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NICOclub, the Internet’s largest forum for Nissan enthusiasts, looks to be well on the way to dominating again at the NOPI Nationals in Atlanta, GA.

Keep an eye on our progress here, and if you need more information on how to join us at the World’s Largest All-Nissan Meet, click here!

Leave it to the original (and largest) Nissan forum on the web to have the first article on a supercharged KA engine!  Supercharger guru Thomas “Geoff” Knight of Florida designed the 240sx supercharger kit, which was installed by Justin Shar…

Read all about it here:  Nissan 240sx Supercharger Install

Hey – Wonder why none of those “other” Nissan forums are doing this stuff?

Well, the “secret project” has finally come to completion!

I have been working with the developers of this product for about 6 months, but it has been several years in the making. An international team of programmers, developers, consultants and other experts have worked tirelessly to get this project to where it is today, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

I’m even prouder to roll out ZOINTS to the NICO community.

What is Zoints?

Zoints is a community-based social network and profile system that will take forums like ours to a whole new level.. By its very design, Zoints is meant to benefit online communities and their members.

A little editorialization from yours truly, if I may….
A disturbing trend has been taking place lately – Forums, which are ordinarily run by people who are PASSIONATE about the subject matter, and who CARE about their members’ experiences, are being usurped by corporate entities…

These corporate conglomerates (I’ll keep their names to myself, but one of them starts with E and rhymes with “Redmunds”) know NOTHING about cars, but they want our traffic. They’ll spend a fortune to get it, too. They’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they surpass grassroots sites like NICO in the search engines, EVEN if they don’t have the depth of content that we have!

Zoints is designed to help keep the Internet democratic and free from corporate control and censorship by empowering the operators of online communities and their members.

Rather than a few large companies controlling the users’ experience, Zoints is working to ensure that the beautiful diversity and INDEPENDENCE of the online community continues to flourish.

Press release for the OFFICIAL launch of Zoints is scheduled for tomorrow.

Want to read some more? Check out http://zoints.blogspot.com!

Ethanol, schmethanol. Hogwash.

Next time you see some holier-than-thou treehugging greenie in an Insight or Prius looking down their nose at you as you burn rubber away from the stoplight, you can wait for them at the next stoplight and hand them this: It takes a lot of petroleum in the form of diesel fuel, fertilizer, plastic and pesticides to produce and distribute corn and turn it into moonshine — about 7 barrels of oil to produce 8 barrels of corn-based ethanol. Making ethanol from sugar would be worse because formidable U.S. trade barriers push the cost of sugar far above the world price (making Brazil’s ethanol industry irrelevant). Making ethanol from waste is hypothetical for now, as is the uncertain cost. Because ethanol can’t flow through pipelines, it is twice as expensive as oil to transport — by fuel-burning truck or rail.Unfortunately, there is much less energy in 8 gallons of ethanol than in the 7 gallons of gasoline-equivalent needed to produce it. The Energy Department estimates the highway mileage of a Nissan Titan drops from 18 mpg to 13 mpg by switching to E85 (85 percent ethanol).

Don’t get me started on the environmental impact of building a new car and recycling an old one, rather than just keeping an old one well-maintained.

Or do.

That’s a topic for another day.

Go burn some hydrocarbons, kids. Viva la combustion!

Stop in and share your thoughts at http://forums.nicoclub.com/zeroforum?id=2

Running a successful forum requires enormous commitments, ones that few people are able to sufficiently make. After all, you’ll spend countless time, effort and money on developing an idea, creating a forum, promoting your site, pursuing membership, posting content, optimizing for search results… Not to mention the day-to-day investment of managing a staff, keeping up with technical bugaboos and putting out those inevitable “fires” that seem to come at the most inopportune time.

Yet some forum owners seem to be on Easy Street. Their members police themselves, their staff goes above and beyond what’s asked of them, and volunteers pop out of the woodwork almost before the need arises.

