What happened to the NAM forum? It's a ghost town compared to when I last owned a Mini in 2008 or so. Where did everyone go?

 

Facebook has been the death of forums across the entire internet.

 

+1

Everybody nowadays likes abbreviated catchphrases and hashtag consciousness.

TL/DR

In other words,
word makes world:
lang
u
age
prism flip to image
,hang
on a comma quote
-comatose.

I'm sitting in front of an antiquated qwerty keyboard and henpecking letters in a string trying to convey some sort of elucidation with extremely abstract symbols that supposedly signify meaning, like a grok jockey trying to break a horse, or some thing more phantasmagoric like hello.

Really,
I think the lack of fun smilies here at NAM has contributed to depopulation,
or at least been a factor.
LOL

I mean dead bananas 'n stuff make it all so much more entertaining somehow...

It's all toasty! though because NAM is still alive and continues to be an invaluable resource, and in fact is quite a bit more active comparatively to other automotive forums.

The rise of smartphones has greatly impacted forums it seems to me, internet users have become more passive I think, unless they're posting on instagram or whatever where it's easy peasy and not much coherent conversation is required, repost bro & tag that hit me up - like an endorphin reward.

g h o s t l y c l o t h e s

shimmer shimmer hologrammic the pixel trix

I am intentionally rambling here because Hemingway was a shotgun.

 

I just re joined from years ago. I noticed there has not been very many people here anymore. I think it is somewhat R56 culture and not F56. I have a Mellowyellow. doing all sorts of things to it. Found out about all kinds of new stuff(like the braided oil feed line). Have not really taken a pro active step towards solving and upgrading in a long time till now. I am more on the measurement side of things now. There is more out there for the R56's whether it be measuring for something because nobody outright has it or some does have it now that the r56's have been around for a awhile. more engine swaps(like that Valkhall or something like that. And stuff in general(like genuine MINI offering a plug for the rear of the valve cover.
only thing I have really done before 2 weeks ago was alot of maintenance. This time I ran through it with gaskets and the works starting with the rings. I am older now wanting to network any idea's that may have worked for me with others. And also to find out just how much people are modding there r56's. Because these cars are a sports car and can stand to have a little more eccentric upgrades and revisions.

 

I wouldn't even know how to use facebook for researching and discussion car topics. I hate facebook in general, that's too bad.

 

Just like forums killed newsgroups...

It's just too bad facebook groups are useless for actually finding information.

 

I think because it is summer and people on vacations that they're not messing with their minis lol

The only thing I started to dislike about this site is the fact not all new posts actually appear in the "new posts" section.

check this site at least three times a day and it is hard to click each section to see what's new.....There was a discussion about it but we have yet to get a working solution!

 

Facebook has had a big influence! I have a Honda S2000 and have been on the forums with them for almost as long as the Mini's and there was a big shift with the younger owners never making it to S2ki (the forum) and instead taking up their conversations on facebook. The issue is there's so many different groups, and the content is incredibly hard to filter out and find later on. It's also that a lot of the older generations are getting their content from a computer screen, while the younger groups are using phones, so how a forum is seen on a phone isn't as crisp as a facebook group. The moderation isn't usually as good on facebook, so you get a lot more random banter and less informative posts.

 

I haven't noticed that Ferrarichat has suffered from this. Maybe the owners there are just older (and smarter)?

 

• MINI sales are way down.
• Younger buyers aren't into cars like they used to be.
• Lots of younger people don't even want to own cars.
• Cars are getting more complex and harder to work on.

I haven't checked, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a growing forum for UBER riders to complain about how bad the ride was or how smelly the driver was.

Also noticed very low activity on many of the VW forums I looked at. Considering the volume of sales versus MINI that is even more of a shocker.

 

I would bet they're a lot older than many of the other groups on other forums and especially on facebook.

Go on Facebook and check out the significant amount of followers on the largest Mini groups. Some have hit 5000 active members and the posts are literally non-stop. To get info about different performance mods, I have to either try and search or post a new thread. They basically ask the same questions over and over again, similarly to forums, but they don't seem to be moderated as well. Maybe 'millennials' don't drive cars as much, but THIS millennial does! Friends that live in cities don't have cars, but that's usually a function of not having a place to park and it being cost prohibitive to pay for one. All of my friends in the burbs and rural areas need a car, as public transportation is usually really bad, or non-existent.

Check the VW facebook pages; there's an insane amount of members on the biggest pages!

 

Probably so, as well as the owners more prone to being hardcore enthusiasts with deep emotional investment.

It's sort of hit & miss across the auto boards, LotusTalk for example, like Ferrarichat, is also very lively, while one of my general faves, The Car Lounge on VW Vortex is nothing like it used to be in its heyday.

Sad facts because as mentioned already, forums provide the best searchable interface and allow for more in-depth discussion.

With regard to NAM in particular when considering member loss/migration, I think it also has to do with sales volume as the equation is different nowadays as opposed to back when MINI had such high demand with waiting lists etc. and there was a huge wave of enthused owners --- fast forward to today and the landscape is very different with light trucks/SUV/crossovers dominating the US roads while small car sales continue to plummet. What makes me most sad is the near-death of 3-door hatchbacks because I've always loved them and now it's almost rare to even see one!

The MINI sales chart volume of recent years is quite grim, and Fiat is on life support.

Traffic congestion, poor infrastructure, bad roads, and perhaps the millennial worldview/outlook/attitude have contributed to less and less people liking cars it seems as most rides are viewed as A-to-B appliances.

