20 years of GBodyForum? What's Next?

So GP403 ill ask the question......

What type of changes will help this last another 20 years?

Tomeal said:

So GP403 ill ask the question......

What type of changes will help this last another 20 years?

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I'll be 38 on sunday, have had my El Camino since the saturday of memorial day weekend 2001 when mom bought it for me at an auction. I use a combination of Facebook, and forums for information. The forums are great because they are much easier to search. You can do individual forums, the whole site, and you can actually search for the entire string of words. On facebook, let's say you want to search for 350 transmission. Well, it'll bring up everything that has 350 AND transmission in the posts, so 350 engines, and 400 transmissions. There is so much more information stored on the forums though, because they have been around so much longer, but you are more likely to get a quicker answer on a facebook group. It's a little bit of a double edged sword. This shows that I have been a member on here since december of 2020, but back in the mid to late 2000's, I was a member here, but didn't remember my username/password, and don't have access to the email that I would have used then either, so I had no choice but to make a new one. There are several forums that I have been a member of, and they have either been sold/transferred/updated, and the information gets lost(especially pictures). Or the group isn't there anymore, and all of the information is gone. I've started saving screenshots of things on my computer that I MIGHT need in the future, just so I have the information. I really hate to be in your shoes, but I don't think the g body platform is necessarily dying, but it's kind of in a transformation stage. There are so many more parts out there now, than what there were 10-15-20 years ago, and google searches(or your preferred search engine) make all of the individual sites almost like one big forum when you are looking for information.

Personally I do both, forums and facebook. This forum is much easier to deal with than facebook.

I've been on forums way longer than any social feed and have learned almost everything i know about this automotive platform because of that. The amount of controlled (for a lack of a better term) and direct information acquired i can't imagine it would've been possible via social media. this forum is well run,good mix of information, respect & opinions on subjects. Unlike some social avenues where it's the opposite and rather counterproductive.

Main I could have been a 2 digit member number had I found this sights vs MR back in April of 2005 lol
Good job out living the competition

Got on this site when I got my Regal and the 231 blew up 11 years ago. Was inspired to go the sbb route when I read blake442s 3.8/350 swap thread with that wagon. GBF is my home away from home.

I have a couple of threads that tell my story. Or part of it. Alas, they remain unfinished, as do the cars. But I still contribute technical pieces from time to time. I keep thinking that I will retire and have time, but HC! I got old while I was busy procrastinating.

I have internally bookmarked a bunch of posts to hopefully make them findable later. I hope that any renovation does not wipe these out. I still need these nuts that I squirreled.

No one has time to profitably sift through 6.7 million posts, but this site is a gold mine of technical data and practical aftermarket ways of doing things. Perhaps there will be an AI effort that will scrape the collected knowledge and separate the wheat from the chat, to compile an organized, succinct, searchable archive of what-is and how-to archive. I hope that will be to GP403's profit for all the burden the Forum has been in maintaining our cultural tradition for 2 decades.

Thank you, Chris. You Da Man!

All I can say is, You (GP403 with help from your moderators) have done an outstanding job running this site so far or it would not have lasted as long as it has. According to the testimonials I've just read here, It seems to me you can make whatever changes needed to continue this forum into the next 20 years. As stated earlier, some of us will have a harder time adjusting to the changes but the love of what we get from this forum far outweighs the learning curve needed to move forward. I'm sure both mobile and computer platforms will be kept.

I've only been a member for a few years but have thought of this site as an extended family in the car world. I'm sure most of us have the same feeling. We have seen your leadership and know you feel the same way. This is a part of your life as it is ours and you will undoubtedly make the most appropriate decisions moving forward.

I thank you for all your hard work running this site and I'm glad to be a part of it.

I have been on here since 2014, about the time I got my second Cutlass (one I own now). The amount of archived and live knowledge on here couldn't be contained in a single book. Answers I have sought via "Google" rabbit hole me. I pop on here...post my question and within sometimes minutes have the answer. But not only "the answer" but supporting advice and guidance to get to a proper end result. Losing this forum would be a very big loss for me and my progress in my build and maintenance.

As for social media...I can't stand it. Have only a couple forums I am on, but nothing else. Social media to me is the Devil's playground and really not something I am interested. It stinks as some things are now only on Facebook or Instagram and I end up having to have the wife or a buddy help me there...but its never been enough to make me want to change to that.

The mention of seeing if Brian from Classic Gbody Garage could help promote the forum is a good idea. I watch a lot on his channel and he gets tons of hits on YouTube for people seeking..well Gbody info. Might be a solid plug as long as it doesn't cost a ton.

If it helps to have more of us as "supporting members" than I am for sure in!
The idea of a club or something similar is SUPER cool and I would be game. I would be in for sure.

Lastly addressing the falling off around GBodies. This one I see differently. In the Lowrider world. People have always looked for Impalas. Well in more recent years...TONS and I means tons of people want Gbodies. From the hardcore hoppers to full show trailer queens, to street cars like mine. They are right there behind the Impalas now. But to the core issue..alot of the Lowrider community is only on Facebook or Instagram.

So ultimately I dont have an answer or solution necessarily, but truly hope we can keeps this forum going strong. As another forum I was very active on for lowriders...is all but done and it sucks.