I just got a post card in the mail, after MONTHS of offers to renew my subscription (I always wait til the last minute to get the best deal) I got a notice in the mail that reads,

The March 2009 issue of Kit Car will be the last issue published. The issue will be mailed on schedule. The balance of your subscription will be served by Hot Rod Magazine starting with the April 2009 issue which will be mailed to you in mid February. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber.

I guess since the death fo the Fiero kit cars are disappearing too. But this is a real bummer. I have issues from the 70s. I still have the infamous "Specialty Car Magazine" issues.

Not just Fieros, Bug chassis (chassi?) are harder to find. There's only so much you can do with Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Cougars and S-10s.

I got the same letter. I will miss that magazine.

Audi and ferrari have put a hurting on the kit car industry.

That plus a lack of original designs out there.

The industry definatly needs an infusion of new design blood.

I think the economy has also cut down on the number of builders too.

I am sad to see Kit Car Magazine go, but am grateful that Kit Car Builder is still around. Ever since Kit Car Builder came out, I did not purchase Kit Car Magazine again. The economy hit the hot rod / kit car / exotic car industries hard. People were using there homes like ATMs to purchase cars. Just take a look at the used mussel or exotic car markets. The local exotic consignment shop had to expand into a new warehouse for all the cars coming in.

Kit Car’s failure maybe due in part by the lack of advertisements from replica builders going out of business by Audi and Ferrari lawsuits thus no continued revenue. Now that the last of the replica companies have gone underground..... nobody is advertising.

As for the "Kit Car Magazine" it's the same old regurgitated replicas to which you rarely see a modified Fiero featured thus I let my subscription run-out many months ago. They're lack of diversity is the main reason for me not continuing my bi-monthly mailing.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 12-28-2008).]

I haven't seen my letter yet, but I already subscribe to hot rod too...

Magazines as a whle are all dying.

Compact Car also is RIP.

The cost of publishing and mailing a magazine and shrinking sales because of the internet are killing Magazines es and newspapers.

Autoweek is going Bi-weekly and more magazines will die this year.

It was bad any way and many were on the verge of shutting down but the economy if the final straw.

In the near future look for Magazines to be down loaded in the reading pads lap tops and MP-3/I pods. Even the new range of phone will be where you will read about the latest cars.

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: In the near future look for Magazines to be down loaded in the reading pads lap tops and MP-3/I pods. Even the new range of phone will be where you will read about the latest cars.

Near future? I already read 4 online and they're free. It's the advertising where they get their revenue.

PC Mag is going all digital, no more paper copy.

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Chuck
88 Formula W/fastback
96 New Yorker

quote Originally posted by Gokart Mozart: Near future? I already read 4 online and they're free. It's the advertising where they get their revenue.

That is only the start.

Anyonew who thinks magazines are run on the price you pay for it are very mistaken. Like you said advertising rules. Today most companies are adverting more often in other places or on the web were more see it.

I suspect you may have to pay for more online magazines in the future. The ones that are free are new or just upstarts. In time they I am sure we will have to pay for it like out TV or and now radio.

Many would be shocked how few people work at some of the magazines anymore. They are cut to the bone. The mailing cost and printing cost are over the top. Now that the economy has hit I know advertising has taken a hit. We used to have 3 pages in Hot Rod and we are now down to one page because we have new places to advertise where it is more cost effective.

The other problem is that magazines are overpriced. Last time Iooked on the magazine rack I saw $12.95 stickers. Thats insane for what you get with most mags being thinner than a newspaper. Popular photography used to be a big one for me, I stopped because their info is at least 3-6 months behind the internet forums. Plus I get way better info (I.E. real product reviews instead of a company paid 3 page advertisment review) and more from online forums than any magazine can give.

Print has use. Books for example will not go away. but magazines priced themselves out of business.

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: Many would be shocked how few people work at some of the magazines anymore. They are cut to the bone. The mailing cost and printing cost are over the top. Now that the economy has hit I know advertising has taken a hit. We used to have 3 pages in Hot Rod and we are now down to one page because we have new places to advertise where it is more cost effective.

Which is one reason why they sometimes sell your info to other magazines for $$$. I used to have many types, but now I'm down to three magazine companies; Luxury and Exotic, AutoMobile, and MotorTrend.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 12-28-2008).]

I guess it was on the horizon... I just found out myself that IFG ( Imaginary Fiber Glass, a local So Cal company that made some pretty seet kits ) got out of the kit car buisness a while ago and is now doing body kits for golf carts... weak

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Which is one reason why they sometimes sell your info to other magazines for $$$. I used to have many types, but now I'm down to three magazine companies; Luxury and Exotic, AutoMobile, and MotorTrend.

