Some car forums are hard work
Discussion
The forum for needing the thickest skin ever, was LANDYZONE lAND ROVER mad, better than anything ever, LR must be laughing all the way to the marketers bank,as they all had convinced themselves that you took it as gospel, that to own the LR brands, series to defender, it was normal to spend all your life fixing them,breaking down and rusting away in front of your eyes, was why you bought one..
And if you went into the anything goes section, it was like, I would imagine walking into the wild west saloons, of the wild west..of yore..
And if you went into the anything goes section, it was like, I would imagine walking into the wild west saloons, of the wild west..of yore..
Nanook said:
KungFuPanda said:
A mod on a marque and model specific forum is selling his own car. It's the lowest spec level but does have a bit of kit on it. It's being sold as a "launch spec" car whatever that means as it's one of the first of that generation. Knocking on nearly 95k miles and he's asking over dealer prices. Yet everyone is kissing his arse and saying what a wonderful car it is and if they had the funds they'd buy it. A bit like they do on TZ with watches. Are we allowed to mention TZ???
Seen something similar on a Saxo forum many years ago.Someone had one of the original press cars. Going on about it's blueprinted engine and the rest of it, which is entirely possibly the case.
However press cars get the s
t kicked out of them, and this one was 8 or so years old by then, and had 100k or so on the clock, and yet the forum was full of people fawning over it.Rather sad.
Is it a D3...No.
Is it circa. £10k...No.
Is it a dark paint colour...No.
Am I seriously tempted...Yes!
Bugger. I thought I had it all sussed with trying to find a D3 - and now I'm trying to think of tenuous ways to justify how spending twice as much would make good sense.
Someone else buy this car quick and help protect my savings account from impulsive decisions! Damn all those high-tech gadgets that I'd probably never use!
Monkeylegend said:
Lordbenny said:
I was a member of the Westfield owners club/forum. They had an open forum so you didn't have to been a paid up member of the Owners club to contribute but....if you said anything derogatory about the club they came down on you like a ton of bricks. The site was controlled by two guys basically, one a Caterham owner who lived in France and the other a garage owner who repaired sports/kit cars. Other members where real beard scratching dheads which was a shame really as it's seen the demise of the Southern section of the club and their meets. Think a lot of Westfield owners now go to Locostbuilders of th SKCC (southern kit car club).
I was a member there for several years, found it very useful in my days of Westfield ownership. I still pop in very occasionally but it's not the site it used to be, very little of interest seems to go on there now.heads which was a shame really as it's seen the demise of the Southern section of the club and their meets. Think a lot of Westfield owners now go to Locostbuilders of th SKCC (southern kit car club).I found most people who knew me were OK with me being there, but there was a bit of partisanship - understandable really, and not nearly as much as was found on the Lotus 7 club site. I was a member there for a while too but left when the forum became members-only. It cut out discussion from so many contributors, it all became rather stale. It was a shame too because it had become a good supplement to Se7ens.net at one time.
Se7ens.net is still alive but it's a far quieter place than when there'd be some 300 posts/day. Shame really because the amount of technical knowledge freely offered, and the friends I've made surpasses any other. All the members are still subscribed though - it's just, well, what do you talk about when you've learned everything?
I forget why I originally joined PH but after a period of lurking it became my priority forum when I bought a TVR. Those guys are nearly as technically-savvy as the kit-car crowd. It's a good forum to help people keep cars alive when the manufacturer is no more, and very friendly. Over the years I've moved between many sub-forums from the local-area, to PedalPowered, GeneralGassing, HomeCinema, HomesDIYetc, NPE, Lounge, ReadersCars, and many others. The sheer number of active subscribers makes this the best place to come for something new.
The Subaru UKLegacy guys are friendly and there's a good technical knowledge there but with so many iterations of the car, I found myself encountering problems and overcoming them myself before anyone else had a solution. They were all nice guys but most were working on versions of the car that pre-dated mine.
I've tried a few Mercedes forums, both UK-based and US-based. I'm a very technical owner, and prefer to understand problems I encounter in detail which informs my choice whether to fix the problem myself or to involve paid-for work. There is some useful advice out there but with so many models and versions, you generally only get to hear about resolutions to problems that are common.
The Crack Fox said:
Mr Snrub said:
Never got along with Retro Rides either; there are some nice cars but also a lot of bodged and ruined ones, with their "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything" policy ensuring these shonky projects are encouraged.
