i just got the January 05 Hot Rod Magazine in the mail and i could hardly put it down to tell you all about it. this magazine was, quite frankly, plain **** for the past few years, and not all that exciting before that. but over the last several months it just keeps getting better. besides the 12 second 05 Mustang, Tim Allen's "shrunken" blown HEMI powered F100 and Joe Rogan's Rad Rides built HEMI Cuda, there are articles on building a front engine dragster a Chevelle that kills Porsches, Lambos and Ferrari's on the road course, lots of drag racing coverage, land speed racing, lawn mower racing and some realy cool vintage photos. also a sad story about a lawsuit happy ***** who closed down a cool old hamburger joint in Salinas. check it out.
I stopped getting HOT ROD ages ago. It became a parts catalog with pictures of undriven pro-street machines ($$$$$)! What pisses me off about ALL car mags is that they are part of the parts pimp process. Yeah, I know they need these manufacturer's money to keep going, but can anyone tell me when was the last time they saw a comparison of intake manifolds (or whatever!), Edelbrock versus Weiand versus Holley? Which is best? Well we can't say because we don't want to piss anyone off... Truth be told, there probably isn't a difference. So, say so. HOT ROD's tech was the kind that you had to have a machine shop to do, it just doesn't have the shadetree mechanic appeal to me. Maybe that is changing and I'll revisit with them.
I got HR for many years and then let it run out about 3 or 4 yrs ago. After the last few I signed back up.. For 12.49 a year, it may be one of the best deals out there. Have you noticed that magazines are getting expensive..
I had jury duty in mid november... they had some decent magazines, but the only one I picked up was called "Drag Racer." I flip through it....it's FULL of rails, diggers, a story about the full bodied FED's of the '70's, and a feature on Garlits. Tons of cool ****...September issue I believe. I don't know if thats the regular for that mag or not, but I still need to find a copy.
I really like the direction the magazine's going in. It's wordy, in depth and chock full of information. I might reup my sub.
Rob Kinnan is the new editor--Remember the cl***ic Caddy Hack? He was there. Drove Cadzilla across country. Built the '62 Buick convertible at night, in the driveway, after work for a few months that appeared in there. Remember the Maaco paint-job Fairlane? Also Rob's. "Big Gulp Tech" is still the best tech tip I've ever read: double-cup your Kwik-E-Mart fountain beverage to keep the cup from squashing while you drive. He's a helluva guy, a real honest-to-God car guy, and a much better pool player than I am (though I had him covered in darts and bar wench phone numbers). And I'm not at all happy he's heading the compe***ion's flag ship! But hell, I might even get a subscription to it now that he's back. -Brad
Have to agree with you guys about the improvement in the mag. I subscribed for quite a long time and stopped and just started reading again. I like it, articles that take more than 2 minutes.
I've pretty much quit buying magazines. There's so much more info available on-line these days, mags just aren't as relevant.
rob rode with me and mark,my long-time male companion, on the '96 power tour, for about a half day. really nice guy, very drag race oriented, talked about how great ganahl and baskerville were, and probably had something to do with the boyd-provided trophy for best beater (runner up, actually). yeah, i owned a trophy winning car once! mf
I browsed the latest HRM today at the book store. Had to open the plastic wrapper to do so. Second issue in a row they've done that with. If the content is so blasted good, why do you make me buy the mag in order to see it? It ought to sell me on buying it! That being said, I didn't see anything worth buying in the cars section (I already get R&C), so I picked up Detroit Home and Streamliner Pioneers instead. Thank God I have the HAMB for my car fix.
[ QUOTE ] I've pretty much quit buying magazines. There's so much more info available on-line these days, mags just aren't as relevant. [/ QUOTE ] Do you take the computer to the bathroom with you too?
I still wonder what happened to the straight-axled early nova they started building a few years ago. Skinny Cragars and all. Think they were even setting the motor back.. But I only ever saw it in like two issues, then it vanished. It was like a fleeting moment of light.. I saw that thing on the cover and thought "Holy ****- that thing is rad..". It was a total shock, as nothing was being shown like that in mainstream mags- especially on the cover, as a build up car. It was absolutely bizzare... I have total respect for whoever green lighted that, because I'm sure it probably confused the hell out of the conservative pro-street/street rod contingency. Around the same time they did an issue with a bunch of straight axle cars- and the Ramchargers car with the crazy megaphones coming out of the front wheelwells- in it. So I'd say Hot Rod is still subject to sporadic attacks of coolness. I think the last one didn't last too long, but it was cool as hell while it did.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I've pretty much quit buying magazines. There's so much more info available on-line these days, mags just aren't as relevant. [/ QUOTE ] Do you take the computer to the bathroom with you too? [/ QUOTE ] I sometimes take a book, but I've never been a fan of having a pile of magazines in the bog. The idea of everybody else's pissy fingers leaving a trail of germs kinda puts me off.
The article on fuelers was great. The mag has ****ed for years, but is definatly getting like it was back in the day when I read it cover to cover.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Do you take the computer to the bathroom with you too? [/ QUOTE ] I sometimes take a book, but I've never been a fan of having a pile of magazines in the bog. The idea of everybody else's pissy fingers leaving a trail of germs kinda puts me off. [/ QUOTE ] Get some friends who are smart enough to not piss on their hands. And just FYI pee is sterile when it leaves the body, that's why they tell you to pee on your feet in the shower for athlete's foot.
Gotta agree, the mag is so much better now than it used to be, got a 2 year subscription for about $13 a couple of months back. The picture of that road race Chevelle with the wheel in the air kicks ***. Dave
[ QUOTE ] The only thing i dont like is that pic of a honda 4 banger w/ 3 holley two barrels [/ QUOTE ] it's a GM Trailblazer inline 6 actually. and it makes 1000HP!!! oddball engines RULE!!
I get my fix at Barnes and Noble....open all the plastic bags...grab a cup of coffee and ENJOY!!!!...The only mag I subscribe to is Rodders Journal....and it's worth fifty bucks a copy all day long.
You won't see too many flat black, red wheeled, mexican blanketed old Fords, but if you open your mind a little, there is some kick *** stuff in there. Shogun- As for the straight axled Nova..they ran it against a mean *** straight axle Mopar and finally spit some parts on the track. (******, I think...maybe rearend..) VERY good story..they flog the **** outta' both those cars. The Nova is supposed to have more ink soon. Still waitin for this months issue, but the last four or five have been killer. -Abone.
Cherryblossom I just spit coffee all over the keyboard, thats FUNNY !!! I agree, mag has gone good. Not as good as the 1962 ones I have with my name on the subscription label, but good enought to get my cheap subscription.
[ QUOTE ] Its going to get even better soon. Just keep checking.. [/ QUOTE ] Yes it is... yes it is. Sam.
Hey, Sam....What do YOU know that the rest of us don't......? Is your newly injected digger gettin some ink????
K&R,about getting that magazine, I go to my local library and put in my name for the last year's Hot Rod magazines and they call me when they discard the previous years mag's.. Started doing it when they came out with two different front pages when Gray Baskerville died. I wanted the one sent out with subscriptions. Hope this helpes, Tommy Mc
For the past say, 5 or 6 months the mag has increasingly gotten better and better. This months kept the trend going. My favorite part was the pics from the 1956 NHRA drags...really great stuff. The Chevelle-Euro trash killer was awesome and I really like Tim Allens F-100. I am sure I am forgetting something but I like the way the mag is going...and now Frieburger is gonna be head of Car Craft too...that might be even better than HotRod for those who like a little more off kilter stuff. Greg
The Jalopy Journal
