Rodders Journal

[hot rod les]

Still no sign of mine !
Anyone else still waiting ?

yes,ive been patienty waiting since the 8th of Febuary 2021 and have sent various e mails to them only to be told that they are working hard to get up and running.
Of which i sent yet another e mail this evening Friday 7th March 2025...

[BarryD]

Just seen an email dated 4 April from RJ saying………

You may have heard rumblings about a new

Rodder’s Journal

heading to press, and we’re excited to tell you those rumblings are correct.

TRJ

#87 is at the printer and will be bound and shipped to the mailing house in short order.………Keep an eye open on your letter box!

[BarryD]

Apologies for the above post layout…… despite my best efforts copy and paste did a “Donald” on me
Regards Barry

[BarryD]

RJ Update. Part 1. Fast forward 14 months.Same scenario as last time ,quick 7 day visit to see the grandkids in VA and while there slip away to Maryland and the East Coast Hot Rod Garage with the Rodders Journal offices adjacent next door.
Knock on the RJ door but there’s no answer, obviously they are out somewhere, never mind HRG is next door and well worth a wander around. Then I get lucky and bump into Ray Bartlett ( Red 34 cover car on RJ issue # 1 ) who says Coonan’s car is over there ,he’s deaf and wont have heard the door I’ll phone him ,sure enough the door eventually gets opened and I’m invited in.
We had over an hours conversation ,what follows is an abbreviated version of what I can remember!
Barry…When i was last here you said #87 was about to go to the printers whats the current situation?
Steve… Its at the printers now and I’m really hoping that we are finally going to be dispatching them soon. I’m as frustrated as everyone else is with this . A long chain of events have delayed this . I had to reject a whole batch of print due to the quality not being up to the standard RJ requires, that led to us in dispute with the printer, that got resolved,then we had lost our place in the print run, followed by a whole bunch of other stuff,even now I’ve spent the last day and a half on the phone trying to find an alternate source of binding weave for the binders who can’t get any for some reason. Its frustrating.
Barry…. But #87 is definitely going to happen?
Steve…. Absolutely and I hope soon.

[BarryD]

RJ Update Part 2
Barry…Is the printing issue going forward going to be……..
Steve ….We were constantly getting comments from people to bring printing back here, so we did that and…. well in Hong Kong they regard printing still as a craft……here well its different. Prices keep going up …… its 20,000 for a print run and then there’s all the add on stuff as well , its not easy.
Something that has helped us is Barnes and Noble endiing ( *Barry*Barnes & Noble = WH Smith here ) which means we are returning more to our core subscribers rather than the occasional buyer that’s going to help us. (*Barry*he means less unsold copies being returned ,therefore less spent on printing,distribution etc) When the print/bindings done I will probably box the copies for the outlets myself (*Barry* bulk stockists ? )
Barry… So are on your own at the moment?
Steve….Yes . Geoff is back in Australia which means I work late at night and he works early morning so we can work together on stuff…….Here’s a pre print copy of#87 ( shows me #87 with a fully fendered 32 roadster on the front cover which I photographed and will try to post on here if I can work out how !) Thats probably not going to be the cover you will get he says, then try’s unsuccessfully to find a B cover to show me.
Barry…. There are still some rodders in England that haven’t yet received what they feel they are owed.
Steve…. Yeah . We are still sending stuff out now. I figure if someone contacts us re this that they are genuine rather than trying to stiff us so we do the best we can. Sometimes we can’t fix everything. We are on our third shipment to one guy , I can’t fix the postal service etc,etc. Some point we are going to have to stop

[stokebloke]

Thanks for the update Barry and taking the time to visit The Rodders Journal HQ. We all share his continued frustration.

