422 replies to this topic

[Tanya]

This is exactly what some bini owners want. Soon they might be able to get classic insurance (some companies will allow it for cars over 10 years old) and then they will argue that the bini is a classic!!

To address Tanya's point of trying to keep mini vibrant and alive, how is this done by diluting the classic mini forum with BMWs? If we need to attract more enthusiasts, why start with MINI? There are plenty of classic owners who are pushed out of what is supposed to be classic events by binis.

Minidream94...haven't the mods got enough to do? Why should they have to spend time moving sections/posts about. What is wrong with bini owners using MINI2? Using your argument of MINI owners seeing how good the classic is, then why do we not include Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections? Surely they would also see the benefits and buy a classic mini.

There is another simple solution....the sign-up page could have a very polite notice stating that TMF is a forum for classic (Austin, Morris and Rover) minis and if you require help with the BMW MINI, here is a link to MINI2.

I do not see involving MINI owners in TMF further (we already have some) as diluting mini. While they may have a primary interest in MINI, I feel that it we are positive towards them, we can get some of them to be enthusiastic about mini. We need as many people as possible to be involved in mini, this IS what will keep mini vibrant and alive. I do not see getting MINI owners interested in mini as diluting mini. I feel that mini should remain for the masses, not a small group of enthusiasts and we should enthuse as many MINI owners, (and everyone else!) as possible.

Why a MINI section and not Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections? The clue is in the name! We need to recognise that we are in the minority in seeing such a divide between MINI and mini and I think the majority of the country associate MINI with mini. I feel for some MINI owners when they come on here, as at times they have been like lambs to the slaughter, as they have not appreciated that some members do not see an association between mini and MINI. It is a big surprise for them. I think that if they stumble across us, why not make them welcome and start getting them interested and involved in mini? And no, that is not diluting mini!

[Scallywag630]

This is exactly what some bini owners want. Soon they might be able to get classic insurance (some companies will allow it for cars over 10 years old) and then they will argue that the bini is a classic!!

To address Tanya's point of trying to keep mini vibrant and alive, how is this done by diluting the classic mini forum with BMWs? If we need to attract more enthusiasts, why start with MINI? There are plenty of classic owners who are pushed out of what is supposed to be classic events by binis.

Minidream94...haven't the mods got enough to do? Why should they have to spend time moving sections/posts about. What is wrong with bini owners using MINI2? Using your argument of MINI owners seeing how good the classic is, then why do we not include Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections? Surely they would also see the benefits and buy a classic mini.

There is another simple solution....the sign-up page could have a very polite notice stating that TMF is a forum for classic (Austin, Morris and Rover) minis and if you require help with the BMW MINI, here is a link to MINI2.

So your saying then that all classic minis from 1959 to 1994 only anything else must go on other forums. Sorry as from 1994 BMW owned the name design and everything else mini related so therefore is a BMW mini, so should the owners of these car not be allowed on then?
You can't say yes as they are BMW minis.

Strange but I don't see any BMW badges on 1995-2000 classic minis, nor did I see any being sold by BMW dealers.

[dave585]

They were still sold though Rover dealers as BMW stilled owned rover at the time, I'm shocked you didn't know that!
The new wings logo came on the new as it was decided to keep the old for the classic and new logo for the new.
If you look in the hand book you will see that it will say the following A BMW company therefore a BMW built car!
Still if you only want a only a classic forum then you must turn these owners away and redirect them to a BMW mini forum!
And you can't say otherwise because it's a fact they are BMW not rover or Austin because the name design etc became BMW property in 1994!

[Scallywag630]

They were still sold though Rover dealers as BMW stilled owned rover at the time, I'm shocked you didn't know that!

And I'm surprised that you don't know that Rover dealers were not owned by BMW or Rover...fact, I owned one!

The new wings logo came on the new as it was decided to keep the old for the classic and new logo for the new.

The new logo was kept for the new BMW MINI for the purpose of differentiating it from the classic model.

If you look in the hand book you will see that it will say the following A BMW company therefore a BMW built car!

Strange...the handbook for my 1996 cooper does not mention BMW atall.


Still if you only want a only a classic forum then you must turn these owners away and redirect them to a BMW mini forum!
And you can't say otherwise because it's a fact they are BMW not rover or Austin because the name design etc became BMW property in 1994!

They might have become the property of BMW but they are still the original, designed by The Greek God, shape and size everyone knew and loved as the mini. The BMW MINI is no more special than anyother euro box mass produced medium sized car. I am not saying it is not a good car, but the only mini thing about it is the badge.

Edited by Scallywag630, 26 December 2010 - 09:02 PM.

