[jaxops]

I found C&P in the 1980s, and very much enjoyed the restoration articles and ads. They had a great nation-wide car show listing as well. I think that it began to get full of ads, and not much writing. There was a propensity to focus on the muscle cars. Month after month it became a bit tedious. I tried to go back and find a C&P Magazine, but there were none out there in the stores. They have a website, which is where I found that the ownership had changed.

I also saw a magazine called "Classic Car Magazine" which was basically an auction advertising media with little writing except for how some auction company did. I dropped that one!

[Ron Green]

I have been a long time subscriber and a fan of Bob Stevens (longtime x editor) and the magazine. Bob is a top notch writer and overall great hobbyist that truly knows his stuff, bar none. I was fortunate enough to even have my 55 on the front cover along with a huge article that Bob did.

The magazine is definitely changing. I personally am not a fan of the restro articles. Like many publications it seems more than likely they are trying to entice more subscribers. I have decided not to renew when its time and this morning sent in for a subscription to Skinned Knuckles magazine. Figured I would give this one a try as it seems somewhat interesting.

[poci1957]

Skinned Knuckles is a different breed of it's own. I began reading it in the mid 1980s and dropped it in the early 1990s for no particular good reason. In the early 2000s I picked it up again and have subscribed since. It is a good source to keep for reference to back issues and it is focused on strictly authentic restoration. A magazine by hands-on real old car guys for hands-on real old car guys, and with good columnists too. It is not glossy or slick, in fact an issue today looks exactly like the one from 25 years ago, and it is so small that I called in for a mailing problem and was answered by the editor himself. Very nice.

[poci1957]

After reading West's comments I went to the web site and it appears that the free online subscription may be the case. It would also explain why I could not find out how to subscribe, the subscription link on the website says it is down and refers you to a phone number. Interesting concept. Personally I am still more a print media guy, but for free I will give it a look.

[poci1957]

Originally Posted by F&J

I did like the personal stories about collectors and restorers...like the series on Pop Rice, one of the first people restoring cars for a living.

F&J, do you recall the year this series was published? I would like to see it, I was in the McPherson College restoration program in the 1980s and just missed the era of Pop Rice, who was a legend there and among old timers of the day. Todd

[Hinckley]

I was unaware of the rumor that C & P was giving up on print. That is something I will check on.
I can attest to the fact that Bob Stevens is a car guy from the old school and a really personable fellow. It is an odd and twisted story but the short version is we met face to face for the first time in '08 after almost twenty years of crossing paths.
He and his wife stopped by the office on their way home to Ohio from LA. Bob had purchased a really nice little '57 Chevy and was cruising a bit of Route 66.

[F&J]

Originally Posted by poci1957

F&J, do you recall the year this series was published? I would like to see it, I was in the McPherson College restoration program in the 1980s and just missed the era of Pop Rice, who was a legend there and among old timers of the day. Todd

Sorry to say that I don't know. Sorrier to say that I still owned all the issues I ever had, but they were thrown in a dumpster by the ex, just a few short months ago.

I learned a lot from the Pop Rice series. As I recall, most of the writing was done with him doing the talking. His story started during the depression and told of working for food and gas money while heading out west for a better life. One of the stops in the mid Altantic/mid South, where he stopped for a quick job, ended up being his new town...far from his goal of "out west".

I think he started restoring for early collectors in the late 30s.

I did try researching his name a few weeks ago and did not find as much as I thought would be on the web. It was then that I read about his connection with the college. I would have attended if I had known!

[TexRiv_63]

Jim,
From reading these responses it seems like I must be the only one still reading Cars and Parts. I have been a subscriber since the mid 80s. It's true that the mag has changed over the years but what publication hasn't? I don't mind the articles on newer stuff or even the Resto-mods as I am interested in just about anything automotive. I like your articles since one of my cars is an orphan and I collect orphan automobilia. I just bought a few boxes of old C&P's from the 70s and early 80s and am slowly going through them as they were entirely prewar in those days. Keep up the good work!

[js65cv]

JIM, I TOO CONTRIBUTE TO CARS AND PARTS UNDER THE NAME BRAD GAVE ME "JUNKYARD JOE". I LOVE THE MAGAZINE AND REALLY LOVE CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
YOU KNOW, THE JUNKYARD FEATURE HAS BEEN IN ALMOST EVERY ISSUE SINCE 1988. MOST ISSUES CONTAIN A NEVER BEFORE HEARD OF YARD. I GET A LOT OF MAIL FROM THE READERS TELLING ME THAT THE SALVAGE YARD IS PEOPLE'S FAVORITE FEATURE.
TO DATE , WE HAVE COVERED OVER 330 YARDS. MY BEST GUESS IS THAT AT LEAST HALF OF THEM ARE STILL AROUND. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON UPDATING THAT LIST AS TO WHATS STILL THERE.
FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME ANYTIME.
JUNKYARDJOE@CARSANDPARTS.COM

[Stllrng.]

It's only my opinion, but for me, also a long time C&P reader, it went downhill after a different editor got involved. I felt the format went toward too many new cars and lost touch with the old ones. EVERY feature of an early car had a photo of the steering wheel with the EXACT same caption: " Huge wood-rimmed steering wheel is a real handful" If I saw that one more time I was going to get sick. Does anyone remember when they searched for about 1 1/2 years for a numbers-matching 1963 Corvette and then ground the numbers off the block???