Hot Rods Rodders Journal Issue 87

After I inquired, I received a similar message from them the other day. I only inquired once I might ad

 

Still haven't received issue 87. Anyone else still waiting???

 

Yup

 

Me too, just got the same email as uncle buck.

 

Why wasn't this magazine sent two or three years ago when it was supposed to?

 

https://jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/whats-the-latest-re-the-rodders-journal.1315073/
@24riverview I put you on the list and posted again in the main thread.
@GZ, you are also on that list. Sorry, but I can only keep trying to get hot rod ron to help all of you by posting what I can.
Having 4 different threads just makes it harder.

 

Hot rod ron got my email answered, still waiting on the next mailing like uncle buck but nice to know we're not forgotten.

 

I saw Hot Rod Ron's offer (Post #58 above) to ***ist with Rodder's Journal subscription questions.
A few hours after providing my subscription information to Ron , I received this reply from Rodder's Journal:

Hi Joe,
Thanks for reaching out.

You are on the list for next bulk mailing of #87.

Sorry for the delay, we are working hard to get caught up.

Thanks for your patience and support, we appreciate it.

Kind regards,

Customer Service

The Rodder's Journal
24848 Meeting House Road
Denton, MD 21629
www.roddersjournal.com


Glad I asked Ron for his ***istance; I think it really helped!
Joe

 

Might is supposed to be in the next shipment. Thanks HotRod Ron

 

So far I have not received #87 as promised by TRJ in a follow up email triggered by Ron.

This is almost like the a long running soap opera, As The Stomach Turns or something like that.

Or maybe a comedy like the story of two families the Campbells and the Tates

 

It's a total joke, but the joke is on us.

 

Sounds like the next bulk shipment hasn't gone out yet. What's the joke? Let's say you spent $50 on a subscription 2.5 years ago and have received zilch. 500 days. What if you knew it was risky but were asked to invest 10 cents a day to try to save the magazine? Compared to what ended up with my Hot Rod subscription or my Hemming's Cl***ic Car subscription,this is a far better deal. Although I admit I got 87 with the first mailing

 

You haven't seen issue 87 yet because you are in the second mailing that is going out soon. We have tried to capture everyone who did not get an 87 in the first mailing, as we are trying to avoid a third m*** mailing. From what I have been told so far, the subscription department feels pretty confident that they have everyone accounted for, with 87 missing, and that they will be in the second m*** mailing. As soon as they send out the bulk shipment, they will let me know so I can post it here.

 

I sure hope you weren't a math teacher.....

 

Good catch! Thanks.Let's say 1.37 years ago so the math work. The sentiment stays the same.

 

I sure hope you weren't an English teacher.....

 

Just old

 

I sure hope you know I'm just joking around..... The big smiley emoji should tell you that.

 

Oh, yes. I appreciate it-keeps me on my toes.

 

Thanks to Hot Rod Ron, I got an email from Customer Service stating that I'm on the list to get my #87 in the next bulk mailing. Fingers crossed! Thanks Ron.

 

HotRodRon got me some action fromTRJ.
Hopefully see my beloved copies arrive soon!

 

Being an international subscriber , I sent an e-mail to TRJ customer service on April 17 and received a return e-mail on April 26 to confirm that I will be sent #87 on the next mailing.
I also contacted Hot Rod Ron a few days after I sent the email to be part of his contact with TRJ so would to thank Hot Rod Ron for his input and help as well.

 

I contacted Hot Rod Ron, and within a couple of days, I got an email from TRJ, saying I'm on the mailing list, so heres hoping!!! thanks for your help, Ron

 

Seeing a lot of guys got their issue #87 back in Dec. 2025, shouldn't everyone be receiving issue #88 about now???
After all, it is a quarterly publication.

 

TRJ believes that the term "quarterly" means that an issue will be sent every 2 1/2 years. 2 1/2 years is quarterly based on 10 years. However, make sure that you are paid up so you can get nothing in return.

 

Still no issue #87.
The empty mailbox speaks volumes
Or lack of volumes.
It’s saying that the promises from TRJ are as empty as the mailbox.

 

We don't get to know the inner workings of any business. However, we are one day away from May 2026. The first mailing went out late Nov, early Dec 2025.
It's obvious the subscriber list was badly outdated and missing many people. Internal records a mess.
There is also the question of out of country subscribers, which was routed thru a different m*** mailer and I have not seen posts saying they have been received. Lack of communication to explain why this happened.
It seems that internal problems are just as bad or worse, since this second mailing is still not being announced even after all of @Hot Rod Ron 's and others' efforts to identify who and where they are supposed to go.
They are not willing or able to provide the product paid for in advance. It's been 5 months of 'contact us and we will sort this out' without saying when. This is the periodical equivalent of body shop jail. We as subscribers have asked repeatedly for communication in lieu of timely fulfilling of the contract.

