I guess it is my turn to stir the pot a little....

As far as Street Rodder and every other magazine in the world goes... They have a format... As was mentioned above different mags have slightly different content and there is a reason for this, they are all looking for their market "niche"... This is more about Marketing than it is about editorial likes and dislikes... As was also mentioned earlier, Hot Rod changed their format a few years ago to include more articles about later model cars... I also dropped my subscription since their format change did not fit my interests... Guess what Hot Rod magazines supscription numbers have gone through the roof since this change because of savy marketing and knowing where the market is growing... I have talked with people at Buckaroo and Primedia about how they have worked to keep their formats different that the competition, for them this is business and they are in business to make money... This means they tend to cater to the masses...

With that being said, there is a reason you are seeing high-dollar cars in SR, since that is what their format is based on... If it is not to your liking then it is probably time to buy another mag that has a format more to your liking...

Another thing to consider... Magazines want to publish cars that are innovative... You don't have to spend mega-bucks to be come up with and execute good ideas... I have seen many low-buck rods that were built with great ideas, but remember that the big rod shops build cars faster and use innovative ideas throughout the build... Since they execute better and faster than most of us who build our hot rods in the Garage you can understand why they get the lion's share of the press... You can build the most innovative hot rod in the country but if you are not at a major show or have not made a name for yourself, how are the publishers supposed to know about your awesome ride... Being a Professional builder is a full time job, building cars during the week and attending events during the weekends... This is how they keep their names out there and how the mags know about the cars they are building before they hit the streets/shows... These builders survive because there are people who can write checks!

As for me I want to see what is hot in the car world, I like all kinds of cars, but I want to spend my money on magizines that show the kinds of cars that will inspire me to built to a higher level, even if I have to do all the work myself and it is not as good as what is in the mags, it gives me something to aspire to... If the mags were full of mediocre cars I doubt I would buy them...

If you want a mag full of owner-built cars, let me suggest a membership to NSRA... Every month they send out Street Scene which is their monthly publication that usually features a couple of home-built rides...

Oh yes... I like to read the ads too... I love to see what kind of new parts the aftermarket companies have come with and the best way to see the latest and greatest is to scan the ads...

Dave Brisco