Roadsters
www.roadsters.com
You've got your enthusiasts, and then you've got your compulsive obsessive motoring maniacs. The owner of this site falls into the latter category. Lucky for you! He has assembled an awesome library of info on classic roadsters and in doing so has chalked up over half a million visits. I can't begin to list what you'll find here. Put your foot down and head straight on over. You will not be disappointed, unless you ride a bicycle.
Sample: I was raised on sports cars and jazz. But I rebelled. I grew up on hot rods and rock and roll.
Verdict: This is the good oil, from the gear-shifting guru. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Harley-Davidson
www.harley-davidson.com
Discover why and how the Hog became the biggest selling heavyweight two-wheeled vehicle of all time. The legends, the style, the attitude. It's all about freedom. And from the demographics quoted, that mostly means freedom from their spouses by 40+ men who prefer sailing through the countryside with a huge vibrator between their legs than facing middle age gracefully. For the rest of us, it's the ultimate American symbol of the counter-culture - and a mighty stylish one at that.
Sample: It's one thing to have people buy your products. It's another for them to tattoo your name on their bodies.
Verdict: If you can't afford one, at least you can surf the Harley spirit. - SS
Net Worth: *****
Hot Rod Garage
hotrodgarage.com
Hailed as 'the ultimate place to admire and worship classic cars and trucks', this site has been re-bored to feature more than just photos and proud owners bragging about their trick mods (although there is plenty of that going on). Classified ads, tech tips (not many), club listings and links make this garage one you can pull into anytime for a quick overhaul of your hot rod fantasies. Add your own pride and joy to the gallery for the world to salivate over. The web is the biggest car show on earth!
Sample: Readers comments: "I love cars - fast ones"
Verdict: Hot Rods forever! - SS
NetWorth: ****
National Street Rod Association
www.hotrodsworldwide.com/nsra/nsra.htm
I don't know why I bookmarked this one, seeing as it's only going to tell you about events in the USA. I suppose any true Aussie enthusiast must head for Hot Rod Mecca at some time in their lives. This site deals with all the big events where the whole purpose of doing up your baby comes to fruition ie showing it off to people who care. Unfortunately the site is pretty clunky, since they are busy arranging actual events, so I'd advise getting a few contacts here and start planning your real journey, rather than this cyber-version.
Sample: Street is Neat
Verdict: ..and of course, that's where these dudes are. To hell with the damn web site. - SS
NetWorth: **
John's Monster Truck Emporium
www.monster-trucks.com
Nothing gets the blood racing more than the thought of seeing Gargantuan mechanical beasts ploughing through mud and crushing pathetic little family sedans and wagons under their massively oversized wheels. Your thirst is well and truly satisfied here, as John brings you photo after photo of demonic destruction. Dozens of trucks with names like "Rambo", "Blue Thunder" and "Towasaurus Wrex", are featured with a few specs and spectacular photos. It seems John is also a Vietnam Vet, and I think he may have stumbled across the perfect way to purge that post-traumatic stress.
Sample: I have pictures of classic monsters that you will not see anywhere else on the Internet
Verdict: You'd better believe it! - SS
NetWorth: ****
Australian Street Rod Federation
home.vicnet.net.au/~asrf
Our limited population here dictates that any association is going to be smaller in number, but when it comes to creating a great web-site to build support, it only takes one dedicated member to make it happen. The ASRF has one such member, and he brings you the news from the street in fine detail, including a full reproduction of the quarterly members' newsletter - including the crossword! If this site was a hot rod, it would slay 'em at the Nationals.
Sample: The ASRF's primary objective is to increase the number of street rods and customs in Australia by assisting members to build, register and insure their vehicles.
Verdict: Here here! Bookmark here! - SS
NetWorth: *****
Vintageautos.com
www.vintageautos.com
OK, so you've registered your domain name. Now what? No doubt the mind boggles at the limitless possibilities of hosting the greatest web site on earth. Meanwhile reality seeps into your delusions as you realise your resources are painfully insufficient. You settle on a message board, some links to local businesses (friends), a few pictures, and bad animations, and hope that visitors to the site will enhance it by advertising their amazing cars and posting fascinating messages. Wrong. All this site is, is a lesson on how not to create an awful website and waste net-weary surfers' time. OK you might love browsing message board postings. Beats infomercials, I guess. What was this chapter about?
Sample: Nothing worth sampling.
