MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Cats what dig traditional rods and customs really have all the moves. Born hep. The more of them that write and e mail us the more we think that there may be room for an underground kinda magazine that would focus on the sub-celebrity, unaffected happenings of this breed of rodder. They (you) are not other-directed, that psycho-analytic term that says some one is motivated entirely by what others will think; no independent thinking, and entirely afraid to stand by his own choices, style, and circumstance. This doesn't mean that peer-approval isn't important; it just asks ," who are your peers?"

One of my most informed and coolest icon-type acquaintances reasons that there are, and need to be, people whose approval you welcome. He named three or four of his (I didn't come up on the list!) and I knew that, without their endorsement, he'd do his own thing anyway, but he credited them as being pretty savvy car guys. On our page. Guys who get it. There has to be someone to whom you want to convey your message, or why else would we admonish Hop Up Guys to look cool all the time!

The letters are from all over, on a lot of different topics (sometimes 'where's my subscription?'), but the common thread is that we all think that traditional rides, simpler happenings, and low population counts are OK. But don't chastise me if I decide to drop in on a mega-vent once in a while. We've been known to do it -with pleasure- but we have also been led astray: like getting up at 4:00 A.M. to power park and show off our new car.

Forgive me, Lord, for I knew not what the hell I was doin'. Never again. We were caught up in the frenzy of the gang we traveled with.

I vow by all that is Stroker that I will never succumb to such foolishness again. I won't be 'one of us'. I won't be a co-dependent geek. I won't pain myself to park something in the way of 30-40,000 people, most of whom will only ask, "Why didn't he use disc brakes?" It's no fun when ya gotta 'splain it.

HERE IT IS, SULTANS: THE JULY ROTTEN CUSTOM GARY HAS DONE IT THIS TIME, HUH?

But I will hope that my way, my touch, my choices, will meet the approval of Hop Up Guys. Who else really matters? You cats are the small group of experts whose approval I seek.

The rest of them? Although I don't really care that they don't get it, neither do I care what they do get. Let 'em do it their way. None of them will race me to a '32 K- member at the swap meet; none will compete with me in a bidding match for some old relic. They don't care, either. A helluva lot of them know TONS more than I do, on most subjects automotive. One long time hot rodder is one of the largest suppliers of the fanciest billet rear ends and front suspensions in the country. (He went 236 MPH over a dropped axle last year, though!) He absolutely has no interest in a street machine with anything but full independent suspension. Do you think I'm going to tell this guy that I have it right and he doesn't? Nope. He's done it my way and his way. There is not a right or wrong. We're both right.

So don't hate them because they do it a different way. Some of my best friends are billet fans. They're OK. Take my word for it.

But they're not as cool as Hop Up Guys.

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