Practical Classics mag- any good??

[Uncle Jimmy]

What do you shiteists think of P.C. mag? Do many buy it? I have done in the past but no longer. To me it just seems to be on a repeat mix of Austin seven, Ford, BMC yawn. Plus misleading stuff about what's gonna be worth silly money next.

[RayMK]

I quite like it, though it does go through the phases you've mentioned, probably because of the pet interests of the ever changing staff.  Sam Glover makes it an entertaining read and I can just about tolerate one MGB article per year (his has a Triumph straight 6 fitted).  I don't like the obsession with classic car values. I only buy cars to enjoy, squander money on fixing and then eventually sell at a huge or total loss.  Investing in old cars is missing the point. 

[trigger]

I used to subscribe it to for a long while but I started to run out of time to read it, I prefer reading stuff on the internet really than magazine. That said i got a copy last week at the NEC for £1 and it was an enjoyable read, especially the cars of Minder feature.

[Rusty_Rocket]

In my opinion, it's one of the best- along with Car Mechanics.

I've bought both for over 20 years... but must confess, don't bother so much nowadays. They are over £4 each and browsing t'internet gives me my crap car fix just as effectively, sadly.

[dollywobbler]

As one on the 'inside' so to speak, I think they do a grand job of packing in the common models that sadly get you sales and advertising success, and squeezing in some serious oddball stuff - like the Imp-based TVR that you can read about in the January '15 issue. I'd never even heard of it! I apologise for writing about an MGB for the November issue, but it did have a hilariously powerful V8 on it. 

[Richard]

It's just the way with magazines. If you go into WH Smith now and look at the music magazine covers I can almost guarantee you'll see covers with The Rolling Stones (especially this month as Jagger is doing the rounds), Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, with U2, Oasis, Green Day, Foo Fighters etc. on the more radical publications.

[mercrocker]

I don't buy any magazines any more.  No real reason other than I am too tight.  Might flick through in Smiffs waiting for Mrs R to buy her puzzle book or something but that's about it.   Bloody expensive now, aren't they?   Also, I wonder how many readers actually have any of the stuff they buy magazines about?   Blokes at work have Vw mags, scooter porn, Land Rover yawn-rags and classic titles all over the place yet drive nothing but taped-up Mongdos and leased Aldis.   I still have shit-loads of 1950s and 60s Practical Motorists and Car Mechanics all over the place - you know the ones full of blokes in ties and brogues de-coking Crestas with a pipe between clenched teeth.   Not an oil stain in sight!  

[DVee8]

I use to subscribe till august this year,and i use to buy old old copy's at autojumbles but i now have that many that space is tight so i am re-reading then i'll give them away on here or bin.I have also found a box in the loft of 2003-2005 Auto express,when re read they will go the same way.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I bought the first issue in May 1980, and bought the current issue plus hundreds in between. It's still a good magazine and the only one I buy until I finally cancel my sub to Pretentious Classic & Sportrolexadvert mag.

[Bren]

Lots of magazines are simply too repetitive and sodding expensive.

 

I get car mechanics and practical sportsbikes, nothing else.

[I_am_Diesel]

I used to buy the back issues on android when they was only 99p. They seem to be £3.99 now so I don't bother

[babydriver]

I have just taken delivery of the last one on my subscripotion, my lad usually buys this for my birthday but has given up work to study so it ain't gonna happen this year. I have bought this mag since issue 1 but it is a dear doo these days for the subscription at 50 sheets so I will have to go monthly. I have felt like I might not bother lately as there seems to be quite a few errors in the articals and sometimes there are bits missing or another article is mixed in with another. I read it from cover to cover so mabee I should get a job as the editor!

[Uncle Jimmy]

PC is the best of the bunch. A mag consistently dedicated to shite would be amazing. Sometimes PC delivers but kinda chickens out and reverts to tweed clad MGB land or Fordworld.

[Skizzer]

Well, yes, but they have to do this to earn a crust (and keep Dollywobbler in XMs). Shite-only mags have been tried and always fail commercially.

 

I enjoy a peruse of PC from time to time, but most of my tat reading needs are met by this place.

[Richard]

Have there been other shite-only magazines other than Jalopy?

[Micrashed]

Have there been other shite-only magazines other than Jalopy?

A couple.

But terminally short lived

 

http://issuu.com/brownmag/docs/brownmag_issue_one

 

http://www.bltin.com/ot/index.html

[trigger]

Brownmag was written by Scruff of this forum, I really enjoyed it actually, It's a shame that it only lasted a few issues really.

[Skizzer]

I thought there was another but I've forgotten what it was called, so may have dreamt it.

 

I might be thinking of one of the e-mags that people on here are involved in - whose names I have also forgotten, sorry. I'm shit at remembering things.

 

Edit: there you go, see, Trigger and Micrashed are on the ball - I have to have other people remember things for me

[Uncle Jimmy]

OK, so what would a shitters wet dream of a bongo mag have in it?? Yep, in depth review of Talbot Tagora with road test for starters...

[scruff]

There was "Original Tin" which was really rather good.

