20 years of GBodyForum? What's Next?

[scoti]

Some tough questions here. I've utilized forums since their inception, and still search em out today for various vehicles, and reasons that aren't vehicles. Social media may have an "instant" reply, but honestly half the time its useless responses. I hope forums will be here to stay, but I understand what your saying.

I thought social media would help as in 'being another avenue for info' in addition to the forums. I quit FB within a year of getting on (& I was late getting on) because of the things people would say/share seemingly w/o thinking through the impact on others. Politics & religion soapbox drama had me exit quickly.

I find the forums still as helpful as ever w/the right site. I was (am?) a member on another g-body site but it seemed limited when seeking input from others. I found this site when I purchased my latest g-body & this one is definitely superior as far as banter & discussions (effective discussions).

I'm a LONG standing member on a 67-72ChevyTrucks site as well as on Lateral-g & will be here for a while as well (I usually check all the forums daily AM & PM).

This is a great site & resource for g-body enthusiasts because of the collection of individuals regularly involved.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I still think one of the best features of this site, and G-bodies in general, is that you could have gotten any engine from one of the four GM makes in your G-body. So that means you could have a Buick, Chevy, Pontiac, or Oldsmobile engine in any of those four GM models. Thus, all four brand of enthusiasts are compelled to share knowledge and experience with each other. I have found that kind of co-operation no where else, at all. Normally, if all four brand of fans were put together in a room, it would end up as a food fight. Even on Classical Pontiac, there were 455 snobs that looked down with disdain at any engine smaller than that. I suggested putting a Turbo 301 in a 1968 Firebird and was almost tarred and feathered for even thinking of doing that. If I did that on here I am sure the turbo guys would volunteer support and info.

Unlike GM, I am a big believer in Pontiac-in-a-Pontiac mentality. That goes for the other brands too. I especially like when we stuff a big old 400, 403, 454, 455, into a G-body. These guys do that all the time and make it work like it came from the factory that way. I don't see that anywhere else. Most sites are about keeping the car either 100% original or totally customized or race ready. Few drive them daily. My 1981 Malibu wagon was my DD for 15 years. I yanked the Chevy 229 and put a Pontiac 350, then a 400, then a 301 in it. That was because I found this site and learned from these guys.

We can't do much about attracting young people to get involved. Either you are a car guy or not. Most young people today have been raised on front wheel drive and imports. Unless someone bequeaths them a G-body, they have no connection to them. I am still a 1rst gen Firebird guy. But I feel like the Model A guys of old. A dwindling group. G-bodies are still strong, but for how long? I will probably be here until I am too old to hold a wrench.

 

[mclellan83]

I wasn't going to comment originally cause we all know I'm good for nothing But figured I might as well share because when I got my first Monte I went to a different site thinking that specific to the Monte would be more helpful and less clutter. But ultimately made my way over here and for the reason I originally chose the other is why it really works well here. Ended up being for the best here, and am all for keeping it from turning into my previous forum regular (LS1GTO) because since that unnamed company bought it it went straight down hill. Anyways.....

 

[Longroof79]

Being a G-body enthusiast since '86 when I first acquired my Malibu wagon. I was first attracted by the simple, almost retro styling these cars had. I was always attracted to various types of wagons and sedan deliveries. Back when I purchased my wagon, I always liked how versatile and utilitarian these vehicles were. It also had been my daily driver for many years. It's seen several years of northern winters until moving south. Moving south is what I feel has helped preserve it. During that time I would accumulate needed parts from my local junkyard. G-body cars were more plentiful back then. However, I've noticed over a short period of time how these vehicles were becoming fewer and farther between.
G-body cars weren't quite as popular as a special interest car as they've become today. I hope the popularity and enthusiasm persists.

I never thought I would even own this car this long. I became more and more attached to it over time. Hopefully, the next generation of young gear heads will continue to carry the torch. I've been a member here since Oct. 2008, and a member of Malibu racing since 2003.

Between the two sites, I've gleaned much pertinent information that helped remedy the various quirks and idiosyncrasies that made these cars tick.
There were a few other G-body sites that I was a member on until they closed down . G-body Central, and Malibu Thunder, Monte Carlo SS forum.
It's been a fun and interesting road.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

My Regal was a hand me down from my grandmother. I grew up with her driving that car and often riding in it with her as a kid. Especially when we took family day trips to the shore we always rode in her car because of its spacious trunk holding all the beach gear. Its not as close as my parents old cars were but its the only known surviving car from my childhood.

Part of the rarity issue with G bodies now is probably the Cash for Clunkers program years ago. Many Gs were lost due to that stupidity. Hopefully we won't see that again with the big EV push.

