Car Clubs Poll - Will the internets kill them

[B'stard Child]

Now the dust has settled from the last time And I have checked with the Admin/Mods that this is OK to post.

So - I was thinking the other week has the internets hit the "car clubs" - information has become freely available and forums for absolutely every single make and model now seem to exist so if this is the case what is the point of joining a car club or are there other benefits

Case in point today as I had no idea there was a forum for sangyong musso's!!!

Notes

I would term a "Car club" - something that you pay subscription to and receive a membership card and monthly/quarterly/yearly newsletter/magazine type stuff

I would not call a car Club a loosely based forum community of like minded individuals although I appreciate that in some cases they offer almost as much as a "car club" can

I think that covers all the bases - just wondering how quickly I'll find the thread on Page 3854

Any views on car clubs please feel free to chuck it into the melting pot

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 1st October 19:45

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 1st October 20:06

[ewenm]

I've been a member of both the Lotus 7 Club GB and the Mustang Owners Club GB but have let both lapse. Why? Because I don't have the time to get to the meets and events, the membership doesn't reduce my insurance premiums by more than the membership cost and the forum posting rights isn't worth the difference to me.

If I get more time in the future I'd definitely consider rejoining either or both, although single-marque clubs can be somewhat blinkered...

The events can be great though - track days, blats, pub meets, etc all offer opportunities to meet other owners and look over upgrades/modifications. The L7CGB has some extremely helpful people too, and I'm sure similar people are in the MOCGB.

Edited by ewenm on Friday 1st October 19:48

[Strangely Brown]

B'stard Child said:

I would term a "Car club" - something that you pay subscription to and receive a membership car and monthly/quarterly/yearly newsletter/magazine type stuff

That sounds like a hell of a club. Where do I join?

ETA: Member of both a single marque car club and a multi-marque driving club. I get far more from the latter.

Edited by Strangely Brown on Friday 1st October 19:48

[GKP]

So your term of car club only includes media written on paper? If it's done electronically, then it's not a car club? Have I got that right?

[Gizmo!]

I'm a member here, and tend to join the 'specialist' forum for any car I own.

I can't see myself ever joining a car club that doesn't have an online presence except for very clear social/associative reasons. For that matter, some clubs it's difficult to tell which is the primary medium (e.g. SELOC).

[BDR529]

I find all the information I need on sites like this and e30zone. Both sites also organise meets and such as well.

[B'stard Child]

Strangely Brown said:

B'stard Child said:

I would term a "Car club" - something that you pay subscription to and receive a membership car and monthly/quarterly/yearly newsletter/magazine type stuff

That sounds like a hell of a club. Where do I join?

Damn - thanks for pointing out the error

[B'stard Child]

GKP said:

So your term of car club only includes media written on paper? If it's done electronically, then it's not a car club? Have I got that right?

Nope - I was trying (obviously badly) to separate "forum based communities" from more recognisable "car Clubs" - A Car related forum based community that charged a membership fee to cover "admin" costs I would view as a "car club"

[B'stard Child]

Gizmo! said:

I'm a member here, and tend to join the 'specialist' forum for any car I own.

I can't see myself ever joining a car club that doesn't have an online presence except for very clear social/associative reasons. For that matter, some clubs it's difficult to tell which is the primary medium (e.g. SELOC).

I'm fully in favour of Car clubs with online presence (ie a forum and web site) however I'm trying (probably badly) to make the distinction between a car club and a car related "free" Forum Community

[mrmr96]

B'stard Child said:

Gizmo! said:

I'm a member here, and tend to join the 'specialist' forum for any car I own.

I can't see myself ever joining a car club that doesn't have an online presence except for very clear social/associative reasons. For that matter, some clubs it's difficult to tell which is the primary medium (e.g. SELOC).

I'm fully in favour of Car clubs with online presence (ie a forum and web site) however I'm trying (probably badly) to make the distinction between a car club and a car related "free" Forum Community

is 'paying' the distinction?

