It’s summer time here in Autopianland and we thought we’d give you a big update on everything that’s going on right now. We’ve got a new-tier launching, an active Discord chat room, shipments of rare “Project POStal” Postal Jeep rust going out, and some other exciting news.
We’ve Got An Active Discord
This place is a community, and what better way to interact than with Discord? You can join over 200 fellow readers in the official The Autopian Discord. If you’ve never used Discord before, it’s a Slack-like group conversation platform. Our Discord is open to all, but there is a special MEMBER-PARTY-ROOM. If you have trouble accessing it just reach out to Matt (Matt@theautopian.com) and he can get you straightened out.
We’re Launching A New Tier And A Foreign Legion
We previewed this in Discord, but we are going to do a Summer Membership Drive, just like your local NPR station! Something a lot of people asked for is a cheaper tier that gives access to Members Only posts, emails, and events, but not merch. If you go to our new BECOME A MEMBER page, you’ll find that there’s a new CLOTH TIER. Ironically, CLOTH is the one tier where you don’t get something made of actual cloth!
We’re also launching FOREIGN LEGION VINYL and FOREIGN LEGION VELOUR, which is for new members who live outside of the United States. Basically, we covered the extra shipping costs for people living in Thailand or Israel who were new members, but it’s starting to get expensive. The good news is: If you’re a current member and you live abroad you are grandfathered into the original price, so no need to sign up for the new plan, just do nothing and it’ll all stay the same.
You Should Have Your Gear Or You Should Get It Soon
After various supply-related issues, we’re fully stocked with everything and shipments have been going out fairly regularly. If you’re a member who signed up before June 15th you should either have your gear or it should be en route, if not please email shipping@theautopian.com and we’ll fix it right away. If you signed up after June 15th, the next batch of gear is going out ASAP.
Save The Date For Trivia Night (Velour/RCL)
During Peak Pandemic, then-Jalopnik-writers Jason Torchinksy and David Tracy (that’s me — I’m writing now; that was Matt before) realized that people were sad and bored, so we hosted car-trivia nights for a group of usually around 65 readers. The Trivia Nights quickly became prolific, with ridiculously hard questions that readers — working in teams on Zoom — often somehow managed to squeeze from their vast, car knowledge-filled brains. Now, for Autopian Velour and Rich Corinthian Leather-members only, Torch and will host our second members-only trivia night. Here are the details.
This is actually going to be the second members-only trivia night, with the first one being hilariously challenging. I recall grabbing a random car part and seeing if anyone knew that it was the small trim piece that goes into the hood of 1970s-era Jeep SJs. Torch brought in a bunch of nerdy history, I asked some engineering questions, and fun was had despite the best score being maybe a 50 percent.
This time we’re going to keep it really nerdy, but we’re going to let you, dear Autopian Velour or Rich Corinthian Leather member, suggest the topics! Keep it general: “Japanese cars” is fine. “Types of suspension systems” is fine. “Types of four-wheel steering systems” is maybe a bit narrow.
In any case, based on your suggestions, Torch and I will formulate FIVE ROUNDS of questions. Probably six questions in each round. Members will work in small teams, along with Autopian guests (our writers, and other car journalists we’ll invite), to figure out the answers and write them down. We’ll go over the answers at the end, and take any challenges one might have. Torch and I have been challenged before, and sometimes we’ll give the point! Just provide a convincing argument!
Anyway, here are the details:
- Who?: Autopian Velour and Rich Corinthian Leather members
- What?: Autopian Trivia
- When?: August 11, 2023. 5:30 P.M. Pacific, 8:30 P.M. ET. Expect it to last a couple of hours. Bring a drink!
- Where?: Zoom. We’ll send the link!
- Why?: Because it’s fun!
- How (will we get the answers right)?: Only the car-gods can help you. It will be tough!
We Are Shipping You Rust, Please Do Not Be Alarmed (RCL)
Hey, it’s Matt again. If you’re a Rich Corinthian Leather it means that you gave us $1,000. That’s still hard to fathom sometimes; we are beyond grateful. In addition to everything else, we’re sending you rust from David’s Postal Jeep in these little vials. You even get a special photo of the Jeep itself.
Also, true story, this would have been shipped earlier except David lost the bag of rust he’d saved. Seriously, we all had to help David look around for his bag of rust. It was ridiculous.
[DT Note: I have a single bag of rust from the epic Project POStal adventure. It’s USDA Prime Choice, Grade A+ Fe2O3 certified by the world’s foremost expert on automotive rust classification, a Dr. Travid “Rust” Dracy. Sounds like a cool guy.]
Thank You!
Above all, we want to thank you for being members. Membership is a critical element in the roadmap towards making The Autopian a sustainable publication. We’re immensely grateful for your readership and support!
Trivia Night suggestion!
Mazda rotary’s are just weird. I love them all.
A. Nice blurb on Jason’s RX-3SP review!!
Subi’s: Flash grille/front pics and have ppl. ID what model/year. They’re remarkable. Just the way I like them. Bonus points for 80’s era strangeness.