If you knew only half of it.

Even in catalogs most plasces sell space to the MFG. They just don't put in what they want they sell the space to that MFG and they decide whaty to put in.

Most things in life are not free.

Also the cover price comes nowhere close to covering cost.

As for kit cars it has always been a hard business to be in. Only a few Cobra kit car comp-anies have been long term. Most die in a year or two.

Also many kit like the 308 are point less as some of the real cars are so cheap. Today a real 308 is only 25-30K.

I get HOT ROD and let Motor Trend laps. I get so many emails from the the publishers wanting me to subscrib to one of more of their other magazines. There are so many advertisements in the magazines it is hard to read or find the articles. Postal rates are high, but subscription rates are always discounted, but I don't want all the card inserts, there must be at least 10 of those inserts (personal rant) in the magazine.

I've got a few KIT CAR copies store away that had Fiero articles.

quote Originally posted by Chicken McNizzle: I guess it was on the horizon... I just found out myself that IFG ( Imaginary Fiber Glass, a local So Cal company that made some pretty seet kits ) got out of the kit car buisness a while ago and is now doing body kits for golf carts... weak

I visited IFG a couple of times and I was there many years ago when they had the molds to the Ferrari 355 in the back yard. I asked what they were doing and they said they were waiting for some lawyers to show-up to see them cut into pieces.

The lawyers and big time manufacturers have destroyed the Kit Car industry.

We stopped buying that mag a while ago, seemed to have way too many articals on Shelby Cobras. BTW: we built an FFV cobra so it's not like we had anything against them, the mag just got too boring.

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[IMG]



Trueleo.com/fiero.htm
RSpiderII@aol.com

quote Originally posted by madcurl: I used to have many types, but now I'm down to three magazine companies; Luxury and Exotic, AutoMobile, and MotorTrend.

Okay, make that two magazines. I just got a notice from Modified Luxury & Exotics that their last issue is Jan/Feb 2009. My balance is served by European Car mag.

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Okay, make that two magazines. I just got a notice from Modified Luxury & Exotics that their last issue is Jan/Feb 2009. My balance is served by European Car mag.

That explains all the renewal notices. I must have received 6 in the last 4 months. It's a good thing I ignored them or my new "HOT ROD" subscription would be valid for 4 years!

Peterson is obviously trying to boost sales of OTHER magazines by cannibalizing existing magazine subscriptions. That's pretty low. Beg you to renew your subscription and THEN tell you the magazine is no longer published and change your subscription over to a magazine that THEY want to sell you.

IMO what has contributed to the decline in auto magazines in their inability to keep up with the times. For instance take Hot Rod. They are still writing artlcles like it is still 1969. After many years of subscribing I let my subscription lapse 2 years ago. When I read artlcle after article on engine building and I see them using a distributor and carburetor on just about every one, I said it was time for a change.
If they don't have the personnnel that are intelligent enough to write articles on engine building dealing with ECM/PCM tuning and complex engine management then all they have is worthless outdated information. I also seldom read articles about building modern high efficiency/high power V6 and 4 cyl. engines. Everything that they write about is big block.small block carbs headers and the like..
Hot Rod is dying because they refuse to change with the times. IMO they write a magazine for senior citizens that wish to remember the "good old days"

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
87GT - 3.4L Turbocharged engine, modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 12-31-2008).]

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: Magazines as a whle are all dying.

Niche market anything is dying it seems.

Too bad about Kit Car... I still have a pile of them from the 90's (what I guess would now be known as the heyday of the Fiero-based kitcar market).

Also sorry to hear about Sport Compact Car - I'm not much of an import guy (although Subies do interest me), but they had some great writers & solid tech info. The one that always sticks in my mind is "Monkeypower"

I too dropped Hot Rod a few years back - same articles, different cover shots - year after year. I currently receive: Car Craft (finishing out a super-cheap 4 year subscription offer... but probably won't renew after that... much for the same reason as Hot Rod), Motorcyclist (not always the strongest comparisons... but that's somewhat the nature of the motorcycle industry - generally good ride reports & stories), and Road & Track (always in it for "Side Glances" by Peter Egan).

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Looking for Fiero posters?

Too bad.. I was just thinking of renewing mine...Oh well..

Bob

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: IMO they write a magazine for senior citizens that wish to remember the "good old days"

Bingo! We have a winner!

I canceled my HR subscription a decade ago for the same reason. I love old GTOs, and Z28s as much as the next guy but in this world we live in the V-8 is an anachronism. How many new cars can you really buy today (that need "hot rodding") that come with a V-8?

