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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - MGA Twin Cam section?

Should there be a separate Bulletin Board section for mga twin cam (and Deluxes) on the www2.mgcars.org.uk site?
I notice there are not a lot of threads relating to TC problems on the MGA section. I realise the TC boys have their own email service on http://mgatwincam.homestead.com/ (but this appears a bit exclusive - looks like you have to own a TC to be a member).
Would it not be better if they had the opportunity to list on a separate site here (still maintaining some air of exclusivity), where us potential TC owners could learn more about the model's foibles and idiosyncrasies!
Remember it wasn't so long ago that NAMGAR had their own BBS service, now they direct you to this site!
Are there any advantages in having a separate Twin Cam BBS, ie easier to search?
Happy MotorinG All,
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Hi Mike,

I tend to agree. The Twin Cam owners' site is for the more detailed information of interest to the owners.
Maybe the pushrod owners, or those without an MGA at all, might like general interest Twin Cam items.

Mick
Mick Anderson

I don't have a TC and generally read the posts. I find them intereseting and one always hopes there is a TC in the future. To me another site isn't necessary and if you don't like the post subject, move on. MGAs are MGAs and let not divide the posts.
Bill Haglan

Seeing how TC and non-TC MGAs are very similar cars in most respects, I would think that most TC and non-TC owners would be interested in what each other has to say. Splitting the community in two would only limit the amount of information shared between MGA enthusiasts.

(Warning, slight rant ahead!)

In my opinion, this site already has WAY too many forums as it is. It would be better off if many of them were deleted or consolidated.

A forum called "Questions" is pretty useless.

Forums such as Bargain Alerts, MG Trivia, Lead fuel substitutes, MG Electrical Problems and Solutions, MG interchangeable parts and Rust and Restoration are already covered in the model-specific forums.

Others such as midget Turbo, Le Forum des Francophones, Historical Research,
MG QUIZ PAGE, Transport America-Netherlands, Fuel prices, Sprintex and Importing cars have little to no posts in them.

And seperate "Metro Montego Maestro General" and "Metro Montego Maestro Technical" forums? Neither one is ever used!

MG Flame Wars is a stain on this site's reputation and only serves to promote hostility between fellow MG Enthusiasts. It is an embarrassment.

I have no idea what Horizon started out as or why it still exists.

Anyway, that's my take but I digress.
Steve Simmons

Steve
Strongly in agreement! (with all your comments)
Bruce
B Mayo

Steve - I agree wholeheartedly with your "rant" - especially about the flame wars - looked at it for a week or two when I first started on this BBS and noted it's divisive attitude - not been there since. Let's hope those running this otherwise excellent site are listening - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Steve I agree with most of your comments however you need to consider a couple of things. There are a few headings here that used to be used but have fallen victim to other websites. There are a few others that were ill conceived and have never been used, but you should not criticise 2 headings that are used.

Horizon is used by a good number of people who just enjoy the board and take pleasure from posting amongst MG friends. I can not see a problem with that!

Flamewars is the same as any other debating place such as our respective parliaments. Unforunately when someone can no longer defend their position, instead of conceding they tend to go in to abuse mode big time. These are easily spotted. What it does do is identify in a big way the huge differences between us Brits and the Americans. We find most of the opinions of the Americans very distasteful and I would imagine they find the British attitude the same, take for example the environment, you do not believe that pumping millions of cubic metres of polutants into the atmosphere has any affect. Whilst we are trying to do something about it for our childrens sakes.
These are significant differences in our beliefs and I think that it is useful for us all to know these differences that only a non PC board such as flamewars can demonstrate. It is a shame however that it tends to degenerate into abuse as different attitudes are shown to be false. It would be very nice to hear other opinions, and I for one would debate the points made without resorting to abuse if I did not get it in my direction.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

Bob, when you use the term 'we' as in 'we find most of the opinions of the Americans distasteful....' are you speaking personaly or is it the use of the 'royal we'. I for one do not hold your views and the Americans I have come to know certainly do not dispute the thermal warming argument, and nor does their President judged by recent announcements.
J H Cole

Let me rephrase that then J.H.
The Brits and the Americans on flamewars.

If you for example believe the environment is not being damaged by polution then I would suggest you could be in a minority within Britain, although I have no proof of that just a gut feeling. :-)
I do not want to state here all the views expressed on flame wars otherwise it would just become that same board which it is not. However J.H. if you think you have some affinatey with those views it would be interesting to see if you could defend them better than those americans on flamewars.
Equally if they are not typical of the american view of the world then that too would be interesting.
I totally believe in debate of different opinions on subjects, so hopefully we can all understand why some have strange beliefs.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

See what you started Steve?

Bob, I'm sure there's enough bone-heads significantly contributing to the population of both the mother-land and the colonies. And a bone-head would be anyone who disagrees with me, or you. Actually just me cause I'm the one that's right! Right?
Life is too short to disagree with another MG guy, or teach them the errors of their ways. They will never get it anyway. "Can't we all just get along"
Steve
Steve Meline

Drop it guys!
Bruce
B Mayo

Steve M you are right of course but it is extremely interesting to know how people think. My original point was that Flamewars is a board that is used and so should be allowed to continue. If you don't like it then don't go there. If you disagree with the thoughts of some posters then please join in and say so.
There are for example some very racist people there, I can not for one moment believe that the majority of good caring americans are the same so please call in and tell us how it is.
We could soon end up as flamewars here so it is a good idea to drop it but let me welcome you to Flamewars, ignore the rubbish and state your case.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

Good lord people, just one small mention of flame wars and look what happens - stereotyping and arguments. I believe my point has been made.

