Expand The Scope To 1980-86 Trucks?

[Gary Lewis]

I realize that your scope doesn't include the 1980-86 trucks. However, that's the generation I'm into and I've created a rather significant web site to support: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/1980--- ... rucks.html. So, the question is whether you would expand your scope if I came over from FTE and invited my friends?

I ask because the support of IB on FTE has been rather abysmal, so I'm looking around for the right "home". If you aren't interested I understand and will not bother you further.

[Gary Lewis]

And, perhaps I should introduce myself. I do have a post or 32K on FTE. In fact, I'm currently the Oklahoma chapter leader and am hosting a rather large get-together this year with people from CA to AL, but am hosting an international get-together next year as described here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1498 ... ether.html. Currently that GTG has people from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and Poland signed up - all of which are 1980-86 enthusiasts - and we've just gotten started.

As for support for the 80-86 enthusiasts, my web site is growing weekly, and I have more resources promised. In fact, I probably have resources for the 73-79 trucks available but haven't utilized them yet.

Anyway, I'm just exploring if you are interested in expanding.

[Ranchero50]

I don't see a purpose in including other year groups in the scope of this site. Keeping it simple and focusing on one model group allowed this site to become the resource that it is. FTE is an interesting place but it put itself on a pedestal and got gobbled up by commercial interests and seems to have lost it's focus the past couple years.

Hopefully your site does well. Learn how to use Google search phrases to link to your site and that will increase your traffic 100 fold. Keep it simple, gather period ads and reference material and your forum will grow.

[ctubutis]

Hi, Gary, strange to see you out here in Germany? Heh...

When I first joined FTE 10 years ago, there were all sorts of political power struggles happening then, too - that was in the days of Ken Payne owning the site and the aspirations were just beginning. And you're aware of the frustrations I've had over there over the years for the exact same reasons you've experienced - lack of help & support being primary factors

I nevertheless made FTE my primary site because of the user base there + the posting activity, it was a place where I felt I could go help people.

Fordification is another good site and they have some really decent documentation out here, I even have (had) a few links to Fordification from the subforums/stickies over on FTE but so much of that is broken at this point I'm not sure if they work anymore. The truck generations aren't the same but are similar enough to be helpful in 80-86, at least from a historical perspective when one understands how things work.

I know absolutely zero about how these Fordification guys operate today. I can say, however, I still like the look & feel of this site and the people here.

In any event, I can understand what Ranchero50 is saying about expanding, whatever happens is what happens and I don't try to interfere with it.

But maybe all this stuff can change in the next 10 years, too.

And I see absolutely no reason to to keep any exclusive branding of anything - be it anything on a web site or any sort of physical GTG, it's all in fun, I just try to remember THAT and continue on.

-chris

P.S. Do you think I should wear a bra out here in Germany? I'm not doing so in France (where Luke is), whatchya think?

[Gary Lewis]

Ranchero50 - Do you speak for Fordification? Is this an official "no" or is that your opinion? I'm looking for an official answer, although I don't mind opinions.

As for my web site, it doesn't have advertising and I'm not making money on it. All I am doing is documenting everything I can about the 1980-86 Ford trucks. And my site is easily found via searches. So I'm not trying to drum up "business". Just looking for a better "home".

Chris - I'm not sure about the bra. I thought it was sorta strange when I first saw it, but the I met you and it seems to be appropriate.

Seriously though, as you know I have been able to help people at FTE, and I've truly enjoyed it. And I keep telling myself it is the people there who are "family" and what makes it worthwhile. But if Fordification changes their scope to include "our trucks" I could help people here just as easily, and perhaps that "family" would come here.

[DuckRyder]

Maybe Keith will be along.

On matters such as this he is the only one who can give an “official” answer.

I can tell you he has expressed a desire to keep the site focused on the 67-72 era trucks (he does have a site for 73-79 and I believe earlier <66 as well) in the past.

We do occasionally answer OT questions about other models in the general section... or in the specific section if the thing is substantially similar to the bumpside equivalent. For instance - questions about an FE or carb'ed Windsor would probably be allowed to remain in the Engine section, questions about a BMW M20, N54 or a Honda K24 would get moved to general if posted in Engine. Questions about a small block Chevy would get deleted unless it gets really cool really fast like Snot Rocket’s project . Whether it gets moved, closed or deleted is entirely up to the admin/moderator team.

[ctubutis]

I re-logged in to make one more comment before I leave the computers for the day.

But Gary, look at this.... surf through this site while logged out and you can see everybody's signatures, avatars, whatever (I shut all that stuff off on my FTE account).

Anyhoo... notice how this Ranchero50 guy says, "Contact me if you want custom, CNC-made parts for your truck" in his signature.

THAT right there is REMOVED BY OP for various reasons.

OTOH it *does* cost money to keep one of these sites alive on the Internet, whether you host it yourself or not... ao I can understand the commercial drivers, too.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, thanks. Hopefully Keith will come along and answer the question.

Keith - I'm not in a hurry. So please give it some serious consideration. Further, I'm not in this for economic gain - I fund my web site and my get-togethers myself. The web site is intended to provide documentation to other 1980-86 Ford truck gurus like myself, and the get-togethers are intended to get others interested in Ford trucks - of all generations.

And speaking of the get-together, I'd like to post about the upcoming one on here. We will certainly have trucks within the scope of Fordification showing up, as my friend with his '78 will be there. But he is also bringing Miller, of welding fame, and is hosting welding demos, cutting competitions, etc.

