Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

[IRVIN COLON]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Iam owner for about 16 years of Typhoon 92 #0094, with a lot of modification ,and i love it, have 30,000 miles

 

[SYO237]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Im swinging on Hood's nuts on this one. The scene has changed drastically since back when I came on in 97. Lots of the people who forged the path to where we are today have left and very few still remain. It was a very different group 10+ years ago.

I didn't vote, but I think all option are already in place except for C. Our trucks aint worth sh!t nowadays...I don't care how many internet publications come out about them. If I search hard enough, I bet I can find a handful of really good trucks for under 10k. Everyone is hanging on hoping values go up. Why? Is everyone going to sell out if the market turns? Im not. I didn't buy the truck for the value. I bought it because of the uniqueness of the truck and it's history. Still today, most general car people have no clue what the hell the trucks are. I like that.

For those who attended early Nationals... 97-2000, remember the days of seeing 100+ trucks at meets?

We already have dwindling support...but then again, SyTy has never had a huge vendor market either. Like the OG SyTys, quite a few vendors have come and gone.

SyTy.net is basically the only major source for info and interaction about the trucks that is international. That right there tells you how small this group really is. There may be other small little SyTy forums (included into other forums), but SyTy.net stands as #1 for SyTy content ONLY. So yeah, Id say we help determine value of the trucks and events majorly.

For every truck that gets wrecked or parted, that just makes our group that much smaller. Maybe when the existing trucks still drivable hit into the hundreds and not thousands....the values will increase for you guys waiting. :2cents:

 

[0966Sy]

I've been a owner for 15yrs, owned my Ty for 12 and the Sy was my first. It's a buyers market, the trucks are becoming more affordable to those who wish to take on the ownership/expense. I believe what is making them affordable are the people who are buying into them and expecting a easier accomplishment of enjoying a fast, rare, and reliable vehicle. These people are getting frustrated and cutting there losses to move on. Not all situations are like this but I'd say it holds the majority.

Sense 06 after the NATS location had been changed I have had no desire to attend. It seems as if the location was changed/moved around to make it more convenient to others. Today's events are more regional and suite the future of our community greater. As we all are still sharing this web community it continues to be where strangers are willing to help eachother. Our forum is holding us closer together as a nationwide community as regional events are building stronger. The history of having everyone at one location once a year is over.

We have 40 trucks I know of in TX alone, for the last 3 years it's been difficult getting more than 6-10 together once a year. Owners share the same enjoyment, although we are not all the same. Some of us learn from eachother, some of us stick to ourselves.

Regardless, these are my Syclone and Typhoon. There are many more like them but these two are mine!

 

[Davemc1963]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I would like to believe it will be a combination of A and D. at least for a few years, anyway. Why?
well, I would think there will always be some of the original and long term owners that have owned their trucks a long time and enjoy the shindig. Others, like myself, who can only really interact online,will contimue to do just that. With regard to this site, which as has already said, is 'the' web site for these vehicles, it will continue, as long as it receives 'support'. Previous to buying the Ty, I owned a Cosworth Vega, a similar vehicle in the fact that it was limited to a two year production run in small numbers, was somewhat high maintenance and suffered from corrosion issues. Very familiar. There is still a CVOA (cv owners association) which has an annual subscription and newsletter. As a new CV owner, the welcome was really warm, and although as a newbie,there can be what some term dumb questions, help, like I have found on here too, is great. The 'welcome' to new owners is I believe very important, and yes, with new ownership, comes questions, often dumb and often what has been asked and answered MANY times, a really off answer to a new owners question,
can make them turn and go. I realise there are some who dont care and would say 'grow a pair' or whatever, but in some respects, what we offer on here, or should I say what some of the really knowledgeable folk share is fantastic, I hope it continues that way and we keep these troublesome trucks alive, although, like many, mine hasn't turned a wheel in 15 months! Thats part of the fun right!

 

[Rice Eater]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I would vote 'D'

I have only had my Ty for about two years. I remember when they were released and everyone wanted one. Unfortunately the $ was extremely high and very few could afford a Sy or a Ty. I spent almost a year looking for a nice Ty and looked at a lot of vehicles in very poor shape - severe rust, spray painted, etc. I was blown away as I figured everyone shared my interest/history and would have kept them in pristine condition. I think if we restore and keep the vehicles in excellent shape the value and interest will increase. I don't think their will ever be a huge vendor base, especially now with LS engines.

Chris

 

[sytyguy]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Sense 06 after the NATS location had been changed I have had no desire to attend. It seems as if the location was changed/moved around to make it more convenient to others. Today's events are more regional and suite the future of our community greater. As we all are still sharing this web community it continues to be where strangers are willing to help eachother. Our forum is holding us closer together as a nationwide community as regional events are building stronger. The history of having everyone at one location once a year is over.

To clarify and respond....