[Micrashed]

Even OT only lasted 2 print issues IIRC, the last one was a PDF mock up of what could have been.

 

The problem with pitching a magazine at tightwads trying to run a car on a shoestring is that they dont really have lots of money to luz on a glossy magazine. And who is going to advertise in a mag aimed at tightwads?

 

No, your Trumpet or Sherpa Coupe driver is your market there... Or your young spotty herbert sex starved male living at home with mum and dad with disposable student loan money or paper round money is your market if you are Lax Bowels magazine

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I've stopped buying mags altogether

 

Firstly I don't have the time to sit down with a mag, I find online so much easier cos I can read snippets at lunch in work, or on my phone waiting in the Chinese or whatever.

With a magazine I find I need to actively put time aside to sit down and read it if that makes sense.

 

Downside is I miss out on the higher standard of writing / photos etc you get from paid content.

 

Secondly I got fed up when the mags I was reading got thinner yet the amount of space dedicated to adverts went up.

 

Thirdly there is way more variety online, and more depth e.g. a mag feature on a readers build might stretch to 3 pages of highlights whereas the owners blog could be 50 pages detailing every little detail, this sort of thing brings the build to life as you live through the experience

 

Loads of long term projects in magazines tend to start well and disappear - yes this happens online but when you've been paying a fiver a time to see what happens next its more annoying

[oman5]

I love Practical Classics, it's the only mag I still buy, and have since 1989. Content does seem a little skinnier these days compared to previous years, but I enjoy Sam Glover's forays into the weird and wonderful world of Eastern bloc shite. I like the fact that they don't really discriminate on what is or isn't a classic, I tried Classic and sportscar once and found it suitable for not much more than leaving in the waiting area of the Dentist. Full of unattainable yuppy investment cars and chequebook restorations, with journalists practically wanking over E types and Astons.

Oh, and I'd buy Jalopy if they still did it.

[RRT22R]

I generally find Practical Classics a good read, but recently, one thing has really started to annoy me - The amount of photos that contain 'the staff'. I would really like to see a picture under the bonnet of a 1977 Ford Granada or the king pins of a Morris Cowley, only to find it obscured by the grid of some journo. Check it out for yourself, nearly every page has a picture of one of them.

 

Enough.

 

Already.

 

End of rant.

[RobT]

I tend to buy the weekly ones as content is good most of the time, and enjoy reading stuff penned by our own DW and the likes of Messrs Skelton and Simister Jnr to name a few. The events pages are handy to have too. I avoid reading the letters pages nowadays though as some are written by grade A twats.

[purplebargeken]

I used to buy it monthly then was given a stupidly cheap subscription last year as a present. I think this one might be the last of the sub. It waxes and wanes really. Some stuff is interesting but it has been a bit 'samey' for a while now. I used to read it cover to cover but I just flicked through it yesterday and couldn't really be bothered. Guess it was a bit boring tbh.

 

CCM was a fair challenge to PC when it first came out but I find that quite lukewarm as well now. CM is quite good and has been fairly consistent.

 

MGBGT/E-TYPES/FORDWHATEVERS/MORRIS MINORS/STAG/TR etc, etc have been done to death and I am sick of seeing them in all honesty, I really am.

 

I sometimes pick up the VW mags, but not very often. Doubt I will renew the sub.

 

Anyone remember AWOL - just out of interest?

[robinmasters]

I had a quick flick through it in Smith's today, and it was alright. I haven't got anything to add to the criticisms already raised-too many 'popular' cars, too many pictures of the journalists, not enough technical detail.

 

I wouldn't pay money for it, but it's one of my first choices in Smith's/doctors waiting rooms etc.

[Taff]

I used to buy it monthly then was given a stupidly cheap subscription last year as a present. I think this one might be the last of the sub. It waxes and wanes really. Some stuff is interesting but it has been a bit 'samey' for a while now. I used to read it cover to cover but I just flicked through it yesterday and couldn't really be bothered. Guess it was a bit boring tbh.

 

CCM was a fair challenge to PC when it first came out but I find that quite lukewarm as well now. CM is quite good and has been fairly consistent.

 

MGBGT/E-TYPES/FORDWHATEVERS/MORRIS MINORS/STAG/TR etc, etc have been done to death and I am sick of seeing them in all honesty, I really am.

 

I sometimes pick up the VW mags, but not very often. Doubt I will renew the sub.

 

Anyone remember AWOL - just out of interest?

 

I remember AWOL.

 

Like most of us, I don't regularly buy anything these days. I will flick through PC, CC & BSH to see if there is anything to make me part with £4.50. BSH usually wins out

[Rocket88]

Quite like Practical Performance................[don't we all.....!]

[HMC]

Another vote for PC here. It was the first car mag I bought as a 16 year old, and tales of Nick larkin rescuing a wedge from the scrappie had me hooked!

 

After John Pearson stopped being the editor I ended up passing it over for a while but currently have a subscription and like the current mix of writers and their vehicles.

 

Kim Henson always make me smile as he's the total opposite of me with ownership commitment- he seems to have owned his entire fleet for about 35 years rather than 5 minutes!