POST your suggestions towards improving the australian section of this forum.

[FcUk]

thanks ranger yehh i dont think leavin this forum would work........we can wait a lil

[Careful_Conan_93NA]

I think we need more info on local (Australian parts/Mod shops)
I want to know who locally has the know how to mod my Supra and how much it will cost. I want to know who is reputable and who is not.
I think its good to be connected to the larger Supra site.
I am sure we all check out things on the Yank site when we are researching purely cause of the larger amount of users and greater number of people who have all different experience levels when it comes to the old Supra.
Maybe we could as a group mimick the yank sites by all chipping in to buy things as a group? I dont know. we def need more shoppage/modpeople to talk to at least.

[KenHenderson]

From 7,000 miles away, it seems like you guys are more concerned about bling than performance, at least that's the impression I've derived. I occasionally lurk on the site and occasionally post when I think I can be helpful. In doing so, I've noticed when someone posts a question on vehicle cosmetics (wheels, body kits, etc.), there are, generally speaking, more replies received than for the typical super high performance question (something other than the stock turbos and injectors being involved). In the case where much greater performance is desired, the responses are rarely helpful and often-times some fairly mysterious DIYer is referred to with an allusion or two about when this particular vehicle might have its public unveiling.

Even little 'ole Sweden with far fewer Supras than oz has several very high performance Supras in the house. The same goes for Puerto Rico. If you don't mod your cars for the kind of performance that's being generated in the U.S., and other parts of the world, how is anyone, private owner or shop, going to build up the knowledge and experience base so necessary, IMO, to having a vibrant regional forum. Nothing wrong with cruises and attempting to find out about the occupations of forum members, but all that stuff comes about when there are no substantive performance issues to discuss on a daily basis.

I find it interesting that many of the questioners starting performance oriented threads do not appear to have searched through the mkiv and mkivtechnical sections of SF. Not trying to be ethnocentric here, but there isn't much about these cars that Americans haven't discovered through experience. I can't tell you how many emails and PMs I receive from oz and NZ regarding US-spec turbos and fuel injectors even though, invariably, the questioners say they are on their way to going single. I don't try to dissuade folks from their adopted approach but I do share with them what I believe to be the relative overall cost of various approaches.

I've posted on this forum before about how difficult it is to reconcile the lack of really high performance Supras in oz versus the Skyline GT-R market when SO MUCH information is available to Supra owners if they are serious about making serious power. With sites like SF, to4r.com and MKIV.COM, there really is no excuse for the guy or gal who wants to build up their Supra. Plus, we've already proven that rediculous power can be had from the stock block moter and, indeed, from the stock head and cam package.

So, you want to know how to improve the quality of your regional forum? I say improving the quality of your cars from a performance perspective would be a good start. Once you get that nailed, everything else, member/shop expertise, a helpful network of shops across the country, etc., naturally flows from the performance arena, IMO.

Not trying to flame or offend so I hope its not taken that way.

Ken.

[Careful_Conan_93NA]

Ken
I think you will find that the percentage of Supra owners that mod their cars to the kind of standard you are talking about here in Australia would be very small. Population size, the fact that Supra's were never released here by toyota, plus it costs an absolute packet to modify this car if you can't do the work yourself. All equals up to on the whole very few.

You will find some fairly hardcore Supra's here but I wouldnt count on every Supra owner, especially of the Hardcore grease monkey type even knowing that the Supraforums exist.

No disrespect to the owners on here who have the type of Supra that might soften the almighty glare of Kenneth.

I did mention the Americano site rocked for info and I am sure that's where most people go.
Plenty of Aussies in those forums also.

My NA still needs turboing people!!! arrgh.

[KenHenderson]

Careful,

Points well taken. I didn't mean to come off like the hardcore guys needed to meet the to4r standard, because you can almost get to 500 whp bpu with enough ++++s. Also, with so many guys over here going to bigger and bigger dual ball-bearing turbos, there is a plethora of used small to mid-size turbos (even some large ones like the T88 and T88h) that are available second-hand, many with very few miles on the clock and rock bottom pricing.

I know there are a few guys who purchase these cars with no plans to modify their vehicles, but I think these guys, at least in the U.S., are a very small minority. Obviously, one of the major attractions in getting these cars in the first place is their ability to make ungodly amounts of power for not a whole lot of investment in the scheme of things. All I'm really saying is that for such a performance-oriented car, a regional forum that is thousands of miles removed from the focus of the parent forum and is not performance-oriented itself, cannot sustain itself over the long run, IMO.

I'm a performance-oriented guy and biased toward that side of the equation. So, its natural for me to say more performance would make for a better site. I recognize, however, that others may see it differently.

Ken.

[SupraPolak]

Ken, your observations of the Oz section are only partly correct.

What I think is perhaps not so obvious about the Oz section is the reason why we hang out in here. Personally I come into the Oz section to chill, get away from the serious discussions and have a bit of a laugh with fellow Oz Supra owners, nothing more nothing less.

