This Forum vs FFCars.com

[Racerboy1a]

I just learned about this forum today. I have been a follower/participant at FFCars.com.

Can somebody explain to me how these two forums relate to each other? It seems like a lot of info that is at FFCars.com will have to be repeated here but at least this forum is sponsored and presumably monitored by Factory Five Racing enhancing the likelihood that issues will get addressed.


Racerboy1a
chassis #99

[geoffav]

Welcome 99. This site is new so how useful it becomes is yet to be seen. I hope both survive and I enjoy the family style here and the Pub elsewhere. The tech section here has great potential but frankly the builders as a group often have broader experience which FF very wisely uses.

I don't know what my next project will be but I do lurk around in the roadster forum. It's a toss up between a mkiv or a replica from a company just North of my location. So it's in my best interest for all FF related sites to do well.

[3kcarbon]

Traffic (posts) seem to be slowing down at the other site. Over time I expect this to be the "place".

[riptide motorsport]

This site should get you immediate responsesfrom FFR regarding tech as well as other issues and concerns.... Steven

[Dave Smith]

There were a few reasons. The short story is that the new FFcars forum owners that Bill sold to had dramatically increased advert rates and the trouble is that the strength of the FFR community comes from the grassroots level. Most suppliers cannot afford $4800 per year and I felt there was a legitimate threat to the community if the forum excluded the bulk of core supporters in exchange for Tire Rack and Summit Racing sized sponsors... These bigger advertisers might make the site even more profitable than it was, but the loss of the smaller (and in my opinion, more important) hard-core suppliers (most central part of the FFR community), guys like Russ Thompson, Cobra Earl, Mark Reynolds at Breeze, Max, Forte, Oben, and so many others... that loss would be a disaster to the community. I can tell you that still waters run deep here with these people. Mark Reynolds was instrumental in getting the SEMA model legislation passed in Massachusetts. That's one guy and one story. The success of FFR is inseparable from the success of the community. I can tell you that a large forum management company has no understanding of the unique FFR society. And to us at FFR, how can you seriously quantify the value of these guys by measuring ad rates. No way.

If we started another forum at the very least it would pressure the old forum to accomodate and be more flexible on ad rates.

Factory Five is not in the business of forum management. We are a parts and engineering company. Still, without the core FFR community, we are severely diminished. We're never going to make our money on a Forum, rather, we are going to use it to promote, protect and grow this most amazing asset of all, THE FFR COMMUNITY. That community includes all of us, the crew at FFR, suppliers big and small, clubs, customers, enthusiasts, etc, a tremendous spectrum of people from all different backgrounds and experience.

The other reason is that I had a huge number of people asking us to do this. The forum, as it exists today, has evolved thru three versions (four if you count the new owners and name), and many of the guys in the FFR community have witnessed these changes, each time, having to see the community adjust and shift over each time. First was the old SW Specialty cars email list, then Mike Seniors Cobraforum, then Bill stepped in and copied the cobraforums email list and started FFCobra. FFCobra would become FFCars after a lawsuit with ****** and then it would be sold to the new corp owners. My loyalty was to Bill and once he sold the forum, I felt clear air to build this one.

I decided to start this forum and dedicate the place to a simple concept of building the FFR community. This is done in a number of ways, one big way is to provide advertisers (those guys who provide such important parts to the FFR community) access to FFR guys for ads that only reflect the shared cost of running the site. Based on a Co-op model, this place will also benefit from a closer link to our company and (when ready) we will leverage the great relationship with larger companies and suppliers to deliver real cool stuff and value to forum members.

Both organizations can co-exist just fine. In three weeks we have gathered almost 2,000 members. I am excited because the charter of this place is community above all and as this job is done well, we will see more and more people use this as a resource. Worried about censoring and freedom? We gathered the best moderators and guys with more FFR knowledge and expertise than anywhere and worked hard to ensure everyone knows the mission is to serve the community rather than promote FFR.

We have just started out and there is so much work to do. The front page layout has to change. We have to contact vendors as our vendor page and banner locations just launched a week ago, we have to tie the ffr tech guys in to reply quickly to inquiries. I do feel terrible as the first few weeks I've been out and unable to "pull my weight". Jen is doing better and this place is about to explode as we bring a bunch of new things on-line. There is a tremendous library of things that can be added, but we are taking our time and trying to make sure that the basics are covered, that we walk before we run, and that we have all the mechanics, links and programming done before we start dropping too much content on. I've got ten books worth of discovery, data, cool facts and historical stuff from the CS lawsuits that I want to post, along with so many other things.. It is a real shame that there is only 24 hours in the day!

