82 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

Yes I would buy it

Only buy both at mo for technical bits
But even some featured are C**p like how to fit a choke cable or steering bracket
Not the hardest of jobs.

Don’t know if any one else has noticed that in recent issues of mini world they go through how to replace an a panel,
But stop half way through
Looks like I will have to weight till next month

It might help if u start something, that u finish it
Or follow up promises from past issues

Somewhere in it they mention that a hinge panel is rotten

A few issues back they mention that on another mini there is the same problem
But on both occasions don’t tell u how to fix, replace and repair the problem

As I have 2 rotten a panels and hinge panel that needs fixing

Its not that I would do it myself
But if I did get some one else to do the work for me I would have some idea what they were up to

[Jackman]

Yeah i remember the twin carb rebuild was 3 issues long! That means waiting 3 months to rebuild a carb which you may need despratly and even then they didnt say what parts they used to rebuild it.

If guides where in more depth i wouldnt mind waiting 3 months if it showed alot more of the work and was more like a step by step guide including prep work like removing rust from other pannels, possible problems things like that.

Also the advertising is getting out of hand, almost half the mag is adverts now and the cars in them can be quite chavy, 13" wide wheels, huge ice, 998 with a stage 1 kit... soon they will have minis with the stupid tacky kits and 4" exhausts... i still get them for one reason... for ideas and sales. That is all.

This new mag sounds good and i would be up for buying it!

[mini1071s]

3 months for a carb rebuild! LOL! That's not really on. No, I would like to see through an article like that one in one issue. I can assure you we have a lot of people who are hands on experts to write for you who would love to tell you how to do things properly and cheaply.

I have been offered an amazing amount of support from all the forums so thank you!

Keep the ideas and comments coming....

[Roo]

How about along with the technical how to guides etc. you put on where you got the parts you use from and how much they were.

I read in one of the mini mags a letter written from a mini owner asking about where a certain part came from but the editors of the mag didn't know and would 'find out'.

only an idea.

Roo
xXx

[mini1071s]

How about along with the technical how to guides etc. you put on where you got the parts you use from and how much they were.

I read in one of the mini mags a letter written from a mini owner asking about where a certain part came from but the editors of the mag didn't know and would 'find out'.

only an idea.

Roo
xXx

A very good idea! It's the little things that other magazines forget now that make all the difference, how about part numbers included as well, so you don't have to trawl around for them. along with the different ones for each year if that is relevant?

[mini1071s]

Yes I would buy it

Only buy both at mo for technical bits
But even some featured are C**p like how to fit a choke cable or steering bracket
Not the hardest of jobs.

Don’t know if any one else has noticed that in recent issues of mini world they go through how to replace an a panel,
But stop half way through
Looks like I will have to weight till next month

It might help if u start something, that u finish it
Or follow up promises from past issues

Somewhere in it they mention that a hinge panel is rotten

A few issues back they mention that on another mini there is the same problem
But on both occasions don’t tell u how to fix, replace and repair the problem

As I have 2 rotten a panels and hinge panel that needs fixing

Its not that I would do it myself
But if I did get some one else to do the work for me I would have some idea what they were up to

Thanks! Isn't it suprising that the mini mags insist no one wants many tech features yet most people here have requested them or supported the idea of a predominantly resto and tech magazine with some real depth. There would be juicy feature cars as well of course, in much greater depth as well.

You hit the nail on the head with your last comment, in that it is not just people who do the DIY that want and need to know how it is done so at least you don't get ripped off.

I don't think it has to be monthly either, there are so many mags I like to buy that a lot of the time I miss odd months out as I just don't have time to read them all.

What magazines does everyone like the look of? I quite like the look of Wallpaper, Document, The Rodders Journal and Creative reveiw.

[mini1071s]

MiniWorld gradually getting closer to Max Power
Oh and no 8 pages of rolling road shootouts. Boooooring.

I think that is the wrong way round looking back through the last few copies of each mag......

Anyway, to counter the techies that have contributed so far.........what I like to see, and what I always look for first is.......clubs, shows and people I might know or have been too! The disappointment of being at a really good show and then the magazines only having one page of piccies which usually are of highly polished, never driven garage dwellers instead of the people that drive them and make up the bulk of the Mini scene. And I really like the Rolling Road articles!!

Personally, if I want to know how to do something, on a Mini, as I am an experiential, hands-on learner I will ask someone to show me (usually Scurvy ), then do it myself (if I can't get Scurvy to do it :tongue: ) not look at pictures.

PS are we getting paid for all this free market research??!!!

