Hello and Welcome New Members!!!

[threespires]

Hello threespires and welcome to this splendid time-sponge : as I remember a motor club of the same name and it was in Coventry, am I right that you are from there?
Lots of people there worked with cars to the extent that I'd say it was our Motor City - even got a Coventry car myself, see left!

Close, Lichfield with it's Cathedral of Three Spires. Shenstone Car Club was my club who run Curborough.

[goseatonio]

Hello, my name is José Antonio.

First of all, congratulations for this wonderfull site!

I'm from Terrassa, a City near Barcelona (Spain), the company Inducar S. Coop was sited in Terrassa, and was the company that designed and built some of the special Seat cars of the past, like the Seat 1200/1430 Sport.

[Carnut]

Hello, my name is José Antonio.

First of all, congratulations for this wonderfull site!

I'm from Terrassa, a City near Barcelona (Spain), the company Inducar S. Coop was sited in Terrassa, and was the company that designed and built some of the special Seat cars of the past, like the Seat 1200/1430 Sport.

Hello goseatonio and a warm welcome to AutoPuzzles - the home of where things are rarely quite what they seem to be!

We look forward to seeing you solve many puzzles..!

Happy New Year!

[Paul Jaray]

Olà y bienvenido José!

[goseatonio]

Hello goseatonio and a warm welcome to AutoPuzzles - the home of where things are rarely quite what they seem to be!

We look forward to seeing you solve many puzzles..!

Happy New Year!

Olà y bienvenido José!

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I'm affraid that my knowledge about rare cars is not at the level of this forum, but I'll try to learn and for sure I'll enjoy!

[RayTheRat]

Hi José.  I think that just about everyone who comes here finds that they might have thought they knew something about cars, but that thought is soon crushed.  Some have done quite well initially, but speaking for myself...well, I'm humbled by the vast array of knowledge that's found here. 

Welcome to you and I hope you enjoy the fun and games. 

[Carnut]

Hi José.  I think that just about everyone who comes here finds that they might have thought they knew something about cars, but that thought is soon crushed.  Some have done quite well initially, but speaking for myself...well, I'm humbled by the vast array of knowledge that's found here. 

Welcome to you and I hope you enjoy the fun and games. 

Exactly!
I used to think I knew a thing or two about cars; then I found AutoPuzzles.  I now realise I know Nothing!

[goseatonio]

Thank you all for the welcome!

You're right, now I know I don't know nothing about cars... 

[Hiawatha]

After two very enjoyable months on Autopuzzles I think it's high time to say hello to all the puzzlers on this wonderful website.
I live in Northwest Italy and I am interested in transportation in general, I like trains,cars,lorries and trolleybuses. My favourite period is from just pre II WW to 1965. I have to admit that I know next to nothing outside this timescale. I love everything streamlined and my nickname Hiawatha is coming from the gorgeous 4-4-0 steam locomotives of the Milwaukee Road designed by Otto Kuhler. I find researching to solve puzzles extremely stimulating and a lot of fun at the same time.
All the best to you all,
Luciano

[Carnut]

Great to have you on board Luciano.  My interests are similar to yours, although I'm not bothered about trains..
My real special interest is the products of the Italian Carrozzeria (or is that Carrozzieri?!), mainly late 40s to early 70s.  But I actually like anything with 3, 4, 6 or even 8 wheels!

[RayTheRat]

After two very enjoyable months on Autopuzzles I think it's high time to say hello to all the puzzlers on this wonderful website.
I live in Northwest Italy and I am interested in transportation in general, I like trains,cars,lorries and trolleybuses. My favourite period is from just pre II WW to 1965. I have to admit that I know next to nothing outside this timescale. I love everything streamlined and my nickname Hiawatha is coming from the gorgeous 4-4-0 steam locomotives of the Milwaukee Road designed by Otto Kuhler. I find researching to solve puzzles extremely stimulating and a lot of fun at the same time.
All the best to you all,
Luciano

Welcome, Luciano.  You've reminded me of one of my happiest childhood memories.  It was while fishing on the Weber River in what's called Weber Canyon, Utah, USA.  It must have been around 1955 and I had the opportunity to watch a Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 (Whyte notation) "Big Boy" Mallet articulated locomotive as it was starting the long climb up the west side of the Continental Divide.  At the other end of the 100+ car freight train was another Big Boy that would be uncoupled in Green River, Wyoming, while the primary loco and freight cars would continue east, usually to Omaha, Nebraska or Chicago, Illinois.  I actually saw this combination a few different times.  What a wonderful sight!  I've attached a coupla photos of Big Boys and one other photo which could have been me in my first car, a 1953 Buick Special 4-door sedan that I painted with black lacquer during a summer school auto body class while in high school.  If I'm identifying the location in the last photo correctly, it would be near Heber City, Utah and the locomotive would be a 2-6-0 Mogul. 

Thank you for bringing that memory to life again.  I hope you enjoy Autopuzzles as much as I do.  It seems like you're doing VERY well.  Keep up the good work.  I'm furiously trying to catch up after 2 weeks on the road.

