A tip on reading automotive forums, information seeking Options

[jgreening]

A lot of misinformation is posted on automotive forums including 6gc. To get true answers to your questions, you must be a dilligent searcher and learn who knows what they are talking about. Even most of the experienced people who are knowledgable have their limits. People's advice either comes from reading or from what they learned from working on the cars. Many backyard mechanics have very annecdotal information to share (not a critique - but you need to understand that just because Johnny did it with a tin can and 2x4 doesn't mean its the best way). Some folks that post are trolls who have no practical experience but repeat things that they read elsewhere on the internet. These people can be helpful but some of them are very dangerous to listen to because they "appear" to know what they are talking about but really don't know jack about the particular subject they are opining on.

Here is my tip: find out who the big dogs are of the websites you visit. By this I mean the people that work in the industry or have other significant experience doing the types of things that you question entails. Do a search on their name on the topics they have started or on ones which are in the particular forum you are interested in. Read their posts. You will learn a lot and most of it will be accurate. This is what I did before I went about modifying my 3sgte. I just read the posts on mr2oc.com from the guys like Noshoes, Ricky B, 510rob, ATSAaron, ATSScott, Redtuna, ChrisK, Wolfkatz, Julie, Flyboy, JoeO, Billwot, cjburn, phunk, $nocash$, Bruce H., sflmr2 and others. From these people and, of course, my super mechanic Carl Crawford, I have learned a great deal about this little engine. The same principle applies to other topics like ICE or exterior modifications.

Follow the tip and you will be better informed and will make better decisions about modding and trouble shooting your car.

- Jay

[presure2]

great post jay.
what you said about reading the "big dogs" posts sounds alot like how i learned about the mechanics of the 5sfte...in fact, most of it was taken from mr2oc, from the very names you mentioned...lol