From One Extreme...
So, I just received my last issue of CLASSIC TRUCKS. It's been over seven years now and your magazine has been very helpful during the build of my own classic truck. Now that my truck is "DONE", I am just fed up. I am reading through my May issue and I am thinking to myself, what a waste of precious pages. From the egotistic page of "Driver's Seat" to the ongoing and never-ending free parts that have been installed to both yours and Grant's personal trucks. There are many, many of us faithful subscribers who have trucks worthy of your pages that will never get the opportunity to see them in your magazine due to your selfishness (or just laziness). Do you realize in your May issue that there were 25 pages dedicated to your own trucks and only 20, including "DIY Corner" that were dedicated to the rest of us, the ones who pay your bills. So let's cut the crap, bump the "build off" and dump the "Dirty Thirty (Nine)" and give your subscribers a chance to show what we can do in our little two-car garages using our own money!
Joe McCarthy
Peoria, AZ
Joe, I've tried to dissect and subsequently figure out just what, exactly, you were really, truly upset about, but for the life of me, am not able to deduce any reasonable conclusion. Out of those seven "helpful" years, I've been personally responsible for at least five-and to be honest, nothing's really changed in the content that's filled the volumes of issues other than variance in subject matter (mostly era of truck). Yet upon completion of your own project truck, you all of a sudden find the magazine to be nothing short of an egotistical, self-serving, parts-hoarding waste of time? Even if that were to be true, what really puzzles me is, just how was it helpful in the past to your project in particular? Although we feature Studebakers (as well as Dodges and other "rare" brands) whenever possible, it's very uncommon to find any tech directly related to them. I would naturally assume that various topics were "applied" to your Stude in some form or another. My assumption was pretty much backed up by the attachment you forwarded listing all of the parts used on the '49-most all from advertising companies that have been and probably will continue to be included in the technical articles featured in the magazine. So, how are things any different now that your truck's "DONE"? In short, I do believe there is in fact a reasonable solution-you should just start building another truck!
...To The Other
I just wanted to drop you guys a note to let you know there are some of us reading your mag who loved the cover of the February issue. After reading a negative letter in the most recent edition regarding Willy Huff's F-1, I had to write. I love the $80K show trucks as much as anyone and look forward to building one of that caliber someday. However, the features you did on both the F-1 and the F-100 hit home, as they are the kind of truck we average builders can do and drive regularly. I've enclosed a pic of my '46 Chevy truck that I drive daily as evidence. I bought this truck already running and driving, but placed it on an S-10 chassis that is still using the four-cylinder and five-speed. I primed it, lowered it a bit more, replaced the Cragars with red steelies and wide whites from Coker, and had a friend who owns a sign shop do me a logo up and put on the door. One day, it'll be shiny and pretty, but I'm having so much fun driving it, I can assure you that day is far into the future! I get just as many compliments on it as the show trucks parked next to me on a cruise night do, and I don't have to worry about kids hurting it. In fact, I invite them and their parents to look at it, sit in it, and I'll take 'em for a ride if they want. Keep up the primered and patina'd rides occasionally-we like 'em.
Mr. Moses
Via the Internet
Thanks-we like 'em too! It's amazing the amount of positive response we not only received from the Feb. cover, but in retort to the letter stating quite the contrary. There's no doubt we have a diverse readership, but as of late, it's starting to become very evident that diversity may not be as indifferent as we thought when it comes to so-called "unfinished" trucks. The primered people have spoken-and we hear ya loud and clear!