Ultima Owners Club
Discussion
I've been wondering about this for some time and I don't recall there ever being a thread about this ( I could easily be wrong though), but with all this talk of organising track days and meetings at national events, surely a better way of getting owners involved is to do it through an owners club.
I bet a lot of owners don't look at these pages all that often (if at all) so no wonder we get a poor turn out at the likes of CPoP if it's only organised on here.
So why not a club? Maybe even the factory would support it to a certain extent even if it's only directing new owners to the club web site.
Any thoughts?...
I bet a lot of owners don't look at these pages all that often (if at all) so no wonder we get a poor turn out at the likes of CPoP if it's only organised on here.
So why not a club? Maybe even the factory would support it to a certain extent even if it's only directing new owners to the club web site.
Any thoughts?...
I disagree, there is a huge difference between PH and an owners club, there will be many owners that simply don't come on here because they don't need to build or repair anything (that is the overall feel of what the PH Ultima section is about) whereas a dedicated club website would be able to have separate sections for new builders tips/questions, up and coming events, track days etc.
e.g. If someone posts a new thread on here and it goes off the front page, any casual visitors will miss it.
My main point is that there are many car owners clubs... There's probably even a Dacia owners club
but yet our marque surprisingly doesn't
e.g. If someone posts a new thread on here and it goes off the front page, any casual visitors will miss it.
My main point is that there are many car owners clubs... There's probably even a Dacia owners club
but yet our marque surprisingly doesn't Following on from Steves post, who would manage it? These things take up a lot of time, who would be willing to do that and be responsible for the overall management?
It is a good idea, but someone needs to be fairly commuted to do it.
Years ago when I had a westfield xtr, a friend and I tried to start a club and it had a good following from the small number of owners, but it died due to lack of our time to nanage it.
It is a good idea, but someone needs to be fairly commuted to do it.
Years ago when I had a westfield xtr, a friend and I tried to start a club and it had a good following from the small number of owners, but it died due to lack of our time to nanage it.
I know what you mean about maintaining a site and setting it all up, it does take a certain amount of effort.
However, it doesn't have to be as onerous as you think.
The example I can offer is a kitesurfing club that 8 off us started in Scotland around 10 years ago, one guy had some knowledge of website building (but not that much) and after downloading a template for a club website, we ended up with a website that had forums for all the main subjects, sub sections for other information (like details of local beaches and weather feeds) and there was a chat column on the front page that folks could post simple things e.g. that they were heading out if anyone fancied joining them ... In other words small snippets of info that didn't warrant a full forum post.
It worked really well and had next to no maintenance throughout the 10 years that it ran, it ended up disbanding as a club because kitesurfing is very much a solitary sport and the main guys like myself that were keen enough to organise events moved onto other things (or got too old! 😉) and the younger guys just wanted to kitesurf in their small groups of two or three.
The type of thing I'm thinking of would be very similar and the biggest advantage is that by registering everyone would be signing up to receive group emails. So when someone is organising a run to say the Silverstone classic or a track day, then one email would potentially reach every Ultima owner in the country. I bet that would increase the numbers turning up at these things, there could also very easily be sections for other countries like the U.S. or Europe so that all owners can be involved no matter where they live.
I would be happy to be involved but unfortunately I have no experience of web design what-so-ever, so could not help with that but it I'm happy to get involved in other aspects of running/organising it.
If suggesting something like this ends up coming to nothing, then at least I've planted the seed, whether it grows or not is down to all of us.
Pete
However, it doesn't have to be as onerous as you think.
The example I can offer is a kitesurfing club that 8 off us started in Scotland around 10 years ago, one guy had some knowledge of website building (but not that much) and after downloading a template for a club website, we ended up with a website that had forums for all the main subjects, sub sections for other information (like details of local beaches and weather feeds) and there was a chat column on the front page that folks could post simple things e.g. that they were heading out if anyone fancied joining them ... In other words small snippets of info that didn't warrant a full forum post.
It worked really well and had next to no maintenance throughout the 10 years that it ran, it ended up disbanding as a club because kitesurfing is very much a solitary sport and the main guys like myself that were keen enough to organise events moved onto other things (or got too old! 😉) and the younger guys just wanted to kitesurf in their small groups of two or three.
The type of thing I'm thinking of would be very similar and the biggest advantage is that by registering everyone would be signing up to receive group emails. So when someone is organising a run to say the Silverstone classic or a track day, then one email would potentially reach every Ultima owner in the country. I bet that would increase the numbers turning up at these things, there could also very easily be sections for other countries like the U.S. or Europe so that all owners can be involved no matter where they live.
I would be happy to be involved but unfortunately I have no experience of web design what-so-ever, so could not help with that but it I'm happy to get involved in other aspects of running/organising it.
If suggesting something like this ends up coming to nothing, then at least I've planted the seed, whether it grows or not is down to all of us.
Pete
At the moment this site certainly provides the connection and information that most owners builders and prospective builders need. The management side of a properly run club is daunting and very time consuming. The biggest problem in setting up a club is meeting up. Due to the small numbers and the distances between us regular meets would be very difficult. I have joined an car owners club of various makes that arranges drive outs, factory visits and meetings which fills the Ultima Owners club void which works for me. Sorry to be a bit negative on this one but I think we have to be realistic.
chucknorris said:
I disagree, there is a huge difference between PH and an owners club, there will be many owners that simply don't come on here because they don't need to build or repair anything (that is the overall feel of what the PH Ultima section is about) whereas a dedicated club website would be able to have separate sections for new builders tips/questions, up and coming events, track days etc.
e.g. If someone posts a new thread on here and it goes off the front page, any casual visitors will miss it.
