Fade away?

[Bob Purton]

Why is this discussion under "Sales and Auctions"?   

Because Jean asked me to split it away from another thread which was in sales and auctions. When I split it there didn't appear to be an option to the relocate the separated part in another category. Maybe only administrators can do that?

[milnes]

I guess if you are like me, sales and auctions and mart are the first threads i go to, so probably in the correct place to get everyones attention!
Again i will put my hand up, i've only registered one of my cars on Rum, for no other reason than i was waiting on them being roadworthy before registering. Which was stupid i guess, as that will probably be 30 years time.
Lessons learnt from me, all my cars will go on the register.
In fact through the register, i was contacted by Rumcar admin to ask if they could pass on my details to a guy interested in my registered car. I now communicate with this chap on a regular basis, so thank you Rumcar register!

[blob]

I haven't been on here much of late, but that's simply because I'm way too busy outside of our microcar hobby, but as Bob will tell you I'm still involved and still manage to hunt out the odd bit a Beaulieu twice a year. 

[Bob Purton]

I haven't been on here much of late, but that's simply because I'm way too busy outside of our microcar hobby, but as Bob will tell you I'm still involved and still manage to hunt out the odd bit a Beaulieu twice a year. 

And visit me this morning with goody bag of car parts for the secret project!  Thanks, I suppose I owe you more coffee now?

[steven mandell]

So far the comments seem to be purely on the role the Forum plays.  I do agree that it does play a very active part in the affairs of the Register of Unusual Microcars but it is only the tip of the iceberg.
The Register is not a Club and was never meant to be.  It was set up to protect the vehicles for life for which there was no 'one make' club and to help and inform their successive owners where we could.   Over the years a large archive of information has been gathered together which obviously helps to feed the articles in RUMCAR NEWS for the benefit of everybody. These archives are available to all and copies can be made for a small fee on request.  More importantly the new owner of a Registered car can obtain what history of a vehicle is recorded on our data base.
Please let us know any other ideas you may have if you wish the Register to continue be of use to the  microcar community in general.   Jean

I am enthralled by the concept of there not only being microcars, which are very unusual by simply being a micro car, but there actually being UNUSUAL microcars.  To me that is the creme de la creme.
Therefore the idea of any organization dealing with Unusual microcars is very appealing to me, and I truly appreciate this organization's existence.  However, I am a bit less clear as to the stated purpose of the organization. 
What is meant by your statement that Rumcars was set up to protect the vehicles for life?
I will truly appreciate it if I could have some way of scanning the archives for technical information that I have not been able to find, that is needed for me to properly maintain and repair the microcars that I have taken under my wing.  Is there an index of sorts for the archived technical information?
I cannot afford the time or membership cost to try to keep up with the many clubs that dedicate themselves to the microcar makes that I currently posses.  I also find it disturbing when organizations that purportedly exist to promote the health and maintenance of their chosen mark, go out of there way to limit the flow of needed technical information to only those willing to pay an additional fee for such.  Strikes me as hypocritical, and excuse the unintended demographic implication, to not be "the American way."

While on the subject of American ways; as Jim has pointed out previously there is no American counterpart to the British obsession with license plates and old registration books/ cards, so much of your mission statement is irrelevant to American, and probably most of the rest of the world's interests.   The history of a vehicle can certainly be interesting, but adds little in the way of value to our vehicles.
The only fake microcar we are likely to see here would be a newly built Peel, that would be likely easily discernible as such.  Also the cost of paper Rumcars issues at almost $13 per issue might be a bit of a hard sell here.
However, what may be North Americas largest microcar event the "Southwest Unique Little Car Show" is going to be taking place only about 5 miles down the street from me in just a couple of weeks.  I am hoping to get about a half dozen unusual microcars there, and would be proud to act as an ambassador for your lovely organization.  I am also the head of a 250 member sport car club within the Los Angeles area, and will be promoting this show to its members.  Hawking some older issues of Rumcars news, and supplying registration applications, or anything else that you would like distributed might go well, and I'd be happy to do it.
Please let me know how you would like me to proceed.

[Rob Dobie]

It always amazes me that some people will  pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds/dollars for a microcar and then begrudge paying a few pennies/cents for a club or a register membership/magazine.

Fake microcar? There are copies of various cars about but don't they only become fake if purporting to be the genuine article.

[Big Al]

That does raise the point that RUM is particularly British. Nothing wrong with that, probably means its better....     From when it began, to now, the whole world has changed. Just as the old Micro and Minicar Club had several ambassadorial positions round the place, I was honoured to be one of them, and was spread thinner than the American activities now, I suspect. That older club did have some elements of RUM to it. So an ambassadorial position or two in the more active Microcar countries might be an idea.