[curt66]

hello everyone...my name is curtis patience...newbie to this site...i just joined up here in hopes of finding out some info and photos of a 1949 Kurtis Sports Car. Not sure yet how to attach images. But let me describe the car. It sat at Cal Metal Shaping for a long time without a hood or motor. The firewall has been cut away and moved back 15 inches to allow a large V motor to be installed for better balance we believe for drag racing. We also believe this was done back in the Chicago area in the early 51-53 seasons...and possibly into the 55-56 seasons. Any info would be greatly appreciated...

thanks

curtis
www.juicebrakes.com

[CrzRsn]

Seeing as how I've fully dived into the puzzles, I figured I probably should introduce myself. I'm an engineer working for one of the automotive Big 3 in the Detroit area - if only I could post some stuff from our corporate archives, I bet I could stump all you pros out there. I've loved cars for as long as I can remember, and as a history buff, I've always loved discovering long forgotten and obscure cars. I actually thought I knew quite a lot about old cars, but then I found this site and realized that's not the case. I'm excited to expand my automotive knowledge.


And I guess I'll share shots of my 2 babies.

[sixtee5cuda]

Wisdom is figuring out what you do not know.

And I'm sure that most of us got a real education when we arrived at Autopuzzles.com.

[Carnut]

Welcome CrzRsn.
We've noticed already your very good input and look forward to you being a great asset to AutoPuzzles.
When I joined in 2009 I thought I knew a bit about cars; I soon found out I know next to nothing!
Have fun - that's what it's all about.

[nicanary]

And welcome from me too. I'm a relative newcomer myself, but I got so addicted I'm up in the Pro level now, so it's even more difficult and frustrating!

The more you put into this site, the more you get out. Unlike some car-themed internet sites, this one is full of friendly and helpful folks and there's none of the cr*p you might get elsewhere. Enjoy.

[Ultra]

Seeing as how I've fully dived into the puzzles, I figured I probably should introduce myself. I'm an engineer working for one of the automotive Big 3 in the Detroit area - if only I could post some stuff from our corporate archives, I bet I could stump all you pros out there. I've loved cars for as long as I can remember, and as a history buff, I've always loved discovering long forgotten and obscure cars. I actually thought I knew quite a lot about old cars, but then I found this site and realized that's not the case. I'm excited to expand my automotive knowledge.

I seriously doubt it.

Welcome to the AutoPuzzles team!

[CrzRsn]

Seeing as how I've fully dived into the puzzles, I figured I probably should introduce myself. I'm an engineer working for one of the automotive Big 3 in the Detroit area - if only I could post some stuff from our corporate archives, I bet I could stump all you pros out there. I've loved cars for as long as I can remember, and as a history buff, I've always loved discovering long forgotten and obscure cars. I actually thought I knew quite a lot about old cars, but then I found this site and realized that's not the case. I'm excited to expand my automotive knowledge.

I seriously doubt it.

Welcome to the AutoPuzzles team!

I'm almost certain that there are sketches and photos of clays hidden in our archive that have never been seen by more than than the designers and management of the time. Even our archivists haven't been through the whole collection of documents. But then, I suppose those wouldn't be fair 

[Otto Puzzell]

We love a good mystery - bring 'em on! 

[Paul Jaray]

Benvenuto!
Please share your obscure stuff...probably nobody will know it but then we all can learn more 

[Carnut]

Indeed; that's the stuff we like best of all!

[CrzRsn]

Sadly I can't 
I've only been to the archives once for a tour - they're closed to everyone including engineers. Even if they were open, I think I wouldn't be allowed to post stuff I found.

[magnette]

I have been a member for a few years but hardly ever go on to this now because having got over 20 points i am defined as an expert, and that means I am stuck only answering really obscure one off cars etc which is no fun as I never know any  of those.

Frankly the site is attracting too few people, as it relies on a small handful of people keeping it going because the whole premise is that it is only for an elite few who know every little obscure car and are called experts.  If they get good enough to earn 200 points then they become even more rarified and never get a chance to answer anything ever again except the most extreme obscurities.

I am no expert - I did manage to answer one car from the 'black hole' but generally have little knowledge of the cars in the expert pool, and without cheating - which defeats the whole object, and I don't want to do that - there is little point in going on the site.

Clearly I am not the only one as whenever I do go online - I've tried to do so more of late as my work hours have changed for the moment - O'm generally one of two or three people on the expert pages and it feels like the site has virtually no traffic.

This thread is supposed to be welcoming new members and was started in March 2010 - it has a total of 71 replies (72 now with this) and in five and a half years that must be worrying.

I belong to another forum group elsewhere and that just invites people (including me) to post pictures and others to answer the - no points, no banning people from responding to other answers.
It is mostly Americans, and I'm British, so I tend stay back if an easy British car is posted, to give them first go, but we deal with (postwar) production cars from everywhere ...

Not sure who will read this - it isn't a thread that attracts much traffic - but this site is only attracting a few people and I can't help feeling this is because the rules automatically preclude people looking at the rookie cars, and because not all of us have the time to trawl through everything that has ever been posted over the years to make sure it has never been posted before.

[nicanary]

Magnette,

I'm sure that the editors will read and digest your observations. I know that the situation at present has not been ignored, and thought has been given to possible changes to the site. Indeed some of the long-standing members already promote very difficult puzzles straight away to the Experts or Pros.

In my opinion the site needs new blood very quickly - the daily active members are almost down to single figures, certainly less than twenty. Perhaps it is indeed a time for drastic action - a total change of format or points distribution. There must be a finite number of people in the world who have the sort of knowledge required to succeed and gain satisfaction from the site.

I'm more than prepared to take part in discussion about the matter.
Would the editors like to comment?

[pnegyesi]

I just would like to comment shortly on this.
We need to overhaul the site a bit and I am waiting for my brother to do exactly that. I've just nudged him again and it seems he'll do his part next week. Once it is done, we can start a campaign to attract new people.

I don't want to comment on the rating system, because I like it