65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Announcements => New Members / Bio's => Topic started by: Chris on August 24, 2012, 11:47:03 PM
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Dear Friends,
I've operated this site for about eight years and during this time I've had a great time and I've meet a lot of nice people. I've come to the decision that it's time for me to pass on the torch and ask that someone else take over the site responsibilities. My life has really changed over the last four years and I've had to reevaluate what is most important to me and where my financial and time resources are best spent.
I'm asking for a volunteer to assume responsibly of hosting the site on another server and maintaining / creating new content so the site lives on. It'll be the new owners decision if they want to ask the members for donations, allow banners / advertising or sell merchandise to cover the annual costs and then it'll be up to the members to decide if they'll accept these changes and continue visiting the site.
All information on the site will be transferred to the new owner either electronically or sent to them on a DVD. Hosting can continue through BlueHost.com and on a different account and the DNS name will be transferred to the new owner at their cost. To be very clear, I'm not selling this site and this offer is for someone to take it over free and clear minus any hosting and transfer charges they might incur. All data will become the property of the new owner with the possible exception of the Registry which could remain separate (this decision to be made with the group that maintains it).
In addition to this, I will be selling some various 1965 GS items that will include:
1. A set of NOS quarter panels (four door but in mint brand new factory primer condition) $2500 OBO - Only sold as a pair)
2. A dealer binder containing the factory cloth swatches and paint / top options - $500 OBO
3. A early "square" Gran Sport grille badge - $300 OBO
4. A glove box Gran Sport emblem - $85
5. Injection molds for the Parking lenses - $3000
6. Injection molds for the Reverse lenses - $2000 (Over $15,000 invested in these two molds!)
I'll have some various other parts that I'll be digging out and offering here first.
My convertible is being offered here one more time at $18,500 and if it doesn't sell here in the next couple of months, it'll go on EBay with a $22k reserve and then onto the Spring Auburn auction where it'll be sold on a $20,000 reserve. My hardtop will also go up for sale next summer in whatever stage the body shop has completed it (it's been there for five years and the guy has jacked me around and I'm finally fed up!).
This change has less to do with money and more to do with time with my growing family (four grand kids now) and a very demanding job that leaves me very little time. I've done very little to maintain or expand the website and this is something that I personally feel bad about. This site started with a passion to bring the 65 guys together and I think we've accomplished that together. The time has come to move on and I'm welcoming any offers from anyone to accept the torch and run with it.
My hosting and DNS registration is paid up until 2/4/2013 so we have a little time to find a new owner and get them off to a good start. If I'm unable to find someone to take this on, unfortunately I'll need to let the accounts expire and the site will simply become unavailable after that time.
Please contact me via private message or email if you are interested in anything mentioned in this posting.
Thanks,
Chris
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Chris,
Sorry to hear you are getting out of business, you have done a fantastic job creating this site. I hope everything will turn out to the best for you and you will be happy with your decisions.
I hope someone will jump in and continue this site.
Jan
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Chris,
Thanks so much for all the hard work on the site and I'm so glad that I met you last month at the BPG in Hebron. Your efforts and the site in general were key in my decision to go for a 65 GS as my first collectible and helped me to refine my final choice down to "Fiona". Thanks so much and here's hoping you'll remain active in the future.
Jimmy
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Chris could you email me the basic start up and annual costs .Give me your phone number in the email also
bobbybuick@sbcglobal.net
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That is an amazing offer and I am impressed that you have put your family first in your considerations. As hard as it is for some of us to acknowledge, they are just cars. I hope someone steps up to the plate and takes over, and I wish you many happy years as a doting grandfather.
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Chris,
I want to thank you for all of your hard work to develop and keep this site going. I'm sure many others would agree that you have done a terrific job and sacrificed a great deal of time.
Again, Thank you!
I wish I had the knowledge to do it.
Loren
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All,
Thank you for the wonderful comments, emails and even a few phone calls. I've been asked if this is due to anything like a health issue or anything like that and I can assure everyone that I believe that I'm healthier today than I was five years ago. I've also had several members ask me about the annual costs to operate the site and the amount of technical ability required to maintain it.
