Well I got the pleasure of meeting Craig Pike who runs www.MyRideisMe.com. We met at the Grand National Roadster show, imagine that meeting at a car show.  So I interviewed him because of his great new website he launched (www.MyRideisMe.com) back in September. MyRideIsMe allows you the chance to meet all kinds of car people from every genre and make of car. You can bost about your own ride or check out what other people are driving.

Just one of Craig's projects 

So Craig what do you do for a living?

I’m a powertrain performance engineer for Nissan at the proving grounds in Arizona.  I work mostly on the Titan, Armada and QX56.  I drive new cars and trucks all the time and I get to say if the powertrain is good or not for the American customer. Sometimes that’s all out flying around our test track, but sometimes its creeping in a parking lot.  Being around cars, especially the new GT-R and all the newest technology is just my thing, and the title sounds like a dream job and sometimes it is, but, you know it’s still work, that’s why I started MyRideisMe.com.

When did you start and how did you come up with the idea MyRideIsMe.com?

I’ve always been unsettled at work, I guess you could say, that’s why I’ve had 7 jobs!  I’ve always wanted to get more than what I’ve got, so I’d come up with all kinds of ideas on how to make some extra money.  I don’t need to be rich, but it sure would be nice to spend more time with my boys, coaching some basketball or just picking them up from school.  I’d also like to spend A LOT more time in the garage working on my own cars.  I guess that’s what drives me to keep coming up with “ideas”.  Maybe I’m a dreamer?  I don’t know.

I’ve never really followed completely thru on any ideas… That’s been a source of frustration too.  Following an original design I did for a finned aluminum valve cover for a 2.3L Ford motor that was going no where (risk $10k to make $5k?) I got the idea for MyRideisMe.  So many folks connecting by Myspace that are really gearheads and using forums to post pictures.  My hope is to have them all still use forums, but use MyRideisMe.com to share the detailed pics. As I started to share the idea with close friends and with my partner, Chris Holman, the idea kept growing until I decided this is the one.  I’m gonna make this work or give up on my ideas completely.  So far, I’m sticking with it!

How long has MyRideIsMe.com been around? 

I got the idea some time in April, then we had our full site up September 1.

There are a lot of car websites out there what makes you different from the rest? An excellent question!  First, I think there’s room for several great car websites.  Ultimately, I’d like to find a way to tie them all together.  But for now, MyRideisMe is organized differently.  First off, pics are stored in tabs or folders based on what they are.  Instead of dumping pics all over random pages, we organize by engine, interior, main shots, etc. so that if someone wants to see detailed pics of my front suspension, they won’t have to search thru 10 pages of a stereo install to find them.  Then, we’re trying to help folks find the cars they like quickly with lifestyles.  If you’re into Ford Mustangs, you might like new ones or old, stock/restored or hot rod, or  you might like to see race ‘stangs.  If your only option is to search by “Ford Mustang” then you’ll see them all.  At MyRideisMe, you can say, “race only” or “street rod” or “100 point car” to find all cars in that style, or only the Mustangs.  As we grow, I think that’s gonna be a key feature.  We’ve got some other unique features coming too!

Do you think it is a benefit to tailor to all of the car genre’s  out there and why? Another excellent question!!  I just read something about the “long tail theory”  that pretty much says NOT to chase everyone.  But, at the same time, I’ve always tried to come up with “ideas” that were appealing to everyone.  For example, everyone with a car has tires and uses motor oil.  Something that’s universally appealing has the biggest audience, right?  But, since I like hot rods, that’s the kind of stuff I’m writing about and that’s the show’s I’m hitting, so that’s the membership I’m attracting right now.  I hope that as other genres grow, they’ll take on their own, different style.  I guess the short answer is, we’ll see!

Now that take care of your website what about you. 

Do you have any cars that you own, if so what are they?

HA!  Check out my garage!  www.myrideisme.com/Garage/pikesan Questions like that are another reason I created the site.  I have a 27 Ford Roadster that’s a ton of fun.  I love pulling into a show/cruise next to a super high dollar car.  Folks will walk past that car and spend time looking at mine.  I get a kick out of that.  When people can relate to a car and think, “I could build that” or “I could own that” they’re attracted to it.  I also have a 63 Falcon wagon that needs quite a bit of work and a 61 Ramber American wagon that’s in pieces and doesn’t even roll.  Since I started working on MyRideisMe.com, I haven’t done anything to it.  I’ve always been a Ford guy cause my dad was a Ford mechanic.  That’s why I work at Nissan!

Since this is about cars I have to ask if you had an unlimited budget what kind of car would you build for yourself and why?

I think, like most real car enthusiasts, I’d split that unlimited into about 5 different cars.  An A/FX 64 Fairlane, Custom Sled (not to particular on the make, I like a lot of body styles) something exotic like a Pantera or the new Nissan GT-R, a fun roadster like the one I’ve got and a really bitch’n wagon.  If I could only have one, it might be something that’s a kind of compilation of all these things like Joe Rogan’s Barracuda.  Not a ‘cuda maybe, but that kind of a build.  That thing’s awesome.

What are your future plans for MyRideIsME.com?

I hope that some day you ask how we can combine forces.  Octane456 is the same good idea.

So thanks a lot Craig for answereing a few questions and I wish you the best on www.MyRideIsMe.com. I will be a supporter just to see all the diffrent cars that people are building.

Here are just a small sample of the rides over at www.MyRideIsMe.com