 

[oldsofb]

Contacting Brian Suter over at Classic G-Body Garage might be a way to promote some type of Collab between the forum and his channel. The G-Body Classic has it's 8th Annual event coming in July 2025.

Maybe some sort of Club in conjunction with the Forum. A way to raise funds (through maybe a club shirt, jacket, coin in conjunction with a membership fee).

Club chapters across the US could get members out in the public for meets a few times a year, which may generate some interest in the cars and the brand.

Maybe then later picking a charity (for the club as a whole, or by chapters) to support. This would help out the charity and get the name (or names) out in the communities.

Just spit-balling here.

Congrats, by the way. I say it all the time, but this is by far the BEST forum I've ever been a part of. Just a bunch of good people enjoying what they love, and sharing with others.

Hutch

 

[CopperNick]

Don't think that I would suggest going to look for a porch rocker just yet. There is yet another buyout/takeover ocurring in the wings that involves Motor Trend's video publications division, which have all been parked or terminated, and, apparently, Warner, which seems to see some value in pursuing the acquisition. A lot of the hosts who had video streams on the M-T site have gone independent and there is some interesting stuff starting to turn up.

I also second the notion of the SWOT analysis. For the acronym confused, the term translates out to "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats." At it's core it is an analysis tool that is used to determine whether or not a potential change has the ability to be beneficial and improve the delivery of goods, (or services in this case) or whether what is being suggested is not a good fit for the existing method of delivery or might not be accepted or appreciated by the targer market. In this case that would be us threadees.

It might be useful to do a pilot project based on the changes that seem to be most desired and see what the general population thinks. Do be aware that there will always be someone who objects or whom has been away for a while and comes back to find it all changed and is unhappy about that. The term there is "life" as in life moves on.

For myself and only for myself here, while I might be a semi-frozen fossil that barely wants to move unless pushed to do so necessity or circumstances, I am also not blind to the need to evolve. We can stay in our niche and make it comfortable; that way we are always here for those who are wise enough to come looking, and they are out there. Otherwise, metaphorically, I am not married, so there is no external pressure on me to paint the walls, change the carpets, and throw out all the perfectly good furniture just because there is outside criticism about the existing interior design. There are too many "used to be" sites that did exactly that and ended up as a 404 page footnote in the history books.


CopperNick

 

[Gp40011rad]

The G-body cars are still very popular.
Some may not like what some of these guys are doing to these cars like putting Huge Rims on them and most have LS swaps.
Allot of Younger Guys like G-bodies.
As for Forums I think they are good for info but most people just search Youtube now.
some of these forums have cars that are still in production.
GM dropped the ball they stop making the 2 door Coupe.
Dodge still has one and you see how popular they are.
People are getting older and some die and their cars are left with people that have no interest in them.

 

[Ribbedroof]

For me, forums trump social media. I've been on a couple of FB groups, but parted ways after a short time. In my case, I like the way forums are organized into topics and subtopics. Trying to stay up to date with the groups was hopeless, unless you wre attached to a device 24/7...IMO. I also felt that there wasn't a lot of usable info....mostly people posting the same pics of their stuff time after time after time. Side shot Saturday, Front end Friday, and all the others but it was the same stuff every time.

Here, I can search for something, and usually find many results for ideas/tips/fixes.

Maybe it's a product of my age. A friend of mine has a son that inherited his love of automotive, but never keeps anything long. He blames it on his children's generation being raised in front of a TV. His thinking is that that resulted in a very short attention span. Maybe he's right, maybe not. I don't know, but he might be on to something.

I get that since there is a (presumably) significant investment in both time and money for the site ownership, and freshinging things up could drive additional interest that's something that will probably come to pass.

I'd be fine if nothing really changed here, but it's not my circus OR my monkeys, so......

 

[pagrunt]

Maybe it's a product of my age. A friend of mine has a son that inherited his love of automotive, but never keeps anything long. He blames it on his children's generation being raised in front of a TV. His thinking is that that resulted in a very short attention span. Maybe he's right, maybe not. I don't know, but he might be on to something.

I kinda snucked in the car world into Jr.'s world not to long after we brought him home from the hospital. By the time he could somewhat speak clearly he was see car emblems & saying what the brand was. He shocked a guy sitting in his Subaru cause such a small child knew what the car was. As we all see today, he is a minority as very few kids he's around has interest or much if any knowledge of cars. He still a product of his generation with the games, TV, a smart phone & iternet. Good thing he's not into social media but it could be bad if he doesn't want to be part of our community here.