Meet the Moderators Part II

[Rick]

It's been several years since we did something like this and since one of our members brought up the old thread recently I thought I'd start a new one to introduce some of the newer moderators and to get updates from the old ones.

So I'll start.


My name is Rick Horwitz and I'm the founder of "Serious Explorations". What started nearly 10 years ago as a single page "brag" site about my own '93 Explorer soon grew into what you see today. Thanks to the Internet Wayback Machine you can see what our site looked like back in 1997 Off the Beaten Trail 1997

The site is still run as a hobby and I still very much enjoy working on the site and participating in discussions. These days it takes a lot of help to keep the site running smoothly and we're lucky to have a fantastic group of moderators helping me keep this site enjoyable for a family audience.

About 8 months ago my wife Charlotte and I moved out of Phoenix to a home in the boonies. We now live in Wittmann, AZ which is about an hours drive to downtown Phoenix. I enjoy the rural lifestyle even though we do see some strange things out here like this swarm of Africanized bees on our garbage can

I hope you enjoy the site. I'm always available to answer questions, and I LOVE to hear people's ideas about what we can do to keep improving the site. So let's here from you!

This thread is open for discussion. Non-moderators are welcome to dialogue with the moderators and myself in this thread.

 

[Alec]

I'm Alec Rosenbaum.

I'm from Houston, Texas and made it back here last year via Austin and Galveston, Texas for college and medical school. After much thought and with much support, I decided not to make Medicine my career and to go into Autos as my career. I recently graduated from UTI as an Auto Technician and am going to Audi Academy in Phoenix for advanced training. After working in a dealer for a few years we'll see where I go.

My first vehicle was "Splat", a 1996 Ford Explorer Sport that eventually grew a bit out of control. When I sold Splat, it had a supercharged and nitrous injected 4.0 OHV V6 making 300hp/400tq and 400/500 or so with the gas. 33"s, glass fenders, and more cool stuff, there's still an old page up at www.explorersportruck.com

My current daily driver is a 2003 VW GTI VR6. And my current project is an 85 Full-Size Ford Bronco. Into the Bronco goes a 400M motor, C6, NP208, 9", D44 TTB front. It's still currently in many pieces and will probably be completed mid 2006 if I make it back to Houston soon after the Audi school.

Since life has moved on a bit and I don't currently drive a Ford every day I'm a mod-emeritus, but still make it here more than a couple times a week.

Best way to contact me through the forums is a PM.

Truck on my friends!

 

[Blee1099]

I'm Ben Lee or Blee1099

I'm in the IT field partnering with some friends to form http://www.compsolvers.com.

I drive a 1997 Ford Explorer XLT with 2" TT & Shackles plus 3" body lift running on 33s for the moment.

I co-moderate Explorer 911 with Derrick C & Everything under the Sun with Jasonb

 

[Heath]

I'm Heath Johnson (Heath on the forum). I work in the Telecom industry and love to wheel the piss out of my X... I'm married and have a son, he just turned one and I'm trying to give him the car/truck bug too... Just tonight I caught him pushing a toy car around and making engine noises... That was cool to find him doing that ... I live in ID (thanks telecom industry )

I moderate the For Sale forums, part and vehicles... I have rules posted in there as well as some ideas for what to do if you've been swindled... If you have any ideas or recomendations for new rules or ways to do things in my forums I'm all ears...

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Hi there, my name is Paul Gagnon. I am a Telecommunications Technician with a background in cellular, microwave and optical transport (among others). I am originally from Vancouver B.C., I currently live in the Edmonton area. I first found this site in the spring of 1998 when I was searching for "Ford Explorer 4x4 off road" or something like that. Been stuck here ever since.

My wheelin' rig is a mildly modified '92 Explorer XLT, current work truck is a 2004 Explorer Eddie Bauer, daily(weekend ) driver is a 2005 GMC Jimmy and my baby is a '79 V8 Mustang. Over the past 8 years I've taken my '92 Explorer off road in B.C., Alberta, Washington, California, Utah and Alaska and met lots of cool people. I'd like to add to that list.

My own web page is in serious need of freshening but I never seem to get around to fixing it up.

