Saturday, May 22 2010 - It took a little longer than I thought to get this update done, but it was worth it in the end!
Firstly, congratulations has to go to SUSPECT SS for his VP SS being awarded our Car of the Year for 2010. As always, the winning car will feature on our header, but as always our graphics department is a little behind the eight ball. I promise it's coming! The voting was slow to begin, but once people got onto it the votes were evenly spread against our three contenders. Expect a feature article in the not too distant future.
Speaking of features, we have another new one this month as we take a very detailed look at Jon's VN Racer. Check it out at the link above.
The big news this month is our first major change since the site debuted with this look a couple of years ago. Gone is our underused downloads section- in it's place is a collect of VN videos from the various events I have been to. I'm expecting the videos to grow as I get out to more shows, but I'd also love to see a lot of new submissions from our members. If you are a racer, get them in. Got some good burnout footage or 0-100 (from a controlled track obviously!) runs let me know. Hell- lets see your start up videos while we are at it.
I think it will be a great addition to the site and I can't wait to see how it grows over time.
Thanks to everyone for sticking with us and I look forward to the site continuing to grow over the next 12 months as we lead up to our fifth anniversary!
Cheers,
Mick
Sunday, April 4 2010 - Happy Easter!
It's an early update this month as I am going to be off my feet for the usual. Yes, sometimes family life gets in the way of my internet but it's all good.
This month I have added more pictures to our VN Executive gallery. You'll probably also notice a number of small changes to the site. Nothing too major, but expect to see slight layout and formatting changes as we start to fix a few problems. Hopefully you'll notice a whole lot less spelling mistakes as well!
We have also added another feature car which can be previewed in the picture to the right. No doubt you are already thinking it looks like any other SS on big rims but this one definitely has the punch to back it up. Check out the article for all the information and keep an eye on the RGR355V thread on our forum.
As our long time readers would know, next month marks our fourth anniversary and in line with that we are once again running our Car Of The Year competition to select our new header car. The contenders were selected by myself in consultation with the usual suspects who help steer the site in the right direction. Each year it gets harder and harder to pick just three cars but I think we've pretty much got something for everyone. We've got the NOJ0SH Bumblebee with it's extensive body mods, VP55WA with plenty of grunt and then FANTA with a mixture of the two. Head to the forums to check it out and vote.
Until next month,
Mick
Saturday, March 13 2010 - It's hard to believe it is already March already. For those of you who have been following the site for a while you will know it means we are only a couple of months away from our Fourth Anniversary. Once again we'll be running our Car Of The Year competition so make sure you log onto the board and update us on your ride!
I did get out to Corowa for Autofest but unfortunately the weather Gods weren't kind. With a very wet weekend forecast, waking up on Saturday with some grey skies wasn't exactly comforting. Never the less, we loaded into the Forester and took off to see what was going on.
When we arrived it was wet, muddy and miserable. I'm sure the missus loved traipsing through the puddles to get to the strip! Fortunately by around midday the sun broke through and some of the heavy hitters got out for the go to whoa, burnouts and eighth mile drags. It was worth it just for that! It must be about three years since the last time I caught some drags.
But the weather had already done some damage and the turnout wasn't the best so unfortunately not many pictures were taken. I think I saw two VNs for the whole day!! Even on a clear day I don't think it would have topped the Murray Bridge effort, but I did get to see RUSH on the burnout pad... and it's not every day a Summernats Elite level car is peeling skids off at a regional show so I can't complain!
It's been an awesome month for the site though. A very nice VQ landed in my inbox which appears to be a development vehicle for the VQ 5000i. The photos are now up so everyone can take a look at it. A mystery VN Calais also turned up on the forum which looks like it may open a can of worms in regards to Company Cars released during the period. Over all, a good month for trainspotters.
We also saw a number of Caprice and Clubsport pics added as well as a new technical article taking an in depth look at spark plugs.
Next month we will be featuring a very tough VP SS and our COTY voting will kick off. It might be early days but 2010 is looking like being a great year for the site!
Until next month,
Mick
Sunday, February 14 2010 - We are back.
A very busy last couple of months has kept me away from as many car shows as I would have liked, however I did get to Summernats. You can check out our gallery with as many VN / VPs captured as I could. Of particular interest was MPRSSV which made the elite hall and showed off a package that while not to everyone's taste, was of a very high quality. Check out the pics and take a look at the clever placement of the fuel filler among other things.
Later this month the Corowa Autofest kicks off and I'm looking forward to taking a look and seeing how it compares to the Murray Bridge effort. I can't wait to see what regional NSW delivers!
With not a lot on TV and still a little while to go until the V8s kick off again, I have taken a look how the site is run and made a couple of tweaks that should kick things along nicely. The plan is to get your submissions up at the site a lot quicker rather than rotting away in my inbox.
Speaking of submissions, we now feature the details of the New Zealand specific VP GTS on our VP model range pages. We're always on the lookout for these kind of funnies so if you've got any details on a limited or short run VN / VP I'd love to hear from you.
It's been a long time coming, but we are now pleased to feature FANTA, the old TNGO5L which some of you may remember from Street Commodores many moons ago or from Nathan's thread on our forum. If you aren't familiar with it, ht the link at the top of the page to go right there and take a look.
Look out next month for a new gallery from the Corowa Autofest! Until then,
Mick
Monday, December 14 2009 - It's hard to believe that the last site update was all the way back in August.
I'm sure some of you would be thinking that maybe I had gotten tired of the site but I can assure you that's not the case! While it would no doubt be more interesting to blame the GFC, climate change or the Taliban the truth is that work has made it impossible to get on with what needs doing around the site. Thankfully that is all behind us and I can turn my attention back to SquaredArches!
As is slowly becoming tradition I would like to take this opportunity to look back on the last twelve months. There was no massive site redesign this year which I think speaks volumes of the layout and graphic package put together by Luke and Jamie. At this stage I think we will be staying with it throughout next year as well but continuing to refine it. My next big project is to run the whole thing through spell check and taking a bit more time to make sure the content is as solid as the look. We're going to try and be a little more professional.
The forum is still running on phpBB software which will- as always- come under review next year. Overall, I am still relatively happy with it and the modifications we have made to it but with over 350 members I'm starting to think an upgrade may be justified.
But most importantly, it's all about the cars. As most of you would know TOTAL took out our Car of The Year competition and looking at the quality of cars finding their way onto the forum, next years field promises to be higher quality again. After missing out last year, I will be heading to Summernats so once again we will have a gallery of the best VN / VPs to show up at the event. Obviously I'm very excited about getting back to the event and can't wait to add something new to the gallery.
2010 will also see a return of the regular feature cars beginning with the orange, Aero kitted and stroked FANTA. I've also been doing a whole lot of reading concerning technical articles and have a few projects in the pipeline starting from the most basic.
After a very disjointed 2009 where work often got in the way of my work on the site I am looking forward to a huge 2010 and really getting the very most from the web site to bring you one of the best VN / VP resources on the net. As always I will be calling on you all to help me out with such a mammoth task.
Thank all of you for your support throughout 2009- and your patience with us during testing times. I wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas and New Year. Drive safe and keep out of trouble.
Mick
Thursday, August 20 2009 - Forum regulars would have already noticed we have two new site updates this month.
Firstly, I have finally compiled the how to for polished your VN's window trims. Thankfully, the dull factory grey can be stripped and replaced with a nice- as Nath would probably say- bling bling shiny finish. By reading our how to you'll see just how easily it can be done.
We also take a look at a heavily customised VN Berlina dubbed BumbleBee which features a host of subtle body mods that I am a big fan of. I know some people will argue that the bright yellow paint, black stripes and kit are no where near subtle- and that would be right- but its the small shaved and smoothed mods that make all the difference and make it a truly unique car. Check it out- personally I'm expecting it to figure into next year's Car Of The Year.
Being almost into September means the weather is really starting to turn and the show season can't be far away. Unfortunately for me I will be away on work for the vast majority of the remainder of the year so I'll leave it up to you guys to get out and post your photos up.
Mick
Sunday, June 28 2009 - Not a whole lot to report this month, however it has been so long since my last update I figured I had better let you know I was still here!
Unfortunately work has dominated most of my time recently and as such there are still a lot of jobs to be done on the site. Next month I am hoping to have a new technical article join the ranks as well as introduce a new feature car. So there are a couple of things to look out for.
There have been some dramas getting a hold of a photo for the new header, but as soon as TOTAL has it, we'll have it and then we'll get it up on the site.
In forum news, we are now all overthe previous bot problem and everything is going well. Luke and myself had a look at our site stats yesterday and we are really happy with how that is going. Our Google rank is terrible so it's largely thanks to the people spreading the word that we continue to grow. It's safe to say we'll hit 100,000 visits (not hits!) by Christmas and that's a nice surprise for me.
But enough of that. Also on the forum we are having a photo competition with the prize being a brand new copy of Love The Beast. Most of you would have got the email- two in fact- and be aware of it, but for those of you who aren't you can check it out here. The first thread did meet an unfortunate end, so if you had previously posted please throw up your new photos!
Next month we should be talking about cars again and I'm sorry for the lack of updates.
Mick
Saturday, May 16 2009 - Happy third anniversary!
Somewhat surprisingly we've survived into our third year and I have to say if nothing else, I've learnt a a huge amount. From the little nuances of the HSV models of the time and how to spot them through to how to better take care of my own car. Obviously this was never a website for me to show off my own knowledge- which I'm sure by now you would have figured out isn't that expansive at all- and for it to be as good a resource as it is I am extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to the main site or on the forum.
However, I have to admit that I am a little disappointed with how tight for time I have found myself lately. Obviously being a hobby, work and family come first and I don't always get to spend the time I would like researching, updating and maintaining the site. It's also the first time we've hit this time of year and I've been caught out without organising stickers... I'll do my best to sort that out soon!!
We did once again hold our Car Of The Year competition which thankfully ran a whole lot more smoothly than last year. I think we're pretty close to getting that spot on. Any of the three cars in the running would have looked great on the header and although the voting did end quite one sided I was a little surprised by the result. Not to say that the winner wasn't deserving and I can't wait for Luke to pull his finger out and update the header.
Congratulations to TOTAL who's Group A replica racer will soon grace our header. I can't wait to see it up there and am extremely proud to have a car of that calibre representing our site. Now if only he can keep it running long enough for a successful campaign on the track! If you haven't had a look for a while, take a look at the thread. Sporting a new look since it featured in Street Commodores, it's also a good chance to have a look at the build up and keep up to date with the new heart soon to find it's way between the towers.
There is plenty of work to be done around the site as we look to improve the professionalism around the place (including searching out all the spelling mistakes which should be fun ) as well as improving on the information hosted at the site. I will be away from the site for the next three weeks but once I'm back I'm looking to crack on and catch up with the work to be done.
Mick
Saturday, April 18 2009 - Just a quick update this month.
TazmanCrash has sent in a nice headlight modification to add to last month's headlight restoration topic which will make it's way onto the site in the near future. We've also got a little work to do on our VP and VQ rim id charts to complement that area of the site.
Most of my time on the site this month has been spent looking at our forum software. If you haven't already seen it, we've now got an arcade with a small selection of games that will help you kill a minute or two here and there.
Next month will see the third anniversary of the site and as usual we will announce the new header car. If you haven't already voted, get in before the 26th of April to have your say.
Until then,
Mick
Sunday, March 22 2009 - And yet again I've buggered up my timings but I'm sure we'll get there eventually.
This month I have added the VP HSV models to the VP series page which also means we are very close to completing our trainspotting section. With only rim ID pages for the VQ and VP's left to do, I'm going to have to try and think up another project for that part of the site, but not before going back over it and doing a spot of fact checking.
If you come across any problems or see any oversights that we have made please let us know. I've done as good as I can but no doubt there is a mistake or two in there somewhere.
Also, thanks to Troy (TVR-161 on the forum) we've got a new how to focusing on keeping your headlights looking their best. And if it can brighten the look of your car as well as save you $150 plus for a new light, it's definitely worth a shot in my book.
Perhaps the biggest news this month- other than the V8 season kicking off once more- is the opening of voting for our Car Of The Year competition. For those of you new to the site, each year we hold a vote on our forum so that our members can select the car they think best represents the site. The winning car will feature in our header graphic and get the warm fuzzy feeling of appreciation knowing you guys appreciate the work they've put in.
This year we have selected three cars for you to vote for with voting open right now and running through to April 26. Each of the cars would look great on the banner, and each is very, very different.
For the first time we have a wagon in the running in the shape of MEANVN's Executive boasting a serious sound install and a number of custom touches. PREDATR's ALIEN VN Calais is a great example of how some simple changes can make all the difference to set your car apart from the crowd- plus with a magazine featured VS also in the garage it's obvious the bloke would know a thing or two about screwing a car together. Finally we have TOTAL's race car. It's not everyday we see such a beast at a site that largely caters towards streeters, but I'm sure everyone can appreciate the effort that goes into campaigning the car and you have to admit there's something special about seeing a VN out on the track. Sure, it's the only car in the running yet to be featured on the site, but it did grace the pages of Street Commodores in it's previous guise.
So take a look at this thread and let us know which car you would like to see on our header.
Mick
Monday, February 9 2009 - How lazy am I?! The first month is finished and February won't be far behind and this is my first main page update for 2009.
Not that I haven't been working on the site though- as the updates above show.
We're well into getting our VP pages up now and hopefully this time next month I'll have the HSVs up and then we'll have to find something else to talk about because we'll be all over these VN / VP things. If you've got any pics or information that will help them along, as per usual, just drop me a line.
MEANVN also joins out feature car ranks finally and really brings something new to the site. It's not everyday you see a wagon with some time lavished on it, let alone a big stereo VN sporting neons and some very nice touches that would make it right at home on the show scene. On top of that, it's also got a pretty popular thread on our forum which shows it's humble beginnings and just how much work went into getting that car up to where it is today.
Check the feature out on the link above.
In other site news, our third birthday is rapidly approaching and with that means COTY 2009. We're very close to having the selections ready to go and I'm expecting voting to kick off next month to give you guys plenty of time to consider which car you would like to see as the logo car for the next 12 months. Typically, we also like to do something special for our anniversary month and although I'm not 100% sure what yet- I can tell you it will be pretty big and may just change the way you see the site.
Until then, take care on the roads and enjoy your rides!
Mick
Monday, December 15 2008 - I think it's amazing that we have reached the end of another year and we still continue to grow. Especially considering we aren't advertised elsewhere and the vast majority of people who find the site do so through word of mouth, reaching almost 5000 (4991) unique visitors during November is a mammoth effort.
However the internet isn't always a nice place to be. I'm sure we've all seen, been victim of or participated in the curse that is the impersonal conversations that go on within forums. And it's even worse when it comes to something as subjective as cars and every man and his dog seems to be an expert on how to make them go fast and look their best.
