MAGAZINE

April Fools

We hang here kinda together because our concepts of design, execution, and USE, are somewhat alike. A few days ago, we saw a collection of classics. Packards, Auburn, Duesenbergs, Lincolns, Cadillacs. The biggest. The best. Craftsmanship, elegance, size, performance, comfort. Gadgets and geegaws. It is called the CLASSIC Era. They reflect the highest level of achievement attainable at the time. It is GIVEN that it was good. And it IS good. The preeminent reason that most of us don't have them is COST. The ability to achieve excellence with money is the American, capitalistic, get-ahead way. It, too, is GOOD.

The rodders among us who have both the best taste AND financial abilities, have classics, too. They may have the most FUN with rods. But they've got BOTH.

So, if you were there, and, in your disdain for those who could afford them, bad-mouthed classics because they were TOO BIG, Shame. We overheard someone criticize BIG CARS to someone who was in fact BUILDING a big car. The speaker clearly knew the builder was involved in the project and had asked "How's it going?" Then laid out the rationalized reasons why settling for less was BETTER. "Nice" person.

This is not intended to be a lesson in psychology, or etiquette, but an observation that, even when we are surrounded by what we think are our Pals, there are jealousies that can "leak" out of fools. Remember the kid that wouldn't run his Dad's car club plaque? "Fuck him. He's out"? That's what the guy with the big car said later about the loser who had to provide the dig. We're with him. This chump is no loss to our guy.

Hop Up "Moral to The Story"? Be nice to your fellow man. Hop Up Guys are not shallow, leaking geeks. And they're too cool to be treated that way.

Besides...... we'll tell on ya.

"HOP UP 2000"

Word has leaked out that the Board of Directors is considering the PRINTING of an issue.

"HOP UP 2000" an annual - or is it CENTENNIAL? - will probably be printed and available by the fall of '99. It is an update of WHERE we got in 50 years, WHO we are, and will be laden with visions of WHAT we drive, along with some special features unique to Hop Up 2000. Minimum advertising will be selectively placed, the prerequisite being: HOP UP STYLE.

It is expected to be a numbered, limited edition.

Tell yer Mom an' them.

In another LIT OBIT, we hear Paisano Publications has bought Rodders Digest, one of the best-done small circulation mags in the business and.......is gonna KILL IT. We don't know if it came with other titles they wanted, and can't imagine they bought it to KILL the competition, so QUE PASO? Here we have two out, the remainder not getting it done well enough to suit most Hop Up Guys we know, so ...............maybe the time IS right for Hop Up 2000.

What kind of VALUE do we get with this stuff?

One newsletter we subscribe to costs $30 a year ($5/issue?), each issue is about 3 pages of copier paper, and they don't come too often. Then there are some exceptional values like Rodders Journal , and then the $19-30 a year you pay for the usual catalogues is whatever you make of it.

Don't hold us to it, but it looks like OUR Annual is going to go about $7-$8. And have some content that matters (to hairy-legged, half anti-social, opinionated, pedal-mashin', cheap sunglass-wearin' Rodneys) , and in fact be collectible in quality and fact because of its' limited edition. The consortium of talent that is already booked (don't submit, please!) will shake your shifter. It's gonna be real good!

Our monthly offering here might become more brief because the entire STAFF will be working on the book. It will be PRINTED and ON THE SHELF before we offer it for sale. We will take no MONEY before its' time. Our predecessors screwed THAT pooch.

So, see ya next month and....one more thing........try to look COOL.........you're a HOP UP GUY......you've got an image to live up to.