 

[section525]

I'm John Whitaker (Section525, duh). I have a 1996 Explorer and a 1998 Mountaineer. I bought the '96 in 1998 as a 2WD V8. I later swapped the body onto a '99 AWD chassis. Then even later swapped out the AWD for a selectable transfer case. During all those swaps I also found time to put in an e-303 cam and other motor goods as well. The '98 Mounty is pretty stock except for a 306ci with worked heads.

I am currently in the motorsports entertainment industry. The company I work for puts on events, mostly freestyle motocrosses and monster truck shows, all over the US and Mexico. I probably work on average of about 10 days per month. So that gives me a lot of time to hang out here.

I help Heath with the For Sale forums. I've been a member of this forum since 2001 I believe, but started going to www.explorer4x4.com back in 1999 (I didn't even know what a forum was back then though).

I'm into Explorers, Superdutys, Mustangs, Glocks, and tools.

 

[FROADER]

I'm Colin Ignacio and I moderate the Wanted Forum.

I work in Human Resources at Doctor's Ambulance Service in Southern California and do freelance graphic design.

I was originally known as Fenderguy on the board, but after selling the old Explorer, and buying the "new" one, I changed it to a word I've been saying for a long time when referring to off-roading. OFF-ROADER

This site has helped me go places to off-road and meet a lot of great people to off-road with.

 

[Flounder]

I'm your resident pledge, Flounder.

If you're looking for any type of vehicle finish, cleaning, buffing, etc. advice, send me a PM.

 

[james t]

Im James Thompson and i moderate Offroad Projects. I have a 96 5 liter that was once lowered and is now lifted. I also have a 74 and a 75 bronco, neither of which run at the moment. I am a tire builder at Cooper Tire here in Texarkana. My vehicular interests have ranged from drag racing, offroading, sport trucks, sport bikes, and mall cruisers like the one i have now. I am no expert on anything, but i have worked on just about everything out there at one time or another.

 

[GJarrett]

I'm Gerald Jarrett; currently living in Simpsonville SC but originally from the Dallas TX area. I found this site back in December 1998 when I ordered my new '99 Eddie Bauer and was waiting for delivery on it. I currently am a real estate investor/rehabber and married AshliX in Moab during a ceremony at our Moab2004 event.

I formerly moderated the Everything Under the Sun forum, but a combination of getting too busy in my personal life along with an astronomical increase in postings on that forum as this website grew, necessitated that I step down since I couldn't keep up with it. I am still moderator of the Before and After forum, and of all of the Club/Events/ Offroad Run forums - which is where my primary interests lie. I have met many fine people and made many wonderful friends through participating in 4x4 trailruns coordinated on this website and value those experiences greatly.

This is a great website and I feel honored to help Rick in any way that I can to keep it going. I am always open to correspondence and will answer any PM or email you send me. And a special thanks go to all of the Elite members for supporting this site

 

[Maniak]

My name is Mark Strickland and I reside in Vail Arizona which is just east(east-southeast) of Tucson. We are in the boonies (we were happy to get trash service last year) I am a Software developer for Inter-Tel (that was the last company to buy us).

We have a 1992 Ford Explorer that is lifted and locked and just broken in.. (over 300k miles) with a 700r4 trans.. We also have 2 kawasaki motorcycles (ninja 500 and a zx-6d), a 1995 dodge neon, 1983 chevy 1 ton (flat bed) and a couple parked (been so for a few years) cars and a parked boat. Too many hobbies, not enough time...

I moderate the Stock 1991-1994 general forum where you can get answers to questions on the base explorer.

~Mark

 

[SoBeLover]

Hi, I'm Sandy Gonzalez and I moderate the Explorer Babes forum. I'm from Middletown, CT and I work as an administrative assistant for a small brazing/heat treating company.

To all of the newbies here, I'm called SoBeLover because I'm an absolute fanatic about SoBe Beverages.

I'm the mom of two beautiful daughters, ages 20 and 12. I drive a '92 midnight blue Explorer Sport, that just had a rebuilt transmission installed.

I found this site when I did a Google search for Explorer wallpaper, not long after I got my truck.

