Membership is due soon, Long and pissy

Ok, this may be a gripe and it may offend some of you. But, Oh! Well! wont be the first time. My membership is due soon and and I am really unsure if its worth the time to renew. George has done an excellant job as the narrator on this site and I have gained a vast knowledge of my car.

CLUB (KLUB) n. an association of people UNITED in pursuance of a common interest!

I have been a member of other sites associated with mustangs and believed myself to be a true member in regards to assistance when needed, if I held the knowledge of the topic. If the knowledge was not available, I would do my best to send the topic or individual in the direction of a member that could best answer questions......thus A MEMBER OF THE CLUB. My father is the president of the STROKERS Street Rod club in maryland. This means jack squat to anyone or on this site. They will jump to assist a member of the CLUB, regardless of the redundant questions.

My point is that in the past year of my memebrship I have found or even ASSuMed that as a club we would do what is necessary to assist all in the resurrection and nastalgia of the infamous Thunderbird SC. I may have been wrong at times to ask a redundant question that the search will provide 10,000 answers to. But a direct appraoch has always been my way of learning and thinking. Excuse me if I am a ****. I do not understand why the club consist of mass individuals that have an amazing amount of knowledge and the true concept of these great cars yet prefer to not take the time to share it. I have placed many of post on here that in someones eyes may have been a stupid question, yet they have read the posts and not replied.

Everyone has had the displeasure at one point in time of the SC being your only transportation and NEEDING and relying on this site for the answers to get your baby running. Why is it that 50 people can read the post and not reply with even a miniscule amount of knowledge they have gained from this intuitive site. We all have spent countless hours searching for even the minute details of these lovable cars. I may be wrong, I may be out of line, I may be offensive to some of course only to those that cant take a moment of their time to assist in the growth of a fellow SC lover.

In closing please feel free to send me your comments and thoughts regarding my membership or feelings if it offends you. blue86gt@aol.com. I do apologize to those of you that have assisted me with my rediculous problems regarding the other moody woman in my life.....My SC

Sincerely,
Damian...aka DAHOOPD

Damian,

Just because 50 people view the post doesn't mean that any of them knew the answer to your question. I know very often I'll read post that I don't know the answer to and then not reply.

If people are treating you badly then I could understand why you would consider leaving the club. But to talk about leaving because you think your being ignored is a little unresonable.

David

David Neibert said:

Damian,

Just because 50 people view the post doesn't mean that any of them knew the answer to your question. I know very often I'll read post that I don't know the answer to and then not reply.

If people are treating you badly then I could understand why you would consider leaving the club. But to talk about leaving because you think your being ignored is a little unresonable.

David

Click to expand...

I have always found that when I am browsing the boards and see a thread that hasn't been replied to, the best way to get some answers is to reply with the wrong one. For some reason alot of people won't respond to a thread unless the opportunity is there to prove somebody wrong. I know I have responded to threads with an answer that I wasn't totally confident in and just took my best educated guess because nobody else was trying to help. That's when the replies start to fly saying that what you said is wrong and so forth.

Unreasonable?

Dave,

I dont considerate unreasonable, but maybe it is. I understand the search is a great tool but, there are times when the search requires to much time to get the required information regarding help. Especially if the bird at the time is your only means of transportation and it down. Whatever the case it was not meant to offend anyone. I guess its just me venting because the car just instantly wants to give me trouble one thing after another on a daily basis. I guess what I am saying is that I am really getting tired of neededing to do repairs and not having the information available at the time. I am sure even if we were Bill Gates we could not afford to place the car in the shop everytime something breaks which is more often than not. I think I am just losing my patience. I love the car but its getting to the point of where my temper is being takin out on the car. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate your thoughts. You are more than welcome to come over and help me beat the **** out of it with a baseball bat.

Damian, if I may offer some comments. My thinking, and perhaps that of some of the other veteran posters is, if you can't take the time to use the search tools, and the FAQ, for an easy question that has already been answered hundreds of times, why should we take our time to type a response that we have already typed many times? Is our time less valuable than yours? I'm not trying to be argumentative, just making what I think is a valid point.

