I appreciate the feedback....the Z06...I do know that the HP was to the wheels, but in the same amount of ink, you could have shown the graph. Some of the readers are more than just "how much you bench" guys, if I may make such an analogy. if I could suggest....perhapps on popular articles, you include a sort of synopsis or data page for people who want to look past the usual quoted numbers? Sort of like you've been doing with the Grape LT1.

As for the subscribers getting what they were promised....you are 100% right, but I would think that we would be the people that you would bend over backwards to please. I think this move was just in bad taste, but I cannot argue that we were NOT promised the issue. That's all I have to say about that.

About the Y-pipe....yes, I feel that you should have published the results and let the readers decide for themselves, better yet, you should call SLP on why it doesn't work to spec, perhapps get a replacement part and do a follow up. I mean you did the whole article on Royal Purple even though it didn't improve horse power. I think it would be especially justified since you promised it. Also, a lot of the readers of your mag are F-body owners and have the same ailement as me..."working mans' blues" and a bolt on is a significant expense for us. this is one of the main reasons many of us read the mag....for track, dyno and real world testing data.

I do really like your magazine and I like the real world approach and relaxed style of writing. I just think sometimes you mis-read your OWN readers and some important data is left out in lew of cool pictiures. All in all, though, the mag. is refreshing. Thanks for letting me vent and give my opinion.

 

...I would think that we would be the people that you would bend over backwards to please. I think this move was just in bad taste...



After what I've said, you still think what I did was in bad taste? Maybe you misunderstand. The only way to even get this seventh issue done was to package it with another magazine. I mean, that's the whole point--it begins and ends with this justification. This pretext allows for us to expose GMHTP to readers who ordinarily would never see it or even know about it. From the management's standpoint, there's no point in giving it to folks who already know about it.

As far as bending over backwards for GMHTP readers, that was the real reason I did it, not for the PHR readers. But I guess you're not gonna let this go unpunished, huh?

 

Johnny Hunkins: I think what you did with the issue in PHR was a very good idea. I bought the PHR issue and to my surprise there was a "GM" hightech in there. You cant beat two mags for the price of one. If you can reach other readers and they like the mag then inturn they will buy the mag. I hope this will help sell more "GM" Hightech mags so maybe it will be a once a month mag. I feel you guy's never sugur coat anything IMO. My only complant is that it is not a once a month mag. I also understand that it's takes more than just saying "let's make it a once a month mag" I always look forward to the next issue. I wish i could say that about all of the other "wine & cheese mags". I would GM hightech before i ever buy a wine & cheese mag. Keep up the good work!

 

I'm not abusing you or trying to punish you....Obviously, I like your mag enough to shell out 40 clams to subscribe. I just am throwing out opinions and suggestions. If other readers read, agree and make their point known, perhapps some of the management will take a looksee at what I think would be good ideas. If not, then I'm just someone with a set of worthless opinions. Either way, even if people do disagree, I think it's a good idea to be in tune with what readers think of your publication. I'm not intending to "flame" the magazine, still read it...but I'm a synic, too and try to digest most things to their essence. Anyway, I do thank you for listening to me and responding, which is, in my book, A GREAT THING!
Tom Slawsky

 

my 2 cents ... short and sweet

The mag is good and is the only car mag I subscribe to. I have every copy that I have ever received.

I don't buy at the newstand so for the other mags, (Pop. Hotrod, etc) I don't have a clue what's in them unless a friend of mine tosses one my way.

This is the FIRST I'm even hearing about the extra edition of GMHTP being bundled in the other mag. Had I known, I would have gone to the stand and bought it.

I assume you don't offer the special ed. as a backissue order, right?

 

Basically, you call up (866-601-5199), give them a magazine title and the month/year you want (Popular Hot Rodding, October 2002, newsstand issue version in a polybag--very important detail), they check the stacks to see if they still have it, they take your credit card number, and mail it out. I cannot say for sure if they currently have it or not.

In the future, I suggest interested parties watch the newsstand through the months of June through August. That is when the GMHTP/PHR polybag will surface. And no, I will not announce it in the regular issue of the magazine. I made that mistake before and got baskets of hate mail. My apologies in advance.

