how many people still need the forums help

[underkut]

I just thought i would drop a quick thread regarding a very strange experiance yesterday.
I saw advertised a little classic car gathering in Hartley Wintney that is not to far from where i live so thought i would give the 65S a little run out.
There were around 20 minis of all types and a scamp as well as a couple of elfs and jags, mgs ect ect.
With the weather it was very pleasant.
I dont normally talk to many people on these sort of do's as i find some people very anal and only too keen to give their opinion, but having met the guy i brought my car from a few years ago he then intruduced me to 2 brothers whom recently both bought mk 1 coopers., while they were admiring(i think) my car another feller came up and started talking , he has a 1071 that is in for a total rebuild and has no rush to complete it but asked a few logical questions regarding parts and advice.
I mentioned the forum is the font of all knowledge and spare parts.
Now around my car was Me, a classic car dealer who also owns a mk 1 S, 2 brothers both with mk 1 coopers and a guy restoring a 1071, I was gobsmacked when none of them had heard of the site!!!!!!
How do people restore or look after their cars with out this site.
I feel they are making things very hard for themselves.

[mk1]

[Dr.Mabo]

They just do it old school.

I also restored my first S without any internet support between 1995 and 2004. Looking backwards, I can't find faults, even considering my current knowlage. The main source was the "Bible" form J.P.
Now I'm in the finals of another restoration which I started 8 years ago. So I'm not realy faster. Maybe I just spend to much time lurking around in the internet instead of working in the garage

Of course, it basically helps for research for very special and rare items. It also gives you more confidence in making up your mind, but it doesn't mean you are really on the right track.

There is always a way to reach your focused target.

so long
the doc

[pad4]

I've found out so so much of here, couldn't do without it - the Bible's good if you have a mk1 - but not if you have a mk3 as there hardly any info in there and for sure there's many things that are not quite right or questionable or missing.

Plus it great for those little bits of technical info that you just cant find any where else not to mention the Banter that goes on between various members (Rich needs a hair cut and Im going to eat my fish n chips off petes UniMog)

Pad

[Pete]

How do people restore or look after their cars with out this site.
I feel they are making things very hard for themselves.

Some people just don't 'do' forums, fair enough. They should make an exception for this one I'd say? The guy with the Minisprint looking for the Cibie lamps was a great example, been looking for years to identify them and within a few days had done so on here. There's the odd other forum I use now and again but essentially there's no need really, this one also gets the most traffic of any serious Mini based forum that's for sure! I suspect some think that having a thread on your project can sometimes look like 'showing off' but in my case it's helped me emmensely with my car. Each to their own I'd say, but the number of people I've met that said' I wish I'd gone to Blyton' is proof that lots of people still don't use forums like this. I've also heard accusations about posters not using their own names 'hiding behind a user name' which I also think is complete bollox, the only problem we ever had on here (two or three times) was with one poster who did use his own name, so much for that theory!! There's a place for people to use their own names, post up photos of their cars, their properties and tell everyone when they're away on holiday...it's called Facebook!

[Highnumbers]

I'm a member of at least a half-dozen online forums covering a wide range of topics (from classic minis, motorcycles and Lambrettas to vintage guitars and more), and the first thing I do when I pick up a new hobby is seek out a specialist forum.

You can learn a LOT of things from a forum, making a restoration quicker and easier. Plus you can network with great people who are experts on the subject and help you locate rare parts needed and other valuable information. I've also made a number of close friends through forums.

I've also soaked up enough experience and information to become the person giving info/advice on many forums and it's great to be able to help other people.

I can understand people that are just not active online, but specialist forums can really enrich your experience with any hobby.

Just my .02 !

[foxy52]

How do people restore or look after their cars with out this site.
I feel they are making things very hard for themselves.

Some people just don't 'do' forums, fair enough. They should make an exception for this one I'd say? The guy with the Minisprint looking for the Cibie lamps was a great example, been looking for years to identify them and within a few days had done so on here. There's the odd other forum I use now and again but essentially there's no need really, this one also gets the most traffic of any serious Mini based forum that's for sure! I suspect some think that having a thread on your project can sometimes look like 'showing off' but in my case it's helped me emmensely with my car. Each to their own I'd say, but the number of people I've met that said' I wish I'd gone to Blyton' is proof that lots of people still don't use forums like this. I've also heard accusations about posters not using their own names 'hiding behind a user name' which I also think is complete bollox, the only problem we ever had on here (two or three times) was with one poster who did use his own name, so much for that theory!! There's a place for people to use their own names, post up photos of their cars, their properties and tell everyone when they're away on holiday...it's called Facebook!

....Sooo true Pete.... foxy52..

[northern monkey]

Some people just don't 'do' forums,


And some forums just don't do people Pete,

Even though my minis are not early ones (and most of my questions are possibly stupid) Ive always found this forum to be very very friendly and helpfull,without any of this "look at what i've got" attitude ,or the " Don't you even know that" type of response...it is quite simply everything a great forum should be.

Mick

[mab01uk]

I know plenty of people who could benefit from the resources on specialist forums who don't have a computer, email or internet access......I also know a few who have all those things but for whatever reason would never take an active part in joining a forum, posting, etc. I think a big part is if you use computers, email, internet in your work it mostly becomes second nature but plenty of people have work which does not involve computers, etc......I often wish mine did not!.....I also think I probably got a lot more things done in the real world before the advent of internet forums !

[YMJ]

Thinking about it....I couldn't have gone historic racing in a self-built car without the Mk1 forum. Blimey!

[Austin Costin]

Been a Mk 1 forum member for a couple of years now but to be honest I never really know what to say ?
I cringe at the thought that people may think I am self publicising as I find it so boring in other people, I do however enjoy logging on and reading some of the fantastic posts and would feel lost without the forum.
I don't log on half as much as I used to as I feel that so much of my free time is spent in front of a screen in one way or another, I guess that I am not alone with these thoughts

[YMJ]

Been a Mk 1 forum member for a couple of years now but to be honest I never really know what to say ?
I cringe at the thought that people may think I am self publicising as I find it so boring in other people, I do however enjoy logging on and reading some of the fantastic posts and would feel lost without the forum.
I don't log on half as much as I used to as I feel that so much of my free time is spent in front of a screen in one way or another, I guess that I am not alone with these thoughts

.......what's more you totally forgot the pace of time.....Happy 4th Anniversary, by-the-way. It's tomorrow if you hadn't noticed!

[mini63]

thats a curious experience in this internet age....

I myself was indentured as an apprentice and worked on them
pretty much from new although australian production
had just finished when i started....
I restored my car in the eighties.

[Austin Costin]

.......what's more you totally forgot the pace of time.....Happy 4th Anniversary, by-the-way. It's tomorrow if you hadn't noticed! [/quote]


Took me a while but got there in the end.[quote="YMJ"]

In actual fact I think you will find that that date or there about was when the forum changed server or something, I have been a Mk 1 performance fan for about 11 years now, I know this as I was glued to it when I lived in the UK before leaving and coming to NZ, we have been here 10 years in September which is about the time I have been a forum member, I can remember at least 3 forum reincarnations.

[miniminor]

What did we do without the interweb?
Ordering parts by phone and sending off cheques?
How did we find out how to do things?
Virtually every job I go to do on a car - or anything else for that matter - is waiting in the virtual world with instructions and photos or videos - brilliant!
Im a member of forums for all our different cars, motorbike and caravan. Sooo helpful.