TessierAshpool
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 507
Club RR Member Number: 168
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I've owned various vehicles over the years, but none that really had a strong "scene" about them...
Some cars have a very strong scene around them, for instance VW vans/campers, or Beetles, or Nissan Skyline/Toyota Supra, or Evo/Scubies, or fast Fords, or Land Rover Series/Defenders, or Americana.
Each comes with their own group of fans, their own aftermarket support, and their own set of stereotypes.
Now obviously this is a double edged sword, it's nice to know that someone will stock panel X or part Y, but also I guess it's hard to be individual, and certain assumptions are made about you?
I'm keen to hear your experiences in running a car with a "scene", as someone who is considering taking the plunge and looks at some of them with both lust and biases!
Thanks.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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They are, to be blunt, a breeding ground for ar$eholes.
Yeah the parts backup is handy as you say, but other than that it’s a fairly awful experience, and I have a been a part of a few scenes over the years. Full of bitchiness, cliques and people you would never go near otherwise. Now I tend to keep them at a distance unless necessary.
It’s why I favour retro rides even though there are much more ‘suitable’ forums and groups for the particular cars I own.
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Last Edit: Dec 7, 2020 22:58:30 GMT by Dez
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I was in the Mini scene for 10 years, but it wasn't as "scene" as it is now - you could still pick up a shonky one for £300 at the time I bought mine. As a rule I found the Mini shows fun, inclusive and a bit of a laugh. I would only go to a few shows a year though, as it got boring seeing the same cars over and over - there were only so many late model British Racing Green Coopers I could take!
The aftermarket, modification and spares availability was amazing and still is - I suppose it should be given that the Mini is one of the most modified cars in history, be it just some stripes or a full race engine - it's all modification you could argue.
As a flip side to this I went to GTi International when I had my Golf GTi a few years later. I was not a member of a club and neither was my car modified. I have never felt so unwelcome at a vehicular event - you had to "fit" or you were an outsider, and everyone I spoke to had a bit of a bad attitude. Put me right off. As Dez says - a breeding ground for certain types of stinky orifices...
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Last Edit: Dec 7, 2020 23:01:56 GMT by mrbounce
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TessierAshpool
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 507
Club RR Member Number: 168
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Two posts in and not filling me with confidence haha. Seriously though, what do you think breeds elite attitudes - I mean a scene can only develop if enough people think that the car looks great etc. Does the act of owning one make you think you are superior? Are some marks immune to this or is it human nature?
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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I think it depends a lot on what scene it is. Some people are obviously just awful people regardless, and they seem to gravitate towards certain vehicular niches. Without naming specific scenes, there is a number of vehicles I would never entertain owning because of the image they have and the people that image attracts.
There has always been a huge amount of oneupmanship in car culture. Wether this is uplifting or toxic is down to the specific scene. When does pushing and motivating each other to do better and build better cars become an arms race that can only be won by those with the deepest pockets or biggest chequebook?
One thing that can’t go unmentioned is There is a HUGE amount of racism, xenophobia, sexism and homophobia within car scenes, with some scenes being much worse for it than others. some of it is because of the laddish culture that comes with certain types of cars, some of it is because some types of cars tend to be owned by older people who are more likely to hold such views. And then some marques and models just attract cretins. I know people who have sold up and walked away from certain scenes because of it. Personally I’d rather see people ostracised from my ‘scene’ for holding those beliefs rather than being the wrong colour or sex...
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Last Edit: Dec 7, 2020 23:20:37 GMT by Dez
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,833
Club RR Member Number: 174
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You don't have to be part of the "scene" to own a scene car. One make/manufacturer type groups are generally full of bell ends I've found but they're handy for spares etc
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Paul Y
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,948
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Just because you own a 'Scene" car does not mean you have to be part of the 'Scene' unless you WANT to be part of the scene.... I don't do car shows and am definitely not hip and trendy enough to be a part of any scene. I just like cars and driving. P.
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I also used to own a mini back when they were still cheap and cheerful. i quite enjoyed some of the camaraderie of it, beeping and waving at other mini drivers and getting let out at junctions. But as mrbounce says the shows were a bit dull, I only ever made it to one and that was enough minis for me.
What puts me off scene cars is that they tend to attract people who are not really into cars, just a particular ideal/lifestyle about a particular car.
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Last Edit: Dec 7, 2020 23:38:06 GMT by Adambt
If at first you don't succeed........ ....Don't try skydiving!
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I owned a Mk2 Golf GTI years ago but never had any interest in the 'scene' at all. I just liked the car, as is always the case with me.
The associated clubs etc always seemed to be extremely judgemental and highly restrictive as to what was 'acceptable' style wise. I went to Inters a few times with a few mates who had nothing to do with it all either and found a lot of it very cliquey and not my sort of thing at all.
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20 years ago i restored a split screen van , joined the club as ye do , went to sandown vw show with my friend adrian fee .one of the things the split club run was who travelled the longest distance .i went over to the stand made my self known , was ignored .the posh boys went on swiging there champane ,again i made myself known and said i travelled from derry n irelamd ,again ignored , i looked at there vans and thought jesus mine is 10 times what they are displaying tarted up curse word .i walked away way laughing posh boys club , i then seen the curse word on tv am restoring his van 40 k later
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Last Edit: Dec 8, 2020 17:26:40 GMT by shielsy68
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I have owned more than my fair share of watercooled vw’s. It was always because of a passion for the car rather than the people, I didn’t then and still don’t now know any car people so have never really gotten into that side of things and could care less for most of the insta fame guys anyway. Never struggling with parts is an absolute joy. Took me two years to get a proper rear quarter for my datsun that didn’t cost me the earth, imagine what else I could have done in that time. If you like/want to drive the car often, I’d really suggest a popular car over a rare one regardless of uniqueness. Nothing worse than not being able to find what you need for months on end because you don’t want to be ripped off or it’s all nla, the fb groups make this a little easier but we have found you still have the same old cliques, the guys who’ve owned 40 of the cars, bought 8 of them for a fiver 20 years ago so yours is instantly worth nothing and they won’t sell you x part because they don’t know you and you’ve only been in the club for 5 mins compared to them lifers or because your car isn’t up to their standards, to the point where we’ve owned one of our rarer cars for nearly 3 years but the club members still refer to it as “oh that’s xxxx’s car” as if we don’t exist. Personally I hate people like that and I’ve come across loads of them - probably just a minor gripe tbh but it’s something you get “scene” or not. If you like/want a car that happens to be popular, good, there’s a reason they’re popular haha! Go for it!
I’ve also owned a Subaru and can tell you exactly how many times I have been asked if I vape in person... None. Did my 5 speed break? No. Ringlands? Nope. Mudflaps and tyre lettering? Also no. Maybe I just had a good one, maybe stereotypes are for laughing at because I sure as hell am not a lesbian (despite long hair and liking the female variety) can’t say I relate to them though.
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,546
Club RR Member Number: 11
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One of the favourite things about owning a Citroen Ax is the fact it is underrated, niche, leading to an inclusive community. Sure it has the odd bad egg occasionally but generally speaking if you are crazy enough to still own and drive one these then you are in. No questions. Thats the beauty of a very small club/community. The amount of friendships and contacts i've built over the years through the club, nights out, track days, shows etc with people from all walks of life, different beliefs, values, classes, countries etc is great. Down sides of such things are parts availability etc, but we help each other out, guys are starting to 3d print clips and other bits that people need, there's no money in it but that's not the point. Counter that with the 'scene' experiences in larger specific car forums/clubs where it felt like you were just a number and the scale of them made them cold and uninviting. Part of the reason this place works is the diversity of vehicles, people, vision and interests. I would travel from Kent to Bristol whenever I could to be a small part of Area 52 weekends, why? Well i had very little to offer in terms of skillset (i can get pizza from sainsburys and cut trim for a Delica prison van but that's it) but the community of people were and still are a joy to be with. Learning, laughing and lazing around. I do miss the smaller events like the Awards nights at the Ace Cafe as they were far easier to get to
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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This:. You don't have to be part of the "scene" to own a scene car. One make/manufacturer type groups are generally full of bell ends I've found but they're handy for spares etc And this: Just because you own a 'Scene" car does not mean you have to be part of the 'Scene' unless you WANT to be part of the scene.... I don't do car shows and am definitely not hip and trendy enough to be a part of any scene. I just like cars and driving. P. I've never ascribed to any particular "scene" apart from when I was about 17 or 18 and hung around with the Polo lot a bit, but that ain't exactly an elite scene 😂. I guess being antisocial and not really going to many shows probably helps, I buy and own cars because I like them or want to own one. The rest is just peripheral.
