Homogenous Car Clubs (vehicle, salvage, motorcycle, AWD)
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Location: West Los Angeles and Rancho Palos Verdes
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Has anybody else been highly disenchanted by a car club in which everybody drives the same car, and there's an inner clique of mod snobs who believe they're superior to everybody else in the same club who has a minimal of mods or none at all?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The same is true for the various car related online forums. That's the nature of many car enthusiasts. Those that do a lot of modifications seek the approval of the others, and seem to feel better about their expenditures though disparaging those that enjoy their vehicle as it came from the factory.
What kind of car are we talking about? From my experience, that only happened when dealing with lower tier cars.
Once you reach a certain level of car ownership, mods are unimportant. Some may still do them, but they don't thumb their nose at those who do not. You'll rarely see anyone for example, modding a Ferrari. Most are kept stock, some may choose to add an exhaust or some minor little things here and there, but the vast majority are basically stock. The ones who do modify their Ferrari, like turbocharging their 360's/F430/458's are a very small minority. Usually, they are hurting their resale by doing so, and they know it. Modding Italian cars is almost solely the providence of Lambo owners, and they're still a minority.
Porsches are the same way for the most part, except for the guys that actually track their cars. But I've personally never seen anyone in our local Porsche club be snobby to anyone driving a "lesser" Porsche. We have a lot of people driving Boxsters and Caymans, even Cayennes and Macans, that come to meets. They are as welcome as anyone else driving a Porsche, whether it's modded or not.
No. In the club I am in - most mods get an eyeroll. Some are necessary for practical regular driving and if they are not visible, probably ok.
One guy put in a heavier engine with less horsepower, added air suspension that can move up and down via a switch, stuck ferrari headlights on the back, cut a hole in the hood for a stupid looking hood scop that added nothing to the 110 h.p. engine he had installed, removed the door handles and put in a voice activated remote latch, added ground effects, recaro seats. . . . I forget what all else. He brought the car to the club to ask what it might be worth and whether anyone was interested in buying it. He was told it was pretty much worthless as far as the club members were concerned but there were a few salvageable parts he had not butchered so they would give him $150 for it.
Everyone was polite though and did not bust out in laughter at the ridiculous thing until he left. One guy did ask him why no fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror and the guy smiled and pulled them out of the glove box and hung them on the mirror. However a picture of it did appear in the next newsletter as the most absurd butchering of a classic car ever seen.
The same is true for the various car related online forums. That's the nature of many car enthusiasts.
That is the nature of many car clubs and boat clubs. Online and on land.
Some is part of the "old buddy" syndrome. You are either "in" or not "in".
Sideline:
SIA - a Hemmings publication years ago.
There was a last page article/editorial.
The author had purchased a barn find Model T. That had 27 original miles. Vehicle was properly stored and on blocks.
The original owner had purchased new. Had a dispute with the Ford selling dealer. Didn't drive it until dispute was settled. Meticulously maintained car. Never settled. And original owner died.
The new buyer purchased Model T from widow of original owner and cleaned it up. Got it going. Took it to antique car shows and entered events.
The car never came in 1st.
The judges would nit pick. Stating that some of the screws and tacks were not original. As the official Ford book (published long after car was built) stated that Henry Ford only used this type of type of tacks, and such and such.
The new owner of Model T kept stating to judges that this Model T was all original. Same as the day it rolled out of the factory.
The judges would come back and state that "Henry" over there who won first prize used the "official" screws, tacks, and bolts that were listed in "the book" when he fully restored his Model T. Therefore, Henry wins first prize as Henry used the "correct" screws, tacks, and bolts in his restoration.
The author researched all of this and come to find out Henry Ford would buy pallets of screws, tacks, and bolts from whatever vendor gave him the best price at that time. So all scews, tacks, and bolt could vary from month to month.
The judges did not want to hear any of this. And Henry was "right" with his restoration - as he used the "book". And of course, Henry was a "good old boy" and a former officer in the local Model T club.
Has anybody else been highly disenchanted by a car club in which everybody drives the same car, and there's an inner clique of mod snobs who believe they're superior to everybody else in the same club who has a minimal of mods or none at all?
Of course. I'll not name them, since that's irrelvant to the discussion: I'd be money every 'club' around something like cars has the same problem.
Saw the same thing in a hiking 'club' I took up with, the inner core people made up the hikes, they were special, and replied mostly in monosyllables to questions and attempts to be friendly. So, I did-same after first few times, and just used them as route guides or scouts. Then when I had my marching legs, after a few months, I was way faster than them so they became worthless. Yeah, (Italian Salute) back at you, chump.
Club I'm thinking of: oh, you only have a $120K AWD, S model? Ain't a Turbo, now is it? Oh, a Turbo? Ain't an RS, now is it? An RS? Mine's been to Fred's Speed Shop!
...which reduces the audience to about four cars, and thirty others that are alienated. They can **** off, too. I quit last year, and quit various motorcycle "clubs" about fifteen years ago now for basically the same reason, although in that case it was to avoid the hospital runs that are inevitable given a 20-something dumbass and 600-cc sportbike.
But I've personally never seen anyone in our local Porsche club be snobby to anyone driving a "lesser" Porsche. We have a lot of people driving Boxsters and Caymans, even Cayennes and Macans, that come to meets. They are as welcome as anyone else driving a Porsche, whether it's modded or not.
It happens. I had a 944 turbo back in the early 00's and tried out the PCA. Bunch of uppity snobs who couldn't be bothered to even acknowledge a hello. I tried hanging out with the track guys first, as I was a motorcycle roadracer at the time... they were among the best of the lot but very sparse. I tried the AutoX guys, the TSD rally guys and even a social gathering or two. I simply couldn't find 2 different owners at any one event who could be bothered to chat with a new guy. Maybe it was just the Georgia PCA, or I was missing the people who were interested. Maybe it was something else, but Porsche people aren't immune to the problem.
Didn't take long after my PCA experience for me to sell the car.
Maybe the Next tier up, the $100k+ entry level, is actually better, I'll certainly never know.
About the most inclusive group I've encountered were the vintage road racers. I've done a ton of corner-working at racetracks in my life and the group of people who restore and race vintage cars are the best group of vehicle enthusiasts I've met. There was no snobbery between the half-million dollar rig and the bare bones $20k setup in the next pit (that I ever saw, had a lot of drinks in those pits too).
As for one-marque clubs, the Morgan owners are probably the best. Let's face it you can't take anything too seriously if you own a car as quirky as a Morgan!
I was in a informal Fiero club. Mine was all stock, not restored but clean and in good condition. Some were highly modified and show cars. Everyone was always friendly and nice.
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