The Michigan Fbody Association: Enriching Michigan through its Car Culture
The Michigan Fbody Association is an organization of Firebirds and Camaros; the strongly dubbed mullet-mobiles affectionately known to General Motors as the F-car, thus F-body. Its members constantly remind others that the association is not a club. It is an association and it is free to join for anyone, and even those who do not own an F-body or a car at all. The online forum Mifbody.com caters to every F-body need imaginable. From the cruises on Woodward Avenue to the lively discussions on the Mifbody.com forum there is everything from mild to wild both in cars and in situations in life. From the thousand horsepower screaming chicken (synonymous to Firebird) to the slow cruising Camaro. From condolences for a death in the family to congratulations on marriage, Mifbody has it all. The Michigan Fbody Association is more than just car advice and arguments on whose car is better. It is a community allowing people with a common interest to get together and create something great. Whether that something is a wealth of technical information on the internet, a great social network, car shows that attract tourism and revenue to the state, or a culture that enriches local areas, it is absolutely priceless.
The Mifbody Forum is a wealth of information on technical aspects. The majority of the members have modified their cars in some way, leading the site to have immensely detailed tutorials on certain modifications. Project threads on the website’s forum allow members to follow progress on each other’s cars. A project thread is not only a great way to display the work that is being done to a car, but it is also a great way to get information, opinions, and advice. In my own project there were quite a few times when I had gotten stuck, not knowing exactly what to do and not wanting to go on in fear of screwing up some valuable parts. When I was stuck all I had to do was post a question and sure enough there were a multitude of people willing to give advice and help me solve the problem. Without the help of Mifbody members I seriously doubt that my car would be the work of art that it is today, literally achieved through blood sweat and tears. Every detail about the F-body in every year it was made, from 1967 to 2002, can be explained in some shape or form in the information collected in the forum. The forum allows us to share ideas and collaborate on new modifications and techniques. Mifbody is an immense source of information for all that is Camaro and Firebird because of its truly dedicated members who care to learn and share information about their cars, not just drive them.
The social section of the Michigan Fbody Association forum is perhaps the busiest section of the site. It offers the stories of members’ experiences in life both good and bad. Its friendly members offer congratulations upon graduations, marriages, and new jobs, and condolences upon deaths in the family and support in tough times. It is in the social posts where we plan our meets on Woodward Avenue to get together to talk and drive around. The experience of owning and maintaining an F-body truly would not be the same without other members of the association being there alongside me. We are more or less a family, very well exampled by the events of the 2007 Meet and Greet show quoted from founder Brian Meissen as, “2007 was the start of something amazing. We were preparing to hold our 3rd Annual Meet & Greet car show at Kensington Metro Park and I was preparing to propose to my girlfriend (she owns a 2002 Firebird) who I had been with for only a year. The day before the show, I received a phone call that I will never forget. I answered the phone and was greeted by Scott Settlemire, the FBody Father, who wanted to let me know he was going to swing through our show and bring a few surprise vehicles for us to check out. Nothing can be more memorable than proposing to your girlfriend at your own car show with the silver Camaro concept and the Camaro convertible concept in the back drop.” Several threads on the website have appeared for weddings, for buying homes, and even for having kids have appeared on Mifbody; it certainly is a homely community. Mifbody is more than just a social forum that allows users to communicate online. Through it we have arranged things to do; car shows, nights out on Woodward, and cruise-ins at local diners. The Michigan Fbody Association creates a sense of family for those who are truly affectionate about the Camaro and Firebird.
Mifbody is a unique social networking site because we are open to all, even those who do not own F-bodies. We only seek companionship amongst a common interest; that interest being American sports cars and the culture associated with them. We have almost 2,400 members, and unlike many other clubs or forums we have no disputes, no grudges, and no ridiculous disagreements; it is a great place to meet new people. The Michigan Fbody Association is a great source of social enrichment. It seems to offer far more than any social networking site such as Facebook or Myspace because we actually arrange car shows and meets. Mifbody allows people who have little else but cars on their minds to meet others that share a similar situation. People who see their cars as a tool that will get them from place to place often do not understand the love that enthusiasts have for their cars. I am always asked why I put so much money and time into my car only to give the response “because it’s fun.” The people who ask just shake their heads in disbelief.
The Michigan Fbody Association creates a positive influence in communities all across Michigan. Our biannual meet and greet car shows attract many people to Michigan from all over the country and bring revenue into the state from tourism. In a state that has been ravaged by the recession of the Michigan automobile industry, groups such as the Michigan Fbody Association bring a bit of hope back to Michigan. Our enthusiasm in the products of General Motors may remind those downtrodden by fall of the Michigan auto industry that there have been some great cars built in Detroit. Our shows are like those such as the North American International Auto Show, which shows off the finer details of Detroit. Keith Crain of Crain’s Detroit Business states “Certainly the most important show for Detroit and Southeast Michigan is the North American International Auto Show. Over the years, it has brought to our region more than $1 billion”. The fact that the auto show is held in Detroit states the significance of its location; it brings people back to the automotive capital of the world and reminds them that this is where it all started. Mifbody represents a sector of the grand designs of Detroit’s finest engineering. We restore and keep the car culture in local communities that are enriched by it through our meets and shows. Most of all though, we pay homage to originality; showing that our cars were already great when they rolled off of the showroom floor, just as they were made right in our own community.
Many small towns may view car clubs as teenagers tearing up the streets with mindless hooliganism, but we are nothing of the sort. The media has portrayed automotive culture to be the same as seen in movies such as “The Fast and The Furious” where the automotive world is an underground club of drug trafficking and illegal racing. While that may be the case in other areas it is not in the areas occupied by members of Mifbody. Unlike in the movies we do not deal drugs and the majority of us do not race in the streets. Our modifications to the appearances of our cars are subtle, yet tasteful. We enjoy making our cars our own but nothing too gaudy, well shown by Mifbody founder Brian Meissen. In an interview for the Detroit Auto Examiner he stated, “Being in high school and not really into cars too heavily, I didn't have much direction with my car but I just wanted to make it my own. I wanted it to be different and easily recognizable, but I didn't want it to look like it belonged in a Fast and the Furious movie.” As real car enthusiasts and not just a group of teenagers driving recklessly the Michigan Fbody Association establishes a name for itself through the sophisticated conduct of its members. It is important in positively carrying a reputation throughout a community that we are civil and that we actually have something to offer to make the community better. The Michigan Fbody Association is a group of well-refined enthusiasts who like to have fun in a way that will give back to the community around them.
Mifbody is more than just a car forum. It is a great resource of advice as well as friendship. Its welcoming members allow for a feeling of family. Anyone is free to join even if they do not own a Camaro or Firebird. Through a simple idea formed years ago it has grown from a small group of friends talking over an Internet forum to a large family of F-body enthusiasts working together to promote the idea that American muscle is not dead, and that Detroit can still make some great cars. It has become a community with members from all areas of Michigan that provides local areas with culture and preserves some American history. The Michigan Fbody Association is priceless to automotive culture in Michigan and plenty of other areas through what it provides socially. If you or someone you know owns either a Camaro or Firebird, or even if you do not own either you will be sure to enjoy what Mifbody has to offer. Be sure to check out
www.mifbody.com. I sincerely doubt that you will be disappointed.
Upcoming Events
View Profile
View Forum Posts
View Forum Threads
Show All Albums
Private Message
Visit Homepage
View Articles
View Blog Entries
