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Just the latest in a string of a way of life becoming things of the past.
Independent Mom & Pop retailers, handwritten mail, big ol' rwd daily drivers, what else id disappearing without trace?.
Niche magazines are vanishing fast, I don't think any **** magazines are still published in the UK, the internet has killed them. Not that I'm comparing car, or fishing, or any other special interest publications with them, but why buy a magazine when you can easily access what you are looking for online?.
Well I have seen it now some other places and I agree it probably does make sense- but I don't like it- Lots of things I don't like... I don't know if it's just getting old or too much change. We have a huge land mass (150 acres) on our lake that is a Girl Scout camp . Has been since the 50's or before. Now it is for sale- Girl Scouts -and Boy Scouts, actually are having a hard time making a go of it. Maybe they need to combine into Undeclared Scouts... oh did I go too far... Anyway I think there may be too much change....
I haven't done anything with the BSA this century, and I probably won't. Previously, I was in it for ten years, got Eagle, worked at a camp in the summer, taught all sorts of aquatics merit badges.
My subscription to car craft is paid up for another year or do, what happens to the subscription fees?
i have been disappointed with the content of car craft and hot rod for a while now. I’m tired of the high dollar car builds from professional sho car shops, the big bucks engine builds, etc. car craft was always about the working man automotive enthusiasts, hot rod always did a good job of balancing the working man dreams with the more expensive desires. I always enjoyed articles about the improvements you could make to your current ride with junkyard parks. I enjoyed the technical articles on the manufacturing process of the parts and tools we use with our hobbies. That has gone away. Now, when I can read a magazine cover to cover in a hour, hardly seems worth it.
My dad and I split the cost of a newspaper subscription, only way it’s worth it. If I skip any articles with headlines mentioning the daily presidential scandals, latest investigation, political crap, shootings, foreign governments, etc, there isn’t much to read but the comics and a few sport scores.
My subscription to car craft is paid up for another year or do, what happens to the subscription fees?
In my experience, if the magazine ceasing print publication is continuing with a digital edition, they'll just give you a subscription to that until the money you have left with them runs out. This is what happened with my subscription to PC World. They still produce the complete magazine, but it's only available online.
If the magazine is ceasing publication altogether, they'll offer you a subscription to something similar until the money runs out. This is what happened when one of the golf magazines I was getting stopped publishing. In no instance was I ever offered a refund of the unused portion of the subscription.
I have been waiting for another point of view to come to the thread. I guess not, so here goes:
The passing of these printed mags is less about subscriptions and advertising making their continuation viable, and more about cultural shift. As far as I am concerned, these publications were doomed when the genuine grass-roots mechanical experience editing ceased, then being replaced by 'degrees in journalism'. Even the Hot Rod glory days photographer Eric Rickman had relevant garage built rods, the reading and features passed the sniff test always because IT WAS genuine. They did lose me for a time in the 'van' years, however.
There has always been and always will be those who participate who acquire their car mojo through some external means, be it printed mags or online activity of any sort, or by perhaps owning cars which are a finished product. It is all part of it and inseparable. Others to use the currently popular term, have organic car hobby roots, and they come in at their level with this involvement.
As a example of the point I make, I enjoyed the first modern re-do of Hop Up, and detested 'Rodders Journal', although one must admit the publisher got a bulls eye targeting the hoi-polloi in rodding who wanted to present a more Pebble Beach type front.
I think the momentum which carried mags such as Car Craft etc forward from the grass roots days of hot rodding and customizing has come to a end. Today we have people who try to write about these topics then reading more like fiction then fact. That the probable end is announced on FB seems almost scripted.
I could pile on more, but this is the nutshell version of my view.