Personally I have a 3 very different types of Ford family vehicles, and I am active on message boards for all of them. When I bought the Mark VII last year, and started researching it a bit, I looked at the FAQ and search features of two dedicated sites, and learned a lot about the car in the process.

You can see from my post count that I am pretty active on here. Most of my posts are responses to people's questions, not asking my own questions. I do like to help and share knowledge, but the people looking for knowledge should try to put a bit of effort into their search too, and not rely only on others to do the work for them. I'll admit to passing over many posts that are questions about things that have been answered ad nauseum. I can understand your frustation when your daily driver isn't going, my SC used to be my primary source of transportation as well for several years. But what would you have done 10 or 15 years ago, before the Internet made the easy, quick sharing of knowledge (and misinformation) possible? You need to have some patience when waiting for a reply, you're not always going to get an answer right away.

Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.


cheers
Ed N.

Good points Ed. Someone probably shouldn't expect to get answers to all their questions. Sometimes when you are working on your car, and don't have time to sit and do countless searches, you would just like to get a quick answer so you can continue on. It may be late Sunday night and you need your car for Monday morning. There are alot of questions that get posted that are redundant, and not posted under the above circumstances, that get passed up by the SC veterans.

Sometimes I too get tired of answering the same question over and over and over. I encourage the new comers just to sit and stay for while.. not 3 months or not just when you get 1 question answered and then go away until the next problem happens, but stick around for 1-2 years.

Also, give something back.. if you got a snippet of helpful info from the community that saved you $500 in repair costs.. then guess what.. you should be happy to willingly donate $500 worth of good will back to the club either in the form of membership dues and/or help to another owner.. thats the way it works. If you keep it in mind, your experience will be a much more positive one. In other words, pitch in. As for me, the SC just turned 190,000 miles old and its in probably as good of shape as it was with 25,000 miles. I couldn't have done that w/o all the advice I got here at an unbelievable bargain. If I'd stuck to the shop, I'd be driving another car by now.

Did you fix your problem yet?

Jeff

Good points by everyone! Although I can sympathize with the fact that trying to find the right answer is hard. I don't have the post count that many others have on this site, but I've been around in the club (I think) over 9 years. I think the first three years was spent gathering knowledge from the "Charging Thunder" magazines and now the bulletin board. I consider all this information that others have given me or other members PRICELESS! And to what I consider it to be the most important thing here, HOW MUCH IS MEMBERSHIP? Fifteen bucks (USD)? Even as a poor college student with a SC, 15 bucks is definately affordable. The membership used to cost 40 USD. Which even then is not much. I think the membership has been worth more than 1000 USD/year to me. Of course this is just my .02. But, I feel that even being here over 9 years, I don't have much to offer someone because I only reply if I think I remember someone elses solution to a problem or I have run into that problem. Mine being a 1995 with only 86k on her, I haven't had too much break on her. And because I'm married with children on one income, I don't do much "upgrading", unless something breaks. (No $) But, those are my individual attributes. However, having said that, it would be nice if we had in the FAQ's what solutions usually solve what problems, so that doing searches wouldn't have you reading unnecessary posts. But, to me, it's like "doing your time". Everyone else on here has had to do it, why don't you. And I don't take your post offensive, I feel the same way sometimes. But, take another PAXIL and relax.... !

If I may? I have found that waiting until there is something wrong with your SC to start looking for answers is not the best time to get a speedy reply. Instead, why not take some time each day or whenever you log onto this site to surf through the FAQ section just as a gee whiz thing. Click on mechanical topics and start browsing through to get better acquainted with your car. Sure, it may not be the most exciting thing in the world to do on the net, but it could definitely pay dividends in the future should your car develop symptoms that have already been addressed here. At least if you've browsed the topics and the potential causes for the problems associated with our cars, you'll have a better idea of what to look for and that in itself will cut down on time wasted trying to find out what's wrong with your SC. It also wouldn't hurt to get acquainted with your local Ford dealer and see if maybe there isn't a tech there who has previous experience with the SC. That way you can just pick up the phone and call them and ask them what the problem might be. Face it, that's what we all used to have to do before the superhighway of the internet came into existence. Another thing to consider is this. Would you want someone posting a reply to a problem you were having if they didn't really have an idea of what the problem or solution might be? I can almost guarantee if someone sent you on a wild goose chase trying to solve a problem with your car and they had no clue about the problem, you'd be twice as mad and complain on the boards that everyone here is stupid and doesn't know what they're talking about.

