WHat's Freiburger up to?

[Bob Holmes]

I think what they do is hilarious, and the fact that we are talking, blogging, writing about it makes it successful.

Our definition of success is that they finish what they set out to do. Did I think they had a snowball's chance in hell of completing the journey, not a chance.

From the standpoint of the magazine, hell yeah, a success. And I agree with Squirrel, drama sells a lot of soap. Do you really think that there'd be as much interest in their shananigans if they low-balled it? Yeah, I'm an under-promise, over deliver kind of guy in my daily life (hmmmm, at least I like to think so) but I'm not trying to attract attention in a media oversaturated audience.

What these guys do makes me laugh, and inspires me. I hope they keep doing it.

[squirrel]

One side benefit of DF's crash project deadline thing is that it forces him to actually get some stuff done. I can sure appreicate that...I work kind of the same way, I need to set a difficult goal for myself to be able to get off my butt and finish stuff.

[andy30thz]

Andy, I can't say a lot so I don't get myself in trouble, but expect a lot more of this road trip stuff.

Awesome! I can't wait to see what they've got coming next!
Let them know I still want to see them ice race

Perhaps it's just my perspective, I live in a world of setting goals that are achievable. If I put out similar performance at my day job - like so many others here, I am sure - I'd get shitcanned.

Your absolutely right! Perspective is everything. I'm assuming you have a job where you need to turn out a finished product that works.

Dave and company are in the entertainment business. You have to step back and see their goals, which would be how do we capture a large audience and keep them interested. Throwing out "We're gonna build a car in a week and ice race after road tripping to Alaska" is a pretty damn big hook! I know I was constantly checking in on their progress, rooting for them to make it and applauding the insanity of it all! And obviously they have you interested as well, even if its to point out their big time failure. You're still engaged in their story. If you'd seen the blurb about the trip and said "thats stupid they'll never make it" and never thought about it again they would have failed from a business prospective.

[dieselgeek]

Can't argue that it's better they do this then do nothing.

[TheSilverBuick]

We can quibble over subjective percentages, but my take is if they made it to Alaska the hard part was over long before they got there, and chances of success are almost guarenteed at that point, 75% of the effort/work was accomplished. I'd give them at least 50%, 25% for just leaving the front door and at least 25% (if not more) for getting as far as they got. Really the hard part is the first part, if the first part goes smooth the rest is likely to go smooth. I weight the beginning more than the end. That's just my take though, we all have our own subjective benchmarks (particularly outside of work).

[67pete300]

This is interesting development in HR content. I'm conflicted myself.

I love the ability to ride along with the epic thrash and adventure via facebook, but now there is a larger consequence (not probablity) of failure. Lots more people watching to say "I told you so." I've found myself doing this. Less opportunity to craft the story before it goes to print. And does the print version assume the reader has no prior knowledge of the story? I love reading the magazine, but I've also watched from the beginning. Will the magazine become redundant to the web-media followers?

I am also wondering about the (lack of) long-term HR project cars. We have recently seen the revival of the Crusher Camaro, Rumble Bee, Muscle Truck, etc. These are mostly personal cars that get a singular epic thrash event and then get put away again. I guess the Ranchero is new but we'll have to see if it is ever seen again after this. I wonder what will happen with the '55? It certainly wasn't planned. Is the long-term project car with successive projects portrayed in the magazine dead? Does the new "epic thrash and hit the road" model preclude it? Does anyone care? Car Craft and others seem to still have the long-term project cars going (which I like.) Much to ponder...

I'm not complaining, HR remains #1 in my print media book and I just renewed for 3 years. Just wondering how all the new content options will affect it.

[andy30thz]

Will the magazine become redundant to the web-media followers?

I think Dave and Chad thought so when they started Car Junkie. And I would agree with them, except the view count on the current youtube vids isn't all that high..... Unless the videos are hosted other places as well?

Is the long-term project car with successive projects portrayed in the magazine dead? Does the new "epic thrash and hit the road" model preclude it? Does anyone care? Car Craft and others seem to still have the long-term project cars going (which I like.) Much to ponder...

Very true! Although you would think people in todays throw away society wouldn't be interested in a long term project, FB kept talking about people asking "where's the Red Duster" from back in the 90's. Let alone the years of cries to finish the RumbleBee.
But a new thrashed together face every month is probably more interesting to some people that the slow pace of building a wiring harness the right way or detailing the steps to a frontend rebuild.

I just try to enjoy it for what it is. I can't say a magazine changed my life, but it has influenced how I think.

I really enjoyed the late 90's Freiburger version of CarCraft. It was light, funny and had no issues about stepping on Hodrods or anyone else's toes, plus technical content! Hell, MY WIFE even read CarCraft then. (she has been watching and enjoying the current series of videos too)

[SuperBuickGuy]

Can't argue that it's better they do this then do nothing.