Verdict: Nice domain name, shame about the web site. - SS
NetWorth: *
My Classic Car
www.myclassiccar.com
Appealing to the classic car "nut", MCC is a highly commercial venture, encompassing a TV show (available as a video magazine from the site), a print mag, and a membership service that promises to give you plenty of opportunity to improve your vehicle-worshipping prospects. With a believable zeal, cars and their owners are featured, advice is provided, clubs and events are listed, links are made and books are sold. Excitement ensues. Credit card numbers are taken. Products are sent. Everyone is happy.
Sample: It's the best value an enthusiast can find - short of discovering a '57 Corvette behind a fake wall in the basement!
Verdict: Where's my sledge-hammer? - SS
NetWorth: ***
Bill Lewis' Workshop
www.wrljet.com
Bill can tell you anything you would ever need to know about the classic American Ford V8 engines. His knowledge goes way beyond bore, stroke and HP. We're talking quantum mechanics here. From subtle differences in push rod mechanisms to wiring up the EFI, historical perspectives and excellent close-up photos from the workshop, your curiosity about the inner-workings of your beast is completely satisfied. This is V8 University and Bill has a PhD in every faculty.
Sample: To prevent 4th-order harmonic vibrations from destroying the crankshaft at higher RPM, the engine uses a different vibration damper and an add-on counterweight.
Verdict: Thanks Bill, but how do they make the dog with the bobbing head? - SS
NetWorth: *****
Airbrush.com
www.Airbrush.com
It doesn't matter what's under the bonnet. The only way you are really going to attract attention to your pride and joy is to paint a bloody big mural all over it of Satan rising up from the earth's core watched by a couple of half naked nymphettes holding a puma on a leash. The only way you are going to manage that, dear reader, is with an air-brush. This site, although covering all aspects of the air brushing industry, will put you many steps closer to achieving your nightmare, uh, dream. There are even a few Aussie artist links here. Why don't you get a quote, or learn the art yourself?
Sample: Airbrush.com make no claims in respect to the information provided on this or any other website(s).
Verdict: This site blows chunks - of paint. - SS
NetWorth: ***
CARSoft - Awesome Auto Art for Car Fans.
members.aol.com/carsoft/index.htm
Well-meaning, this little site of samples, and handy hints on what to do with them, offers you a zip file for $12 full of line art car pics for you to play around with and spice up your own web-site/letterheads etc. From what I can make out, it's pretty basic stuff, but you could have a bit of fun in a graphics program, painting, and generally fiddling around with the files. Maybe you already have a boot full of pics. Maybe you should set up a site like this.
Sample: The only limit to what you can do with CARSoft is your imagination!
Verdict: I think this guy's computer needs reboring to a 386 - SS
NetWorth: ***
Street Rod Country
www.streetrodcountry.com
Unlike some car sites I trawled, this one seems a little bit more organised, though still lacking in a many areas. At least you can have a bit of a click around and find some stuff. Simple categories like "chassis manufacturers", "component parts sources" and "for sale by owner", give you easy access to goodies you might need. If you have it all, then check out the big t-shirt range and read the opinionated editorial. Not quite enough substance to get much traction, I'm afraid.
Sample: Nothing worth quoting - can you believe it? I'm starting to think this is the standard! Time to hit the search engines.
Verdict: I went to this web site and all I got was a lousy T-Shirt. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Autopedia
autopedia.com
Just as my despondency started to settle in, I discovered a jewel in the motorhead web crown. A virtual encyclopedia for cars, with untold links to enthusiasts, clubs, services and products, but guides on finance, importing, valuation, safety and, perhaps most importantly - tips on how to negotiate a good car deal. What you won't find on the site, you will get to in one or two clicks from their links, so fire up your modem and go a few laps.
Sample: Did you know it can cost you up to $4,000.00 just to repair your air bags?
Verdict: Tell me more! - SS
NetWorth: ****
Chevy Classics Home Page
chevyclassics.simplenet.com
The post-WW2 era in the states created an entirely new culture of rock and roll, TV game shows and kitchen appliances. Young people needed a vehicle in which to feel a part of this new era, and help re-populate the world by fornicating in the back seat. The car of choice was the Chevrolet. This is a shrine for the classic yank tank, most significantly the 1955-57 years, but now expanding from 1950-1969. It is a members only site, but that's OK - we all love back seat shenanigans. Come and share the spirit.
Sample: I'm not knocking any of the traditional Chevy clubs (I belong to several myself), they're just not set up to handle the needs of net surfers.
Verdict: Drove my Chevy to the website but my credit card was full. - SS
NetWorth: ***
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