Autobahnstormers

[doz]

It's been funny how this thread has snake it's way along the last couple of weeks never really dying, few raised hackles and many valid points. But the nitty gritty of it is, If you have a 4 banger do you feel ABS has something to offer you and are you likely to join if 4 bangers were allowed. Yes, No. Blunt but this isn't Quantum physics. I'm a member but I'm here just as much as there because I have a love of all Carltons. However I have little interested in any other models from Vauxhall opel (well maybe a couple) TBH as a daily driver they'd be pretty low on my pecking order (always open to having my horizons broadened ) Whether soandso was a stuck up sod or soandso didn't like my car I couldn't care less I'm sure I've upset some LC owners with what I've done to mine along the way but it won't stop me from enjoying the Carltons. So to me it's simple if you want to enjoy your car and feel that ABS as a Carlton club had something to offer you then join up. If you feel it doesn't then hey I'll still love ya car just as much and wanna poke and look at all the dirty bits.



Or be all really crafty join up as it is then all turn up at the AGM and raise the matter as said 20 should do it.

[YasmineLee]

right think its time for me to say something

from what i vaguely remember from a conversation i had with someone (memory not what it use to be) as a club members are in control i.e AGM votes etc. You can also Join the club with a 4 pot but not alowed to go on the club stand.

So i think those who want 4 pots in fully should join and make their voices count in the AGM.

personally i would like the 4 pots included even thou i currently dont have a 4pot carlton. when the time comes for me to join i will make the point. as someone has already said carltons and senators are getting rare now and in time they should let in the 4 pots. even i now have gone into getting a meega 6pot!

[Johnraka]

I have to say Yas that is a complete surprise to me, I have just gone to the ABS site and it does indeed say that you do not have to own an eligible car to join, just have an interest in the cars - my recollection was that you had to have a six pot to join (or did I get that wrong?).
Quote from ABS club info pack: The car club for the Opel Monza, Vauxhall Royale, Opel/Vauxhall Senator, Vauxhall Carlton (6-cyl. only), Lotus Carlton, any 6-cylinder Opel/Vauxhall Omega and Vauxhall Monaro. Also incorporating the Old Opel Group, the Holden HSV vehicles and the Vauxhall VXR8.

Further on it states: You are eligible for club membership if you own, or have an interest in, any straight six Opel/Vauxhall. The major percentage of club membership encompasses owners of Opel Monzas and Opel/Vauxhall Senators although anything from the Carlton 2.6i to the Lotus Carlton and 6-cylinder Omega are also welcome. A new addition to the club family is the V8 Vauxhall Monaro and the Holden HSV range.

Even the info pack is a little ambiguous on this point.

That is a side issue I guess, despite my other reservations, membership of ABS based on whether I could put my car on the stand or not would be academic as I don't 'show' my car - it is not in 'show' condition and therefore would never appear on a 'stand'.

Membership would be useful in terms of getting Senator spares (given that I have a Senny interior in my GLi) as I have had to rely on TC members who are breaking a Senny for those bits - getting rare these days of course.

As the issue is simply about letting 4 pots on the stand then I think it should be allowed, as the number of cars (both Senator and Carlton) dwindle, as they inevitably will then some sort of 'amalgamation' must be a good idea.

I think that some of us who had a less than perfect experience of ABS membership (and that DOES include me) probably ended up using this post as a sounding board for our grievances (and that ALSO includes me!), as BC said - nothing good comes of it.

And for 'going off thread' I apologise, I allowed myself to stray from the original topic and in fact in order to type this response I am having to re-read Pedro's original question and the subsequent posts on the first page.
The question of ABS membership does not arise for me not just because of any experiences but simply because I would never put my car on a stand for show.
Would I attend an ABS or ABS sponsored show? Of course I would given that I have a love of Senny's and Carlton's just as I try to get to Billing when I can.
I'll end it there as this is starting to look like War and Peace. Good luck with the vote guys, I hope the 4 pots are allowed in  

[kevinfourlegs]

When I first had my Carlton, I did not know the Vauxhall/Opel scene. I foned a number in Luton, and asked about clubs as I had just bought a 2.0 Carlton Diplomat. The lady I spoke to was unsure as to where to point me, but gave me a number to ring. It was for the ABS club. I foned the number and I was asked what car I had. When I said a Carlton 2.0 Diplomat, I got a rather snotty answer saying that it was only for cars with a six or eight cylinder engines. I asked how rare is the Carlton Diplomat as I can't recall seeing one. The answer was on the snotty side again. I don't know who it was that I spoke to, and I'm glad I didn't have qualifying criteria to join.

I am a Volvo fanatic, older models, and snobbery is alive and well in the Volvo owners club, so I didn't renew my membership.

I found the VODC and in Feb '09 I joined up. Glad I did. Still a member now.

So, even if four pot Carlton models were allowed in, then I would not want to join up. The snotty prick I spoke to has blown it. Yes, I know that he does not speak for everyone in the ABS, but I won't be spoken to like that. If my car wasn't good enough then, why now? I know it may not be a nice thing to say, but in my opinion they can shove their club.

[chris]

Kevin

It certainly sounds like the person you spoke to was bad mannered and to be fair right out of order.

Please dont label the whole club based on words from one person.

If the forst time I heard of Total Carlton was from someone I met who I didnt like, should I have written off the whole of TC?
Of course not, TC has a lot to offer, but just as in any group of people ABS, TC or any other club / group can have the occassional idiot or unpleasant person.

If you dont want or need to join ABS thats absolutely fine, but make your decision based on what it has to offer and on the majority of the membership, many of them are on here too and are decent people.

[doz]

Kevin. So on the response of one person and one phone call you've pigeon holed every ABS member as snotty and rude?

[Mitch1965]

I don't think Kevin did say every member of abs was snotty, but the one person he spoke to was obviously not the best nor diplomatic.(Scuse the pun)
I have found a good sort in abs myself, so its a shame on occasions this happened, & yes its not just abs, i have found other clubs on web & they do not make time to make you feeel welcome, so i don't bother with them myself now. Only takes one bad apple & i am sure we'd all do similar of have done.

[kevinfourlegs]

In my above post, I stated: yes, I know that he does not speak for everyone in the ABS, but I won't be spoken to like that.

So no, I'm saying that everyone is like him. It was hardly a good advert for the ABS.

Can we get back on topic now please?

My answer is no, I don't want to join ABS should they allow super slugs like mine to join. I get all my jollies on the VODC and now on TC.

[doz]

That's all you had to say in the first place.

[kevinfourlegs]

I was just sharing my experience that I had.

[Pedro]

Right. It seems that some people cannot read simple instuctions!
All I asked was a simple question:
"So, to those of you with 4 pot Carltons - would you join ABS or at least seriously consider it if the 4 pot engined cars were 'allowed in'?

Please keep on topic with a simple yay or nay..............."

As this has been seen as an opportunity to have a pop at the ABS by some, this will run no more.

Case dismissed.