Further, Tim Meyer will be there with several of his engine goodies, including his new aluminum Cleveland block. He will do a Q&A on engines, and explain why he and I collectively chose the components we did for my 400 build. And he will have videos of the dyno pulls validating our decisions.

In addition, I've contacted Fred Nelson of Fordification and he hopes to attend my get-together this year and I plan to attend his next year. So there is a lot of synergy to be had. Please consider it.

[MadJoe]

At the very least you'd need a new url suffix since that's how the generations have been separated here. Maybe Keith would allow you to use/lease www.fordification.blue?

-Joe

[Gary Lewis]

Joe - My web site isn't aligned with FTE. It is a URL that I own and use for other things besides 1980-86 Ford trucks. For instance, I frequently teach classes for the youth at church, and currently have information on the three classes I've taught to date - web site building, vehicle maintenance, and an overview of Paul's life, travels, and books. Here's a link: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/automot ... nance.html.

So I'm not wanting to change my web site or its URL. Nor have Fordification support it in any way. I'm simply looking for another place to call "home" to help people with 1980-86 trucks since IB is such a pain to work with. But that would take a change of scope for Fordification.

[Gary Lewis]

And just FYI, the site does get a fair amount of traffic. I've attached a screen shot from Google Analytics showing the traffic for the last 7 days. I haven't investigated where the spike came from, but 60 users/day is about normal, although the traffic is growing as I add content, which Google is quick to find, and as the word gets out.

Anyway, I only bring up the web site as it is an example of my dedication to the 80-86 trucks. Over time it should be the main repository for documentation for the trucks. Most of the pages are made up of multiple screen shot from Ford's master parts catalog, and the reason for the multiple shots is to extract just the F and U info, leaving out the extraneous. In fact, some pages have up to 50 different snags.

And, I've managed to create a certification label decoder (http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/certifi ... label.html) that lets the user decide his/her own cert label. Or, there are several pages of illustrations from the catalogs showing how things go together, with my revisions as well as links to the fasteners: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/radiato ... rille.html

[Ranchero50]

Gary, my comments about search engine manipulation wasn't for commercial interest, but interest in getting traffic to your site. Keith spent a ton of time on eBay back when it was fun finding all sorts of documentation and adding it to this site once it was cleaned up. Everyone uses the wiring diagrams. FTE is a snake with its tail in its mouth. I've had very few good interactions there since they wanted me to pay $100 per month to sell my dome lamp bezels. Most users on this site ran afoul of the FTE gestapo at one time and left. Too much drama. When my searches lead to FTE I just back away. Too much ad spam.

As duck said, Keith is the owner and makes decisions. We're just gate keepers and take out the trash occasionally.

[iwhodat]

Good luck with your site, Gary. I've had 3 Bullnose F-Series trucks and am contemplating building one for my son when he starts driving. Those are some of the toughest trucks ever made. I miss my '82 F100 with the Flairside bed and straight 6. I should have never sold that one. That was the truck that would not die. I'm a diehard Bumpside fan now. Ford makes the best trucks and I will always own one!

[Gary Lewis]

Ranchero50 - I've spent a bit on my site as well, having purchased several brochures, two versions of the master parts catalog, two sets of wiring diagrams, an EVTM, etc. And then having those things commercially scanned to get good images. And that doesn't include the monthly fee for the web site itself. Nor the upcoming fee to convert microfiche to pdf since I've located a full copy of the 1980 - 89 master parts catalog that includes TSB's and cross-references that were omitted from the two commercially-available versions. (And probably a copy of the 1973 - 79 MPC on microfiche as well. ) And I'm no where near done.

As for FTE, I disagree with the snake analogy. There are two separate entities: FTE and Internet Brands. "FTE" is really just the users of the site, and there are good ones and not-so-good ones. But, on the whole the 1980-86 forum is made up of good ones and lots of people get a ton of help for no cost. Those guys are my friends and I can't say enough good about them.

IB on the other hand is in it for the money, and have no regard for those of us trying to help others. They make changes to the site without telling us beforehand and certainly w/o asking what we think, and have no interest in fixing what they break - and they break things. Further, for those of us who have a role to play, and I've been the Oklahoma chapter leader for several years, they won't even respond to PM's for help.

So, where I was about to host yet another "FTE get-together" at my own expense, invite the public, and pass out FTE swag, they couldn't be bothered to get me the swag. However, that got me to thinking about why I would pay to have a get-together to advertise FTE so IB could make more money off the work of those of us in the trenches. So, I'm hosting the get-together and there will be no mention of FTE nor IB. My fliers will not have any affiliation shown for this year, although if Fordification wants to open the scope to the 1980-86 trucks we can discuss affiliation for future years.

Iwhodat - Thanks! But, let me clarify. My site is not for others to ask questions and get answers, like Fordification or even FTE. It is just for documenting the Bullnose trucks - something an interactive thread like this one or those on FTE cannot really do.

As for the Bullnose trucks being tough, you might think that but I really can't comment. I am doing a full frame-off restification of Dad's 1981 4wd F150, with every piece either powder-coated (I do my own) or painted if it can't go in the oven. And the engine is a Tim Meyer-built 400 that puts out 500 ft-lbs. Plus, I have a 1985 F250HD w/an Edelbrock'd 460, Smittybilt winch, dual batteries, TruTrack front and rear diffs, new springs, poly bushings, etc. It is a serious truck. But, my friend brought over his 1978 F100 and his drag link is as big as the one on the F250. So, while the Bullnose trucks are tough, they aren't made with as much metal as the earlier trucks.