That's why I always find it good to get out to a car show and actually talk to people who own the cars without all the bullshit that so often tags along on the internet. The All Commodore Day was a great example- held in the Birdwood Motor Museum grounds in SA, over 140 cars turned out and many of the owners were only too happy to stop and have a chat. Highlights of the day would have to be THESTATESMAN from this forum taking out both top Statesman and getting inside the top 10 overall. Considering the quality of some of the cars, that's a great effort.
I've added the few pics I managed before my camera went flat here so check them out.
Our Tipping Competition has wrapped up for another year and the deserving winner was VKWAGONMAN. In honesty, it couldn't have gone to a better man as VKWAGONMAN has invested a whole lot of time in running the show over the last two years at this site and also the two prior to that over at the now defunct V8Commodores. Unfortunately, those times have taken their toll and the competition will be taking a break next year so that he can reclaim a bit of time back for himself- and we definitely don't begrudge him that!! I know only too well how draining those sorts of things are at times.
It does mean that we are looking for a new organiser for the event so if you are keen let us know in this thread.
In other site news- now I've actually got time to scratch myself- I've been carrying out a number of small changes to the forum to make it look better as well as perform faster. We are very, very close to having a workable solution for the large images problem and I'm hoping to have that sorted by the new year if not earlier. We have also made it easy to add YouTube videos to your posts .
The VP series range page will be complete by Christmas and I'm hoping I would have caught up with the number of new submissions I've received through emails and PMs. I really do apologise to all the people who have sent stuff in that is yet to reach the site- I do value the input but unfortunately often the last thing on my mind is working on the site half the time! Especially during the busy periods at work.
Also, please don't forget Wednesday, the 17th of December. I know not everyone agrees with it, but it's an opportunity to get as many people as we can onto the forum at one time and get a bit more activity than usual. Plus it will give you the chance to get to know people and have your questions answered in quick time. Our- tongue in cheek- goal is to reset the most users online record from the 53 it's currently at so we need as many people behind us as possible. C'mon, it's a Wednesday night, the pubs shut early and there's nothing on TV so get behind it.
Until next time, SquaredArches wishes you all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year. Just take it easy on the roads and remember the place will be crawling with RBTs and defect stations so do the right thing. Be wary of other driver's as well... just because you're doing the right thing doesn't mean they are.
Mick
Monday, October 13 2008 - Time flies when you are having fun... or strapped to a desk at work.
Honestly, I've got no idea where the month has gone between football grand finals and illness (AGAIN!!) I haven't had the time to scratch myself.
Thanks to our growing list of contributors though the site continues to go forward with more and more infomation concerning the humble VN / VP Commodores. We have recently uploaded an original VG Sales Brochure and a comprehensive list of the HSV Enhanced Packages that were offered throughout the VN series. Hopefully this will help a number of people who are curious as to what exactly the HSV Enhanced dash tag means. It should give you a fiar idea of what to expect when you're searching the market as well.
Chris'ALIEN VN Calais joins our feature car ranks and I have to admit I'm very, very happy with how this one turned out. The photos are great and really show what can be done to improve a car without going over the top or taking it away from it's factory roots. It's a car that many people would probably take for close to stock, but the closer you look the more subtle touches you'll notice. It's no secret I'm a Calais fan and this one is an absolute pearler. Chris has also started a thread for the car so you can keep up to date with the ongoing build and ask any questions you might have of the car. Check it out here.
While on the topic of the forum I'd just like to advertise the promotion of forum user Nevyn to site partner. Reading this will be the first he knows of it so it should come as a bit of a surprise. Being a member for sometime now, Nevyn has been active both on the forum and with contributing to the site as well as always being on hand when I've needed advice and help in keeping the site on the up. It's not a lot, but it's all I can offer as a thank you for all the effort he has put into the site. Now it's as much his as it is mine!
Depending on work restraints I am hoping to get out to Gazzanats so stay tuned for a new gallery, new feature cars and a few new NZ issued VN Commodore variants next month. There's quite a bit of work to do so hopefully things hold together a bit better this month.
For those of you that missed the first round of stickers, get your names in for the second run which should not be too far away. Stay tuned for word of business cards which are nearing production and should help promote the site over the summer show season... more people means more information so all is good!
Mick
Monday, September 15 2008 - WHAT A MONTH! We've definitely had more ups than downs though and I must say things are going from strength to strength. I had not checked the site statistics for some time and it certainly looks like our hardwork is of interest to a few people.
Our unique site visits are closing in on 5000 for the month- we just missed out in August and I'm predicting we'll hit the milestone for September. Our hits have doubled as well so hopefully those search engines will be taking notice! Oh, and 200 forum members are just around the corner...
But enough of the boring stuff- Spring is here! that should mean you can wash your car without fear of rain the very next time you hit the streets but more importantly it means the local car show scene will burst back into life. Personally, I can't wait because nothing inspires me more than getting out and looking at some interesting cars of all makes. You never know where you'll find that crazy idea that sets your car apart from the herd. With a couple of pretty serious builds rumoured around the online traps there's plenty on the VN / VP front to keep your eyes open for. Add to that some pretty amazing cars that have shown up on our forum you just don't know who you'll meet out there. It should mean I get some nice new galleries up before too long as well.
And away from the show scene, it's perfect weather for cruising. I know I've got a couple of little weekend drives planned. I think Chain Of Ponds needs a visit.
But when I'm not out enjoying the weather- which admittedly is bloody terrible today- I'm chained to the nerd box banging out this website. This month we have put up part two of our detailing guide and a very, very well looked after VN HSV Plus Six. Largely stock, finding cars in this kind of condition is getting harder and harder. A lot of people won't be familiar with this particular type of HSV so take a look.
We've also added a few more VN galleries so you can get a better idea of just what rolled out of the factory during the Golden Years of Holden production (relax people- that was a joke!). Thanks to 88GreenVN and TazmanCrash, I'll be busy over the next month uploading a whole host of new pictures and brochures. I really can't thank these guys enough and it's these submissions that will keep the site growing and improving over time. Again I have to offer a big thank you!
Also next month, I will be looking at the HSV Enhancement packages that were available for the VN and posting up a list of options within each package. Hopefully that will help out quite a few people- especially those who own the cars and are curious as to where their's belongs in the series. We will also have a new feature car so don't forget to check back!
Mick
Sunday, August 17 2008 - Well it looks like I lied so apologies to everyone who has been hanging out for the update!! Finally- after an extremely hectic few weeks I get the chance to update the site. Don't feel too special though, I even had to miss Cruise For Charity- the event I was really looking forward to- so I am pissed off!
It isn't all bad though- as a matter of fact it's been quite productive. Thanks to Aaron we have new pics of the VN LE Sydney Motorshow special showing the decal design and placement and giving us a good idea of a pretty rare car. Lucky Aaron even owns #1 so it's a rare one indeed!
We've also featured Dylans wild custom VN that is a frankendore in nearly every sense of the word with a massive front end conversion and a number of touches from other models aswell. Although some people will be polarised by it, the car went well in the 2008 COTY so there's definitely something about it and if nothing else you just have to appreciate the effort that went into it.
Our latest How To article is Part 1 of a three part series over the next couple of months that gives me a chance to write down what I've learnt about keeping your car looking it's best. It's no secret I love detailing and what the pros achieve but I think there is something special about simply washing your car. You don't have to be a millionaire or technically minded but a little bit of passion and elbow grease goes a bloody long way. Hell, I'm married with two young lads so the 3000hp motor is going to have to wait- in the meantime I'll take pride in knowing I'm keeping my car looking it's best.
