THe NAC Lots-O-BFG KO2 Thread

I'll be honest with you Rich, the issue is that the way people want to communicate has moved away from forums. They're going the way of IRC and AIM. People want to use social media platforms and the fact that the Virginia XJ group on Facebook has 400 members while NAXJA has about 30 members in VA is telling.

NAXJA hasn't changed much in the 18 years I've been a member, it has changed format once (BBS to Forums) and that was like 16 years ago... Heck, the site is even still using the same vBulletin theme I designed 13 years ago...

I don't see how NAXJA can compete anymore and while widening the audience with new vehicles allowed to join, it is (in my opinion) too little too late. If chapters are to succeed they need to be small enough that participants actually know each other offline. NAC is so big I don't even consider going to events north of PA since I don't want to drive 8 hours to wheel.

Maybe I'm a curmudgeon now, but my opinion is NAXJA is fighting a losing battle, and when its done the best I can hope for is it becomes a niche group, like ComancheClub and has stronger ties to social media platforms that will be easier for people to find and join.
 
Well said, Tim, it's glaringly obvious how things have shifted toward social media platforms, no question about it. Even the photobucket debacle certainly hasn't helped.
These responses help with our planning, so please keep them coming!
 
I am trying to figure out gear ratio on 2 xj's i have by vin number is that possible and is there a link to find this out? HELP! Thanks in advance.
 
dcisco2 said:
I am trying to figure out gear ratio on 2 xj's i have by vin number is that possible and is there a link to find this out? HELP! Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

This isn't the right part of the forum to ask, but if it's a 6 cyl auto it's 3.55 if it's a 6 cyl manual it's 3.05

And I think all the 4cyl we're 4.10 but I'm not 100% sure on that.
 
A lot of it is Facebook. Which unfortunately is utter garbage for actual tech discussion.

Me, well. I made some poor financial/career choices in early 2012, and it took me until 2013 to find a good job again, and until 2015 to even come close to digging myself out of debt and get one of my jeeps running again. I still don't have a working 4WD XJ/MJ to wheel. In 2012, I had a one ton swap planned for the MJ I'm driving now. Things change and I'm now building a J10 instead. By the time I was financially solvent enough to even debate kicking off a build, most of the northern wing had moved on to other stages of their lives, married, kids, buying houses (that aren't garbage like my house), selling their one ton builds, etc. By then Facebook was killing car forums/clubs across the board. One of those factors at once I think wouldn't have been a killer, but both at once really, really, really reduced traffic.

Getting ganged up on ten(ish) on one at NACFest the last year I attended didn't sit too well either. I seriously debated just walking away. Shit talking back and forth is one thing, but that is another, and you can't tell me otherwise.

So... I dunno. I'll be down to one MJ soon and when we move to Washington, I'll probably sell that too, it's clean for new england but a junk rotbox compared to anything I can buy out there. IFSJA is just as dead as NAXJA, so I'll probably just keep posting my build pics on Facebook every 3 months when I have a chance to work on it...

I've been debating rejoining but... I dunno. Lot of good memories, some bad, lot of great info to be preserved, not sure any of it will be relevant to me soon.
 
Here's my $0.02

1) For a bunch of different reasons, hardly any of the NAC members (red or black) wheel anymore and their interests have changed. This leads to low NACFest attendance, quiet forums, and no events throughout the year.

2) NAXJA is a dinosaur. An XJ/MJ specific forum-based club with membership dues has very little appeal in today's off-road community. There might still be a bunch of guys wheeling XJs out there .... but they are young and prefer social media ... and certainly won't pay to be on a dead forum.

So, a lack of interest from current and past members, combined with no appeal for new members .... means the NAC will struggle to re-build an active community of wheelers.

The remaining NAC folks who still wheel and have a passion for it .... they need to either just be OK with a small quiet club, or part with NAXJA to join an active non vehicle specific club.

Personally I don't like either option. But I don't see a third one.
 
Jordan, nothing that you just said was inaccurate in my eyes, hopefully you or anyone else took my feeling out about a chapter split as anything more than guaging the level of interest left out there. For those who took the time to respond, I thank you, it was not for nothing.
There may be, though, a "third way".
Regardless of what has been said about xjs being a dead platform I beg to differ. Yes, have they been relegated to cheap junk status, yes. Same as the multiple samurais I bought for 500 bucks and destroyed while learning....someone please show me a 500 dollar samurai now locally, or anywhere for that matter I'll gladly go get it. Early broncos were trash not too long ago, try getting a cheap one now.
Xjs are too hard to build for hardcore.....please. take a look at what people have done just here in the northeast
XJs are too common to be worth the time and money spent...OK half true. When you rebut what I'm saying with an explanation for fox body mustangs...hmm. Maybe commonality and easy parts availability ain't so bad.
I listened to a drunken tirade last year by a guy with the bronco group who said he "didn't understand why anybody would build one of those things"..bit my tongue...
.....the next day my 01 ripped up to the top of the red hill climb on cemetery in less than a minute..on 33's..on truetracs. Once on top, we had the grace of watching the James Duff feature rig on one tons and 40's take the same hill (different line, but, no!) ..in about 30 minutes.
My point is, you do what you love. You build what you have, and you enjoy the company of like minded people, everyone else be damned. The NAC will survive with or without certain people. Time has shown who they are
 
Naxja is NOT built on xjs...it's built upon the friendships over time that it has encouraged. People I met thru here have sold their rigs, but they will never not be my friends. That's real power in a forum.
 
Driving membership to NAXJA is still entirely possible....but a few things need to happen.
1) The willingness to change. Yes social media is taking over. Its all about ease of use. Does NAXJA have an app to link to the forums? It would make it easier, that's what drives people to Facebook, everyone gets on it at the click of a button on their phones.
2) When you post to the Facebook page....we need to constantly link it to the forum. For example...."Look what I did to my rig" and then the link to the thread on the forum.
3) As far as events, we need more 1 day events and/or family oriented events. Not everyone can always take 3-4 days off at a time. I have a TON of ideas, but it does involve thinking outside of the box. Some of which may involve getting involved with charities. Something else people are happy to get involved with. Working in retail I have learned that people want to buy products that make them feel like they are doing something good.

Ok....off my soap box...
 
We have tried doing one day events. No one comes. Also we're so spread out some people can't do them even if they want. I'm right on the edge at about 3 hours to the closest wheeling spot.

Also I don't post much here because it's such a pain to hotlink pictures. Couple that with the fact that they can just go away like everything is ever posted has because of photo bucket. Makes me not want to bother.
 
I think Carol's third point is the most important thing anyone has said so far. We NEED more events. Day trips, meet-ups, work parties, trail cuttings, etc.

It goes with what Rich said about relationships being the foundation of a good club. People can't get to know one another through social media alone .... face to face events are essential.

Stefan is right that attendance is sometimes low at these events, but we need to just keep having them .... even if there's only a few folks there.

As a reminder, you don't have to be a BOD member to post up a trail ride or work party. Post it up and see who comes!!
 
im shocked that you are able to still type dave, i figured by now you would have mistaken your cubby little sausage fingers for real sausages and ate them
 
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