My main point is that there are many car owners clubs... There's probably even a Dacia owners club but yet our marque surprisingly doesn't
I think Highflyer has a good point with the factory referral idea.e.g. If someone posts a new thread on here and it goes off the front page, any casual visitors will miss it.
My main point is that there are many car owners clubs... There's probably even a Dacia owners club
but yet our marque surprisingly doesn't The Factory could refer (with their permission) new builders / enquirers to this site and we can ask the mods to make that page a sticky at the top.
Any other stuff like track days/events could also be put on a sticky at the top.
i for one think its a very good idea,there must be a web site template that could be used to make thing easier i should think.i would love to do alot more with the ultima getting out and about with a reason to use it more.we could have a different venue to turn upto once a month around the country with a possable over night stop if required,there are plenty of fantastic tracks,sprint,hillclimb,air fields,pubs ,statley houses,and hotels with large grounds could easly be used with a discount for bulk booking.worth looking into imo,-john. p.s [auto adrenalin is a multi mark car club and works well with visits to A Martin,Morgan,Maclaren,etc ]
I'm only basing it on my previous experience of a "club" web site which was extremely successful and was more for the social side of things...e.g. I've just looked back 5 pages of threads on here (100 threads) and there are only 3 social oriented posts about meeting up for an event or track day.
Is that really all that's going on out there? I know 2 or 3 owners up here in Scotland and we have a small 'whatsapp' group and we use that if we are just shooting the breeze about something rather than PH.
PH is perfect for what we currently use it for, but it's definitely not a social site which probably more what I'm proposing and by that I mean JUST a social site and not an official paid up club membership type thing.
Is that really all that's going on out there? I know 2 or 3 owners up here in Scotland and we have a small 'whatsapp' group and we use that if we are just shooting the breeze about something rather than PH.
PH is perfect for what we currently use it for, but it's definitely not a social site which probably more what I'm proposing and by that I mean JUST a social site and not an official paid up club membership type thing.
There was a time where I was going to take on the mantle of running the club, but as has been said before, it takes more time than you might think.
PH has become 'the' place to share info, arrange meets and the like and it attracts an international audience, so I can't see any reason for changing that?
I can't see what benefit an owners club would bring, other than charging you for merchandising perhaps
PH has become 'the' place to share info, arrange meets and the like and it attracts an international audience, so I can't see any reason for changing that?
I can't see what benefit an owners club would bring, other than charging you for merchandising perhaps
We have an Ultima owners group on Facebook. Just search Ultima owners, and click on 'join group' tab to be invited. Even if you don't like Facebook you could just set all the settings at the highest privacy level and just use it to socialise within this private group only & for nothing else.
Ult-Jim said:
We have an Ultima owners group on Facebook. Just search Ultima owners, and click on 'join group' tab to be invited. Even if you don't like Facebook you could just set all the settings at the highest privacy level and just use it to socialise within this private group only & for nothing else.
One thing ive noticed over the last few years, less people are using car club forums and using facebook alot morechucknorris said:
I know 2 or 3 owners up here in Scotland and we have a small 'whatsapp' group and we use that if we are just shooting the breeze about something rather than PH.
We have a group? Am I in it?
Can I be in it?
How do I join?
Go on... Lemme in!!
Ps.. I like the Club idea as well
(if I can be in it)
The original owners club had a promising start, even though some owners moaned about the £30 annual membership fee. A monthly ULTIMATUM news letter included useful tips from the Factory (such as how to remove bump steer). Various regions with co-ordinaters were established, and we in the South East had many successful pub meets, and attended kit car shows and factory open days in convoy. However, when an Ultima only track day at Mallory Park was proposed, the response was disappointing. This was probably the beginning of the end of the Owners Club. The AGM was always held after the Factory Open Day, at a local hotel. At the final AGM there were, if I remember, 7 attendees, 3 of them being the committee! The decision was taken that it wasn't worth the effort (there had been a very good turn out at the Factory, but the majority decided not to attend the AGM)
Mmmm... It sounds like it has been tried enough with limited success, so maybe it's not worth the effort.
However, the Facebook group is a good alternative and it could easily be done as 2 different ones (a North and a South group) with links between the two so that bigger meets or events could be mentioned on both.
Jim: PM me your mobile number and I'll add you in, I thought Mark (confusion hunter) had added you in, or certainly mentioned it...although I make no apologies for some of the rubbish we talk about
However, the Facebook group is a good alternative and it could easily be done as 2 different ones (a North and a South group) with links between the two so that bigger meets or events could be mentioned on both.
Jim: PM me your mobile number and I'll add you in, I thought Mark (confusion hunter) had added you in, or certainly mentioned it...although I make no apologies for some of the rubbish we talk about
ive thought about starting one for a while as not all ultima owners are on this site... there are alot who dont come to pistonheads
i feel the only way to get all owners involved is if the factory ran it... as they know most owners
if the factory cant then this will always be the place to be
i feel the only way to get all owners involved is if the factory ran it... as they know most owners
if the factory cant then this will always be the place to be
I think you'll find it takes a fair amount of managing Steve - you just don't see it!!!Gassing Station | Ultima | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff