Which club should I join - If any ?

[Deadstar]

I know that I am the only one who can answer that question but, I'd like to hear your views about the pros and cons. When I decided to buy my first ever P6, I used google and came up with the ROC & the Drivers Club. I found the drivers club forum difficult to use and it appears to be dead. As to the ROC- I followed the link and found this forum. I've been made very welcome and received some very handy advice. This is the type of forum I am looking for.

I was about to join the ROC when I came across two threads here about whether the two clubs should merge. Comments made about the ROC magazine were in the main, negative. I don't want to join a club just for reduced insurance benefits, I want to join an active club, run outs, car shows, the chance to meet other owners. I'd like a publication which offered practical technical advice. I was a member of the Capri owners clubs for many years and found their magazine to be really helpful, it gave me the confidence to develop an understanding of the car and try my hand at maintaining it myself. The magzine often featured photo guides of how to do everything from replacing body work to striping the engine. It is that type of information which to me, is essential. I'd also expect a club to be leading the way in terms of sourcing difficult to obtain parts, yet I've not come across anything on either site which suggests this is the case.

Can anybody give me an overview of both clubs?
Is talk of a merger between the clubs on-going or dead and buried ?
Which is the more active club ?
Does either club provide advice re: obtaining difficul to get spares?
Does anyone live near the Wirral ? - This last question has nothing whatsoever to do with this thread - I'm just interested to see if there are other owners near me

 

[chrisyork]

I should answer the P6ROC shouldn't I! In fact I am a member of both of the P6 clubs and also of the Rover Sports Register. You have already spotted a freindly crew on here, and we are to be seen at various P6ROC events during the year. The P6ROC publication does leave something to be desired, but various of us are working to try and improve things there. As a general comment the P6ROC has tended to have the more mature members who have owned the cars a long time - this forum is the face of the newer more active members. The Sports Register has by far the most exciting, but also upmarket and expensive events. The Drivers Club has tended historically to have more hands on people - but these are now almost always to be found on here! There, that's got you properly confused like the rest of us!

Sourcing and remanufacturing rare parts is a particular hobby horse of mine. You'll find plenty of help in that direction here. Actual progress on the ground is more difficult, not least because the population of cars is too small to justify remanufacture of those parts with expensive tooling. I may be able to get over to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City, but yes I do remember the last chopper off the roof of the US Embassy!) in the next couple of weeks where I hope to make some more progress though. In general parts availability is excellent - I keep a log of parts that are extinct or difficult and it is very short. You do need to get to know suppliers though - shopping around isn't really an option with the P6!

Neither club have featured how to articles to any extent in their magazines recently - this is by far the most useful resource in that direction and I'd be amazed if you didn't find what you were looking for here. The search function is something to learn how to use!

Hope that helps!

Chris

 

[Deadstar]

As usual your reply is excellent - I'd agree with the statement aboout finding a happy crew here - I have been made to feel very welcome. As a first step - i think I'll join the P6ROC and maybe the other club at a later date

 

[hotrod]

this is a friendly bunch from what ive seen so far..its strange coming from a well catered for car in terms of clubs/forums/specialists and glossy parts cataloges(mx5) to a car like the p6 where its a slower pace and parts are there but you have to hunt around a bit.