Well, I’m one of these fortunate owners. Quite simply, I try to foster loyalty, because loyal members not only stick around, they’re more likely to spread the word about your forums for you – and THAT is powerful stuff.

So, what do those select few forum owners do differently than the rest to develop a loyal membership? Here’s a start:

1) Welcome your new people.

This doesn’t simply mean post up a generic “Welcome to The Forums!” every time you run across a member whose screen name you don’t recognize. This means taking a minute, reviewing new members’ profiles, and maybe adding a personalized touch. It can be a comment on their hometown, their avatar, even their screen name. “Hey, welcome to The Forums! I see you’re from Ozark. I was born about 10 miles from there. What’s the area like now?” People LOVE to talk about themselves – after all, that’s why they’re on a web forum. This all but guarantees a return poster (which you want), and allows an opportunity for others to converse with the new member as well (which you really want).

Say you run a larger forum, like I do – At 70 new members per day, there’s simply no way I could keep up with this many “Welcomes”. Rather, I’ve fostered this type of welcoming attitude among all of my Administrators and Moderators. Roaming the site, handling their day-to-day “duties”, they recognize new people coming into their assigned areas and can extend the same warm greetings. They feel genuinely welcomed and in turn are more likely to feel comfortable welcoming others This is STEP ONE in fostering loyalty among your members.

2) Answer questions.

Yes, even those that are discussed on your forums ad nauseum. So many forums, especially those with a lot of technical information, make the mistake of saying, “Search, n00b!” to new people with seemingly obvious (or just plain dumb) questions. While it’s more than acceptable to point out the location of the “Search” button and how it works, a rude response most likely will either turn them away, or worse, make them a “troll”, eager to fight. Besides, if everything has already been discussed, and everything is searchable, then you have a LIBRARY, not a FORUM. Bleh.

Lead by example here. Remind your team that they were all “rookies” once, and embrace a culture of assistance. While you don’t need to respond to new questions by repeating basic information over and over, I like to take the following tack: “Welcome aboard! There’s a TON of great information here related to your question – The quick answer is, yes, 300ZX brakes CAN be succesfully adapted for use on your 240sx. Here’s a link to our Tech Forum, which will tell you all about it, and more information on other modifications you may be interested in!” You’ve just turned that person into a welcoming member of your community, and I can guarantee you they’ll be among the ones who helps out new people in the future – That’s STEP TWO in fostering loyalty on your forums.

3) Be human.

Don’t simply be an ominous (and anonymous) avatar and screenname. Be a human being. Allow your members and your staff a glimpse into your life. This can be something as simple as posting a picture thread where members share pics of themselves. Or, you can go a step further, like we did. We have an entire “Meet The Staff” page, with a bio for the CEO, Administrators and Moderators. People love to read this stuff, and it seems to encourage a more intimate atmosphere. My team and membership knows an awful lot about me, and as a result, they open up and I learn a lot about them. Even with 37,000+ members, there’s still a sense of “belonging” – And that is STEP THREE in developing a loyal forum following.

4) Hold “off-board” events.

This is relatively easy for us as an automotive forum, as we host national and regional-level car shows throughout the year. Off-board events give your membership a chance to meet in person, get to know each other better, network with one another and place names with faces (or screennames). People innately want to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves, and hosting an off-board event is a perfect way to develop life-long friendships. We’ve had two marriages and a childbirth as a result of our off-board meetings, and countless friendships have blossomed.

Plan an outing to a trade show relevant to your forum topic, or a tour of a company that advertises with you. In the absence of any of these ideas, a simple “Meet & Greet” dinner can be planned. Make an effort to be present, even if it means some travel. Take pictures, post them up, show what a good time everyone had – Not only does this encourage more traffic (who doesn’t love seeing pictures of themself on a forum?), conversation and discussion, but it’s also STEP FOUR to fostering real member loyalty.

5) Take care of your staff.

