I only checked your post count because of your complaint and your attitude.

You posted a question. Then you came to this thread and said you didn't expect a reply. You did get a reply, 2 actually, which you have not responded to.

I've been on online forums since before the world wide web began. People today are expecting to be given correct information instantanously for free with no effort on their part or investment into the communitys that make this possible.

Edit: Interesting (at least to me) a thread about the lack of participation on this website gets a lot of participation...

 

You get what you give....
Once you have befriended people, and met them, folks are more helpful.
Many folks expect us to be a human search engine, giving them perfect data and fixes...
Sometimes we do know the answers.....but when you have helped 15 people troubleshoot a low speed fan resistor on a gen1 and know the info is around and folks are asking for info, WHY WOULD a person help a random stranger (yes, many are) when we have friends, acquaintance, and folks you have met asking for help?
Sorry...not trying to be elitist, but clubs are that.... groups of people helping each other out, and having social interactions.....
How many threads do we get with basic questions....things that are made complex just cuse OCD internet folks go crazy trying to perfect an imperfect thing?
Unfortunately some people lack people skills....or sometimes fail to provide basic info...
They say I have a mini and blllblaaablaa....we ask...
And they never reply back...
Answers can take DAYS, it's not instant...many folks visit WEEKLY or less.

 

I'm one of the new lifestyle Mini buyers. After Jags and Range Rovers we thought the Mini Clubman S All4 might be a hoot. We're getting older but still like to have fun and Mini seems to be one of the few rides that is both practical and fun, with some real style. But you are right. Ride and build quality and premium features are a must for us old high line guys. Our Clubman is in the works. Got the Production Number in my hand.

 

Definitely a different market of buyers now which changes the forum community.

 

Some perspective from a new member- I bought my R53 back in December and received a good amount of response from my "Hello" thread. After that, this form has been a great resource of knowledge. I was able to fix all of the existing issues with my 100k mi car, create a mod path, and start down it all by solely using the search tool. The trouble is that since I haven't created any threads here (because all the information is readily available), I haven't started any dialog and made any connections with other members.

What I'd like to see on NAM is a section dedicated to Member Journals. On M3Forum.net, a member can create a Member Journal or "build thread" which follows their car and shares their experiences. Things that might not be worthy of a thread all their own can be posted in the journal and a dialog can be formed between members. When someone comments on your journal, you can go look at theirs to see what they are up to. It's sort of like peeking into your neighbor's garage to check out what's going on. It helps to build connections and relationships but also to spread knowledge. This really helps adapt the forum to the 'new-to-me R53 enthusiast owner' who buys the car as a project, wants to engage with the community, but doesn't want to start individual threads discussing how great poly control arm bushings feel how or how hard it was to separate headlight lenses to paint the housings black.

Is there a place like this on NAM that I'm missing? or should I just start a journal in the R53 Hatch Talk Forum?
Example of Member Journal section on M3Forum: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/forumdisplay.php?f=87
edit: notice there isn't a separate section for each generation, so members can congregate cross-generation.

A good example of a journal I'd like to have on NAM: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=542601

 

I'd love to see those on NAM; there are some occasional build threads but not a structure that encourages lifetime threads that way.

Good luck though; since Internet Brands bought NAM some years back, the moderation has been non-existent. Go check out the 3rd gen forums, there is an F56 section, but no F54 Clubman or F55 4-door. IB has basically treated NAM with benign neglect; it's just a way to get revenue from ads and sponsorships. There isn't anybody running the place who actually cares about MINIs, or the community.

This place isn't the same NAM I found in 2009 when I got my first MINI. I guess I'm still here out of inertia.

For what it's worth, there is a small MINI community on Reddit; it's low volume and has a lot of folks popping in and out, but there is an active core of regulars. I like it.

 

Just have to create a sub-forum for it and then have some guidelines for posting in it. The long term build threads are awesome. Have you seen this one on a guy chopping his roof? https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...op-mini-5.html

 

I realize that I am breaking my own rule of not posting after having had a few drinks, it is only Tuesday and I have had more than a few. But...

Most "build threads" here on NAM are "I plasti-dipped this and put carbon fiber on that. And then I added a shift ****." Some people are into the cosmetic thing and that's OK, I just don't follow those threads, it isn't what I'm interested in but that doesn't mean it's bad. There are a few exceptions of real engine and car builds, you know who you are.

