Lancia Motor Club

Just had a look at the latest stats and with the large amount of varied subjects & the response these generate, I feel sad that we still only have 314 members of the Forum which is probably something like 20%? of the LMC Membership, is it that we're not pushing the Forum hard enough? (I can't remember anything recent in "Viva Lancia")  a lot of members who are not PC literate or just not interested?
Or is it the case That they just don't know what their missing ???
It has been said time and again how helpful the collective Knowledge on the forum has been to members, just look at the traffic generated by Super Chuggas restorations! David Lavers trials, tribulations and great solutions  with his  Augusta special, Neil cundy's Fulvia ,Restoration, and the ongoing "what the hell is it", problems of Robin Lacey and Modestine!, just to mention a few of the great subjects of the postings on the Forum.
If we didn't love our Lancias the way we do, then there would be many bonfires around the kingdom and men (mainly) twiddling their collective thumbs ;D
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Brian
8227 8) 

Brian, I have to agree. I wonder whether it's like Lancia = Rust .... Forum = Nasty Comments / Arguments and we can't get rid of that.

I've always thought that VL! should include excerts from the Forum (like the topics you've mentioned) or should take the interesting threads and get a full article written.

Perhaps something that hasn't been said is that you can just "read" the forum quite happily (like VL!) there's no requirement to post anything and (just like VL!) you never know what is going to be posted ....

Footnote: Just looking at Chugga's thread there are now 83 messages, it's been read 2036 times and has been running since September last year ....

I've been disappointed with the general lack of activity on the forum to be honest. Can go for days without many postings. Compare it for instance with the Fiat Barchetta forum. Can't be many more of those on the roads than Lancias but it is always buzzing. Perhaps it is down to too many Integrale owners being elsewhere and too many of the older cars being owned by folks who don't want to mix it with the commoners!!

well i have to agree, its rare that a day goes by without me having a look on here, when vl comes through the post i just have a quick flick through and if i'm honest usually at the classifieds then dont bother again (unless there is something of interest to read), i far prefere reading others on goin tales and its good to see others problems being diagnosed by others experience, its good to see other members tricks and tips, you may not agree with all of them but thats life!, it is a shame there arn't more on here but the forum maybe scared with its past, unfortunate but possible, and i have only got praise for it, this forum is responcibloe for me bringing 4 more lancia's home so full marks  ;D, both my augustas and an aprilia came to me thanks to a tip off from ade rudler, and the ardea (THE BEAST)thanks to david laver so low numbers on here might not be such a bad thing for me , meens i can carry on hoovering up lancias from all over the country without others being tipped off hehe :D, always thought it would be good to (print off) something like niel cundy"s resto and shove it in vl 2 show whats going on on here, maybe a center spread in a copy of vl with various threads, not the whole story just enough to encourage people to log in and see the outcome :) another good point is that its also very encouraging when others chip in with their comments and advice, i was really pleased when i had advice on colours for the gussey and the possitive feedback i've had about the truck and the way its stating to look, its good to share your thoughts with others

I agree with all. As Chugga and Brian have said, it's a source of great information and encouragement and not a little good banter, and yes they are missing something, yet as Lindsey says it woefully under utilised by the club as a whole. But only the users will change that as the committee and those that are on it (with perhaps 2 notable exceptions and Don/Diana) and President and Chairman have never attempted to promote or support it.

One or two of those elected officials who could (should?) offer support often browse the forum but never utter a word - presumably they are learning something from what is posted and enjoying the enthusiasum? Wouldn't it be refreshing if they would use their position to encourage others in the club to have a go for the good of the club via the mag to give the forum a degree of club legitimacy and credibility.

Not sure about Lindsey commenst about "commoners". I think its more about some people not using computors or being comfortable with using any forum, rather than model aparthied (my experience anyway).

Hopefully we will get some positive news at the AGM, but it seems along time ago since Chris, Lee and I wrote a piece for the mag.