I'd say keep an eye on both forums and support em both. Plenty of bandwidth.

Dave Smith

[timdks]

. . . we have to tie the ffr tech guys in to reply quickly to inquiries.
Dave Smith

Dave, thanks for starting this forum and putting your full support behind it for the community. Getting the tech guys thoroughly involved will be a huge bonus, and I'm sure will create a very positive environment for all. While my impression is that all of the tech guys are very busy, quick is good in this respect to help the builds move forward.

[KGB911]

After getting screwed by Carrol S. one would think you would be work hardened but as I thought when I met you at you're headquarters, You are Da Man!! Don't ever let corporate BS change your Values!
You are a Great Roll model to Business owners Worldwide.
As the Kids would say,You Rock !!!!
Dan Ruth

[Dave Smith]

I could write a book about that nonsense... Not now. I feel like I have the best job in the world. It's 6am Sunday morning, the wife and kids are asleep, and I've already spoken to Tim Suddard at Grassroots Motorsports, and been out to the garage. Spring is coming and I swear I can't wait for this summer! Thanks for the stoke and thanks for everything you guys have done for the FFR community. Did Brian at Street Rodder MAgazine ever shoot your car? The thing deserves some serious ink and with the custom stuff you guys did (IRS, Lincoln power, hard top design, etc) it should be featured. Let me know.

Dave

[timdks]

As I lay in bed at 5:35am CST, I made the decision that The Factory Five Forum would be my primary forum. I'll continue to lurk at FFCars.com because I'm sure I can pick up more valuable information, but future posts will primarily be made here.

The reason I came to this decision was because of the monitoring of this forum by the people at FFR. Also Dave Smith's commitment to the success of this forum with involvement by all. How many company presidents are at their computer very early in the morning to review posts and then personally comment on them? With Dave leading the way, and the great FFR community who contribute, this forum, I believe, will be a force that will help produce great cars that will be the envy of many.

[Racerboy1a]

Dave:

Thanks for the explanation about how and why this forum came about. Now I understand. I couldn't agree more with your rationale for going this route.

A couple of weeks ago I suggested (on one of the threads at FFCars.com) that FFR create some sort of way (email list by kit model?) to notify previous purchasers about changes/upgrades/fixes etc. as the information becomes available. I know I found myself getting irritated when I would stumble upon a fix or upgrade at FFRCars.com that would have saved me a bunch of work. If the upgrade involves new/better parts, offer them to your early adopters for some sort of deal, especially if the new pieces solve a problem with the original parts in early kits.

An example is the change in the 33HR trunk hinge curvature to clear the fuel tank. I don't know how many hours I spent messing around with those hinge arms butchering them up (after powder coat of course) and they still weren't right. Getting an email from FFR that the problem was solved with new hinge arms would have been nice and it shouldn't be all that hard to do.

I worked in the steel business for 38yrs and we were required to meet the standards of ISO 9000. Whenever we had any change in standard practice, we had to send out a "Corrective Action" to all effected parties and put updated entries in all procedure manuals and books. I'm not suggesting that you implement the complicated and expensive ISO standards but notification to customers of upgrades/solutions etc would be heaven sent. Think about it.

Thanks for all you do.

Racerboy1a
33HR #99

[PhyrraM]

............. dramatically increased advert rates and the trouble is that the strength of the FFR community comes from the grassroots level. Most suppliers cannot afford $4800 per year and I felt there was a legitimate threat to the community if the forum excluded the bulk of core supporters in exchange for Tire Rack and Summit Racing sized sponsors... .... but the loss of the smaller (and in my opinion, more important) hard-core suppliers (most central part of the FFR community),...... that loss would be a disaster to the community. ..... how can you seriously quantify the value of these guys by measuring ad rates. No way.
I decided to start this forum and dedicate the place to a simple concept of building the FFR community.

Dave Smith

Sticking to values like that is what makes me look forward to working with FFR when the Subaru roaster gets released. Thanks Dave.

[Magnus]

I do feel terrible as the first few weeks I've been out and unable to "pull my weight". Jen is doing better and this place is about to explode as we bring a bunch of new things on-line.

Dave Smith

Dave,

please don't ever feel bad about taking care of your most important community, i.e. family. At the next Open House, please make some room for us to genuflect in your general direction for all you've done.

Magnus