 

I like giving my ¢.02 also!

Me, I am a numbers guy.. I couldnt care less about seeing other peoples cars unless they have something worth looking at.

I dont care about paint or stickers, I just want to see the list of mods done and the full dynosheet and track times (including short times 1/8mile and 1/4mile et and speed)

That may be just me, but some of us out there, like the post above, are trying to make educated decisions about what to buy. I dont buy anything trendy.. Heck! I dont think that a fair dyno run is to run the car then change something in the intake track and dyno again since the computer wouldnt have enough time to react (from what I have read everywhere, our computers take a bit relearn values)


Ideas for a good comparison would be Pro 5.0 Vs. Hurst aftermarket short shifter Vs. B&M Ripper.. Have you guys test it then get your average person that doesnt know anything other than how to drive a stick.. have them try it.. let me know which is really everyones favorite.

You could also help end the "which lid is the best" debate by having them all tested... Have the SS hood, the T/A ramair hood, the K&N FIPK, the Volant, then a lid from each manufacturer like SLP, LS1 Motorsports, MTI, and Whisper.


I would keep in mind that a majority of your readers are going to be the 10 sec and up catagory.. If we have mega fast cars, odds are we have $$ or a shop or both.. In that case not much you say would undo our previous methods for getting power.. I know this because of the many shops I know the owners of.. I know Conley and his son Chris. They arent going to learn much from your mag. So why not keep the focus on us? You wont soon run out of topics. New products all the time. Still have LT1s out there and LS1s are pretty common as well...

You could even do flow tests on the best of each manucaturers exhausts and then install them on 3 similar cars. see what the gains are..
publish results for:
Corsa, GMMG, Mufflex 3.5" or 4" with Flowmaster, Borla with open plate, simple cutout with electronic switch, B&B triflo, Random Tech, and any others that are brave enough to go through a test.

Essentially that would help end the any debates with flow Vs. HP Vs. Design..

There are tons of topics that are written about here daily.. We all come here to learn.. even the untold numbers of lurkers that just read.. Run a search on exhaust and look at how many people have no idea what they want to buy.. Heck, imagine how many people dont know about your magazine now think of how many more will once someone asks and we type in Get a GMHTP magazine (Insert Month) (insert Year) issue and it has a test off all the top ones with flow and hp numbers tested on several vehicles. You could even get a Z28 or formula, ss or T/a, and a C5 to do tests on to get ideas or just 3 base LS1's all the same.. Doesnt matter as long as it isnt just finding of one car that could of had problems or not.. Personally I would also like to know if any of the mods made the car lean out or not..

ok.. thats my input.. thanks for reading.. not doing anything more than telling someone from a magazine what I personally would like to find when I start turning pages.

 

The quickest way to kill GMHTP is to do comparison tests. We would rapidly **** off all our advertisers in quick succession, rendering us with no revenue, and soon thereafter, no magazine. This is precisely the reason Consumer Reports and similar titles do not solicit advertising. Even if we wanted to do comparison testing on a regular basis, we do not have the personnel or the resources to pull it off.

I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but I thought I owed some explanation. When you buy GMHTP or any other car magazine, you should do so with the understanding that certain concessions are made in deference to the advertising community. That said, you can be sure we are not going to fabricate, deliberately omit or falsify any test data.

 

I have nothing really bad to say except the fact that the news stand gets the mag before I do. As far as the y-pipe goes , even if it wasn't any benefit, maybe a small note could have been placed near the front of the mag to tell us this??......other wise I sit and wait every other month for my copy of a great mag. See ya.

 

Hi Mr. Hunkin's,

Nice to see ya floating around the ls1 forum here.

Im goin to close this thread as its not a LS1tech thread anymore.

If you wanna hang around more and maybe get envolved in some disscussion's that would be great.

This forum is lacking a certain something that you find as ls1tech or even the LS1.com engine forum.

BTW,

guys if you dont like GMHTP you dont have to read it. Stick to Autoweek or something. They had a really nice test artical of a 99 Anv. WS6 that they tested on a back road next to a white picket fence. You could SEE the rocks and dirt under the tires. They went 14.7@95mph or something. Maybe that would be best suited to you.