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Ratsun Dying?


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I joined Ratsun back in 2012, but still consider myself a newb. I was one of those guys that bought a non-running 510 project (with rust) and got in way over his head. Also, my wife and I started having babies around the same time. The timing just wasn't right, so I cut bait and left the Datsun grind for about 10 years. So, I can remember the forum back in those days. It was definitely more "spicy" and didn't suffer fools gladly. There was also more drama between members. When I compare that with the current state of affairs, I much prefer how things are now. The forum, for a lack of a better term, has seemed to "mature" a little bit. However, I will admit, the old classifieds rocked! 😜

 

I almost forgot to mention that I really like how much easier it is to post photos now. 4MB is plenty, especially when you don't have to go thru the inconvenience of using something like Photobucket.

Edited by SupDoc
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8 hours ago, Cleopatra Jones said:

I'm on here from time to time. Not as often as I used to be. Mostly I lurk without signing in anymore. I think a lot of us are still here but sometimes life takes over. Also, signing in on an iPhone is still a no go. Can't see the sign in link. I don't know how other phones show the sign in link if at all. I can see it on my iPad but only if I turn it horizontal. Ever since that change a while back it's been a problem. And why did our other descriptive names have to disappear? I liked having Cleopatra Jones above my pic. Hell, if I had known when I originally signed up that what we put in as our username was going to be our screen name I would've done that. But, you know, freaking noobs.

 

This site completely refuses to even load on my Samsung using the Samsung internet, I have to use a different browser. Signing in is not even something I bother with. I just use the computer anyways anymore.

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1 hour ago, The Stig said:

I also think the fourm traffic is going down in all the older automotive fourms. The cars are old and disappearing,  the original founding seinior members are also getting older ( but hopefully not all disappearing ). And there doesn't seem to be as many exciting builds or peeps doing truly new or unique things anymore either. For me I just dont spend that much time in front of a computer as I did when I was younger.

 

I turn on Ratsun at about 5:30 and off around 10. From 7-11 in the morning usually out but the rest of the day I'm nearby and checking in. Summer's coming so I'll be outdoors more doing stuff.

 

Computers were steam powered when I was a kid. You don't know how lucky you are today.

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46 minutes ago, Dguy210 said:

 

This site completely refuses to even load on my Samsung using the Samsung internet, I have to use a different browser. Signing in is not even something I bother with. I just use the computer anyways anymore.

 

Never have any problems on my cheapo Motorola android phones 😅

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14 hours ago, KELMO said:

I've been here a minute also (2009 I think...maybe). I have tried to help out where possible and have received help too. Maybe it is more of a "time available" thing for some folks. I would somewhat agree with the social media thing as I have seen people (like Missus Kelmo) just go down the rabbit hole on it and not come out for hours later. Not saying that has not happened to me on this site but I don't do the FB, IG, and what not.

I like the idea of a Ratsun meet. That being said, I think it would end up being mostly west coasters as most of the membership appears to be California, Oregon, and Washington but I would still give it some consideration depending on location.

We have a lot of guys in idaho and Utah as well, decent amount in Arizona and Nevada too but yes mostly west coast I feel like somewhere like central Oregon bend Oregon or something would be best to get the most people from most of Oregon Washington and atleast Northern California.. we could always plan another in Arizona as well to get some Texas people and a few other states… Arizona in winter Oregon in summer 

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37 minutes ago, sick620 said:

We have a lot of guys in idaho and Utah as well, decent amount in Arizona and Nevada too but yes mostly west coast I feel like somewhere like central Oregon bend Oregon or something would be best to get the most people from most of Oregon Washington and atleast Northern California.. we could always plan another in Arizona as well to get some Texas people and a few other states… Arizona in winter Oregon in summer 

 

That's what a lot of the Canby Oregon meet was to some degree. Which did seem to be a reasonable distance from everything or so to work.

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12 hours ago, sick620 said:

We have a lot of guys in idaho and Utah as well, decent amount in Arizona and Nevada too but yes mostly west coast I feel like somewhere like central Oregon bend Oregon or something would be best to get the most people from most of Oregon Washington and atleast Northern California.. we could always plan another in Arizona as well to get some Texas people and a few other states… Arizona in winter Oregon in summer 

This is a good ideal but in my experience, professional, perfect observation, Most ratsun peeps dont like to drive far. Although there are a few exceptional folks

My area would be  a good half way mark for everyone on I5 corridor. and about 8 hrs from Boise.  11 to LA,  7 to Seattle.  I think thats why the Mt Shasta meet was great because IT was the middle

 

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1 hour ago, Farmer said:

This is a good ideal but in my experience, professional, perfect observation, Most ratsun peeps dont like to drive far. Although there are a few exceptional folks

My area would be  a good half way mark for everyone on I5 corridor. and about 8 hrs from Boise.  11 to LA,  7 to Seattle.  I think thats why the Mt Shasta meet was great because IT was the middle

 

Id move the venue if i could or if it would help :))

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16 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

I turn on Ratsun at about 5:30 and off around 10. From 7-11 in the morning usually out but the rest of the day I'm nearby and checking in. Summer's coming so I'll be outdoors more doing stuff.

 

Computers were steam powered when I was a kid. You don't know how lucky you are today.

 

Pretty high tech with steam power. My internet ran a little something like this

 

giphy.gif

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You could move it to where ever .. the same people won’t show up even if it was 20 miles from their house ..

 

I have went to Datsun event in Canada and all the way to Eaglerock California ( in minivan) 

 

back in the great olden days 

 Used to have “ratsun” events from Chehalis to Sedro Wooley  and was/same guys every time . 
   


we offered to have Yakima Datsun cruise/meet … only one person from east of mountains offered to show up 

 

 

. fuck um and feed um  fish 

 


 

Insert Edith Anne gif here 

 

 

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Problem with a place like Mt Shasta if no one lives there , all coordinating would have to be long distance ,, not including BBQs and shit like that which is hard for anyone with an actual life and shit. 

 

Maybe we have grown old 

 


 

.

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I agree with pretty much every thing above being a possibility for the decline, and I do think there is some perks to this slower but more mature current form that the forum has grown to… I just feel like there is someway to spark the spirit back up in those old farts that hardly get on anymore but still wrench on Datsuns, there’s at least  6-8 guys I know local to me that used to be active on here and they are still doing crazy engine swaps and bagging and body dropping trucks etc, but for some reason they have no interest in sharing those things here… I told a friend the other day (wide14u) you should get on sometime and he just said “I know I should huh?” … I know with him but probably a couple more of the guys canby was the big draw, there was a lure that couldn’t be pushed away.. When you talked about canby it was a big deal had a sort of magical spirit. Everyone got on here to bs and kinda get to know each other, see what others were doing, get inspiration, and at the end of the day you had to get your show car polished up, or your rusty ratty Datsun running zip ties and all and make it to this special thing you waited all year to be a part of… there are other shows and I’m sure some of them have gotten Datsun guys excited over the years but for some reason ratsun kinda stole the show in a manner of fashion at canby… there have been other meets powerland and blue lake that have tried to be the same kinda vibe for Datsun guys and I’ll be honest I am one of the ones that when canby left I kind of lost hope, so I just wrote these other ones off and never attended. I recently got the bug again and I plan to attend powerland this year, and I’m going to try to talk the guys I know into it as well, maybe it can be even more special than canby who knows.. 

 

all I’m really getting at is some of these guys like me who kinda gave up or moved on are still out there and we have got to be able to rally the troops somehow! We have all kinds of people here with different talents and strengths… someone could make cool new ratsun decals and post on Datsun Facebook pages free decal to 10 random posters on the forum daily, or t shirts etc… maybe someone could do some badass video clips of some of the special ratsun member rides and make a really cool teaser for the powerland meet or maybe the “Ratsun” meet… I know we might get some of the old trolls back or some new ones, but I bet skib could dust off the trusty ban hammer 🔨…. Also maybe we won’t ever be as big as we were, but the ratsun spirit could grow…

 

Maybe I’m just too sentimental… We had something special here, and we obviously still do in the form of some of you guys that have a wealth of information and are willing to devote a lot of your time and energy logging on here to help people. Some of you guys still journey to meets all around and try to keep the spirit alive.. I just think the ratsun flame could burn a little brighter I guess.. idk 

 

I plan to take the next few years to hoard 1-2 more Datsun projects so I’ll have enough for all 3 of my kids… if they show interest they will keep the dream alive for a little longer..