Personally, I'm into functional modifications that add performance and driving enjoyment. I try to add information to the forum that will help others make decisions or make their own mods, in return for all I have learned here..

If you want to read threads that detail people doing amazing things with their cars, check out "The Projects" section of mini ***ahem*** torque.com. There is truly a sense of community. Sometimes it's a bit too much of the inside jokes and "cheers, mate" type of content but if you want to be inspired by what's possible with a Mini, that's what you should be reading.

 

Right there is a 'Woeful etc.' situation. There are other forums in the big arena but there's a jealous little imp on the wings of this one that gets all pi$$y when one is mentioned. Wouldn't it be great if 'MINI problem A' asks a question, the best answer being on another forum. That 'A' could easily be directed to the solution of that problem.

 

To the first post:
There is help here most of the time, but also remember it is summer time and many Mini enthusiasts are out and about often, this time of year.
We are a smaller group than many, as Minis have a cult following and not mainstream. When you buy and drive one of these cars, you immediately see, why they are so loved. They handle like on rails. the tiny four banger puts out good power and performance (even before the mods begin) and they are always an Eye Catcher. These are handling genius and a great car in the hands of the beholder.
There are many here that can help you!
Itsme Wayne

 

I frequent this forum as well as plenty other with my other interests. The traffic is down here IMO because it is such a wide spectrum. From model variations, to usage variations from touring to racing to modding variations. It is a little narrower of a scope on others.

For me I don't care about any other models but the 2 door and even more the S and JCW. I also don't care about all the how to threads that are WAY beyond my mechanical ability so those threads as well don't get any traffic from me because I can't contribute.

Having said that I enjoy surfing this forum as I have found that there is plenty of info and the people are kind and not a bunch of dirt bags so I enjoy it. I also think the vendors here are fairly harmless and post mostly relevant info and not just spam everywhere.

 

Congratulations.
Nothing wrong with bringing in new owners. Glad YOU found a MINI that will make you happy.
Think some of the dissatisfaction with MINI has been change...the fact they are moving from a premium small car with performance to more of a baby BMW or introductory luxury car with zip.....things change...but the MINI did inspire folks as a niche brand and changed and influenced many of our lives.
I stay here generally jumping on in my free time, to help newer owners with the older cars....some of the "quirks" on gen1 cars are kinda nuanced, but fixes can be hard if the info is not known, and could get $$ fast....but sometimes a $5 fix will work when a shop might send $500 for no change....
Yeah...forums have changed ...
And at this one, the owner changed, and it has had VERY FEW UODATES in years...kinda slowly dying on the vine...but forums like this are generally considered to be dated with a limited future...so its just a part of a larger revenue generating item in a portfolio to be milked before death by selling adds....
Other social media has caught the attention of bussiness, and car forums are a shrinking back-water...hate to say it...
But back when I joined, seeing 40+ pages of "new" posts a day was common....now it is maybe 1 or 2

 

I've been reading subsequent comments with interest. I wasn't aware of Internet Brands Automotive until that name was mentioned and I scrolled down to see that at bottom center of every page view. As the above link shows, the brands represented with related forums is extensive. I was surprised to see Ford F150 Forum included, on which I've been active (different username) for a few years. While likely true that truck owners are a different breed of enthusiast than are MINI owners, take a look at the impressive number of threads/posts within the main index. Just as with MINI vehicles, most folks buy (or lease) Ford trucks and drive them without participating in discussion forums of any kind. Nonetheless, new thread topics there rarely go unanswered - even when posted by a newbie who didn't use the search feature.

Can NAM generate activity on that level? Clearly not but I still think this place can and should be much more active than what I've seen by viewing daily for 3 months. This should be the go-to place to discuss things MINI (and Mini). IMO, key to success belongs to all "active" members - not just those whom have contributed for several years.

 

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/pag...autosales.html

460,000+ to 30,000. 2016 ytd Ford F series pu truck vs MINI.

Lots of them to a wee small bit of us.

 

Since I first got my MINI in 2010, I have read posts, replied to posts, and started posts much more in the first couple of years. I found out how to change my own oil, install LED daytime running lights, add leather armrest covers etc. I also helped others when I could.

I found as the years passed I had my questions answered and I just kept coming back to stay current. As others have said, there is a huge amount of useful information here if you know how to find it. I believe that very few MINI owners keep posting/replying as the years go on. The newness has worn off, other cars become interesting, or life just gets in the way.

