Where are all the Marauders in Popular Hot Rodding Magazine?

[Jim M]

I know magazines take heat on a regular basis for their lack of content for non-Chevys, but I'd like to share with you guys the numbers for Hometown Hot Rodding letters I received for Popular Hot Rodding magazine. Johnny Hunkins is the new editor there and has asked me to write that column for him, as I did at GM High-Tech Performance magazine. Keep in mind, the numbers I am listing are of letters fowarded to me by Johnny. These were letters he received from readers who wanted to see their car in the magazine:

38 Chevys
3 Fords
2 Willys
2 Mopars
1 Pontiac
0 Mercurys

I have to write up four cars for every issue and my ultimate goal is to make three of them non-Chevys. Obviously, I wouldn't be able to do that for more than two months before I ran out of cars, leaving the remaining 36 Chevys to run in the magazine.

Reader's Rides sections of magazines are one of several ways magazine editors gauge interest for certain makes, which helps them choose future editorial material (features, tech, etc..) We think there are a lot of Mercury readers out there, but based on Hometown Hot Rodding letters, we know there are a lot of Chevy readers. I would like to invite all of you to mail a nice picture (no instant photos or low-res digital images) of your car to Popular Hot Rodding's Hometown Hot Rodding section. The address is:

Popular Hot Rodding
Attn: Hometown Hot Rodding
720 Hundley Way
Placentia, California 92870
(e-mail submissions cannot be accepted)

Please be sure to include some basic information on your car, as well as a good way to contact you (preferably a phone number) in case I have any questions. Also, if you are a member of this site, be sure to include that in your letter and I'll mention it in your write-up.

I covered the Hot Rod Power Tour this year for several different magazines and tried to include Marauders in the story for Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine, but the pickings were very slim. I will also be covering the Bristol Bash later this year and would love to see some Marauders out there. Last year blue ovals were virtually nowhere to be found. You guys do drive your cars, don't you?

Jim McIlvaine
Contributing Editor, Popular Hot Rodding Magazine

[TAF]

Come to Marauderville (Ennis) Jim...you can do a GREAT article on the "Supercharger Wars" for the Mercury Marauder. All of the current aftermarket suppliers will have cars there.

[Petrograde]

Sweet! Thanks Jim! :D I personally don't think my stock 300A is quite worthy, but,... off the the top of my head ... Logan, Zack, SergtMac, Dennis R., among many others should be featured!

Ya know, It has bummed me out that I haven't seen anything in any proforence mags about our MMs. :confused: even in Ford mags! WTF?

[SergntMac]

My Kenny Brown 1x was featured in the March, '03 issue of AutoWeek, and the April, '03 issue of Car and Driver. Maybe you can find copies in their archives?

[JerseyVics]

Jim,

I've been working to get Panther Platform magazine exposure for over two years now and I take your invite very seriously I wish there were more of them around!

So far I've been able to pitch the idea to Jim C. from MM&FF in 2002 about Jeff's 12s Vortech Crown Vic he was invited to Fords at Englishtown and featured in that shootout issue. A few days ago crownvic.net invited me to the Luxobarge shootout and I in turn invited two more Marauder guys who along with my car will be featured in the January issue due out in November. So yea I'm very interested in taking advantage of your invite because its the coolest thing in the world to have y our car featured in the magazine for the world to see.


Thank you for coming to this board and I'm sure you'll write about more Mercurys and Fords in the near future.

--Russ

[Jim M]

Petrograde, looking at that list I posted, a stock Marauder automatically qualifies because it's not a bowtie. I would estimate 25% of the cars on that list are stock or close to it and that's what Hometown Hot Roddin' is all about.

Like I said before, if the magazines don't see your cars at the big events, they may not think there is much interest in them. Todd, my travel calendar is pretty much set for this year and that probably holds true for most other magazines. I will be in Dallas on another assignment in November though. Your event does sound interesting though and I'm sure a letter sent well in advance to Jim Campisano at MM&FF could make a difference.

[Petrograde]

Originally posted by Jim M
I will be in Dallas on another assignment in November though.

We've got a lot of Marauders in the DFW area, perhaps a photo op for Popular Hot Rodding?

