So anyone else notice Hot Rod getting thinner and thinner?

[Loren]

Maybe Frieburger finally said everything he had to say, I-don't-know. He took us on a journeys through interesting things for a long time.

cummins in an older motorhome....

A whole new book of problems to solve, I imagine, if that sort of thing helps you get to sleep at night. Same thing that a V8 Vega conversion or figuring out EFI once provided...with an MH it's drivelines and also coachwork and toilet plumbing. Hot Rod these days if it did motorhomes might just pester advertisers for crate components or describe how long it took to find the right shop to do the work for them.

A turbo-intercooled 7.3/manual trans from a wrecked UPS truck happened to "follow me home" one weekend...$800 incl. ECM.

[Captain]

Just a hint where to find "Well Maintained Used Cummins Engines".........
Go to your Local School district,
buy a School Bus going out of service.
They mostly now have Electric Push Button Allison Automatic's too! Easy swaps using both, and sometimes you can use the radiator, and turbo preschooler, also.
what's left, cheap Hunting Camp Bunk House.

[SuperBuickGuy]

. Hot Rod these days if it did motorhomes might just pester advertisers for crate components or describe how long it took to find the right shop to do the work for them.
.

Given they burned, blew up, then built an effigy of their last mechanic shop - then blew it up again.... I imagine it's getting harder for them to find new fools....

right now on Roadkill Garage - they're putting a 440 back in the car which got the hellcat motor.... first the 57, now the Mopar.... welcome to show biz, I guess.

[Tubbed Pacecar]

Well, I'm probably going to date myself, OH WELL. I started reading Hot Rod when I was in High School (started HS fall of '76), There were classrooms with glass facing into the library, and a door with direct access, so I used to go into the library and read HR, and a number of other titles. The one glaringly obvious difference between the content then and what is content now, is that back then, there were tech articles you could actually learn something from, and projects the average guy could relate to. As time went by, the articles became basically a regurgitation of "we ordered PN 7603 from company X and bolted it on", So more of a promo for you to build your car by 1-800 from their advertisers than how to actually BUILD anything.
And while I always enjoy seeing the quality/level of detail that industry icons put into their builds, not all of us WANT or CAN afford to build something to that level, and at the same time, building something SO NICE that you're afraid to take it outside on a cloudy day is counterproductive......
So, it seems that as time has gone by, the mags are geared more & more towards the "Discovery Channel" audience, ie: sit in an armchair and ooh & ahhhh at the wonders they display on screen (or page), as opposed to those who have an actual shop, and some tools and play with their projects.
Surprising?? Probably not so much when you look at all that is going on around us in our "virtual" world......Disappointing?? To me at least, YES...............

**And as a side note, because I used to have a '50 Thames 1/4T delivery, I used to spend quite a bit of time on the NSRAUK forums, and some of the build threads on there were impressive, guys in their "sheds" building cars from the frame up, quoting Ackerman chapter & verse, etc. Very knowledgeable, hands-on & skilled hobbyists, you know, like we had in North America 40+ years ago.......

[SuperBuickGuy]

Well, I'm probably going to date myself, OH WELL. I started reading Hot Rod when I was in High School (started HS fall of '76), There were classrooms with glass facing into the library, and a door with direct access, so I used to go into the library and read HR, and a number of other titles. The one glaringly obvious difference between the content then and what is content now, is that back then, there were tech articles you could actually learn something from, and projects the average guy could relate to. As time went by, the articles became basically a regurgitation of "we ordered PN 7603 from company X and bolted it on", So more of a promo for you to build your car by 1-800 from their advertisers than how to actually BUILD anything.
And while I always enjoy seeing the quality/level of detail that industry icons put into their builds, not all of us WANT or CAN afford to build something to that level, and at the same time, building something SO NICE that you're afraid to take it outside on a cloudy day is counterproductive......
So, it seems that as time has gone by, the mags are geared more & more towards the "Discovery Channel" audience, ie: sit in an armchair and ooh & ahhhh at the wonders they display on screen (or page), as opposed to those who have an actual shop, and some tools and play with their projects.
Surprising?? Probably not so much when you look at all that is going on around us in our "virtual" world......Disappointing?? To me at least, YES...............

**And as a side note, because I used to have a '50 Thames 1/4T delivery, I used to spend quite a bit of time on the NSRAUK forums, and some of the build threads on there were impressive, guys in their "sheds" building cars from the frame up, quoting Ackerman chapter & verse, etc. Very knowledgeable, hands-on & skilled hobbyists, you know, like we had in North America 40+ years ago.......