It was not my intention to start an argument about this, I was merely pointing out that this site has a lot of virtually unused forums, and splitting another one (this one) in two might not be in the best interest of the site.

If this site is to continue, it needs to adapt with the times like all the others. the failure to do so is why this site has gone from the most populated and busy MG forums in the world to one of the lesser-used ones.

Fewer forums means more people posting in each one. Nothing attracts a crowd like... a crowd! That's rule #1 of promoting a web site.

I would be happy to elaborate on my reasons for disapproving a flame war section on a car forum, but such matters are better discussed by email.
Steve Simmons

Steve, to what do you attribute the drop in numbers on the MGA site? Looking at the posts for other sites today MGC have 450, TD TF 450, MGB 600 (general & tech), midget & sprite 1183! compared with MGA at 260. I always thought it was because there are less people doing rebuilds since in the end activity will plateau off to a 'steady state' level. When you look at e-bay here in the UK there is very little real mga spares once you take away the shops selling shiny bits. I don't know what the relative numbers are but at a guess there are more mga's around than mgc's or TD and TF's. Admittedly there must be a lot more mgb's than mga's. Midget and sprites may also be different but they have almost 5 times the number of posts. So frankly I'm puzzled why our numbers are as low as they are compared with other mg makes.
J H Cole

Hi JH, my views are based upon a comparison of this site in general, between several years ago and now. I was posting here well over ten years ago when this site was on top of the "cyber world". It got so busy on the MGB side that the MGB forum was split into two, general and technical. Even then, posts never lasted more than 2 or 3 days before being pushed off the bottom of the list and into the archives!

It was actually a real pain since many users never saw a large portion of posts before they disappeared into the archives, and therefore never had a chance to respond! Other forums with more modern software began to emerge and they were continually upgraded as software technology advanced. Slowly, this site suffered and it is now one of the less populated sites.

As for the MGA section in particular, I can't say for certain how it compares between now and then since I've only had my MGA for a few years. It appears to have fared better than others, but it is not difficult to predict the future. Other forums are beginning to focus on MGAs so I would expect the level of participation to drop farther. It's a shame, really.
Steve Simmons

If people want to call eachother names and express xenophobic beliefes, then I am happy that they don't (normally) do it here.

At the risk of advertising the "competition", which other A-related BBS is there? NAMGAR gave up, and there are more A Judson enquiries here than the other place I know. There are also large numbers of non-psting readers - I get mails for them for parts I am selling. Besides, apart from the exceptional posts below, most traffic here is very reasonable.
dominic clancy

Steve you dont realise how pleased I am that you do not want to be stereotyped with those from yourside of the pond on F.W.

However to the case in point. Other websites have sprung up catering for all the same things as this one. It is only natural that this will "dilute" the numbers posting to each site. Unfortunately as more and more people set up competitive sites then we will suffer even more dilution.
What is the answer? I fear I don't have a clue, but it even happens at club levels in each country, with the same affects.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

I hope the people of Flame wars never meet each other at a MG meet. They sure are degrading to the real purpose of this BBS. I am ashamed to belong to such a bunch of people writing about subjects that have nothing to do with MG. I am neither British nor I am American so lets just concentrate on being all MG enthousiasts with respect to each others visions. I live and work in the USA and work sometimes in the UK.
I can se both sides of the stories but just keep it MG related. There are other wbesites where you can hate each other. I tought the MG marque was one of friendship between owners.
werner van clapdurp

Werner, for your information there are many of us on flamewars that WILL meet up sometime and will really enjoy our company together and thanks to FW we know we will be friends for ever, what is wrong with that? However I feel it is beyond even the friendship that MG brings for me to ever consider such racists as friends. Sorry if this is not compatable with the thoughts of others here.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

hi all here is one site i found

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/list.php?2
g c pugh

Yes, and it would be well for some people to take note of some well thought out Forum Rules listed on that site!
B Mayo

British Car Forum
MG Addict
Yahoo Groups
MG Experience
Auto-X List

...and others I can't think of off hand.
Steve Simmons

One of the benefits of having a separate site for MGA twin cams is that the threads stay active for longer before going to archives - may suit infrequent viewers but otherwise there doesn't seem to be much need or interest.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Not sure if that is true, Mike. The MGB V8 section has few topics in it. Not sure how the site software works.
Bill Spohn

I believe threads are archived when the page reaches a certain total number of topics, but the software also seems to archive threads after a set amount of time. Splitting would therefore unfortunately not help the problem. I don't see any point in archiving at all unless this forum software isn't capable of using multiple pages. No modern forums archive their threads by default.
Steve Simmons

I will ask the Webmaster (Mike Plumstead) to explain how it all works and post as a new thread.
Regards.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2008 and 09/02/2008

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.