Reviews For Car Craft Magazine

I have been reading automotive magazines as long as I can remember. I have probably read every single one of them at one time or another. A few years ago I bought a Car Craft for the first time. I absolutely loved it! The first thing I saw was a "Reader's Ride" car with the title "BONDO Bucket Beater." I was amazed that a car magazine would actually put a car with BONDO on it in its pages! From then on, I was a Car Craft guy. This magazine is for guys who are interested in performance more than looks. You would never see a car decked out in chrome with some wimpy engine in it. Car Craft is a magazine that will print what they want. The continually bash Hot Rod, SUVs, and DaimlerChrysler. This is a magazine that all car buffs can associate with and understand. They have excellent tech articles and often do buildups on a small budget. They show readers that you can build an engine for cheap. They give all the sources and prices for the parts and show you exactly how it should be done, without any hidden costs. I like reading Car Craft because they speak my language and they are the only magazine that would feature my 1975 Firebird BONDO bucket in their pages.


Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Hobbyists/Enthusiasts
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

I buy Car Craft because it is the best real persons magazine for hot rodding cars of all types on a budget. Compared to Hot Rod this magazine you can relate more too. Hot Rod is way to technical and you need gobs of money to do the things they do. I like to read every article especially things that related to cars I have. I find there is no competing magazine with Car Craft because Hot Rod is in another category. I'll admit I buy both but I enjoy reading Car Craft a lot. I wish they came out every week. I highly recommend Car Craft!


Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Hobbyists/Enthusiasts
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

Out of all the car magazines that have the high-dollar projects in them that most of us can't afford, this one tells you how the average Joe can have some fun without going broke. It's nice to see the expensive modern hi-tech stuff or the immaculate waxed-frame restorations, but if you've got a daily driver that you feel like adding some pep to, or your older car is starting to wear, they'll tell you how to get it done without unnecessary frills or hassles. It does cover all American cars, but it leans toward GMs mostly. If you want to find a reason to keep that 78 Malibu that's been demoted to driveway duty, or find out what's available for that 71 Chevelle you inherited from your grandmother, this is the mag to look in. Enjoy!


Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Anyone
Primary Reason for Buying: Product reviews/information

I buy this magazine because I am into cars in a major way. I have learned more about cars from this magazine than any other similar mag. (i.e. Hot Rod). It is a great magazine with many informative articles and great technical articles. I would be lost without it I only wish I had discovered it sooner. I like seeing what other people are doing with their cars and there money. I also like the ask Marlin section in the back of the magazine. People write in with specific technical questions and Marlin is always able to find an answer. I also like the fact that the people responsible for the magazine are involved in the building of cars. The editors and writers know there stuff. Other magazines to consider are Hot Rod, Rod and Custom, Mustang Monthly, and many other car magazines.


Recommended:
Yes

Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

The reason I read my brothers subscription to this magazine is because it is the most informative car magazine out there. It's not a high dollar magazine and that is important because I am a college student. The magazine is the best bang for the buck. The only other two magazines that are worth reading are Hot Rod and Chevy High Perf. but Car Craft is far superior. And I wish that they would produce more articles about Big buicks because that is what I drive.

A 1972 Rivey. The article about the 455 into the 65 wagon is killer Although they would give more detail in their engine building. And the fact the 1600 dollars is going to be spent on new stage two heads is ludicrous.

With about 1000 dollars you can make the stock heads flow almost as good with bigger valves and more compression. Then save the 600 bucks and buy a cam and kit and even a high rise manifold. I don't kno about them but I can make my buick faster for less money. On a college student's budget. Thanks for your time.


Recommended:
Yes

Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

Car Craft, published by the same folks that put out Rod and Custom, Popular Hot Rodding and other auto magazines, is a very reasonably priced subscription and a good all around read. [...]

