PCBG or TIPEC?
Discussion
This is not a derogatory post, but is there any benefit of being in either?
I'm curious as I'd like to potentially join one of them. They're not both 'forums' for people to attend stately homes with picnics in the back of their cars and sit there polishing their steeds are they? Every advert I've ever seen for either of these appears to have a large 17 century abode in the back ground and a chequered rug on the ground somewhere......
.... and a scotch egg...
I'm curious as I'd like to potentially join one of them. They're not both 'forums' for people to attend stately homes with picnics in the back of their cars and sit there polishing their steeds are they? Every advert I've ever seen for either of these appears to have a large 17 century abode in the back ground and a chequered rug on the ground somewhere......
.... and a scotch egg...
) silver993tt said:
Some OPCs give a 10% discount on parts
.. so parts are then only 90% more expensive than independants, and you also get the added bonus of a service manager who couldn't care less about your custom or your car!
The PCGB T/Days sound like a worthwhile investment though. Are they exclusive to members? In the same vein the BMW car club (GB) offer their days to Porsche owners, and have VERY cheap days. Worth joining them for the same reason if you're into t/days.
Thanks guys.
It seems a lot of owners club T/days are like that. Either loads of 'offs'or draconian policing of the event
BMW CC won't allow cars to have 'R' rated tyres FFS! (on a trackday!?) - whilst they do allow numpties out in ex-touring cars with X year old heatcycled slicks - which are far more likely to be 'greasy' and let go suddenly?
Better to go with people who do this for a living as you suggest I think....
BMW CC won't allow cars to have 'R' rated tyres FFS! (on a trackday!?) - whilst they do allow numpties out in ex-touring cars with X year old heatcycled slicks - which are far more likely to be 'greasy' and let go suddenly?
Better to go with people who do this for a living as you suggest I think....
Do insurance companies allow discounts for members of TIPEC? - another reason (and probably now the sole) reason for my being a member of PCGB (aside from the rather fine range of club cravats on offer of course).
I would have thought PCGB trackdays were better policed and adminstered - I'm told the high cost of these is down to the decision to limit the number of cars (which seems a fair reason to up the price).
If PCGB didn't organise track days there'd be more Porsches on the track days I attend
I would have thought PCGB trackdays were better policed and adminstered - I'm told the high cost of these is down to the decision to limit the number of cars (which seems a fair reason to up the price).
If PCGB didn't organise track days there'd be more Porsches on the track days I attend
I think the PCGB has a problem: (and no, I don't think its about the "if its not 911 shaped its no good" brigade- I have never met a PCGB member who feels this way) BUT:
Perhaps more then any other club, the PCGB has to cater for a huge range of tastes and wealth. There are some people who wish to see the world through the window of their GT3. And are willing to pay for it. And there are others who can only affoed to work on a car themselves, using second hand parts.
The problem PCGB has is to get the two to marry: it is never entirely successful in this respect, which is where Tipec can be useful. However myself (deffo in the latter category) joined tripec and get very few magazines. Those which did arrive were poorly edited, looked horrid and had very few technical articles in.
Which is why I moved back to PCGB, and accepted the fact that I cannot afford many of the things they organise.
All in my opinion, of course...
Perhaps more then any other club, the PCGB has to cater for a huge range of tastes and wealth. There are some people who wish to see the world through the window of their GT3. And are willing to pay for it. And there are others who can only affoed to work on a car themselves, using second hand parts.
The problem PCGB has is to get the two to marry: it is never entirely successful in this respect, which is where Tipec can be useful. However myself (deffo in the latter category) joined tripec and get very few magazines. Those which did arrive were poorly edited, looked horrid and had very few technical articles in.
Which is why I moved back to PCGB, and accepted the fact that I cannot afford many of the things they organise.
All in my opinion, of course...
If you are a Porsche enthusiast then the cost of joining a club is IMHO so small as to not bother evaluating whether to join or not. I have joined and left the PCGB on a recurring basis ...1967-71 when I was poor but had a 356B S90 no kids....1989-90 when I was poor family man no Porsche..2001 to date when kids grown up and can run a 911 or two. I still have some of the early mags which remain interesting reading 35 years later. I never tried TIPEC , guess one club is enough , but maybe joining both for a year could answer the question... 
If you do trackdays then the PCGB ones are expensive and 'narrow' , usually but not exclusively Porsche cars and members only. But obviously you get to meet fellow enthusiasts and no surprises if some are very well-heeled indeed. Nothing wrong with rich friends especially if you can blag a ride or two ..
If you do trackdays then the PCGB ones are expensive and 'narrow' , usually but not exclusively Porsche cars and members only. But obviously you get to meet fellow enthusiasts and no surprises if some are very well-heeled indeed. Nothing wrong with rich friends especially if you can blag a ride or two ..
oldtimer said:
Nothing wrong with rich friends especially if you can blag a ride or two ..
The PCGB seems quite good at mixing the owners of classic cars maintained by themselves and the owners of the latest greatest GT3/Turbo and they even manage to cater to ME (Boxster S!).
The track days ARE good - although not cheap. Sure they've been some big offs - but there usually aren't too many cars on track so people do it to themselves and you have room to be somewhere else when it happens to them IYSWIM.
On Bookatrack days (which I also like) there are significantly more cars on track at a time - and the politeness of the driving, whilst pretty good, is not to the standard of the PCGB days IMO - and I do plenty of both. Both organisers do not stand for any silly business...