I love Retro Rides, and it's positive vibe. I'm no fan of bodgery either but would rather that than the tedium you find on some forums, such as endless advertorials, relentless Porsche PR and paid-for 'ring record features. Ahem. Ok, there is some bodgery, but I've seen people pull others up where what they've done is plain dangerous. Shonky welding on critical safety areas is an area that I've seen called out on several threads. Personally I don't like cutting springs to drop the ride height, or overly stretched rubber on rims, but, unless they're taken way too far, I'm not going to let it bother me enough to have me comment on the threads.
I'll echo what a previous poster said about some Land Rover threads - try asking for advice/help for a Freelander and see some of the abuse you get
Having said that, as with most forums, if you ignore the tts, trolls, and those who love to write in dialect or regional accents(!), I've found fixes for various issues.Subaru forums are sort of chalk and cheese (or were when I last used them). I've had my Impreza for years and have seen Scoobynet change massively from a really useful place to something with a fair amount of Barrryness - guess that's due to the drop in price of ownership and possibly the sale of SN to a new owner? Then you have somewhere like 22B that has a lot of really good info (often way over my head) from guys who really seem to know their stuff.
A few years back, I was made a moderator of the Triumph Stag Owenrs forum and it was fantastic year or two. Made some great mates and the whole thing was helpful, some incredible humour and for a while it became very popular even for people who didn't have a Stag!
The old school, in what was the one of the largest car clubs at the time hated it.
I was given a page or two to promote the forum in the magazine that the club wasted 70-80% of members money and it frequently surprised me how it always got printed.
It took a while for the bearded and petty types to get control of the forum and start to apply rules that made the minority happy and completely changed the character of the place. Humour disappeared and it all got a bit personal in some cases.
In person people are generally fine but put them on-line and it often goes wrong!
The old school, in what was the one of the largest car clubs at the time hated it.
I was given a page or two to promote the forum in the magazine that the club wasted 70-80% of members money and it frequently surprised me how it always got printed.
It took a while for the bearded and petty types to get control of the forum and start to apply rules that made the minority happy and completely changed the character of the place. Humour disappeared and it all got a bit personal in some cases.
In person people are generally fine but put them on-line and it often goes wrong!
Worst forum I have ever made a mistake of subbing to, must be the 75-zt owners club. The only club where I have actually been ashamed to subscribe to.
Imo it's a very cliquey club where there tends to be a lot of casual rascism, misinformation, and if you don't agree with the "Elders" then you are out!. It's also the only club I know where the owner will take your membership money and spend it on some homeless dog charity in Spain, rather than anything to do with the club. Forcing the volunteer area co-ordinators to either pay for liability insurance for some meets or charging members extra to cover it!
On the other hand, I was subbed to the sxoc for a couple of years, which used to be a great club, and did a lot for its members.
Imo it's a very cliquey club where there tends to be a lot of casual rascism, misinformation, and if you don't agree with the "Elders" then you are out!. It's also the only club I know where the owner will take your membership money and spend it on some homeless dog charity in Spain, rather than anything to do with the club. Forcing the volunteer area co-ordinators to either pay for liability insurance for some meets or charging members extra to cover it!
On the other hand, I was subbed to the sxoc for a couple of years, which used to be a great club, and did a lot for its members.
I've been a member of a few Ford/RS sites as well as some BMW/Z3 sites. I find the same thing as others have stated that they can be quite cliquey and that awful overhyping of prices on any sale advert thread that makes me cringe. I was reading a Z3 forum today and saw the usual 'you should ask twice as much, it's well underpriced' line on a car that IMHO was already well over the typical Autotrader (or PH classifieds price). Of course they haven't got the money themselves...
I once dared to mention that I might consider selling my RS2000 as a project (because I'd caused myself a nasty injury with an angle grinder while working on it and basically was just getting fed up with it). The amount of agro I got really took me by surprise, though I then got private messages offering to take it off my hands for peanuts.
Ironically from the same posters who tout the same 'that's underpriced mate' line in the classifieds. I've got a pile of the old owners club mags that predate Internet forums and reading the letters pages they weren't much different then, so maybe it just goes with the territory with Fords/RS forums.
I've never owned a VX220 myself, but a good friend has one and I've been to a few events with him. They seem a very decent bunch, so maybe they aren't all the same.
