I am Nitrorocket from all the forums.

I for one like to see cars that real people build in there garages, they actually get driven. These all out $100K checkbook cars are neat, but over the top and most times impracticle or trailer queens.
  People want to see cars they can relate too or in most cases afford or at least get some good ideas from.
 Lastly, people want specs, as many as possible. An article about how Joe Shmoe's speed shop built the entire car for a wealthy owner is fine, however, rarely includes technical info to duplicate the car.
I like to see dragstrip numbers, Dyno numbers, and all the stuff it took to do it!  

Now that we have our test venue at California Speedway back up and running, more testing is possible--but mostly for cars out west.

We're also going to do a better job of searching for cars that get drag raced or tracked. Dyno numbers are another area we're working on. I want to include those whenever possible if the owners have them.  

As much as I love Protouring, there are certainly more options out there and I enjoy different build themes.
Nothing wrong with high dollar builds like Bob's car, as Steve said, everyone walks away from the Cuda with new ideas, however, I enjoyed the budget build Nova too. I guess as long as people actually drive their car, I enjoy the story. Bob no doubt drives the Cuda more than people think and is not afraid to put it through its paces. I guess that is why it is such a hit.
I would not paint PHR into any one corner, style and budget included. We all know that $25K will not buy much these days, so I would hate to see you put a limit on budgets. There is a huge difference between $40K and the Sky, so Maybe $75K is another price point. Lets face it, most of the nice cars out there are much closer to that number than $40K
As far as different stories, I love drag racing too, so some real world street and strip cars would be nice. It is unbelievable what is going on with turbos and the like these days and cars are not only fast at the track but get good mileage and can be driven daily.
I know everyone knows this and it is certainly a point of contention, but I would love to see more Mopars and other out of the box builds. As much as I love 69 camaros, I am a bit sick of reading about them in every magazine on the planet. The real shame is, nowdays at a car show or event I will walk by super nice camaros, because they just blend into the scenery because you see so many of them. I liked the issue several months ago with all of the out of the box type renderings Kris Horton did. A follow up on that story with some real world builds using those cars would be cool. Trueth is, a G-body car is a much better platform than a F-body and I hope people start building more of these soon.
All in all, PHR is a great read every month, but streaching its horizons a bit will not be a bad thing.

Bill H.  

For the Midwest to the East Coast, maybe look into a track like BeaveRun in PA, or a similar multi-use track that has a VDA as well as a full road course.  I know several new car mags test out there and the facility is big enough to handle a crowd as well... (they've even held flashlight drags there on the front straight)

I don't really care what the owner spent on the car, whether it be $5k or $500k, as long as it runs hard in it's environment.
I just have more respect for the budget car that can do all that the "no budget" car does..

Jim  

Best of the Best!!!! I don't care what it cost, just show me nice photos of it. People don't buy Playboy to see their neighbor's wife without her make-up in bad light and I don't buy magazines to see cars you found the day before a deadline at a local cruise night. As for a build style to focus on, you've been good about promoting g-machines and I say keep it up with an emphasis on cars that really work but I also want to see the over the top no-budget ones like the awesome features you did on The Mule, Chicayne, and g-Force Cuda. Despite their major price tags, the average guy should be able to appreciate the work and styling that went into these types of cars and learn something that he can apply to his own ride regardless of his timeline or budget and you might even emphasize that kind of thing in it's own article once in a while so the broke-dick whiners don't write you hate mail about featuring expensive cars they're jealous of.
I also think the stars of the industry should get a little more time in the pages and have interviews and previews of what they're working on.  

Jay, you made me laugh out loud.

You said: "People don't buy Playboy to see their neighbor's wife without her make-up in bad light ..." That's too funny.

I loved this line too:
"...so the broke-dick whiners don't write you hate mail about featuring expensive cars..."

Yeah, I agree with you for the most part. My tough time is getting the scoop on the really serious breakthrough cars before Freiburger and Kinnan get 'em for Hot Rod. They smoke me to the punchline 9 times out of 10, and who wants to read yesterday's news?

That usually means finding cars below their radar screen.  

Johnny, why not spend some time actually going around the country to the smaller tracks that have really fast and well built cars that don't want to run at the major events?  Within a couple hundred miles of Nashville, we have a number of cars competing in various outlaw type races.  These guys are making ungodly horsepower and running high 4's/low 5's in the 1/8 mile.  Most of them are not legal for the touring series shows and are lured to smaller tracks by big money on the side.  Not street racing but in the same spirit - no rules.

