Is this forum dying?

[lowdrag]

No it isn't actually dying, but I am wondering if it is on life support. Just look at the first page today and the last thread was commented on three days back. Compare that to the number of posts when I was building the C-type or converting the D-type into an XKSS. There were numerous subjects and many contributors.

But today we are thin on the ground. Is this a signal that interest in classics is waning and prices are topping? After a conversation with one of the big dealers/restorers today I don't think so since they won't even entertain new business, so busy are they. Others are so busy with servicing and preparing cars for the racing season they don't know which way to turn.

So tell me, just why is there such a lack of support for this forum now? Over to you.

[Yiliterate]

I count eleven threads that have been commented on today...excluding this one!

[a8hex]

There seem to have been 14 threads with new posting in the last 24 hours.
The whole front page is only 3days old.

[alsaautomotive]

Excessive pedantry?

[spoodler]

Facebook has taken a huge amount of traffic from forums.
Plus the weather's so nice who wants to be stuck behind a computer

[Keep it stiff]

I do agree, it has got quiet. A few of the restoration threads came to an end without new ones replacing them. The last mystery car proved to be too much of a mystery. Fewer recent threats seem to have gathered momentum, excepting "It Would Never Happen Today", which by the way is good one that has legs. (Pun intended). I hope it is just that we have a few topics/contributors resting and that things will pick up.

[lowdrag]

alsaautomotive said:

Excessive pedantry?

Interesting comment. I suggest you look here to compare, and this is long after my projects had ceased. The number of posts was considerably higher than now, as was the number of topics. This has nothing to do with me or my projects which I used for a point of comparison,, but where are today's projects, where are todays posts?

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a...

[swisstoni]

Not exactly high season though is it?
Re. Facebook - any groups I've looked at seem to consist of about 15 people who post inane banter of little interest to the outside world.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

[Andy 308GTB]

I think that this section is such a general forum it can struggle for material.
I would go to a specialist website if I had a problem with my car. For general engineering problems I would go to the Home Mechanics section of Pistonheads.
For Historic Motorsport I gravitate towards 10 Tenths forum etc.

Not sure what the answer is to be honest, which isn't helpful...

[velocemitch]

I find the whole Pistonheads forum to be frustrating these days. So many people just seem to be out to score points over others and so many idiots trolling.
I find Facebook very good for a quick answer or for comments and feedback from an event. But it doesn't work as well as a good forum for stuff like long term project threads.

[ecotec]

just on a personal level i've been checking in less regularly for two reasons:

1 - pistonheads doesn't support tappatalk so I cant easily follow threads on my phone/tablet (i know lots hate it but I find it really great app)

2 - spending more time on retro rides and autoste (both of which do support tappatalk)

[TR4man]

Funnily enough the other classic car forums that I frequent are also quiet.

I actually wonder if it is a reflection that we are not in the classic car "season"? People's classic cars tend not to be on the road during the winter so there is less to talk/write about.

Will it pick up in the spring when all of us fair weather drivers become more active?

[crostonian]

There's quite a few 'classic' threads in the individual marque forums and then you have the 'barge' threads in General Gassing which cover a lot of 80s classic Mercs/BMWs/Jags etc so there is a fair bit of classic content just not in this section.

I also feel Pistonheads has become more populated with users with only a passing interest in cars and certainly no interest in classics and then you have the fanboys of a particular model who think everything else is crap etc.

Factor in the rise of more specific classic forums and the large number of trolls and keyboard warriors in the main sections her so it's not surprising there has been a decline.

[aeropilot]

Maybe the old farts of PH are disappearing.....and I count myself in the 'old fart' category.


It does seem to have been quieter in here in the past 12 months or so....

[v8250]

This thread is much quieter than it used to be...though nowhere near as quiet as the MG thread, despite MG's being the most common of classics it's often like the Mary Celeste for weeks on end. I think the demographic of classic/historic car ownership has significantly changed over the the past five or so years, many an owner now has little interest with the inner workings of their chosen jalopy and simply farm out/pay for someone to maintain the car/s. Add to this the ever expanding choice of other online forums and social networking sites...it's no wonder PH is quieter.

One last point, though thankfully not seen here very often, is the argumentative aggression on PH; personally, I find it shockingly unecessary for a group of theoretically like minded folk with similar interests battling wars of words across the ether. May be it's a sign of the times, may be it's me getting older...but it's just socially unpleasant and definitely unecessary.

[0a]

The £0-5k retro/classic thread in general gassing is popular. A good way of getting people into older and classic cars in my opinion (why I started it!).

[droopsnoot]

I think forums in general have busy and quiet periods, and I think as mentioned above the fact that we're in a bit of an 'off season' for many (not all, I grant you) classic car bods there's perhaps a little less to talk about. The 'spotted' thread is bound to be quieter, though I did notice that the "Supercars spotted" in general gassing has dropped very far down the list. Must be some stats somewhere to show whether it's this area, or PH in general.

[Oldred_V8S]

I don't think it is just this forum, many of the others on PH are also quiet.

I certainly do not think it is a reflection of the level of interest in classic cars, you only have to go to a classic car show or the NEC to see how popular the classic car business is.

[Hooli]

Time of year I think. Petrol heads seem to hibernate along with their cars.

[EricE]

Maybe renaming the forum to "Investor Cars and Yesterday's Heroes" would help.