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I'm watching the slow death of this site unfold before me and it's very sad. What once was a vibrant, entertaining group of enthusiasts has trailed off to just a few fellows who are holding on by their fingernails.
I just want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as a teacher and advisor over the years here and hope that I have spawned a few other fellow teachers in that time. I will continue to advise, right up to the last post that's made here.
Richard
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As John Lennon said "all you need is love"
What you call the death.. "of this site".. is really the evolution all across the internet! Forums are passe', alot like many of us hot rodders...
Many want "us" to go away.. like the dinosaur.. but!!
In any event, have a question to fix anything? It's already been answered and apps like google or bing will help you find the answer within seconds.
Forums of like minded folks have been dwindling. I think "we" will be around for awhile yet.. alot like our cars!
Folks our age seem to like to hang out and discuss things we like. In this case rods & customs. Or cameras, or planes.... or motorcycles.. or girls... or....???? What you got?!?!:eek::LOL::eek::LOL:
Even tho I like to BS with Mike and the others on the 3 word story thread, IMHO, this is by far the most dependable and informative Automotive Help and Learn Forum that I have run across. If this should indeed go by the wayside then let me say thanks to Tech and all of the others for your patience and help.
Em
Don't worry Em.. I figure you, me, Tech and a couple others will still be here 'til the lights go out! rotflmao!!!
If they would get this site to where high definition pics could be posted, you would see an increase in how to's, what if's, why not's , how come's, etc, etc plus shots showing some details of the cars that are out there being shown, driven on cruises, etc-------but it seems its turning into ( or already has) into a Summit crate engine and photoshop how to------
At rt 66 NHRA yesterday I took almost 200 pics of up close race cars and on track action -some at 6.3 pics per second so you can see what and how fast things happen/change but they probably won't end up here-its really something to see how a chassis twists , arches, ossilates, bounces,shakes and deflects with high aero loads ----------
Sure Jerry.. why don't you donate the 30 grand to buy us the servers to handle all this...???..??
Oh, and that will only be the beginning! Don't you get it? All the hi-def sucks up bandwidth, and just like going fast that all takes money! Even you can understand it in that context right???
So when you're ready to open up your own wallet, let us know. We may be right behind you.... or not!
I think it is a certain amount of a sign of the times and not so much the site and how it is run etc.. I know that this site is harder to download or upload photos of a good size onto which I find frustrating but it is the crew or family members here that makes me want to check two to three times a day even if I don't post anything. I have spend time over on the HAMB since they upgraded their site which I find absolutely brilliant to use etc. but this site is family and my loyalties will remain first and upmost here. I have been working my way through Don's old post ( Itoldyouso ) on how to build a T Bucket for under $3000.00 and although I'm only up to page 154 have enjoyed the read from some of the members who no longer post here. Heck everything was covered in that thread from cats, weather, boats, bands and the whole lot was very entertaining.
We have our own Hot Rod Forum site over here which I believe is really struggling to stay afloat due to not to many people posting and the fact that Facebook has some closed threads on NZ Hot Rodding and it's History taking off which has an amazing following from people who probably wouldn't of joined the forum.
I realize too that is your summer months up there so everybody is out and about doing family stuff etc. and not so much hot rod stuff.
One more thought!! The search button!! It pretty much answers any or all questions!! Pete
I think this site is subject to the ups and downs we all experience. Life throws curve balls and sometimes we need to step back and take care of other things. I have loved all things with engines since I could walk. Go karts, mini-bikes, dirt bikes and the day I turned 16 got my driver’s license and have been racking up the miles since. I’ve lost count of the number of cars I’ve driven and owned. When I was drafted I joined the Air Force and built engines for my friend in base auto hobby shops to make a few bucks and because I couldn’t get too far away from the smell of grease and oil.
When Joanie and I married in 1973, I still did all my own work and continued to build a motor or two – in fact, the night before our wedding I was under a Corvette putting the finishing touches on a engine rebuild and new clutch in the car. I remember soaking my hands in warm water and dish soap to get them as clean as possible because Joanie wanted a picture of our hands on top of the bible opened to I Corinthians 13. We traveled while we in the Air Force and while in Europe we had a hot little Opel with Abarth exhaust and Weber carbs.
Four kids came and life happened so I took a bit of a break and we drove station wagons and vans but I kept my hand in and built a few engines for friends and when my kids got old enough, we had carts, mini-bikes and yes – dirt bikes. My son actually was sponsored as an amateur and we got some pretty fantastic bikes and equipment.
The kids are grown and now I have a bit more time but certainly have slowed down and find that I need to pace myself. I still love to work on engines and do almost all my own work but have to admit the dealer services Joanie’s Mustang GT as it’s a bit beyond what I want to do.
