TeamSwift

Ever think of making a registry on this site?

Registries I'd consider would also include MKI and XFi/ER.

I've been looking for a Swift of Cultus Car Club and there doesn't appear to be one.

One of the first things a club does is publish a registry.

Actually the information for a registry is already on this site as people list the cars they have.

QUESTION: Is there a way to search for members with a particular type? (G13B, T3, etc.)

This is a modern day worldwide club Regions have meets (if you can get enough people to dedicate the time). California and Ohio seem to be the North American major events. I think there may be one in Europe. Northwest Washington and Southwest BC had some but it seems that even driving 2 hours each way is too much of an inconvenience for them now. Beyond that I think we're too spread out to have a major meet.

I've tried a few times to get people within 1000 miles of me to get together somewhere we could all drive to in a day and had one response of a possible 60 or so throughout BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho. We could find a meeting place within a days drive for all of us (some drives longer than others). If we met in the middle we would all drive about 500-650 miles each way for a long weekend. That's a day to get together for a relaxing day and ~16 hours of travel over 2 days averaged out. I guess it's because most people who own these cars are just maintaining the cheapest car they could find and are here to get free advise on how to fix them and get parts cheap when they can't find them in their locale.

Where they post will also add to what they may have now or what they have had in the past.

In member profiles you can find a number of peoples' collections. Their name can also be a hint to what they are in to. Take my name... Top down @-40 says I'm into convertibles and live somewhere fairly cold.

So I'm into convertibles. If you read my posts, you will also find I'm into Mk 2/3 GT's and will build a nice GT vert at some point. I'm still sorting some remaining parts while deciding on the numerous extra parts I can sell to recoup a portion of what I am spending for body and paint on that one. I've got a good chunk of change into the interior, top, seals, drive-train and suspension already I'll never get my money back out of it, so, it's a labour of love for the go kart models we call our own. I'm also trying to acquire another beautiful Swift as a 3 season road trip car. Again, another Swift I'll never get my money back out of unless I run it for a decade but it would be worth it (and that's a likely outcome given I don't drive a single vehicle more than 7500 miles a year except at work and that's not my worry).

To be sure if you have an original as built car, you need to know the letter designation for year and model in the VIN. Without that, you really can't start a registry.

You also need to know the number of all those models built in each year. I found that list once about 8 years ago but have not been able to find it again (I must say I haven't looked "that hard") and it didn't show VIN ID designation.

I think the closest we'd get to a registry for now would be to add a section in the getting started category. Post your cars and if you think they are ORIGINAL, whether they are parts cars and write offs that will never be back on the road or drivers. I don't think you can do it as a poll and just click on the year and model you have which would give you a sort of registry but you wouldn't have an ownership of a particular car or know if it hasn't been "changed" to a different model from the VIN.

I don't know how a registry could be implemented in a forum - I've never seen one. The trick would be using as much as the forum platform as possible.

I don't know where production numbers are obtained. Suzuki?

Speaking of original, I found an 87 T3 that has never been modified - to the extent that I question whether it would be wise to replace the carpet and have the side of the driver's seat reupholstered - there is something about contaminating a survivor - gives me the same cringe as drilling a hole in an unsullied car. However, I would find an install a missing part (yes, there is one!)

If you're replacing original with original I don't see an issue. There is no ID to say that the carpet or seat cover is not from that car if it is the same as what you took out. Even a completely original car probably doesn't have the spark plugs the car came with even if they are stock replacements. No one knows if the glove box door was replaced 25 years ago because it looks exactly like the one the car came with. Where do you draw the line for accuracy. Most collectors of any car would give you stock replacement on a rebuild of a survivor and still consider it in original condition. We're not looking at Barrett Jackson or Pebble beach concourse cars here.

You bet! It sure ain't no Pebble Beach!

The carpet, yes, I'm really stretching things. But, it's more like a preserving a the "barn find" patina! (haha)

The ultimate would be finding an excellent OE used carpet.

In fact, this has already happened for the cargo carpet. Mine was completely disintegrated (frankly don't know why.) But I found a half decent one from a parts car. I was thinking of simply going to an upholstery shop and getting one made or simply buying the material and doing one myself. EXCEPT the OE one has this huge >1/2" wide zig-zag decorative stitching around the perimeter on the portion on the seat backs. I looked at it carefully, and trying to reproduce that would be nearly impossible. I can't imagine any kind of "conventional" commercial sewing machine that could make that stitch. The only way might be to do it by hand.

Of course knowing this, if I looked at a really fine Turbo, I'd look at that carpet to see if it was replaced.

This is getting so over the top, I know, but this car has so few flaws, I swear it warrants this consideration.

But then, I may also be actually losing my mind... but then, it has a flawless dash and headliner which are the most difficult conditions to find.