With respect to data and access this has always been the product of who was prepared to produce the original or a drafted set of information. In an ideal world there would be a Microcar encyclopedia on the net. The work would be great and possible full time to keep up. It is a fact that information is now a commodity and some people choose to charge for it. There is a balance somewhere. It is a problem though as if I was to compile a Haynes style manual for the Treinkel, say, I would want to sell copies to recoup some reward for the work. The minute someone posts the book on line my sales have dropped to minimal. With no way to protect that investment there is not a great incentive to do it. You yourself suggested you had not time to write an item on the Freeway front suspension. We all have the same problem and that is ignoring the ability, or patience, to create some flowing prose that is accurate and to be proud of. It is easy to make an error or to provide some very flat text that turns the reader off.

One thing that I hope to slowly address with my library, as it would be great to collect the published information on the cars, not the brochures perhaps - the collectors already do that and some collections are worth a lot of money. I am more interested in the information than the originality so facsimilies will do. That becomes a very handy resource not just for me but to folk who seek the info I might have.

[Jim Janecek]

There are copies of various cars about but don't they only become fake if purporting to be the genuine article.

The vast majority of Peel Replicas I have seen all have cards in the window put there by their owners that represent them as a "1963" or "1965" Peel P50. 

When the "new" Peel P50 was being advertised, it was done so as being built by "Peel Engineering" and the story was that the new owners had "bought the company". For the layman, this implied that they had purchased the original Peel Engineering company on the Isle of Man, when in fact all they did was "buy the company name" at Companies House at it was available for purchase.  Of course these are not "fakes" because they are actually built by "Peel Engineering" but just not the SAME Peel Engineering that created the original ones. 

However- their revisionist version of history continues now as they now appear to lay claim to owning "Peel" to further blur the line between historical fact and fantasy
from their website on the "History" page:

Peel was a manufacturing company based on the Isle of Man...In recent years Peel has been aquired (sic) by car enthusiast Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan.

The timeline of the page continues to go back and forth between the past and present with little differentiation between the two.

They also continue the claim that the Peel P50 still holds the Guinness World Record as "World's Smallest Car" when in fact the original P50 was recognized as the "World's Smallest Production Car".  The currently built model holds no such distinction.

So while not making a specific claim to be the genuine article that came from the Isle of Man, the picture painted is that the old and new are one and the same.

[Bob Purton]

Robs statement holds true. Jims statement also hold true although no self respecting microcar enthusiast view the latest shame offering as a real Peel, all that misleading blurb is to reassure the uninformed that they are making a sound investment, yeh right!

[steven mandell]

That does raise the point that RUM is particularly British.  So an ambassadorial position or two in the more active Microcar countries might be an idea.

 You yourself suggested you had not time to write an item on the Freeway front suspension. We all have the same problem and that is ignoring the ability, or patience, to create some flowing prose that is accurate and to be proud of. It is easy to make an error or to provide some very flat text that turns the reader off.

Does Rumcars want me to act as a Southern California ambassador disseminating information, and selling old issues of your publication at this upcoming biggest North American event?

What I meant to imply was that I did not have time to write a complete compilation, properly prepared with pictures/ diagrams to do the topic full justice at this time.  For if I was to do so, I would likely be a microcar or two down on what I can get driving to the West coast microcar show in a couple of weeks.
If you notice, I did offer to spend 30 minutes explaining all that I have done on the phone to whomsoever has the interest and time at the present to compile it.  Got no response to that offer, despite the supposed urgency of the request..  I later asked for someone to post a picture of the interior of the car showing the stock steering  set up out to the top of spring retainer mounted steering arms, so that my explanation of what was wrong with it, and how my modifications corrected the mangled engineering so effectively.  No action there either.  so it seems that there is an element of "I want what I need, but I amnot willing to do anything in return for getting it" out there.
Regardless, eventually I will be happy to author a series of articles about it if necessary, given proper editorial guidance, for publication in your magazine.  But right now I have to get out to my driveway to do some serious micro mechanicking.  I finally just received a Saxonette clutch and enigmatic retaining piece after 9 months apart.  I don't remember where exactly it goes, and I never did get the engine running yet.  See what I mean about needing information?
How about starting a Wilkepedia  style resource for microcar maintainers and mechanics?

[steven mandell]

 
I have plenty of back copies for sale but I am afraid I am unable to attend many rallies these days but some can be provided those of you who do if you would be willing to sell them on our behalf.
Let us have any other ideas you may have if you wish the Register to continue be of use to the  microcar community in general.   Jean

HELLO!   
IS THERE ANYBODY LISTENING TO MY POSTS AND P.M.s that really cares about the continued viability of Rumcars?
In addition to my three posts, I have comprehensively addressed and solved all problems associated with creating and manning a Rumcars booth at the largest North American microcar event of the year, to be held on March 29, 2014. 
I also have obtained permission to hawk older issues of Rumcars, which I believe to be essential to having an intervention that actually produces new enrollees, and got permission to include a pamphlet mentioning the availability of these issues at the Rumcars booth at a discounted price, along with an application form into the goodie bags being issued to all the attendees that are paying a fee to display their microcars.  This tactic would put Rumcar promotionals in the hands of attendees that are most likely to pay to join Rumcars.