[Ozzie Osmond]

Fortunately, although a fair amount of the internet appears to be populated by infantile keyboard-clickers, there is a substantial slice of the car enthusiast population who simply use it as a means of communication.

Yes, there are some tight-wads who seek to take all the advantages of club membership without paying their annual dues. Hopefully one day they will learn. Until then, the civilised majority just have to carry the meanies, as in every other aspect of society.

Car clubs are alive and well.

[B'stard Child]

mrmr96 said:

B'stard Child said:

Gizmo! said:

I'm a member here, and tend to join the 'specialist' forum for any car I own.

I can't see myself ever joining a car club that doesn't have an online presence except for very clear social/associative reasons. For that matter, some clubs it's difficult to tell which is the primary medium (e.g. SELOC).

I'm fully in favour of Car clubs with online presence (ie a forum and web site) however I'm trying (probably badly) to make the distinction between a car club and a car related "free" Forum Community

is 'paying' the distinction?

Yeah we can simplify it to that

[miniman]

The Dolomite club will be gone before too long if it doesn't embrace online properly. The stock response is always "some members don't have web access" whenever someone suggests online payments or cutting back the spend on printing mags. It has one of the best forums outside PH yet the committee don't want to make anything of it. Very odd.

[Silver Smudger]

I don't see the point of the question.

Years ago I used to knock around with the Triumph Sports Six club, as I knew a couple of owners. I believe they paid a subscription. Looking in as a non-member, this is my recollection.

They had printed magazines, regular monthly meetings, local meet-ups for tinkering and helping less mechanically competent members, treasure hunt type fun days and large (huge) national events. Membership got you social contact with other like-minded people, support from experienced owners and access to sources of hard-to-find spare parts etc sometimes with a discount.

Nowadays, I am a member of two model-specific online club / forums. One charges a subscription

They had printed magazines have online content, regular monthly meetings, local meet-ups for tinkering and helping less mechanically competent members, treasure hunt type fun days and large (huge) national events. Membership got you social contact with other like-minded people, support from experienced owners and access to sources of hard-to-find spare parts etc sometimes with a discount.

What's the difference? There are less members / owners of my current club, and far less in my local area. I would not be able to meet or converse with these members without the internet because of the distances and my shift pattern stops me getting to many of the local meets that there are.

As I said, what is the point of the question? Car clubs are evolving. So what?

Edited by Silver Smudger on Saturday 2nd October 13:43

[LuS1fer]

Depends what you get out of it. There is a free Mustang forum and another Mustang forum which is a club. I don't want the club mag as I find they contain stuff I'm not interested in, I have done a track day when i was a member at a discount but the fcat is that many of these clubs have their focus around London or "that side of the country" so there are no real benefits to joining.

[varsas]

Pistonheads is able to do what it does partly because it has so many members, and partly because it involves modern cars, both these make it attractive to advertisers.

The classic car club I belong do is neither, and yet still manages to actually do more then pistonheads does, which does include printing a monthly magazine. How? Well, it charges a subscription, which pistonheads does not. The problem is that is their only way of getting money and if people didn't pay it the club would go under.

I hope it doesn't happen, and actually the internet forum is only a small part of the club I am talking about so I doubt it'll take over. Oh, and membership of that one marque specific club gets me money off all my insurances, which mean i'm actually about £50 a year better off being a member!

[stephen300o]

Used to be in the sporting Escort club, then the X1/9 club, since then it's just been forums.

[madala]

....PCGB......I only lasted a year....not the best experience of my life......

[zeppelin101]

SXOC is pretty successful. The forum has been a bit quieter over the past 6 months than it has been but they organise a major event for themselves every year (the Weekender in July) and go to most of the major Japanese shows throughout the year as well as members organising local meets and track days. There is an online newsletter as well. That's been an internet based club since it started though.

[Angry Sheep]

Used to be a member of a Land Rover club until I was chucked out due to politics.

Wouldn't bother again - LR forums are a better source of information without the beardy types sitting in a pub discussing leaf springs side.