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Mini Scene Dying?


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#31 haz

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 04:30 PM

It's not dying. Not even slightly.

I was gone for a good 8 years, came back to find the likes of force racing have branched out, KAD have a wider portfolio, arc angels the same. Minispares and minisport do the same old things. Then there's all the engine conversions out there, it isn't just watsons anymore. There's half a dozen choices.

Are they less accessible to young drivers, certainly. The price has gone up for a runabout. That also means they're more likely to be looked after with a reasonable budget and they're less likely to be driven daily. A great thing if you ask me.... although I wouldn't have agreed if I was the young'n wishing to daily one like I was 10 years+ ago :P



#32 sonikk4

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 06:17 PM

The mini scene as it currently stands is not dying, far from it. Yes shows have changed a lot with the introduction of the BMW Mini but it has its own following and of course now a lot of our members own both.

 

Classic cars as a whole is suffering from Ebay inflation and i mean from parts to complete cars. Look at the Ford scene, way way over inflated.

 

Now in the past we did have issues with people denigrating other members cars and we have had to deal with those threads by cleaning them up to follow the forum rules. We are all individuals and are entitled to our own opinions. People just need to realise where to draw the line on forums / social media platforms.

 

And i do not want this thread turning into something it should not, so please everyone think before you post.



#33 Spider

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 07:01 PM

Not everyone, even among Mini (and Moke) owners are going to have the same 'taste' in their cars, I'm fine with that.

 

I have seen loads and loads of things over the years I've found 'gawdy' or just awful, but that's my personal opinion of them, though, to who ever has done it or the current owner, they clearly like it and equally, they may find what I've done dreadful too.

 

There are ways on these public platforms of simply saying, "that's nice, but not to my taste" and moving on without descending in to personal slagging matches to be slugged out on the forum.

 

For the Moderators here on the forum, we can't be everywhere and we don't automatically read every thread nor every post, but, those bought to our attention are usually dealt with.

 

I am a member of quite a few forums and I can assure our members, that this one by a long way, has the most pleasant, friendly member base.

 

I would also like to think that forums like our are encouraging and growing our craft, rather than killing it off.



#34 Dusky

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 08:46 PM

I think it's like this with all cars, or has been like this with other cars before. Like years ago they were modifying mustang's etc in the US, now its sacrilege. Same is happening with minis, they're getting rarer and more expensive. Becoming less attractive to the general public, and even less attractive to modify and probably lose money on it. And then there is this whole aversion towards the post 2000 minis, making finding enough people for shows even harder. Add 30%new minis to all the shows that have just too little people and suddenly they're fun and crowded again.

#35 jt19

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 08:51 PM

I think FB is killing the car forum's.
Mini shows are ok but I prefer a mixture of classic cars at a show. The retro rides show at Santa Pod is usually a good show with a good mix of cars and bikes.
Im looking forward to MITP at Mallory park this year.
Also I think there's a few more mini track day events than there used to be 10 years ago.
Ace cafe used to be a great mini meet. Haven't been in years, not even sure it's still on?
I don't think the scene is dying, it's just changing.

#36 Spider

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 10:10 PM

To the guys and gals who are going to shows and events, do you think there's too many of them or they are held too often, or do you think there should be more or more often?

 

Personally, I've found a 'show' about every 2 years does me, but I also don't like crowds and ques, so I guess I'm a bit of a 'stick in the mud' in that regards.



#37 Archived3

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Posted 04 February 2019 - 11:49 PM

I like to see the cars as I don’t really like people much.. 1 good show a year would be ideal

#38 nicklouse

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 12:11 AM



I like to see the cars as I don’t really like people much.. 1 good show a year would be ideal

we organise one a year. (we as in the club i do little other than bring a crazy car) traders are not the main thing, but it is a weekend event. well some start arriving on Thursday, main opening is Friday and things happen on Saturday with a rock band and kick out on Sunday so everyone can get home OK. cant have many people as it is on a village football field. but there are these most weekends.

here is this years calendar so far.

Attached File  Capture.JPG   92.51K   4 downloads

 

some are bigger events that the clubs go to as well.

 

what gets me though is when people talk about investment. where is the fun in that.



#39 Ethel

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 01:47 AM

Never mind the fun, where's the investment in something that rusts and is only an accident away from being half a ton of scrap iron?



#40 johnv

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 07:14 AM

Same as a 250GTO then?

