I was setting in the doctor's office this morning waiting my turn to see the doctor and reading my recent Hot Rod magazine.

Inside was a letter a fan wrote about how we as car guys/gals have become lazy or Bubble Wrap Hot Rodders. (I felt the term Plastic Pack Hot Rodders fit here too)

First thing we all ask when someone posts they did something to their car to improve horsepower, or mileage, or ............ is, "What's the part number." or "Who makes this?"

Instead of getting out and figuring out things for ourselves we'd rather go to a parts store or buy on-line the upgrade we want to use.

Sure it's esier to buy a part to improve our cars versus traveling from salvage yard to salvage yard trying this part on our car or that part. I know just yesterday on MonteCarloSS.com a member was asking about an upgrade to the steering one of the members just happened to stumble on. It's the intermediate steering shaft on the '94 Jeep will fit right on the 1980s Montes and replace the rag joint that wears out. The Jeep steering shaft does not have a rag joint to wear out. But this member asking where he could buy or who sells this so he could get one for his car ads to the idea we have become lazy as car people.

I personally don't see any problem with members of a car forums helping one another out by supplying part numbers or information to fellow members. Afterall isn't that why the forum web site was created? So where's the harm here?

 

I remember back in the days, if you had, say a Chevy truck, A lot of the parts from a car would fit it. Nowadays, things are a but diff. You have to research and test fit this and test fit that to find what works and what doesn't. Costing you alot of time and $$$.

Now enter the Internet and Car forums. There is always someone that has dont a lot of the leg work. Spent all kinds of money. Finding what works. So when a person new to what ever car they have, they can learn from other's mistakes and get the right parts without getting discouraged.

I say "Keep The Forums", learn, and get out there and turn a wrench.

 

im right here

 

Amen to that.... Forums help men and women talk to each other about cars and bring them closer in a sense, if you know what I mean. They can discuss with many people at one time what works and what doesn't. There's thousands of car shows nationwide that get people off the couch and the computer to communicate in person with each other. Almost everyone has one or more friends that are more than willing to get together and work on their cars. JJ mentioned that there's not many parts that are really interchangeable anymore, that's one of the reasons people aren't out diggin around in junkyards like they used to back in the day checkin to see if something fits or not. Plus now days many people are workin 8-12 hours a day and have a family so they don't have time to mess around in the garage for hours every night. I'm not sayin that the older generations didn't have family or work long hours cuz they did, I know they worked very hard and I respect that. It's just that so many people would rather spend a few minutes online, find out what they need, order it, spend time with their family and then use the weekend (in which pretty much everything is closed anyway) to work on their vehicle. Car enthusiasts today car not lazy, times are changing and we have to change with the times. That's just the way things go

 

That's what I like about these car forums. We help each other where we can, USUALLY!

 

i really like this forum atmosphere, if you could only imagine what i'm doing while reading posts here, LOL, believe it or not i was talking to a guy at work and he goes on a forum for his mazda 6 **** thing. i don't really dis on other cars unless they are junkstangs!!! thank you monte carlo forum for your existance!!!!

 

I like forums also. In these times where money is tight, people want/need to spend their money wisely.

I've read so many times new members here saying they have "X" amount of money saved up to spend on their car. And want to get ideas of what mods are best for their budget. Most of us can't afford to do a trial and error thing.

Also, I wish I had known about all the known issues with my previous car. If I had known it was going to be a money pit, I would have waited and saved up more money and gone for a Grand Prix instead of the Grand Am I bought.

 

Well the money being tight thing.

There are times I don't have the money for something I want to do. Talking with other car guys and gals takes my mind off my money woes.

Sure there are times I think, "Man I wish I hadn't gone to Chevy Talk. (as an example) Those guys are always spending some serious cash on crate engines, or transmissions, they just got their car painted, or......... and I can't afford to."

Okay. I'll be the first to admit I don't need to own 10 cars. But if the rest of you had the chance to buy a '57 Chevy for $150 and with a little time, sweat, tears, blood, and some money you knew it'd be a decent car, wouldn't you have jumped on it too?

I don't need an '86 or 2006 Monte either for that matter. But another thing I realize...... I'm not getting any younger. (da-- it!!)
Why shouldn't I have some things in my life that make me happy?

I also have no problem helping someone else out how's trying to do something I've already done. Why not share my experience with others? So car forums do serve a purpose. And they save on gasoline.

 

I have alot of respect for people that can wrench on thier American cars!

Only people I see wrenching on ricers are kids & they never can get them
back together right !

I had to re-wire some kids 2006 Honda recently as he had his Amps were jury-rigged & it burnt everything up. He couldn't get to his job @ McDonalds .
He has a newer car than Mom & Dad!

 

(Opinion will come at a later date)