Hot Rods My second issue of Hot Rod Magazine came today.

What are they trying to do? What's with all the pro street stuff?

 

They are trying to appeal to the largest audience possible, they obviously don't think that traditional hot rodders fit that description.

 

F#@king up perfectly good cars for fifty years now, is there a problem officer!
Why do people think the rest of the world follows the HAMB template?

 

It's called whatever works.
Advertizers are as important as subscribers.
Gotta follow the money.

 

You ought to get that on a t shirt!

 

I would have thought that they would try to appeal to a wider audience. I don't think it has to be H.A.M.B. friendly, but not all pro street. At the cruise night I have attended there doesn't seem to be too many pro street cars. Are they single handedly trying to revive it to where it once was?

 

It should have read "cruise nights". I have been to many.

 

I once saw Is there a problem, officer? painted on the driver side roof of a car

 

Many industry insiders would say advertisers are more important than subscribers.
Which partially explains why there are almost no print mags left.

Lets see how long their current business model lasts.
Will Hot Rod magazine become an annual ?
Or get killed, like every other big title these idiots have destroyed ?

 

I'm waitin for my copy, but don't sound too impressive...?

 

People that don't know shit about cars, or publishing, trying to run a "Hot Rod" magazine.

If you go back far enough, car magazines like HotRod, shared what was going on.
And advertisers wanted to be associated with this. The readers were most important.

Years later, the Tail started wagging the Dog. Advertisers were calling all the shots.
Giving away free parts wasn't enough, they also supplied content as part of an ad buy.
Publishers cashed in, because they didn't need knowledgeable writers any more.
The magazines became infomercials.

Now, the stuffed shirt clowns running Hotrod, are trying to capitalize on fads from 30+ years ago.
Because they have no other ideas.

 

Second quarterly is worse than the first.

Some of you guys roasted me for not liking the first. Being quarterly they get four strikes. I already decided I’m not renewing, even if it’s free.

 

After hanging on to my Hot Rod subscription for almost 40 years, I finally let go about 5 years ago. Why print media died is a discussion that ended a decade ago. I think I kept getting it only because my car was featured, but it could be argued that my car in it was the beginning of the end...

 

I received my "new" issue Saturday. thumbed through all pages. Then placed it in a seal type baggie. maybe some day will be worth something.

 

Got mine today, I have no idea what they’re thinking about but it’s not what I think about !

 

It Sucks....

 

Affirmation for what many of us expected.

 

all the good stuff is on Youtube and of course, here on the HAMB.

 

Their slogan ‘where it all began’ should be ‘where it all ended’

 

I did some quick calculations and I doubt if the ads covered the printing bill. The NHRA double truck color ad was probably sold at a deep discount. Those claiming that advertisers are the tail wagging the dog aren't paying attention. There were 2 chassis ads and the content of the Summit ad could be construed as appealing to pro stock builders. Other than those three ads, the rest of the ads were for liquids and the single page called PRO SHOP made up of 4 companies in the industry, a house ad for MOTOR TREND and liquid substitute for viagra. Skechers paid big bucks to be on the inside back cover. The most surprising ad was for Camel tobacco products. I thought that magazines with a readership of those younger than 18 were unable to accept tobacco ads. Either they changed the law, or nobody under 18 reads HOT ROD anymore.

 

Volume 2…Strike 2!

 

I think far fewer people read at all anymore, much less about old hot rods.

 

I got my last issue in January this year. Decided I was tired of Hot Rod magazine and didn't renew. Between the LS swaps in everything, and the rest of the modern builds it just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

 

I received mine today and I was completely underwhelmed. I mean to dedicate the whole issue to one type of vehicle is nuts. Let's have a little variety! I bought my first issue of Hot Rod in 1961. The chances of me renewing are fading fast! Too bad. I have enjoyed this mag over the years.

 

Based on the last two issues it looks like each issue is themed on one vehicle subject type. So will there be a traditional hot rod issue, then a hot rod truck issue then a rat Rod issue then a street Rod issue and so forth?

 

. . . a Tacoma pickup issue, Prius issue, Harley issue, etc.

 

Makes sense, but might not last long enough, for anyone to identify a pattern.

 

I am not a fan of the Pro Street or Billet Tech-no style but those guy tend to build their cars using all new parts from vendors who advertise, were we tend build our cars form real Henry, G.M., MoPar steel or frames and vintage speed parts found at junkyard, swapmeets, or though word of mouth.

Outside the necessities engine, transmission, rear end, bearing and fluids there is much new in our cars, that’s not much of a market to sell advertising to.

 

I quit reading Hot Rod Magazine many years ago when they couldn't decide if they were a motorcycle, 4x4, Camaro, Mustang or go kart magazine. After I went to my first Street Rod Nationals in 1994 in Louisville, Hot Rod Magazine had something like three pages of the Nat's and 14 pages about motorcycles!

 

You got that right,...this issue is a 2nd let-down,...the Falcon is kinda neat and the Malibu wagon, but not really my interests.