Car clubs

[dollywobbler]

Dear god there's some sweeping generalisations going on here! I'll admit, car clubs rarely run as smoothly as they should and there are always some 'characters' but come to a 2CV club meet and discover just how social a club can be.

[Richard]

I misread pbottomley's post he wasn't generalising, he was just saying what kind of people he blamed for ruining clubs.

[dollywobbler]

Not generalising?

its all the socially inept people who cannot find real mates who join these clubs.

That just isn't my experience.

[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.

Is one of the moderators on there called Kev?He's a bit of a mickey taker but a top lad and very dedicated.

Not sure but someone called Kev decided to overdo the pisstaking and made a young lad with over 8000 posts so upset he asked the owner to kill his account and so stop posting there. That's not being a mickey taker that's just being an out and out wanker of the highest order. How the fuck do you hope to encourage the young uns by doing that to them.Makes my blood boil.

[AXrescuer]

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

That's how it should be. None of this doing smoking doughnuts lark in the car park and showing off your 3000 cuntawatt sound systems.

[Rusty Pelican]

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

Point taken , having a bad day thats getting worst by discovering my Imp van needs MORE welding , Ive been a member of quite a few clubs over the years and some are full of the Twunts you mention , il count to ten , calm down , then kill something

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Fuggin hell this is turning into thee grumpy old man Mk 2 thread 'All car clubs are shit' etc etc.

[pbottomley]

<< OOPS stops here and now.... sorry guys... fingers not brain being used at times here.... so inept of me

 

I so love this place, so I am not going to burn my bridges... here everyone have a cake on me:

 

[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.

Not sure but someone called Kev decided to overdo the pisstaking and made a young lad with over 8000 posts so upset he asked the owner to kill his account and so stop posting there. That's not being a mickey taker that's just being an out and out wanker of the highest order. How the fuck do you hope to encourage the young uns by doing that to them.Makes my blood boil.

I hadn't seen that but then I only ever look in at Mk3OC about once every Julember.I used to use the Astra Owners Network but after someone trying to sell me an Irmscher backbox for my car (at a show) which wasn't actually the right one, he went on there and called me a timewaster.They then decided adverts were for paid up members only and I couldn't view stuff I wanted to buy so I logged off and haven't been back since.Maybe for the likes of a few of us on here with a couple (or more)different makes of car then paying to join various forums is a costly experience so people are less bothered?

[Rocket88]

I nearly got lynched for taking a mildly rodded Model A to our local Old Farts Club Boxing day run a few years ago. I mistakenly thought that they'd be pleased to see an original. unchopped. steel bodied A, albeit with a few mechanical "adjustments", small block chevy, i.r.s. etc. I was asked to leave [not that politely either] as I was "lowering the tone".

[Rusty Pelican]

I nearly got lynched for taking a mildly rodded Model A to our local Old Farts Club Boxing day run a few years ago. I mistakenly thought that they'd be pleased to see an original. unchopped. steel bodied A, albeit with a few mechanical "adjustments", small block chevy, i.r.s. etc. I was asked to leave [not that politely either] as I was "lowering the tone".

Thats what gives clubs a bad name , I once was going to join the Singers owners club being as ive got a Singer Chamois , I was told " but thats not a proper Singer is it , stuff you then .

[dollywobbler]

Well, yes. It's certainly true that there are some anal fools out there who try their best to ruin it for everyone, I don't deny it. Such small-mindedness really should not be tolerated as it achieves nothing and turns people away from the movement.

[Mash]

Well I certainly didn't intend this to turn into some kind of Fuego Scrappage Thread Mk2!My experience of the club has been great but I found I wasn't really taking part or as interested in that model of car too much anymore and I had moved on. Hirst and Reallyloud are right in that with Jap tin we all need to be in one place under a big umbrella due to the scarcity of the cars and the informal approach has worked well - at least we see each other in the flesh a couple of times a year! I applaud those in "proper" clubs who put in the effort and who don't get the thanks they deserve.I think there's room for both clubs and forums and they can co-exist happily, though the web based stuff may be more easy for younger people to get enthusiastic with.