Pretty sure this guy knows what he's doing - and that was a month ago


point is I don't care what they do but this rudderless stuff needs to end - 1) I don't really care they bolt on stuff - but if they're going to do it, it needs to be tech not infomercial... most of the suppliers have far better instructions on their website then HRM ever will. 2) HRM couldn't care less about the do-it-yourself-er, CC and PHR were the magazines for them... and project X was their car. If electrifying Project X wasn't the biggest FU in history to the garage guy, I'd challenge anyone to give me a bigger one 3) I don't even care if tech is aimed at the new, gender-neutral crowd; because we all have grown, some even became more knowledgeable.

And there it is, they don't want us, need us (after all, they cater to advertisers not subscribers) or really interact with us - but that's fine, we have nothing to talk about with them. Don't believe me? if you could corner any writer or editor for HRM - what would you talk to them about? what would you find in common?

Several years ago, I was at SEMA and a woman with her entourage came blowing through - she had this "I'm special so get out of my way" look on her face. HRM is coming through, get out of their way, you don't matter.

[antmnte]

They folded what ? 5 or 6 magazines that interest us. They can't find a little content from each of those to make a great Hot Rod magazine? Pretty pathetic. They better shape up or they are all going to have to look for jobs.

[Captain]

At a Swap Meet, a seller had Totes full of VARIOUS vintage Hot Rod Magazines, many no longer in print. "Buck a Piece, 6 for $5"
I bought a few to read while waiting for the Chuckle Head that offers $25.00 for a $250.00 item in your stall.....
One HRM had a article on putting a 65ish Mustang floor shifter in a Fiberglass T Bucket. This was a 100% project in "Your Buddies DAD'S Garage" with copied old "Polaroid Pictures" of how they did it.
The floor was 1/2 plywood, after they pulled the "Shag Carpet" up, cutting the hole with a Old Carpenter's Brase with a 1" bit......
I wasn't laughing, I was remembering those days working on Cars with my High School Buds !!!
Yes, we need Bare Basic Garage Tool "How I Did It" mags......of course we all will need a Computer Course for Idiots for the engine diagnostics.....but, the KOOL Stuff is the aesthetics....

[Captain]

OH, The reason for the floor shifter was that they used a C4 automatic transmission as it TOO was Mentioned.....
"There is more ROOM With only a Brake and Gas Pedal in the Small T Bucket Body."

Old Problems still exists, eh Dave....

[Deaf Bob]

Maybe Frieburger finally said everything he had to say, I-don't-know. He took us on a journeys through interesting things for a long time.



A whole new book of problems to solve, I imagine, if that sort of thing helps you get to sleep at night. Same thing that a V8 Vega conversion or figuring out EFI once provided...with an MH it's drivelines and also coachwork and toilet plumbing. Hot Rod these days if it did motorhomes might just pester advertisers for crate components or describe how long it took to find the right shop to do the work for them.

A turbo-intercooled 7.3/manual trans from a wrecked UPS truck happened to "follow me home" one weekend...$800 incl. ECM.

Worked in a scrap yard down the street from UPS, never any titles, not allowed to part out the trucks. Altho a Chevy 6 “followed me home”
You watch Dirt Every Day? Sister show of Roadkill.. they out an LS into a motorhome and laid it on it’s side. They 4 wheeled it too.,

Then on here one time before Dulcich took over for Finnegan he said to me that he did not like demolition derbys... I been watching some of the silly stuff they do on Roadkill Garage... Then I see why magazines are dying

[Loren]

Dulcich took over for Finnegan he said to me that he did not like demolition derbys... I been watching some of the silly stuff they do on Roadkill Garage...

Rant Alert, re; Videos.

I grew up w/ a dad who was an amateur travel-log producer, in an area where they call movie production "the" business, where high-school classes included media and had field trips to the studios to tour and be audience. Of-course my wife works in TV, doing some on the production side back when but mostly is on the computer doing what I'd guess you'd call the logistics, the SIL has been on a number of shows over time doing her thing. With that, I cannot deal with the vast majority of videos. You wanna be a star? Don't act like you think you're one. Get some help with the camera. Don't give a stupid monolog at the front of every segment to show how much you like to hear yourself talk and demonstrate how entertaining you must be. Consider showing your audience the respect of using an edited script, and if you do don't make it obvious you're reading one. On and on...Crap, I can't stand them. Maybe they've gotten better, I'd have to watch some again to find out, but so far if I come across something really worth it beyond just-raw-video of something unusual or amazing, if it was somebody doing a show or a how-to it's like finding a gem in a dump.

We do watch Kindig around here sometimes. I guess I find it all at about the right levels. We went to meet them once and bought some surplus material they had, nice guys.

OK, Over, thank-you for indulging me... I have had an epiphany lately, that I'm kind-of an a-hole myself (did it take this long?), so there's that.

