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John McGann to edit Hot Rod Magazine

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  • John McGann to edit Hot Rod Magazine

    Switching chairs on the Titanic?

    Honestly, why move from one cube to the other?
    Doing it all wrong since 1966

  • #2
    Where'd you see that? Doug, Johnny, now John McGann within the space of a few months, seems like they're giving everybody a turn.
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    • #3
      DF and his HR Dept;

      Click image for larger version

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      My hobby is needing a hobby.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Loren View Post
        Where'd you see that? Doug, Johnny, now John McGann within the space of a few months, seems like they're giving everybody a turn.
        McGann talked about the move in his editorial in the latest edition of Car Craft
        Doing it all wrong since 1966

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        • #5
          My mail carrier must have kept an issue of CC and I was slightly upset. Then I saw it on the newsstand and realized I wouldn't have read much of it anyway. Have the latest issue still waiting to be read. The content has been on a downward slide for years. I learned to like McG's writing and understand his direction. It happens in every company; you get someone that can steer the ship in a profitable direction then yank them into a similar position for the flagship brand. It seems to me that the online content has acquired more subscriptions than the magazine ever did. What I hate to see go is the true tech articles. Unfortunately we now have faceplant and boobtube for the unknowing to ask question of the equally unkowing while no one uses the magic of google to find more reliable sources of information. jmo/fwiw
          http://www.bangshift.com/forum/showt...n-block-wanted

          http://www.bangshift.com/forum/showt...-Blue-Turd(le)

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          • #6
            Originally posted by 68scott385 View Post
            My mail carrier must have kept an issue of CC and I was slightly upset. Then I saw it on the newsstand and realized I wouldn't have read much of it anyway. Have the latest issue still waiting to be read. The content has been on a downward slide for years. I learned to like McG's writing and understand his direction. It happens in every company; you get someone that can steer the ship in a profitable direction then yank them into a similar position for the flagship brand. It seems to me that the online content has acquired more subscriptions than the magazine ever did. What I hate to see go is the true tech articles. Unfortunately we now have faceplant and boobtube for the unknowing to ask question of the equally unkowing while no one uses the magic of google to find more reliable sources of information. jmo/fwiw
            I have pretty much ceased to give tech info. The unknowing will come in, haven't actually done it, but read about it from another unknowing, and then proceed to argue about it until those of us who know grow tired and find better things to do. Its not as bad here, because not many here are into the best engines. But also not many are into it so other than the two or three, there isn't anyone to tell them how a [email protected] cam needs and adjustable valvetrain, and $2000 worth of work done to the heads with high end springs.... and other idiocy. I've become somewhat of a jerk about it in my old age.

            Dropped the magazine subs years ago. HPP was bought and turned into another chevy mag with corporate engines, show cars and cruisers, instead of street strip engine combos and informative tech. Its not surprising the subs swirled the drain. We can get chevy tech everywhere and its just as boring everywhere. In other words, it was HRM. PHR, and CC but with the Pontiac name on it. In those mags, no fast Pontiacs are allowed, and if they are in it, nobody writing knows anything about them, so is very general. HRM et al ceased to be relevant to me around the same time. If you want to know how to do a 350 chevy the same way 9999999999999 times, HRM is the mag for you, or maybe a junk yard Mopar 360. CC was just running the same articles that were in HRM. Nothing cool in either of them anymore. Cheap Thrills Dart type stuff has been gone since the time this site started.

            With the ease of the internet, being able to look it up without sifting through the library of magazines, its almost certainly going to kill print.

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            • #7
              I think print has a place if it can be a gatekeeper against garbage information, and bring to our attention interesting things like the hemi LS in the latest Hot Rod that I (anyhow) would have otherwise not come across (gimme a break if you hate Chevys, it's all just pistons and valves under whatever brand name). There are still places like down time in the shop or while in the upstairs "library" where I want to pick up a paper magazine and have it be something intelligent and well put together. The pro-built car articles/infomercials are something I've been worried about Hunkins bringing to Hot Rod as I feel over-reliance on that helped kill PHR and would do the same for Hot Rod (nevermind JH has still always been one of my favorites). We'll see what McGann does then, unfortunately some of his style of content and cars such as the Malibu or a C10 truck with this-kit or that bolted in, don't hold a lot of interest for me. Since none of these guys quite seem like they are looking to be their own "brand" like Frieburger became, why don't they have McGann and the last two all share duty and bring their own strengths, since it seems like they've all been with the company so long and perhaps plan on staying? Look at the example of this website where there are three main guys writing and the feeling is that they are all a team and you don't really know from looking who's in charge. Just a passing thought.
              Last edited by Loren; May 25, 2018, 08:40 AM.
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              • #8
                Originally posted by Loren View Post
                with this-kit or that bolted in . . . .
                Not all of the CC project cars are (were) like that . . . Whether some of them survive now is another question . . . .