[Andrew353w]

Joined this thread a bit late-been away on holiday! I'm the secretary of the Trabant Wartburg IFA Club, so perhaps I can see this from both sides. Our club DOES produce a good magazine and we won an award for it last year BUT it's only as good as those who contribute to it! If no-one writes articles or sends in pictures of their cars and events, the magazine (and, by association, the club) dies.The Wartburg club has a VERY active Yahoo group, although most of the activity is Trabant related, probably because their owners are somewhat younger and more numerous than Wartburg owners. That said, the web site is for instant help, whereas the magazine is for more reflective stuff. One thing the club have found a growth area is car rallies! The SALT rally, organised by a group of eastern European car fans have proved great fun! It's better than standing in a field admiring each others' cars and non car fans can come along for the holiday as well.Any thoughts....

[Father Ted]

I nearly got lynched for taking a mildly rodded Model A to our local Old Farts Club Boxing day run a few years ago. I mistakenly thought that they'd be pleased to see an original. unchopped. steel bodied A, albeit with a few mechanical "adjustments", small block chevy, i.r.s. etc. I was asked to leave [not that politely either] as I was "lowering the tone".

Meh - y mate Bob has that problem with the local Moggie club - turned up in his nicely restored 1937 "8" traveler with primrose paint job and contrasting red trim and was dry bum raped by some old giffer because it was a non standard paint job. I believe Bob told them it was his to enjoy and do as he liked and it was that colour in 1950 and so he put it back to that colour - said giffer said that this was bollocks and Morris never made aa car that colour, whereupon Bob pulled out a picture of the car with him stood by it looking much younger and with more hair with it in primrose yellow.I Believe he hasnt been back. Bit like me after an altercation with a well known 2CV owner one CCC meeting upon whether my nice shiny mint Mk1 ZX should have been there as it "wasnt a proper Citroen".So I just hang around where people dont tend to get arsey over the right spec of steel bolts and just enjoy what they have and what everyone else has.

[Rusty Pelican]

So I just hang around where people dont tend to get arsey over the right spec of steel bolts and just enjoy what they have and what everyone else has.Hate this purist attitude , one thing about the Imp club , ANYTHING goes , we even have personalised class and heavily modified classes at our huge national weekend gatherings , Got a 3rd in the personalised class this year with my Singer , so again , stuff the Singer owners club and the stuffy purists , who the hell wants to drive say a 50s car on crossplys , sealed beam headlights and no seatbelts in todays modern traffic just coz thats how it" left the factory " , not even safe IMHO .

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Owners of the original Mini can be a very strange bunch, particularly when it comes to the current Mini (or MINI). The Mini Cooper Register can also be quite unpleasant and standoffish.Jaguar Drivers Club. Bunch of wankers - I went to the NEC Classic show on trade/press day and was refused entry onto their stand because I wasn't a member. "Why, what do you want" said the sniffy prick on the JDC stand. "I'd like to look at some cars, what do you think I'm here for?".Fucking idiot. There wasn't anything on the standard worth more than a well specced Mondeo Ghia.

[dollywobbler]

who the hell wants to drive say a 50s car on crossplys , sealed beam headlights and no seatbelts in todays modern traffic just coz thats how it" left the factory " , not even safe IMHO .

Ah, you see the problem there is you're lowering yourself to their level. Let them do what they like and just get on with enjoying your OWN car. There's nowt wrong with keeping a car original (my wife's Mini has sealed beam headlamps - there's nowt wrong with them!) but similarly, there's nowt wrong with doing what you like with your car either.

[Rusty Pelican]

who the hell wants to drive say a 50s car on crossplys , sealed beam headlights and no seatbelts in todays modern traffic just coz thats how it" left the factory " , not even safe IMHO .

Ah, you see the problem there is you're lowering yourself to their level. Let them do what they like and just get on with enjoying your OWN car. There's nowt wrong with keeping a car original (my wife's Mini has sealed beam headlamps - there's nowt wrong with them!) but similarly, there's nowt wrong with doing what you like with your car either.