The subs is worth it for the mag alone - and that mainly for the classifieds which are very useful...
cuneus said:
Don
want to discuss the standard of driving last year at PCGB Silverstone ?
Big off lose lots of track time
Ahh. You mean the GT2(?) which span off and did in both ends? To be fair since it was chucking it down in an almost biblical manner it was likely that anyone pressing on in something without Porsche's latest driver aids was risking coming to grief.
OK. That's one bloke who should have known better...
There again it went open pit after that and I spent AGES on track thank you...in the wet too..which meant fun fun fun and little in the way of tyre wear...
The previous year at Silverstone there was a huge prang - engine let go apparently...some time lost but otherwise...
The others I've been to have been accident free and POLITE...i.e. people looking in their mirrors and letting faster cars by...
cuneus said:
Bookatrack will not stand for ANY nonsense
And to be fair I agree with you. Jonny and co are very, very good in my experience.
But there is a "clubby" atmosphere at the PCGB days you do not get a Bookatrack days despite the fact that they try hard...
Now the PCGB suffer occasionally from newbies/people who are just crap at it not looking in their mirrors and getting out of the way.
To be fair - so do Bookatrack....
cuneus said:
YMMV
??? In no way do I want to appear to be disrespectful of Jonny's days - which are excellent, well run and as safe as they can me made to be...I will continue to be a loyal customer and recommend them to all...I just want to point out that the "club" days have a special atmosphere its hard to recreate on multi-marque days.
Stupid I know but I joined both clubs, TIPEC I will not be renewing, but the PCGB magazine and our local [Surrey] club meetings are well organised by Mandy Carle and well attended.
2nd Tuesday of each month at "The Fairmile" Portsmouth Road, Cobham from 8PM
I am however VERY disappointed with the PCGB technical support email service, none existant ! twice emailed with no response. I have also telephoned and left several messages for both the 993 register Sec. and his assistant, guess what ? they never call back. That said I would still recommend for magazine and local area club meetings. It terms of support, you will get more from PH.
2nd Tuesday of each month at "The Fairmile" Portsmouth Road, Cobham from 8PM
I am however VERY disappointed with the PCGB technical support email service, none existant ! twice emailed with no response. I have also telephoned and left several messages for both the 993 register Sec. and his assistant, guess what ? they never call back. That said I would still recommend for magazine and local area club meetings. It terms of support, you will get more from PH.
bif said:
I am however VERY disappointed with the PCGB technical support email service, none existant ! twice emailed with no response. I have also telephoned and left several messages for both the 993 register Sec. and his assistant, guess what ? they never call back.
I suspect the 993 technical query is the same as the 944 tecghnicla query: namely, the e-mail is famred out to the Titanic 944 forum, with a polite request for a response if necessary.
naturally we do, as it often menas another titanic 944 member...
In a fit of enthusiasm(?) I joined the PCGB. It has, as someone else has aleady said, an identity crisis. In trying to be all things to all members it ends up alienating many as they perceive the Club caters for someone else.
A lot of the events are seemingly expensive. For example I ran club trips to Le Mans for 10 years and know what thing cost. For a club with large reserves the event seemed overpriced. I used to use limited club funds to finance some parts of some events. This can be subject to heated discussion but one view is that those who support a club event should be supported!
IMHO there appear to be a high percentage of polishers to drivers in the PCGB. I'm not talking about track day warriors (that's a choice not everyone opts for) but the kind of drive that caraholics want (Dawn Raid!). The cost of many of the Club sanctioned runs/ hols is prohibitive OR and this is a theme of many members tends to focus on 4/5 star accomodation. This again is something not everyone wants. I have to suffer the crap service of so called superior hotels as part of my job. I certainly don't want to have to suffer it in my own time/ money!
Having said that I did have a great weekend in France with the 912 boys. High speed treasure hunt and laughs all round
The mag is glossy and contentless. Buy 911 & Porsche.
Insurance is cheaper from Liverpool Victoria by far and many of the 'offers' are only cheaper than other Porsche offers ie cheaper in the market place.
Local meetings depend on local members and are usually outside of the control of the Club.
I would suggest that anyone joining goes along to as many meets as possible before deciding to commit!
A lot of the events are seemingly expensive. For example I ran club trips to Le Mans for 10 years and know what thing cost. For a club with large reserves the event seemed overpriced. I used to use limited club funds to finance some parts of some events. This can be subject to heated discussion but one view is that those who support a club event should be supported!
IMHO there appear to be a high percentage of polishers to drivers in the PCGB. I'm not talking about track day warriors (that's a choice not everyone opts for) but the kind of drive that caraholics want (Dawn Raid!). The cost of many of the Club sanctioned runs/ hols is prohibitive OR and this is a theme of many members tends to focus on 4/5 star accomodation. This again is something not everyone wants. I have to suffer the crap service of so called superior hotels as part of my job. I certainly don't want to have to suffer it in my own time/ money!
Having said that I did have a great weekend in France with the 912 boys. High speed treasure hunt and laughs all round
The mag is glossy and contentless. Buy 911 & Porsche.
Insurance is cheaper from Liverpool Victoria by far and many of the 'offers' are only cheaper than other Porsche offers ie cheaper in the market place.
Local meetings depend on local members and are usually outside of the control of the Club.
I would suggest that anyone joining goes along to as many meets as possible before deciding to commit!
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