Hot Rod Technical Editor,...
Hot Rod Technical Editor, Marlan Davis, took our readers to Air Flow Research (AFR) in the spring of 1984 for a look at how to improve 351W head airflow. Marlan is still with Hot Rod Magazine. AFR manufactures its own cylinder heads today. Our cohort in crime, Marvin McAfee of MCE Engines in Los Angeles, built dyno engines for Air Flow Research at the time.
Hot Rod's Mustang - A Commitment To Ford Enthusiasts
When Petersen Publishing Company decided to take a crack at the classic Mustang niche market, it started with annual one-shots just to see who would bite. A lot of people did. These annuals became keepers for personal reading libraries all over the world. With each Mustang annual, Petersen begin to see the value in addressing the Mustang market on a more frequent basis. With Editorial Director Lee Kelley at the helm, the decision was made to take Hot Rod's Mustang quarterly. Our good friend and long-time associate, Cam Benty, assumed control of the magazine and set the tone for issues to follow. Bruce Caldwell, a Hot Rod staff editor at the time, took the reins from Cam and was editor for many years from his home in Seattle, Washington.
Under Bruce's direction, Hot Rod's Mustang took on definition and became a legitimate competitor to Mustang Monthly Magazine. Because Petersen's primary focus was mainstream titles like Hot Rod and Car Craft (some jokingly refer to it as "Camaro Craft"), Mustang didn't change much. It wasn't until 1985 that Mustang became bi-monthly. And it would be more than a decade before it became monthly.
Our Advertisers
In our first two issues, there was no advertising. In Issue Number 3, we sold advertising space to names that remain with us a quarter-century later. Others have come and gone. Ironically, our first advertiser was our competition in Florida - Mustang Publications - that originally published Mustang Monthly. That first ad from Central Florida publisher Larry Dobbs included useful titles we've long been familiar with - Mustang Recognition Guide, How To Restore Your Mustang, and Mustang Value Guide. These titles enabled Larry to grow Mustang Publications into one of the greatest publishing success stories in modern history. Two of these successful Mustang book titles remain in print, available from California Mustang.
Other advertisers in 1982 including The Paddock, Mustang Club of America, Mustang Headquarters, American Mustang Parts, Jim Osborn Reproductions, Ford Parts Warehouse, Tony D. Branda, Larry's Mustang & Thunderbird Parts, Carroll Shelby Sportswear, National Parts Depot, Cobra Restorers, Dallas Mustang Parts, Firestone, Engle Cams, Glazier's Mustang Barn, Kanter Auto Products, Auto Custom Carpets, VDO Instruments, Quickor Engineering, McLeod Clutches, Eastern Mustang Specialty, California Mustang, Valley Ford Parts, Mustang Mart, Circle City Mustang, Mustang of Chicago, and Auto Krafters.
 Our Fall 1983 issue was all...  Our Fall 1983 issue was all things Mustang - including hop-up tricks for the 1982 Mustang GT. MUSTANG encompassed a nice cross section of stock and modified Mustangs of all generations. |  Nothing's new under the sun...  Nothing's new under the sun - we still promise you a 10-second street Mustang, and typically for under $10,000. Our Spring 1984 issue is a smorgasbord of tech trickery and groovy car features. |  Because we've always been...  Because we've always been about power at Mustang & Fords, we were teaching our readers how to O-ring a small-block Ford in 1983. Contributing Editor Jerry Heasley showed us how it's done. |