I duly consider myself told off , your right , why should i care what they do , just like they shouldnt care what i do , they odviously do care , me , Il follow the dollywobblers advice , stuff um all

[ChinaTom]

Owners of the original Mini can be a very strange bunch, particularly when it comes to the current Mini (or MINI). The Mini Cooper Register can also be quite unpleasant and standoffish.Jaguar Drivers Club. Bunch of wankers - I went to the NEC Classic show on trade/press day and was refused entry onto their stand because I wasn't a member. "Why, what do you want" said the sniffy prick on the JDC stand. "I'd like to look at some cars, what do you think I'm here for?".Fucking idiot. There wasn't anything on the standard worth more than a well specced Mondeo Ghia.

At the risk of getting a healthy dose of abuse, I am going to stick up for the JDC and hope that they get stronger and stronger and do become even more selective about who they allow into their personal space. Why? 1: So I don't accidentally get admitted into that space due to my fairly rare model of their coveted brand2: They hoover up all the people of their ilk and reduce the risk of me bumping into one of them at a non-Jag show.OK, they're not all bad. But the ones that are (and their insufferable wives) bring disgrace to the marque with behaviour as you describe. Been there, seen it and had to walk away before I lose my temper.{sits back and awaits abuse on the jag forums of which a few are lurkers here}

[daverapid]

I help to run the Skoda Owners' Club G.B. [as Treasurer] so I may as well use this oportunity to promote it! Skoda's are after all one of the ultimate in shite cars! I'm really proud to be a Skoda owner and a member of it's Club which has only been operating for a mere 47 years!Membership is only £15, with all the usual Club benefits...quarterly full colour mag, technical help, spare parts help, discounted insurance deals ect. and we cater for ALL ages of Skoda, owners of sensibly brilliant Fabias, Yeti's and Roomsters are every bit as welcome as scabbly old shite S100's! We don't shun less than perfect cars from our events and we don't ask that every member smokes a pipe, has a beard and keeps a tartan rug in the boot!The best bit about this special Club is that it's totally classless....Skoda owners are rarely snobs in my experience!Most Clubs membership has fallen in recent years and ours is no exception so please excuse my blatant plug!

[Pete-M]

I was kicked out of my local Land Rover club for turning up at a green laning day in the Rangie Turbo and having the sheer arrogance to complete their little day out without so much as a scratch.They had all the off road gear, but obviously no idea. All poncing around with walkie talkies and waffle boards while me and my mate had a nice day out in the country listening to tunes and enjoying the views.After the run, there was a car park full of broken Landies. I offered to help but they got the hump because mine was the one they'd been taking the piss out of with their "Road car, won't be any good out here" comments before the run, and about the only intact one there afterwards. So we pissed off to Snowdonia and left 'em with it.A meeting with the 'Club Chairman' shortly afterwards revealed that 'the committee have decided to not renew your membership'. I've not bothered with any car clubs after that.

[daverapid]

A meeting with the 'Club Chairman' shortly afterwards revealed that 'the committee have decided to not renew your membership'.

That IMO is where a lot of Clubs go wrong. What a snobbish, pompous attitude for a Committee to have! Surely the member should decide if they want to be a member or not! Committee members are not royalty, they merely run the Club according to what members want/vote for...or that's how I see it anyway.

[dollywobbler]

A meeting with the 'Club Chairman' shortly afterwards revealed that 'the committee have decided to not renew your membership'.

That IMO is where a lot of Clubs go wrong. What a snobbish, pompous attitude for a Committee to have! Surely the member should decide if they want to be a member or not! Committee members are not royalty, they merely run the Club according to what members want/vote for...or that's how I see it anyway.

Indeed Dave, though it's not helped by some people automatically seeing committee members (and whoever in the chairman role especially) as authority figures, and therefore see it as fair game to slag them off, accuse them of being all high and mighty and complain about their every action.This happens on forums too though - moderators of some forums will know what I'm on about. Does my head in that just because someone's got a role that gives them some power, they must be corrupt and out to stamp all over the common man. Just piss off with your stupid attitudes!

