Good bye and thanks for all the fish

[IMPI]

In September 2005 Eben started a great thing for aircooled vw fans in South africa and for that i am very gratefull. I met lots of great people and learned a lot but as with all things in life times move on and people change. My own interests have changed and i am currently moving away from building engines and gravitating towards building porsche cars and replicas. The forum has also changed becoming a place where kombis seems to be the main topic. I have tried my best to like the type two having owned a few but frankly they just dont do it for me. I will probably check in every now and again but for me I seem to have lost the feeling. Since I have other commitments now there is a few jobs that wil still need to be completed and i will endeveaor to satisfy thosein due course
Thank you all
goodbye

[Terry Phillips]

Impi thank you for your input and wish you all the best for your future plans. Good luck.

[fourier]

Sad day IMPI, you will be missed! Always enjoyed reading your posts, and following your projects.

[Tony Z]

So long Impi... hopefully oneday we can meet up and discuss the answer to the ultimate question...
Thanks for your input over the years. Hopefully you'll still chime in occasionally.

[Burnthosetyres]

Hi Armand, keep me posted with the Porsche move. My passion has also moved on. You built me a solid motor & your passion & knowledge was truly top class....

I am not often on Aircooled forum, too clicky for my liking but I made a turn to say cheers to a top VW man!

[johanb]

We will see you around Armand,, chat again

[Piet]

I really hope this will not en up as a Air Cool Kombi group

[fig]

I really hope this will not en up as a Air Cool Kombi group

So what are you doing about it? I feel as though I'm one of the last few regular contributors to this site and my interest is mainly type2s, with no apologies for that.

It seems many people have expectations from a site like this without acknowledging that it's their own responsibility to first make a contribution and through that achieve their expectations. And to the person above who said this site is cliquey, please identify the cliques you are seeing. Personally, I like the fact that this site has not been dominated by cliques and it's open to all points of view.

I don't see enough regular contributors to constitute a clique. There are a very few individuals who are keeping this site active.

I have been considering reducing my contribution here as I too have other interests that are taking more of my time, but I continue to repost gumtree ads and respond to questions where I have the knowledge to answer because I believe this is a great resource and it adds value. Is there anyone else here who regards their contribution as community service? I take some of the comments here as a lack of appreciation for those who make a contribution. If the last few of us also bow out then this site will practically cease to exist.

@IMPI, I'm sad to hear that but we all have to do what works for us. I'm even more sad to hear that you will no longer be my engine builder of choice.

[acpaterson]

Hi Armand,

I have seen your engine build for Manuel's 356, it is indeed a piece of art, as is your custom refit on his Speedster and all the fabrication you've done there. I can therefor understand why that seems to appeal to you and your craft and skillset. I think you should still remain as part of the aircooled community as the demand for Speedsters is not queueing at the door so to speak, and you have an immense wealth of information and ability to build Beetle, Karman or Kombi engines should someone be prepared to pay highly for a professionally built engine, which is the fundamental problem these days. People want an engine for free!. You know what I mean..

On the group side, and for Piet's comment, I don't think it's got anything to do with Kombi's only, but thats where the current active group of members currently is demographically. The current beetle owners are very few, and most questions inevitable relate to how to slam it! Not your area of interest anyway.

Anyway, I've enjoyed reading your posts and I do hope you maintain a small return rate to the aircooled forum, even if it is most Bus owners that are "active". It's still an aircooled family here.
Cheers for now.

Alan (A Kombi owner) ex Cape Town Red 356

[beetlepower]

See you around Impi. I hope to visit in Orkney this year

[splitfan]

Good luck Armand I thought you were emigrating when I saw the post ! at least we still have your number and will still be the pain in the cheek when it comes to my type4' questions !! my name is on your garage wall so its now your turn to come and say hi when you're down this side !

[Piet]

Fig, it is like Alan says: I am simply lamenting the fact that the beetle and specifically the Porsche contributions are getting few and far between. And I can try my best, but I will not be able to make up for the loss when people like IMPI and Manni stop contributing. Some are here to teach, some are here to learn..

[Tony Z]

I hope this doesnt change into a topic on how this site is doing, but I have to chime in too.

Fig is perfectly correct.
This site has been very slow for the last 18 months and it is up to us to keep it going with whatever contributions we can.
Most of us are also active on other sites and if you look at the amount of activity on other sites, you might notice a general slow down in all sites with a massive pick up in facebook and social media activity.
That said, have you ever tried to search for anything on facebook. It gets lost and then its gone.
Also, the amount of keyboard jockies and bullshoot information that is given over FB is just plain scary. If I had to chime in correcting most of the crap written on those topics, I'd get banned quickly. But instead, I save my info for here and let the monkeys get on with it.
Its the typical modern day "want it and want it now" focus. Here, things are a bit slower and more relaxed. No bickering amoungst people for who said what and who did what.
Also, FB seems to be a method of making yourself feel famous. 1 picture of yourself and your car every week, 30 people egg you on and say how wonderful you are and you do it all again. There are people who seem to continuously brag about what they are going to do and get a massive following thru that, when some of us (me incl) only mention what we have done (but maybe thats old school??).

I think this site will have an uptake again, its just a matter of time and getting a few new members who contribute regularly. Its not like our member count isnt going up, just very few of them contribute.

[retrovan]

We have lost the Master..........

@Impi, may I thank you for you total assistance with all questions asked, always willing to find the answer, before the questions is really understood by use guys asking.

Your inspiration has been to see me fit a type 4 into the Fastback, as well as into old Fugly, My real drive for finding the 1952 Beetle, so yes, I can understand where you coming from, and where you want to head to, but,.... Please pass by here on a regular basis, if only to say "Hi"

All the best, and please post in our Porsche threads, then we will not feel so lonely.

Herman

[Piet]

On a lighter note; I hope at least some of you have recognised his qoute? A trilogy in four parts..