Finding decent Tech articles in The car Magazines

[Spike Morelli]

I keep thinking this. It's really been years now......Where have all of the good Tech articles, like you used to read in Hot Rod, or Car Craft, or Popular Hot Rodding, dissapeared to? Is it that todays magazines really don't have staff Tech writers, that can go out to various shops, to show how a particular machining operation is done??? Is it that very few young guys today even know how to do thse things, so there's no skilled machinist to write the article about? Is it that todays so- called Hot Rodders just buy the parts, and don't know how to do the modifying themselves?
What happened to all of those glorious machine shops that dropped axles, showed how to add extra head bolts to cylinder heads, showed carburetor tech, Guys who would weld up things for you, Huh????? I know SOME of these establishments still exist........But, I don't see much of it anymore in the Hot Rod mags. Possibly the owners of these magazines today, don't know about these processe themselves, or they think we aren't smart enough to absorb the info. When I was younger, these books were my Bible, I'd have a rolled up Popular Hot Rodding in my back jeans pocket going to High School.
Today, I continue to look at the newsstands, but rarely buy what they think is interesting....it's mostly crap. Maybe I've just lived through the really good years of car magazine articles. Maybe I'm just old, and expect the editors to really be car guys, ....I just dont know, the new mags frustrate me.

 

[PoFoMoCo]

Brother you are not alone. I agree 100%. I believe that part of our world is gone and sadly forgotten by most. If it doesn’t have a Kardasian or a secular cause on the cover it’s not important in todays world.

Admittedly, I have been away from the hobby for many years and have only been “back” for a few months. I had no idea the magazines I used to buy regularly are not even in print any longer. I am old and even though I’m tech savvy I want to hold a physical, printed magazine in my hands.

I know allot of content is available on line but I sorely miss the printed versions of Mustang Monthly and Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords. I used to religiously go to a local newsstand every month to pickup the latest copy.

To some degree, these magazines have been replaced by forums and message boards and I guess it’s even evident in what I am doing this morning by scrolling thru the latest posts on here, VMF and SNet.

I know it’s cheesy and nostalgic but I do miss those days! (Reads I am old LOL)

 

[Mac]

Brother you are not alone. I agree 100%. I believe that part of our world is gone and sadly forgotten by most. If it doesn’t have a Kardasian or a secular cause on the cover it’s not important in todays world.

Admittedly, I have been away from the hobby for many years and have only been “back” for a few months. I had no idea the magazines I used to buy regularly are not even in print any longer. I am old and even though I’m tech savvy I want to hold a physical, printed magazine in my hands.

I know allot of content is available on line but I sorely miss the printed versions of Mustang Monthly and Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords. I used to religiously go to a local newsstand every month to pickup the latest copy.

To some degree, these magazines have been replaced by forums and message boards and I guess it’s even evident in what I am doing this morning by scrolling thru the latest posts on here, VMF and SNet.

I know it’s cheesy and nostalgic but I do miss those days! (Reads I am old LOL)

I agree with you. Mustang Monthly always had at least one "how to" article each month along with answers to letters readers had questions on.

Had a subscription with them for many years and saved all my old issues. My plan is to go back and make a master index for all the issues so I can quickly find the articles I am looking for. One other info source are TSB's. Some times you can find Ford's tech service bulletins at swap meets or on line.

One related issue along with the lack of how to articles is the lack of actual mechanics that still know/service the old cars. Where I live, there are only one or two and they are older and I don't expect them to be around much longer.

 

[Stanglover]

What happened to all the old editors and writers we used to depend on.......... they have passed away.
Today, it is much cheaper to publish online, no paper to buy, no printers ink to buy etc. etc.
I had a stack of Mustang Monthly mags, but I junked 95% of them because there was little to no content referring to 71-73 Mustangs. Even then, there was quite a lot of misinformation printed, the hood blackout for example.
It is what it is I'm afraid. Printed matter has gone the way of the DoDo bird. (or however it's spelled!!)

 

[PoFoMoCo]

I agree with you. Mustang Monthly always had at least one "how to" article each month along with answers to letters readers had questions on.

Had a subscription with them for many years and saved all my old issues....