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: IMO what has contributed to the decline in auto magazines in their inability to keep up with the times. For instance take Hot Rod. They are still writing artlcles like it is still 1969. After many years of subscribing I let my subscription lapse 2 years ago. When I read artlcle after article on engine building and I see them using a distributor and carburetor on just about every one, I said it was time for a change. If they don't have the personnnel that are intelligent enough to write articles on engine building dealing with ECM/PCM tuning and complex engine management then all they have is worthless outdated information. I also seldom read articles about building modern high efficiency/high power V6 and 4 cyl. engines. Everything that they write about is big block.small block carbs headers and the like.. Hot Rod is dying because they refuse to change with the times. IMO they write a magazine for senior citizens that wish to remember the "good old days"

If you watch "OVERHAULIN" or the old "American Hotrod" (Boyd Coddington's old show), when ever they did a build they always did carburated engines. Many on this forum don't want to mess with the electronics and drop in carburated engines into the Fiero. They are lots easier to build and to get running. Computers require chips, modified chips and some programming to get the cars to run right. As an old timer, I was used to carburators and their "simple" adjustments, along with setting timing and distributors. NO more as I'd need a computer to determine how the car is running and what needs fixing. One of these days I'll get the diagnostics program and cables to hook up to my laptop.

I have gown tired of Hot Rod and Car Craft but I get them free at work.

Yea they do have carbs but they do have a fair share of High Tech rides. But most are so high tech most of the readers could never afford them so they still include a lot of carbs.

Also a lot of the stories are advertising based. They show builds and cars the MFG want featured.

They has a 63 Lemans not long ago that was injected and turboed. It was in a car with some primer and all. A true sleeper with something like 1400 HP.

As for the V8 again its advertising driven as most MFG are American V8 based. They are changing slowly but I suspect we will see more 4-6 engines int he future. THe street rod guys are using them more.

The higher tech 4 and 6's can make good power, no doubt but to get big numbers you have to go right to forced induction and a lot of fanatical tuning. A v8 can make big numbers and stay in int normally aspirated range as well as having better torque/ hp curves and still hold together. If you tweak any engine too much it will fly apart, but 4 and 6 cyl engines have lower mechanical limits due to the need to rev higher to make that power. If you take a 4 or 6 cyl and then take an 8 cyl and do the same mods to it guess what your making more power then either the 4 or the 6 could make. Look at the lsx motors the ls 7 has a block rating of around 2800 hp. Audi's S series and above all have 8's the same thing with the BMW's hi end cars. I have no problem with anyone going for big numbers with any engine at all, go for it. Fast is fast 4cyl 6 or 8 its all just different way to annoy the police. I just get tired of all the v8 bashing around here, yes you can make big numbers out of the 4, and 6 cyl engines, but everyone always acts as if the v8 hasn't evolved either it has. Some prefer 8 cyl engines due to the reduced need for tuning and forced induction to achieve their performance needs. Too many people hear v8 and they think 1960 carb fed engines that is not always the case.

[This message has been edited by Macs86GT (edited 01-01-2009).]

I let my last subscriptions expire over a decade ago, soon after I joined the internet community. I just lost interest in paying for glossy printed advertisements (actual and supposed feature content). I still read most of my favorites online. I know it takes forever for the stuff to post sometimes, but they're getting faster with it in the race to keep up with the Joneses. Plus, the problem with the internet is definitely not a lack of information, on virtually any subject.

quote Originally posted by MinnGreenGT: ...and Road & Track (always in it for "Side Glances" by Peter Egan).

I love his editorials, and haven't read them in a while. When I saw your post I went and checked and sure enough they're on the R&T site as well! For some reason I never thought to check before. Think I'll go read one now...

quote If you watch "OVERHAULIN" or the old "American Hotrod" (Boyd Coddington's old show), when ever they did a build they always did carburated engines. Many on this forum don't want to mess with the electronics and drop in carburated engines into the Fiero. They are lots easier to build and to get running. Computers require chips, modified chips and some programming to get the cars to run right. As an old timer, I was used to carburators and their "simple" adjustments, along with setting timing and distributors. NO more as I'd need a computer to determine how the car is running and what needs fixing. One of these days I'll get the diagnostics program and cables to hook up to my laptop.