[BarryD]

RJ Update Part 3
Barry…..Last time I was here you was looking to hire someone to process emails, orders etc has that happened.?
Steve… We need to get 87 out first, we’ve had a few lined up and I don’t mind if they work 1day ,2days or full time whatever, but we have to concentrate on getting this out first. We are going to have to go for a subscription increase soon as well, we haven’t done one ,we’ve stayed at the same for some time but can’t contain it anymore.( * Barry* Last increase #55 2012) Prices for us just keep rising we can’t sustain it, somebody told me the other day that in the last few years that the price of an F150 truck has gone up over 300% in that time, we’ve cut costs where we can ,when we were in SF we had the photographic studio we don’t have that here now, we know that we over shot on Brizio cars a bit as they were next door and it was easy to get good content with the studio available . Here without it will mean less pro, little more homebuilt stuff .
Barry…. OK that sounds interesting, in that case can I suggest someone? What about Jack Troup’s new 5w that’s coming soon or better still his 32 Sedan that thing has got the best stance on it period,ever!
Steve… Yeah . We’ve talked with him about a shoot, but he’s got a problem with getting both cars here at the same time, so it looks likely that I’ll be driving up to TN soon, …. more time away.

[Happydaze]

Thanks. How many parts to this please Barry?

Chris

Sent from my SM-A750FN using NSRA mobile app

[BarryD]

Thanks. How many parts to this please Barry?

Chris

Sent from my SM-A750FN using NSRA mobile app

Hi Chris Probably just one more ,depending on my memory and scribbled notes done later after the conversation.

[BarryD]

RJ Update Pt 4
Steve… We are going to do a release on the subscription increase soon , probably next week or so
Barry….Wouldn’t it be better to get 87 out , then do the subscription increase?
Steve …Look I get that a lot of people out there are sceptical after whats occurred …..but thats how it is. I’m not looking for sympathy because we have struggled, but there are a lot of guys out there who do fully support us and expect us to continue.
Barry…. I recently turned 70 and with that more than ever personally value quality over quantity, so I don’t have problem with a price increase for a quality product , anyway the magazine massacre of a few years ago showed me that if you don’t support it,it’s gone. Modern Rodding ( *Barry* owned and published by ex StreetRodder Magazine staff) seems to be now heading more towards the 60s /70s with its car content and less pre 49, Rodding USA (* Barry* Bi monthly Pre 49 mag run by Paul Martinez ex SRM ) is good but charging me $18 an issue just for the postage to the UK plus the subscription so on that you are good value for money. Keep going!
Steve …I’m 68 and do wonder how many summers I’ve got left, but I do want to continue with this ( RJ ). I need to stop now and pick my brother up.
Barry… ok
On the way out of his office we pass by the 65? Buick Riviera that he bought after selling the iconic ex Lobeck 32 roadster to Bruce Meyer
Barry … Anything happening on this ?
Steve… Not at the moment
Passing by the rack of back copies I ask
Barry …..What latest back copies do you have?
Steve …. 85 & 86 available no 83or 84
Thats all I can remember at the moment, …….in summary I still believe he’s sincere in his statement that he intends that #87 will eventually arrive on our doorsteps. Only time will tell if I’m right or wrong in my assessment. Regards Barry

[Dave]

Of late I've sourced my copies from Australia. I have #87 on back order there and have just been sent this update...

[BarryD]

Just seen on Facebook from RJ that #87 has mailed

[pwhiteside]

Received an email from RJ yesterday.

"We are excited to let you all know that after more production and mailing delays than we care to count, that Rodder's Journal #87 us finally in the mail and headed your way"

Hopefully this also applies to international subscriptions. Fingers crossed ��

[Happydaze]

There are various reports in the US of folks physically having them. I take some comfort from that that they actually exist! They'll eventually make their way here, like they have in the past, except the one that never did! 83?

Chris

Sent from my SM-T515 using NSRA mobile app

[Dave]

I have one sat waiting for me in Australia that I will be collecting next month

[pwhiteside]

Just had confirmation from my buddy in California that my RJ has arrived at his house.
Hope this works for UK subscribers, it's been a long wait!!!

[Stickman]

So has anybody outside the USA actually received a copy of issue 87?

[Dave]

I've just collected mine in Australia

[BarryD]

GNRS CA. Earlier today talked to Geoff Miles of Rodders Journal and mentioned that no one in the UK had yet received RJ #87. He replied that the UK shipment was at the mail distributor in New Jersey and was due to ship he believed next week and when he got back to Maryland after the show he would give the distributor a nudge. He also said Steve Coonan was not present at GNRS as he was recovering from surgery which was slowing the production of RJ # 88 down but it was 75% complete and that the cover had been picked which was either the Tweedy Pie recreation or a 34 Ford.

[tylf33]

Thanks Barry, I was wondering