Event Coverage Honoring Rod & Custom

I kept the November '73 issue for a long time. The black and flamed '34 that would eventually become "The California Kid" cover was tattooed in my brain. "American Graffiti" had switched me from all things muscle car to hot rods. I remember thinking, "I have no idea what all these old cars are, but I sure as hell want one."

That issue of R&C was wedged between the pages of my 4th period English text book. It's a wonder I passed that class. When The "California Kid" came out, my hot rod wheels turned even faster. I was hooked.

Gonna miss ya Rod & Custom. Now, what am I supposed to do?

 

I loved R&C. Last subscription I bought was 2 months before they bellied up the last time!
(But they credited me with a sub to 'Truckin'...a couple of articles were palatable, but...it was O.K.
Because....
I had a sub to Hot Rod Mechanix! I knew Tex Smith, he wouldn't let us down...
Tex did some copy in those issues that would have pissed off a 6th grade metal shop teacher.
He was big on 'budget builds'. I went hoarse yelling at customers that brought that mag in with some of those 'shortcuts'...LOL
I recall the roadster he built. No expensive Ford stuff! Actually, a clever collection of stuff, made a nice looking non-Ford roadster! Anybody remember that one?

Sure liked ol' Tex, though...He was the original 'good ol' boy' to chew the fat with around the cracker barrel...over to the country store.

 

You nailed it big time! Talked to a friend at 10 this am and he said the other shoe will drop in about 60 days.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

My other choice was going to be the Jan. '73 Track Roadster issue with Ron Weeks sliding the Highland Plating Special across the cover that contained the drawing that was the imputes for Prufer's build. I also thought of the Bo Jones cover, too. But this one started it for me.

 

Joey, In the Spring of '67, I was also (just turning) 8 and riding my bike to the drug store in a Detroit suburb to gawk at car mags. My Grandparents were visiting one day and my Grandpa who was an automotive engineer noticed my stack of magazines and surprised me with a sub. to Hot Rod. It helped fire a life long obsession with cars and car magazines.
Being that I'm a 34 freak, my fav. R&C is the Pete and Jake cover. It's very sad to see R&C go, but they can't take my memories and collection of back issues away!

 

Gawd, I needed to see that. Those were the days. Thanx, Gary

 

Glad to help.

 

............................Good point.

 

Years ago, I used to get all kinds of mag subscriptions; Hot Rod, Car Craft, even Street Rodder( guilty as charged- I had a '65 Chevelle), but as time went on canceled all but Rod and Custom.I like R&C so much, when they offered a good rate on gift subscriptions, I got one for my nephew and one for a friend.Very sad to hear that it has folded.Last of the mags that still even have "hot rods" ( other than Rodder's Journal ($$) and of course the Rat Rod mags) I guess it's time to support someone else;check out "Magneto" if you need something you can relate to. A "little book" put out by Tony Dower of the" Alter Boys." Good stuff!

 

I have to tag Nov 73 as a favorite too. That yellow bastard still turns me on decades later. Maybe someone can correct me here, but weren't the black n white build pics in an issue of Car Craft? It was those pics that did it for me and the R&C cover was just extra juice.

 

I started reading R&C in the late '90s - I couldn't tell you what my first issue was. I even had a sub for awhile. I had always found the street rod thing to be a bit too much, and it was refreshing to see traditionally styled hot rods and customs. I remember a lot of high dollar big name builders, but there were also some cool average Joe type cars too. I think that it started going downhill after Peterson sold it off. Last few issues that I looked at weren't that good - quality wise anyways. The cars were still cool. Fortunately, there are quite a quality independent mags out there like Tradition Rod and Kulture, The Lot, Kustoms Illustrated, etc. And I'll definitely be checking out Magneto. Time to go through my old issues of R&C.

 

Not the magazine editor and staff letting us down, it is the corporate folks.

 

I used to subscribe to Hot Rod, R&C, Street Rodder, dropped Hot Rod when it became nothing more than a yuppie mag. I had a subscription to R&C when it folded , rescribed after it came back for awhile. Street Rodder became nothing more than an advertisement magazine, and dropped R&C because the magazine became so small there just wasn't enough in it to justify reading it anymore. The last issue I bought I went to the news stand and bought because I found out that there was a picture of my rag top in it in an article about NSRA Springfield. I think this is just caused by the times we live in, most everything can be found on-line. Look at the number of parts suppliers that have dropped paper catlogs in favor of on-line catalogs only.