Yes right? I had many, many years worth of archived Mustang Monthlys cataloged and separated into binders. Unfortunately, in July 2015 we had a major house fire and I lost everything in the garage EXCEPT the 2011 mustang!

 

[Spike Morelli]

I know Peterson Publishing sold the building where Hot Rod and many other Titles were produced. Another large Media conglomerate owns the publishing rights. There are no "offices ,where the "staff" of editors, contributors, ad guys, sit and mock-up the next cover together, no staff writers who go out in the field to meet with manufacturers, engine builders, go out to the drags and shoot a handfull of rolls of photos for that one super cool photo, that could only have been captured by a photographer who was there, at the perfect moment. It's what the media calls PROGRESS. Invest as little as they can, make it for as cheap as they can.
I found out first hand about today's magazine stories. Before I moved here to Boise 2 years ago, I lived in L.A., in the San Fernando Valley all my life. There is a Mopar event that takes place in the Valley every year called Spring Fling, I like to go, there are a lot of downright beautiful Mopars to see, an afternoons worth to be sure. Anyway , I drive a '71 Mach 1,It's not a Mopar, but there's a hitch on the back, and I own a restored Blown Gas Hydro that was built in '65 and raced for a handfull of years, it runs a big, blown, 392 Chrysler Hemi, so I figured I'd tow it over to the show just to give the Mopar guys some more shiny Mopar to check out. At the end of the show that day, I was approached by a photographer and asked if he could shoot some pics. Fine with me. Maybe as much as a month later, I get a call at work, some guy wanting to ask me some questions about the boat. We spoke for a bit, but I needed to get back to work and said goodby. Well, it ended up, that guy did a four-page spread on the boat, elaborating on our conversation over the phone, and was published in the Mopar magazine. That guy never even saw it in person, he was just handed some photos on "spec", and he word processed a story from his apartment kitchen table. He wrote a bunch about me, little about the boat's history. These are the contributors today. They just tie a bunch of pictures together with a story, and they go back to finishing their Lucky Charms. They're not car guys. They never even asked about what's in the engine, and that's the focal point! (I did tell him it had original rods it raced with.)
I was happy to get some ink....but today is sad

 

[Stanglover]

Yes right? I had many, many years worth of archived Mustang Monthlys cataloged and separated into binders. Unfortunately, in July 2015 we had a major house fire and I lost everything in the garage EXCEPT the 2011 mustang!

You mean you got the Mustang out before the wife!! Good man.

 

[Stanglover]

I know Peterson Publishing sold the building where Hot Rod and many other Titles were produced. Another large Media conglomerate owns the publishing rights. There are no "offices ,where the "staff" of editors, contributors, ad guys, sit and mock-up the next cover together, no staff writers who go out in the field to meet with manufacturers, engine builders, go out to the drags and shoot a handfull of rolls of photos for that one super cool photo, that could only have been captured by a photographer who was there, at the perfect moment. It's what the media calls PROGRESS. Invest as little as they can, make it for as cheap as they can.
I found out first hand about today's magazine stories. Before I moved here to Boise 2 years ago, I lived in L.A., in the San Fernando Valley all my life. There is a Mopar event that takes place in the Valley every year called Spring Fling, I like to go, there are a lot of downright beautiful Mopars to see, an afternoons worth to be sure. Anyway , I drive a '71 Mach 1,It's not a Mopar, but there's a hitch on the back, and I own a restored Blown Gas Hydro that was built in '65 and raced for a handfull of years, it runs a big, blown, 392 Chrysler Hemi, so I figured I'd tow it over to the show just to give the Mopar guys some more shiny Mopar to check out. At the end of the show that day, I was approached by a photographer and asked if he could shoot some pics. Fine with me. Maybe as much as a month later, I get a call at work, some guy wanting to ask me some questions about the boat. We spoke for a bit, but I needed to get back to work and said goodby. Well, it ended up, that guy did a four-page spread on the boat, elaborating on our conversation over the phone, and was published in the Mopar magazine. That guy never even saw it in person, he was just handed some photos on "spec", and he word processed a story from his apartment kitchen table. He wrote a bunch about me, little about the boat's history. These are the contributors today. They just tie a bunch of pictures together with a story, and they go back to finishing their Lucky Charms. They're not car guys. They never even asked about what's in the engine, and that's the focal point! (I told him it had original rods it raced with.)
I was happy to get some ink....but today is sad

And no doubt HIS name was front and center at the top of the spread.