[cyclone03]

Our little event in Dallas is part of Fun Ford Weekend.
If MM&FF doesn't give us any ink,then that says it all.


I would say if the home office is only sending you 46 cars to write on then those are the only cars the editor deems worthy.Or nobody reads PHR anymore.

The main stream mags have all been the same for years.
Popular Hot Chevy.
ChevyCraft
Hot Chevy
nothing changes.
The niche mags are our only hope,but when SuperFord merged with 5.0 Mustangs most of our hope for good ink died.
If the highly modded cars from this list don't get in MMFF then we won't ever get any ink in the mags.MHO

[JerseyVics]

Originally posted by cyclone03

The niche mags are our only hope,but when SuperFord merged with 5.0 Mustangs most of our hope for good ink died.
If the highly modded cars from this list don't get in MMFF then we won't ever get any ink in the mags.MHO

Hey, you have to pick up the January 2004 Issue of MM&FF!!!

Its due to come out in November and it WILL have at least 2 MARAUDERS in there! Both of them are on this board and both are great guys!

Now I don't know about 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords but I do know they're headquartered in Florida and I also know we have a great deal of Florida Marauders including some of the faster ones tuned by Dennis. So its all up to you guys to get the things rolling.

--Russ:)

[cyclone03]

Pick it up!I comes in my Mail box!

[JerseyVics]

Even better!

I cannot wait to read about my and my friend's cars in it:

http://www.jerseyvics.com/pantherclub/mm&ff-etown/etown-19.jpg
the OREO team, haha

here's a preview: http://www.jerseyvics.com/pantherclub/mm&ff-etown/

--Russ :)

[Logan]

On the Sunday of FFW Ennis, once things die down a bit, I plan on taking a number of cars aside and doing some real photography of them for the owners and magazine submissions.

Jim M, if you find yourself in Dallas as expected, send me an email at logan@mercurymarauder.net and I can make arrangements for a number of cool Marauders to be on hand, mine included as well.

[Petrograde]

count me in!

[Jim M]

I know I won't have time on my next trip to Dallas, as I'm doing work for another magazine on some very tight time constraints and I'm doing it on my son's birthday, so I need to get home ASAP. The Power Tour will start up in DFW next year and if it ends in the right part of the country, I'll probably end up covering it for two or three magazines and I'll be down there again.

cyclone03, you can throw out all the conspiracy theories you want, but the fact is, Chevys are the most popular vehicles out there for hobbyists and the editorial content of magazines reflects that. I can't speak for the other magazines, but if PHR was content with the status quo, I wouldn't even bother soliciting mail for Hometown Hot Roddin' on non-Chevy sites and based on the few non-Chevy letters I received, I can assure you they would not be the cream of the crop if Hunkins was being selective. I had to go out of my way on the Power Tour to find variety and I really had to go out of my way at Bristol last year to find Fords. I spent all afternoon at the autocross there, waiting for one Ford to pass by my lens.

If anything, the magazine editors are getting tired of seeing so much redundancy. Ask the Pro-Touring Camaro guys what they think of Freiburger's comments in the current issue of Hot Rod about too many people building up Camaros. Read Johnny Hunkins editorial in the current issue of PHR. Ask anyone who went on the Power Tour if they didn't feel like they were in the middle of a Chevy lovefest. The editors can't control who goes to these events and the sales numbers speak for themselves, which is why certain cars end up on the cover more than others. You can grumble about the content or you can do something to change it.

[Logan]

Ain't that the truth...

[RF Overlord]

Originally posted by Jim M
You can grumble about the content or you can do something to change it.

OK, then...I nominate martyo's car...it's gotta be the most heavily modded N/A MM on the East Coast...he's got every goodie Dennis has invented so far...

[TAF]

Originally posted by RF Overlord
OK, then...I nominate martyo's car...it's gotta be the most heavily modded N/A MM on the East Coast...he's got every goodie Dennis has invented so far...

Too bad it's wrapped in Saran-wrap, in a truck, on its air--conditioned way to Texas.

[MAD-3R]

Well, I guess I may step up.

