Anyone tired of this ???
I believe the original OP's complaint might be that we have gotten to the point now where the check writers that maybe don't even do that outnumber the real builders, so the hobby is diminished for that.
.............. the people who do what they can on a shoestring budget building "junkers" are the ones I really respect and have the right to take true pride in ownership.
Don't want to give the wrong impression, the junker I was referring to is my own. Judging from the quality of garage builds on this site, don't think the check writers are much of a threat. There are some highly talented folks here and I enjoy enviously following along. However, if I buy a magazine, I want to see quality builds, otherwise, my hotrod with bird **** on the hood scoop is worthy of a shoot.
I get the OP's point about owners being too stuffy of cars they didn't turn a wrench on, and magazines naming names, but what's the difference, if I wrote a check for a new R/T Challenger I'd be proud of it, same as a pro restored 383 GTS Dart I wrote a check for, I didn't wrench on either one. {Provided I had an intercooled ink pen,which I don't :-) }
If John Doe gets his rocks off rowing the gears or diaper wiping the car he wrote a check for, more power to him, and magazines have bills to pay too. Having said that, doing my own work, twisting the key on a motor I built gives a satisfaction to my soul the check writers are missing. Poor souls.......