Rich, hope you get to go, I need a road trip too. Isn't there a lot of flooding coming to NM this weekend?
I noticed some of our regular posters like HUGH have been missing, anyone heard from him lately?

I hear from Hugh just about every day. He like so many others can't seem to get back on this site ever since it crashed, it is just not the same. Although I still look and read, [when there is something new to read] at least 3 or 4 times a week I feel we are dying a slow death. Only 2 new members since last spring. Ane we never hear from the regulars like Cobra Joe,  Jeff and the other Canada guys. I have been a member for a long time and miss the way it was. I have talked to other members that I have met and they feel the same way I do. it is no way close to what it used to be. There is a lot to learn here, a lot of knowledge by a lot of members. I know I am not alone in my observation, but if something dosen't get better soon, there will be less and less activity. Just my opinion, for what it is worth, Alvin

I know user smkeeman, from Hawaii is working on his Ranchero.  He's been busy with work and trying to do things on the Ranchero.  I'll ask/remind him to post updates. 

It's not that I can't get in...it is that I never get notifications...so it isn't in my eyes every day. Abe sent that message to us all about the '57 Models he got for us...and I never knew until just now when I signed in after getting an e-mail from Alvin tonight.
I imagine the same issue is why others are not around as much. Just speculating. The website has not been as fluid as it was, and no matter what I have done on my personal page to make sure I get notifications...I do not. Ditto for the signing in part...I can no longer just stay signed in. Also times of posts along with dates of same seem to be off base...making it hard to tell when things have been posted.
These are issues the site host (not James actually) should be dealing with and fixing. But that takes time to be on them to get things done...so if James is over-worked and busy...then they don't get to hear from him...and the fixes don't come.

Updates on my world as long as I am in here...
Sold my apartment building, and paid off EVERY SINGLE BILL I had...other than my house mortgage.
I am about 30 days away from closing on a 5 acre piece of property up the road from me about 45 minutes, where I am going to build a Mini-Storage facility.
About the same time I plan to add a 40x30 shop to the property just for working on the cars. The other shop (40x50) will be relegated to storage of waiting projects, finished cars and parts not needed immediately. Hoping to have the shop done before winter sets in so I can spend a couple of weeks moving tools, equipment and a couple of cars in. Also have a 4-post lift that I need to raise and then have tuned.
I see where Jim was wondering where I was...and if others are as well, feel free to reach out and touch me at shamrockfastpitch@spso.net as that gets checked all the time.

I am well...and alive. And...seems busy!  Later...Hugh

I look every day, part of my morning routine while getting my dose of coffee.  The site has seen a slow down.  Part of the slow down may be projects completed like mine.  Life gets in the way more then we would like as we age out.  Even being retired I get less done then before?  How can that be?  Doctors and hospitals have eaten a bunch of time.  I've been good, my wife on the other hand not so much.  None of them life threatening but time eaters none the less.  Add to that the heat is more problematic to me now then it used to be.  It just sucks the energy right out!  When I was young and bullet proof working in the heat was never a problem.  Maybe all that "summer fun" in Nam and the Gulf are catching up? Don't know.

Even with the time passing thing I still enjoy looking and talking with the folks here and will continue to do so as long as I can.

I look everyday at least once! My project is never done by design but who wants to hear that my left rear brake is leaking so I am in the middle of a rear brake job! Recently had a lower back issue, not sure as of yet to the root cause... Rain here almost everyday keeps the temps down, fans, A/C keep me going. Summer is not car season here though.

Good to hear from Hugh and you others that have chimed in. At least that is some activity. The heat has me slowed down so I'm not working on much. Replaced the master cylinder on my Mustang and thats about it. I still drive the 57 almost daily but just locally and early mornings only..