This month I look at how to select the products that will give you an advantage and a few considerations to take into account before handing over your hard earned. Next month we'll go through actually giving your car a bath and then follow that up with how to correct some common paint defects that daily driving will pretty much mean are unavoidable.
In forum news, you might want to check this link. Murmurs of vBulletin have been around since the beginning of time itself and I've finally bowed to the pressure but we need your help. With over 10,000 posts and closing in on 200 members the logical step is to move up to the best forum software available. We want to know your thoughts on the topic and we are asking for your help in the intial purchase price of the software. We've got nothing planned just yet but everyone who donates- whether $1 or $10- will be repaid by a few extra trinkets when the move occurs. Let us know what you think.
The stickers went like hotcakes and entirely exceeded my expectations- we moved 30 in one week! Although I am currently out, keep an eye on the thread and let us know if you want one. Once I've got five or ten names down I'll get some more made up.
Stay tuned next month for part 2 of the detailing guide, a new feature car and a hopefully on time update!
Mick
Late Edit 20/7/08 - Luke got us a new header! Massive thanks to Luke and it's good to give the COTY some love. We've also uploaded some new wallpapers featuring THE STATESMAN.
Sunday, July 20 2008 - And they say these things are sent to try us.
I sat down today to upload box the new How To article aswell as our latest feature car. Everything was looking good and I was actually excited to put something new on the site. Until I opened my email and noticed that one of them was never sent and the other was the wrong copy of the document. Hopefully it's all still on my other computer!!
But anyway- I don't really want to dwell on that.
In better news, the new stickers are finally here! Released on Friday night, quite a few have already been allocated to our forum members but there's still more available so if you haven't jumped on board yet let me know in the next couple of days. For those of you who have already sent me your address I will get them in the post to you within the next couple of days and send a PM as soon as they hit the post.
If you haven't already had a look- check them out here. The stickers are entirely free and are high quality vinyl cut letters which look boss and take a hammering. The last lot were on my car for well over a year and didn't look like peeling so I'd expect the same of these ones. The only thing we ask in return is you post a pic on the forum of your car wearing them!
Cruise 4 Charity kicks off as early as next week for Sydney siders and if you are heading along we'd love to see your pictures. Once again throw them up on the forum so we can all see what's going on in your area.
I think I've disheartened myself enough for one day so I might leave it there- atleast I should have some decent updates next month (fingers crossed!!)
Mick
Sunday, July 13 2008 - Unfortunately no major update this week as the month has gotten away from me either due to work or illness.
I will do the update next week with VN2NV joining our featured car ranks and part 1 of the SquaredArches detailing guide going up in the technical section. We might even get lucky and see the beginnings of the VP Series Range...
Until then.
Mick
Sunday, June 8 2008 - As hard as it is to believe, we are already into the 6th month of the year and half way through. Someone said time flies when you are having fun but it also flies when you are working your guts out.
Probably the best thing about this time of year is that it means that Cruise For Charity is just around the corner and I'm actually going to make the effort to get out to it this year. Personally I can't wait and it's given me the kick in the ass I need to get out in the shed on the cold nights and toil away tweaking here and there. This year Cruise For Charity is pretty much everywhere- including Darwin and Hobart for what I think is the first time- so there's really no excuse to get out there and get involved. Just make sure you forward the pictures to us!
Mid year also means we are into the third year at SquaredArches and things continue to improve. You may have noticed that accompanying this monthly update is a brand new feature car and DIY article that will give some advice when it comes to putting together a custom parcel shelf. I am going to try and keep this system in place where each month will see a new car and article on the site and hopefully it will help our content grow. If you could help at all by writing an article or suggesting something that you'd like to see us cover either email me or post it on the board. We'll need your help to make it work but I'm sure we'll get there.
The forum continues to plod along- admittedly some what slowly. I know I say it every month, but the forum will only ever be as good as it's members so we need you guys to get involved and stir up a bit of conversation. Tell your friends, ask them to register and use it to ask our existing members for help. We are about to break through the 150 member barrier and I think I'll probably do a back flip when we do.
And keep an eye on the board for news of the upcoming sticker give away. It's in the hands of the sign writer and I'm hoping to have them sent out and on cars long before the first Cruise For Charity event. Following the lead of other online car clubs, we will also have some business cards printed before the event to be handed out and help spread the word about the site. The biggest problem we have isn't that people don't want to come to the site and use it, it is that people don't know we exist and because we rely on word of mouth we need your help. Maybe one day I'll get around to actually listing it on search engines!
In other site news, COTY 2008 has come to a close and we have a winner in the shape of THESTATESMAN's VQ. It took a revote to break the deadlock but we got there in the end and it really is deserving of the title. Work commitments prevented us getting around to sorting the updated header but as soon as we get a spare five minutes it'll be posted. Expect to see it gracing the business cards aswell. And well done to Matt on the build- we hope the recognition spurs you on to keep going with the project.
A busy month, and with a lot of things going on in June I look forward to next months update.
Mick
Sunday, April 6, 2008 - My last post on the current site. Next month will see the debut of a whole new package with much more content and much easier on the eyes.
Thats right- you didn't read wrong, we've finally got the site good to go and we are absolutely stoked. There's just the finishing touches and then we are ready to upload and crack a beer. It's many months overdue and we have worked our guts out but I'm sure you will be pretty impressed.
The big news this month is the opening of our 2008 Car Of The Year which we need you guys to get voting and help decide. Voting is running until the 10th of May and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Check it out, tell your mates and keep your ear to te ground for the arrival of SquaredArches version3.
Cheers.
Sunday, March 16, 2008 - The fact it amazes me it is already midway through March probably has something to do with the fact it has taken me so long to make this update. I've either been very busy or I'm getting lazy... but most people I know tell me it's a little of both!
There isn't a whole lot to say this month- I've done a few small jobs with the car, racked up some cruising K's and spent a lot of time amongst family and friends thanks to my wife's birthday. We're still beavering away at the new site- I don't think any of us realised just how much work would be involved but it will definately be worth the wait.
Perhaps the most important change is that we are no longer taking submissions for cars to be featured on the main site. Instead we are selecting cars both from this forum and others and will be presenting them a little differently. I've got a little more work to do but I'm expecting to be able to give you a sneak peak when I make my next monthly update.
Until next month- have a safe and happy easter and make sure you do the right things on the roads. May is fast approaching and that means our birthday celebrations aren't too far away... stay tuned for more!
Cheers.
Monday, February 4, 2008 - Time flies when you are having fun… at least that’s what happened and prevented me from making the usual monthly update for January.
Summernats- where should I begin? I finally got there and have to say it was the best event I have been to yet. Thankfully I was there on a mission to see as many VN / VP Commodores as I could find and as a result wasn’t completely disappointed when I didn’t get to see absolutely everything. Without having a set plan in mind I can’t imagine how you’d tackle the event as a whole- the show and shine alone had to be one of the biggest I’ve ever seen… let alone the dyno cell, cruise track, burnout pad, airbrushing, elite hall, grass events, tuff street and the exhibition hall. I might just have to go back next year to have another crack at it. I could try and say more or I could just link to my photos of Summernats VN / VPs.
One last thing though, it was good to see the mighty VN getting some prime placement during the major show on Saturday night. I heard murmurs throughout the crowd as they stood and admired the lines, the build quality the sheer majesty of the beast. Unfortunately Laurence Legend took it upon himself to drive through a bus and slam into it… No respect, some people.
But that wasn’t all… there was also the masses of local events held in January and if you got along to any in your area we’d love to hear from you if you have photos to share.
We’ve had quite a few new members join the forum and show their cars so if you haven’t taken a look at that, now is the time.