I once dared to mention that I might consider selling my RS2000 as a project (because I'd caused myself a nasty injury with an angle grinder while working on it and basically was just getting fed up with it). The amount of agro I got really took me by surprise, though I then got private messages offering to take it off my hands for peanuts.
Ironically from the same posters who tout the same 'that's underpriced mate' line in the classifieds. I've got a pile of the old owners club mags that predate Internet forums and reading the letters pages they weren't much different then, so maybe it just goes with the territory with Fords/RS forums.I've never owned a VX220 myself, but a good friend has one and I've been to a few events with him. They seem a very decent bunch, so maybe they aren't all the same.
Lopey said:
Worst forum I have ever made a mistake of subbing to, must be the 75-zt owners club. The only club where I have actually been ashamed to subscribe to.
Imo it's a very cliquey club where there tends to be a lot of casual rascism,
Rover 75 / MG ZT. Casual racism.Imo it's a very cliquey club where there tends to be a lot of casual rascism,
Why am I not surprised in the slightest?
The 75 / ZT is council estate chic. The home of the casual racist.
Trabi601 said:
Rover 75 / MG ZT. Casual racism.
Why am I not surprised in the slightest?
The 75 / ZT is council estate chic. The home of the casual racist.
I drive a Rover 75 and I am a little offended by the above - one of the things that makes people a casual racist is making gross generalisations based on superficial characteristics, you know..Why am I not surprised in the slightest?
The 75 / ZT is council estate chic. The home of the casual racist.
davepoth said:
I drive a Rover 75 and I am a little offended by the above - one of the things that makes people a casual racist is making gross generalisations based on superficial characteristics, you know..
You may well have one, and you may well have a point. But there is no getting away from the fact that the 75 and ZT appeals to a demographic of people who tend towards casual racism, St. George's flags and pubs with flat roofs.Have been to a number of specific model forums.
The M5 Forum is very good and helpful.
I also like Rennlist for Porsche stuff. Quite helpful and, despite the general sense that all Porsche forums are full of awful people, my own experience has been good and I have met quite a few people from there.
In general Jeep forums are also helpful.
The M5 Forum is very good and helpful.
I also like Rennlist for Porsche stuff. Quite helpful and, despite the general sense that all Porsche forums are full of awful people, my own experience has been good and I have met quite a few people from there.
In general Jeep forums are also helpful.
Lancerregister:
I raced and won against such-and-such a car. Pwned!!!
Very, very tiring when the the majority of posts focus on how fast people think their cars are. Everything is what they beat, by what margin.
M3board (is it still going?):
I can't believe I raced and won against such-and-such a car. What a beast the M3 is!!
Slightly bad smell given off by this one when you realise how much these little boys covet their toys. Have to add this seeming overwhelming pride in ownership (one wonders if these cars ever go out, or owners just sit in wonder in the cabin staring around them, adolescent dreams realised) seems to have moved onto the M5 (what a beast - am I man enough to tame it?).
RS246:
Strange forum, very helpful and frequented by a regular hardcore. At the same time quite incestuous and cliquey. But it can't have been only me who knew a top contributor and specialist in RS models was an outright crook. Why was he/she given such respect?
I raced and won against such-and-such a car. Pwned!!!
Very, very tiring when the the majority of posts focus on how fast people think their cars are. Everything is what they beat, by what margin.
M3board (is it still going?):
I can't believe I raced and won against such-and-such a car. What a beast the M3 is!!
Slightly bad smell given off by this one when you realise how much these little boys covet their toys. Have to add this seeming overwhelming pride in ownership (one wonders if these cars ever go out, or owners just sit in wonder in the cabin staring around them, adolescent dreams realised) seems to have moved onto the M5 (what a beast - am I man enough to tame it?).
RS246:
Strange forum, very helpful and frequented by a regular hardcore. At the same time quite incestuous and cliquey. But it can't have been only me who knew a top contributor and specialist in RS models was an outright crook. Why was he/she given such respect?
Trabi601 said:
davepoth said:
I drive a Rover 75 and I am a little offended by the above - one of the things that makes people a casual racist is making gross generalisations based on superficial characteristics, you know..
You may well have one, and you may well have a point. But there is no getting away from the fact that the 75 and ZT appeals to a demographic of people who tend towards casual racism, St. George's flags and pubs with flat roofs.davepoth said:
Stereotyping can get a person into all kinds of trouble, and it's ironic that you've done it by way of discussing casual racism. Now I know it doesn't sound too bad to you because you're talking about people who read the Daily Express, but play this little game for me: Replace "casual racism, St. George's flags and pubs with flat roofs" with "Praying five times a day, the koran, and Mosques" and ask yourself whether you're still happy with your statement.