Car Craft has finally gotten my subscription money after 2 years of on and off reading. They have stepped up to the big leagues of car magazines, and that in itself is hard to do. Car Craft has helped give a broad view of the domestic automotive industry, while giving the imported cars the healthy trashing they deserve. All of the technical articles contained in Car Craft are nicely written and easily understood, while not leaving out details.

Car Craft contains many sections that should not go unread. One section is the "Ask Marlan" section. Marlan Davis, the columnist of the section, has a vast knowledge of the industry and his answers are always right on target. His tech Q+A has helped me out on many questions I was pondering about myself.

The magazine also contains all of the traditional sections which include: new products (speed shop), automotive news (straight scoop), and the editorial (point of view). Even with all the great tech articles, Q+A's, and featured rides, nothing is as good as the Reader's Pages. In this section real people send in photos of there cars whether they are in showroom condition or just started projects. It also includes funny one-liners, a reader's poll, and short jokes and the sort.

In all, Car Craft has come a long way and is well worth the mere ten bucks they as for a subscription.


Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Hobbyists/Enthusiasts
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

If you are looking for a car magazine with a wide variety, then this is it. Under the cover of Car Craft you will find just about every type American muscle car built, plus a few ?non-muscle? cars. Trucks, vans, and imports will not be found in this rag.
Car Craft covers the car market like no other magazine. Fast cars is still the key, but Car Craft emphasizes that you don?t have to be rich to go fast and look good. They love big motors and nitrous oxide for power. One of my favorite parts of the magazine is the build-ups. Motors, trannies, rear-ends, brakes, paint, and more are covered. When they do build-ups and repairs they include the cost of every nut and bolt. They tell how to do it the right way, the way they did it, and how to do it really cheap. If they screw up and break stuff, they are not afraid to tell you that either. They tell you what went wrong, why, and how to avoid it yourself. Basically Car Craft likes to have fun and dares to be different. Pick up a copy and remember why you started liking cars in the first place.
The magazine has lost some of its' luster for me with the replacement of the previous editor (Freiburger) for its' present editor (King). Even though this new editor doesn't seem to deliver good natured car fun with the same pinache that the previous editor did, the magazine still has enough to stand out in a magazine market where everything starts to look the same. This is the type of magazine where even I could get a picture of my car into it.

Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Hobbyists/Enthusiasts
Primary Reason for Buying: Product Reviews/Information

Car Craft is a magazine that's all about how the average guy can get a cheap old American car and turn it into a high powered, pavement scorching monster. They have lots of articles on building up V8 engines, some good articles on restoration, and even some tips about how to tune the chassis - although not too much of that, as their focus is on drag racing. While they do occasionally have some big-ticket items, the focus is on what you can do with junkyard parts and well chosen items from speed shops. They're meticulous about the accounting, too - while I'm sure it doesn't include some ineffective parts that they may have tested, they list the cost of everything that went into the engine or car they built, down to the last quart of oil. You may still budget too low from reading one of their articles, but they still give more info and a more realistic picture than what you'll see elsewhere.

If there is a downside to it, it's the way this magazine can start to look the same after a while. While they feature a variety of cars, they're frequently done in a very similar way - carbureted V8, more or less stock body painted a single color, and a dragstrip stance. Not bad, but it can get kind of monotonous after a while. The cars seldom seem to incorporate odd technical features or other clever touches to make them unique. While this may be good at showing how the cars can be done by Average Joe, innovative touches are good for inspiration.

Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Hobbyists/Enthusiasts
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles

Car Craft has a nice mix of content - some high end feature cars, low buck tech tips and even some humor. They cover old engines, new engines and older cars, but what stops them from hitting five stars is the lack of new platform content. 60s and 70s iron is rare and expensive, and if you are looking for ways cars not from that era, there is precious little car content. Newer engine information is present in spades, and there is still plenty of excellent general technical advice that all enthusiasts will appreciate, so it is worth the subscription price. Finally, Car Craft brings some irreverence that is sets it apart from other publications and helps keep it light and fun.