As for the SCCOA being a "club", it is just that, a club. But I also consider this community a family as well. No club is perfect and I'm sure even your father could tell you that. You can't please all the people all the time, and that's the way it is. I've been a member of organizations both online and in the real world who had members that only cared about themselves and bettering themselves at the expense of others. I have not seen any of that in this community as of yet, and that speaks volumes about the integrity of the people here. How many other clubs make available memorial decals for their members' cars for fellow enthusiasts who were taken from us before their time? Not too many that I'm aware of, and at a total cost of just postage for the decals to boot. It don't get any better than that.
I may not have been a member of the SCCOA from it's inception, but I do know I will be a member until the club passes away and I will do everything I can to contribute to the organization to make it a better place for everyone.
Bottom line is this. Noone can make you stay if your heart isn't in it. That's got to be your decision. But, you must also be understanding of those who choose to stay. Contrary to popular belief, not every member hovers on this site 24/7. We all have lives outside of the SCCOA. Just because you don't get a reply within the first few hours of a post doesn't mean you're not going to get a reply. Everyone keeps different schedules and it's virtually impossible for every post to be answered within the first hour or so of being posted. Finally, and I think this applies to everyone here, we need to ask ourselves what we can do to CONTRIBUTE to the club, not just what we get out of it. In my opinion, I love being a member here and, although I'm not an expert on these cars yet, I do hope to be a valuable asset to this community as time goes on. "Ask not what your club can do for you, rather, ask, what can I do for the club."
Again, just my thoughts.

The number of views doesn't always mean people are ignoring you. Many times I will read someones thread because I am also interested in learning the answer. I know first hand that sometimes the search can be useless too.

Bro if its first hand help you want, i remember when you had ur headgasket problem i told you to PM me, i live like 30 mins away and i could have helped. There's a few car people, real car people, around here who i know and would have come along. IF you need help just say the word dude. have you checked out the mamn12.com website? There are a good number of tbird people there...who do exactly waht you are saying. Go around help each other out when possible and when the need arises.

Damn, I feel like poop!

I am glad to see you guys will bust my balls for getting too damn negative. Anyway, the points made are understood. I guess its because I have gotten a little negative lately. I have lost my job and prior to that the car gave me no problems other than the little things. Now no job and no money it wants to push my patience. So because I did the search and found too many options I posted the question. I then got responces to 15 differant items that could have been the culporate for the idle issue. I apologize for losing my senses. If it wasnt for this site and the input from others, I would have never tackled the headgaskets. But it has run perfect since other than the idle issue and now a blown tranny. Which I might add may cause me to get rid of the car. I dont know squat about trannies and dont want to. Anyway, I appreciate a little smack once in awhile to keep me in line. I am also glad to see that the search effect does take a toll on others at times. Thanks again.

By the way I live in Baltimore if anyone wants to stop by and fix my car while I am sleeping or even steal it for that matter. Pleeease!

dont worry... im about to lose my job also, either by next week or the end of the month... all depends on SHELL... but i see autozone is hiring alot of people in almost all the stores in the whole LA COUNTY.... so hmmm.... and kragen and pep boys too... but anywho... yeah the search can be useless, really really useless... especially for people like me that need someone to tell them directly. I dont really like to read how other people solve their SC problems because then other people start to throw stuff in and just makes me confuse. thats why i post alot of questions. I try to help but i think im about as useless as those brackets that hold the IC tubes to the engines... but oh well...

not bashing bro...just trying to help. It gets pretty bad with these cars at some point man. Many of us have been there. Take it slow.