Thanks for the input Jake, it sounds like you are quite happy with some aspects of the mags, which is interesting. To us, it is the stuff about people that is quite boring, so we stand corrected then! But the clubs themselves usually have a good web page in lots of detail of folk who went. If you were not there, it's not that interesting for those people really. Living where I do, I don't get to many shows and static displays of cars is pretty dull really. Motorsport though, thats a different sort of event...

Rolling road articles are nice to see, but you could do it in a more interesting way in less space i think and for a reason related to a technical article perhaps.

You seem to be a clever hands on sort of mini owner, wouldn't you llike to know how to adapt a modern 8 port head to your mini for a few hundred pounds, or how to fuel inject it, paint it properly if you didn't know how to, fit mapped ignitions, fabricate roll cages...cheap disc brake converisions for 10" wheels, port your own head, building a 200 hp motor without selling your organs? You never see that stuff in the mags.

Paid?! LOL! I'm not getting paid for doing it so no, but I might buy you a drink at a show!

A good point though is why don't the existing mini magazines do this, to find out what you really all want? Pretty poor that can't be bothered don't you think?!

[lewis]

I find that with the current magazines too. They also tend to assume that all parts will come undone easily, and don't take into account any problems you could run into.

I think they do that because they know how many younger ''inexperienced'' people buy their mags, and so to glam up doing a job will make them more enthusiastic to do that job and tackle the problems.

But i think this magazine would be a great and more worthwhile idea, i constantly get annoyed with the mags how to and the hours i spend looking for something that is irrelivent to me in the haynes manual.

[mini1071s]

I think they do that because they know how many younger ''inexperienced'' people buy their mags, and so to glam up doing a job will make them more enthusiastic to do that job and tackle the problems.

But i think this magazine would be a great and more worthwhile idea, i constantly get annoyed with the mags how to and the hours i spend looking for something that is irrelivent to me in the haynes manual.

Or maybe they don't actually know what they are doing or never did it themselves?

I am really pleased that so many people have taken the time to give their opinions. Thank you all very much. We will have to see what happens next!

[Sprocket]

What I want is a magazine that focusses on the technical, and as you say the unusual. I'm not keen on the non A series engined cars, they should be left for kit car magazines as that is baisicaly what they are. Lots of suspension tweeks, big brake mods, how to's such as strengthening the shell by brazing all the seams, rear wheel arch clearance mods and how to fit 14 inch wheels. you know real functional projects and none of this" I have a 1972 Mini 1000 and was wondering if it is possible to fit a sterio?" Or how to change the seat belts.

Visits to shows should be reported in a different manor too. Looking round for the unusual things like multi link rear suspention, BMWK100 16 valver head conversions :cheese: . Other mags take one picture and write about four words on the unusual when i realy want to know more. Theres one in one of tha mags this month that realy anoys me. Theres a mini roadster and the guy has built his own rear beam axle and looks mint but after reading through the article not much is said about it.

Plain straight modifications with none of the how to swap out injection for carbs garbage focusing strongly on the unusual when it apears, lots of high res pictures, where to go for the rolling road tune, well recomended machine shops and the like,
with not so many of the buy your chrome shiney bits from us adverts.

If it were an ideal world I would like to see Car and Car Conversions back on the shelf

Am I on the right track here, didn't read the full topic before posting this so I may have already repeated some. I'll go read it now :nugget:

[Sprocket]

OOh now heres an idea.

A rolling road report. Using the same car and engine, travel round the rolling roads and report on the service, acuracy of the figures taking into concideration weather changes tyre pressures, type of rollers and so on. Build up a database of where to find your nearest RR because other than the big name ones they are prety dam hard to find. I only recently stumbled upon a link that shows where there are two RR in Warrington alone

Article would need no more than half a page I recon with the RR links somewhere at the back of each issue right next to the Where to get work done directory al a Big yellow book, Its advice rather than advertising.

With the big mags its one of them things though, less advertising means less Income for the mag to publish, on the other hand when people pay for advertising then anything deemed as an advert is either photoshopped or edited out unless they pay for the advertisement. Total tosh.

[mini1071s]

Well said, thanks for your input. We have some mouthwatering cars lined up with detailed account of the unique features or interesing mods, and really in depth tech running to several pages per article, warts and all, after all, you need to know what problems you are likely to come accross don't you. We do ALL the tech ourselves, we don't pay some garage to do it and no, we won't be telling you how to fit 3 bolts in a hole to replace a seat belt...or tell you how we restored our car for "£1000" and then not tell you how it was done.

We are still interested in any ideas you all have, after all, it it a magazine just for you!

Should be out early next year!

[Jackman]

Keep us all informed! Ill buy it for sure!

[crocstarr]

i currently buy mini mag and miniworld they both come out at the end of the month, so there is a niche market for a mini mag in the middle of the month i think.