I have been waiting for another point of view to come to the thread. I guess not, so here goes:
You bring up some good points, but I think the problem is bigger than that. The number of people who actually turn their own wrenches is dropping significantly. The editorial content of magazines mirrors this - all we get are pro-built mega-dollar cars. How-to articles are few and far between. One of my favorite magazines was the short-lived Street Rod Builder, published by John Dianna. This magazine was almost entirely how-I-built-it articles. The number of posts by people in various automotive forums about things like "I don't know how to change points" or similar topics is depressing. I'm not suggesting that everyone need to have the skills to build a car from scratch, but just knowing how a task is performed makes one an informed buyer if you plan to have someone else do the work. Today people have to go to their local "makerspace" to 3D print some stupid little item. They don't know the satisfaction of fabricating a mounting bracket themselves or building an automatic trans, or whatever.
The first issue of HRM I bought was the July 1969 issue. I started subscribing in May 1971.
At various times I've subscribed to Car Craft, PHR, R&C, Street Rodder, Street Rod Builder, Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Road and Track, Autoweek, and Auto Restorer (and probably a few others I've forgotten over the years). When TEN killed R&C five years ago, they wanted to make it up to me with Motor Trend. I said no, just extend my Street Rodder subscription. That clearly isn't going to work out. Now with Autoweek dead, they want to make that up with either Road and Track or Car and Driver. I don't want either anymore.
The trend is similar with auto parts stores. An aisle of snake oil, an aisle of interior bling, an aisle of exterior bling, an aisle of chinesium generic tools, the fluids aisle, the battery aisle, the wipers aisle, and then there is pretty much nothing actually usable in the customer area of the store.
I'd like a parts store that was 95% behind the counter, that actually stocked good stuff. This is a fairly recent thing; it was better 10 years ago.
sitting talking with all the 60-70-80 year old guys who grew up with these cars drag racing and building we have a saying. THIS IS WHERE WERE AT. like it or not and i don't. the young generation has taken over.
I gave up my car magazine subscriptions a few years ago. The content was going downhill fast....high dollar builds, less real tech and less pages per issue.
I now read and look at everything online. The only thing I want in print is a service manual, but I guess I can deal with PDF versions if the print oen is too costly or not available.
Now that we have given up cable TV and are streaming, I found that I spend most of my time on YouTube following the various car channels out there:
Try:
coldwarmotors
Jonathan W
IronTrap Garage
DD Speed Shop
Rodder Files
37Spiker
Shannons Insurance
Gasser Nation
Sloppy Mechanics
BossaNova Life
-and many more.All the tech and car show coverage you could want, and then some.
I started when I was 8 yrs old... I guess cartoons were more interesting before that age.
I have many Super Stock & Drag Illustrated issues... even one with a 67-442 factory road test.
It was nice to see old school drag racing, before throttle stops & delay boxes were poular.
I was sad to see Popular Hot Rodding get cancelled.
I was never a huge fan of Car & Driver or Motor Trend, but looking back at all the road tests is pretty cool now.
The first announcement of the 66 W30 was an article by Bud Lang in Car Craft, August 1966.
My re-creation of the Rund 66 W30 appeared in Dec 2010 Muscle Car Review (Steve Magnante)
A number of other 66 W30s have appeared in Muscle Car Review.
My favorite color centerfold was in Feb. 67 Hi Performance Cars, the Rund car at the drag strip.
All those magazines have now gone the way Oldsmobile has gone.
Here what we could have few years ago in France. Half of them just bought pics and reports from us magazines, and translate them....
Nowadays, NITRO and POWERGLIDE are the only last. The V8 scene is so much smaller than you, so imagine how few are the announcers.
And, i am only 40, but i do prefer words on papers than screens...i spend so much times on laptop or smartphone for jobs that my pleasure is to read and smell a monthly magazine.
I remember when i was a kid, i went to my dad's garage to read his "chromes & flames" hot rod mag....
Sometimes i wonder what kind of heritage i will let to my kids and to their kids too.
Sad news, sorry to hear this. I'm conservative by nature, don't take well to change. Love the old mags. Luckily I also really enjoy searching car info and articles online.