I have communicated these accomplishments, and my willingness to handle all the tasks from this end to Chris, in a succession of four emails, after he initially contacted me about what promotional possibilities should be actualized.
To my astonishment, after solving all the problems on my end- he has gone silent, and not responded to my last couple of emails giving the go ahead to send some old issues for me to both display, and sell at the booth.
The argument that there is no budget for sending these in the post, because all dues collected go to printing and mailing costs rings hollow, as an electronic subscription that I just sent in, incurs neither of these costs, and any additional cost of mailing can be factored in to the price that the administrators decide to charge for each older issue sold.  All fees collected would go back to Rumcars via PayPal transfer.
I also conveyed my proposals and achievements in actualizing this excellent marketing opportunity on a completely pro bono basis on my part in a p.m. to Jean a couple of days ago, but as of yet have not received any response.

This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Rumcars, and it will pain me to see it wasted.
The uniqueness of the opportunity is owing to the closeness of the venue to my home.  I am making an all out effort to get a half dozen of my more unusual microcars there, and to set up the Rumcars booth next to them to take advantage of the stir in conversations that they are likely to draw.  FYI, A maximum of only one of the cars that  might make it their could be a British car that I have imported.  This ratio probably compares well to the ratio of microcars in the U.K. that have been imported- so no reason to panic about setting off a mass exodus of your indigenous vehicles.

Running down the clock can be an effective way to ensure a win, if you are in the lead position near the end of a game.  But in this instance, the lead is what is being sought, and wasting time will only insure a very easily preventable loss of opportunity.

If you want Rumcars to grow, instead of fading away, as it has been reported to be doing- send me the old issues so that I can effectively funnel my showings and enthusiasm for the benefit of Rumcars.
If you can not be bothered to do this, then just admit that you would rather have Rumcars " fade away", and stop disingenuously asking  for help in averting your chosen fate.

Sincerely,
Steven Mandell

[Jean]

Steve, you are not being ignored but your suggestions are impractical for this year please see my PM.  Jean

[john Meadows]

Steven , the tone of your last post to is to say the least unfortunate. If you wrote to me in such a manner I would be more than a little upset. I have known Jean for over 30 years and am very confident that any decisions she and her team make will be in the best interests of RumCar s.
Shouting  does little for her and nothing for you.

John

[Big Al]

 "I want what I need, but I am not willing to do anything in return for getting it"

I am not going to be drawn on the situation regarding ambassadorial positions for RUM. It was a suggestion of which I, as on outside voice, can make or support, but not influence in any way.

I can however vouch for the fact that your comment, above, is very much the order of the day from far more people who get in touch with me about things, than really makes any sense. I suspect a lot do not even realize they are doing it, as it is very much the modern way to demand things, expect a service fulfilled and then to disappear with narry an acknowledgement. Indeed I have even had complaints back about things given for free.
Sadly the answer is that many people do not value something unless forced to pay for it. Thus what should be free has to be charged for, to get people to value the service, as they are to stupid to be wise enough to behave themselves in a proper manner, if it is free.
One reason my ensign is as decried as oft as it is welcome. I have long chosen those I will help from past experience, and no amount of blubbing is going to change that, if I find my generosity has been abused. Was not I who made the choice. As you say, with a garden full of my own projects why should I bother with fair-weather friends.
Clubbing has to be a two way activity and so often I find myself attempting to achieve some goal, with all sorts of noises of encouragement, only to find next to no actual physical support on reaching a result. Classic Committee activity too, which is why I think I am out for joining another committee, and we are talking wider than Microcars here, now. One only goes through this so many times before becoming defensive. Thus I will bang out the odd item I wish to do for publication still, but much more of my time will be devoted to projects under my own control, which may lead to a marketable publications, where I receive something in return for my trouble and not risk prose being hacked about or bother so much about people determined to miss read what I had written. They do say as you age you become less of a socialist. Ho hum.

[steven mandell]

New Hail Mary Pass plan.
Just stuff as many old issues of RCN as you can afford to mail inside an ordinary envelope, along with a flyer that I will copy at my own expense.
I will lash these down to the display table for all to purview, and then hand out flyers to those who have shown sufficient interest.
No time to delegate as they need to get to me within a week.
Shouldn't the cost of mailing be covered by the amount collected by one electronic subscription to RCN that has no associated printing or mailing costs to defer from available funds?