I needed the hoist for regular maintenance on the Expedition and the LTD.  The '57 is out for some shake-down runs.  The fuel gauge was at 1/4 so my first run was to one of my preferred fuel plazas that has E85.  About half way across town, I noticed the fuel gauge was below empty.  I was frustrated to have to add to the pick list that the fuel gauge had quit working.  As I turned on my turn signal to turn to the gas pumps, I heard the fuel pump cavitate (sucking air)!  I had to restart the engine twice before I coasted to the pumps.  When the gauge is below empty...it's empty!  Good to know.  New problem:  it took nearly 45 minutes to slowly pump 40 gallons due to too much foam in the tank.  Well, the tank is full of 104 octane at $3.09 a gallon.

104 octane at 3.09??? 40 gallon fuel cell..that's 5 gallons per carburetor, lol.

new thought I had yesterday......watching a digital odometer is definitely not as much fun watching the change from 59,999.9 to 60,000.0. I miss the analog odometer where you could watch all those nines slowly rolling over! Yeah, I know most of you guys don't have that issue. I think it would be neat if the electronic speedometer manufacturers made the digital numbers roll like the old analogs. Maybe some do..idk
My cruise and show got rained out yesterday, so I decided to cruise NM anyways.....620 miles yesterday..500+ of it in the rain. Being so dry here this year, it was a nice change. Just used the rainex and intermittent wiper setting most of the time. Got 21.5 on yesterday's mpg.

I usually check the site twice a day.  I know some would tell me to get a life!  The heat also sucks the energy out of me.  I try to accomplish something on/for the car every day, no matter how small the task.   

I try to check in a couple times a day to see what's happening.  We finally got some rain and a cool down today so the shop should be more tolerable tomorrow.  Rich, 21.5mpg is great considering current fuel prices.

James

talking about the forum and lower traffic/fewer postings. I think that it IS NOT mainly a problem associated with our specific 1957 Ford board. I am an active member on 3 (4) internet forums (14 years on TheSamba- a huge classic VW related site, over 20 years on a more local German HotRod/Custom, and 8 years here on 57Fords, not very active at all on the HAMB). and there has been fewer traffic and posts on all of them in the past 3 years or so. There may be many reasons for that, like members getting older and change in health or family obligations, downfall of the economy, simply getting bored with the same old stuff, but I think it is  mostly changing of social media/internet. Personally I don't even have an iphone and not doing ANY of the social media things like Insta, facebook or whatever they are called. But I think that MOST all people today do have those accounts and it may be easier to post quick snapshots and quotes over there, since everybody has an i phone these days anyways. Personally I still rely on a digi cam and a desktop PC, so this  makes it easier and enjoyable for me on a classic internet forum.
remember when fax came out in the 1980s and everybody was using it for parts orders and business communication and it slowly died in the 1990s when email came. so now another 25 years later after the internet introduction, the basic old internet is probably just coming to an end and getting replaced by more modern devices and programs. Maybe not to the point where it's getting extinct, but we all can feel the drag and loss in popularity by now. It's good to have all you guys still here and we can keep on talking our beloved 57 Fords over here !!!

Yup, no "smart phone" here!  Email and a desk top do it for me.  I often tell folks that I don't text, tweet or twerk and get that "stare into space look" :<)

We do have an issue with the forum that is affecting the new applications for membership........we have had almost none since the crash. I texted James about it a few times, and thought he was aware of it, but nothing has changed, so I really need to get off my butt and call him. The pm's may or may not be working also, but the main problem is I can't contact the new applications thru email. It may be a problem on my end, just don't know. I need to get James to respond to the new apps to see. That's gotta be a priority to keep this forum healthy, and I apologize for dragging my feet on it.........fell into the tech headache twilight zone for me.
I agree with Gunter, especially  losing members thru old age/getting out of the hobby

Quote from: Ford Blue blood on 2022-08-22 07:56Yup, no "smart phone" here!  Email and a desk top do it for me.  I often tell folks that I don't text, tweet or twerk and get that "stare into space look" :<)

I'm sure we all appreciate you not twerking. 😁