#41 MatthewsDad

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 07:27 AM

I think the interest is there among kids (assuming you can peel them off their Xbox!), especially when they see a mini. They just rarely have an opportunity to 'meet' a classic car and sit in it. I do a mini evening with our local scout group - I show a video of the Monte Carlo rally as a bit of an introduction, drive the mini into the scout hut (it just about squeezes through the back door), and spend an evening taking them through how a car works. If we want the digital generation of kids to pick up spanners we need to engage with them, and the big car clubs need to do more too. (I appreciate some already do.)

#42 GreaseMonkey

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 07:30 AM

Ive been off this forum for a while (and only came back on the last few months), the big difference i have noticed is the reducing number of second hand parts for sale on here.  There used to be pages and pages of bits people are selling, but now only a few items.  I assume now that parts are now too valuable to sell, or you'll get more on ebay?

 

Its all moved to Facebook and eBay now. I miss the days of browsing the For Sale section in the forums. Stuff used to be a lot more decently priced too. Over the years I've noticed parts have gone up, especially engines which is understandable as they've become thin on the ground. Things like small brackets for seats, people seem to think they should fetch over £10-15 which is ridiculous as they are not in short supply. 

 

Sad to see shows like Mini in the Park dwindling down now, used to be great. I think for me its the shows with other cars for a bit of variety is the way forward. As much as I love the mini scene, after a while all you see is the same stuff but then the flip side of that is that its not just the show but the social side of bumping into people you have got to know over the years.  

 

Nice to see engine conversions are becoming a lot more common now too with new innovation and ideas being brought forward. I guess as the A series becomes scarce and parts expensive this is the way many will go. Another great aspect that shows theres still drive, is like haz mentioned, companies like Force/Kad/DSN still putting out new products to better the scene. 


Edited by GreaseMonkey, 05 February 2019 - 07:33 AM.


#43 GreaseMonkey

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 07:35 AM

Never mind the fun, where's the investment in something that rusts and is only an accident away from being half a ton of scrap iron?

 

I understand where you are coming from, a lot more people are buying/resisting modifications in the view of investment. In my opinion, they should be enjoyed as no modern stuff matches the fun of a mini. Its what I tell people who ask me why I spend so much money on them, once the bug bites and you've had one. You can't be without one! 



#44 rich_959

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 09:11 AM

 

Never mind the fun, where's the investment in something that rusts and is only an accident away from being half a ton of scrap iron?

 

I understand where you are coming from, a lot more people are buying/resisting modifications in the view of investment. In my opinion, they should be enjoyed as no modern stuff matches the fun of a mini. Its what I tell people who ask me why I spend so much money on them, once the bug bites and you've had one. You can't be without one! 

 

 

Fully agree Grease Monkey. I'm 39 and had Mini's when I was 17 to 23, when all my friends were more interested in Vauxhall Corsa's and the like. So I was away from Mini's for around 15 years but I always knew I'd be back. By keeping an eye on the prices for 'reasonable' cars I decided it was time to buy one before they became too expensive, or just too difficult to find the one that I want.

 

My car will be just for me, how I want it to look/drive. There'll be no financial sense to the money I 'invest' in it. It will just be for the enjoyment of it. 



#45 Ethel

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Posted 05 February 2019 - 12:45 PM

I think the interest is there among kids (assuming you can peel them off their Xbox!), especially when they see a mini. They just rarely have an opportunity to 'meet' a classic car and sit in it. I do a mini evening with our local scout group - I show a video of the Monte Carlo rally as a bit of an introduction, drive the mini into the scout hut (it just about squeezes through the back door), and spend an evening taking them through how a car works. If we want the digital generation of kids to pick up spanners we need to engage with them, and the big car clubs need to do more too. (I appreciate some already do.)

Going off at a bit of a tangent but...

 

I got a carpentry set for Xmas when I was 5 or 6 - real tools, just smaller. Imagine giving a kid that age a saw and a chisel to play with nowadays! My metalwork teacher had been an apprentice in a Sheffield steel works. It's just called design in schools today and is an adjunct with art. I understand the policy is that craft skills are only taught if they're needed to realise a bit of a student's design. In reality you're just as likely to see the teacher or technical assistant making stuff for them, the kids don't even have to be present.The rationale is everything is produced by cad/cam so those skills are redundant.

 

How many of those GCSE students will really be industrial designers and how many would benefit from just being able to put a shelf up for themselves? We aren't even filling the vacancies in our stunted construction industry.

 

There has to be something fundamentally important to our intellectual development, given that we are a species distinguished from all others by what we've done since our predecessors fashioned stone tools a couple of million years ago.






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