[cyclone03]

I should use the quote feature I know but I'll just make this short.

Every few years the big 3 mags put out a call for something other than Chevy's.For 6-8 issues we get some good variety,then I guess sales suffer so it's back to status que,Chevy's sell magazines it's true.

Thanks for putting the call out here for Hometown Hotrods ,you'll get some mail I'm sure.I hope to see some fellow listers cars in upcoming issues.

As for Power Tour I wanted to make the trip but it would have cost me 10 days off work(with 10 motel nights$$).I also planned to go to the end of tour show in Dallas,but it ended on FRIDAY! It would have been nice to have a show on the weekend,maybe a few more non Chevys could make such a show.

Normaly I don't complain about magazines,I know it's all about money.

[Jim M]

If it was all about the money, I wouldn't even bother and I know most other editors wouldn't either. In many cases, this job is the only way we can afford (or in my case, justify) our obsession with cars. The bottom line is important in any successful business, but within that context, there is always room for variety. I've been calling out the little guys on message boards since the day I started writing and will continue to do so as long as I keep this gig.

I can understand not being able to take 10 days off work, but I don't buy the idea for a second that having the event on a weekend would have made any difference in the number of non-Chevys that showed up. Power Tour's weekend stops showed absolutely no deviation in make or model from any other day, just more overall volume, which meant another 75-80 Chevys out of every additional 100 vehicles. In fact, all three of the Fords mentioned in my Power Tour cover for PHR were guys who did not do the long haul, but found a way to make it out for a day or two on the Tour.

[cyclone03]

Originally posted by Jim M
If it was all about the money, I wouldn't even bother and I know most other editors wouldn't either. In many cases, this job is the only way we can afford (or in my case, justify) our obsession with cars. The bottom line is important in any successful business, but within that context, there is always room for variety. I've been calling out the little guys on message boards since the day I started writing and will continue to do so as long as I keep this gig.

I can understand not being able to take 10 days off work, but I don't buy the idea for a second that having the event on a weekend would have made any difference in the number of non-Chevys that showed up. Power Tour's weekend stops showed absolutely no deviation in make or model from any other day, just more overall volume, which meant another 75-80 Chevys out of every additional 100 vehicles. In fact, all three of the Fords mentioned in my Power Tour cover for PHR were guys who did not do the long haul, but found a way to make it out for a day or two on the Tour.

Thanks for taking the time and putting the call out for other brands,maybe things are changing.

As for weekends not making a difference,I planned going to Dallas on Sat. until I found out everybody was gone Fri.So that was one less non Chevy that wasn't there.(Not that my bone stock Marauder would have made it too a magazine).

I know it sounds like I'm grinding axes here but I'm not,I go to events that I can make time to attend.
I buy CCand PHR off the stand from time to time,and subscribe
to HH and MMFF.Truthfuly I've given up on the too many ,not my brand,in the magazine arguements,I just don't buy or let my subs.run out until something changes.No big deal.

[JerseyVics]

If I were to get invited to an event that would guarantee featuring my car in that magazine I'd be there early in the morning with two more supporting Marauders by my side!

Put the invite on the table and I'm there, it doesn't take much to persuade me.

--Russ ;)

[RCSignals]

Jim, here is another site for you to post your pitch on.
A '57 Ford site. (Remember, Ford outsold Chevrolet in '57)

http://pub70.ezboard.com/b1957fords98638

http://www.57fordsinternational.com/

[merc406]

I''l l send a picture of my 63, but it's no show car, but it has a big block and tri-powered.

[jerrym3]

Ford outsold Chevy in 59 also.

But, it was too late to change the style on the 60 Ford "Chevy look alike".

[Marauderman]

Originally posted by Jim M
I have to write up four cars for every issue and my ultimate . I would like to invite all of you to mail a nice picture (no instant photos or low-res digital images) of your car to Popular Hot Rodding's Hometown Hot Rodding section.