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tofufi
South West
Posts: 1,452
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I've had this for 15 1/2 years... I used to go to a fair few VW shows, but after a while it tends to be the same cars and people. Like all of life, some of the people are awesome, some are less so. The great thing about owning a more common car is everything is available (almost), and if you have a problem there are already 10 people on the internet who've been through it before. In some ways it's better than owning an obscure car, as you have a choice of suppliers for almost everything - you just have to be careful of reproduction parts quality in some cases. I've also got a VW T2, and the parts availability gives me confidence in taking it around Europe on longer trips - not that I've needed to do much on either of the trips it's done to France and Spain. I like old cars - and that includes 'scene' stuff and less 'scene' stuff. If you like it, buy it. If not, don't - you don't have to be a part of the 'scene' if you don't want to be.
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There are one or two shows i will attend as a matter of course, but the majority are a waste of space, and the ‘self-congratulations ‘ brigade We attend classics on the common in Harpenden each year( when its on!) and get more pleasure from letting the kids sit in the cars than anything This is in sharp contrast to some of the other displays, and I've seen some actually demand that people move away from the car! If that's your attitude why are you even there? My cars, albeit unusual, are tools for a job, snd the day they become a showpiece in a cocoon I’ll be in a wooden box
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jonk
Part of things
Posts: 154
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I had an mx5 for years and now have a t4 van. I’ve never been to any shows or meets but the availability of spares, specialists and advice on forums is brilliant compared to the faff associated with owning a rarer old car. It’s also quite nice to know that there should always be a market to sell the car easily when it’s time.
I found owning a niche car was more interesting and I met interesting and kind enthusiasts, but overall it was a bit of a hassle!
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Some really accurate replies here that I agree with.
I have owned a few cars that could be seen as scene cars, maybe.
BuT Retro Rides is much more my scene.
I essentially choose not to be part of a scene as they are seen, but choose friendships within the hobby.
It takes all types, and one needs to be aware of that, and then just ensure you make the choices that suit your own needs and not be a 🔔 end
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Last Edit: Dec 8, 2020 19:26:38 GMT by grizz
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The first thing i do when owning a car that has its own sub culture is generally avoid that scene all together. Ive been surrounded by trackday and motorsport culture for years and its a far more grown up culture than most with some great people.
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jmsheahan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 681
Club RR Member Number: 121
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It’s why I favour retro rides even though there are much more ‘suitable’ forums and groups for the particular cars I own. This. Loads of great comments in here and this is one of the many reasons its RR for the win. I own two of the most 'scene' ready vehicles available - A MK2 Golf and shitbox T25 and it's unsurprising that VW's are coming up loads in this thread already. I've spent 15 years + distancing myself from the sceney clicky curse word that's associated with the VW scene . That's not to say I haven't met loads of great people through the cars - one of my best mates I met through selling a set of wheels, loads of others from various car gatherings, track days etc. If you choose to avoid the scene queen shows you still gravitate towards like-minded individuals - It's all about the people you surround yourself with. Parts availability is helpful but boy do you pay through the nose for it sometimes. Yeah, I'm looking at you VW camper scene
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Last Edit: Dec 8, 2020 9:25:16 GMT by jmsheahan
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I guess I own a couple of "scene" cars at the moment, with the Datsun being JDM scene and the Porsche being a Porsche. I only really do the Retro Rides thing though, which is ultimately not to get too tunnel visioned on the cars or scene you are in. I do like scenes though, I like how they breed their own styles and languages. Whilst everything will eventually trend towards an accepted style there is always that great period where a scene springs up (be it around a modification, or a group of friends, or a particular car, or a geography) and there aren't any hard and fast rules yet. Then when scenes are more mature and there is an accepted way of doing things then comes the rules breakers and the even more interesting stuff. As for the people and the somewhat dubious nature of car enthusiasts ...
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