The site is hosted on a Blue Host server (www.Bluehost.com (http://www.Bluehost.com)). They are a great web hosting company and I would recommend them. The cost of annual hosting and renewing the DNS name 65GS.com is around $100 a year when purchased in three year blocks. The site is a combination of custom and off the shelf code. The Forum is built around SMF and the gallery is built around Coppermine. The rest of the site is custom made and the registry is driven by SQL and a custom grid for look up and form input. In the simplest format, the Gallery and Forum could be separated from the registry and ongoing support would be made very simply and maintaining it would be from the admin consoles (no code, just click-able menu options).
The SQL portion of the registry was developed by a programmer from Russia that I found on www.guru.com (http://www.guru.com). This site allows you to post a project that freelancers from all over the world can reverse bid on. I paid a little more than $300 to have this developed and up to a couple of days ago, everything ran pretty well (and then I screwed it up). I think now is the time to decide if the registry will continue to be part of the 65gs.com site or if it should revert back to a "paper system". I personally think that if the registry is to continue in it's electronic format, an overhaul should happen based upon member and admin requirements and this will more than likely require another round of programming and another investment. Now is the time for everyone to speak up and say what they did and didn't like about the registry format and from this improvements should be suggested in the form of clear requirements that the programmer would understand and translate into a finished product.
I've heard some great ideas for possibly kicking off a new site and joining up with V8Buick.com or expanding the site out to cover all nail heads etc. Since the 65 group is somewhat small, there could be a great opportunity to cover 64 - 67 and cover more years. Rebranding the site from 65gs.com to something else isn't that hard to do and it personally these changes won't hurt my feelings as the content and members are what is important. A website can also have multiple web names that all point to the same site (example - www.65gs.com (http://www.65gs.com) and www.1965gs.com (http://www.1965gs.com) both point to the same site as long as you are able to secure the name and willing to pay for it annually).
It's really good (and sad at the same time) to see the interest in keeping the site going and thank you again to everyone who has contacted me out of personal concern and with offers / questions regarding what's required to run the next leg of our journey.
Chris
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Chris,
I sent you a private message.
Brian G.
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Quote: (Now is the time for everyone to speak up and say what they did and didn't like about the registry format and from this improvements should be suggested in the form of clear requirements that the programmer would understand and translate into a finished product.)
Chris, I'm glad to hear that there are no health related issues involved with you or your family.
As a very new member to this forum/board, and an even newer 65GS owner, my recent registration of my car was an absolute breeze. I don't have a complaint one when it comes to the format or ease of the registry design.
I know I don't hold alot of weight but my opinion is that the registry was, and is just fine when it comes to layout and ease of use.
Mike Jones
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I feel compelled to post some comments, but don't know exactly what to say. But here goes:. I've known Chris for better than ten years. It was due to his interest when he bought his first '65 GS that he first contacted me for some information. Since then we've gotten together at few GSCA Nationals in Bowling Green or when he was in Kansas City on business trips. My wife and I have also spent some time with his family in the Smokey Mountains. I consider Chris one of my closest friends. I have never know anyone with his level of ambition, intelligence, optimism, energy and passion for living life to its fullest. Chris is someone who can come up with an idea and more impressively, get the job done. Who else would take on the project of making reproduction parking and backup lenses for our '65 GSs. Who else would have a vision to start a website dedicated to the '65 GS, much less have the knowledge and computer skills to accomplish this awesome task. All this with his own money and a goal to just break even. I can see why he has advanced to such a prominent position in his employment with a major U.S. corporation. Now toss in his main priority, his family. I don't know how he does all this and still finds time to sleep. Chris is one of the most giving and unselfish people I will probably ever know. I hope that all who read this can appreciate how fortunate we all are to be a participant in his vision to connect this small group of '65 GS enthusiasts together. Chris, a thank you seems totally insufficient. Thank you!!!
I believe that this website is not as much about the GSs as it is about bringing people together. I have made many friends because of our shared interest. I have been helped by many others with information about my GSs and obtaining their rare parts. I hope that I have also been able to help others. I trust that there is someone willing and able to take the torch so that this little club house can continue to thrive. Perhaps Chris could stay on as a technical advisor? Hope so. I think that I've added my 2 cents plus. Thanks.
John Egel
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Thanks again everyone for the kind words and John, you really know how to make me blush.
I had a chat with Loren over the phone tonight and he has expressed an interest in taking over the helm for the next watch. I'll work with him over the next couple of months to get everything transitioned over and I'll encourage each of you to think of any improvements that would make sense during this time and ways to support Loren and the site in the future.