It’s so easy to fall into the “If you want something done right, do it yourself” routine when running a forum. But the reality is, without the input of several other people, your “vision” can result in a narrow and single-minded direction for your forums. Convey your vision to your staff frequently, and you’ll rapidly see who’s “with you” in your efforts. For 3 years, my goal has been to be the biggest and best Nissan website on the Internet. Lofty, yes. But I have an entire team of staff who bust their tails in pursuit of that same goal, and we’re succeeding in our mission.

Empower your staff to make decisions on their own, and then BACK THEM UP. They are often your members’ only insight into how things work on your forum, and they should convey your vision through their actions. Even if you feel something wasn’t handled perfectly, resist the temptation to criticize, and if/when you do, make sure it happens in a private forum (or better yet, off-board). Allow mistakes to be made, recognize successes and give genuine praise frequently and you’ll reap the benefits, because that’s STEP FIVE in fostering loyalty among your staff.

 Want to stop in and see what we’ve done?  Welcome to www.nicoclub.com.

www.nissanversa.org, a forum devoted to owners and fans of the newly-released Nissan Versa, has been a smashing success. 

Reviews, news, and even some aftermarket modifications are being discussed. The site is seeing record traffic, and NICOclub staff are currently seeking a moderator to oversee activity in the growing Versa forum.

Stop on in at www.NissanVersa.org and tell us what you think!

On a whim, as I do on occasion, I pop into other forums to see what they’re saying about us… It’s good to keep an eye out, see what we’re doing right and what we can improve upon. 

Today, at the “other” Nissan forum (one that USED to be competition but is now not trafficked enough to matter), it appears the walls are caving in.

One of their long-time moderators (we’ll call him “Ross”) has been spouting the age-old “Search, n00b!” crap for years.  He’s convinced that since he learned everything he learned in the pre-‘net days, that everyone should be as industrious as him.  He’s also enough of a blowhard to convince the uninitiated that he actually knows what he’s talking about.  

Ignore the fact that he’s a middle-aged man driving a 95 240sx…. Apparently all that industriousness does not make one keep up with the times.

This particular moderator takes occasional potshots at NICOclub (www.nicoclub.com), claiming it’s “full of n00bs” and “lacking technical information”.  Again, he’s living in the past, as NICOclub is home to more accurate tech info than that site ever had.  Apparently he’s unfamiliar with www.240sxTech.com, www.NissanTech.com, and our Online Mechanic forums. 

Apparently he’s not heard that more successful CA swaps reside on NICO, nor is he aware that NICO is home to some of the foremost experts on the RB-series motor.  The VH45 and VH41 motors are well-known by NICO members, and the KA-T forum there is regarded as the best on the net.

There’s a reason NICOclub is home to FORTY different (and well-respected) advertisers.  They know it’s a place that prides itself on staying current, and our staff includes 2 Nissan Master Techs and an Infiniti Master Tech, as well as over a dozen ASE-Certified technicians. 

SO, as it plays out, the administrative staff take particular notice of one thread, in which this moderator (“Ross”) recommended to a new member that he commit suicide by shotgun for simply asking about a headlight swap.  Apparently, this new member is also a close relative of an employee of Nissan Corporate.  Hilarity ensues. 

Administrative staff confronts “Ross” with his idiocy and poor judgement.  In response, “Ross” decides to take his ball and go home, but not before posting a heart-wrenching farewell worthy of a made-for-TV movie.  Kleenex stock skyrockets.

Anyhow, now the “loyalists” have come out of the woodwork, claiming their undying devotion to this moron as he threatens to leave.  Apparently, their devotion was insufficient to pull him aside and tell him that a forum with no discussion = a library.

Currently, brighter minds have prevailed over there.  One of NICO’s former admins, who left to go do some “charity work” and revive the stumbling forum, learned a long time ago that new people are the lifeblood of the forum.  Without them, it becomes a bunch of old men sitting around on the porch, telling lies and bragging about how good they “used to be”. 

The current Admin has gotten some support from another moderator there, whom we’ll call “Chad”, who’s a bright guy – he “gets it”.  Unfortunately for the “other” forum, it’s all too little, too late.

