Anyone here still read car magazines?

[clean8485]

I know that the popularity of car magazines has fallen off over the past few years, and that some magazine titles have completely disappeared. For older guys like me though, that's how we got much of our information and entertainment about the car hobby, prior to the introduction of the internet.
It looks like maybe the '78-'88 A/G body cars are starting to increase in popularity. Recently, I've picked up the March 2017 issue of Car Craft magazine, which has photos of a Hurst Olds, and another mid '80s Cutlass on the cover, as well as a wheelstanding Malibu wagon, and one of their current projects, which is a '78 Malibu coupe, along with related stories inside. As well, I also picked up the Febuary 2017 issue of Musclecar Review magazine, which has a photo of the last Buick GNX built on the cover, and articles inside on that car, as well as an article about the increasing popularity of 1980s cars, including the GM A/G body cars.
Just wondering if anyone else here has seen these magazines, and what your thoughts or comments are.

 

[kalidromos13]

I used to pick up Car Craft occasionally, its been awhile though... I have the issue with Dan Howe's Schwartz Chassis MCSS so that got me excited about pro-touring and everything. I also used to pick up Super Chevy, but it seems like they like more of the pro-street oriented. They also had released a Pro-Touring magazine but there was only one issue...There's nothing like sitting down and flipping through pages, reading about all the cool new equipment and all the cool cars that show up, trying to learn every nuance of a build. I like how they can motivational tools and can inspire one to pick up some tools and get to work! My dad used to buy Hot VW's Magazines back in day so it runs in my blood haha

 

[Longroof79]

I still get Hot Rod Magazine....a habit, I suppose. It's not what it used to be. I'm old school and most stuff nowadays is much newer technology.

I used to get Rod & Custom. I think it might be time to purge my years of accumulation and make some room.
I've always enjoyed unique customs.

* David, like your dad, I too used to get Hot VW's, and still have a few old issues.

 

[oldtinsmith]

I have magazines dating back to the 1950's. I'm getting Car Craft, Super Chevy, Chevy High Performance, Hot Rod, and Street Rodder these days. It's a hobby for me to save them : , you can see some of them on the back wall of my shop. I still enjoy pulling down a magazine from years gone by, just to remember how things were done and looked back then. I'll be 71 in March so looking back through old magazines makes me remember having a body that was flexible, full range hearing, 20/20 eye sight without bifocal glasses, and a steady hand for welding (just to name a few).

Doug

 

[Texas82GP]

I avidly read the magazines until the last year or two. When we were building my brother's Camaro I enjoyed Camaro Performers. It's been discontinued/phased into Super Chevy. I didn't renew Super Chevy. It was o.k. It's just not what I'm interested in right now. I also really liked GM High Tech Performance. I was really into the LS scene since I was hot rodding my 08 Sierra and doing an LS swap in my brother's car. The magazine got phased out. I can't remember what it got phase into but I think it might have also been Super Chevy. I wish it was still around. I'd like to learn about the new Chevrolet LT engines. I enjoyed Chevy High Performance. They had a killer tech column. I can't remember the guy's name. I think they called him Big Mack. As soon as Nick Licata became the editor (after Camaro Performers demise), the tech guy left. I didn't renew. I still take Car Craft and Auto Restorer but I can't say that I read them like I used to. I spend my time here instead. Since buying my Grand Prix, I'm really interested in these cars. What I really enjoy about this forum is the guys are real, the cars are real and both the guys and the cars are more down to earth. Our cars don't get that much attention in the magazines. I'm aware of the March Car Craft. I like the cover, and I like the Malibu project. I read the first article or two on that project I think back in 2015 when Summit put in the crate engine and they drove it most of the way to California before giving up. I was disappointed that there wasn't that much info on the two Olds that were on the cover of the mag. I thumbed through it. Got up to date on the Malibu and it is still sitting in my magazine rack. It will be going in the recycle bin soon.

 

[Texas82GP]

I still get Hot Rod Magazine....a habit, I suppose. It's not what it used to be. I'm old school and most stuff nowadays is much newer technology.

I used to get Rod & Custom. I think it might be time to purge my years of accumulation and make some room.
I've always enjoyed unique customs.

* David, like your dad, I too used to get Hot VW's, and still have a few old issues.

My brother still gets Hot Rod. I really enjoy the Hot Rod to the Rescue series. I don't get into the Rat Rods and the mongoloid cars (diesel rat rods, cars with 32 cylinder engines, etc. To each his own. It just doesn't do it for me.

 

[Jeff L]

I still read car magazines, some going on 40 years like Hot Rod, Car and Driver, etc. A few I read on my iPad.
When there was a bunch of titles out in the mid to late 80's I made sure to get to a local Shop Rite Grocery store every Thursday afternoon before work to get all the latest. The store was one of the first "super stores" with groceries, small appliances, and had the best newsstand in the area. I use to love the look I got at the checkout with a couple sandwiches, a few sodas, some candy bars, a pile of magazines. It was great at a time when we had no Internet and most of the news and updates on cars was from those mags. One of my favorites was Cars Illustrated with all the crazy street racing and modifications of 80's muscle cars. Back then there had to be 20-25 titles I read a month. I was going to college during the day, working nights, and reading my car magazines were a welcome respite from the daily grind.
I think now I read about 7-8 magazines a month. A few like Super Chevy and Chevy High Performance are more specialized as some one else had posted. I stopped reading them regularly and usually check their content page on the digital versions to see if anything looks interesting.
Not to sound like an old fart, but it breaks my heart to see how magazines are slowly disappearing. I enjoy technology, but going outside with a nice couple of beverages, some car magazines, laying back on the lounge chair in the shade, is a great way to enjoy a lazy few hours of quiet time in my opinion.

 

[UNGN]

Most of the articles for Car Craft and Hot Rod are posted online 6 months before they show up in the magazine:

Car Craft

Hot Rod

I enjoy reading them and keeping them for reference, but my wife doesn't. At all.

 

[kalidromos13]

* David, like your dad, I too used to get Hot VW's, and still have a few old issues.

Haha! man, i remember thumbing through those and seeing all the scantly clad women...felt like i wasnt supposed to be looking at them but it made me excited about cars...and women haha but i was reading them for the VW's!! i swear..haha I was very much into those magazines, i would sit and read them for hours! Nowadays they don't have so much of the bikini girls in them anymore so they lost their appeal to me..hahaha just kidding

 

[Longroof79]

Haha! man, i remember thumbing through those and seeing all the scantly clad women...felt like i wasnt supposed to be looking at them but it made me excited about cars...and women haha but i was reading them for the VW's!! i swear..haha I was very much into those magazines, i would sit and read them for hours! Nowadays they don't have so much of the bikini girls in them anymore so they lost their appeal to me..hahaha just kidding

I know....it was really the bikini clad women that kept you enthused...and piqued your interest..