I do enjoy this site and have learned lot from folks here and not to patronize, but Tech has been a constant encouragement and teacher and one of the people here that really respect. Jerry’s knowledge is deep and wide as well and I always look forward to what our friends from “down under” post and a New Zealand visit is on my bucket list. I’ve been a bit sparse here lately as we buried my mom three weeks ago. She was a Godly woman and I know she’s dancing in the streets of heaven but we were very close and my heart will take a long time to process the loss of my mom. She’d survived breast cancer, both knees replaced, and suffered with arthritis for years, and she was one fantastic lady but her body just wore out.
I too will keep hanging out here and share where I can. I know that I can be a bit abrupt sometimes but I genuinely appreciate you all and enjoy our friendly bantering as well.
Regards All,
Glenn
Make sure you get in contact with me when you make that expedition to NZ Glenn!
jeepers - don't you guys all kill the site yet!!!
I've got more to say !!! I've been saving up !!!
jeepers - don't you guys all kill the site yet!!!
I've got more to say !!! I've been saving up !!!
Ya got it mate!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi37
I'm relatively new here, but so far I think this place is great. I sure hope it does not go away.
Unfortunately, where I'm at with my project, and where I'm at with up to date hot rod knowledge, leaves me with little to say.
I'm sure that once I get to the point where I'm actually doing something on my project, I'll be posting and pestering more
What he said.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi37
Your on my list, Johnboy!
It would be interesting to know if the demise is due to fewer folks building new hot rods, or due to the nature or lack of responses being made.
When I first started my build log, 2 years ago, I sure got some strange and rather unfriendly comments, particularly if I was not asking for help. A log should document the build, but does not have to include requests for help. Some members seem to have nothing better to do than post about what they don't like to see other people building, particularly if the build is not following the "traditional" look. Times change and I want my car to be a bit more modern.
Dave, I'll agree sometimes we need to practice more patients and understanding about others projects. With the exception for safety and procedure, otherwise a bad practice or unsafe procedure could be mistaken as correct by the potential millions of viewers, with the possibility of dire consequences.
We want and need more detailed photographs(not ipone pics)
Jerry, I'd have to say there are quite a few builds on here that are anything but a summit crate engine build type. There's a bad ass Willys gasser pick up, a home built trike using fwd suspension, a crazy VW single cab build, and more. The picture thing can be beat to death. It isn't that hard to get pics on here. Is it ideal? No. But it works for most stuff. I really enjoy this forum and wish I could contribute more, but there just isn't much action unless it's a deuce thread. HahaQuote:
Originally Posted by jerry clayton
I use an image optimizer program caller (you guessed it..) Image Optimizer" it's free at Free Image Optimizer - Compress and resize photos
Here's a true life example - went from 2,675Kb to 160Kb which is very manageable and very little loss in resolution. This allows one to shoot very high definition and still post to sites where bandwidth and storage limit size.
About pictures, I've got every photo that I've posted on my build log, stored for free at photobucket. I've only used 22% of my free space. I guess if you're going to post hundreds of pictures, then you've got a problem. I just started using a new 18 megapixel camera instead of my old 7 megapixel. I don't know if the pictures are any better, but I will use up space a lot more quickly.
I notice that there's an engine forum, but no place for a modern engine like the LS Chevy that been around for quite a awhile now. As for engine "building", that's usually more of an assembly job, unless you have some expensive machinery at your disposal. My auto mechanic father had valve grinding equipment back in the 60's, but anything else had to be done at the local NAPA, where they could bore cylinders, grind cranks and surface grind heads. I've put together a few small blocks and quite a few corvair engines, all before I was 21 but I haven't overhauled or assembled an engine since 1974. When it came time to build a hot rod, GM offered all the power I wanted with the LS3, so I went that route. Even if I'd used a small block, one of the GM offerings would have fit the bill. I guess if you've never built an engine before, it might be an intriguing part of the hot rod build, but I was more interested in doing everything else.
That's the beauty of the whole hot rod thing, Dave - we all like different components of the process. I for one am not a body&paint guy and the only upholstry I've ever done has been installing pre-made panels and seat covers. But we have some real sharp folks here with paint and the body components some have made here are off the chart! Some stich Conley leather so expensive i'd be afraid to touch it, but they create beautiful interiors. I do like grease and even though I've built a bunch oe engines, I've learned a lot here from those better and certainly wiser than I am! I still get a thrill the first time a rebuilb lights off! and oh by the way... Tech has taught me a lot about the stack in simple tearms - things that I have always been mindful of, but more than once frustrated with because I didn't ever take the time to do the complete math. He made it simple and I never tire of his posts.