[Guest]

I nearly got lynched for taking a mildly rodded Model A to our local Old Farts Club Boxing day run a few years ago. I mistakenly thought that they'd be pleased to see an original. unchopped. steel bodied A, albeit with a few mechanical "adjustments", small block chevy, i.r.s. etc. I was asked to leave [not that politely either] as I was "lowering the tone".

There was a bit of a stink being kicked up on the VOC forum around this very theme.I'm quite ashamed to say that I couldn't even find the VOC stand at the NEC this year. The 2008 affair was really lush and backed by the factory. There were several very nice models on display, including a 544 and a 123 GT Amazon.This year the theme apparently was 6 cylinder Volvos. No one seemed to know this, witnessing the various 'where were the X Y Z models' type of posts. If you've ever been on the forum you'll see that there's quite a bit of enmity between the various model boards. The FWD lot think the RWD cars are worthless rustbuckets and vice versa. The wife of a very prominent 850 owner on the board went to ask where the T5s were, and was told that they weren't featured 'because they attract the wrong sort' amid various disdainful references to yobs wearing hoodies. It always seems to be the 850s that cause upset - the fallout from the T5 tuning debacle left the board offline as mentioned previously.Needless to say, the membership is fractious to say the least. I think if you're advertising at a major show a breadth of display is what's needed. The balance of the show in the previous two years was far more enjoyable in my humble opinion.Were I to lay the display out, there'd be a mix of FWD and RWD stuff from all eras. An Amazon would definitely be there because to most people it's the most recognisable old Volvo, along with the 240. For the RWD stuff it would go:PV544AmazonP1800 (a white one to draw parallels with The Saint)240 \ 240 Estate940 16vFWD:850 T5 (with a Estate touring car from the mid nineties for the road \ race parallel)480 Turbo (cos they're ace)C30 (so you could draw parallels with a P1800ES)S40 Mk 1 \ 2.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

i dont know why youse lot are letting it get to you, there are knobbers in all walks of life, if you think your club/forum etc is full of cretins then just give it a wide berth, problem solved, its not your local council.

[Pete-M]

Funny situation that, I'd sold one member a Rangie, found a load of elusive parts for another members Rangie, sorted out untold issues for a lot of their members and pretty much kept myself to myself on their greenlaning day.The 'chairman' is a good lad, he's ok, but he's badly affected by "Want to be important" syndrome. I think that may have been the wrong club to join as they were an offshoot of another club that had gone their own way because they 'didn't have enough say' in their previous club and they'd all got their little hitler hats on.Shame, but it's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last.Don't suppose it helps that I'm a natural smart-arse.

[Guest]

I like the idea of the bigwigs of a car club being treated as revered and respected, that's the most bonkers idea of all.Luckily, I'm the admin of the OJC forum and therefore command the same authority and respect as a mad tramp with old carrier bags for shoes.

[FredTransit]

I have only ever been in two clubs, a custom van club and a transit club, both have seriously disappointed in some way or another, mostly due the politics of the club, once you get just a bit active you are a target. Just pay your subs and come and get pissed at runs and you are fine.

[Roc 24v]

A meeting with the 'Club Chairman' shortly afterwards revealed that 'the committee have decided to not renew your membership'.

That IMO is where a lot of Clubs go wrong. What a snobbish, pompous attitude for a Committee to have! Surely the member should decide if they want to be a member or not! Committee members are not royalty, they merely run the Club according to what members want/vote for...or that's how I see it anyway.

This is exactly the problem.I started my Probe club, as the original (FPOC UK) was run by committee and including voting for everything (which meant nothing got done) and plenty of attitude and bickering, so thought sod it, I'll make my own (UKPOC) and run it without all that political shite. This was nearly 5 years back now.You can guess which one is now rather busy (nearly 700 paid members and 2000+ forum users, not bad for a car which only the owners like) and which one is now all but totally dead.