Our Two Cents: Favorite Car Forums

This week we asked the staff here at Hagerty Media for “their two cents” on automotive forums. The inspiration came from an article I recently published here on Hagerty: “Did Facebook Kill The Car Forum?” The answer is more complicated than you might think.

Back to the question at hand. Even if you didn’t use forums in their heyday, there’s a good chance you stumbled across a relevant a message board thread via Google searching. And that absolutely counts, so let’s start with one board from my article:

LoL for Lincolns

“My love for Lincolns, ensures I will always love a forum called LincolnsOnline.com. Me and “LoL” go way back, and it’s one of the driving forces in my career into automotive journalism. Sure, I learned a ton about cars in general and Lincolns in particular, but this website turned me into a writer.” – Sajeev Mehta

LS1-FTW?

“I burned countless hours on LS1.com and LS1tech.com in college. Even though I couldn’t afford to modify my car much at the time, I pored over the latest tips and tricks to go faster with the then-new V-8.

These days, I’ll occasionally spend an evening reading through the amazing build threads on grassrootsmotorsports.com, and I’ve found some incredibly helpful answers for my most recent project, a ’73 Buick Centurion, on V8buick.com.“ – Eddy Eckart

It Was An Evolution

“I once raced an EVO MR and this board was a foundation of much needed advice and support. The MR had the first six-speed gearbox and hydraulically controlled diffs—a DIY nightmare.

Miata.net is also excellent. It has DEEP tips, like where to buy a special brush to keep NA water drains clear and also what silicone grease to lubricate the window regulators. So much information!” – Larry Webster

Samba de Internet?

“When I owned my beetle, The Samba was an absolute asset. Now that I am in my “Volvo guy” era, Swedespeed has been invaluable.” – Eric Weiner

Read It On Reddit

“I don’t know if this counts or not: Reddit. Aside from YouTube, it’s my go-to for various DIY needs for any cars or projects I’ve ever worked on. If YouTube doesn’t provide an adequate answer for my specific problem, Reddit is almost always my next step. Not only does it already have threads and solutions to a lot of unique situations, but if you find the right subreddit, you can ask a question and get some decent answers.

Lastly, I feel like this needs to be said regarding ANY message board or forum that has ever existed or will exist in the future: If you ask a question in a forum and people are kind enough to provide you with decent answers and help, be nice enough to follow up on your original post!

Tell people if the posted solution worked or not!” – Ben Woodworth

Hot Roddin’ Down The Internet

“HAMB (Hokey Ass Message Board) was awesome for Hot Rodders. I spent hours on there drooling over Gow Jobs, Rat Rods, and other Kustoms.” – Cameron Neveu

A Virtual Bull Run

“Vintage Lamborghini Garage, started up by my friend Jack Riddell on the old Yahoo listservs way back in the ‘90s. It brought together the small Lambo DIY crowd to help each other and it was like switching on a bright light in a dark room.” – Aaron Robinson

Boosting Bricks?

“The Volvo forum Turbobricks was always a favorite of mine. It’s populated by a bunch of cheap, cheap a-holes, so I felt right at home. I learned a lot about redblock Volvos, about parts finding, and just enjoyed that community. The most popular answer to almost any question asked there is still my favorite: Crush it.” – Stefan Lombard

The Answer Has Dot Net In It

“I spent way too much time on car forums in college. I started like most do, looking for advice on the car I owned at the time—a Pontiac Grand Prix. That took me to GMInsideNews and ClubGP. But I also wound up posting a lot on a forum for Acura RSXs. Why? Can’t remember, 20 years on. Point is, I wound up learning all about cars I’d not been interested in previously and making community with other car people, which is probably what led me to decide, after college, that I wanted to write about cars full time.

These days I’ve come full circle, mostly lurking on a single forum for help with my own car: Miata.net. It’s such a great resource, really the only reason I feel comfortable attempting bigger jobs like changing my timing belt.” – David Zenlea

Thumping Down The Web

“The ThumperTalk.com forums have been an awesome asset as I have been planning and researching the build on my 1988 Honda XR600R. Lots of real world experience documented and shared with a surprising amount of photos still preserved and viewable. There is still a certain amount of double checking required, but I’ve gleaned multiple base jetting setups from the pages there that got my bikes in a good tuning window quickly. That can really be a lifesaver sometimes.” – Kyle Smith