The address is:

Popular Hot Rodding
Attn: Hometown Hot Rodding
720 Hundley Way
Placentia, California 92870
(e-mail submissions cannot be accepted)

I will advise all our Carolina members who are showing our cars this SAturday 13th at Lowes Motor Speedway - see Upcoming Events on this- your quotes above and below-

Please be sure to include some basic information on your car, as well as a good way to contact you (preferably a phone number) in case I have any questions. Also, if you are a member of this site, be sure to include that in your letter and I'll mention it in your write-up.
You guys do drive your cars, don't you?

Jim McIlvaine
Contributing Editor, Popular Hot Rodding Magazine

[Mobster]

Been watching this discussion develop- like some, I've been around the hot rod or muscle car scene for many many years. Reading the mags was one of the ways to see what was developing either in a particular car model or just in general terms for the industry. This was especially true for those of us who didn't know anyone at the garage but really loved cars, and maybe wanted to know how to build up the current scoot.
So there was always this interest in buying the mags and checkin' out the latest...
However, today we have the internet- and low and behold I have found my home in this website... yakking, tech stuff, info beyond what any damned mag could ever think of publishing, plus project cars, vendor info and any kind of help I need- so who needs a mag? We got each other! I may never put a blower in mine but what a great thrill to hear about what some of you have done with yours!

Here's why I'm torn down the middle on saying-
Hey!! where's all the scoop on the MM in the mags?
- or -
Let's just keep this little secret (MM) to ourselves! and the only ones who'll know about it are the ones trying to read the bumper as it fades into the distance...

I see 50 million jags, porsches, beemers, and other high end cars everyday as I drive into work- I have yet to see another MM here in TO- and, without fail, everyday they look and say- what was that car??!!!
The question is- if we put it out there- then it becomes known, and eventually commonplace. These babies are rare and right now quite mystical in the mainstream of the automotive world- so I suggest- be selective as to who you allow to publish your info and make 'em pay big time or just say NO!

Sorry for being so long winded but the lack of info in the mags is something that was buggin' me until I started to enjoy the fact the MM is still relatively an unknown on the street!

[Petrograde]

Hey Mobster,
Yeah, this site gives us much more current 411, and it's first-hand, we even have high speed vendors here like Dennis who will give you the straight poop.

and yeah, it disappoints me not to see our MM in the mags, but hey,.... we can change that.

[Jim M]

To be quite honest, the bumper of a stock Marauder is not fading into the distance of many other performance cars out there right now. One nice thing about magazines is that if a car does increase in popularity through publication, the aftermarket will respond and the modification options will increase....or you could follow in the footsteps of other "mystical" vehicles, like Syclones, Typhoons or Fieros. Ask those owners if they'd love to see more parts for their vehicles.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by Jim M
To be quite honest, the bumper of a stock Marauder is not fading into the distance of many other performance cars out there right now.

Jim, on the one hand that is true. On the other there are quite a few people out there who have believed what they've read about the Marauder in certain other magazines, and been a little surprised on the street.

I agree with the effect of magazines on the aftermarket. Hopefully some sites on the Internet are starting to get aftermarket attention. We here are all pleasantly surprised at just how much the aftermarket has responded to the Marauder so far, despite some of what has been written in certain magazines.

[Jim M]

As I mentioned in my initial post, I'm in Bristol, Tennessee this weekend. I will be covering Year One's event for four different magazines including Popular Hot Rodding and Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords. If you're in the area, I would strongly encourage you to come to the track, even if you don't want to race or show your car. There is a ton of other stuff going on that would make the trip well worth it. If you do make get down here, find me so I can photograph your car. I'm hard to miss- I'll be the tallest person there and I'll have a camera around my neck.

[JamesHecker]

Jim,

Please be sure to mention it if your gonna be in Southern California for anything that you would like a Marauder turn-out for. Us locals here would like another excuse to get together and we would enjoy seeing our cars in print!

[Jim M]

Quite a few of the magazines are based in Southern California, including PHR, so it's really more a question of when we will be somewhere other than there :)

Hotchkis runs a track day every year at Buttonwillow, which usually takes place around May. All the West coast mags usually show up and none of them would complain if more Marauders signed up. As for Bristol, if I saw one Marauder tomorrow it would be one more than I saw today. I did take some pics of a $70 Crown Vic on the autocross, which will probably end up running in Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords.