Automotive News

In 1990 I received a free AOL disc in the mail and used it to go “online.” AOL was fun for a variety of years, but a friend told me back in 1995 that you do not need AOL to surf the Internet. In all honesty I didn’t know that at that time. A few days later, I said good-bye to AOL and “HELLO!” to the superhighway of information. People that previously had no interest in PC’s are now running to computer stores so they could surf the internet and retrieve their e-mail.

Back at that time the Internet was really different. Just about everyone was on dial-up, so sites and web pages were simpler. The net hadn’t yet been taken over by commerce sites so it was easier to find “information” then. Chat rooms and forums had been around since the early ’80s, but they were difficult to use. AOL’s interface helped make it much easier.

While blogging began around 1994, it didn’t start to take off until ’99 with the introduction of “blogging tools.” When political pundits glommed on to blogs in ’02, the blogosphere really took off. Now, there’s a blog for everything. This is good news and bad news. For researchers like me, when I do a search, nearly half of the links are for product, services, books, auction listings, and forum or blog comments. At first, I was kind of annoyed with the Corvette forum links because searches often linked to things such as, “I like side-pipes too.” But when I took some time to go to the Corvette forum’s home page, I was pleasantly surprised to find a rich, comprehensive information source.

SmokinVette.com is a Corvette forum. The Corvette fad is very big, because it spans a 57 year lineage of cars in six distinctive generations. SmokinVette has a Corvette forum for all six generations. Upon viewing your generation’s forum, look around, look around, and check out the topics. All of the forums are unique, so take some time searching the links, drop-down boxes, and controls. It’s like being in a big box or even a home improvement store. At first it can be overwhelming, but it does not take long for you to figure out what you want to look for.

There are times that I am in the mood to view some Corvette pictures and SmokinVette has a large collection of them. And what a high-fueled testosterone topic like Corvettes is without a compilation of Corvette Girls? Boring is the answer. With SmokinVette being classy, you will not see anything over the top, but you will see numerous SmokinHot Women. Ladies that is a compliment.

Being a Corvette owner is not as expensively challenging as owning a pleasure boat, however you could spend extra cash on personalizing or refurbishing your Corvette. In the SmokinVette forum’s “Vette Parts” section you can find anything from a crate engine or supercharger to a little ole LED lights and even used parts. Corvette enthusiasts are extremely creative. You will locate Corvette parts that you didn’t even know was being offered.

It is very hard to only be a voyeur. As soon as you finish the free registration, you can add your ideas on some of the forums, start a new forum topic, and ask a Corvette question, or even post images and/or photos. People interested in Corvettes are VERY helpful. Whether you own a Vette or just an enthusiast, you are a member of a uniquely American club. The “Save the Wave” thing got started as a way for Corvette owners to notice one another on the road. Corvettes are special and they are something more than just “cars” that you will not be able to comprehend until you drive one. Driving a Corvette is a genuinely unique experience. You can’t just “ride” in a Corvette you have to DRIVE a Corvette, because they are designed and made to be DRIVEN. I have heard and read so many different times, a new Corvette owner say, “I never really understood this car until I drove one.” That’s the moment when you get hooked.

Create some time to get comfortable, and view some Corvette forums, such as SmokinVette.com. It is very educational, engaging and a really good way to meet like-minded people that “get” the passion for the Corvette. Enough said! -KST

For additional info and questions in regards to Why A Corvette Forum Matters please see the Smokinvette Group at www.smokinvette.com