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Also: who runs the Facebook page ? Could we not try to link the two a bit better with posts of projects etc with links back to the forum? It functions a sort of separate entity it seems and is loosing this site traffic… and for anyone upset with the classifieds here why couldn’t we have a ratsun Facebook classifieds page on Facebook? 

Edited by sick620
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People like jbirds510 are few and far between these days, most like the Bluelake crew are getting tired and need new blood to take over gradually, but no one is stepping up without drama involved, it takes a lot of time to put on a 2+ day event or any event for that matter, most now are not into their Datsuns that deep anymore.

 

 

Edited by wayno
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Co-vid hasn't helped one bit either. Lots of restrictions and fears. When Dave Bothwell hung up his spurs that was the downfall of Canby. Datsunsnorthwest were rife with internal politics and power plays and the new management were incompetent and ran it into the ground in short order. Hell DNW isn't even around anymore, they killed themselves. I used to dream of Canby and eventually got to go and for the next 7-8 years. It was a two day pilgrimage for me to get there and enjoyed every second at the event. Once it was gone, it was kind of hard to summon up the enthusiasm to go anywhere else. Maybe if I was 20 years younger....

 

f/b and a forum? cats and dogs, socks and sandals, oil and water. Shouldn't ever try to mix the two. We co-exist in mutual tolerance and indifference. What works there won't fly on a forum. 

 

     

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8 hours ago, sick620 said:

I agree with pretty much every thing above being a possibility for the decline, and I do think there is some perks to this slower but more mature current form that the forum has grown to… I just feel like there is someway to spark the spirit back up in those old farts that hardly get on anymore but still wrench on Datsuns, there’s at least  6-8 guys I know local to me that used to be active on here and they are still doing crazy engine swaps and bagging and body dropping trucks etc, but for some reason they have no interest in sharing those things here… I told a friend the other day (wide14u) you should get on sometime and he just said “I know I should huh?” … I know with him but probably a couple more of the guys canby was the big draw, there was a lure that couldn’t be pushed away.. When you talked about canby it was a big deal had a sort of magical spirit. Everyone got on here to bs and kinda get to know each other, see what others were doing, get inspiration, and at the end of the day you had to get your show car polished up, or your rusty ratty Datsun running zip ties and all and make it to this special thing you waited all year to be a part of… there are other shows and I’m sure some of them have gotten Datsun guys excited over the years but for some reason ratsun kinda stole the show in a manner of fashion at canby… there have been other meets powerland and blue lake that have tried to be the same kinda vibe for Datsun guys and I’ll be honest I am one of the ones that when canby left I kind of lost hope, so I just wrote these other ones off and never attended. I recently got the bug again and I plan to attend powerland this year, and I’m going to try to talk the guys I know into it as well, maybe it can be even more special than canby who knows.. 

 

 

I use to hang out with all the Boise guys during Canby. And for years I told them they need to do a meet up/ show there and I would travel over to attend.  of course Neil move to Utah and I think that kind of fizzled that out.

 

 

Bananahamuck  nailed it on the head.  "the same people won’t show up even if it was 20 miles from their house "..

 

Wayno also nailed it by saying one word, Drama!  Lots of people left over the drama here on ratsun a few years ago.  I was getting tired of it too

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Powerland (Ratsun/Canbyish) is the peoples show, I just coordinate. Ive set the prices so low that a fella could swap a few bits n pieces to fund the trip..the swap is free with admission so theres no cost to do just that. The choice was made to keep the awards simple to prevent potential elitist division and politics. wrench to drive and drive to wrench this shit is for you! Personally I like the never finished but driven cars best anyway. But the show isnt for me its for all and NOONE should ever feel  unwelcome in primer or in a car that still has big dreams unrealized. Its more about coming together to share time with like minded people, making friends and seeing old friends. No bullshit drama and popularity contests. This will be year 3. Its going to be amazing. Looking forward to seeing everyone! No excuses just good times. Even if your car is down, thats ok. Come anyway bring a tent, bring your spares, bring the spirit! 62 acres for us to enjoy..Datsun only. 

Edited by jbirds510
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