Never heard of these guys, but I got an envelpe today offering me membership in the "National Street Machine Club" today. Looking through it, it sounds pretty cool (I don't know how much "FREE" stuff they will want to send me to "TEST" for them once they find out my interest in TRADITIONAL rodding) but I wanted to know if anyone else has heard of this outfit, good or bad, are any HAMBers members, should I chuck it in the garbage, or bite? For $12 a year, it sounds too good to be true. Any thoughts or advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks Y'all.
If I'm not mistaken they're hooked up with JC Whitney somehow. I got a couple of their magazines on a trial basis last year but never joined or got any SWAG. The magazine was short on tech, but seemed to have a good variety of cars in it.
They also want your money and when you dont send them any after a year , they will marget you to death. Very little value for the membership deal. I never recieved anything but the magazine. Fair mag.
Yep im a member,Life time member it's really kool i have gotten stuff to try out.The nice thing is that the cars that are featured in the mag are cars built them selves.I got alot of stuff for becoming a life member.The other kool thing is they do storys young people how are in to the hobby.The tech parts are really good more detail than other mags.The thing they are shooting for are more of the people that are more located in the central part of the us not like every car is from california.They are part of the deadwood nites show out in the dakotas.When you sign up for the mag you can enter to win a garage giveaway where it might be a engine,a ****** or who knows also you get like a membership card to use on discounts at differant places.Lets just say for being a life member i keep pretty warm in the winter a leather jacket from the club.
I just got mine in the mail today. It said I had a chance to win one of 3 prizes and some really lucky "nominees" would win all 3. Guess what, I won all 3. I'm bettin' you did too! My nomination is in my "floor receptacled" while I think about it.
I think my dad accidentally joined. haha. Sometimes theres some cool stuff in the magazine. One issue had a feature on the "Buckshot" and another issue had coverage of the Hunnert Car Pileup.
Hey Guys, thanks for the input - I figure for twelve bucks I can at least check out the magazine that has somewhat positive feedback from a notoriously tough crowd. Hell if they actually throw in the super duper double locking keychain, $40 in gas coupons, AND a cold weld solder iron (hey, I won all three, too!), I'll still come out ahead, even if they don't send me new products to try out. What the hell, I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again for the input.
If it sounds like it's too good to be true,it's too good to be true. Why would anybody offer you,who they don't know from Adam's left ox, valuable parts to use for free-ok $12/year? If I've got stuff I want tested,I want standardized lab tests or at the very least, repeatable field testing by trusted companies. These guys want your $12.
Just logged in to their website-you can't see anything without joining. I don't like buying a pig in a poke. You want me to buy it,fine lay it out for all to see.
A valid point - but $12 might be worth the subscription to their magazine that a few cats have said is worth reading. Hell, StevieD is a "lifetime member" and claims it's worth it. I got $12 burnin a hole in my pocket (or hope to have a year from now when my first bill comes through), maybe I'll learn something new, and maybe I'll get burned for my $12. Wouldn't be the first time ... like that time at the Phish concert years ago when I bought what I thought was .. aww, never mind. It was dark.
I joined a couple of years ago. The magazine is O.K. My renew time is here and I don't feel that the additional money is worth it. The cost goes up after the initial membership. They hounded me to death about becoming a life member to the point that I jsut about called them and told them to shove the whole deal. I will never again join them.
It's a clone club of the Handyman Club of America. I joined both and did the lifetime membership for both. Got two leather jackets that are actually not bad at all. I've done product test for Handyman, nothing big yet, and I put in for testing with NSMC. Magazine is better some issues than others but ok. I did the lifetime because for me in the long run it was easier. They have member forums on the site as well as other info. I would say it's a judgement call about the value. I got the box of goodies (so-so) and the jacket and a lifetime subscription. I'm ok with that.
...I tried it for a year about a year ago, mag is just ok, did have ***us' truck and other stuff in one issue, but most of it is not that great in my opinion. Never got any stuff to try out that I liked, had to send the stuff back I didn't want, a PITA. Ain't re-subscribin,...but for $12 you can see if it's rite for you. Looks like lifetimers get the most stuff.
Did your letter say how cool you are and how they know that you are really into cars and a died in the wool gear head. Stuff like that? I toss that stuff, I know that the folks I deal with sell info about me and that's how folks like them find me. Ya gotta make your own way in this world there is no free lunch. Well that sounded a little negative didn't it. OK carry on.
I didn't get much out of the membership except window clings, a few jacket patches, and a key chain. But it was only $12 I've spent a lot more and got a whole lot less. However, I won't be renewing my membership.
I did not join but did see in one issue ***us was in there and S***ch ***** was in another. I thought that was pretty cool. I guess some of the books are decent along with the DVDs.