[E.L.M.O]

Why a MINI section and not Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections?

I noticed you stayed away from mentioning the Metro. Is it because we all know that the Metro is more Mini than the Bini will ever be?

[Bungle]

i think the metro is the missing link between mini and bini

larger than a mini with a hatch back and some even had a different engine to the A series

if we go down the BINI route we should also cover all metros

[Tanya]

Why a MINI section and not Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections?

I noticed you stayed away from mentioning the Metro. Is it because we all know that the Metro is more Mini than the Bini will ever be?

Minidream94...haven't the mods got enough to do? Why should they have to spend time moving sections/posts about. What is wrong with bini owners using MINI2? Using your argument of MINI owners seeing how good the classic is, then why do we not include Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections? Surely they would also see the benefits and buy a classic mini.

I only mentioned Fiesta, VW or Toyota as I was responding to the above post. While the Metro does share some components with mini, people tend not to associated Metro with mini in the same way as mini with MINI. Metro owners would not expect The Mini Forum to be particularly for them, although they may hazard a guess that we could help on some things, but many MINI people who are not in the 'mini/MINI' know would expect to be welcomed on TMF.

[dave585]

Why a MINI section and not Fiesta, VW or Toyota sections?

I noticed you stayed away from mentioning the Metro. Is it because we all know that the Metro is more Mini than the Bini will ever be?

The metro the car rover brought out to replace the mini?
The one many cars brought out to replace the mini from Alecs x90? Thank god they didn't.

[Tanya]

i think the metro is the missing link between mini and bini

larger than a mini with a hatch back and some even had a different engine to the A series

if we go down the BINI route we should also cover all metros

Why? Other than diehard mini, Metro and British motoring enthusiasts, people do not associate mini with Metro in the same way as they do mini with MINI. Maybe, that's what we need to come to terms with?

[Tanya]

If you look in the hand book you will see that it will say the following A BMW company therefore a BMW built car!

Strange...the handbook for my 1996 cooper does not mention BMW atall.

I've just checked the back of my 2000 Cooper Sport's handbook, service book etc, and they all say 'Rover Group Limited 1999' and underneath that, A BMW Group Company. Don't know if that clarifies things or not?!

I do feel that mini is a bit like a child between warring parents. I just hope we don't lose focus of what really matters, which is mini and its future.

[panelbeaterpeter]

This is ridiculous. Hmm I haven't been on Minifinity for a while..

[Bec]

At the moment the rules say we're BMW mini tolerant and more focused on the classic mini and we're staying with that for now on the forum itself however 2011 will see a big overhaul of TMF so we're still in the process of making decisions on many things including the BMW mini - I don't see the urgency in deciding that we're completely a classic forum right now, we've discussed this so many times before and stayed with idea that we'd link people to other forums with more specialised information. Remember many of our members own both the new and old minis and it is the 'new' mini so there will always be questions about what we should do if anything on TMF to reflect this.

Currently we don't have enough people with knowledge of the BMW mini in our staff which we could resolve if required but also more importantly there doesn't appear to be a massive demand for us to set up a BMW section. With so many BMW mini forums that are well established and full of brilliant tech info we've got to consider what we could offer at the side of them - at this very moment it doesn't appear much but we're open to the idea if the demand is there. We'll always listen to what members of TMF say and ask for whilst keeping an eye on how many people use our forum to ask for information on BMW minis. We're very interested in what our members have got to say when there are sensible suggestions and requests so topics like this do help so we know people's views, just as long as they're on topic, factual and/or own first hand experience and thoughts - people giving sweeping generalisations on what they 'think' other people's views are don't help anyone.

[Bungle]

i think the metro is the missing link between mini and bini

larger than a mini with a hatch back and some even had a different engine to the A series

if we go down the BINI route we should also cover all metros

Why? Other than diehard mini, Metro and British motoring enthusiasts, people do not associate mini with Metro in the same way as they do mini with MINI. Maybe, that's what we need to come to terms with?

my mum still calls metros mini metros

[Tanya]

i think the metro is the missing link between mini and bini

larger than a mini with a hatch back and some even had a different engine to the A series

if we go down the BINI route we should also cover all metros

Why? Other than diehard mini, Metro and British motoring enthusiasts, people do not associate mini with Metro in the same way as they do mini with MINI. Maybe, that's what we need to come to terms with?

my mum still calls metros mini metros

Ha ha, sorry this is a bit off topic, but it made me laugh!

Edited by Tanya, 26 December 2010 - 09:57 PM.

[samsfern]

why not invite the vdub world to the forum? And the ford club, why not the honda lot whilst were at it? It isnt right, in my opinion.