All the best to the users !

commoner hmmmm i asked my girlfriend if i was a commoner, she replied no darling your certainaly a rare breed  ::), not sure if that was a compliment though  ??? i totally agree with neal that more could be done by president and chairman to promote this area though, don and diana are both very active on here so hats off atleast they do promote it, more should definatly be done to bring this part of the lmc MORE ALIVE!!! its good now and no complaints about the forum its self its brilliant but more activity would be better, think i just wanna see more resto's  :D and anyone else reading MORE PICTURES PLEASE!!!! DONT BE SHY!!  ;)

As a relative newcomer i like the forum very much, but i do think it would be nice to get the odd extract from here into VL, mainly to get people more involved in the Club overall. The first i knew of the LMC was when i googled Lancia Clubs, so the website and this forum were my first ports of call! It would be nice to see a few more ongoing project from people just to spur me on with mine! (But please not to many Classifieds, i'll never finish the Delta if i keep buying more cars!)

    Surely you mean Buy not see?!  ;D

damn and blast i've been busted again!!!! :D

It would be good to see greater participation on the website and I think it lamentable that with one or two notable exceptions the LMC officers and committee members choose not to have a presence on it. They must be computer users as they all have email addresses!

The forum will doubtless get a mention in the various reports at the AGM which will, I'm sure, amuse some of us.

However, its not an unusual state of affairs. I visited a site recently which has almost 10,000 members and a thread was running bemoaning the fact that, although it was visited by hundreds of those members on a daily basis, only around 30 were regular posters.

So, its just we happy band for the foreseeable future I guess at least until the powers that be sign up and Viva Lancia promotes it each month.

Curious ain't it!

Robin.

I suspect that it's true of most forums : how ever many users there are only ever a few posters. But I'd agree with all the points raised - as everyone seems to. As a suggestion for someone : perhaps we could get a regular "Forum Hot Topics" in VL! every month.

Here's the starter for June:
Topic + views
Lancia cars seen on the road  20702
The "WARBY" Lounge  5702
Fanalone restoration  5501
Modestine   4181
Thesis in the UK  3332
Appia radiator louvre thermostat  2986
Lancias in Auto Italia  2740
Bristol Area  2707
back on the road ..........fingers crossed  2653
Lancia Video Group

the people not posting thing can also be related to them thinking others arnt interested to here, this is exactly what i thought before i started posting, didnt think anyone would be interested until someone on here put it to me that if your interested in other people's projects then why wouldnt others be interested in yours, which is very true, i dont just read about the cars that interest me the most i read all the topics as i feel its gud to see were all in the same boat 1 way or another  ;D

Sad I know, but when I turn my PC on I look at my emails, the Spam Folder just in case anything has got in there by mistake, and then I read all the postings on the Forum.

Brian
8227 8)

Confession of an addicted administrator: the forum is my home page on my PC. I've just changed my phone, and now have a proper browser, so I'm finding myself checking the forum when I'm out and about, too.  :-[

I love the forum like the best of us, but time becomes the essence when making lots of posts.

I think too that not everyone is comfortable getting on a 'Speakers Corner Soap Box' and would rather read others posts instead.

But while it's up to us to post material on the Forum, it's also up to us to send stuff on to Jack and "Vva-Lancia" too.  I did this with my preview article on the nouvo Delta last year which was hardly a 'tweet'.  :D

Kindest regards,

Yes but.....The point I (and others I think) are making is that the Website and forum will become (already is becoming) the primary shop window for the club, both in attracting new members and providing a repository for knowledge. Individual members writing articles for Jack and and VL is to be encouraged, but what I think gets our collective goat is that it seems to be seen as just that, an individual endeavour. Whilst doffing my hat to Rodders and Harvey for they work they do to gives us the sandpit to play in - with respect, this is important and fundamental enough to the long term health of the club that it is a club endeavour, but you'd struggle to arrive at that conclusion as a spectator looking for a bit of club endorsement.

The club being the elected members !

Now Neil, step away from that soap box  ;D

Erm, Rodders and I are no longer committee members! I know the forum gets read by some on the committee (but not all). Some people have the view that having spent all day looking at a computer screen, they'd rather not do it in the evenings, too. Fair point, but some wider endorsement would be useful!

Sorry, but if this is true then I find it absolutely incredible.

Robin.

    It may be that the type of people who like messing about with lancias aren't generally the sort of people who gravitate to online forums. What little time I have for doing Lancia things tends to be spent in the garage rather than in front of the computer. Having said which wider exposure of the forum wouldn't be a bad thing. Could a projector be found and a presentation be done at the AGM? 

On a similar note I am constantly amazed by the number of dedicated Lancia owners I meet at events who wouldn't dream of joining the Lancia Motor Club. Brian and I met at least three at Classics in the Walled Garden yesterday.

