I was notified late last week that the place that the webserver has been located since this site was started is going away in the next couple of weeks.  My guru has accepted a position with another company and so the server can no longer be located where it is. 

I have a few options as listed below:

Shut down the site totally (not acceptable)

Go with some cheap hosting and lose the forum (not acceptable)

Go with a host that will support the SQL server (the forum is run on that), the catch is that this option will run about $600 a year. 

I have invested a lot of $ into the site over the last four + years but I can't get that kind of a bill past the head of household affairs (the wife).  I refuse to make the site a "members only" place, I've seen that done and it is not what we are about.  I also refuse to ad popups, adware, etc to generate $$$.  We have all been to those kind of sites and know how irritating that can be. 

What are your thoughts?

Jim (site owner)
'56 Club Sedan - Ted Eaton built 429 hp '292/318, '54 Sunliner - stock '302

Jim,

Check out www.hypermart.net . I've been with them for years. Pretty solid and reliable. I'm no Guru though. I don't know if they provide everything you want. They do an awful lot. Basic site is free with upgrades at a reasonable cost. I think we pay $9 a month for our site.

Would setting up your own server be another option? I'm not sure what that requires.

Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Ya, I have looked at that place among others.  The stickler to the whole situation is this forum.  Many hosting services (most actually) want a hefty premium to host SQL (if they even have the ability).  I have checked several places including godaddy, etc.  I just don't think the site would be much oif a gathering place without this forum.  It is the "life blood" of the endevour.

Jim (site owner)
'56 Club Sedan - Ted Eaton built 429 hp '292/318, '54 Sunliner - stock '302

Jim - When exactly is the server "going away"?

Can you open a "Financial Forum" and publish the current state of funding - meaning where we stand with donations to hit the required $600? I always liked the bar graph at my office that showed status of the "United Way" - this will just be for the "United Y".

Also maybe publish an address/p.o.box for donations to the cause? We need to be getting up a fund to support Ted with the engine project anyway. Just make the donations "money order only" to eliminate checking hassles......maybe put the money in a shoebox and dole out whatever is needed. We don't need to be an institution - just have a few bucks in the kitty when the need arises.   

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Jim, have you spoken with James Potter at the 57fordsforever.com forum? He's got a nice forum running there, no pop-ups or ads. Maybe he has some ideas.

Jim,

What are the exact requirement we need? I did a search for "free forums" and came up with a long list. Some of them look very simular to the format we have now. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Jim,

Did you check the link at the bottom of the page for the software this site is using? They have a basic package at $199 to buy the software. Then you could use any host thats compatable. Chuck

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Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

We have been the free forum route, remember the hackers???  The software that I am using now was over $600 but has been well worth it.  I really am not interested in changing software again as it is like starting from scratch.  Still talking with Stephen (my guru), we are working on details to get this done.  I'll also talk with Ted and see what he wants to do about a general fund for the EMC motor, etc.

Jim (site owner)
'56 Club Sedan - Ted Eaton built 429 hp '292/318, '54 Sunliner - stock '302

I just talked to Ryan at InstantASP. The software package we have for the forums now is $119. He refered me to a web called www.discountasp.net. They have a basic package for $90 per year. Seems a lot more doable? He looked at our current site and said the $119 package was what we needed. Anyway food for thought or ammo for arguments sake. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Hey Jim;;  Count me in if you need funds. Don't want to loose the friendships or the knowledge.   You have my email any way I can help please let me know.  God Bless    Eddie paskey

Eddie

Lake Forest, Ca. 92630