I must admit to checking out the 3rd gen posts the most now- just for curiosity. I may not participate as much, but that doesnt mean that I dont visit the site almost every single day. Once you own a MINI, it becomes more than just a car- if you are also an enthusiast. But more and more people are buying MINIs that would never even think of checking out a forum such as this. To them it is just a car.

 

So here's what happened to us. Started with Jags in the 1980's. We still have 2 "seeping" in our garage and we love them as family. They have quirks and personality and now attract lookers wherever we go because the design and lines speak to people in a deep way. Now that my RR Evoque lease is coming to an end, we looked at the new Jag F Pace and the Range Rovers and the new small Jag. No soul.


So the new Clubman catches my eye and my wife takes an ALL4 S with the lounge leather and Dynamic Damper Control, and the sunroof for a spin and she says that's our next car.


For those of us who cannot help but have I-Thou relationships with what we drive, most modern cars offer little satisfaction at that special deep level. Are we concerned that in a world of large lumbering SUV's we could die in our "little" (a relative term for true Mini lovers) Cooper S Clubman? Life is not without risk. And without risk there is no possibility for joy.


I'm 63 years old, new to Mini, and, hopefully, not too old to motor!! Looking at the Dinantronic Sport Performance mod and the NM Engineering Power Mod, so I think, lifestyle buyer that I am, I still have some Mini in me. I'll let you know after we take delivery in a few weeks. After all, as a lifestyle buyer, had to get one spec'd just the way we wanted it and there wasn't one even close in the USA.


Thanks for opening the forum to new members. And remember, while change is constant, progress is often an illusion.


Cheers!

 

Well said!

From time to time, as I read rants about 3rd gen cars being "not a mini" and "lost soul", I remember the 2nd gen rants saying the same thing compared to the 1st gen... And I can't help but chuckle a little, for the engineers who worked out the original BMC Mini themselves complained that the R50 — idolized by many today, including myself — was too big, too inefficient, too lumbering, too focused on comfort and safety.

Some things, perhaps, do not change, especially aversion to change

Glad your family has joined the Mini family! The new Clubman is a superb car. Pop over to the third gen forums; I started a thread last month in the Mods-Powertrain sub-forum posting all the various chips for the B48/46 engines I could find, and others contributed to that list. It's a nice example of what this forum can do, despite its low traffic.

One other thought on the forums based on a personal experience: I recently posted a set of wheels for sale here and went weeks without a bite. Then I posted them in a Facebook Mini classifieds group and immediately had inquiries; a week or so later and they were gone. The shift to the social networks is real. Makes me a little sad; Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram and the like aren't designed to share knowledge for easy future finding, nor to collect and organize it the way a well-run forum can. They work well for announcements, sales blasts, and very short term community, but ... Forums still have a role and I hope they don't become extinct.

But perhaps, like dial-up BBSes before them, their time will pass.

 

Here's a couple of pictures taken from the forum years ago that I just had to archive. They say a lot about these tough little guys.

 

Reassuring. I guess. Thanks.

 

I remember seeing another, I didn't copy it, of a bad collision. The MINI's engine block was sitting on the sidewalk while the driver and passenger both walked away. Collisions in MINIs are survivable in the extreme so says anecdotal evidence.

 

Amazing. And good to know.

 

Y'all might like this thread then:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...cs-thread.html

 

Bratling. Thanks for the link. I'm now sold on the safety designed into Minis. Just the other day a drunk driver in a large American SUV plowed into the rear of a Tesla on the 405 freeway and a child in the back seat of the Tesla was killed. Happened in SoCal on a clear day at 9 in the morning. I guess everyone has a number and when your number is up, well, there you are. Until then, keep motoring!

 

I'm still here. But rarely find anything interesting anymore. The Gen 1's are still running but anybody that's into modding them have pretty well already done so, and any information is readily available on this forum already. The same with the Gen 2. The Gen 3 cars are more catered to the generic car crowd. Hopefully, that will change as more we get down towards the facelift of the Gen3 cars. I'm sure the Gen 3 cars are pretty great still. But the community of MINI nutcases is shrinking.

Many of the MINI nuts from Gen 1 have moved on to other cars. My forum participation on NAM is a lot less than what i used to be. But I'm out motoring now.