LocostUSA.com

It's just a thought in my head and nothing more, but what do you think of the idea of a "Locost Magazine" in print form? It seems to me there there is nothing out there for the enthusiast who wants to build his own car, not just assemble a kit car. There are many builds that could be covered, and a lot of technical information that could be shared in interesting articles.

I really don't know if it would be a good idea or not, but I think it might be. I am aware of the Grassroots Motorsports magazine, but it has such a heavy emphasis on racing that I decided not to subscribe to it. I think a skill building magazine with a lot or actual, real-world builds and projects in it might work.

What do you think?

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Sounds like a great idea. We've got a pretty good bunch of contributors here. Do you think we can come up with enough readers to make a go of it!

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

Definitely! That's basically how GRM was started.

People want print. The online mags tend to fail quickly.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Not to be a wet blanket, but.

Beware, printing is expensive which is why some mags have tried to go digital.
There used to be TWO monthly Kit Car mags, I had cars featured in both.
First one bit the dust, then the other went quarterly, I think it may also be completely gone now as I have not seen an issue in years.
Both kit mags were heavy on pictures and list of big name components used by builders (Chasing advertising dollars) but actual "How to" was always light.
In part as the smarter editors wanted to avoid the appearance of favoring a particular company via who they used as examples.
Favoritism is a touchy subject in publishing and there were some pretty heavy scandals that did hurt them.

I recall one editor being caught leveraging his position for a "Free" Cobra.

Specialty magazines are probably a lot like the cars, to make a small fortune start with a large one!

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

I would think the mag would have to be a general kit car magazine to have enough interest. If it's only for Locost and Sevens, you would pretty much cover every thing in 12 issues. The rest of the issues would just be repeats, but with different cars with different engines. Paper is way to many problems and cost, would have to be digital for such a small circulation. Dave W

@ngpmike
@carguy123
Thanks for the encouragement. I think there is an audience out there, including the ones that don't know yet that they're part of it. Those are the enthusiasts who don't yet know it's do-able to build your own car.

@RichardSIA
I used to work in the aerospace industry, among other places. That was the standard joke. "How do you make a small fortune in the aerospace industry? Answer: Begin with a large fortune."

@davew
Dave, I think there is so much information to share and illustrate (welding, suspension, brakes, testing, etc.) that it could easily be an on-going magazine. Plus, if you started to share designs and cars started outside of the basic Champion/Gibb Locosts such as Marcus' Car9, McSorely's extended chassis, and others, I think it could evolve into something larger that just Locosts based on those 2 designs or the 7. Also, what if it branched out into showing people how to use programmable calculators and software to make their design problems manageable and do-able? It could include CAD, FEA, suspension analyzer software and other free or purchased software. I'm thinking it could be a real ideas/fabricating magazine too for the "Shed Tech" world.

Please do keep the comments coming, both the positive ones and the cautions.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Hi Lonnie,

I think that the days of printed magazines, and newspapers, is gone. I used to subscribe to a bunch of magazines but let all subscriptions drop years ago. I now read the occasional article in a magazine at the barber/dentist/doctor/grocery store but, like most people these days, I get my info online. One of the drivers for me is the availability of video online as videos are way better than pictures.

I feel that it would be a hard pull uphill through deep mud trying to launch a new specialty topic print magazine. But, if you do it, good luck and I'll buy a subscription.

Bill

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

BHR GRM has tried the digital mag and people still prefer the paper one.

Now, they also have their forum and special "magazine" content that's only available digital, but print is far from dead.

Some things are better in print and others better in a forum. Ongoing builds would be in the forum and special tech or completed builds would be in a mag.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Id subscribe. I still read paper magazines. The internet and the paper magazines both have their good points.

You might get as much (or more?) success out of a blog. Not a build (b)log, like those here, but one with periodic themed posts, or themed sub-pages. A main page blog, perhaps, on the overall build strategies and challenges; another page on power train options, one on suspension, etc, etc. .... Fill yer boots. Many could be based on edited extracts (acknowledged of course) from LocostUSA. It would save those aggravating searches for remembered posts - but where was it?

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

I would look at how many hits this forum has a day, then look at how many hits a mustang or diesel site has(subjects that have multiple magazines in print).

@BHRmotorsport
Thanks for the point of view, and the offer to buy a subscription, Bill. Both are much appreciated.

@carguy123
Like both you and Bill, I get a lot of info from the Internet and YouTube, etc. However, I still get printed copies of certain magazines that deal with topics of particular interest. I store them in plastic tubs, so I can get at them later when I actually need to apply the article content.

@factorypartsjoe
OK, that's good to hear. Thank you.

@Warren Nethercote
I think you may have hit on something big there, Warren. I really need to look at that possibility. Also, the income stream might come from ads in sidebars with content free to the user. Thank you for the suggestion.

Cheers

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

I'd subscribe as well. IMO the folks who get everything on their phones are missing out. Not that we're ever going back, but getting a monthly mag used to be something you looked forward to. Life is all about having things to look forward to.

However, I also agree that starting a Locost mag would be a philanthropic exercise.

Recent paper car mags I've looked through all come across the same way, as brief infomercials on how always awesome this car/oil/tire/wax is. I wonder whether I'm getting objective comments or just platitudes to make advertisers happy. I suspect the latter.

I love reading and like a well thought out design made into a story; I also agree that print media is dead. Maybe not completely, but readers are leaving in droves for the Interweb, where everything is free (other than constant sidebar advertising). I think starting a Locost mag would be as hard or harder business-wise as starting a kit car company.

What would this print mag offer that this site does not? Also, people may wonder why they should pay for a mag where there's no community, when they can just come here or FB and find the same stuff for free. I'm generalizing but am pretty sure that a fundamental shift has occurred that doesn't include print media.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Car magazines used to be different. They used to be entertaining to read. The columns were the best. Car stuff plus really good writing. And the same great writing showed up on every page. Nowadays if you can write a coherent sentence with proper grammar, you're a journalist. If you keep the advertisers happy, you're an even better journalist. A little humor, insight, or even a clever turn of phrase are things of the past.