Hi Bud!
Unfortunately my database is limited to word documents and jpeg files. If anyone is interested in the word documents they are easily sent by email. Pictures, unless someone needs just a few are more difficult becuase they can clog a mailbox. My plan was to burn CD's for those who were needing the entire lot. That said, It would be much easier to upload everything onto a website. Unfortunately, I am not a computer wiz either :CRASH . My talents (obsession) is more on the research end of things.
I have always loved and continue to love the L-81 Registry. It was because of your site and my facination with the 81 that I decided to attempt to take the research one step further with the ultimate goal of a one stop shop for the 1981 Corvette. 600+ L-81 Registry members is truly an impressive feat and I commend you on the work and sacrifice that you have made on behalf of us all. We all owe you a great debt.
I am wondering if we have grown to the point that we could enlist some of our members to help us grow and share in the responsibility of running this excellent website. Everyone benefits from having the website thrive and therefore we should all take part in it's growth and survival. Here are a couple of ideas I've been pondering
1. There has to be someone in our membership who is computer literate to the point of being able to design and assist with the updates to the site. If we can enlist a volunteer or several, a major expense would be eliminated.
2. There are obviously recurring expenses (which you alone have had the burden of covering). I am curious if members would be willing to donate any extra 1981 Corvette parts to the L-81 Registry which then could be sold on the site. If they don't sell on the site, they could be listed on Ebay (with a L-81 Registry plug of course). The idea being that alot of us have extra parts sitting around collecting dust that could be parted with more easily than money. The revenue then could be utilized to expand the site, cover server fees and to provide the seed money for shirts, hats, pins etc. Moreover, the addition of the parts for sale section on the site might convince members to re-visit the site more often and catch any updates.
3. As a research database, it would be interesting to periodically post a call for information on the site similar to what I did in my initial post here. Members could even help determine what direction the research could take.
4. There are several contacts which I have made that I am sure could be convinced to offer special discounts for goods and services to our members if we would utilize them. The vendors could be limited to those who are the best at what they sell or do so members are assured quality parts services. A link to their homepage on the site could be provided in return for their consideration.
5. I'd love to see a section someday which details a complete frame off restoration of the 1981 Corvette. There are several books on the market about C-3 restoration but none on the 81. You can show me a 1969 restoration all day long but that is very little help with an 81.
6. What about a Q&A tech page broken down by system or section i.e. body, interior, electrical, emissions, fuel etc. Members would have direct access to posting on the site and topics would be very easy to access without wading through so many posts.
7. It would really be something if we could create a format which others could use to build websites for other years of the Corvette. Maybe we could at some point even diversify a little by adding additional years. Many of our members have more than one Vette and I have built a pretty large literature database on several models.
I would really be interested in hearing what you and some others think about what has been said. I'd really like to see everyone become more involved with the registry including it's funding, one man can't do it all. As far as taking it over, I would do it in a heartbeat if it meant saving it. If your looking for a partner, I'm here too. I'd love to talk to you more Bud. My email is
platato@yahoo.com
P.S. I still need the information called for in my initial post. Please take this seriously as it helps us all.
Thank you in advance & STW!
Platato
http://www.l81vetteregistry.com/