As a kid Car & Driver was the subscription I most remember at home. Car Craft was what I would buy at magazine shops. While Muscle Car Review provided the occasional magic. Back in 1989 IIRC I came across a copy of MCR. They had a feature on the 1966 W30, till that point that car was like a myth to me.
That is a shame end of an era. Magazine racks no longer filled with performance car mags. My favorite car magazine died long ago Super/Stock.
No more ink for the car builders or vendors that will be a loss for the hobby.
I'm gonna miss Muscle Car Review. It & Hemmings Muscle Machines were the only 2 mags left that I subscribed to. I gave up on Car Craft years ago as it had pretty much turned into "Camaro Craft". Used to get Motor Trend but the last 30+ years it's mostly about imports, no thanks!!! I'm paid up thru Aug 20 on MCR???? Even Hemmings has more & more resto-mods these days. While I appreciate all the work that goes into them it's not why I drive a 52 yr old 442! I guess I'll have to have put lap-top in the throne room soon!!!
My first subscription to a car mag was MCR back in the late '80s. It was canceled at one time (mid-late '90s IIRC) when I was paid ahead for like 5 years, so it was replaced with Hot Rod, which was OK, but I preferred the history of the stock muscle cars from the '60s / '70s in their widely varying forms. Before that ran out, I started subscribing to Car & Driver in the late '90s to early 20-teens. This was cool since I was finally of age where I became a new car buyer and C&D's focus on new cars and their performance satiated my interests. Once I discovered their online content, I let that subscription run out too. I don't really miss it, I can always pop up an article of whatever I want while on the can w/ my phone. I've started to razor-out pertinent articles from my magazine collection to condense it, I'll probably eventually scan all that in so I can read it on a screen. Bookshelf space always seems to be a premium around the house.
On line ink counts but to the traditionalist nothing beats magazine ink.
On line media has done a lot of good for the car hobby. It's just to bad that a staple of the car building culture has come to an end.
Last edited by Bernhard; December 17th, 2019 at 06:37 AM.
Well, I just got an email from TEN Publishing. I will be allowed to convert my remaining THREE YEARS of paid up Street Rodder subscription to digital versions of Hot Rod, Motor Trend, or Four Wheeler only. There are NO other digital offerings available. The BS about the other magazines continuing on line was exactly that - marketing BS. I already get Hot Rod and I have no interest in Motor Trend or Four Wheeler, so I'll have to call and bitch at them. Here's the email:
All I am hearing is the past and what is going to be the past. I have heard nothing about resurrecting . If car makers can do versions of older cars why is it no one with means can get enough on board to make a Oldsmobile . The same reason that these mags are no long going to be published in print. Nobody wants to try. We are having more speed parts built that were never before available to the Oldsmobile hobby. The reason is simple someone tried to make a difference. We have more heads,blocks cranks, available after the brand died at GM. I think a new magazine is possible it just takes someone willing. If Indian motor cycles can come back tell me why Oldsmobile as a company can not. Tell me why a magazine catering to car guys fails maybe to many fingers in the pie who know nothing about cars. Hence younger generation who do not work or customize anything. There is a young man with a dream right now .His name is Payton Hunt . Son of Russel Hunt. His dream is making a all out Oldsmobile race head,intake and a block. The head has been cast. So to sum it up someone needs to step forward to start a car magazine.
Last edited by wr1970; December 17th, 2019 at 11:23 AM.
So to sum it up someone needs to step forward to start a car magazine.
Sure. All it takes is cash.
Do you really think an established publishing company is going to walk away from a profitable situation? These magazines aren't being killed because the owners are making too much money. How much would you be willing to pay for an annual subscription? $100 a year for a monthly?
Do you really think an established publishing company is going to walk away from a profitable situation? These magazines aren't being killed because the owners are making too much money. How much would you be willing to pay for an annual subscription? $100 a year for a monthly?
