The end is near for Hot Rod Magazine

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The average guy can't do anything to these computer operated vehicles. You change something and the next thing you know you have a check engine light that you can't get rid of and have to worry about vehicle inspection. The latest Hot Rod mag. has a Charger with an LS7 in it. What a sin to do that. So I guess they were tired of building SB Chevy's. The other thing we don't see too much young blood joining our bandwagon of restoring 50 year old cars.
 
^^^ back in the 80's when I worked at an auto parts store, our boss was an ex-racer. I guess he got a kick out of most of his guys building stuff and racing because that's what he had done. We asked him why he didn't race or have a street car his answer was: because I can't afford to build it the way I want it. didn't make sense then...does now!
 
It is a sign of the times but also HRs failure at providing in-depth articles.
If you want to see pretty girls, you buy Playboy. If you want in-depth tech articles, then you would buy a magazine on the subject. I have been buying HR since the 70s, but stopped a couple years back because the articles are superficial, old articles re-hashed, filler stories or all of the above....
 
It might be 'done to death' for people who are old hands at this hobby but you only have to read posts on THIS forum to see that there are newcomers to the hobby seeking information.
Apart from that I can think of, just off the top of my head, in-depth articles that would be an interesting read for all readers:
- what is better, as gerotor or spur type oil pump. Advantages/disadvantages of both types
- long or short rods
- when is a 30* intake valve seat better
- etc
 
It might be 'done to death' for people who are old hands at this hobby but you only have to read posts on THIS forum to see that there are newcomers to the hobby seeking information.

all that stuff is readily available all over the internet.
 
I'll bet that when Hot Rod does stop publishing and mailing magazines, they'll do it just like the assholes at Mopar Muscle did. You are wondering why you haven't gotten the current copy, and a few days later you find out they closed up shop and there will be no more. And if you were paid up for 2.5 years, too bad. That is what happened to me with Mopar Muscle. I subscribed to MM for about 30 years. I literally have all but the first 2 or 3 issues. I was at Mopars on the Strip in 2015 talking to the MM guys at their booth. They asked me if I wanted to renew at a discount. I told them I had a year left. They said if I renewed for 2 years, they'd give me and my wife each a nice MM T shirt. So I did. A few months later, I just stopped getting their magazines. There was no notification at all.
 
thats because they cost too damn much. i see so so darts for sale for 15+K.
Yeah and they are often pieces of **** for that price. The whole hobby is becoming a rich man's fodder.
 
I like Hemmings Muscle mag and even their Classic mag, cheap and good reading. Not not much how to but I don't read them for how to.
 
Surprising that any magazines are viable these days, the internet basically wiped them out. I used to enjoy going to the news stand or book store to buy a few car mags but I haven't done that in years.

It has to be really hard for print to compete with instant content now. Stuff like the Drag Week live stream is cool and you don't have to wait months for the coverage to come out. Motor Trend On Demand is basically the same thing as what the magazine used to be just on You Tube or whatever social media you use. I don't have a subscription but I don't really need one, their stuff is everywhere.

Beyond MTOD there's so much car related stuff available online it wouldn't make sense to plunk down the money for a magazine now. It's not a bad thing, things evolve. Anything you want from super-specific niches of the automotive world to general interest is available at your fingertips. Less clutter in your house too.

But that announcement seems like Hot Rod might be trying to use the Rodder's Journal model? I'm sure the O.P. of this thread Big Dad knows TRJ well but for those not familiar, it is/was a glossy traditional Hot Rod quarterly. The features and photos are really great and the writing is top notch. Very little advertising too. I had a subscription for years. Expensive but worth it. I'm not sure if they are still publishing it anymore though. A few years ago they had some organizational problems and it seemed like they just vanished.

For me, Mopar Action is mostly unreadable now, too much goofy crap. Hemmings Muscle Machines is good though. They seem to be getting some of the old HRM writers to contribute now so there is a familiarity to it.
 
holy crap that is a hard read.

define doing a car properly.. that means something different to everyone.. could mean a 100k resto or get it running, make it safe and enjoy it which is more my style.. the reason shows like roadkill and vice grip garge are so popular these days is because they are so relateable to the average guy that can't go putting 20,40,50k into a car to make it pretty....

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I suppose Hot Rod could change their format to "Rusting Hulk" Roadkill type builds...give that a go, why not...? :)
 
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Surprising that any magazines are viable these days, the internet basically wiped them out. I used to enjoy going to the news stand or book store to buy a few car mags but I haven't done that in years.

It has to be really hard for print to compete with instant content now.
Yeah - the results of the January 1962 Winternational drags only made it to the May 1962 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Even given that the May issue probably came out in April, that's still three months or so from the event to the magazine article about it. That same issue also reported the May introduction of the Dodge/Plymouth 413 max wedge, which was actually introduced in May. But they were only able to do so because Chrysler Corp gave them the scoop ahead of time.

But really, print magazines of all types are failing these days, along with print newspapers. Like a lot of other things that have disappeared or are disappearing due to the march of technology.
 
I get my Mopar magazine subscriptions for the t shirts. I hardly ever read any of them.
 
got this great news in e-mail:

Dear HOT ROD Subscriber,

The MotorTrend and HOT ROD teams are thrilled to announce that starting in Spring of 2024, instead of our conventional 12 monthly issues, we'll be adding more in-depth stories and high-quality photography into four premium-quality, quarterly print publications – a collector's magazine worthy of any car fan's coffee table.

As part of your new subscription, you'll receive one free year of MotorTrend+ on us, where you'll stream the world's best car shows, live motorsports, Mecum Auctions and more. You'll also gain exclusive access to the MotorTrend Group Digital Archive, featuring thousands of issues and over 350,000 pages spanning MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, AUTOMOBILE, FOUR WHEELER, SUPER STREET, CAR CRAFT, ROADKILL, CHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE, CLASSIC TRUCKS, MUSTANG MONTHLY, JP, SUPER CHEVY, and 15 other publications going back to 1949. This first-of-its-kind archive lets you rediscover 75 years of high-performance, American car-culture like never before.

Annual subscriptions for each magazine will be $30 a year, saving you 50% over newsstand cover pricing. For an additional $20 a year, you'll get both MotorTrend and HOT ROD in print.

Thanks for riding with us as we get ready to launch into 2024.

Want to update your subscription plan?
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From our garage to yours,
- The MotorTrend Crew​
 
Thanks for riding with us as we get ready to launch into 2024.

guess they are speed regulated by the government now...$15 an issue at the newsstand?
 
Yeah and they are often pieces of **** for that price. The whole hobby is becoming a rich man's fodder.
Its too bad not enough people love the F and M bodies. They go for a song. Parts are obnoxiously cheap too
 
Its too bad not enough people love the F and M bodies. They go for a song. Parts are obnoxiously cheap too
I like um just fine. They'd have to be mighty CHEAP and or FREE for me to afford them. lol That's why it's taken me so long to get this far with Vixen. I'm just very thankful to members here and local friends and acquaintances who've treated me well with good deals. Without that, I'd have a different hobby.
 
I got a subscription to Mopar Action in my wife’s name about a year ago. I didn’t pay for it & my wife didn’t either (we think). Odd that it would be in my wife’s name. I wonder if it is a marketing thing, send it for free for a year, then get a subscription?

It is ok, but mostly the same old stuff. Anything else they probably harvested from forums like this. I got a renewal letter for $23, but I don’t think it is really worth it. Maybe if they lower the price a bunch more on future offers….
 
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