*OT* The Value of Forums

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

This doesn't really pertain to Camaros, per se, but I thought I'd share my experience with you readers anyway.

I'm a member of a forum dedicated to four wheel drive vehicles as well, as there's lots to do off road in AZ. I have a '95 Mitsu Montero, and there really aren't a whole lot of any one year around in any given place, so it's nice that there is a small, but dedicated following here.

I've owned this particular vehicle for about six months, and the air conditioning condensor fan has never worked. Granted, the a/c still works, but it probably transfers more heat to the other air cooled parts and radiators than it should.

So, this morning after the girlfriend headed to work, I decided to haul out the voltage tester to see if I could narrow things down. There was voltage at the plug that hooks to the fan when I turned the a/c on, which should trigger that fan, so I guessed (this time correctly) that the fan was bad.

So, OK, why not just see what NAPA is getting for these things. What? $219.00 + tax. Ohhh, no. I should say that I've never even been to a junkyard and have no desire to pull parts in a shade free August day, then also have to install it in my own vehicle. I'm pretty handy with tools, but that just seemed like more work than my lazy ass wanted to do.

All it took was a post to the forum in the local section and a buddy called me a couple of hours later telling me he had a spare (!) in his garage. I drove the 50 miles round trip to his house, and he gave me the part for free, saying "Aww, you've helped me out over the years...take it." And yes, it works. Cost was 1.75 gallons of gas for the xB, and some good will.

Forums are great. I've made some really good friends, helped some people out and received help and parts as well. Learned a lot along the way. I'm kind of new here and don't even have my car yet (soon...), but I've already met some great folks from here also. Looking forward to more of this stuff. Glad to be a part of it all.

Thanks for reading. Forums like this one are great.

John B.

[LadyinBlue]

Welcome to Camaro5! Glad you're here and enjoying the company. We're all Camaroaholics in one way, shape, or form and the camaraderie on the site is amazing :-)

[JTinFL]

I love this forum.

[Tactical Z]

Welcome to !

["prima"Donna]

Originally Posted by LadyinBlue

Welcome to Camaro5! Glad you're here and enjoying the company. We're all Camaroaholics in one way, shape, or form and the camaraderie on the site is amazing :-)

100% AGREED!!!...

[The_Blur]

These forums are a great opportunity to share opinions and gather people who support the same values, products, and wants. Without this particular community, I would still be participating in a far more mediocre online community. Camaro5 is among the greatest groups of people I've ever encountered.