Art & Inspiration Hot Rod Quarterly

I built a few too. Never a full to finish, I did the roll bars, tubs, etc. I still wonder how many are sitting unfinished in garages all over Motown and the suburbs. Many of the race cars I did got finished, they always worked real well, still pals with some after more that 2 decades. I have a cobwebbed recall of the Marlin. You know that car should be on topic here, just as we've seen early altered WB versions in these pages. We don't boot T-buckets with big tires. Just sayin. I'm in SE Mich, I must have seen it.

 

Is he back involved with the magazine? A year or two ago he completely separated from it and was concentrating on their videos/TV shows.

 

May be time for Ryan to open the Dog Fight board back up.

 

1st question, do you prefer to be Sister Mary Cyanide or Sgt Stedanko?

2nd, it's all such a grey area, and while I know we "sort of" stop at 65 in the main boards we still have to make allowances. If someone had pictures from a 1966 NHRA natls could they be posted? Do we have to sift thru any and all pics that just might have a big tire? And frankly something I think we all miss out on in the early funny cars. When they looked like the cars they were vs the wrapped wedges we see later on. That was real. If we're to be so rigid then the Chrisman Cyclone is off topic too? No full body FED fuelers either (66-69)? I know it's a far cry from a tubbed Marlin but we've seen and embraced 70s T-buckets more than I can recall. In the end I long for the day when membership and staff can advance our history. Nothing stopped or hit a wall in 1965. All my opinion, so no this isn't an insurrection (did I say that word?).

 

You’ve seriously been here this long and you’re trying to bump the 65’ date? Thanks I needed a laugh on this groggy post time change morning.

 

I just recently started a new site mostly dedicated to stuff the HAMB doesn’t cover. It’s still very small and may never be much, but instead of blowing up Mark’s blood pressure, come over and check it out, contribute, whatever. But feel free to post up those fad T and pro street cars over there. I’m not really advertising it here, just posting it as an alternative location for the post 1965 stuff. If this is out of bounds, Mark feel free to delete it.

Link in signature.

 

I said it wasn't an insurrection, I'm offering opinion. Yeah, I get it. I often wonder why, or what was the motive to just say 65 beyond what's been posted/established already. Other sites are laiden with big hoops, LS-what the fuck evers, pro touring, blah fkn blah blah blah. I'm in lockstep with the membership in the thought that most of that shit lacks soul and imagination. See, we ARE the same after all. I can't take an oath that I never will ask again or express the opinions.

 

I walked the 400 ft to the mailbox and pulled this issue of HRM out and it didn't take long to decide that outside of the dragsters there wasn't a lot interesting in it and like the other comment, very little advertising content and advertising pays the bills. I'd imagine that when you are down at cars and coffee on Saturday morning or the weekly gathering at burger biggie there will be those all excited and thinking about turing that later model hulk sitting beside the driveway into a pro street rig. If my buddy wasn't in the shape his in he would be all excited about it as he was deep into big tires and narrow rear axles.

I graduated from high school in 1965 so I had a front row seat seeing the differences between 64 and older cars and 65 and later cars as far as car guy mentality goes. You could walk into most any Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Plymouth, Olds, Pontiac, or Buick plus a few more dealerships in 65/66 and buy a car off the floor for 3500 bucks or less that would give the guy with the 55 Chevy with the strong 301 or 327 a run for his money and take his money most of the time. It wasn't just about body style, it was about the philosophy of going fast at the time. On the other side of the ally the custom car thing was totally different. Unlike the 50's and early 60's guys who bought new cars didn't have custom work done soon after purchase like they did earler. The cars didn't get taken to the body shop to be nosed and decked and have a grill change and some other mods in the first year of owner ship. some got garish paint jobs following the paint trends but looked like modern lowriders with all the trim left on.

Wide tires= If you went to the drags stock classes were limited to 7 inch wide tires and they did measure. Especially when you were running slicks. 9;00 tires for a limo were big rear tires then. Most guys with street cars didn't have the gears to make use of them though.

 

Got mine today…looks like it went through WW3. Kay from “customer service” said a replacement isn’t available. Said she would extend my subscription from Aug. 2025 to September 2025 on the QUARTERLY magazine. Wonder when the funeral for HOT ROD MAGAZINE a will take place. Next they will do the “lifetime subscription” lifeline!

 

Got mine in the mail this week. My thoughts not a wise choice to put out a pro street issue as their first quarterly with the hopes this would please the subscriber's. If the next issue is just as lame I know I wont be renewing in the future.
Ronnieroadster

 

I don't see Hot Rod magazine as having too much of a future. When I got my issue, I would say it looks nice but I'm not a fan of the whole pro street thing. I think they could have done a better job with the content. In my opinion, I can't see them picking up any new subscribers, and with the way this is going based on the "first" issue it looks like they will lose a lot of existing subscribers. I hope I'm wrong.

 

Did the GNRS not have an entire building dedicated to Pro Street this year? There must some interest.
I know it's hard for some here to fathom but perhaps Hot Rods readership is not all of the same mindset as the 50 guys on here who subscribe.

 

Tried to join after 2 times of the activation code being wrong I quit.

 

there is a story about some old drag race cars....



and if you squint, you can see me in my 62 Vette in the Power Tour West story.

