Always respect your post's Ed but I have to say they actually have had a small group of cars that have been featured in other magazines and they figure a way to make it interesting.If they like it they will run it.
You're absolutely correct Jeff. I thought I covered my ass, and left that broad statement kind of open with; "... a formula that he follows for his magazine, and he tends to follow it pretty closely for the most part.", but I guess not...
A lot of things in this world don't make sense to me. Just the other night, I was at a bar on South Congress and saw a man lose his temper. He brutally punched a brick wall and then stared at his broken hand with amazement as if he couldn't comprehend the outcome of his actions. Someone near me commented that the man was fighting demons. I think he was fighting something else entirely. Criticizing TRJ is a lot like punching a brick wall in my mind. I just don't get it. That doesn't mean those that do are wrong. That doesn't mean they should shut their pie holes. It just means that I can't relate. Obviously, I love the magazine.
Damnit I was stoked to see this thread I thought i bet this is gonna kick ass guys posting local unsung heroes or even known favorites posting up their most coveted pics of their favorite junk and ...........bitch fest. wa waaa waaahhhhhh. Maybe this thing can be saved? here are just three cars I would love to see in TRJ. The kind of cars that could be my comps desktop for weeks at a time. I have no connection to them other than they make my heart smile when i see them. They inspire me this isnt my TOP whatever. I know two of them have already been in other mags. I dont think these cars are the better than yours ( but they probly are I know they are all better than mine) I just .... love them like I love every issue of TRJ. 1. Cobys Van. If ever a van could justify its existence in TRJ this is it and if you dont agree you havent seen it in person. 2. Flatbroke 60 buick from the Los boulevardos 3. 41 buick custom mightysam from the HAMB classified I love this car! I dont have any illusions of my own car being TRJ let alone magazine quality, or being an authority of what should be. But its kinda fun playing editor.
I will criticize it if im not happy with what has been in it for a while. I see nothing wrong with opening a discussion about it. You gave birth to this forum so hot rod and custom car guys and gals can speak and discuss anything related to hot rods and customs. Everyone has there own opinion on everything. Like what if i had started a thread saying " I think the H.A.M.B. has lost its way. It use to be about TRADITIONAL HOT RODS & CUSTOMS, but now its about people just building a bunch of cars that are not traditional hot rods and customs." Im sure i would of gotten a beat down down on this board. Im sure that will still happen cause i just wrote this. The main reason i started it was cause i wanted to see what other cars people wanted to see in TRJ. I wanted to see more traditional customs. I dont see very many in TRJ. I have all the issues and went threw to see which cars they chose for there custom feature. S please keep posting what you would like to see a feature on in THE RODDERS JOURNAL. Thanks for everyone who has spoken up. Thats what this board is about remember.
Hey man, did you read what I wrote? I just don't get it. It doesn't mean that you are wrong. Hell, if I thought you were completely off base, I'd just delete the thread - what do I care? Even so and after reading the whole thread, it sure sounds like a passive aggressive attempt to show your disapproval about a specific car appearing in the magazine. It's starts out with a brilliant idea - post cars that TRJ should feature - and turns into a negative flurry about what they shouldn't be featuring and what's wrong with the magazine and... I dunno man. Maybe I'm wrong. Words in type often give off different connotations to different people. I'm not at all judging you. I know Coonan pretty well and consider him a good buddy. He helps me out a lot and I help him when I can. Steve is quiet and reserved - a lot like I am. Sometimes people mistake that for being obtuse or somehow disconnected. He's not. He's really passionate about old cars. I think the biggest thing that I've learned from him is that the act of publishing something should be as removed as possible from the personalities and noise of the industry as a whole. He's a very traditionally minded publisher and I'm not... But we both believe in doing things our own way. And we are both very passionate about creating something that is driven by quality rather than the bottom line.
BTW... and for what it is worth... I'm sitting here staring at the pre-press issue 53. If you are into traditional customs, you'll find: 1. Customs: then and now feature 2. Westergard style '37 Chevrolet 3. GNRS Custom Retrospective 4. 6000 mile in a custom - a look back at the guy that wrote the famous article All of that on top of the stuff that makes me smile the brightest - hot rods.
I'd love to see an article on the Dodge Deora. There's a wealth of material avaliable, not to mention the recollections of one of the builders, Mike Alexander. I'd even love to see a bit on Harry Bradley's thoughts on his design of the Deora, and his personal insights into it's eventual restoration. Not to be morbid, but both of these gentlemen are pushing 80 years of age these days, and as a resource, their days are at a premium. Here's an opportunity for an introspective (rather than a retrospective) by the key people involved in the winningest custom in the history of the Ridler award.