But is this better than what's already here? They'll devote 5 pages of HRM to this soap opera and I can write it in a sentence or two. DF buys car, gets idea, fails to properly plan, breaks down, and buys another car (because God knows he's been so successful with all the others he's built in the last few years). I seriously question my subscription when it's either promoting other people's successes and watching the comic relief of DF failing.
When DF went back HRM I was cheering for his success, but it now appears they hired him back to be "that dumb guy" who makes stupid mistakes. Honestly, I know that's not him - but it's sure becoming the headline that follows his stuff.

Seriously, didn't everyone see the epic fail that was coming from this? the only reason to follow along was to see the train wreck, however, I'd rather see them pull off an epic adventure then be watching to see the failure. Isn't ingenuity most often found when there is no choice but to succeed or die? Brian brings up his tow truck adventures; the coolest part about it was he was prepared, and wasn't going to accept failure. In this adventure, it's underscoring that the "path to success" in auto related stuff is the same basic format as soap operas... and really, I have enough drama in my life already to be willing to watch it happen to someone I respect.

[Dan Barlow]

This isn't weather forecasting, where you get it right 50% of the time and the boss pats you on the back and tells you your wonderful.He failed. They had to figure there would be alot of snow. So What'd they do? Got a two wheel drive car/truck......Alright, lets call this a shake down run. It had better run Baja though.They'll probably thrash this 55 thing for the Holley ls bash like Chad and Dave did with the pick up. Thegy pulled that one off didn't they?

[67pete300]

They'll probably thrash this thing for the Holley ls bash like Chad and Dave did with the pick up. They pulled that one off didn't they?

Not completely. Pulled up at the last second and didn't have time to set it up and guessed at an index. Then they later dusted it off and tried to drive it somewhere and had a bunch of problems and I think the driveshaft finally ended the trip.

[Whelk]

I think the biggest problem here is that hey didn't allow themselves enough margin. The build went over by one day. Did anyone not see that coming? Driving to Canada in the winter they hit snow; was this a surprise? I expect things to wrong with a gonzo build/trip, they have to allow time for things to hit the fan but still make the goal attainable.

[DanStokes]

I'm too damn old for my own personal drama so I simply stopped setting deadlines. I'd love to get the new motor built and in the Buzz Bomb by the end of April, the fuel cell and new lines installed, and the car painted inside and out. If that works that will be cool and if it doesn't - well, that's cool, too. My point is that I avoid drama and I'm not sure why David sets himself up for it. Maybe, as has been said, it's the only way he can clear any of his calendar to do any projects.

Don't get me wrong - I know and like David (he identifies me in a crowd and comes over to say "HI") and I'm not critical. I just don't get it.

Dan

[dieselgeek]

But is this better than what's already here? They'll devote 5 pages of HRM to this soap opera and I can write it in a sentence or two. DF buys car, gets idea, fails to properly plan, breaks down, and buys another car (because God knows he's been so successful with all the others he's built in the last few years). I seriously question my subscription when it's either promoting other people's successes and watching the comic relief of DF failing.
When DF went back HRM I was cheering for his success, but it now appears they hired him back to be "that dumb guy" who makes stupid mistakes. Honestly, I know that's not him - but it's sure becoming the headline that follows his stuff.

Seriously, didn't everyone see the epic fail that was coming from this? the only reason to follow along was to see the train wreck, however, I'd rather see them pull off an epic adventure then be watching to see the failure. Isn't ingenuity most often found when there is no choice but to succeed or die? Brian brings up his tow truck adventures; the coolest part about it was he was prepared, and wasn't going to accept failure. In this adventure, it's underscoring that the "path to success" in auto related stuff is the same basic format as soap operas... and really, I have enough drama in my life already to be willing to watch it happen to someone I respect.

Believe me on this, I am right there with you. I bet it's your years in a day job where "doing what you say you're going to do" is the measure of your work.

As far as those claiming this was a success: when I logged onto the video feed that they said was at 6pm Central time (do these guys have a watch? it was at SEVEN, and that was the second time they screwed up the time of a "big announcement" on this trip), there were a whopping thirty-eight people logged into the video stream. That's not a lot of people considering the effort.

I speak for only myself when I say this: I think it's not cool to set yourself up for failure, but try to chalk it up as a "win" just because you turned the project into a freakshow. Learn to finish what you start, IMO. The more they do this, the more it becomes a comedy routine and less it becomes about cool cars, cool trips, cool automotive accomplishments.

[squirrel]

Good point Scott

[Brian Lohnes]

In the scheme of things stuff like this affirms how mother effing awesome guys like Ray Brock and Ak Miller actually were. In '68 they took their new Ranchero to Mexico and won their class at the first Baja 1000 with it. They had a map and big balls.