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Posted by: elantragt Jun 22 2017, 01:30 PM

I started ElantraClub back in 2002 not long after I bought my 2002 GT hatchback. The car was so surprisingly good for what it cost and I wanted the world to know that this Elantra wasn't an Excel or a Pony. This was a bonifide good car. At the time, there was little information online about the car. Everyday for hours, I'd scour the net looking for info and would post it at the site. Any mod I'd find, I'd post it. Any article or review, I'd post it. After a while, I decided that ElantraClub should be true to it's name and I started to take members. This was before we had a forum. They come to the site and "sign up". I probably got close to 1200 members this way. Then I opened a forum. First at Hostboard. Then EZboard and then the forum you see today (soon to be replaced with a brand spanking new forum). I worked my ass off for my members. And then one day I realized I needed some help financially to run this place. I asked members for donations and they literally poured in.

Back in our heyday, we'd get 300-400 posts a day. Sometimes 500. Of course this was before Facebook (pardon my language) fucked up the net, especially the forums. Since about 2010, there has been a slow decline in activity at EC. At first I thought is was due to the fairly mediocre HD Elantra. But mostly it was social media. Those sites really cut into activity at online forums. But the thing is, a place like ElantraClub that's so specific is always better as a forum, not just a Facebook site.

So what makes EC unique? For one, me. I started the site and am still here 15 years later. I had the chance to sell the site to AutoGuide but didn't. This was my creation and no way I was letting some corporation turn it to shit. All the AG forums look the same, No personality at all. Over-saturated with ads too.

I've always believed that ElantraClub wasn't just about information about the car. We were always much more than that. Our off-topic area was super busy back in the day. We have an Alumni Zone for members who sold their Elantra and bought something else. To me, members are family. I don't want to see them leave just because they no longer drive an Elantra. This club is as much about people as it is about cars.

And that mentality will move forward with us at the new place. We're starting over with zero posts but it will still have the EC feeling and charm. It doesn't matter what you drive. It doesn't matter what you post about... off topic or on. EC is a community and it will stay that way. Hopefully members will join who want to contribute to building up the new place. People who will take pride in EC. I know sites are a dime a dozen these days but EC has withstood a lot of challenges and we're still standing.

Mitch