We also try to help other would be Supra owners with purchase and import related info, something that cannot be encompassed in the other sections as it is purely Oz specific.

Personally, when I need tech or performance orientated info I go and post or read the other relevant SF sections. As a member of SF for the last 12 months or so I have learnt a great deal from reading both the FAQs on these forums as well as possibly every other Supra oriented website. No doubt SF is a great and wonderful resource for modifying our beloved Supras but it is also a get away for some as much as anything.

Now. If we were to start up our own full blown performance and mod discussions in the Oz section then we would almost certainly need a carbon copy of the other SF sections to be installed in here just for us. I don't think that would ever happen, nor would it be beneficial or feasable.

So for now if you take a casual glance at the Oz section, as you obviously have, you will only be seeing part of the equation. There is much more beneath the surface than you may know and as mentioned earlier, not every Oz Supra owner knows of SF nor does every Oz Supra owner post about their pride and joy. Aussies are funny like that


Cheers.

P.S. I hope some of the above made sense

[Rz]

i think the lack of performance / tech related threads in this forum is more related to the age group of the people who buy these cars.
lots are still in the looks/stereo phase of there hobby , as indeed i was when i was younger.
we do have four 10 second mkivs now and a handful of 11 sec cars , which can only inspire more ppl to go ahead and do the same.

[smikRZ]

I agree with RZ. There are alot of younger guys in the Aussie forums who are still in the "bodykit/stereo" phase.

However.... even when they get around to the engine modifications side of things, its just gets harder as there are stuff all workshops who can service a supra properly, let alone do a turbo/fuel system/management upgrade!
I only know of 1 workshop in all of Aus who has actually rebuilt the supra auto trans with strengthened components...
Then after you've spent your hard earned cash on engine/driveline modifications the insurance companies wont touch you with a 10ft pole, and the police will give you a thorough ass raping for all your mods unless you take the effort (and the $1500-$2000) to get it engineered properly.

The above is enivatable, as the culture is different here than the US. Small numbers of a niche import model will get little support here (GTRs in the US are in the same boat). A domestic model on the other hand... well... 600-1000rwhp+ street registrered Commodores seem to be growing by the dozens each week...

Personally, Im constantly reading all the tech threads (mostly on SF, mkiv US/NZ, and I even read LS1tech, turbobuick etc...), and occasionaly take a cheap shot (jokingly) at the bodykit threads in the Aus section
My philosophy with engine mods goes along the lines of "go as fast as you can with as little mods as possible", and part of the reason is what I said in my 1st few paragraphs above. Nothing better then running a fast repectable time then opening your bonnet to reveal an almost stock engine bay
The "wank" factor may not be there, but at least my wallet isnt complaining...

Now... back to the topic. I suggest one or 2 Aussie moderators get assigned (we can take a vote on it in true democratic style). They will control this part of the forum without interference from our US counterparts, unless some major breach in rules occur. If they decide that the Aussie section must go because we havent assimilated, then so be it... we can then make our own forums to allow us to continue posting in our own Aussie way

Asen.

[ramone_johnny]

CAN I GET AN AMEN!!??

:drag:

[SupraPolak]

AMEN!

[MaXiBoN]

Man, I've only been apart of this little family of ours for a short time.
And although i dont own a supra or have even been in one... YET.
it is on the cards for JULY.
I think this forum is great, im really happy about the new STICKIES.
ALTHOUGH i think instead of just being other single threads where you will eventually have 1000's of posts.. they should link to new forums.
and with the parts section possible split it up into what kinda parts... like body kits, engine, wheels, rubber, etc etc although this could be a pain in the arse.. actually it kinda would be but it would make things neater and easier to sift through... i know there is a search feature but, DAMN that shit went out in the 80's. :P
i think there should be a members pics page or thread... and it should have a list of the users and a small thumbnail of their car. and then link to a page of all the pics of their car.

what else... mods... hmmmm aslong as they are from our lineage then thas cool.. i dont want a foreigner moderating this forum.
as not many people really get the australian sense of humour.

(wow for a non supra owner, i got alot to say.)

to the american guy... umm i think the reasons for non-performance based threads or atleast the lack their of, has already been mentioned, it costs bucket loads to buy crap and to get away with it on our roads, and considering the majority of members are prolly under 25, insurance is a nightmare all on its own. if an agency does choose to insure you, its gonna cost an arm a leg and yer left arse cheek.

i think that maybe alot of stuff is not posted on the site too, because i imagine that at the cruises/get togethers, alot of info is shared and so forth.

as for an australian site... i dont think its necessary. think that maybe this site should just be neatened up a bit.

And lastly, id just like to thank everyone on here... well almost everyone for being a little knowledge bank.

Cheers
Attlee

[Kagetsu]

MODS:

Can we please fix the problem I'm having posting attachments in the Australia forum? It works in all the other sections I've posted in, but not in the Australian section for quite a while.

The problem is that the page connection times out.

[alias]

Originally posted by KenHenderson

...
Also, with so many guys over here going to bigger and bigger dual ball-bearing turbos, there is a plethora of used small to mid-size turbos (even some large ones like the T88 and T88h) that are available second-hand...

Perhaps the lack of readily available/cheap parts is part of the problem? Being a smaller group, there just isn't as big a market in used parts here. The stickies for used cars/parts are a good start.

I'd also be interested in seeing some group buys. Getting the required numbers might be a problem though.

[AWDLATIN]

This maybe a wild suggestion. I think for every region of supra owners (in particularly this one), the supra logo should have a back drop of every significant land mark per region. For instance, it would aesthetically appealing that the Austrailian forum should have this (Or something of the likes):

with the Supra forums logo on top. This is just a sugestion.

[MaXiBoN]

thats one beautiful site... all it needs is the souther cross and id shed a tear of aussie pride.
there's nothing more australian than the souther cross...
it is radiant and we are beneath it. heheh

[MR-BITZ]

has anyone mentioned for a small section for sellers ratings
& scammers??
i have seen this on other forums and i think its good to know who is good to sell to & who is just full of shit, not that i have found anyone thats not so good to sell to as yet..

sorry if its been mentioned already, its just the reading was sooooooo bloody long, so i jumped a couple of pages

[Thadius82]

Bleh screw the bling.... I bought my car to drive it and to drive it hard...

I have BPU++ power levels and times to match, budget is a lil constricted at the moment but yeah if i had the money to spare it would be performance. Most people in perth know my car as "all go n no show" but thats fine by me

but on the otherhand i know lots of ricers/posers people who dun drive the car for what it should be !!

[ramone_johnny]

Guys you know what would be ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT in here...

a "real time" chat room!

[MaXiBoN]

there is one man... well not in here, but there's 2 irc channels.
one made by me and the other by dan (sicarius).

[pH@tTm@N]

Aust section needs following sections:-

For sale/WTD parts
For saleWTD cars
Tech talk
and PUB.

There is some good info on this board, but the general dripple in most threads is making it a pain to find good info.

[SupraPolak]

Check the stickey's at the top of each section, they usually do away with the dribble and have answers to most of the more common questions too.

[202 Carb & Cam]

Your observation is 100% correct. This Australian section is in no way representing the hard core performance orientated Supra guys.

The subzero car in Australia ran some super quick ET and most of the ignorant replies to that was, “I don’t like the colour green the car is painted”. Who gives a #$it what colour it is, it just pulled the fastest ET in Australia.

Why would anybody come on the Australian section and talk to people who think like that. They’re wasting their time trying to converse with chrome wheel and big sub show ponies.

Sorry guys it’s the truth, maybe now you’ll realize why there is not much interest in the Australian section.

[supraiggy]

This is a very old thread but I wanted to elaborate on some of the points and issues brought up here.

The reason why this section ended up dying is because not enough was being done about accomodating the needs and wants of the Australian members. There was also issues with mods and finally it was hard for most Oz members to even attempt to speak to anyone in the US sections, primarily due to lack of respect on the US members' behalf. The solution: start a new forum and so far it's been working so good.

We loved this place, we thrived in it, and out of the regional forums we had the most active section (comparable even to the US forums) yet this wasn't reason enough to devote a bit of time to improving it?? Really the responsibility lies mostly with the administration of sf.com and in my opinion not enough time and effort was put into listening to their member's opinions.

Even if this forum was to be less technical than the other sections one would think that you'd encourage involvement rather than put it down by saying that the whole section is not adequate enough in one manner or another. For e.g., all respect out to you Ken but what you have noticed about this section is not entirely true, its a generalisation and is fairly indicative of how the US forums perceived the Oz forum. A year and some months down the track and look at the US forums now, starting to look slithgly more like this section.

We do have plenty of hi-po cars here in australia (ok not on the same scale as in the us, but maybe the main reason are that 1. US has much bigger population 2. supra was produced localy in the US), and we do have plenty of guys who can provide more than enough technical support, the difference here is that you wont see them forum-trolling because most of them are dedicated mechanics who simply do not have time to join a car forum. Worlds apart I guess; what we lack the US has, what he US lacks we have .

There's always been a BIG interest in the US Supra community from the Australian side and there still is. Hell I was one of those die-hards 2.5 yrs ago...there wasn't a supra video I didn't have, a car I couldn't recognise and tell a bit about and usernames I couldn't put first names to and I did spend quiet a bit of time on these forums. But quiet often the US side seemed too pre-occupied with it's own dealings to contribute to the other sections. It is what it is now...just one question, why were all the posts deleted? Or were they at least archived?

Cheers,
Iggy

[SupraPolak]

Just a quick note. The threads were NOT deleted. You need to select how far back you want to view threads from near the bottom of the page.

[supraiggy]

Thanks polak.