This is a great website and I encourage all that get help from here to support the site and become Elite

 

[jasonb]

I'm Jason Boyette and I live just outside Atlanta. I grew up in a small south Georgia town and lived and worked on farms up until I left to go to college. Graduated from Georgia Tech in 2000 and currently I work from my house doing computer graphics (3D renderings, animation, logos, etc.) I'm currently going back to school to get a Masters with plans to teach computer graphics at the college level and continue to work in the field on the side. Oddly enough, I'm going to University of Georgia for the Masters.
My wife and I just had our first baby on the 22nd of June. Katelyn Anna is my pride and joy right now and takes up every bit of time that I have. I am loving it though and wouldn't trade those minutes and hours for anything.
I currently drive a 99 4x4 Sport and used to wheel it. Before it was demoted to baby hauling duty, it was locked front and rear with 33s, a hidden winch, sliders, and skid plates. I loved wheeling it but I had to practical. Bought a Samurai and started an extensive build on it that is taking a long time but I knew that would be the case. I needed a project to work on while raising the baby. Currently, it has D44 axles, 100" wheelbase, soon 37s and a 6.4:1 tcase.
I moderate this forum (Everything Under the Sun) along with Ben. We try to keep it under control. If you ever have any questions, suggestions, issues, etc with this forum, let me know and I'll do what I can to fix it. Maybe one day I'll even bring back the models thread for more than just Christmas!

 

[mattadams]

I'm not much of a moderator anymore, but I'll post anyways . I'm Matt Adams and I go way back to the beginning of explorer4x4 it seems, back in 97 or 98 or something rediculous like that. I currently don't have an explorer so I don't get on here much anymore, my truck has been taking all my time. my truck was at the SEMA Show in Vegas last year and will be there again this year.
I live in Westminster, CO and I work at a software company, I also run the Rocky Mountain Ford Truck Club.

 

[Michael]

I'm Michael Bouknight and I live here in sunny Phoenix, AZ. I relocated here a year and a half ago from Houston, TX. I came for the wheeling and now don't really have as much time for it as I'd like. My job as a mortgage broker and the house I just bought are taking up way more of my time than I would like.

There have been many pictures on here of what is left of my 94 explorer. It has been through a few different build levels so far and is about to go through another in the next few months.

I moderate the Under hood and such forum. If there is something you would like to see more, or less, of in there, or something you want changed about it be sure and submit the proper forms in triplicate. After the mandatory waiting period, I'll think about it .

 

[RangerX]

Hi, I'm Bill Collins, AKA RangerX. I am the moderator of the Ranger forum, Ranger Registry, Mugshots, and the Explorer/Ranger Solid Axle Swap Registry.

I've been here since the last century, when I was web-searching for people to wheel with. I found some here!

I was born in NY, grew up in western Mass., and lived in the San Diego area for 25 years now. Married, kids, work in constuction, blah, blah, blah.

Hobbies are wheeling and tiki carving. For pics on either, search! I have a thread of tiki pics somewhere, and there's a few pics of me wheeling scattered about, some showing me rubber side down.

 

[Ray Lobato]

I'm Ray Lobato from Los Banos California and I have a 97 XLT. It's lifted and locked in the back, and a few other modifications.
I moderate the Stock 1995-2001 and the Stock 2002+ forums, where you can ask questions about anything related to the basic stock configuration.
I was a member of this site since it was Off the Beated Path, and I was the fifth person to become a moderator.
My Wife Sandy and I have been to the Moab and Truckhaven events, and I was one of the members of the Stealth Rubicon trip.

 

[jasonb]

I moderate the Stock 1959-2001 and the Stock 2002+ forums,

I'm having all kinds of issues with my 1959 explorer. I think it's about ready to kick the bucket.

 

[Heath]

Damn Jason, you think you're having problems, I walked out side and poof, the damn thing was gone!!! Almost like they didn't make it...

 

[MONMIX]

Hey this is Kevin and I co-mod body work and audio.

I have worked in the collision repair industry for 13 years. I have been through I-CAR training in Damage analysis, electrical, restraints, suspension and alignment.
I have done every thing from a simple bumper cover swap to compleate front and rear suspension swaps, rail replacements, core support replacements, roof replacments, quarter pannel replacemtns, frame pulls.
I hope this qualifies me.

In audio I owned my own business on the side in concert event productions.
Concert sound systems, staging, lighting, stuff like that.
I have worked coffie houses and 7,500 seat arenas, with 64 channels worth of inputs.
I fully regonise that mobile audio is a pretty different beast, but I trust my ears and I know what it takes to get good " correct " sound.
I may not be qualifed as some but I know what I know.

Any way, for info on my Ex just click on my registry in my sig.