People see big trucks everywhere and then gotta get big themselves so it's like an arms race or sumthin' because apparently the whole adventurous active lifestyle vibe is bigtime zeitgeist right now even if folks don't actually do anything with all the space and weight of their vehicle they still might like to project themselves as athletically engaged some such or some thing...

...but mostly I'd reckon they go big just to feel safe,
and I don't or can't really blame them when stuff like the crash below is a fairly common occurrence.

 

I think many new buyers are not enthusiasts, like in the 2000's. Gen 1 Minis were enthusiasts cars, newer Minis are being geared for the larger car market. BMW says it is what people want these days! I really think it is so they can command a larger price! Make it bigger and they will pay! (in America). They forget there is a calling for street go-karts! (and they are now building a tiny BMW!
Remember when Mini drivers would wave, when other Mini Coopers drove by? Now you hardly ever see it, but I drive a first gen and I do get waves occasionally, to this day! It is a changing of the times, I guess!
Lets not forget the Facebook, Instagram and other non forum friendly media sources of the new days!
I guess I am just too old world to change!!!

 

Yep we talked about the FB groups here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-mini5280.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...b-is-dead.html

 

This is a far better format then facebook. If I'm wanting to research which wheels people have used on the track I can research old discussions here. I don't think I can do that on facebook (nor would I want to).

 

On the car thing in general, I don't get why anyone would want a big dumb truck. I think your IQ drops a substantial amount when you climb into one of those things. I guess I'm in the minority though.

Tesla seems to be doing ok with cars...

 

Indeed.



I'm ICE for life but the internal combustion engine is also going the way of the dodo bird and within a couple of generations after EV is total mainstream, an ICE car may be an enthusiast-only niche vehicle, the kids nowadays who do actually get a car all too often experience a withdrawn and detached experience which don't get the romantic juices flowing, well because up-to-date cars are now so digital that they have about all the passion of a wet blanket, just another device like a smartphone --- how many entry level raw visceral cars are out there at this moment?
Not too many in the US I'd reckon, so emotional connections just aren't being made in many cases.

I'll also echo the fumble of BMW's stewardship regarding the MINI marque and how they've watered it down to a soccermom ******* LOL by trying to appeal to a broader spectrum yet ultimately losing their core audience...

...and hellfire,
even the BMW brand itself has suffered, losing the plot with subpar styling as well as numbing out driver feels. BMW no longer produces the Ultimate Driving Machine and instead have cashed their checks by becoming an SUV company for the most part.

The vast divide between their glory days and today are stark and depressing.

 

I am glad I joined. I think forums are the best source of information and I look forward to learning more about my soon to be new to me 2014 Countryman S ALL4

 

Unfortunately, I think it is part of a trend where more and more people don't DIY anything. Forums are typically for hands on people who fix and build things themselves. Most modern cars are almost impossible to fix yourself without some expensive software and a computer. Those of us who are older and take pleasure in doing so go into it when cars were much simpler. We then progressed with the times to learn newer things as they came along. Thus, the barrier to entry was not as high as it would be for someone today who is just starting out. I probably have $5,000 in tools and still need more! Sadly, the days when a decent set of sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers would take you far have disappeared. Along with it has gone DIY culture. Kids today simply cannot easily cross the barrier to entry.

Oh, one more thing: Support Right To Repair legislation to end proprietary repair data! Corporations such as automakers, John Deere, Apple, Toshiba and others are fighting to use the DMCA to keep anyone who is not working for them from being able to get their hands on diagnostic materials and spare parts. They are trying to shut down third party diagnostic software as well as parts. Right to Repair would force them to share their repair data and trouble codes with anyone who wants them.

 

That's a good point regarding DIY auto repair, these days it does indeed require much more than a simple set of sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers.

Also,
for some reason I never equated the DMCA with cars, but by golly if it ain't something to be concerned about!

Thanks for the heads up.

https://repair.org/stand-up



:

Something I greatly miss comparing MINI ownership to having an old Saab is that apparently they just don't make concise, clear, and comprehensive factory manuals anymore.
I really liked that aspect where everything was laid out in extreme detail.

 

You can get the comprehensive Bentley manual for the MINI and it is around $120 if memory serves (I may need to find one on the used market as that is a bit steep for me!). However, there is NO information on the transmission as BMW never released any servicing data, at least for the R50/52/53. They would only sell complete transmissions and supplied no internal parts.

 

Even that is not available for the F56. The only thing approaching a service manual for the 3rd Gen cars is what you find on line.

 

2019 year to date sales are down 22% vs. 2018:



For a while I was charting out the sales data but I stopped updating it last summer. It just isn’t fun to watch my favorite car maker slide like this:

 

I think it all comes down to time.
None of us have enough time because we are all so busy.
So, make a change, get up early on the weekend and take your Mini
out for a nice drive
When you get home, post on NAM where you went and if you took some
photos post those too.

Lets start a new trend, the early morning riders, and enjoy that Mini while we still can.

 

I was talking to the Sales/Finance Manager a few months ago about trade in/ resale values. He lamented that the whole industry has changed and leasing is now the main focus of auto manufacturers. They make more money and thus are trying to appeal to the next generation of drivers. The result is 3 year lease term and warranty. The turned in car sale is not only gravy to them, but they get money from the service on new buyer. Things change. If I was younger and wanted to find a long term investment, it would be an aftermarket battery company retrofitting cells for EVs.