Can We All Take Stock About Our Knowledge

[Supersonic]

Thanks for all your replies and I’m sorry that I was not able to come back sooner to add what I’m getting on about. I’m still finding there are a lot of people afraid to contribute on the Forum for some reason.

What mystifies me is these same people have a wealth of knowledge and are excellent at putting things down in writing when they email or send you private messages. These same people will not add anything to open posts for some reason, and I’m not talking about contentious or touchy subjects.

We all need to encourage more members to get involved and let us all hear their experience and knowledge. What do others think?

Some great links above Martin, thank you.

Alan

[Supersonic]

I'm not sure who this is really addressed to ...all I can say is if Alan's friends have so much knowledge, then how do we ask them questions?.
I've got loads of them

Nick, contrary to what you said, the point I’m making is that none of us knows everything. The unexplained contradictions we have found across the BMC / BL family of cars is unbelievable. If only my friends and I knew everything about the BMC / BL timeline, sequence of changes with parts etc, it would be special. But, I’m afraid to say I’ve loads of questions to ask myself. To be honest as the years past will any of us ever complete our research?

I’ve more or less given up and to be honest outside small groups like this nobody gives a jot is my honest view.

Alan

[Spider]

I don't doubt for one second that there's many people who hold many more cards than all of us put together. It's similar with books too, though, much less so. Because someone has written about a particular subject it doesn't necessarily make them the 'King' of that subject, only that they have gone to the effort of writing and publishing their knowledge and experience.

The other thing many are totally blinkered, have inflexible thinking and can't seem to come to grips with is they they think their way is the only way and any other way is wrong when in fact, there can be 100 different ways of achieving the same end result.

All any of us can do here is post about our experiences and express our opinions, the only ones of which I would say are wrong are those who say and think theirs is the only view.

In regards to what your friend found Alan, I wouldn't doubt or question that at all.

[CooperTune]

At age 71 I fear I have begun to forget some of what I have learned in my 53 years of mini ownership. Oh yes, I have found good small journal cranks in US AA's, complete with Cooper S rods. Retiring in 2000 I rented a 5500 sq ft shop and began doing classic mini only. Until recently I worked every day in the shop. I really enjoy this board and tend to look at only three sections. I like the tech as there are people sharing info or asking questions. I have no idea how to get others to take part. In the last few years I have helped several widows find buyers for they husbands projects. I bought out a couple before husband passed and we could agree on a fair price. The rest I felt due to distance and size of project it was better to find a honest buyer closer by. What really worries me is what happens to my stuff when I'm gone. The two gentlemen who introduced me to mini and many of my mini friends in my age group are gone as well. The reason I'm not currently working my new Mk1 project is, I'm in week four of in home Hospice for my 98 year old father. I'm trying to help him pass with dignity and respect.

I kind of understand reluctance to post on the net. It's there for all the world to see and will be somewhere forever. Times are changing and your words can come back to harm you in a big way. I think we are safe over here Mark does not allow things to get out of hand. Not sure this has anything to do with the subject. Regards Steve (CTR)

[Supersonic]

Thank you Chris and Steve for your respectful and honest replies above.

Firstly, Steve I’m not to far behind you at 66 years old. Hope you don’t mind me saying that at your age you are blessed to still have your father, but regardless of age your parents passing is a hard part of life.

Both my parents passed away in 2013 so I understand where you are and how you feel. You say you have worked at Minis for 53 years. Believe it or not, I’ve worked at Minis and ADO16s since I was 15 years old, not far behind you. Your help to elderly people selling up is a nice story as well. I’ve a few friends who will be in the same boat when they pass on. I’ve three of a family myself and none of them have the slightest interest in my cars or equipment. So, I’m also in the same boat. I’m glad to hear you also found small journal crankshafts and rods in Austin America ADO16s.

I take your point about people’s reluctance to post on the World Wide Web. The point I’ve been trying to make is that all the A-series / Mini / ADO16 people over here who have years of knowledge will not post two words. Some of these people are professional academics who have no problem in the world writing you an email to help answer a Forum post that they read but will never give an open reply.

Well, it is up to everyone what they do. I’ve no problem writing on the open forum about A-series engines, ADO16 and Minis. In fact my good mate always tells me more people have walked on the moon than have an interest in BMC / BL Minis and ADO16s.

Alan

[Polarsilver]

Alan, one thing is for sure the younger generations future lives have now changed forever with Enviro issues that will knobble classic cars & the fact that younger people will also have to pay High Taxation for decades to clear away all the massive Covid "costs" .. so my offspring will not have the spare cash to continue with Grandads Mins after he has Kicked the Bucket.

