What do you want from the forum/club

[Chriscooke]

It’s obvious that the club and forum isn’t as popular as it once was. We have “staff” who have lost enthusiasm in a lot of areas and a membership that would rather attend a car show on their own than with the club.

What needs to change?

What would make you want to be more active?

Forums are clunky but would slimming it down with less sections help?

We used to offer discounts to attend shows for members but this doesn’t really work anymore due to our low numbers.

All opinions and ideas welcome. I’m interested to see what you guys want and can offer to make it happen.

[markcro]

A focus on maintenance, preserving and restoration of these fine old cars.

So get all the How-Tos saved for prosperity. So much information has already been lost. So what is left needs to be archived and arranged so it is easy to find.

[piman2k]

Great thread Chris. Agreed with Markcro, I made some suggestions as you know in the other area about clearing out what we don't use.

Lose the traders that we don't use, they just make it look more dead than it is.

And let's start archiving onto the server the good threads with images so the IMGBB and photobucket links don't all die over time.

We do need to rethink staffing as well, there are people really putting in an effort without recognition and a myriad of staff that have done a fine job establishing the place, but simply aren't here anymore to carry it forward.

Everyone uses phones, a minority of us get here on a computer. So let's make it focused like that. Switch the onus to Facebook and encourage people to reference back to here.

[Chriscooke]

Good replies so far, thank you.

[alanjuggler]

I think that archive idea is good - basically codifying all of the topics that people put serious work into figuring out - like John Bennett's RB swap - making sure it's hosted, making sure there's comments about how it works with a 180SX loom - caveats, pitfalls, that kind of thing.

trying to organise the open download of information that the forum has been over the years, essentially. I still use it quite frequently to figure out problems and often I find a post from me that I've forgotten about me figuring something out in the past, so helps a lot for that sort of stuff.

Instead of having to search high and low for it - so for instance, AAC valve - pages from the service manual about how to diagnose, any additional information that's helpful, things like that.

There's so many threads that reference other threads, so merging and trimming those - removing extraneous posts so the core info is there.

I think one thing that might be helpful is a spares banks sort of posts, what you have in stock, the stuff you're willing to let go of if there's a forum member in need - I've got CA spares coming out of my nose and tried to sell them as a job lot unsuccessfully, am reluctant to scrap them but happy to help out anyone who needs specific bits.

also - whilst I know it's bloody tricky to get parts done on bulk for a forum, there's plenty of bits that are handy to 3d print - wiper pivots on the S13 for instance - though I don't have a 3d printer and finding someone who knows what they're doing in terms of making them out of the right plastics etc is difficult - but a list of people willing to do that on an odd job basis?

[R3K1355]

Preserve the best of the forum, there's a wealth of great technical information you just can't get on social media.

You have to be realistic, forums in general are much less popular these days, and with these cars being over two decades out of production, numbers are ever dwindling.

[Actual_Ben_Taylor]

Agree with what's been said already. Preserve the knowledge on the forum, focus on supporting owners to restore their cars and keep them on the road.

I don't do a lot of car shows these days, guess I'm lucky that one of the best (Bicester Heritage) is pretty local.

[WTFIA]

I want it to just exist. I have been here since 2003, banned in 2004 then again in 2009 and have behaved myself since. Whilst I rarely post, I view this forum daily and have done for 2 decades, I would be lost without it, whilst all my S-Bodies are off the road at the moment I still pick up ideas from others on here and enjoy reading posts. I am not on FB or the modern social sites, and whilst I am sat in the background always watching I could not do without referring back to this forum when I need to. Even pove that people come back to this forum even when they no longer own an SX but good friends have been made here.

[Chriscooke]

Thanks for the feedback all. Interestingly it’s different from when we’ve asked this question in the past.

[markcro]

Thanks for the feedback all. Interestingly it’s different from when we’ve asked this question in the past.

SXs are no longer desposible cars to be drifted to the nearest scrap yard. The people left with them want to keep and maintain them so they can be enjoyed. So it's long overdue that the club views them like this and moves in that direction.

[MEL]

This ^^

They are not cheap or readily available now, owners are more enthusiasts these days and not just out for cheap thrills of drifting

[Chriscooke]

SXs are no longer desposible cars to be drifted to the nearest scrap yard. The people left with them want to keep and maintain them so they can be enjoyed. So it's long overdue that the club views them like this and moves in that direction.