Nats was, indeed, changed to suite others.....the majority. Organizers noticed that often 75% or more of the Nats attendees were East of the Mississippi. So, Nats was moved to encourage attendance amongst the core audience. This should be no revelation to you personally (despite living in a populous state, you are surrounded by low-population states). This was a horse that was beaten to death years ago and the consensus then was no different than it is today.....Nats needs to be held relative to population. You won't often see a UK meet held in Leeds just so it's more geographical centered. Close to London makes more sense, regardless of geographical inconveniences.

This map should help.

I don't feel the national meet is over, per say. It just needs alteration and an communal understanding. The days of having a geographically central national meet are over, I'll agree. But a national meet in namesake, not necessarily. But regional meets will need to take up the slack. We have some things being planned for larger regional meets, so hopefully these will quench that thirst.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I think the community will continue to evolve. The community will probably slowly shrink because less trucks will be available.

I have been to 4 National Events - 06 & 07 in KC and 09 & 13 in KY. I thought the recent Nats events in KY had more energy than the KC events, so I don't think the community is in a downward spiral.

 

[kmack]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I think in time the stock low mile trucks will dominate the Sy Ty world and parts will be derived from the other 2/3 of trucks that have been abused neglected wrecked and modded trucks that have been abandoned and sold for unbroken and stock pieces.
The reason owners have so much trouble keeping modded trucks running is in my opinion
Parts are expensive.
The truck wasn't built as a race vehicle (numerous weak components).
Inexperience leads to abuse.
Abuse leads to breakage and frustration.
It's too bad so many bought these rare trucks and modified them into obscurity.
Save your money and buy a purpose built race car.

I know many of you have modded your trucks successfully,good for you, hang in there and take good care of it.
but many have destroyed a perfectly good and exceedingly rare piece of automotive history.

 

[Logan]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I think I saw it somewhere else once but someone said "our trucks are the Cosworth Vegas of the S10 world." I really think that is true. Not too many people know what a Cosworth Vega is but the people that do think they are cool just because they are a legitimate piece of automotive history, like our trucks. I think our trucks really set the pace for factory performance vehicles after a couple of decades of poor offerings from GM. I think the younger crowd (such as myself, the 18-30 age range) is a smaller group but it seems that there is still genuine interest from new generations of owners. I don't think SyTys will ever have GN level of interest but they will always have a small but devout following.

The biggest problem that I see is people buying one, getting in over their head and then a headache truck being passed to 4 or 5 different owners, getting worse each time and then finally ending up being parted out or saved by one of the guys that has had a lifetime interest in them. Those trucks kind of sour the market for potential owners since they got burned in a sense.

 

[FastBlackTA]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I think there is something here that many are missing.

I've been around syclones since I was ten. My father bought one in 1993 and since then it's been passed to me. Back when I was 16, these trucks were still very fast for the street. I remember my buddies heads/cam/full bolt on 5.0 mustang was still not that much faster than my stock Syclone. It ran 13.6 at the track in mostly stock form, and turned tons of heads on the street. There were so many myths about these trucks at the time and it really was fun on those Friday and Saturday nights at the cruise ins.

Fast forward a few years and I'm in college. I saved up some cash and bought everything Kenne bell offered as a bolt on (hind sight 20/20 probably not the best idea). I found out really quickly that making these trucks fast wasn't easy. Since I didn't want to hurt a 26,000 mile truck, I took an easier path and bought a ls1 trans am.

Here is what I think hasn't been discussed: back when these trucks were in their prime, they were FAST on the street and that's what attracted people to them. In today's world, even though it's hard to admit, that allure is gone. Most readily available performance cars today would outrun one of our stock trucks and once the truck is modded they tend to be rather temperamental.

My thought is that the trucks will probably not reach astronomical values anytime soon, and mostly the modded v8 swaps will become pretty desirable due to the fact it's not an easy swap (see my build thread in the multimedia section I know first hand) yet people still love these trucks. One of the biggest reasons I still don't touch or alter my stock sy (other than the chip and a couple bolt ons) is that I know I'll have it on jack stands most of the time and that just isn't fun.

 

[janeto72]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Value is what the owner places on it. I bought my last one to enjoy it. I do not drive it much; I keep up with the maintenance and have a wonderful piece of history to enjoy on a sunny Sunday drive...I tried selling it a few years ago and there was a lot of interest. It was a 26,000 mile truck that looked like it rolled off the showroom floor.It really is that nice!
All the offers I got at the time were between $3500-$7500.00 Canadian.I was asking $19,500.00 Canadian. I then lowered my price to $5000.00 Canadian to see what kind of offers I would get.I kind not....offers were in the $1,500-$3,500.00 Canadian after that.
So, enjoy the trucks, have fun with them, treat them well and....who knows.... maybe some day they might increase in value...but not anytime soon....
By the way, I still own mine,drive it on the weekends in the Summer, just rolled 29,000 miles and it still looks like it rolled off the showroom floor. and most of all...I enjoy it very much...