Joe i politely disagree with you. You are asking a question of $100 a year a month simply to throw out a outlandish amount nobody would pay. Why is it you are unable to say a positive ? Why not say maybe it could be done (if) someone had means and knowledge with the desire to try. Cost of said magazine would be offset by advertising plus people who would subscribe. There is a guy who does Oldsmobile calendars every year. Now do you buy any ? Joe have you bought any drag race videos by same guy? I have bought video's of Oldsmobile national drag racing events many times from this guy. My last car magine/ off road was $10 a year. Would i pay more yes but not for a camero magazine. Vintage olds,pontiac,buick or any other brand yes I would pay more. I believe to many throw there hands in there air and give up.Why does it have to be established company that has failed because of maybe other factors. Maybe mismanaged not doing articles that gearheads want to read not doing enough old school cars. Gee maybe the over head was done wrong. Lots of maybes so yeah they lost money . I say a grassroots magazine could be created and would thrive. Sign me to buy a subscription.
Last edited by wr1970; December 17th, 2019 at 01:30 PM.
Joe i politely disagree with you. You are asking a question of $100 a year a month simply to throw out a outlandish amount nobody would pay. Why is it you are unable to say a positive ? Why not say maybe it could be done (if) someone had means and knowledge with the desire to try. Cost of said magazine would be offset by advertising plus people who would subscribe. There is a guy who does Oldsmobile calendars every year. Now do you buy any ? Joe have you bought any drag race videos by same guy? I have bought video's of Oldsmobile national drag racing events many times from this guy. My last car magine/ off road was $10 a year. Would i pay more yes but not for a camero magazine. Vintage olds,pontiac,buick or any other brand. I believe to many throw there hands in there air and give up.
So again I'll ask. Do you really think a company like TEN would walk away from a product like Street Rodder or Car Craft or MCR if it were profitable? Where do you think these advertisers will come from? They are leaving print media in droves. Most of the content in magazines is available on the web for free. Why would enough people pay for it to make it profitable?
Many specialty marque magazines have been tried. None survive today. Do you think that every single one of them was mismanaged? Or maybe there really isn't a profitable market. Remember BOP Magazine? Remember Street Rod Builder? I've started and run my own company. There are lot of costs that need to be covered. The publishing business requires monthly editorial content, high quality photography, a significant travel budget to cover events, an editorial and layout staff, an advertising sales staff, and a publishing capability. A company like TEN has all that, shares it among all their titles, and still can't make all the magazines profitable. When was the last time anyone here read a newspaper? Sorry, but those of us who prefer print are a shrinking demographic. A once-a-year calendar is a very different product than a monthly magazine. Heck, JWO gets its content for free from volunteers. It still isn't cheap and frankly, most of the content doesn't interest me.
It is really quite simple. Profit is what runs any business. At least it is supposed to or they will not survive. If these magazines were profitable they would not be discontinued. Joe covered many of the associated cost. In addition there is printing and postage which are significant. The biggest cause of failure of magazines and newspapers is the internet. No big surprise there. Look at the Washington Post. If it were not for left leaning Jeff Bezos stepping up and buying it, it would have been gone several years ago.
They said the same thing about a after market engine block that is stronger than stock. That accepts stock heads ,intakes ,water pumps, exhaust manifolds,.no buyers too much cost to have it made .yada yada broken record. Now we have this engine available. Postage on magazines are passed on to buyer. Yes I will say the 10 was mismanaged as other big companies are. It would take a small company to do it that has low overhead cost.
Negative attitude was the comparison. Gee whiz. That is all I see in this thread defeatism.
You're speaking as a layman about an industry you know little about. Get some perspective and understand no one is being negative--they're just pointing out the reality. Don't take their comments personally.
You're speaking as a layman about an industry you know little about. Get some perspective and understand no one is being negative--they're just pointing out the reality. Don't take their comments personally.
So are you the expert? I didn't take the comments personally I am just pointing out the negativity . Who's reality ? Again there was alot of never going to make another after market block yet it was done. Is it so hard for everyone to even think someone could and may take up the task of starting a car magazine. Good grief . LOL
December 8th, 2019, 08:18 AM