Mike, welcome to the site and I can assure you that your opinion is very welcome here and holds as much weight as someone who has made 300 posts and been around for five years. :thumbsup: You are either a spectator or "in the game" when it comes to the game of life and it's always awesome to see someone suited up and ready to play.
I always brag about the members of this site and how much everyone helps one another and how well everyone is able to get along without all the drama that you probably see on the other sites. Buick's have always been associated with class and this is further demonstrated by the posts and actions of the members here. I will continue to frequent the site in the future as a member like you and I've promised to lend a hand when it's needed.
The site will live on because you guys "want it to live on" and this sincerely humbles me. :icon_salut:
Thanks,
Chris
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Chris,
Thank you for your vote of confidence. I am sure I will need all the assistance I can get.
You have given us a terrific site and sacrificed a great deal to get it to this point in time.With the encouragement of the members here we will do our best to keep it going.
Again, thank you!
Loren
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Chris,
Thank you for getting this site up and running and investing all the time and energy, not to mention money, in this site for all these years. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated.
Loren,
Thanks for stepping up and volunteering to fill Chris' shoes. Sure you will do well.
Dan
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Chris
I am only 1 yr old with 65GS but I have met more people and received more information and support then all my previous 15 yrs ownership of 64-65 Buick A bodies combined.
I know saying Thanks You will never be able to pay you back for your efforts but I don't know how else to say it.
THANK YOU CHRIS
I'm also glad to hear Loran is in a position to carry forward the 65GS flag.
THANK YOU LORAN
Milton
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OK so I can't spell.
I hope you can forgive me Loren.
Milton
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:wave:
No worries Milt. I think you are up in Anoka, MN area, right?
Hope to see you around sometime. I think we may have met once a long time back.
Loren
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Chris,
Appreciate all your efforts and time
. I'd love to help. Unfortunately the next several months I'll be taking care of a seriously Ill parent. Perhaps in the future I can help in some capacity. I've spoken several times to Mark M that runs the GSX registry, and the time he has put in at Sloan Museum, to gather invaluable information, that we would probably otherwise never have.
I'd hate to lose this site. No matter how small. I think as we get closer to the 50th anniversary of the GS, we will only grow.
Regards,
DL
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Hi Everyone
Chris, Thank You for all that you have done for us. Your computer skills have brought us all together and together we will stay! 65gs.com will live on because we all care, we care about our Buicks, we care about all the friends that we meet each time we visit this site. Some of us have meet face to face and some of will never meet, but we all have this common interest that keeps us going....
We must support Loren in every way that we can and if there is a cost involved we must share that too. We just can't just keep taking without giving back It's just not fair.. How we are going to do it is another thing. But just keep those ideas on hold so we can bring it up at a later date. I will help Loren as much as my time will allow and I know many of you will do the same.....
Chris, You will always be my Friend..
Tony
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Chris, You will always be my Friend.. Tony
The feeling is mutual Tony and you've always been a major supporter of the site and me. :)
Our door is always open to you and your family anytime you want to venture to the North West part of Ohio. :occasion14:
Chris
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Just a quick update on the items that I listed for sale previously.
Many of these are now on EBay since very few people here contacted me about them.
http://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,1576.msg8920.html#msg8920 (http://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,1576.msg8920.html#msg8920)
On 8-24-2012 I wrote:
"In addition to this, I will be selling some various 1965 GS items that will include":
1. A set of NOS quarter panels (four door but in mint brand new factory primer condition) $2500 OBO - Only sold as a pair) - - On EBay / Reserve is at $2,000
2. A dealer binder containing the factory cloth swatches and paint / top options - $500 OBO - NOW SOLD
3. A early "square" Gran Sport grille badge - $300 OBO - NOW SOLD
4. A glove box Gran Sport emblem - $85 - On EBay / No Reserve
5. Injection molds for the Parking lenses - $3000 - - Still For Sale
6. Injection molds for the Reverse lenses - $2000 (Over $15,000 invested in these two molds!) - - Still For Sale
I also have my spare GS 401 engine on EBay with a very low reserve of $1,500. If the top bid reaches at least $2,000 I'm throwing in a 65 GS automatic transmission.
Thanks,
Chris