 

[ChiPhoon]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

the discussions of modding without being a solid running dependable truck is the reason im staying stock.
when i had my first ty it had allot of reliability and performance mods then my current truck, remember it always acting up. when i sold it man it hurt but i told my wife if i buy one again later i plan on keeping it more stock to just enjoy it, the shitty quirky unpredictable behavior in in it made me almost give up ever wanting another.
however everytime i read of another ty salvaged/parted out sux. i don't care about it helping my return value. i didn't buy it for an investment as i see some say lol

 

[Logan]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

I think Hood nailed it. The problem with our trucks is that a stock 13.6 truck isn't exactly lightening fast anymore. I personally think it is because I cannot go out and buy a new factory hot rod but most people either don't see it that way or don't care for dated technology.

I do see an LS swap in my future but not with my current truck. It will always be a 4.3 since it was my first truck and I love having at least the spirit of what GM and PAS were doing in it. I do want to buy another Typhoon for a turbo LS swap one of these years but that is a project that will be down the line.

 

[NOJIMMY]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

1. Initial Summary Feedback: Statistically the responses are almost dead even (with 23 votes cast).
Note; A bit unsettling is the 800+ non-voting viewers who had no postings.

Question: What is the long-term future for Syclones/Typhoons (the vehicles, its owners, and this website)?

-a) 17%.......Status Quo
-b) 26.5%....Dwindling Support
-c) 30%........Increased Demand
-d) 26.5%....None of the above
​

2. Summary Comments: Opinions ran from a) Glass-1/2-Full to b) Glass-1/2-Empty to c) Glass-Not-Required/Wanted

a) Glass-1/2-Full (Members are great, Trucks are fun, Website is supportive)
b) Glass-1/2-Empty (Regional vs National Event Promotion, Lack of vendors/R&D, Demise of Magazine/Build Prominence, Lack of individuality/Past leaders)
c) Glass-Not-Required/Wanted (Low cost = Multiple vehicle ownership/parts, Hobby vs Transportation, Good Bang-4-Buck, Big Wow-Factor on jack stands)
​

3. Summary of Future Projections: (from SyTy Old Guard, Members, Vendors).
Note: No "Big Guns" bothered to express an opinion. Can't help but think this is uninspiring.

a) Future Event Planners may rethink SyTy Nat's and change format
b) No Peer Pressure (unlike the past) to maintain V6/AWD/Turbo Driveline vs LS Conversion
c) SyTy Performance Milestones seem dated/obsolete with new technology/factory vehicles
d) Past Glory Days over (100 vehicles, 10-sec shoot-outs, Rival-Competion-Smack-Talk, Participation by Interactive-Dedicated-New Members)

​

Thanks to all who participated in expressing their opinions/viewpoints.

Larry Brown
LS7 NoJimmy Typhoon

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Note; However, a bit unsettling is the 800 non-voters viewers who had no postings.

I am not 100% but I think the number views isn't the number of unique member who visited this post. So I have probably read this post 5 time, so I would have added 5 views of 800 views.

 

[sytyguy]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

Note; A bit unsettling is the 800+ non-voting viewers who had no postings.

Like Dave said, they're not unique views and it shouldn't be unsettling when an actual poll wasn't added to this thread.

Past Glory Days over (100 vehicles, 10-sec shoot-outs, Rival-Competion-Smack-Talk, Participation by Interactive-Dedicated-New Members)

My points were not to be taken that ominous and gloomy. My point was that we have to adapt. Sure the "old days" are over, but I'd imagine that during the 90's, Apple thought the same thing. Look what they did.

We can change the community to remain relevant, encourage growth, (hopefully) increase value, and establish a sustainable array of events/gatherings that benefit new and old. How is this achievable? That's a tougher nut to crack and I while do have some ideas, there is no"one-size-fits-all" solution to this problem. But the point is that while the "old days" may be over, the "glory days" don't have to be. Remain optimistic Larry.....pessimism will get us nowhere.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

To paraphrase... "Ask not what the SyTy community can do but what you can do for the SyTy community."

Who is doing Nats next year?

 

[sytyguy]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

"Ask not what the SyTy community can do but what you can do for the SyTy community."

Exactly. Truth be told, that's always been a thorn in the community's side. We've always had an annual influx of newcomers who ask the same questions, "strip mine" the site's resources, and leave or sell without a single contribution. Too many resources have been exhausted on these efforts, and while I do realize that there will always be those unwilling to search, this pattern shows an inherent flaw in the community and some of the audience it attracts. Those unwilling to contribute with a keyboard and a mouse are increasingly unlikely to contribute financially or time-wise to improve the community.

And while we can't make the community a masonic lodge, we can't cater to or pander those who would inhibit progressive change in a mire of redundancy either. Our efforts can be put to much better use elsewhere.

 

[randy merritt]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

To paraphrase... "Ask not what the SyTy community can do but what you can do for the SyTy community."

Who is doing Nats next year?

Mark, how about Shindig this year?

 

[randy merritt]

Re: Poll: Whats the future for SyTy Vehicles, Owners, and Website?

And while we can't make the community a masonic lodge, we can't cater to or pander those who would inhibit progressive change in a mire of redundancy either. Our efforts can be put to much better use elsewhere.

Wow. Well said. Things like this show that folks from the south really do have intelligence.