I would like to see a feature on Dick Smith's 32 that is currently in the Henry Ford Museum... Dick's built three 32's with duece rails using 35-40 center section's... his own, Ermie Emerso, & Bob Dire (sp?)... his car had the first stainless grill insert... a removalble fiberglass top (owner built before the vette)... 331 Hemi left hand column shift... October 1988 American Rodder ran an article... but it didn't give car or the builder the RJ level of history... I spoke to the Museum curator about his search for best exsample of a hot rod... the Dick Smith roadster was still the way it was built circular 54? and still being used as transportation when the musuem convinced him to part with it so it could be shared to represent vintage hot rodding to the public... all owner built including the interior
You make a great point. These guys aren't going to be around forever, and we have a chance to learn from the living legends right now that should not be ignored.
The Customs Then and Now article was a great education for me. I'm not gonna lie, I walked into the hall at GNRS and didn't know most of what I was looking at, just due to being young and unexposed I guess. If I had this as a guide I would have gotten a lot more out of it.
As per the original focus on this thread - aside of the disappointing negativity toward TRJ with some of its readers... Here's my few votes on vehicles that SHOULD be featured in a future issue: 1. The inevitable classic hot rod built by Bass: his '29 Ford Hemi Coupe 2. Farmer 12's awesome '41 Plymouth Coupe with 392 Hemi for power 3. Ayala-Barris-Jack Stewart '41 Ford Custom (presently being restored by its new owner in Sweden All in all a great mix of vehicles - don't you think?
I think and hope a lot of people walked out of that room the same as you did. That build was just amazing. My 7 yr old and i stayed in there for like 1 1/2 hrs the 1st go around. then maybe another hour later. My son cant seem to get enough of the HIROHATA mercury.
TRJ needs more customs less dragster crap. There are a mass of amazing customs and killer rods out there,I would like more of that, I don't care for gassers or dragsters, that's me. Get some berky, Valdez , jeffsled, kevan,etc in the pages. Hell this board is full of potential articles.
Maybe people would buy The Bickford Journal? Realistically, this is how new rags come about... people who think they can do it better. I'm not busting your chops Bickford, just saying if you can do it better, do it. Because if you can do something BETTER than TRJ you've really accomplished something! I have ZERO complaints about TRJ... okay I wish it came out WEEKLY with just as much content and quality! Keep up the good work Mr. Coonan, we sheep will follow.
All Rodders Journals are great. Some are Greater than others. I for one loved the article on Ed Pink[drag racing]. Wish there were more customs,less pages devoted to some features etc etc etc. We sure would bitch if it ceased to exist.Constuctive critisim is good. Long live the Rodders Journal.
31chevymike neat pics I am not a real mopar guy but I really think the 41 plymouth is a hugly underrated car for custom potential. There was one on craigslits for a while kinda patchy yellow but I think the guy had stuffed a 350 in it. any way good picks! I dunno if you guys have seen this thread but the guy is doing amazing work and this car would be really neat to se if TRJ just for the intake manifold alone! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458755
Bob Dyer was the name of the other gent that Dick put a deuce together for. He passed a few years ago, unfortunately. Throughout the eighties and nineties it was the most outrageous Magenta candy color you could imagine... Not very traditional, but absolutely unforgetable, not to mention unphotographable too! There is another of the batch though too, his buddy Beano's car that was featured in Hot Rod Deluxe in the last year or so. Allot of Dick's equipment is still here in town with things like his dash stamping dies in the hands of local caretakers, Top mold too! Best part though is Dick is still with us, I see him and his wife Judy at least once a month at some event locally. I agree, he would be a hell of an article. For that matter, Phoenix hot rod history would be a good one too! Now, if anybody is listening at TRJ, please for the love of god, you are doing great right now, just keep things the same. I have said it before, but I just can't stand customs for the most part, I wish I could, but it aint going to happen. How about a special for the guys that do? That way I don't have to spend my money to buy it, and they can get what they want?
I've always loved TRJ, and can't wait to see it come in the mail every time. Every issue...and I mean every issue always has something special that I'll never forget, whether it be a feature, a certain car, or one of the editorials...but there's always something that grabs me. The way Steve and the crew run TRJ is a class act, and I can see why it's the number one book out there...their attension to detail is endless! I hope they never change a thing...except maybe put more issues out!! I may be a little bias at this point, but I think a lot of the bitches I've seen in this thread will be addressed in issue #53, but then again...some people just like to bitch!
Thanks James! I'm not a real Mopar guy either, but I have an awesome candy orange metalflaked Chrysler 392 blown HEMI waiting patiently in my garage for its future use within the original Chevy framerails! Glad you liked my picks for TRJ!
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