Also while on the forum check out VKWAGONMAN’s V8 tipping comp. Once again a $50 Pit Stop Bookshop voucher is on the line and it’s a great chance to get involved, take a punt and show off what you know. It costs nothing to enter and there is no obligations- jump on board. Everyone had a good dip last year and I for one can’t wait for it to kick off once again with the Clipsal 500.
Until next time...
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Friday, December 21, 2007 - Wow. Another year almost done and just a couple more sleeps before I fly out to Canberra for Christmas with the in-laws and Summernats.
I will spare you all the usual Christmas talk of safe driving- we're all grown ups and know to be safe all year round, not just during the silly season. I will though add that I hope no matter how you choose to spend it, your holiday period gives welcome relief and a chance to kick back and relax with friends and cold beverages.
This little rant is also significant as it will be my last one for the year. Yup- we survived the year intact and even managed to build on things as time went by. I know I've said it 100 times, but thanks to you guys for making it such an enjoyable project.
2008 is going to be a MASSIVE year for the site and will see things change around here quite dramatically. It's the worst keep secret that we are developing a completely new look site that looks much better than the current incarnation but also offers a whole host of new features.
Expect to see a vastly improved Information section with past magazine articles, rim identification charts, production options and much improved galleries for each model. The content has gone through the roof! For instance, where you are used to seeing 14 VN variants listed, the new look site has 31... see if you can guess the new additions. Plus, rather than just one image each variant also has it's own gallery.
I'm not going to give everything away but its safe to say that every section will be getting a pretty thorough reworking plus a couple of new additions- you'll just have to wait and see. As always we've gone over deadline but it'll be up as soon as we get it ready and it shouldn't be too much longer!
A huge thanks has to go out to Luke (Idaho) and Jamie (Targ3t001) for all the hours they've thrown at the site... even more impressive considering they aren't even Holden people- let alone VN owners!
While on the topic of thanks- I must also say a huge thank you to VKWAGONMAN for running the V8 Supercar tipping comp (which was comprehensively taken out by yours truly) and we can't wait for the 2008 season.
Not a thank you, but a congratulations also to GTYESS and partner who recently welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world (also correctly tipped by myself but now I'm just bragging). We at SquaredArches would like to wish all the best to the proud parents and cub.
I think this has gone on long enough so please have a very safe and happy Christmas and all the best for the new year. I look forward to seeing you all, speaking to you all and keeping on building this thing in 2008.
Best wishes,
Mick
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007- NOW FIXED.
What a way to spend a quiet Tuesday night... the forum is currently out to lunch and I'm trying my hardest to get it back up. If I get it done tonight I'll be going straight to bed so don't expect a message but do keep an eye on it.
I'll keep you posted,
Sunday, November 11, 2007 - Another month closer to the end of the year and time again for my monthly mumblings... not long now and the silly season will well and truly be here. And we all know what that means- Summernats!
This will be my first ever visit to the Nats and as you could imagine I'm pretty excited. I've spent too long watching the DVDs and reading all about to knock back a golden opportunity to finally make it.
I really should be saving my pennys for the t-shirts, DVDs and of course beers but something else has distracted me this month... the Calais got belted.
It does highlight that it doesn't matter how careful you are - I wrap the thing in cotton wool, it is rarely driven and when it is it is never parked in insecure places. It drives the wife absolutely crazy that I refuse to leave it in shopping center carparks but her nagging is nothing compared to the anguish caused by trolley dents. Plus when the car is driven it is never driven hard... I think I've had one speeding ticket in the entire time I've owned the car and you won't be finding masses of rubber in the rear guards. Then of course there is the days wasted (or gainfully spent depending on who you talk to) keeping the thing looking the best I can get it.
But all that amounts to nothing when someone misjudges the time it takes to make a right hand turn across traffic.
Talk about stress! Luckily it was fairly cosmetic but the repair bill was quite sizeable and for a few days it was touch and go as to whether it would be written off or repaired. I'm pretty sure that as car people we can all imagine the sick in your stomach feeling you get when something like this happens. Especially when it is just a completely random out of the blue incident. Obviously if your throwing a few ringies and belt a tree you have no one to blame for yourself but being an innocent bystander as your car (basically a member of the family after so long!) gets hit hard enough to be spilling its vitals on the road in a bent state is a bitter pill.
Thankfully the insurance company came through and the thing will be back on the road better than ever but it does make you think about just how much attention you are paying - not to your own abilities, but to whats going on around you aswell. Especially with the beer and barbeque season moving into full swing.
Hopefully, seeing my car twisted like it was will make some of you think and help to avoid more threads on the forums with busted VNs.
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Sunday, October 10, 2007 - Let’s talk about cars for a moment.
That’s probably no surprise- this being a site devoted to cars after all- but its something we rarely do. We’ll waffle for hours about kilowatts or ways of improving suspension or making the wildest looking thing on four wheels. But how often do we actually talk about cars as a whole- more specifically the car modifying and restoration culture?
Maybe it is just my opinion, but these some things seriously wrong with car culture. It doesn’t have to do with the hoon laws, although they’ve damaged law abiding, organised club cruises irreparably. It definitely doesn’t have to do with the availability of the information, advice and aftermarket parts- all three would be close to the strongest they have ever been. In my opinion, it is entirely possible that the internet is both the best and the worst thing to ever happen to our scene.
Personally, I find it amazing that the source of so much good information can also be one of the most damaging elements of our hobby. There has always been self important, self absorbed dickheads in this game- there always will be. But before we all took the red pill and logged onto the internet, no one could hide behind anonymity. You actually had to back up the talk- now you simply create a persona to hide behind, shift your gob into top gears and get to big noting.
Obviously, I can’t speak for us all, but I’d hazard a guess that we have all seen those posts asking for advice on the simplest of things only to be met with the most expensive, outlandish options that are almost completely removed from reality- and of course the ‘use the search’ posts. And for the love of God, don’t even mention power figures unless you hope to destroy the universe with a sudden influx of bullshit.
I guess we are lucky though- we get to choose what information we discard and what we actually choose to absorb and use. And there is some diamonds in the rough, it is just a question of sorting through it.
Perhaps I’ve been spending too much time on the internet lately and not enough quality time with the car.
At least I got a little bit of time in tonight as I worked the Autosol and Dremel over those window surrounds to polish out the finest of scratches. There’s a lot to be said for those little jobs… either its Zen like or Autosol heated by a few thousand RPM has hallucinogenic properties.
It reassuring, and is everything that is right with playing with our cars. We aren’t all rich, we don’t all have endless funds nor the desire to rack up $$$ in debt to the bank manager to make our dreams come true. And you don’t need to be- so long as you are happy with your project and the direction it is taking, it could be as simple as detailing the engine bay, smothering the paint work in a fresh coat of wax or doing a couple of minor mods to the interior.
It can be as simple as polishing some metal, but the sense of achievement you get as you crack a beer and admire your handy work is worth the elbow grease, alloy dust and nay sayers.
At the end of the day- the only person who’s opinion matters when it comes to your car, is you!
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Sunday, September 9, 2007 - One hundred and forty thousand, two hundred and fifty four.
That was our hit count for last month and the new highest monthly hit count in the history of the site. I should say that we've been growing each month but never to that extent... I think prior to that was about 80,000 so obviously I'm pretty stoked. Not bad considering that the only exposure we get is through word of mouth and the twenty or thirty odd stickers getting around on various VNs and VPs around the country.
