Sept issue Street Rodder...

So I'm looking through some mags at Albertsons tonight and pick up the latest issue of Street Rodder. I was surprised to see that the majority of the mag is based on traditional styled rods. Haven't noticed this too much in the past. Don't pass on at least thumbin' through a few pages if you see it at your favorite newsstand. You may even see some recognizable faces from the HAMB in there...

 

Their coverage surprised me. Actually had to buy this issue.


jerry

 

Waitin' on the mailman. SRM has been doing better on traditional car coverage.

 

The professor hammer tech is always worth reading. The rest of it seems to be coming around too.

 

you bought it because your truck is in it. oh wait so is mine, id better go get a copy as well

 

I'd say you are quite correct with that statement Ryan. Most if not all of their build articles are directly related to what a major advertiser is selling at the moment.

The editorial content has become quite H.AM.B. friendly in the past two or three issues though but that may be following what they see as the new trend too.

 

That black tub is pretty sweet.

 

It's the beginning of the end.

 

'Traditional' is the new smoothie billet.

 

The money dictates the content as can be expected. I guess that's why we are seeing Hot Rod Deluxe up and running again.

 

Bullseye Weasel!

I guess they were losing subscribers because 90% of the cars were just too billety bling bling B.S.

I cancelled my subscription 2 years ago and they wouldn't stop chasing me down to renew.

The only thing I really miss is the Prof. Hammer stuff, very informative.


Marty McF.

 

Humpin' advertisers products in "How To" articles just about goes back to Vol. 1 #1 in Hot Rod and all the others. Edelbrock, Isky, Offenhauser and most others owe much of their success to working hand in glove with the feature writers and editors.
This has not been a bad thing. Where would we be if the "system" didn't create the performance aftermarket?

 

Considering their customer & advertising base, I'd say they are doing a pretty good job. I'm pleased to see them following the trend too.

It's no hard copy of the HAMB but it is pretty cheap entertainment @ $6.

JH

 

I get it, and I agree that they really push the advertisement, but they are getting better with the content. What's nice is they show different cars from Rod and Custom. It's sometime refreshing to see a nicely done traditional car, not rusty or unfinished and not a showy blingy billet car. Sure they show cars that cost more then my house, and some of the things they show are WAY out of my price range but it's not bad. The tech is great.
It's no TRJ but then it comes every month for not much money at all.

 

The half-page Classic Instruments ad in the Aug issue used a pic of my flathead as the background... pleasant surprise, but I still asked them to send me a t-shirt as compensation. They kindly obliged and thanked me for my cooperation.

 

It really surprises me what has happened with the magazines over there. Rod & Custom is a really great read now but it seems that Street Rodder is trying to take more of R&C's kind of content as well.
I think my pick up is running in the Nov Street Rodder

 

Same here, I have subscribed to that magazine for the last 30 something years and never missed an issue. but they have been getting to the more traditional ride here lately, and like someone said earlier "traditional is the new smoothie billet"

 

Tradish hot rods definately are... Traditional Hot Rods on the other hand are a different story!

Sam.

 

I remember when I quit buying R&C back in the 60's because they were into carts and I wasn't. Pages were filled with karting and ads for kart stuff. I had no forum to complain, I just stopped buying. They eventually came back to rods and I started buying again. It is the nature of the print media I am sure. I don't always like what they print and I am certainly not in the market for all they advertise, doesn't mean there is no value in the publication. I think that Tex Smith proved that you need advertising to exist. He had one of the top publications in my opinion but I am guessing that not enough rodders were willing to step up and subscribe, it went away. I remember talking with Pat Ganahl a few years ago at an event and mentioned how much I liked his video and was looking forward to another. He said I was one of a few that bought one and there would be no more. I was shocked that so many that indicated they really liked his time at R&C would not spend a few dollars on his video. I subscribe to Street Rodder and many others. Some issues have little interest for me, others I like. One thing I know is that if we don't support them, they will go away. That is why I sent my $50 bucks for alliance membership. Ryan has a good thing going here, I don't agree with all I read here, but I find enough I like to keep comming back. Joe

 

Yo! Chief, I am really disapointed with that statement from you.
RANT to follow...

Do you think your "good buddy" Corkey Coker could afford to buy or build all the molds for all those cool tires if he didn't advertise them nationally? Could Brookville have ever spent the millions of dollars to tool-up for all steel reproduction bodies without advertising them? Do you guys think there would even be an Edelbrock today (they were one of the oldest and strongest advertisers since 1949) without advertising and the "hand & glove" relationship with the editorial staffs? You think KIRK just hangs out at Goodguys for "the love"? Geez!

Plus - the writers at even the "big" magazines make shit money and have to live in $$$California to boot! I gladly give them parts to use on projects (even their own cars) in exchange for editorial mentions. They don't pretend to be "journalists". They are all enthusiasts just like all of us.

Yeah, I make my living from hot rod advertising. But wake up fellas, unless you're capable of locking yourself in the shop and beating a complete hot rod out of solid block of iron (with tools that are advertised) then you ought to be happy that advertising allows the capitol costs of developing new products to be spread over many, many customers. How much would it cost you to make just 4 new Firestones anyway? Ever price a Marcel steel body?

BTW every company on the HAMB Alliance list is an advertiser too. The definition of advertising is "to create awareness". That's all it can do.
The rest is up to the consumer. By all means don't buy the magazines, put all the advertisers out of business and then the hobby will be "pure" - and even more unaffordable.

I'm done.

 

I cancelled all of them, even TRJ. If they had some decent content instead of the same puff pieces month after month, I'd still be buying them.

 

Advertisements are cool if images are good enough to help when I'm stealing their ideas and making my own parts. Seriously Ryan has a good point. How many of the tech or how to articles aren't selling a product? They shouldn't be an advertisement for their latest gizmo. Then there is the image they try to sell and, by the way, here are the vendors to help you achieve it.

 

Yea I saw Big Ken in there peepin around the shop!

 

I take it you haven't seen the Jalopy Journal advertisements in a few "select" mags then????

 

I havent picked up a Rod/Rodding Magazine in years.

And the exessive Advertising is one of the reasons
( another was that the build styles featured were just stale to me...)

They kept sending me HRM, for a while ( maybe I got one of those multiple year deals, and forgot about it )
And as an experiment I tore out every page that was full with Ads on both sides ( if it had any kind of content on either side, it stayed ).

Wat was left was a miserable thin little book...

 

They make all their money from the ads that's why most will give you a subscription for so cheap. The more subscribes they have the more they can charge the advertisers.

 

I realise that.

So now I went from the 14 Subs that I used to have ( some of those were the "$9.99 per year special deals" ) to just 2.

One of those is about $150 a year.

But its money well spent.

Quality over Quantity...

 

Yeah, ALL advertising ought to be banned! It's the root of all evil.
No NASCAR, No Football, No Baseball, No Beer, No nothin!
Now, where did I leave my horse?

 

Geez, you people kill me sometimes.

All media exists because it makes money. Including the HAMB. Don't like that fact, go Uni-Bomber and live in the woods. Unless you are even more self-sufficient than the Amish, you are selling out to companies who advertise. What retards. (Why isn't there a shaking head in disappointment smiley?)

This thread started out with good intentions and then got really stupid. Street Rodder's content has been pretty stellar with regards to what we like. Let them know you like it.

Are cars "inspired" by what we like becoming mainstream? NO, they're already there, and have been for a while. Blame me (Billetproof), the HAMB, the Shifters, the Choppers, Lone Star Round-Up etc. Yeah, what a bunch of dicks we are for being passionate about something and having that rub off on people.

Why is more of what we like bad? Are you into it because you think you're a "rebel" or because you truly love it. I like looking at lots of what I like. Moderation is for booze and dessert (according to doctors). I was into "our" stuff before I even knew what the hell it was, when I was ridiculed for it, I am now that it's being praised, and I will still be when it's ridiculed again.