 

[Idaho Chris]

Most tech type articles I see today are more about tuning the ECU. So many parameters are available for modification with a re-flash. It seems today's hot rodders are more savvy with a computer than a wrench.

I'm not saying this as a bad thing, as it is indeed impressive what can be done with modern engines and a tune. Bolt on some stuff and play with the fuel/ignition/boost/shift data tables and go for a drive. I admit it does have a certain appeal to me.

While I have tinkered in that world a bit, I still prefer old school hands greasy hot rodding on normally aspirated push rod V8s. Probably an age thing...

 

[c9zx]

Ignorance begets more ignorance. Most people today really can't do much of anything that doesn't involve a screen and a keyboard. They hire people to do things like change a light switch, fix a dripping faucet, change oil, or cut the grass. Many don't know they don't know and others don't care that they don't know anything. Tech, for many, is limited to all things computer driven. So they spend thousands of dollars a year paying people to do things for them, that with a bit of effort and some tutoring, they could do for themselves and take pride from doing so. The magazines, that survive, must cater to the advertiser's and subscriber's desires. And deep mechanical tech doesn't seem to be in high demand.
The good news is, for those who do now how build and repair things, it is very easy to be elevated to hero status by family members and neighbors that the "knower and doer" helps.
"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is King." Chuck

 

[Stanglover]

Ignorance begets more ignorance. Most people today really can't do much of anything that doesn't involve a screen and a keyboard. They hire people to do things like change a light switch, fix a dripping faucet, change oil, or cut the grass. Many don't know they don't know and others don't care that they don't know anything. Tech, for many, is limited to all things computer driven. So they spend thousands of dollars a year paying people to do things for them, that with a bit of effort and some tutoring, they could do for themselves and take pride from doing so. The magazines, that survive, must cater to the advertiser's and subscriber's desires. And deep mechanical tech doesn't seem to be in high demand.
The good news is, for those who do now how build and repair things, it is very easy to be elevated to hero status by family members and neighbors that the "knower and doer" helps.
"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is King." Chuck

Well said Chuck.
Last year, I ripped out and replaced our kitchen, down to the studs. I did have to hire an electrician for legal and insurance reason, and besides, electrical stuff is not my strong point. I did all the other work including a very tricky glass tile backsplash. The cabinet maker installed the cabinets as that was a job I was happy to let him do.
On the Mustang, internal engine work and body painting are about the only jobs I don't do.

 

[Bentworker]

Anybody flip through Sick the mag? I know it is drag racing oriented. Curious if it is good.

For tech based info I tend to stick to this forum and one other. Even when tech articles were printed on paper there were good ones, and questionable ones.

 

[donkost]

I have a pretty good selection of late 1960's through early 1970's Hot Rod, Car Craft, Motor Trend, etc. magazines. Tech articles and letters to the editor make for interesting reading. I flip through those from time to time. Truly the golden era of car magazines. Even throughout the rest of the 1970's they were pretty good. I had subscriptions to Hot Rod and some others until around the 1980's.

 

[Spike Morelli]

Way back in the sixties, I was reading a Hot Rod magazine that had a Tech article, explaning how to make your small block 327 Chevy crank snout bulletproof, by cutting it off close to the #1 bearing, and welding on a larger stub, which was eventually ground to Chrysler size ( larger than SBC ), and new keyway machined in, then a final drill and tap for the crank bolt. This was a necessary mod for a blown SBC, which had ( has ) a small snout and has trouble handling blower loads. This mod was also necessary for the famed Peters and Frank "Freight Train" dual engined dragster of the time.
I kept the article, don't know why, it just intrigued me. Fast forward to today, and I own a dual-engined SBC powered dragboat. The engines aren't complete as yet, and will require exactly the mod in the article. How'd I know to save that article? You won't find that info today in any magazine. Today, you can custom order a new crank made with the big snout brand new. I think I'll have Marine Crankshaft modify one of my original steel 327 cranks, it's how they used to do it.