Behind the Scene
Bill Wren, Jim Wallace and Don Blackwell Jr. have never met face-to-face. They’re separated by thousands of miles. Yet rarely a day goes by when these three friends don’t talk, united by their shared passion for Bonneville performance, luxury and style.
Wren of Oregon, Wallace of Ontario, Canada, and Blackwell of Florida serve as the site administrators for BonnevilleClub.com — a growing Internet association where Bonneville owners, and others — meet to chat. Their task? Make the site as informative and fun as possible for car fans of all ages. “This isn’t really a typical automotive forum,” notes Wren. “It’* become a social club. A vast majority of our members join because they like the people. A lot of our children are involved. My daughter Kim, who’* also a member, often sits next to me when I’m on the site.”
So Wren, Wallace and Blackwell work hard to keep the site family friendly. “Administering the Club can be difficult,” explains Wallace: “There are instances when some people will sign on with the intention of stirring up trouble. Also, dealing with member complaints, vendor issues and general questions can get stressful. Yet, in the end, it’* still very rewarding.”
Technically, Wren can claim seniority, having served longest in the role of administrator. But there’* no power struggle here. Wren, Wallace and Blackwell share decision-making equally. “It’* amazing how well we agree about handling different issues,” observes Wren. “As administrators, we try to be invisible. We want the moderators to run the site. Sometimes that means we play bad cop so the moderators earn the respect of being good cop. That way, they’re not questioned when bad things happen. We take the heat for it.”
Still, it’* a pretty mellow club, points out Blackwell: “Administrating isn’t too bad. It takes time to keep everybody in check, making sure we’re not letting certain topics get too far out of hand. I really wish that I had the time to do more for the club in terms of information. Most, if not all of the information in Tech Info actually comes from the staff and/or members who have done the actual work on their cars and can give us good insight on how to fix a specific problem.”
The current team of five moderators and eight gearheads help spread the workload. “Our gearheads can really come through,” asserts Wren. “But it’* always a matter of checks and balances. We’re trying to troubleshoot your car from miles away, and there’* lots of pressure to be right.”
The Club has become a major part of the trio’* lives, with members readily classified as friends and family. Of course, it helps to share a common fascination. “The Bonneville’* appeal lies in the combination of power and luxury — musts for me,” asserts Wallace, who was hooked in 10th grade when a friend pulled up in a 1994 Bonneville SSEi (borrowed from that buddy’* father). “The feel, the size, the options, and that intoxicating whine of a supercharger were enough for me.”
Actually, you don’t need to own a Bonneville to join the Club. As Wallace states, “That’* another thing that’* great about Bonneville Club — we don’t discriminate. Any car is welcome.”
Blackwell, who grew up watching his Dad work on cars, adds “Some of the owners do have other cars, but I like all cars. So the Club’* constantly of interest to me.”
Interest: It’* the ultimate draw of BonnevilleClub.com. “Frankly, I wasn’t really a mechanically inclined person when I signed up,” concludes Wallace. And I can’t say that I am now, but learning so many things has helped me tackle some projects on my own with success. Bonneville Club is a great motivator for the driveway mechanic.”
All three administrators agree that the best parts of the Club are the vast wealth of information, Club meets and the sense of cyber family. It’* not about member numbers, it’* about member commonalities — interpersonal relationships and a sense of community.

PHOTO CAPTIONS
Name: Bill Wren
Age: 36
Residence: Albany, Oregon
Occupation: R&D laser technician
Hobbies: Renovating his historic 18XX home, NASCAR
Club Member Since August 2002

Name: Jim Wallace
Age: 25
Residence: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Occupation: Architectural designer, for large commercial projects; plus, he runs a freelance design service specializing in new homes and custom renovations/additions
Hobbies: Cars, squash, baseball, photography
Club Member Since December 2002

Name: Don Blackwell Jr.
Age: 28
Residence: Titusville, Florida
Occupation: Retail specialist
Hobbies: Cars, hanging out with friends
Club Member Since August 2002

SIDEBAR
Join the Club
Jeff Keacher, owner of a 1995 Bonneville SSE, wasn’t satisfied with the status quo. He decided it was time Bonneville fans had a place to call their own on the Internet. So in January 2002 he officially established BonnevilleClub.com.
The site caught on. Today, the Club counts more than 2,800 members. Newer members probably don’t recognize Keacher’* importance to the Bonneville Club community. For he remains mostly behind the scenes, as college — Keacher’* an electrical engineering student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana — and other commitments occupy most of his time. “The day-to-day operations are pretty much in the hands of the administrators, moderators and gearheads,” remarks Wren.
Members and guests can visit the site for precise mechanical information to keep their Bonneville running strong, and they’re urged to display photos and stories. Most forums within the site focus on performance and maintenance, but in the Lounge, members can — and usually do — talk about various topics that stray far from Bonneville particulars.
Bonneville Club has spawned a few regional Internet sites. And members have been inspired to get together for various Bonneville gatherings across the country.