I declare this…the summer of George!!!
Next trivia night scheduled, this is the excuse I need to buy a webcam.
I’m surprised the Foreign Legion ones aren’t called “USDM tier.”
Trivia ideas:
Bonus round, stump the Autopians, The Contestants get a chance ask the writers a question and if they can’t answer the win a fabulous prize
Prize ideas – Name a Jeep Kitten or win a Jeep Kitten 🙂
Given the rust shipping delay, I don’t know how happy the kitten winners will be when their ‘prize’ eventually arrives in the mail… they’re marginally more perishable than ferrous oxide!
I found out companies like Delta to pet shipping. Drop off, then pick up near home city. There is someone in the cargo area to make sure there are no issues. It would almost be worth the $600 to do it to save a kitten then write how they are doing in the new home.
God I love you wierdos!
1) You have a bag of rust
2) You lose said bag of rust
3) You are tasked with searching for rust
4) You ship it to people who paid $1000 to receive rust (I know that’s not the only reason but I’m choosing it as the only reason because this is absurd/hilarious)
I’m assuming David Tracy rust will soon become a form of automotive currency. At some point, bitcoin and gold may want to pay attention.
Where there does not seem to be any shortage of projects in David’s brain, there is absolutely a finite supply of HIS rust available in the world. And, the confusing irony is that is is still being produced on a daily basis, albeit in small quantities. I’m not sure how that supply gets placed into the value equation, 2nd, 3rd order contributor??
“David Tracy rust” sounds like a drug – called “DT” or just “rust” for short.
Well DTs are a reaction DT had after losing his bag of rust. How many people actually went full on $1,000, you could buy your own rusty car.
i3 rust is rarer than hens teeth.
Holy crap, it had THAT much rust?!
Was there any vehicle actually left or did you secretly rebuild the damn thing from scratch?
Glad to see another trivia night, the last one was fun though I went duuuuuuhhhh alot.
Getting called a rude name by Torch for my background picture was worth it
Do you want topics of discussion via email or this chat?
Email, chat, Discord, we’ll take it all!
Thanks. Will post ideas hit my little brain.
Here works well!
So I just created a Discord account so I could check out the Autopian Discord, and I am quickly discovering that I have no idea what Discord is, or how it works. I tried searching for Autopian and got crickets. I clicked on the link the article and I get: NO TEXT CHANNELS You find yourself in a strange place. You don’t have access to text channels, or there are none on this server.” Is this worth trying to figure out, or should I quietly slouch off to my tech inept corner?
I have replaced the link to make sure it’s a non-expiring invite, so try this link now: https://discord.gg/9tGrhrkJ
Mu s t just be for him.
“…certified by the world’s foremost expert on automotive rust classification, a Dr. Travid ‘Rust’ Dracy.”
My undergraduate and master’s theses were both on the topic of iron oxidation but my doctoral dissertation was not, so I bow to Dr. Dracy’s superior commitment to the field.
It’s funny you used that particular screencap from the Discord member-party-room. We were discussing how many more comments were on the David-found-the-kitties article – 69 at the time – compared to the car-related articles. 🙂
Yeah, we’re a wild bunch over here… Who wouldn’t want to join??
What do you get with Autopian cloth?
never mind
My guess would be some sort of persistent rash.
It’s not recommended for those with cat allergies.
Totally worth it to go with vinyl.
Fuck. I’m going to be that guy.
“We’re also launching FOREIGN LEGION VINYL and FOREIGN LEGION VELOUR, which is for new members who live outside of the United States. Basically, we covered the extra shipping costs for people living in Guam or Israel who were new members, but it’s starting to get expensive.”
The fine people of Guam born after 1952 are U.S. citizens as Guam is a U.S. territory.
I’m so, so sorry.
Ah, you’re right! That’s extremely fair. I have changed it to Thailand. We have one member in Guam and they’re great. RULING: As of now, anyone who signs up in Guam or any other U.S. Territory doesn’t need to be FOREIGN LEGION. Just sign up for the normal Velour or Vinyl Annual.
Suddenly the hundreds of people who live in American Samoa and were on the fence about becoming members are going to sign up and bankrupt the site. And it’s all my fault.
lololol
What about Porta Rico?
Never heard of it.
yeah, I can’t speel either
What?
Rico?
Suave!
The number of people who don’t know that PR is a US territory and that PR residents are US citizens is staggering.
This has gone on long enough. We want to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. Whether you’re in Saint Croix, PR, Rota, Samoa, or any US Territory you’re not a part of the foreign legion.
Samoa is a sovereign nation. The nearby, but distinct, US territory is American Samoa.
No kidding. I love PR. I used to travel there regularly for work, and have been back since for diving. If you haven’t been, I’d highly recommend it – great people, great food, great diving and beaches, and as mentioned it’s a US territory which makes things easier, too.
Either them or the Northern Mariana Islanders.