I sure miss ET. Great knowledge and very helpful.
Been on CF since 2004 when I finally got my first Corvette. I read CF almost every day. The more I learn the more I post trying to assist others as so many have assisted me in the past.
As to the earlier conversations about long-term marriage........we have been a couple for 50 years and married 44. Don't see that ever changing.
I have noted more posts that I would call aggressive and hostile toward other members over the last few years. Always makes me a bit sad as we are always stronger together. I like forums of many kinds as I usually can get questions I have answered in a short time frame.
Hope CF survives for many more years!
Jim

 

I bought a Lincoln and have been on the Lincoln Sites trying to learn my SUV
Boy has this place spoiled me, here you can find answers and/or solutions to just about anything
The Lincoln sites seem to have only a handfull of people who frequent the sites
I'm kinda' like tripple ought, I have my Vette where I'm pretty much satisfied with it so don't ask as many stupid questions anymore

 

I don't post much but I read this site every day. I've learned a lot, and made about 10X the mods that I ever expected to -- all for cruising, not racing. My only remaining mod, I think, will be new wheels when my tires are ready to be changed. After that, it's cruise control until I can pick up a C7 for less than 50% of its original price. I figure 4 more years with the C5. By then I will have put 80k miles on it (on top of the 20k that it had when I bought it 4 years ago) and I will have wrung every ounce of fun out of it that I can.
This forum is great and the C5 is better.

 

 

Perhaps, but I (and others here) avoid social media sites due to all the crap.

 

Facebook is not a site I use. Not a fan of how Zuckerberg uses Facebook users
But I do not like the way some newer users are treated by some others here.........sad that there always seems to be some who want to pick a fight regardless of the issue.

 

 

There's less threads because almost every topic has been covered already. Better that people use the search function (works even better via Google) than clogging the forum with the same exact questions posted over and over.

 

I still come on here everyday, why spend 50,000 on a newer vette when you can have a vintage one just as fast.

 

I write from Spain and here (and I believe that in almost all Europe) the information about Corvettes is really sparse.
For example, the Spanish forum for Corvette is virtually dead, the last message is mine, June-04, and has no answers.
https://forocorvette.mforos.com/
When I decided to buy a Corvette, one of the reasons was this forum. Comparing with the Spanish this forum is a baby with a lot of life on it. There is information about virtually ALL related with Corvettes, and members seem to be really glad to help.
If I didn't find this forum and all his info, maybe I wouldn't have bought the car, scared by the possibles problems....Mine is 1.999

Thanks to all of you for your help and hard work, which is becoming more necessary as our babies turn birthdays.

 

Vendors come and go. Products change. Techniques are improved. New members can bring new information. I prefer current thinking on something with the search function used for support but that's just me.

 

Agreed. If people have questions, do a general search and then post about it if needed. It keeps the forum active. Also, every topic has NOT been covered already. It's thinking like that which leads to forum declines.

However, forum activity is declining everywhere. Primarily because of social media, not the reasons above.

 

I've had my C5 since 2004, and I still love it. I generally come to this forum for help, and thankfully there are still folks like yourself, ET, willing to help us "amateurs" deal with the problems associated with an aging car.

.......and, congrats on 50 years of marriage.

 

 

FWIW, I've been checking in here, for a long time.
Now I also check the C-7 areas also.
Bill is a wealth of knowledge, as are a few others (although not at his level)
I agree, there is a lot of redundancy for as old guys, however, folks that have recently become C-5 owners still are in need of information, and if anyone can help, it is a good thing.

 

 

 

Just wish this site had a half competent "search" function. If I want to search for anything specific, I use Google, and it finds posts the forum search does not find that match my query - but the forum search function is good at throwing up stuff that is irrelevant.

As to the comment above about how new members get treated, new members need to help themselves more if they are going to try to maintain these cars themselves. C5's are not simple - my '98 service manuals are three thick tomes - and expecting to do much of anything while essentially relying on someone who has manuals to look up the problem and publish a response - which may be pages long in the manual - is unreasonable. So, job #1 should be to source manuals. They get advertised on the big auction site. Also a word of warning - I have seen people post problems/symptoms here and receive totally incorrect advice as to what the cause is, especially with electrical problems. That's where the service manuals are really good - they take you step by step through the diagnostic process. One poster here was adamant that a reported problem with brake lights was due to the multifunction switch, whereas following the manual would lead you to the hazard switch as the problem.

Final comment - early vs. late C5's. Obviously the early cars are the ones currently with parts availability problems. When the part in question was last factory installed almost 20 years ago, that's to be expected. As time goes by the later years will be affected, as will the C6's - the early ones being 12-13 years old now. "Normal" auto industry full sparing is usually for 10-12 years +/-, BTW. One thing I have noticed, the "early" EBCM's that seem most prone to failure are on the cars with AH (mid '98 on, IIRC). The very early cars only had ABS and I have seen fewer reports of those units failing. Good for me, as mine was built day #3 of 1998 production, which means it will be 21 years this summer since I picked it up from the dealer.

Oh, and these cars are meant to be driven - hard - that's the whole point of them. Otherwise they would have 4 cylinder engines.

 

So let's assume I am a new forum member. I have saved and saved and finally buy a C5. Problem is that new member can't pick up a screwdriver the right way. He has no intention of working on his car cause he knows he will screw it up. So he goes on this forum all excited but is treated by one member who is mean as a snake to everything in between to Vetteman Jack who is the gentleman of gentleman. And than we wonder why we are loosing members, when all he wanted was to be part of an exclusive club. Just look at the responses for no wave to harmonic balancer questions. For him it's a first and he's excited to post. And then he's told you need thick skin when he gets blasted and here we go again with the same questions.

 

Just have to deal with it I guess.
I've been a member for a year and haven't had a problem with replies.
If some dude got witty I would get witty back. If it got worse I would just go away.
I like this forum. If you first search the forum for your problem then use common sense before you ask a question about it I don't think you would get shot down here.
Then again, I have seen some stupid questions here and I just go on. I don't reply to them. Some members do get witty.
As I said, just deal with it or go on.
It's a neat forum!