Are Automotive Forums A Big Help?

Anyone that has ever worked on a car in any real capacity, understands what it’s like to get halfway through something and stumble onto a problem. Maybe parts aren’t fitting correctly, the engine is running poorly, or you just can’t remember exactly how something went together. The answer you need isn’t always available in a technical manual, and there may not be any local shops that you could turn to for the specific help you need. In time’s past, when faced with this situation, it was time to make phone calls until you could track down your answer. Today, there is a much better way to find your solution.

The advent of the Internet has placed information at everyone’s fingertips. Let’s take for instance this very website. Everyday we post new information that is pertinent to online readers, and that information ranges from all things technical, breaking news items, and great-looking feature cars. It’s instant gratification at it’s best. But what if you have a question and need an immediate answer? You can email us, and we will get back to you ASAP, or you can check out a forum.

Automotive forums are Internet niches that often specialize in one make, model, or style of car, and are filled with an abundance of information. Generally, you can get a reasonably accurate answer to a question, but, let’s not kid ourselves and think it is all on the up and up. This is the Internet, and anyone that thinks they know what they’re talking about can post on a forum. But most times, forums can be a great resource. We spent some time talking to a couple members of trifive.com, to see just what makes the forum a great resource for them.

“This site is ground breaking.” Says Mike Donohue of Havertown, Pennsylvania. Also known online at trifive.com as Dragsix. “There are a lot of old heads, a lot of newbies, and a lot of in-betweens. My car is better today because of what I learn here.” Mike continues, “I try to pay it forward, because this is a great community.” Mike’s opinion of Trifive.com is clear, and he is not the only one. We made a post in the Chit-Chat area of the forum, and in under 48 hours received 16 responses. It doesn’t take long to get a question answered in one of these forums, and it really goes further than just information. There is an extensive network of classified ads built into forums where scarce parts can be found.

These small online communities are just that, communities. Anyone that becomes a member of a forum will learn that extremely quickly. Most everyone is there to help each other. “Suppose your ’57 [Chevy] is broke and you don’t know what to do,” adds 100%Chevy of Helena, Mississippi, “ask a few questions and then you’re out there fixing it.”

If you aren’t already a member of a forum associated with your car, search one out, it’s online somewhere. The resources and information made available by these forums are invaluable, and they can be a huge help. We did a quick search, and we found an Impala forum and a Camaro forum . Like we said, there is one dedicated to pretty much anything automotive that you can think of.

The best part about the pages is that the people you are talking to are passionate hobbyists, just like you. Johnny57 of Reston, Virginia, explained how trifive.com had helped him solve an issue with his headlights on his ’57 Chevy. After trying to work through the problem on his own, he “went onto trifive.com and in a half hour, there were numerous theories.”

Among other features, these forums have threads dedicated to project cars, engine work, interior details, and even political discussions. The forums act not only as a tool for us to use on our cars, but also an area where we can talk to people that share at least one similar passion with ourselves.

With the help of places like this website and forums, the automotive enthusiast has a wealth of information at their finger tips, and that is what makes the job of working on your project a little easier. Do you have any experience (good or bad) with a particular forum? Let us know what you think.