Oh! We didn't know you needed some cheering up since you lost your job and have car troubles! In that case, this might cheer you up....here goes. In a matter of a four year span, this happened to me:

1. My father of 44 years of age, passed away.
2. Mom started dating a guy 4 months after he passed.
3. Bought my first house.
4. I got married.
5. Started living with now married wife that had never supported herself (not pleasant).
5. Mother got married to guy she was dating and found out guy doesn't like me or my family (he never had kids). Wanted me in the wedding scheduled for exact week my first child (her first grandchild) was due.
6. Had 1st child (awesome).
7. Got sued by company wife was previously employed by.
8. November 2001, got laid off with mortgage and on one income with 2nd child on the way.
9. Benefits ended January 31st, 2002, 2nd child born February = 12,000K.
10. Got new job April 2002, but had to move.
11. Had to sell house for 10,000K loss.
12 Only could afford 2nd house for family (wife and now 2 kids still on one income) in MUCH crappier neighborhood.

I'm sure that others have had it worse, but that wasn't a good time for me (other than marriage and having two kids). I hope this cheers you up!

Michael Mattix said:

Oh! We didn't know you needed some cheering up since you lost your job and have car troubles! In that case, this might cheer you up....here goes. In a matter of a four year span, this happened to me:

1. My father of 44 years of age, passed away.
2. Mom started dating a guy 4 months after he passed.
3. Bought my first house.
4. I got married.
5. Started living with now married wife that had never supported herself (not pleasant).
5. Mother got married to guy she was dating and found out guy doesn't like me or my family (he never had kids). Wanted me in the wedding scheduled for exact week my first child (her first grandchild) was due.
6. Had 1st child (awesome).
7. Got sued by company wife was previously employed by.
8. November 2001, got laid off with mortgage and on one income with 2nd child on the way.
9. Benefits ended January 31st, 2002, 2nd child born February = 12,000K.
10. Got new job April 2002, but had to move.
11. Had to sell house for 10,000K loss.
12 Only could afford 2nd house for family (wife and now 2 kids still on one income) in MUCH crappier neighborhood.

I'm sure that others have had it worse, but that wasn't a good time for me (other than marriage and having two kids). I hope this cheers you up!

Click to expand...

Mike,

You forgot to mention wrecking your motorcycle.

David

Got it

Sorry to hear that.. I have had the same story except it was my mother 2 years ago. But check this out. I lost my job and got divorced in the same year. To top it off my ex wifes mother bought my house and gave it to my ex wife. It doesnt matter, its life and it makes us stronger. The happy part is I divorced the anti-christ and I now have my SC

Dahoopd said:

Sorry to hear that.. I have had the same story except it was my mother 2 years ago. But check this out. I lost my job and got divorced in the same year. To top it off my ex wifes mother bought my house and gave it to my ex wife. It doesnt matter, its life and it makes us stronger. The happy part is I divorced the anti-christ and I now have my SC

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How many divorces is that for her now? I divorced her and Bob did too. I think she's been involved with several other members as well. It's almost as if the club is taking turns at her. Who's next?

I'd pick up a used trans to put in your car and sounds like people close to you are willing to help with your car. As for the membership dues, it's only $15. That's not much, but if you can't afford it right now, that's cool. I think it's worth more than that if you figure in the cost of taking the car to a mechanic to get it diagnosed and fixed compared to getting the info here and maybe being able to fix it yourself.

I can't tell you how much money I've saved on labor by doing it myself because I was able to get the right info here. If it weren't for The SCCoA, my SC would have been long gone.

I hope everything works out for you. And on a side note, I've PM'd some of these guys on here and they didn't hesitate to anwser and share their knowledge with me. I think we have a great club in my opinion.

$15 bucks is nothing compared to what it will save you. I think these cars would have just about all been junked by now if it wasn`t for this club. All of you out there should join. Just think if there was no SCCOA If we dont have enough supporters that what will happen as goerge is not going to pay for everone elses gain.I have found in the past that lets say you have a 89 well you might think that the other cars are the same but there is so many diffent parts and some fail on only some years. I for one dont answer a post unless im sure I know the answer or someone will jump on me. The other problem is that some will post something like this> My car is running bad and sputtering. What can I do to fix it?
Im the kind of guy that if someone in my area has a problem I will drive to there house and work on the car for free to try to get it fixed if I can.
Some say im crazy but I say lets spread some good in a world that has gone so bad. Good will overcome evil. Some of you out there are about to find out what I mean.