Larry. I would agree that we have a portion of people on this forum that are scared of or intimidated with modern EFI systems but the majority of swaps you see here and all new cars since 1983 do use PCM control. As for simple tuning, I tune from the drivers seat with a laptop without the need to even open the deck lid so which is really the simple way? -using your keyboard or using tools? I can also tune while doing a test drive and have infinite control.
Point is that V8's are now only a tiny part of todays hotrodding and as pointed out when you buy a new 400HP LS2 or a 425 HP Hemi how much hotrodding do these engines really need. The mainstream performance market is now using sixes and fours and again all use EFI, MPFI or SPFI.
Toddster has it right; nothing wrong with nostaglia ( and I own a few classics myself) but how much of the same crap can we read month after month before tiring of it. Point is that Hot Rod is an old publication that is WAY behind the times and living in the past. IMO Kit Car just died because the market for kit cars has nearly disappeared.
When you finally decide to get your scanning/tuning program up and running, and dedicate a few evenings learning how to use it (its actually not hard) you will never want to revert to the classsic approach ever again. There is an saying in the ad business that says "you can't keep doing the same things the same way year after year and continue to be successful". Peterson Publications needs to get the message or they will be out of business in 2009.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
87GT - 3.4L Turbocharged engine, modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

The problem with the carbed engines in SMOG LAWS! If you hot rod a car from the 60's then a Carb is legal and the laws are limited. But if you can't afford $30K for a rusted rebuildable 69 GTO then who is the audience of the magazine? I always thought of Hot Rod as being for the young guys who were looking for cheap horsepower. That means you should be targeting a readership of people buying 10-20 year old cars. The articles should be focused on that group with an emphasis on CHEAP and DO IT YOURSELF!

I am starting my 15th year in the perfromance aftermarket and not much has changed with many customer. Even the guys using carbs near half are not set up correctly and most buy one too big.

I have seen guys who can build a 2,000 HP engine but can't set up a carb also I have seen good carb guys that can't even adjust a rocker arrm.

FI is easy but you need a lap top back grounds as most systems are tuned on a dyno and set up through a lap top. Most kids under 30 have little issue with this and already have a lap top.
It would not suprise me if someone makes a set up where you can use your I Phone.

The real trick now is Direct Injection. Most tunes will work with stock pressures since they are so high. My EcoTech Turbo idles 400-500 PSI and can see just over 2500 PSI at WOT.

It is just a matter of learning something new and buying a few more tools. Most cases the Injection is easier to work with just a little more expensive vs a 1850 Holley carb.

Did you add too many zeros to your ecotec turbo psi numbers?

quote Originally posted by dratts: Did you add too many zeros to your ecotec turbo psi numbers?

Nope! I love showing people my fuel pressure gauge and watch their jaw drop. That is the fuel pressure. The stock turbo tune runs 15-20 PSI depending on weather and alt. The stage kit GM just release will do 20 PSI anywhere but you have to use 91 oct. With the stock tune you have a choice of fuel. If you run regular it just kills off some boost.

The stage kit form GM is ok for the factory warranty and will run 290 HO and opens the learn feature on the computer so the will adjust to the aftemarket exhaust and intakes. Right now they add little.

Direct Injection has to run hi pressures to get the fuel into the combustion chamber while the air is compressed. The Diesels are even higher.

The only draw back with DI is the injectors are noisey. They click almost like lifters. I do not hear them inside but out side they have a little rattle.

Read up on the DI engines from GM the Ecotech Turbo and the 3.6 V6 in the Camaro and CTS . THese are only the first of many more. These engines are unreal in power and fuel mileage. The 2.0 DI with 260 HP gets bett mileage than the 170 HP 2.4. The new 2.4 DI is up 10 HP and up in MPG.

There is a new 3.0 DI V6 that will do 255 HP and get better mileage while it is only normally asperated.

The DI is coming to all their engines in time and will transform the power we see from all displacments.

The 1.4 Turbo is to do around 170 HP and seen right at 40 MPG highway in the new Chevy Cruze.

My 3200 pound HHR SS gets 24 City and 30-31 highway. That is better than the GM rating.

There is a short story in the new Autombile magazine out now on DI engines and how GM and Ford are moving to them fast. .

[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 01-01-2009).]

Got it! I thought you were talking boost pressures.

quote Originally posted by toddshotrods: I let my last subscriptions expire over a decade ago, soon after I joined the internet community...

But what do you read on the crapper then? Just bring your laptop with you? LOL!

With it so hard to get Sears Catolog I wonder what many will use in the Outhouse?

quote Originally posted by MinnGreenGT: But what do you read on the crapper then? Just bring your laptop with you? LOL!

I used to but now the laptop is soooo "yesterday", I just grab the smartphone on the way in Just kidding guys, I don't even have a smartphone yet

quote Originally posted by MinnGreenGT: But what do you read on the crapper then? Just bring your laptop with you? LOL!

That's what tablet PC's are for http://www.tabletpc2.com/Nec.htm

Works great while doing your morning "Duty". I just wish they were more durable and worked as a shop manual. would be great to pulll up all the car PDF files on it when under the car and covered in grease and oil from head to toe.

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