So all is not lost, from where I sit.

 

Sorry for the problems you had getting on, see now that you made it, welcome!

 

First let me say that I like the Pro-Street look sometimes. I don't cringe at the thought that someone built their vison of a hot rod and didn't follow my personal ideas.....whether it be pro-street or something else. That said, I was very disappointed in the first issue and as someone who has spent virtually their whole life subscribing to Hot Rod, I seriously doubt that I'll continue.

1st: I don't consider the gaudy over painted, over chromed and basically non-streetable cars something that I can identify with. I would rather see stuff that had streetable paint jobs and actually get driven. Saw a 32 at the nationals which had been tubbed and had wide rear tires but not all the excessive stuff.........I liked how it looked. Sorry, but I can't post it here.

2nd There was absolutely no tech articles ............

Basically the only thing of any interest in the whole magazine was the Scott Sullivan article on the 54 and 55 Chevys.

Personally I think Rodding USA and The Rodders Journal both have better formats in how they publish their books. I hope they all survive, but Hot Rod needs to regroup one more time and fire a better bullet if they want to continue............

 

I dont think hotrod will ever please anyone.

its skinny and full of adds but dirt cheap and its all complaints except from mark

it’s thick, still not exspensive and no adds and its litterally still all complaints except from mark.

i dont think the hamb will ever be pleased with hot rod. They could mail out new copies every month of the first year they printed and there would still be a thread bitching about it.

magazines are dead. You’re all just kicking the corpse.

 

No, they have just killed off all the magazines I enjoyed reading!

 

So you're bitchin about people bitchin ? I guess all us bitchers can't please everyone either..............
Maybe you should consider that people are offering honest opinions and in this case those opinions happen to lean toward the negative side. I would rather tell Hot Rod where I think they went wrong and hope they are able to regroup before its too late rather than see them disappear......but they have to supply content that people want to see. Not just a certain segment of hot rods, but events and technical articles that many of us don't have access to. I supported them and they disappointed me.............call it bitchin or call it constructive criticism.......but they need to put their "big boy" pants on and take a reality check if they want people to continue to support them.

 

finally got my copy today. yes, there is some "friendly" stuff to see. 98 pages. seems that Hot Rod is still influenced by past editor David Freibuger. he recently built one of those "pro" cars, that is featured. many know him from Hot Rod DELUXE; Roadkill titled TV shows and HR Garage. he has a fairly wide range of rides he likes to build and drive

 

It's one issue guys, just one. The hamb isn't their only audience. I would even bet it received more thumbs up outside of the hamb than all the negative ones received here. You guys think that the magazine exists only for you. It doesn't, we'll have to wait to see what they come up with next issue. If it features all hamb quality rides, there will be muscle car guys complaining about the old geezer lawn chair type rides you see at donuts and coffee events.
Maybe they should just call it quits and you all can be so proud of yourselves

 

HOT ROD: WHERE IT ALL ENDED!

 

I'm with Sgt Sted..., I mean Mark on this

Here's the thingy-thing as I see it. With the right mindset they're all history books. One of the lingering skidmarks in the knickers around here tends to shoot spitballs at the "yutes" and mourn their lack of interest or mutated participation in more traditional cars. What we focus on here is gospel in name only, and never forget we're but a crumb in the bottom of a box of donuts. Even the beloved membership here needs to see it all outside our virtual clubhouse. A mag like HOT ROD can teach. The things they cover are real, factual, happening or happened in the past. If I'm gonna BLAME them for anything it's the LS madness. Sure they make power but dammit, every early car doesn't need to be powered by one. They pushed that pretty hard. The other things they cover? Hey kids, our world of modified cars has always done some shit that was way dafuq out there. I didn't get the memo that we have to like it all but I sure like seeing and hearing about it sometimes. Its like this, I'm a Packard guy too and I like what I like. If their mags in the clubs did a focus on the post "bathtub" cars from 52 and up should I cancel my scrip? Should I spew hate n venom? Should I insist they ONLY cover the 53 Caribbean (the only one I give a pass to)? Of course not.
Once again said differently, we here may have influence and history behind us, and indeed some living legends and icons of our world within the members, but we're still crumbs. A few chips of frosting, some bits of donut, and don't forget the nuts. If every donut has to be a cruller y'all can fight over my share. I hope they stay in print for a long time, even when they cover LS powered crullers

 

A bunch of whining because the first issue of a new format of the magazine wasn't dedicated to the tiny slice of the hobby that you like? Oh geez.

 

If anyone was expecting the majority of content to be traditional each issue now, you'll be sadly disappointed. They can't please everyone with every issue. When they have an issue with mainly traditional stuff in the future, there will be complaining from the other side. Personally, I enjoy the variety and get burned out by only one style of builds/ cars.

 

Got my copy last week and was happy to see it. I love traditional rods & kustoms, but I also love everything else, including Pro Street cars and other OT vehicles.

Remember folks, it's HOT ROD Magazine, not HAMB Magazine.

 

Got my issue last week and was surprised at the quality of it, but underwhelmed at the content. But they didn’t publish it just for ME. I’ll let my subscription run its course and then decide if I want to continue. If they don’t pull the plug before that.