Others have shared little things that they have learned and I continue to file these away as gems that I try and incorporate on my projects.
The LS is still a SBC - start up a post and let's see where it goes.. I know that we have had some great discussions on the computer controlled stuff and "distributorless" ignitions so it's all fair game!
Best,
Glenn
I'm all for ls motors, they're awesome! Unfortunately, they do not fit into everything well.
I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but try to keep an open mind, as long as it agrees with me. Lol!
As a long time member, but an infrequent poster, I am saddened to think these forums are going to be a thing of the past. I for one have learned a great deal from most of these sites. I have become the owner of a site which shall be nameless here. I hope that more people join, but it hasn't happened yet. I can only hope that as we all grow old, that the younger generation will step up and continue hotrodding! i'LL HANG ON TILL THE BITTER END!...LOL
Right on! I can not tell you how much I love it when one of my grandkids wants to "fix something" and asks me to be a part..Quote:
Originally Posted by CR55
I would also add that too many sites have become, shall we say, CAR bashers!..That stops me dead in my tracks. I don't care if I like the car or not, I'm never going to bash it. The person who built it obviously likes it so who am I to knock his work. I'm not talking about safety issues here, which should always be addressed, but the ones who criticize because they don't like the way a certain car or truck turned out! Fortunately this site has not become one of those and I respect that among the members!...Yes, rant over!...lol
I sympathize with Richard's original commentary to a large degree, and would say that what the rest of you have added has some validity as well. That's the thing.........................there is no "the thing". It's a whole bunch of stuff. We've (I've?) sort of beat the forum software thing to death.................in short order it motivated a mass exodus of people in real time. Some were genuinely disgruntled by the clunkiness of this format and just couldn't or wouldn't learn how to adapt. Others were probably on the verge of moving on or fading away to other interests and the change just expedited that departure. Others allowed themselves to get cranky about the posting styles of others, and some were actually mis-treated.
And changes in technology have taken a toll as well. I don't do instagram, but I notice that quite a few others do............especially the under 50 crowd. Based on the little I know about it that system serves a lot of the same functions of "keeping in touch, or abreast of someone's project" as sites like this have. Other communication systems out there that I have little or no knowledge of probably do likewise. As for the HAMB, arguably the biggest/most successful hot rod site (though actually self limited to traditional stuff) also suffered a measurable amount of participation loss when they changed format a couple years back. Again, coincidental to the other products growth as well.
Back to this little corner of the I-net, I would suggest we just plod along with enjoying what we can about our little "club house", welcome in any new strangers that fit in and hope we can encourage them to continue to visit, and just enjoy what we can, when we can. Not very inspirational, but that's the best I got for ya today.......
Lotta thumbs up Uncle Bob!
I still check in every day, but I'm not a fan of the last site change and could do without the ebay listings clogging up the front page. I've been inspired by a lot of fantastic builds on here over the years and hope to see many more. Like a few of the others, I don't do all of the modern media i.e. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
The "Service Unavailable" has become a major PITA.
site seems to be down more than up . down most of the weekend .
Put a fork in her, she's done.
yuppers but I hope not - - - - I'm hard headed enuff to keep checking in but that is growing old, especially since there hardly anyone posting.:HMMM:
Em
I'm guessing they probably get tired of typing a response to lose it, or just get annoyed to never be able to get on the site at all lately.
Add me to that list. I suspect that those are the reason for a lot of participation loss. Unfortunately I do not see a remedy. But as long as this place remains as friendly as it has been, and I'm able, I'll be hereQuote:
Originally Posted by rc57
I lurk here about every day, but don't have much to share, so I read-
This "change" in Forum Posting happened to all of the Forums I participate in, and it occurred directly after the Recession-could it be that people just don't have the money anymore for this Hobby? Luckily, it didn't affect me, but it certainly affected others I know-
I'm still trudging along with my build though (as slow as it seems)-
I like reading the builds such as Dave's events with his build.....but I'm not interested in late model stuff or people who want someone to tell them their distributor is in backwards. Good posts about really building old cars are thin and far between. Five years ago, there was a lot of great info thrown out, now it's pics of a hubcap someone bought. Uncle Bob's pics of his 36 were great, Ken's car postings were great, but we need more.....
I believe the service unavailable, site running slow and site being down are server problems. Usually this happens when a site is too busy as in more visitors than the server can handle at one time. However, it also happens when the server gets hacked and someone is using it for their own evil deeds which blocks out others. If I had to guess which, I would go with the latter and our host may not know it.