Strange one should own a particular car and not want to share the experience and look for support.

I guess you can divide them into two camps - those who don't want to be in a club, and those who ask what's in it for them if they do join the club.

Sharing the experience is a non-issue. There are so many car shows and events around now that being a member of a club is no longer necessary. The vast majority of events LMC members go to (or arrange) are open access so there is ample opportunity for non-members to attend and mingle (vis Brian and Frank's experience).

Looking for support is a combination I believe of encouragement (misery loves company :D), technical know-how and the ease and convenience with which it can be accessed. Regarding Lancias, the specialists will give advice and sell parts to anyone (obviously!) and there are at least two other forums I know of which have excellent traffic and advice, one of which has a plethora of Lancia documents and publications available on the site. You don't have to be a member of either to post. Recently two new UK Fulvia owners have joined one of these - both are restoring their cars and neither is posting on here. For the older and more esoteric cars I can see a more compelling case for being in the LMC, but as there are many who aren't maybe the same applies.

So in answer to your question Peter, there are plenty of places where you can get both for nowt. The question we have to ask is what is the compelling reason to join the LMC?

Neal,

You pose a really interesting question: “what is the compelling reason to join the LMC?” You say, “sharing the experience” is a non-issue, well I am not sure about that. Sharing the experience of owning and running old cars is for sure easy to come by and that may be a non-issue. But the reality for lots of us is that sharing the experience of Lancia is very special, highly valued and doesn’t come easy.

I would like to think the LMC provides a common ground for Lancia-afflicted-kindred spirits to share their knowledge of why it’s all so special - and, importantly to give some continuity with the past. All Lancias are lovely, but let’s face it, the history and the legacy of genius engineering design is what makes it so important. The compelling reason for joining the LMC is surely that it is the only club that can offer anything like the continuity of association with Lancia over many years.

As to why this Forum has such a low profile for LMC members: I have resisted commenting here, but look back at forum posts in the Members Only section, Improvements to the web presence etc, to see the thread following the Committee Notes after the February 2009 meeting. Comparisons with the VSCC are still valid.

Hopefully the forthcoming AGM and reports on the five year plan will be reassuring.

Colin

Colin, thanks for your post - they are always worth reading and provoke one to think a bit more. Here's my "more" thoughts:

Playing devils advocate for a moment I would ask why is that a compelling reason? When we who are in the club ask what the compelling reason is we must put ourselves in the shoes of the person who isn't a member. That there are many Lancia owners not in the club surely provides some evidence that club history itself is not a compelling reason. Club history is a memory of what previous members got yesterday, not what future members could expect tomorrow - and expectations have changed.

I can think of many compelling reasons, comraderie, technical knowledge, parts swaping etc (but I am a member - have been for 20 years) - but they are so well hidden, un-publisied and in-convienient to access that only (some?) members know they are there. Prospective members wouldn't have a clue they even existed. The internet and the forum is the resource that can change that.

When you are a new owner your first port of call is likely to be the internet in todays world. Huib will send you a disc with all the technical information you need for €20, no hassel and its publisied. Or you can go on Lancisti.com and download most of the information there and then, each has a lively forum, many of the whom are LMC members giving advice (and seaking it), and they are free 24/7. To a new member that would be a compelling reason to go there and not here (and I quoted two examples in the last month).

My arguement is not so much that there are no compelling reasons per se, more what is the compellng reason to make people look? Rather like a restaurant - if the window dressing and front tables look crap you don't go in, but you may miss out on the best meal you never had ! We make it so hard to see that we run the risk of going unnoticed.

In this day and age the high street is the internet, we have been provided with a cracking front window but, apart from a few hardy members trying hard to provide the window dressing and front tables, we are bereft of encouragment, support and executive sponsorship. So we can believe we have all the compelling reasons in the world but our use of the shop window is so lamentably poor, prospective customers just walk past. It should be a club initiative.

Perhaps I should have phrased it "how do we make the compelling reasons so bloody obvious nobody can ignore us" :D

My arguement is not so much that there are no compelling reasons per se, more what is the compellng reason to make people look? Rather like a restaurant - if the window dressing and front tables look crap you don't go in, but you may miss out on the best meal you never had ! We make it so hard to see that we run the risk of going unnoticed.

