Forgive the snipping of your post, I didn't want to clutter this thread with a full quote, just highlight the particular parts above

I believe part of the allure of this subforum is the excitement and encouragement that goes along with reading about others installing and fixing their trucks.

And the Pics! Our fellow members here are very good about taking and posting lots and lots of pics and taking vast time and effort to explain what they did, problems the faced, tips they found or used, etc. Considering they will likely never repeat the job, it is purely a donation to the group.

When I first joined and saw the "Free" thread, then read threads where others tell a person with a problem to "PM me your address and I'll send you one" or something like that, it was quite a shock compared to most forums I've seen. Sure, the "popular" or "connected" folks elsewhere get donations from vendors and maybe fans, but here it was shared with anyone.

Although I was excited to send out my first free part and really excited to see the trans cooler installed right away and pics posted, it's clear that some things are too much to just give away.

For example, I regularly check for Superduty wheels. I'd like to find 20" wheels as close to the same look as what I have. I check Craigslist and other places and the classified section here. By the time I'm done sorting through all the "Buy here, pay here" ads on CL and the wheels found in the "1812-1813.5 Volkvagen snake beaters" forum, I lose my way and never really have been successful yet.

I know this forum isn't really intended to be a marketplace. I do check the vendors' section from time to time, but haven't found anything I need at the moment. Not many "member discounts" or anything posted there, or deals worth taking advantage of...yet

I think having a "For Sale" thread specific to THIS subforum (not necessarily every subforum) will give people a chance to offer and snag items of interest from people with whom we have earned mutual respect as posters and participants...but that are just too much for gifting.

In the end it will have to be the Mods who decide. I hope we don't get too many "Joe from Cocomo took my money and never sent the items" or whatever feedback threads as some other sites have.

For those who skipped over all the stuff in the middle of my post...bottom line opinion is

 

Ah, ok, yeah, I saw that reported post but it had been taken care of before I could respond. Whomever deleted the post didn't realize it was the original post for the thread, so your post became the new "author" post.

A free parts thread is something us mods can definitely do, as evidenced by the recent creation of said thread for this forum, but creating a subforum and altering the fundamental manner in which goods are advertised for sale isn't something us mods can unilaterally decide upon.

This idea/request wil get passed on to the "higher ups" but I'm still waiting for more people to chime in, just to get more feedback.

Stewart

 

It would definitely benefit me to have it like the free parts thread is. I have missed out on some stuff because I didn't look for a week or two. But my loss is someone elses gain...

 

Or... A "week" auction. Someone post up something they're done with at a minimum opening, then we fire away.... EXAMPLE, I have 2 birdcage clutch post clips that have no use for my truck since I went the McFadden bolt route. So, I'd open with 1.00 shipping included...😁, and now it'll run til 3/19/2017-12:00pm...😉

 

I can answer that one right now: That bidding type format will never fly. It just won't happen, here or in the Classified forum.

A trade thread (like the "Free Parts" thread) can definitely happen. But in an effort to be transparent with you guys, I'll share with you my thoughts regarding a sub forum only for us, in order to sell our parts or trucks.

My "regular" forum used to be SVT Performance. That was many years ago before I got my first smoker back in '04. SVT Performance had an active classified forum, but it was so dominated by the main SVT crowd, Mustang owners, it made finding Lightning parts difficult, so the owner of the site allowed the rules to be bent, allowing the Gen 2 L forum to post their items for sale in the tech forum.

This was eventually changed once the forum software evolved to allow categories and proper searches, similar to the same version of what we have now, here at FTE.

That being said, IIRC, FTE has never allowed selling in their tech forums, at all, ever. And unfortunately I don't see that changing. It would set a precedent and there will be other forums pointing to us, saying they want the same, and then the classified forum will become less useful than it is now. And that's exactly the opposite of what FTE wants for that forum.

I know someone can come up with some solid logic that presents a different spin on that last paragraph of mine, but it really comes down to the definition of "precedent." So don't get your hopes up guys, I can almost guarantee this part will not ever happen.

Now, if someone were to propose a "plan B" (just in case I am correct about "plan A"), a "plan B" like...say...maybe a sub forum for only diesel parts (categorized by years) in the classified forum, that might be something the higher ups will consider.

Stewart

 

my .02 cents worth.............. I wondered into the for sale forums a couple of times when I was a new user but became quickly frustrated by trying to find engine and truck parts specific to my truck. Probably won't ever go back.

I fully understand not letting people start for sale / trade threads in the regular forum but to have a sticky like the Free Parts thread would be the perfect way for us to share with each other and make actually finding what we need a reality.

If very specific rules need to be posted then create a pop up that opens when a user first enters the thread but it really shouldn't be any different than going into any of the market place forums. There doesn't seem to be any restrictions there other than the normal FTE rules.

You could also have a note or direction in the parts for sale forum that could direct other users to the 7.3 forum if looking for parts specific to our trucks.

 

After much thought, deliberation, and creative thinking, I have come up with a brilliant idea, all on my own.

I propose a sub forum for only diesel parts (catagorized by years) in the classified forum.

 

My Opinion, I think we should try the trade window and see how long it's going to take us to break it. We will have a better negotiating position for more toys later. It worked for my kids for a lot of years...