It's not all about hits- not by any stretch of the imagination- but it means that the site is getting more visitors (I have to point out there is a difference between hits and actual visitors) and with that more information will become available to make the site a better resource. Plus I'd be lying if I didn't say it does give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
But enough of that. To cap the weekend off- already a shitter now the AFL season is officially over for my team (atleast we weren't disgraced- roll on 2008 for the mighty AFC)- I went to roll the Calais onto the lawn to give it a wash up before the working week (with a bucket of course) and it just wouldn't go. Sure enough it started... idling like it was unloved for a grand total of 10 seconds before it went back to sleep. Strange but I plowed on. Again- except this time it must have only run for 5 seconds.
With the barest of head scratching I went into checking the usual suspects air, fuel and spark. Air was a no brainer so I went straight onto fuel. My wallet told me that the tank was full so I checked the fuel pump by disconnecting the hose from the runner and getting the missus to switch the engine on. It emptied about 85cents worth of premium into the jug before I told her to turn it off... no dramas there.
It just had to be spark but I figured I'd have to check first... just to be sure. I gave the Minister of War and Finance instructions to turn it off if I burst into flames, screamed in pain or simply asked her too as I held the trusty philips head near the disconnected lead to see what happened. As expected... nothing.
Leaning across the manifold to make sure no leads had jumped off the distributor and the coil was connected as it should be, I spent a handful of long minutes fondling it before deciding this might be out of my league. I mean, surely it couldn't be that brand new ignition module. That wouldn't even be 12 months old so surely not.
The increasingly dog eared and black thumb printed Gregories was next stop and I probably spent 15 to 20 minutes there... by this stage my wife gave the RAA a bell and before we knew it they were on the door step. Part of me hoped that something catestophic had happened- that my ever increasing mechanical skills hadn't failed me. Until 20 seconds into the RAA patrol's visit when he gave the lead at the ignition module a wobble, it clicked back into place and he told me to start it up... to which the Calais responded by roaring into life. I didn't know whether to be embarrassed of glad it didn't cost the earth to fix... so I just laughed.
Moral of the story is to look at every problem with fresh eyes- when your our of ideas why not ask the guys on the forum? Coulda saved me some time!
16 August, 2007 - So I'm still alive after all! The move went as well as could be expected and nothing got lost or broken so good news there.
In site news, not a great deal has changed and I've been slack on writing this update as the forum has eaten into a great deal of my time- to say that it is really coming on is an understatment. If we keep growing the way we have in the last month and a bit it won't be long before SquaredArches.com is the complete VN / VP resource. I'm really looking forward to it and continuing to learn as much as I can and pass it on to the next bloke in line. We've all seen some pretty ragged VNs out on the road and I guess its almost our job to educate and inspire guys into breathing life back into what I consider the most forgotten of Commodore models.
By far the biggest development has been the donation of some great scans from original brochures as well as old magazine articles concerning the VN, VP and VQs. Thanks to Shaun for that and expect them to filter through over the next week or so... the Aero brochure can be viewed here and gives a taste of things to come.
On the topic of Aeros- forum user ORIGINL has been kind enough to send forward some new pics of #22 (forum users will be very familiar!) and I'll be whacking them up as I get the time.
It's not all work at the keyboard for me though! Not only am I trying to pick a Commodore club to get involved with (I've never belonged to a car club so I am a little excited and unsure of what to expect!) but I've got ongoing small projects with my own car... yes, I do own one too you know. The latest is the polishing of the window surrounding trim so I should have a how to up on that in a short time. Unfortunately my thumb decided to go break itself so it's slowed down what was an after work project. I couldn't have done it without the help of forum user 1991_VN2NV so I guess this little project of mine is paying off in that respect aswell!
As always, I'll close by asking you to keep spreading the word and keep an eye open for any information that you think might help other owners of VN / VP Commodores- we'd love to have the information here.
Until next time, I look forward to seeing you all on our boards!
Cheers.
I really have enjoyed my time here and recommend the Top End to anyone looking for a holiday- plan it around the V8 Supercars because in my limited experience, its a very well run event. Unfortunately, I didn't get much of a chance to catch up with our NT members- partially through laziness but also through work commitments. All I can say is that I won't make the same mistake if and when I return to Darwin
At least I had a good send off- you can read the thread here about the last drag meet in Darwin.
But, the move to Adelaide does open up a lot of new avenues for the site- I am fully intending to organise at least one get together before the year is out and hopefully this will lead to more members on the site and more information finding it's way onto our pages. I'll keep you posted on that. It also means that I'll have a lot more access to the family Know- How and the Calais will get some treatment it really deserves... at the moment I'm not sure if this means I'll start my own build blog or a thread and feature on this site... depends how lazy I get!
In site news, the front page has slowly evolved into a once a month piece from myself keeping you all updated and I think I can now make it official that you can expect a new update (think of it kinda like an editorial) once a month... I'll work on setting a date so you know when to check back. Smaller site updates like new featured cars and more details of the models will be advertised in the Latest Site Update box so keep one eye on the front page.
Believe it or not, the forum still exists and set a new record last month with 24 users online at one time... I guess that what they say about if you build it they will come being true. I really do enjoy talking to you all and keep us in mind when you are looking for a rest from some of the larger sites- we'll never replace the bigger forums and it isn't our intention to but we do atleast give you an alternative.
Thanks to everyone for keeping us going- I've got a few updates to do including updates to Wes' feature car and some more photos from Nath. And don't forget Trizo's cruise taking place in WA on the 21st of July. The meeting place has been confirmed but I will leave it up to the interested parties to contact Trizo rather than publishing the full details- we don't want any random dickheads ruining it for everyone.
Well until next month... And don't forget we still have stickers available- everyone recieving them has been pretty impressed so far so why don't you have one yet!?
administrative issues for me to sort out.
The voting got a little crazy at time with votes to Airstrike's very tidy VN SS and SXC50L's modified VN Calais proving these two cars to be the bolters. Voting did slow after we moved to pm votes and both cars recieved a further 1 vote each to take their tally to equal 11. As the voting had ended in a stalemate, I took it upon myself to select the winner based on which car I thought would best represent the site for the next 12 months- in ths case I have selected Airstrike's AGRSSV.
The reason for selecting this car as our first Car Of The Year is that I feel it showcases just how nice a VN / VP can be- well thought out mods that improve on the factory offering, excellent condition and plenty of grunt as proven by the dyno readout. It is a car that will look awesome as the new logo car for the site.
That is not to take anything away from SXC50L or any of the other cars submitted- there really is a number of them that I would be extremely proud to have as our headlining car and am grateful to the owners for allowing us to feature them at our site. Some would not be out of place in the larger Automotive media...
Moving on from that, incase you were wondering why the updates have been thin on the ground lately, it is because I have been out and about on the other forums, putting the feelers out to get more infomation for the information section of our website- I really want to make the best resource we can and I'm kind of reaching the limits of the easily obtained information. If we are going to continue to improve, we need as many brains as we can involved and really start digging deep!
You would have noticed a slight change to the main page in the latest site updates box above this one- keep an eye on it for any updates I make to the site as it allows me to keep you all informed without writing one of these big bastards.
Thanks guys.
Thursday, April 26th, 2007 - Believe it or not, we're still working on this site. A few things came up and I've been away but work continues. We've also paid the bill for another year and thanks to our hosts (who only announced the upgrade after I'd paid my money to upgrade to a new package anyway!!) we've got what I consider to be a massive 300mg server allocation to fill. I can't do it alone! At the moment, I'm not sure if that means our allowable limit for a download of 2meg has been lifted but I hope so- it opens the door for downloadable video clips at SquaredArches.com.