In this day and age the high street is the internet, we have been provided with a cracking front window but, apart from a few hardy members trying hard to provide the window dressing and front tables, we are bereft of encouragment, support and executive sponsorship. So we can believe we have all the compelling reasons in the world but our use of the shop window is so lamentably poor, prospective customers just walk past. It should be a club initiat

[/quote]brilliant!!!!! well said and very true, never thought of it like that but i totally agree  ;)

I think probably the single biggest handicap this forum faces is that you have to be a member of the LMC to make real use of it. Contrast this to sites such as Lancisti.com (as already mentioned) and alfabb.com. Both are free to register on and make full use of. It is an inescapable fact that the majority of people do not expect to pay to use services such as forums on the internet. I think it is also an inescapable fact that worldwide the Lancia community is much smaller than, say that of Alfa Romeo.

Tell me a more active Lancia forum thats as well organised as this one?

I do agree it is a shame that it would appear that most Lancia owners are not involved with the forum which is odd and in my view not in keeping with fostering a desire to own one of most technically advanced motor cars of any and all time.

However everyone to their own and if we were all alike it would be called the Daewoo motor club!!!

We should relish the exclusivity!

Tim

Forum is a continuous form of monthly get together. BTW Vale of Evesham meeting is tomorrow, call please for details 01386871040

There isn't one - but there are plenty that are better utilized by the clubs / individuals that have set them up. Which is my point.

I think I may not have expressed myself clearly – I am not arguing that the history of the LMC is sufficiently interesting to attract anyone into membership! (This is one of the reasons why I was not in support of the idea of using the Ted Bates Legacy on the proposed book.) As Neal has posted, “Club history is a memory of what previous members got yesterday” – I agree nobody is interested in that.

When I posted: “the LMC is surely the only club that can offer anything like the continuity of association with Lancia over many years.” What I meant to convey is that it is only the LMC that can give a prospective member an association with Lancia from the earliest days through to the Delta and beyond. For sure I am particularly interested in Fulvia because I own and delight in one, but I am equally interested in reading about, and sometimes sharing views on everything from Lambda to Delta.

Maybe my views are not shared by many, but I would like to think that a prospective new member who has just bought a ‘modern’ Lancia would be interested to be part of a club that also embraces the earlier models on which its legendary status is based. Single models forums and help lines can never aspire to that.

Colin

Is not the issue being discussed the one as to why there are so few users on the forum? I am not disputing the value of the LMC to many people. However, for may people the obligation to join the LMC and pay a subscribtion is an instant deterent to joining the forum. As it stands the forum is an extension of the LMC not a self standing or seperate entity. Whilst I am not saying that the Forum should be divorced from the LMC I do see the need to join the LMC to fully use the forum a real stumbling block to expanded Forum membership.

I believe Brians original point is that something like only 20% of the LMC membership uses the Forum. The question surely is where are the other 80% of these people? They've paid their sunscriptions, there is nothing more to pay. Admitted ly not everyone has Internet access, and not everyone wants to come on the Forum but as Brian says, surely more than 20%?

Is it purely that they don't know about it? Is it that they don't want to come on here?

More questions than answers, Sorry!  ::)

Chris,

I think my second post on this thread answers that in that in the past there has been negativety on here. It doesn't happen any more and it's the only forum I'm comfortable posting on (maybe cos over the past couple of years I've met so many people in the real world).

I like Neil's analagy of the Shop Window and I think Peter is exactly right : it's like an on going monthly meeting :)

Here's another question : what % of the membership go to monthly meetings ? Has anyone collected that statistic

Interesting point. Our area has a good turn out and combines with Historic Rally Car Register. We also meet on Sunday for lunch which seems to work well, although I sometimes worry the cost of bringing a family out may be off putting. During the summer(!) we change venue to be part of other ineresting events. I still feel V/L is the weak link within the club. I have just received a batch of LMC Journals from 1967 on and each one is a great fifty page read. Goodness nows how much time was required in its production. Maybe Nigel Hargreaves (Much Ado) can answer the question. There were also News-sheets.  I find this and the lack of internet investment by the Club very frustrating. Oh dear, another black mark.

Peter

It would be interesting to calculate if subs have kept pace with costs over the decade??

Would we want to pay say double or treble current to get more??

Tim

The question could be. Is membership of any club really necessary nowadays?