We’ll not keep you updated on this story as it develops – It’s simply not newsworthy.

What IS newsworthy is this:  www.ConceptNissan.com – Review the history of Nissan’s concept vehicles in pictures… Enjoy!

Looks like Infiniti is definitely planning to use a larger-displacement derivative of the venerable VQ35DE in the 2008 version of its G35, which will likely be re-dubbed “G37”.

We’ve already heard rumors of 300+ hp from the new VQ, which should utilize much of the same technology that’s made the VQ one of the most highly-regarded engines of the past 12 years.

Nissan Motors recently trademarked the G37 name, and we’ll be presenting www.G37club.com, www.G37Driver.com, and www.InfinitiG37.com in the coming weeks, just to keep you G35 enthusiasts up-to-date on the upcoming model.

For now, you can catch a sneak peek at the Infiniti G37 at www.G35Club.org, under “Coupe Concept”.

Nissan and Infiniti owners looking for practical do-it-yourself assistance, step-by-step instructions, modification how-to’s, and maintenance procedures for their Nissan have a couple new resources they can turn to:

www.NissanTech.com

and

www.240sxTech.com

Both of these sites contain hundreds of good articles (with pictures) so that vehicle owners can follow along step-by-step.

In addition, if anyone would like to submit their own article, please feel free to email it to [email protected], and we’ll credit the author.

We’ve all seen the commercials for auto insurance companies:  The ones featuring the talking lizard, the ones describing a company that gives you quotes for competitors, the ones with people prattling on about saving tons of money on their car insurance…

Well, there’s not much need for car insurance if your ride won’t run, and modern automotive technological advances have lulled many drivers into a false sense of security. 

Despite all the electronic monitoring, high-tech geegaws, on-board diagnostics, “lifetime” spark plugs, and long-life motor oils, let’s face it:  Modern cars still operate on internal combustion engines, four rubber tires and other “low-tech” engineering.

With dealer service rates hovering between $70 and $130 per hour, even a simple diagnosic check can put a dent in your wallet.  But, routine maintenance is a necessity, with new car prices averaging between $20,000 and $30,000.

If you’re a Nissan or Infiniti owner, you’re in luck.  www.NissanOnlineMechanic.com and www.InfinitiOnlineMechanic.com are staffed by factory-trained and certified Techs, who browse through these forums on a daily basis, looking for people to help (think of them as the “Roadside Assistance” of the Internet!) 

Say your car is making a funny noise.  Simply pop in at one of the aforementioned sites, describe the issue, subscribe to the thread, and as soon as replies are received, you’re notified via email – It’s as easy as that.

You’re getting a “check engine” light?  Great! We can show you a simple method to find out exactly what your car is trying to tell you, without spending a lot of money on professional diagnostics – And it’s as simple as counting the number of times athe light flashes!

Or. perhaps you’ve been to the local mechanic, and he’s given you a list of “repairs needed”.  Again, simply log into www.NissanOnlineMechanic.com or www.InfinitiOnlineMechanic.com, tell them what your mechanic said, and get a “Second opinion”.  And a third.  And a fourth.

Let’s say you’ve been to the dealer, and they’ve run a diagnostic on your car.  Again, pop in, describe the results, and within hours, you’ll have some “insider knowledge” to help you decide your next course of action.

Perhaps it’s something you can repair yourself, saving hundreds of dollars.  We’ll walk you through the repair, with accurate technical information.  Chances are, someone has done it before and has documented the requirements, step-by-step.

Or, maybe you’ll need a part – in that case, there are several OEM Nissan / Infiniti parts suppliers who sponsor the Online Mechanic and offer HUGE discounts, just for logging in and getting assistance!

So stop in and check it out – Make sure to include all the pertinent information that the techs will need, such as year, make and model, mileage, prior repair history, any modifications, and anything else that might help the techs “zero in” on the problem.

Tell all your friends about the Nissan Online Mechanic and the Infiniti Online Mechanic!