Do you think the club ever really saw the cars as you described? I think we tried to be all inclusive previously which may of put people off perhaps.

[piman2k]

I must admit, I remember we had many drifters here but my perception of the SXOC was always that we were generally viewed as the guys who were precious over their cars and barely used them, or were perceived to not use them "hOw ThEy WeRe SuPpOsEd To"

I still say we need to thin down the forum, clear off the traders, archive most of the extra sections and then look to open a new restoration/preservation room.

[markcro]

Do you think the club ever really saw the cars as you described? I think we tried to be all inclusive previously which may of put people off perhaps.

The club has always been very helpful and inclusive, I'm not saying that it wasn't. It has always been my first port of call when I needed help or advice, and still is. And I attended many great SXOC events and track days. But the famous vote of years back moved the club in the direction of drift before perservation. And sadly, track slags usually end up going the same way... I am always up for using you car for motorsport, or pricking about in your own time late at night. But from a club perspective, I was disappointed to be honest, as I always thought that the club should have been focused on preserving the cars* with a side line of drifting/ track use. Rather than focusing on drifting/ track with a sideline of preserving. But it went in the direction of what the majority wanted at the time which is fair enough. And it is good that a club evolves with time, as do the owners and cars.

* maintenance/ good modifications/ restoration

[schumi84]

It must be fate that I decided to log back into the forum today, so soon after this thread was started

I can only echo what has been said already. Keeping the technical information readily available is a must, definitely and some of the restoration threads that have come before are invaluable.

[Chriscooke]

The club has always been very helpful and inclusive, I'm not saying that it wasn't. It has always been my first port of call when I needed help or advice, and still is. And I attended many great SXOC events and track days. But the famous vote of years back moved the club in the direction of drift before perservation. And sadly, track slags usually end up going the same way... I am always up for using you car for motorsport, or pricking about in your own time late at night. But from a club perspective, I was disappointed to be honest, as I always thought that the club should have been focused on preserving the cars* with a side line of drifting/ track use. Rather than focusing on drifting/ track with a sideline of preserving. But it went in the direction of what the majority wanted at the time which is fair enough. And it is good that a club evolves with time, as do the owners and cars.

* maintenance/ good modifications/ restoration

Can’t argue with any of that

[Chriscooke]

It must be fate that I decided to log back into the forum today, so soon after this thread was started

I can only echo what has been said already. Keeping the technical information readily available is a must, definitely and some of the restoration threads that have come before are invaluable.

Seems everyone wants the same thing. Makes life easier for sure

[green_rs13]

slimming down the number of sections would just jumble things up and it would all become a big mess.
for example..
I have a uk spec s13 with a vvt sr20, So if i have a chassis issue i post in s13 tech and if i have an engine issue i post in s14 tech.
although the reality is that i can just search these sections to find the solution to my issue ( usually written by me )

[piman2k]

No one's suggested slimming the technicals beyond my suggestion to blend S12 into S13.

But tbh your example wouldn't be any different IMO.

My suggestion was here from the members section:

Howdy,

Far be it for me to say the place needs improvement, but I wonder if it might be worth looking at trimming the boards a bit.

End goal - make them more concise and the forum a bit smaller so the average phone user (either on browser or Tapatalk) isn't overwhelmed with all the front facing forums.

For example:



Walton hasn't been online since 2017, PSM since 2018, APT don't generally take on S bodies now (who can blame them), Emperor haven't been online since 2014, Race Systems 2016, Slide 2018 etc. etc. You get the point.

I doubt any of us qualify for any benefits or discounts from any of them anymore (bar Opie but even oilman hasn't been here since 2022).

What about reducing those forums down to the few that operate and incorporating the insurance one into it as well?

Re: technical:



What about merging 12 and 13 since we have so few 12 topics but the car commonalities are significant?

Re: Sales:



Misc items has been unused since 2018, even 'other vehicles' is dragging 2022.



I just thought making this tidier and pushing the forum more from the FB page might drive some traffic?

Just my 2p.

Ryan

[pointz]

I agree the traders section needs a massive sort out!
Tye s12 section is just a bloody spam section now, but it could work merging them.

And I also agree the misc and other vehicles has been useless for years!