The only problem I had with them was the so called "merchandise previews". They sent me a few things I didn't order with the pay for it or return it line. I sent the stuff back and would still get bills for it till I contacted them. They then cleared the bill and said they were sorry. I asked to be removed from that program and told them that I found out that by law I don't have to pay for or return any unsolicited items sent to me. They said they would remove me from the preview program and I figure anything else that shows up is a freebie. As for selling my marketing info, there are already so many ways my info is collected I don't care anymore. Hell, if they contact me I'll sell them my info and cut out the middle man.
I'm not a member, but I have a couple of the mags and dvds that come with membership. I work for the delivery company that delivers for the company that prints the envelopes for the club. So when I'm down there delivering, sometimes I get stuff that was returned. It looks ok, but not the rodders journal. Junkyard
It looks ok, but not the rodders journal. ...their mag is like a flyer compared to The Rodder's Journal.!
Same here, aren't I lucky to win all 3 I took a chance, nice but surprising to hear so many "ok's" on here about it.
Ya well... I'm the Editor of the mag and our own Bob K is one of the columnists. Natas is the Art Director. There will always be a firm grasp of traditional rodding in the mag. It's more for folks who build their own stuff rather than those who write checks to shops. It's still growing and evolving, and bound to get better. The parts testing program is no ********. We get lots of parts from lots of different manufacturers and they really like 'normal' people to test their stuff and give them honest opinions of everything from performance to packaging and directions. Labs don't do that. Other mags don't either. Because our Club and mag are for Members only, we know what kind of car you've got and we'll contact you abut the parts we send if there's any question about their compatibility with your car or your ability to install/test them. (For instance - why would we send a carb spacer to a guy with EFI? We wouldn't, because we know who has carbs). It's a new and growing deal and while some of the promo material might seem a bit over the top, the core group behind the mag and such are genuine and you HAMB'ers already know some of us. Thanks for the kind words and give it a shot if you can. It's pretty cool - and getting cooler all the time. ~Scotch~
Hey Guys, Some of you may know me from the Friday Art Shows and Wed. Photo Shows. I'm the Art Director for Street Thunder. Me and Scott are dedicated to putting out top notch material and want to give our readers what they want. That is what we are all about. VIVA LA HOT RODS. Here are some photos I have taken for the Mag so you can judge for yourself.
Not to get all bandwagonish or anything but I have been checking out/ trying to contribute to their forum for a while now...(yea I am a message board junkie). They've all been really cool and they all are very open minded over there. They dig the trad stuff and they don't take pot-shots any other faction of the hobbie, no matter which end of the spectrum. I have seen everything from musclecar stuff to real gr*** roots hot rod stuff over there and they are all welcome. Kinda reminds me of a broader scoped version of TRR. I hate to come out of the closet - but I like more than just traditional hot-rods - even if I would probably never own anything but a rod...it always fun to look around. Sure the board isn't as loaded with all of the bells and whistles that we are accustomed to around here, but who cares? I like cars, they like cars, I like yapping about cars, they like yapping about...well you get the picture. When Scott left Popular Hot Rodding to start this gig - I was worried for him. Leaving the sun rich, auto enthusiast mecca known as California for the upper mid-west was a gutsy move. But it seems like his intentions have always been good and he's really trying to put people together for the hobby. I got his back - and if you don't like it then hey, **** you. ...don't take that the wrong way And I can't believe people would complain about free ****, but I guess it's possible. Maybe we've been brought up in a society that is inheirantly su****ious minded from all of the scams and dirtbag schemes - so I'll forgive the knee-jerk reaction. For now.
I did the tester thing a few times for The Handyman Club and all I ever got was glues or little throw away stuff. The best thing was probably the can of WD-40 with the trick tip. I see a lot of great item being tested and wonder how you get on the A list. I want to test a plasma cutter. Let me try a 60 gallon high CFM compressor. But Nooooo... I have put in for tester with NSMC twice now and have yet to get anything to test. I guess I can't make any list there, let alone the A list. but I still feel like the club was worth the life time membership. The jacket is decent too.
Too Many- It's all a lottery Amigo. We send out everything we get, and there's no telling what you'll find headed your way unless (as I stated) it's got some specific requirements (like the carb spacer). I'll share this with you though- We go down the list of folks who've signed up to test parts, and then start over and go down the list again. Your name will keep coming up as long as you're a Member. So, if you're a Lifer, you can bet you'll get something good eventually. For what it's worth, we've recently struck deals for Test program parts from many great companies, based on the success we're having with the program. There's some great stuff coming, and if you're on the list, you'll definitely get something. ~Scotch~ PS - Just invoice me for the commercial Broman...LOL!!!!! BTT '50s or what?
The Jalopy Journal