 

It was my favorite after rodders digest still miss that one not many good ones left unless you like tattooed girls and rusty cars.

 

This news made my heart sink like a leadsled. R&C was one of the few mags I would buy (usually) without leafing through the whole thing to see if there was anything good in it. I've enjoyed every issue I've read, but my favorite (and the one that started it all for me) was the May 2010 issue. It was the first one I bought, and it showed me that traditional hot rods and customs were way cooler than anything else. I still have it.
May all the inspiration that R&C gave us continue for a very long time.



Joe

 

I just got home from my family vacation and had a letter in the mailbox trying to get me to renew and it hasn't been that long since I renewed.

 

In many ways, R&C pretty much started street rodding as we know it today. They promoted the first Street Rod Nationals which eventually morphed into the NSRA. "Beaters" were an R&C staple long before there were rat rods and beaters were what most of us drove. My favorite issues are the two last of the early 70's, the "Ardun White Paper" issues, one of which was lying next to my computer when I saw this. Very sad to me. I doubt if it will come back, certainly not in the form we've cherished.

 

been loyal for the pass 7 yrs...real good magazine,hate to see it go

 

The two that really standout are pete & jakes coupes then the relaunch with jakes tub & petes limefire

 

I think that the only way to stay in business is to put out more of an art magazine like Rodders Journal.Too many people go to places like Barnes and Noble,read the mother eff,then chuck it up on the shelf,process repeats.I subscribed so my copies were of virgin quality and treated them like gold and looked up to the writers like deities.Sad....

 

Knew it was coming. The latest issue was a home run!!!! I suppose the remaining sub we have goes to Hot Rod, which lately seems more like Motor Trend. Gonna need a banger fix once in awhile from someone, guess the HAMB and E-bay will do.

 

Bummer...R&C was one of my first ever car mag subscriptions.

On a side rant, I guess Street Rodder won't be going anywhere anytime soon....as there are an insane amount of "make your ride comfortable ads" to keep them afloat......their articles are even filled with ads.

 

Tim Bernsau from Rod &Custom photo shot my Model A years ago at NSRA York. What a nice guy. We had some fun and I even took him for a ride before he had to jump on a plane back to LA. Really going to miss this fine mag!

 

So here's the latest scoop I got from my new rep - we're an advertiser (Wizards Products) (yes, my old rep got the axe too). Popular Hot Rodding will cease with the September issue. Rod & Custom will cease with the October issue.

If you have a subscription with remaining issues of Popular Hot Rodding, you will now receive Hot Rod, if you already get Hot Rod, they will send you Motor Trend.

If you have a subscription with remaining issues of Rod & Custom, you will now receive Street Rodder, if you already get Street Rodder, they will send you Hot Rod, if you already get Hot Rod, they will send you Motor Trend.

I don't have any info on the other magazines as I am not an advertiser in those, nor a subscriber.

 

so basically two issues left of R&C as they are on the August issue now. Thanks for the info.

 

I just rec'd the latest copy of Street Rodder today.
Wonder if that mag. is next?

 

Street Rodder will stay. Basically the intent was to reduce the number of titles that took marketshare from one another and combine into a "stronger" single title. Hence Rod & Custom goes away with more content that was once in R&C being merged into Street Rodder.

 

......................I really hope this is some accurate info they gave you so If I get the next two yrs. of Street Rodder I won't feel like I got totaled screwed.

 

I remember the issue with the Willys coupes on it. I was sucked in by those images. Love the gasser era. Left an indelible impression on my young mind.

 

In honoring Rod & Custom, I'm taking the easy way out. I'm driving my car every day, like I always have. That's what all this stuff is about. Just driving and enjoying your hot rod or custom EVERY chance you get. It's always been about standing up and being counted. You can't do that with your car locked in a ware house or only out at a car show. People want the corporate heads to pay attention? Get in their faces. How are you going to check out? Sitting angry at your key board? Or in the streets and fighting?