Daryl White  

Yeah, I started out at a track just like that. A little hillbilly eighth-mile track down south. There were wicked fast outlaw cars there. We're going to Atlanta NMCA next month. We run the True Street class, which has no rules except for being street legal. The cars aren't as fast as what you're talking about, but they are street-legal either.  

I simply want to see the best cars possible, no matter what the cost, i can go to the local track and see a bunch of really fast budget beaters but if im going to read a feature in a magazine like Popular Hot Rodding, i want to see cars that will catch your attention before it wallops you on the quarter mile  

Johnny, the job you guy's are doing on the direction of the mag is great. The article in the new issue titled "Radio Delete" is just the way a car should look(in my opinion). The street/strip cars are the ones that have the "look" as well as the "hook". The best of both worlds. I can appreciate the high-end show cars as the fit, finish, and engineering are second to none,BUT... they would'nt last too long being driven on a real world setting of streets, pot-holes, in-drives,or drag-strips. The "pro-touring" crowd has an impressive show case of hard-ware. Brakes,suspension,stereos,AND paint-jobs to match. But,I can't relate to cars built that I could'nt afford to duplicate in my garage. Give me the car that was built to knock down 11's (or better)at the strip, and then cruise to the A&W that night with rubber still on the quarter panels, and the paint chips to prove it gets driven. Thanks for letting me vent.  

Ok ,how about a 500 inch big block ,built in my garage at home by me (which i never have ever assembled an engine before) that put out 650 hp on 93 octane.Oh ,almost forgot,under 8 grand.
I built the motor so i can drive my prostreet Z28 anywhere.I know i said a dirty word "prostreet",but we do still exist .

Gary Wilmoth
Plainfield Ill  

Good all rounder cars that could be daily drivers. A mix with some sporting all modern upgrades and others with period pieces or the look of having period mods or accessories. An all rounder can stop, accelerate and handle with equal aplomb. Budgets of Less than 10 grand up to 20 grand would be what I and I think agood percentage of the readership could relate to. modifications that allow a sub-10 grand car to perform well would include secrets that allow finding parts that are superior to factory parts but don't cost mega dollars. Examples are brakes or brake kits based upon production brakes but are astep up, such as circle track spec dual or single piston calipers based on 80's GM metric models. Headers that fit reasonably but are less than 300 bux. Wheels that are less than a 100 bux a piece, etc.  Junk yarrds, Ebay, and circle track or other race outlets provide the sources for said parts.
Steve  

Good all rounder cars that could be daily drivers. A mix with some sporting all modern upgrades and others with period pieces or the look of having period mods or accessories. An all rounder can stop, accelerate and handle with equal aplomb. Budgets of Less than 10 grand up to 20 grand would be what I and I think agood percentage of the readership could relate to. modifications that allow a sub-10 grand car to perform well would include secrets that allow finding parts that are superior to factory parts but don't cost mega dollars. Examples are brakes or brake kits based upon production brakes but are a step up, such as circle track spec dual or single piston calipers based on 80's GM metric models. Headers that fit reasonably but are less than 300 bux. Wheels that are less than a 100 bux a piece, etc.  Junk yarrds, Ebay, and circle track or other race outlets provide the sources for said parts.
Steve  

Good all rounder cars that could be daily drivers. A mix with some sporting all modern upgrades and others with period pieces or the look of having period mods or accessories. An all rounder can stop, accelerate and handle with equal aplomb. Budgets of Less than 10 grand up to 20 grand would be what I and I think a  good percentage of the readership could relate to. modifications that allow a sub-10 grand car to perform well would include secrets that allow finding parts that are superior to factory parts but don't cost mega dollars. Examples are brakes or brake kits based upon production brakes but are a step up, such as circle track spec dual or single piston calipers based on 80's GM metric models. Headers that fit reasonably but are less than 300 bux like some versions of Heddman or Hooker. Wheels that are less than a 100( spun steel wheels come to miind and yet are only 19 to 21 lbs. apiece and can come in customer speciefied offsets) bux a wheel, etc.  Junk yards, Ebay, and circle track or other race outlets provide the sources for said parts.
Steve  

Mine. But what I like is an all around car. Something built by the owner. It has to be driven(weather permitting),and extremely beat on(like mine). It has to handle and go fast straight line and the only trailer it sees is going to the racetrack.
 No trailer queen show cars. trailer queens are only ok on an original LOW mileage car that driving would ruin the originality.