Forum mission help or denigrate

I recently posted a thread and am unable to understand what a simple query degenerated into. Isn't the purpose of the forum to help owner/enthusiasts in their love of ferraris. I've owned my car for 20 yrs now and decided as a retirement PROJECT to thoroughly restro the car. When I am unsure of a procedure, after trying to research in the back postings, I make a query as I do NOT want to harm the car. Friends consider me anal, I photo everything ,make diagrams and write down procedures for reference. I try and do the right thing. I just this past Friday remove the complete rear suspension and discovered the ring nut. Maybe my descriptions on the web are at times confusing. I apologize for that. The nearest person to me with a similar car is 3 hours away. I am on my own, I have worked on cars for over 50 years and not proud enough to not admit I don't know all. Ask the question. I also don't want to bother the one same car owner "near" me with perpetual questions. In fact on Sunday I contacted another forum member across the country, who posted within the last year on rear suspension work. He returned my call and gave me a couple suggestions including ebay and amazon...I could find anything...my computer savvy is rather limited. So on Monday I posted the query if another source is available. I do NOT see how responding that maybe I should have a Toyota would help me on my car. If you can't help, don't respond. We all are aware THE ferrari parts are a whole cost tier different. Allow me to illustrate, within the last 2 years a Canadian you tuber has been documenting his restor of his 308. He purchased a car all apart with parts missing. When he got to the door lock mechanism he discovered and illustrated what parts he was short. He discovered the usual extreme f part cost. I'm also into fiats and emailed him the linkage pieces he was missing was the same used in a fiat I have. I didn't say, if you can't afford it buy a Toyota. I told him I had extra and would post them to him free. I just wanted to see him get the car finished so he could enjoy it. That's the mission of this forum to HELP others so they can enjoy their cars. Help others don't denigrate them if they don't have the knowledge. From 2010 till 2017, age 58 to 65, I volunteered for 3 countries with the peace corps. Never did an insult help a situation. Dispense knowledge empowers others, they will try and do the best they can, more economic restraints impact final results. It's a learning process, show them alternatives not decree my way or the highway. Sorry about this being lengthy but I am taken aback by the demeanor of the postings to my query. I won't post any more as I do not need the toxicity. I will search past member posts and contact individually those that I think will be constructive. A simple reply to my query would have been there really isn't an alternative or possible other source. I hope everyone understands this post and they enjoy their cars and the camaraderie it fosters. If you can't be of help to others or have anything to say then don't. I expect the moderators will remove this shortly. Cal

 

Not to be disrespectful, but if you aren't going to post anymore, why didn't you just walk away? This is a discussion forum, and frankly you come off in this post as whinging about the response to your complaint that a tool you need cost 57 pound which is nothing compared to what you will (should) spend on the car if you do as you stated. It's wonderful that you served in the peace corp, but I don't think posting that here adds anything other than making others, well me, think you feel you have been treated unfairly. Sorry you feel that way, but man up. You don;t make friends by posting things like this.

 

In my experience, the vast majority of members on the forum are polite and supportive enthusiasts. There are also a few very knowledgeable and active users who don't exactly have the best bedside manner.

In regards to costs, I think what you will find, is that parts / tools fall into a few different categories:

- Parts bin / shared parts with other Ferraris. Mostly easy / affordable to attain due to the commonality across multiple models.
- Parts shared with other manufacturers (eg Porsche, Bosch, etc.). It can sometimes take a little work to find out what the cross-reference part is, but once you do, it's usually much cheaper to buy the non-Ferrari version.
- Basic hardware, hoses, o-rings, electrical connectors, etc.. You can typically find these things on websites like McMaster, Digikey, Mouser – even Amazon.
- The occasional model-specific, or NLA part. These are the tough ones that are a pill to swallow.

In the case of your other post, the tool you are referring to is made by Hill Engineering. You will find their parts on many of the Ferrari specialist websites – often with some kind of indication like the "HE" badge on the Superformance website. They are well respected. Although these are often not cheap parts / tools, they can sometimes be your only option. Honestly, we're lucky they even exist at all.