Re: the 7.3, there was a large commercial-truck repair yard in the city my daughter lives in, they had set that motor aside with it's giant Spicer trans and front clip. With that, I have a fresh actual "motorhome 440" just like on the videos, that needs a home.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Rant Alert, re; Videos.

I grew up w/ a dad who was an amateur travel-log producer, in an area where they call movie production "the" business, where high-school classes included media and had field trips to the studios to tour and be audience. Of-course my wife works in TV, doing some on the production side back when but mostly is on the computer doing what I'd guess you'd call the logistics, the SIL has been on a number of shows over time doing her thing. With that, I cannot deal with the vast majority of videos. You wanna be a star? Don't act like you think you're one. Get some help with the camera. Don't give a stupid monolog at the front of every segment to show how much you like to hear yourself talk and demonstrate how entertaining you must be. Consider showing your audience the respect of using an edited script, and if you do don't make it obvious you're reading one. On and on...Crap, I can't stand them. Maybe they've gotten better, I'd have to watch some again to find out, but so far if I come across something really worth it beyond just-raw-video of something unusual or amazing, if it was somebody doing a show or a how-to it's like finding a gem in a dump.

We do watch Kindig around here sometimes. I guess I find it all at about the right levels. We went to meet them once and bought some surplus material they had, nice guys.

OK, Over, thank-you for indulging me... I have had an epiphany lately, that I'm kind-of an a-hole myself (did it take this long?), so there's that.

Re: the 7.3, there was a large commercial-truck repair yard in the city my daughter lives in, they had set that motor aside with it's giant Spicer trans and front clip. With that, I have a fresh actual "motorhome 440" just like on the videos, that needs a home.

You call that a rant? I bet we all agree for the most part...

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

OH, The reason for the floor shifter was that they used a C4 automatic transmission as it TOO was Mentioned.....
"There is more ROOM With only a Brake and Gas Pedal in the Small T Bucket Body."

Old Problems still exists, eh Dave....

Yup. But in the spirit of the good old fashioned make something work with what you have, I did get 3 pedals in down there using left over Austin Mini pedals. Now I never saw any article using exactly those but I remember one from the late 60's early 70's that used VW bug pedals. I used to like it when the articles showed doing things like that. As already mentioned today it's (fill in the high cost company here) billet parts that they show 2 pictures, one of the parts with the company name or logo prominently displayed, and the second one is the part already in the vehicle. No pictures, mention of difficulties, or solutions of same.

But not surprising, given the state of journalism today. Which sucks.

My mini rant is over... for now

[Deaf Bob]

Loren, since moving, it is kinda limited as to what is on tv. So my son added his Motor Trend on demand. Some is entertaining. Some downright stupid. Remotes are wonderful gadgets. I need to travel the site a bit...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Rant Alert, re; Videos.

I grew up w/ a dad who was an amateur travel-log producer, in an area where they call movie production "the" business, where high-school classes included media and had field trips to the studios to tour and be audience. Of-course my wife works in TV, doing some on the production side back when but mostly is on the computer doing what I'd guess you'd call the logistics, the SIL has been on a number of shows over time doing her thing. With that, I cannot deal with the vast majority of videos. You wanna be a star? Don't act like you think you're one. Get some help with the camera. Don't give a stupid monolog at the front of every segment to show how much you like to hear yourself talk and demonstrate how entertaining you must be. Consider showing your audience the respect of using an edited script, and if you do don't make it obvious you're reading one. On and on...Crap, I can't stand them. Maybe they've gotten better, I'd have to watch some again to find out, but so far if I come across something really worth it beyond just-raw-video of something unusual or amazing, if it was somebody doing a show or a how-to it's like finding a gem in a dump.

We do watch Kindig around here sometimes. I guess I find it all at about the right levels. We went to meet them once and bought some surplus material they had, nice guys.

OK, Over, thank-you for indulging me... I have had an epiphany lately, that I'm kind-of an a-hole myself (did it take this long?), so there's that.

Re: the 7.3, there was a large commercial-truck repair yard in the city my daughter lives in, they had set that motor aside with it's giant Spicer trans and front clip. With that, I have a fresh actual "motorhome 440" just like on the videos, that needs a home.

I agree. That said, I hope YouTube never becomes a 'slick production' - for example, I'll never get over MTOD when they make really dumb mistakes, however, some guy or gal in the garage makes a silly error.... it's all good in my book. YouTube has become kind of the go-to for instructions on how to do things - e.g. I was working on my Colorado and couldn't figure out how to take the inner door panel off.... youtube to the rescue - I would have broken the panel either by accident or frustration if some guy who barely speaks english hadn't taken pity on the world and showed how to get to the last two screws....

[SuperBuickGuy]

But not surprising, given the state of journalism today. Which sucks.

My mini rant is over... for now

My problem is when entertainment tries to hide itself as journalism.