We're talking 75s and ZTs, not Toyota Avensis or Nissan Primera 
Trabi601 said:
davepoth said:
Stereotyping can get a person into all kinds of trouble, and it's ironic that you've done it by way of discussing casual racism. Now I know it doesn't sound too bad to you because you're talking about people who read the Daily Express, but play this little game for me: Replace "casual racism, St. George's flags and pubs with flat roofs" with "Praying five times a day, the koran, and Mosques" and ask yourself whether you're still happy with your statement.
We're talking 75s and ZTs, not Toyota Avensis or Nissan Primera 
popeyewhite said:
RS246:
Strange forum, very helpful and frequented by a regular hardcore. At the same time quite incestuous and cliquey. But it can't have been only me who knew a top contributor and specialist in RS models was an outright crook. Why was he/she given such respect?
Go on, please elaborate...Strange forum, very helpful and frequented by a regular hardcore. At the same time quite incestuous and cliquey. But it can't have been only me who knew a top contributor and specialist in RS models was an outright crook. Why was he/she given such respect?
I've only been on there about a year and it's easy to see there's a very obvious clique. I should however contrast that with the top-notch technical knowledge available. Telling new members to f
k off is irritating and ridiculous though.Scirocco Forums and facebook page.
Very cliquey.
Without sounding like a know-it-all I am one of the few people that actually do mods themselves and understand how their car works so you get annoyed when constantly people ask dumbass questions like "what colour should I paint my wheels" or "where can i get black badges".
Then you get spineless little pricks who will side with whatever the "masses" agree with.
Very interesting group of people.
Very cliquey.
Without sounding like a know-it-all
I am one of the few people that actually do mods themselves and understand how their car works so you get annoyed when constantly people ask dumbass questions like "what colour should I paint my wheels" or "where can i get black badges".Then you get spineless little pricks who will side with whatever the "masses" agree with.
Very interesting group of people.
- MEG (Mondeo Enthusiasts Group) - Fairly quiet but helpful non the less. Very relaxed.
- Bimmerforums - loads of content but all american, i asked a question about my 525 TDS once and most of the responses were "we don't really get diesels over here much". Used to just browse the pictures and make up a mod list for money i didn't have.
- ukmkivs.net - Friendly enough, if you get annoyed by stanced/lowered cars then avoid as every build thread seemed to start "i bought some JOMz and slammed it". Surprisingly harsh towards the MK4 Golf, considering they all own one.
- focusstoc.com - Still on this despite selling my focus ST a fortnight ago. Slanging matches every other thread but an absolute goldmine of information. First time i went on it i was terrified my engine block was going to shatter like glass.
- Z4 Forums (all of them) - dead. One post a week at most. All technical problem threads seem to end with "i took it to the dealer under warranty". Lucky i have a warranty i guess?
- Pistonheads - Full of dheads
- Bimmerforums - loads of content but all american, i asked a question about my 525 TDS once and most of the responses were "we don't really get diesels over here much". Used to just browse the pictures and make up a mod list for money i didn't have.
- ukmkivs.net - Friendly enough, if you get annoyed by stanced/lowered cars then avoid as every build thread seemed to start "i bought some JOMz and slammed it". Surprisingly harsh towards the MK4 Golf, considering they all own one.
- focusstoc.com - Still on this despite selling my focus ST a fortnight ago. Slanging matches every other thread but an absolute goldmine of information. First time i went on it i was terrified my engine block was going to shatter like glass.
- Z4 Forums (all of them) - dead. One post a week at most. All technical problem threads seem to end with "i took it to the dealer under warranty". Lucky i have a warranty i guess?
- Pistonheads - Full of d
heads 
Hudson said:
- focusstoc.com - Still on this despite selling my focus ST a fortnight ago. Slanging matches every other thread but an absolute goldmine of information. First time i went on it i was terrified my engine block was going to shatter like glass.
Still a member there despite having sold my pride and joy ST500 more than 3 years ago (I still really miss that car!) It's a goldmine like you say.Now own an Octavia vRS and visit Briskoda on occasion. Also a knowledgeable font of information. That said I've noticed a massive difference between the quality of the posts you get on the forums and the quality of the posts you get on their Facebook group. Now that can be hard work at times!
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