The website has been updated with 2026 at the bottom
© 2026 roddersjournal All rights reserved. Hosted and Managed by Logic Minds
but the Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Shipping & Returns along with the Terms & Conditions links are wrong.
This is the main facing link for the business. It is pretty, but broken. I wonder if the site manager and host is getting screwed too.
It is still blaming COVID for the delays. Many businesses were closed down or affected by this, but if you are still unable to revive after this length of time, it speaks poorly to your ability to run a business and respond to challenges. My dog ate my homework 5-6 years ago isn't satisfactory. Not providing your customers with any communication to restore trust in the brand and product is foolish.
If they had said in January it's going to take 4 months or more for us to get our records straight and send out #87 to everyone who we missed, there would have been outrage. Leaving it unanswered and still no public statement is worse.
I sure do not want it to be run by some VC group who will en****tify the product and strip all the ***ets before closing up.
But I don't want it to be run by a great artist who can't even keep notes on who has paid, blows through self-imposed and agreed on deadlines and refuses to talk.

 

All who haven't seen issue 87 yet are in the second mailing that is going out soon. We have tried to capture everyone who did not get an 87 in the first mailing, as we are trying to avoid a third m*** mailing. From what I have been told so far, the subscription department feels pretty confident that they have everyone accounted for, with 87 missing, and that they will be in the second m*** mailing. As soon as they send out the bulk shipment, they will let me know so I can post it here.

As for international shipping, I have been told that the international agent and customs paperwork are just about finalized. I would think that would coincide with the second shipping of 87 domestically. Again, I have no control over shipping or subscription status. Please see my past post on exactly what I am in control of.

Once I get any news, I will post it here. I have responded to all PMs. They have slowed down, so it makes me think we have accounted for everyone here on the HAMB that is missing issue 87.

 

You are absolutely correct. However, they will still take your money and not give you what you have paid for. It's not only bad business.....

 

Ron, I understand that you are not at liberty to say things not approved by leadership.
I have tried to be clear why I have issues and condense what I hear others have posted, what they are and suggestions for improvement. You are a bright spot in this mess, although limited by the role. I am not dumping on you.

Reading between the lines you have posted, the entire international mailing is still not shipping out 5 months after the stateside mailing went out due to the extra steps and agents involved and may still be delayed further (No ETA), plus any that may have been missed in that first international batch 5 months ago are not part of that group. They can expect another long delay if they are in the upcoming second batch (No ETA) since they also must be routed thru processes and agents which took 5 months so far.

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth.
I am trying to clarify what has been said and understand what is not being said. I am not asking for trade secrets, every tiny detail, or prognostication of the future. I'm not asking what total subs are, how many got messed up, why the database got screwed, who the int'l agents are to har*** them, hard dates to hold the business accountable at midnight, or what future plans are to refine all this mess. This is NOT a required service or product. It's a luxury item that is failing it's most basic function, a quality product with reliable delivery.

It may be busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger in the office, but we are not allowed to see it. That is fine. However having the same "We are working hard doing the best we can, it is Happening Soon" line for months is ****.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soon
: without undue time lapse

“Soon” has no specific timeframe, just like “short” has no specific length. At most, you might guess what it means from context, but often you can’t.

A proposed quarterly publication (every 3 months) taking 5 months to arrive extends beyond what I expect from that phrase.

“Soon” may also mean “never”, and be used as a polite way to brush someone off by deferring an action that they have requested to an indefinite future that never actually arrives.

This seems to be more fitting to how this is currently being handled.

EDIT: I went back to the very first post in this thread. #87 was finished at the printer and moving on the the mailing company on OCTOBER 10th!
I will quote the whole thing so if it gets edited, this is what was said fully at least at this time. No editing, no bold. No further opinion expressed on what is written here from 6 months ago.

"Got this email today.

We hope all our readers have been enjoying a great summer of hot rodding and cruising. We’re happy to share the good news that issue #87 of The Rodder’s Journal is finally out of production purgatory and has been delivered to the mailing house and will be mailing to subscribers soon!

We couldn’t be more excited to share the content we’ve created for you. Feature cars run the gamut of traditional rodding, customizing, and racing, including historic restorations (Pete Eastwood’s Samurai Top Fueler and Rich Hubbard's Barris-built Tom Hocker Forty) and a pair of time-capsule Deuce roadsters belonging to our friends Steve Wertheimer and “Flat Top Bob” Owens. We also explore Cody Walls’ concept custom ’49 Buick and Andy Volpini’s pair of road warriors, as well as the Triple Crown of Rodding event in Nashville. Jay Fitzhugh delves into the detailed world of traditional hot rod hardware and fasteners, and noted automotive designer Larry Erickson shares his take on Bonneville racing history.

We know the gaps in our production have led some of you to question the future of TRJ. We figure the best way to answer that question is not by telling you what we’re going to do, but by showing you—starting with the shipping of TRJ #87 and following up quickly with issue #88, which is already photographed, largely written, and is in the design and editing phases.

For those who want to support us, we invite you to renew your subscription now.
For those who would like to wait, we will make copies of issue #87 available for individual purchase, though they will not mail until after the subscriber mailing is complete.

And for those who have moved on from TRJ, we want to again express our sincere appreciation for your past support.

The traditional rodding and customizing world is more active and exciting than ever and we’re anxiously looking forward to covering it in the fashion we’ve become known for.
If you have questions about the status of your subscription, please feel free to email us at
customerservice@roddersjournal.com.

If you would like to renew now, please visit our website www.roddersjournal.com
Alternatively, you can mail a check to The Rodder’s Journal 24848 Meeting House Rd. Denton, MD 21629.

Thank you again for your continued support of The Rodder’s Journal!
Sincerely,
Steve ****an and the TRJ Crew"