOC shop is a sight to behold - what a load of balls!

 

 

Admittedly a lot of the stuff is probably quite useful, I can never quite get over the idea of online car club shops where you can buy branded teddy bears and the likes. What's the point?

 

I reckon OJC does well for being an Internet-based offering. The main point being that because it covers such a huge amount of models, most of which are really thin on the ground, it's difficult to have very specific help. You can't go on the OJC online shop and order a doorskin for a Tredia, for example - to cover even the popular models we'd need a big warehouse and you could hardly support that on the basis that every other month someone might want a side repeater for a Quintet. However, if you were to go on there and ask for a part for something, chances are someone will have spotted a place which does them or know somebody who has one and will be able to point you in the direction. It's more about a group effort, people sharing their knowledge, helping each other out.

 

Have to say I find elements of some of the organised clubs a bit weird too. A row of cars at car shows makes sense, can't say I've got a problem with newsletters, parts support, car valuations, etc. But it's when you see some clubs who like to do it all formally, folding chairs sat in a semi circle with a proper meeting ongoing with somebody taking minutes down. Not to mention backstabbing, club rivalries, etc.

 

Plus I've heard some really unpleasant stories with some formal clubs - non-paying members not being allowed in the gazebo, cars which aren't "good enough" to go on the stand because they're not to full-on concours standard, that sort of thing. We'd do alright if OJC was like that, I wouldn't be allowed on the sodding stand, my car is usually the shabbiest thing there.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I'm in the BMW Car Club, even though mine isn't worth a toss. I do about 4-5 track days a year, two pub meets a month and have made an awful lot of good friends over the last 10 years. I could have sat at home and bitched on the forum but I made the effort to contribute and go to the meets which are always well attended. And you won't believe how down to earth our lot are.It's 40 quid a year well spent as far as I'm concerned. It has added something good to my life - what more can you want?

[whitevanman]

 

 

Have to say I find elements of some of the organised clubs a bit weird too. A row of cars at car shows makes sense, can't say I've got a problem with newsletters, parts support, car valuations, etc. But it's when you see some clubs who like to do it all formally, folding chairs sat in a semi circle with a proper meeting ongoing with somebody taking minutes down. Not to mention backstabbing, club rivalries, etc.

 

Plus I've heard some really unpleasant stories with some formal clubs - non-paying members not being allowed in the gazebo,

you've heard of the Mk1 -V Cortina club then................

[keef]

maybe because they have a good attitude

This is the key!Was a Member of one Club for years, then suddenly their attitude changed and ....Forums are great in that you get almost instant answers and Ebay gives you access to just about any spare you require.Just about to join another Club, but things don't look too good when most of the committee shun email.

[CIH]

I was in the Manta Club and they did all the AGMs and minutes and things which was all very dull and usually got very political and bitchy.None of that with the ZXOC. We just get together at shows, drink beer and shoot the shit. We usually get ignored by the other clubs. I think our cars are too old and slow for the Jap scene but too new for the Retro Jap scene ?I recently joined the (200)SXOC as the S12 is of the same family but am wondering why I bothered TBH....

[Cavcraft]

Don't go a great deal on meet ups with most forums as usually miles away and time etc always against me.Did a couple with RR though and had a fantastic time at local classic show. Aim to organise again in May and will be open to fellow shiters!

[pbottomley]

Intresting thread....

 

Why bother joining a club? If you want advice get it from a forum, If you want spares get them from ebay, If you want shows go to the multitude of shows that are advertised in car mags.

 

The answer is simple, its all the socially inept people who cannot find real mates who join these clubs.

 

They become full on, Lord mandy, Political arse lickers, who kick off because the club logo isn't the right shade of red.

 

They demand the club rescues every soddin car that was made and fully restore it back to better than factory condition using club funds, then donate the car to them for £2.

 

Pay for all show fees for all members and guests no matter what show it is, and have a club stands at 200 shows a year, with the full committee on hand ta answer any indifferences they may have.

 

The committee and anyone vaguely associated with the club must be on 24/7 call to answer questions of importance like: why did they change from 3/8th head bolts to 7/16th head bolts (with all the science behind it) at 3am on a Sunday morning.

 

That my Pedigree Chum

is why people join clubs in my experience

 

I am sticking with here and RR, my input into helping formal clubs is very limited as some of the members need feeding to the pigs

[Rusty Pelican]

Intresting thread....The answer is simple, its all the socially inept people who cannot find real mates who join these clubs.

I certainly dont feel socially inept and as you dont know me who the fuck are you to call me as such , clubs do promote the classic car movement , Im sure it costs money to run a forum so who pays for this , the club members not the freeloaders

[Richard]

The answer is simple, its all the socially inept people who cannot find real mates who join these clubs.

The same accusation is often levelled at people who use internet forums.

[Justin Case]

There are clubs and clubs. Just by chance I recently met a group of the Vintage Sports Car Club, and they were about as friendly as you can get. Plenty of greying beards and deerstalkers, but they were having a lunch time pub meet with real ale, and although it was a brisk October day, there wasn't an erected hood in the car park Far from worrying about whether they'd got their valve caps all lined up, they were keen to show me the mods they'd made to make their cars more competitive for vintage motor sports. If all clubs were like this we'd have nothing to worry about. Pass me the Alvis 12/50

[Richard]

I was just pointing out the irony of using an internet forum to accuse people of being socially inept. I have no problem with socially inept people and I'm proud to be one myself, it's socially ept* people that I often find tiresome. I'm not sure that seeking out people with similar interests is being socially inept anyway, whether it's on the internet or in a car club. *not actually a real word

[pbottomley]

I certainly dont feel socially inept and as you dont know me who the fuck are you to call me as such , clubs do promote the classic car movement , Im sure it costs money to run a forum so who pays for this , the club members not the freeloaders

Personally I have no idea who you are, but if you feel offended then that's your right, all I was expressing was my experiences of freeloaders and inept twunts in one make car clubs. If your not one of those then don't be offended.

 

Just because I said inept people join clubs, doesn't mean all members of said clubs / forums are Inept.

 

PS yep I am inept