Whilst on the topic of upgrades, I've got our second technical article up discussing ECU error codes and how to read them. Now all I need to do is write my custom instrument fascia article and I'm all up to date and where I wanted to be by January 2007- sweet! As you could imagine, I've got a lot of catching up to do. I finally fixed the OldHolden.com link- it goes to the correct site now- and the event calender looks a bit better now even though it does have a distinctly top end flavour...
With April almost done and May just around the corner, I guess it's time to reflect on our first 12 months in operation. In my opinion, the site has come a very, very long way- the upgraded graphics and features put it out there and perhaps only slightly underpar of some of the much bigger sites. Essentially a one man show, this place should look like so many other myspace sites and thankfully it doesn't. A lot of that has to do with the ideas put forth by forum members and those of you who took the time to email me with constructive criticism. Keep them coming and who knows where we will be this time next year. There is always more work to be done and I doubt a site such as this could ever be considered complete so the next twelve months will be all about expanding the information contained within these pages so that we can be considered the best VN / VP Commodore site on the net.
The forum continues to improve thanks to a dedicated core group of users who get involved and contribute to the discussion. Especially VKWAGONMAN and SIKUNIT. Neither of these users drive VNs but both bring a wealth of knowledge to the boards and keep things interesting- SIKUNIT with his knowledge or drag racing, paint and panel and mechanics and the Wagonman who bought his V8Supercar tipping over to SquaredArches.com from the now out of service V8Commodores.com. It just proves that no matter what their automotive persuasion, anyone with the right attitude is more than welcome on our boards- we're a club and everyone knows that a club is only as good as its members.
Extra special thanks must also go out to ORIGINL who has become something of an unofficial partner to the site- contributing way beyond anything I ever expected. From the awesome posts on the forum, to sharing his Summernats photos- the site wouldn't be this good without ya! Thanks also to Airstrike for agreeing to put together a build blog and share the trials and tribulations of a ground up rebuild with all of us who may not have the funds or knowledge to undertake the same at the moment. An excellent feature for the site and a big effort to be made with little thanks.
In closing, unfortunately it looks as though the stickers will be delayed- many apologies and I promise it will happen. I have also extended the Car Of The Year submissions for another fortnight to the 14th of May so spread the word and get involved in that.
More details soon.
Sunday, March 4th, 2007 - A very, very long time between updates for me but I can assure you work is continuing on the site- even if it is the type of work that goes on behind the scenes!
This weekend saw the start of the 2007 V8 Supercars season with a very good result for the Kelly brothers and therefore good starts to the season for Toll HSV and HRT. Although I doubt Rick has silenced his knockers this early it does bode well that throughout the year a lot of his reputation will be restored- and deservingly so.
While on the topic of the V8 Supercars, its worth mentioning that VKWAGONMAN has volunteered his services in running a tipping comp for the series on our forum which is open to anyone interested. All it takes is signing up on the forum. Although no prizes have been determined at this stage - and no promises are made there will be any other than bragging rights - I'm sure I can afford to sort the winner of the comp out with a custom user title proclaiming their guru- status.
In site news, the technical section will continue to grow - check out the steering wheel how to if you haven't already - with VNCommodore.com user mouce allowing us to publish his suspension how to once complete and I've got some work to do with writing an article for installing custom instrument cluster fascias and checking the self diagnosis error codes once this insistant rain stops and allows me to get outside with the camera. It will happen! There is also more work to be done within our model range pages including prices on release and build numbers. An extremely knowledgeable user on JustCommodores.com may be giving us the help we need.
Word is starting to spread about what we are hoping to achieve here and more people are getting involved with volunteering help- its all a good sign for what we are hoping to achieve and will benefit you, our readers, in the long term. Its not easy maintaining a project such as this as a one man band, but with people such as ORIGINL helping on the boards and contibuting photos, VKWAGONMAN making things interesting and Mouce contributing to our Tech section I'm confident that we - 'we' being the online community including you- can produce the best VN / VP resource on the net. And it won't happen without your help!
But don't think it is all one way traffic! May is the birthday (birthmonth?) of SquaredArches.com and we are looking to celebrate. Things already planned include a free giveaway to thank you for making this project as enjoyable as it has been to this stage and our 'Submitted Car Of The Year' award which is open to the reader submitted cars in our Inspiration section. If your car isn't featured there yet, click the star on the top right as voting will commence at the beginning of May and the winner announced at the end of May. There may be more planned so stay tuned!
As seems to be my usual closing- spread the word about the site and especially the forum. The more the merrier and we need more involved in the tipping comp!
Thursday, January 25th, 2007 - The Summernats 20 gallery is up so head over there and take a look at the best VN / VPs on offer at the event. The thumbnails are a bit subpar but don't let that put you off and get clicking on em.
A massive, massive thanks has to go out to Nath for taking the time to share the photos with us and give those of us who couldn't make it a taste of the festivites. Stay tuned for the complete non VN / VP gallery soon.
Another huge thanks to a good mate of mine for helping get the gallery working when I was about ready to toss the laptop off the balcony - thanks mate. Goes to show that even this far apart we can still get it done! He's also selling a car so if you are in SA and interested in a *cough* RX7 *cough* get in touch with me and I'll pass it on. Thats provided he hasn't already registered and posted it on the forum.
Well thats it for me for three weeks but don't forget to keep checking back- I may just get time for another tech article before I take off.
Cheers.
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007 - The submissions@squaredarches.com mail account is now working.
Saturday, January 20th, 2007 - It's a sad life when you are building web pages on a Saturday night (shuddup- I'm married with kids!).
Finally, we have a tech article up and I must say I'm quite proud of it. A few more like that one and the Tech section will be an extremely good asset for this site aswell as the many VN / VP owners who come across it- who knows, maybe some people who drive them other things might find something useful aswell. Definately take a look here.
In less exciting news, the submissions@squaredarches.com email account is currently on the fritz so please refrain from sending anything through there- I'll let you know once its a goer again. I know one person has suffered already because of it so I do apologise for the stuff around (Sorry Trizo!!).
But to finish on a high- SquaredArches contributor Nath has supplied me with a plethora of Summernats photos so look out for those coming as soon as I wade through them all and figure out what to use and what not. Trust me when I say there is some awesome photos in that lot.
Sunday, January 7th, 2007 - And so here we go rolling into our second calender year! I have to say I'm pretty excited about things heading into the new year and I'm sure that this site will continue to improve and grow. As it is, I've made a few changes to how I am running the site and this should ensure that less information slips through the cracks.
Naturally, a few things fell by the way side over the holiday period and I missed a couple of personal deadlines but I'm confident I can pick up the slack. Theres a few days left until I head back to work so I'll see what I can do.
I missed out on getting some stickers made up whilst in Adelaide- this was largely due to running out of time due to family commitments but I am extremely keen to get this on the go so please stay tuned and I should have something sorted in time for the first anniversary of SquaredArches.com.
For those of you who haven't noticed, the forum interface has been upgraded and is much easier on the eye so please check it out- we've also upgraded the software to the latest version so security should be vastly improved and we may be able to overcome a few problems we have had in the past.
Speaking of forums, it seems that V8Commodores.com has collapsed. We're not too sure what the whole story is but it looks as though it may not be going ahead for 2007. SquaredArches.com would just like to thank the guys for the work they had put into the board over time and wish them the best of luck for their future endevours. If it does come back online- LET US
Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 - Finally! Our Information Center is somewhat complete. Today I have uploaded the VP pages and it is now looking so much more complete so take a look.
