Art & Inspiration Hot Rod Subscription

Just got an e-mail telling it was time to renew my subscription for Hot Rod. Special deal, 4 issues for $30. I've been getting Hot Rod non stop since the mid 60's. I'm on the fence rather to keep subscribing in hopes it will get better or abandon them? Not much print left. Will resubscribe-rs continue to help support the magazine or will they drop the magazine resulting it's final demise?

 

Gary, I stuck it out for a long time but I got my renewal a couple of months ago and I didn't renew. HRP

 

I don’t know if I’ve changed or the magazine has changed- probably both. But it no longer holds any appeal to me. I won’t be re-subscribing.

 

I’m a non- subscriber but I’d like to comment anyway. They lost their way long ago, I thumbed through the latest issue at the supermarket the other day and there was nothing in it for me. Great photography but as far as editorial content? Meh.
The fat lady is clearing her throat.

 

Hot Rod and Motor Trend was just bought by Hearst Publishing in December. They print Car and Driver so hopefully there is someone there that understands us. I'm willing to give them a chance and see how it shakes out.

 

No more $10 , 12 issues ..
Wasn't there a
Life time that was offered
In late 70s early 80s?
If so do they honor ?

 

Got the latest issue, better than early issues but when my subscription runs out i will not renew.

 

i really can not wait to see the billet aluminum 5 axis cnc milled electrically operated remote controlled gas cap cover (really was in one issue a couple years ago)

 

I still get it whenever they send it and will renew until it is no more. You are no going to see pages full of Model A highboys with hot flatheads, but if you look at it with an open mind, you are bound to find something you like.

-Abone.

 

As a car-crazy young boy growing up in the 90's, Hot Rod was rarely a title I picked up and was the least prevalent in our house.

In the mid-late 90's and early 2000's it seemed to lean more to muscle cars and newer, with a focus on 1/4 mile times and related tech.

I always liked the magazines that showed more street driven hot rod stuff, shows, and related tech to those projects.

Hot Rod never was my go-to. I know the nostalgia of the title and what it used to be is still there for a lot of you, but I don't think it has been what many of you want it to be for decades.

McGann is trying to appease everyone with the content these days, but he has a tough job to do. He does a great job at what he's doing, but he now has over 77 years of history, trends, and information in the hobby to fit into a quarterly magazine. The result of that is you can't make everyone happy.

 

Hod Rod has moved on. I haven't (like most HAMBers). Will not renew.

 

Thirty dollars won't make me or break me. I've subscribed since 1959....sticking it out 'til the end. (Either mine or their's.)

 

We could all subscribe tomorrow but when the latest CEO of whatever hedgefund owns the business and decides the print business doesn't resonate 'round the country club, it will be killed regardless. Don't believe me? I have 19+ examples for you...lol

You guys are crazy to think you somehow owe it to Hot Rod to keep the "history" going. It's a corporate entity and has been as such for decades, arguably since it became profitable. As Pete used to say, "if I could sell a magazine with nothing but ads, I would!".

 

My sub to Hot Rod ran out after the first quarterly issue. Didn’t renew. And there are no car related magazines, other than the for sale ads, on any of the grocery store racks in my area any longer. If there were, I would at least thumb through them and see if they were worth the money to buy. Can’t wait for the next TRJ!!!!!!

 

According to McGann's Instagram, the next (Summer) issue will be devoted to "Garage Peeks", as in looking inside, NOT garage builds. I like the current issue, BUT....the theme thing is wearing thin. I'm also debating renewing...

 

I was always under the impression that a “car guy” could find something of value and interesting in any automotive magazine he could pick up and thumb through. For those of you that yearn for the HAMB era send me a pm as I have a lot of 59- 63 or 64 issues of HOT ROD packed away in my shed I’d be willing to let go $ from my high school reading requirements. I re-upped again back in the 80’s, still collecting.

 

Dropped my subscription. Photography is marginal, poor background choices, photos overwhelmed with too much stuff, some lighting not planned, and weird depth of field settings. Magazine seems to be trying to be something for everyone but not accomplishing it. Of course, the standard of the world for car photography is Steve Coonan. Hop Up and Rodding USA also publish mags with good photography.

