I have been reading Car Craft since 1985 and held a subscription since 1998. Since I have held my subscription, David Freiburger and Matt King have built Car Craft into the best magazine out there for real hot rodders. When I started reading Car Craft in 1998, I was excited to find a magazine that catered to all makes and models. If they did an engine buildup between Ford, GM, and Mopar and the Mopar came out on top, they printed it that way. They didn't slip on a single-plane intake and rev the GM a little higher or make excuses as to why the Mopar won, they just printed it. I believe what Car Craft says about an aftermarket part, engine combination, or new car. A few years ago when they tested a bunch of new performance cars, Car Craft said that the Cobra was slower than the others (lousy low-end torque) but had good ergonomics. I believe they even compared it to a four-cylinder car at low rpm. The truth hurts, but Car Craft was vindicated later when the news of the '99 Cobra debacle came out. When GM canned the Camaro, Car Craft blamed the poor quality and user friendliness. They told the truth. When Car Craft pointed out that the Monaro (GTO) looked a lot like a new Mustang, they told the truth.
I'm a Mustang guy (I have a '67 fastback and a '91 LX 5.0), but I lamented the loss of the Camaro, because without the Camaro, I am afraid Ford will either start chasing the Vette and price the Mustang out of reach for most enthusiasts or turn it into a "Grand Tourer" and make it heavy and slow.
I cannot warm up to the imports, so myself and others like me need a magazine like Car Craft in its present iteration. Jeff Smith, don't forget that some of us drive GM products, some drive Fords, some drive Mopar and some even drive AMCs.
Bucky W. Edwards
Phenix City, AL
Blue Bomber
116-0311-PAGE-B
Who: Rick Valenzock
Where: Monterey Park, California
What: '69 Chevy Camaro
Why: Everybody loves a '69 Camaro
Goodies: Rick's project started 8 years ago when he found this '69 for $1,400. It originally ran 17.20 in the quarter, but Rick managed to massage the F-car into the low 12s. Modifications include a 383 stroker with Dart heads, Isky valvetrain, a beefed-up TH350, and a 3,000-stall converter. The rearend is a 10-bolt with a locker and 3.73 gears.