I do have to stress that it is still no finished and I will continue to add to it as I find more information or as you guys fill me in. I already have more to go in- a whole host of information on the VN SV LE aswell as build numbers, dimensions and so on. I am going to sit on that for a while though as I put the finishing touches on our Technical Section and take a bit of a break from the history side of things!
Those of you checking out the Information Center will also notice the inclusion of a new graphic that will make it so much easier for you guys to get involved and help with any new information, pictures or corrections. I'm always open to new ideas as to what we can do to make things better aswell.
November followed on from the great success that we had during October and our hit count once again doubled taking it to just over 71000 (no- thats not a typo). Our forum continues to grow and is slowly becoming quite active- I hope to get a new look forum up and running early next year with a few more features to enhance the whole experience of using the thing... it may just encourage so of you lurkers to sign up and get posting!
Should everything go right, early January will also see our stickers becoming available so you can give us a bit of free advertising and slap one on your back window... they'll be free! We've got a fair idea but I'm still open to suggestions right up to 17th of December so go here and give me some ideas.
Incase I don't get a chance to post again before Christmas- I'd just like to say thanks for all your support this year, have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and remember to take it easy on the roads... we all know what a few two many rums can do to a Commodore.
I'll see you in the new year where we'll continue to build the best VN / VP resource we can with the introduction of our Technical Section and continuing growth of our Information Center.
Take care and once more- best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Sunday, November 5th, 2006 - The VQ pages are now available here. If you spot any problems or have anything to add email me!
Saturday, November 4th, 2006 - Where the hell have I been? Whats going on with the site? Why has there been no updates?!
The quick- and honest- answer would be that I've been hiding my lazy self in our forum. If you haven't checked it out lately, it might be an idea to take another look- its definately starting to pick up thanks to the recent signings on of some new members. We've also loosened things so that you don't need to be registered to post a quick question on some of the boards so take a look and give it a test run. Registration is still as quick and easy as ever and signing up will give you access to a few more boards aswell as private messages. Get into it!
What's new with the site? Not a great deal at present as I've been working on putting together the articles for our technical section so that we can launch that with a bit of content. I'm putting the finishing touches on the VQ history pages for the site and I'm hoping that these are only a couple of days away. Theres a lot of information to sort though- especially for a one man operation!
On that topic, I am very keen to set up a committee of sorts for the site, where we can pool ideas that would help build this site into a very worthwhile resource for all things VN. There's more details on this in the forum so let me know if you'd be interested in getting involved in a brain storming session.
I'd also like to let you know about www.VNCommodore.com if you didn't already know about it. A great forum for all things VN and a great bunch of blokes who are always more than happy to give a hand and share their knowledge. Take a look and tell 'em that Squared Arches sent ya!
Hopefully my next update will be much sooner than this last one!
Sunday, October 1st, 2006 - Grandfinal weekend. Thats my excuse for not doing a lot over the last few days... and its a pretty good one if you ask me.
Those of you who haven't noticed already may like to check out our VN Model Range page as it has now been updated with pictures of some models. As always, if you can help expand on it in anyway don't hesitate to contact me! I have begun work on our VG history / information section and I will endevour to have that up before next weekend or at the latest mid next week before turning my attention to the VQ pages and hopefully finding myself ahead of schedule to get that together and posted.
Once we've got that done (including the VP section) the technical section will become my primary focus for a while as it is presently a ghost town. I've already got a few articles ready to go- thanks to the people who have submitted articles so far.
Our gallery section continues to grow thanks to the support of the posters over at www.justcommodores.com forums who have been extremely generous in letting us host their cars. Whilst on that note- Ive got your email Chris and I'll have it up in no time! Also on the topic of the gallery, I'd suggest the beginning of the mud racing season wouldn't be too far away so look out for some photos of that coming soon. For those of you who haven't seen it before it really is quite a spectacle and if you are ever in Darwin over the wet season definately get along to check it out. Always good for a laugh!
In closing, I'd just like to say a massive thankyou to everyone who continues to visit the site- especially during the stagnant period recently where I was tied up with work commitements. I've got big aspirations for this site but it will take time before it really becomes worthy of people coming to check it out. To those of you behind us already- thanks again and thankyou for making September our biggest month of hits yet with over 7000 people through the doors. Keep spreading the word and things will continue to grow- lets go for 10000 in October! Plans are afoot for the production of a limited run of free stickers to be released in early January of next year so I will keep you posted on that.
Cheers.
Monday, September 25th, 2006 - Head on over and check out our latest featured cars- one very tidy VN Berlina and a VN Calais of the same calibre. Take a look here!
Sunday, September 24th, 2006 - And I'm back. Now my life has somewhat returned to normal I can continue building this site. I've got the pictures for our VN Model Range page ready to go but I am unhappy with the quality and sizes so I'll hold out on that and see what I can put together.
I've also given it a fair bit of thought and decided that I've been spending too much time on the forum so I'm pretty much going to leave that part of the site as it is until I'm happier with the state of the rest of the site. I'm hoping that by November I will have the VG and VQ information pages up and running with the VP pages up by mid- December. From there I will look at constantly improving them but we'll at least have a baseline to work with. Then it'll be on with the beginning of our technical section. Hopefully by our one year anniversary I'll have things where I was hoping to get them six months ago!
I guess not surprisingly, our visitor numbers have plummetted somewhat- I'd assume because people think this site may have dropped off the planet in my absence but I can assure you it will continue so let your friends know to check back often!
In other news, expect much better coverage of upcoming motorsport events and car shows in my area with the purchase of a camera that is miles ahead of the old one. I can't wait to get out and have a look.
There's been a fair bit going on in the world while I've been away from the site and I'm not going to dwell too much except to say that our sympathies most definately go out to the familes, friends and everyone affected by the passing of both Steve Irwin and Peter Brock- very sad times. Luckily Top Gear's Hammond looks as though he will be fine after his recent crash...
Cheers- thanks to everyone for the continued support!
Oh- and if you have any good pictures of any factory stock VN, VG, VQ or VPs including HSV / HDT models please email me!
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 - It's been a long time between drinks but I've managed to find the time to put a bit of work in around the site. We have a new car featured in the shape of Damir's VP Commodore which shows how some relatively simple mods - when executed carefully - can improve the look of your car's interior. If you've got any questions about how to achieve similar results just post them on the forum and Damir may just answer your questions.
It still looks as though time will be in short supply for the next 2 to 4 weeks but after that we'll be looking to add a fair bit more information to the site. The goal is to have our Information Center completed to a basic standard by the end of this year. Probably not the most exciting or demanding of goals but a goal none - the - less. As a result, if you can offer any information or help in this regard drop me a line.
The forum continues to languish in the background but I'm hoping to get something that I'm actually happy with up and running in the not too distant future. A software change may occur but I'll make sure that we keep everyone posted and the present user names reserved. We'll just have to wait and work through this one.
Until next time...
Friday, July 14th, 2006 - Well, it took substantially less time that I had planned for (a pretty rare occurance at SquaredArches!) but here it is - the new and improved look for the site. A big thankyou must go out to Nathanq for allowing us to use his photo for the old header graphic however I'm sure all will agree that the new one is a step up. A big thanks to Steve for the pic and check out more details on the beast here.
There's not a whole lot more funtionality around the place- the Group A and Aero registers have been posted in embarrassingly bare form (get behind it!) aswell as a simple cut and paste format for the reader's car submissions that you can see by following the star to the left.
I am in the process of doing away with the ugly old skin on the forum and will begin using something a little easier on the eye. The hopes are to include a SquaredArches custom skin in the future but we'll just have to wait and see how that goes - there's plenty of other things to be done around here!
Thanks for the support and spread the word about our new look!
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