                McGann is a great guy who kept CC alive on a micro-budget. Any automotive magazine would be lucky to have him. And what can you say about Hunkins that hasn't already been said?

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                • #9
                  Frankly in spite of my reservations, if there had to be somebody new again (?) I am glad it's McGann. He is a proven entity at-least.
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                  • #10
                    SO much with magazines over the last 50 years. The balance between reporting on reader's cars and building cars. Simple things like putting fake wheelie bars, big tires, gold trim (?) and a hood scoop on a new Camaro in the 70s and calling it "Pro Street" in a single article and whole series of articles on things like souped up Ramblers. Which ended up MEANING more? When it becomes Project Rod or Project Craft it gets really good or really tiresome fast. When you can trigger a trend with one article is one thing, 37 articles saying "Isn't this COOL" another. And going very, very fast..... Sometimes they just get wrapped up and FORGET that part.

                    Product endorsements, advertising and tech is another touchy area. And of course the advice.... One time in the 70s there was an article on a project car that said "buy this tuning kit for your carb, it's cool". It told what parts they felt worked best on that car. I bought the kit and when I got it discovered THOSE parts were the biggest jets and the smallest metering rods in it. I kinda felt cheated.

                    Also I lust for the days when EVERY road test was a "project car" "It went XX.XX stock, then we let Blah blah Headers prototype a new set of pipes on it, added a Holley and Highrise to keep it from going lean, mounted up some 10" slicks and slapper bars and it went XX.XX so THAT is how fast the new BossR/TSS REALLY is.". Then they gave the car back to the zone office giggling.

                    But keep going back to heroes. Racers and builders are heroes. Racers and builders that are also readers are better heroes. Writers that race and build are just doing their jobs unless they have things with names like Wally. Readers who mainly read write stuff like this online these days. And of course the NEW breed of MUTANT writers like Brian, Bryan and Chad. They grind out like eighteen magazine issues a month and show up in like nine states often dragging along a clamshell full of TV camera doing it. Thanks again guys and keep having FUN doing THAT.

                    I still miss magazines but BangShift doesn't fill up any closets or get wet if the basement floods.
                    My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                    • #11
                      Whatever happened to PROJECT X 57 chevy of CC?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Deaf Bob View Post
                        Whatever happened to PROJECT X 57 chevy of CC?
                        DB, Project X is likely the most famous and valuable magazine project car ever. (Sorry Crusher Camaro) It was originally a "Pop Rod" project car back in the late '60s and early '70s (Back when Argus owned PHR). It received all sorts of engine swaps from a roller-cammed 292 small block (backed up by 5.12 gears in the pumpkin) to various Rats.



                        Then it took its star turn in "The Hollywood Knights" (1980) . . . The Roots-blown small block blew up . . . PHR redid it a couple of more times in the '90s . . . Then some say it jumped the shark when it became a GM Performance factory project car in the 1990s (after all the corporate mergers it's been in the EMAP/Source Interlink/TEN orbit for a long time now . . . . The last time it was redone (again with GMPP love) it was turned into somewhat of a pro touring machine (which is about as far as it can get from its roots as a junior stock-inspired street strip test car)

                        TEN displays it at events such as the annual HRM Power Tour and where ever else famous GMPP/TEN project cars are shown. It turned up most recently on a couple of episodes of "Hot Rod Garage" (with another blown mill and some mild de-pro touring . . . . ) . I've heard it's presently valued at north of $500,000 due to its five decades of "rep."
                        Last edited by Gateclyve Photographic; May 25, 2018, 11:43 AM.

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                        • #13
                          X in action,before it popped its cork . . . .
                           

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                          • #14

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