Where have our members gone? (or, the self-absorption of Evan)

[ERA Chas]

Tru,

Good post. I've been thinking along similar lines for a while now. I'm probably now amongst the first to express dissatisfaction about antagonism, rudeness and the recent 'replica make snobbery'.

I've never seen so many guys intent on fostering a hierarchy of replica makes and the ever present real/fake battles-and doing so in a snobbish, sometimes nasty way. It is tiresome and probably drove away some of the guys you're asking about. Maybe even our only 'Cobra Goddess'.

My reasons to come here are to learn new or better ways to do things, admire guys really well-done cars, and answer help questions with things I might have done or figured out. It's a great chance for me to talk to the top engine builders, chassis guys, fabricators or historical authors and collectors-and learn from them.

We differ slightly if you sense this is a 'new' phenomenon.
You've been here long enough to remember the Jamo, Turk, Pat era-all guys glad to help you out but they didn't suffer fools and clearly told you so. Cranky and McMahon fit that bill too and and there were many belligerent slaps handed out-deserved or not. To their credit those guys formed the Gasholes and Club Cranky and happily run them however they see fit. They make it clear upfront that you can act however the he!! they want you to.-Or you're gone. Fair and clear when you sign up. Some here are members in both places.

A trend I see developing here of late concerns the newer guys questions. Since it's now easy to have built anything you want without building it, many with the resources now just jump in because they think it's a sharp car. Haven't built an understanding or appreciation of what the replicas came from.

Many have no sense of the original Cobra concept (which was a raw and unforgiving sports racer) and set out to have cars built with all the creature comforts and manners of C6 Vettes and Benz roadsters. Guys that want to use them for social functions instead of rewarding building, driving or competition. Building a replica in the 80's (as I did) meant you were a wild-a$$ed gear-guy/street racer. Now you can be a parade cruiser with clean nails. Fine-but...
What's not foreseen, in my opinion, is that all the 'softening' will not make a replica of a 46 year old sports racer, a successful, modern sports car or tourer. These buyers would be dollars ahead and better- suited with a modern car-for a similar dollar investment. I always think of Cobras as an acquired taste.

I try to answer their questions with an eye to saving them a lot of money on crap they'll find didn't do what they thought it would and ain't as much fun as they thought. (Credit to Patrick for that very clear statement) But I can see that I've got to move past trying to preach from the pulpit and just avoid those questions.

But it just seems like a 'watering-down' of what was once an exciting and 'suffer-no-fools' sports car. I think the JBL guys are the last example of those 80's wild-guys. They build rockets. Anybody remember 'Andy the Butcher'?
Sadly, he's gone from here too.

It would be nice to differ and discuss opinions like this without slaps and eye-pokes.

Off my soapbox.