Perhaps in another 60 years time some Presenter will uncover "BMC ..The Lost Mini Knowledge" then put it on TV or whatever invention educates the public in year 2081 .. shame as i will not be around then to point out that the FE number on that panel is not correct for a Mk1 .. meantime Keep Safe

[nick@dunsdale]

It not just here it's on all forums and facebook pages, there will always be as many lurkers as posters.

Some people just like to sit back and observe, just a shame there are talented and very knowledagable lurkers out there sitting or their knowledge.

I am sure Mark has mentioned this in the past how many people are registered on this forum V how many active posters there are

We can only encourage people to get involved beyhond that there will always be a high number of viewers v poster's

[AndyPen]

It not just here it's on all forums and facebook pages, there will always be as many lurkers as posters.

Some people just like to sit back and observe, just a shame there are talented and very knowledagable lurkers out there sitting or their knowledge.

I am sure Mark has mentioned this in the past how many people are registered on this forum V how many active posters there are

We can only encourage people to get involved beyhond that there will always be a high number of viewers v poster's

I will add my name to the list of those who have forgotten too much stuff, but love the support on here even if it is by pm. Helpfullness is the key reason I like this forum so much.

I am also cautious about www I must admit.

[mk1]

This is a very interesting post, I too was a bit baffled by the initial posting but after the clarification 1/2 way down the first page I find that I wholeheartedly agree with Alan's comments.

There are indeed very few, if any "experts" here, those that consider themselves such, are probably best avoided We have always been a community of enthusiasts. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of the registered members, at least those who I estimate visit the site regularly, I reckon that something under 2% ever post anything at all & are perfectly just happy to lurk. Regular posters make up around .5% of all registered users. This is fine, I certainly can't do anything about it, I am always trying to think up different ways to encourage lurkers to become posters, it is however almost impossible.

To be absolutely honest, I find the "excuse" that "I wanted to post, but was worried about getting shot down in flames" pretty much unbelievable. Any regular reader of the forum MUST know that here of all places it is very, very rare that this happens, disagreements are usually aired in a most constructive way & the members not to mention the very conscientious team of moderators simply don't allow this to happen.

Posting is easy & free to do, all that is likely to happen is that you meet new friends & if not learn new stuff, then certainly hear about various differing points of view, something that can only be good.

I have to be honest & say that in this age of fragmentation & the proliferation of social media sites like Facebook, I believe that the days of a truly independent site like this are numbered. Regular posters & new regular posters in particular are our life blood & it has to be said that over the last few years the number of lurkers has increased & the variety of posters has reduced.

I have always said that this site is only ever as good as the content posted by the members & without people prepared to contribute it will wither & die.

So, on a more cheerful note, read this & make your first post, it doesn't matter what it is about . . . just do it, you won't regret your decision to get involved, it's much more fun than watching from the sidelines.

Mark F

[Supersonic]

Firstly, Mark, thank you for the kind comments.

And please, all you readers of posts, get involved, more than likely you know more than people like myself.

I think we are all on the same approach, be it sometimes hard to get across in writing about this subject.

When I said there are no experts on the Mk1 Forum, myself and everyone included, I stand by that view. Further, the same applies to everyone across the BMC / BL / Rover Cooper family, nobody knows it all.

When I was younger and foolish enough a friend and I attempted to collate ADO16 / Austin / Morris / Riley / MG / Wolseley / Vanden Plas details and timeline. We also attempted to gather the Austin / Morris and Wolseley 1800 / 1885 details. What we found was that about 80% of the records stack up and make sense. That 20% is a large piece of history missing and who knows as the years pass. Things we found was two cars built in 1966, one built on Wednesday 5 October with a chassis number of R-ASI-9147A and the other built on Thursday 6 October with chassis number A-ASI-4193A confirmed with factory original is hard to answer.

Another anomaly being two original Austin 1800s built in the same month with the facelift model having a lower chassis number. Both 1800 s have lifetime history. Another question is I owned an Austin 1300 which I bought from the first owner and it had a chassis number of A-A2SA-39085-M2 with an engine number of 12R-185R-15632.

When I listen to Mini clubs claiming they have details of all Minis built that does not reassure me as these cars were further down the pecking order of the cars we researched. My mother used to say, “The hardest tumble a man can ever suffer is to fall over his own bluff” Is that the case now?

Those figures Mark quoted about people who participate and those that don’t is even worst than I thought I’m sorry to say.

My final point is, why would anyone be afraid to write on an open forum, comments about Minis or any other BMC / BL car? As my lifelong mate often tells me, more men have walked on the Moon than now have interest in BMC / BL vehicles

Alan