Lastly, if I can interpret your concern on the cost, it's not the singular cost of that one tool, but rather that these things can add up, and there is an "opportunity cost" associated with purchasing a handful of expensive single-tasker tools. IMO, that's understandable, but I think you'll find that it won't happen that often as most parts / tools fall in the first few categories I mentioned.

 

…and not just that, but having to purchase expensive tools that you might use 1x or 2x in your life.
@3px19: you have to do what you have to do, but to quit posting does nothing but validate and encourage the juvenile, ignorant behavior you’re complaining about.
As bjunc pointed out, there are many more helpful members here (than condescending but holes - my words), so I’d selfishly like to see you continue to hang-out as I too am a former (multiple) X and Scorpion owner.
Remember: this is the Interwebs; no requirement for good taste, decorum, nor intelligence required for membership.
- Dave

 

Yes, there are folks here (as in the real world) who are inherently sarcastic. Some folks find sarcastic comments to be amusing, some find them insulting, some ignore them completely.

I usually chose the latter but we're all different. If we weren't we'd all drive the same car, like the same music, and agree on politics and religion.! There is great info on this site. Leaving will hurt you, not the site so rethink that decision...or buy a Toyota!!!

 

And yet, you thanked Brian just 2 weeks ago for giving you a solution that only cost you $1.15.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/thanks-brian-crail.700944/

This is an open discussion forum and you don't get to dictate the terms under which other people engage with you. That includes your view that "the mission of this forum to HELP others so they can enjoy their cars." That's true for some, but by no means all. Even when it's true, in most cases, it's not the only "mission." What people get out of the forum is personal, and your statement attempts to impose your view on others who may have different views.

If you have a problem with a user, you can just ignore them. turn on the system's ignore feature for their posts, or you can use the system's report feature to ask the moderation team for a review of the post. But, in most cases, I have not seen users be very sympathetic to these kinds of "goodbye cruel world" threads. I think a lot of users view it as having a whinging or "drama queen" aspect.

Yet another misperception.

 

Free Rifledriver!

 

Just make it simple Calvin entertain the good ones and ignore the bad ones.

 

True....while no one person gets to dictate the rules of engagement, posting guidelines do exist:

1. General Posting Rules:
1.1 No "Flaming": Please do not post any messages that harass, insult, belittle, threaten or flame another user.

I get your point, but were this truly an "open discussion forum", expletive-laced posts, flame wars, and inappropriate content would soon render FC unusable. Guardrails exist for good reason.
A reasonable person can see Rifledriver's response was insulting and belittling. Defending it because "this is the Internet" is just as bad IMO.
- Dave

 

Oh, that makes sense. For a minute there, I thought he was talking about the entire Australia section

 

I understand the sentiment of the OP.

Some people are more sensitive than others.. but unfortunately this is the internet.

I hope you don't actually stop posting and I think allowing one incident to stop you posting makes no sense.

As others have written you can block members so you don't see their posts... easy enough really.

Brian did the work on my engine and transmission. He's an excellent tech and one of the very very very few who are around anymore that actually KNOW what they're talking about when it comes to these cars.

He reminds me of another friend of mine who passed away, Joe Gosinski. I spent a lot of years working on Mustangs... foxbodies, S197.. and he was the man for Mustangs. He KNEW his stuff... but he didn't tolerate what HE considered "foolish" questions.

He and I had more than one argument but really it was his perception of my question more than the question itself. He would think I was questioning HIM... not just questioning to gain understanding or knowledge.

But I have a fairly calm demeanor so I didn't take things personally because I understood him... and I think before he died... he understood me. And we were very good friends in the end... when I moved from California to Texas we kept in touch and this was before Facebook and all that.

That's all to say Brian reminds me A LOT of Joe. He knows his stuff and doesn't suffer what he considers "foolish" questions.

But to people like me (and the OP I'm guessing) sometimes we just simply don't know and are trying to figure stuff out so we SOUND (or READ) like we're foolish I suppose... and from a perspective I guess we are... but it's not intentional... just trying to figure stuff out.

Keep trying to figure stuff out man... and don't take it personally.. or try not to. BTW I have the tool you need I think... so if you haven't bought one LMK and I can post it to you... I'm in Texas though so I don't know how quickly you need it.