 

I’ve subscribed since I was 13, this summer will be 50 years. I just renewed. I agree with Mark, do what we can to keep it going.

 

Hot rod isn't designed and published for us, we are a minority.

Hot rodders today are far away removed from us. They are building 600 horse junkyard LS motors for a 1000 bucks vs building flatheads that cost thousands and put out less than a 1/3 of the horsepower.

They are the true Hot rodders of today and as such hot rod is catering to them, just as they should.

Now with that said I still like the muscle car motors of the 60's and early 70's. Nothing better than the idle of a factory Ford 289 hi-po solid lifter'd motor, or the torque of a S.D. Pontiac 455 and everything in between.

But again hot rodding is about building the most horsepower with the least amount of funds with parts (junkyard) readily available.

If I were younger and more knowledgeable I'd like to play with late Gen hemi motor. 330 cfm heads stock, imagine what they could do with the right performance OTC parts in a small old school coupe.

....

 

I've been reading Hot Rod magazine since I was a kid. HRP

 

Still have the first issue I ever got, The 1961 Indy preview with AJ Foyt on the cover. When the nonsense of 4 issues for whatever it was came up, I let my subscription expire, and don’t intend to get another.

Too bad, too. It used to be the industry standard. The only magazine I get now is Speedway Illustrated. Hopefully they don’t sell out soon.

 

I too have been a reader/subscriber since the 50's and will probably continue to subscribe. A lot of what they feature doesn't resonate with me but at the same time I prefer print to screen. And what happened to a buck an issue? Not a fan of the quarterly deal.

 

I have never subscribed to any car magazines, due to the fact that up here in Canada, at times it was a crapshoot whether or not the magazine would show up in one piece or show up at all. That being said, I always spent way too much money buying at the newsstands. Lately though, I don't know if it's the magazines themselves ceasing to exist, but the last time I checked my usual newsstand, there were less titles than before, and I found myself scratching my head wondering if the magazines even existed anymore?

 

For me the dislike began some time ago. Some good tech writers were fired, some had moved on and some were just plain dolts. And if that wasn’t bad enough there was no fact checking. Without a good strong foundation on the editorial board you have nothing to offer me. I started with hot rod/custom related magazines in the late ‘50’s and still have major tonnage. Complete sets of Street Rodder, Rod & Custom, (not the little pages), Circle Track, sold my ‘50’s & ‘60’s HRM’s but still have ‘70’s into early 2000’s, Special Interest Autos, drag racing and loads of other titles, tons of one-shots, and plenty more.
I’m a magazine junkie and spent plenty of money over the last 65 years but there’s a limit. While there’s no 12 step program that would cure me I do draw the line at crap.

 

I'm a lot older than most of you guy's (78) so I have been thru the go kart, motorcycle, model car, hot boat, Camaro and Mustang phases of Hot Rod Magazine. I stopped when I drove to my first Street Rod Nationals in Louisville and when I eagerly anticipated the issue that the Nationals were in, there were something like 4 pages of the Nat's and there were 14 pages of motorcycles. That was it for me.

 

I just subscribed again about a year ago. Some issues had things of interest and some not so much. Rather than featuring the details of a particular car they spend a bit too much time on the pedigree of some of the owners. I don't need 8 page spreads on a few cars, I'd prefer some actual tech articles not product and professional builder promotions. Photographs....seem a bit too "artsy" at times rather than just a clear well lit photo showing some detail of what is in the photo.

Just my grumpy opinion. Hot Rod was better back in the 70's. Oh well....

Lynn

 

For everyone dropping Hotrod magazine don’t forget we have a Canadian version “Canadian Hot Rods” it’s 6 issues a year and is my favourite magazine. Similar to the Hotrod magazine of 10 years ago.

Lots of good cars, shows (Estraged drags, GNRS) and traditional tech articles. Last month even included dropping a Model A axle! When was the last time a magazine featured that.

Can’t beat the price especially for you US guys with the exchange rate
https://www.canadianhotrods.com/

 

Terry and crew do a great job of the magazine.

 

Just gave Canadian Hot Rods a shot for a year?