The little Rod that could!

You may notice, particularly in the publishing credits, that there have been some changes to this edition of SA HotRods. We have moved on from our previous publisher, to producing the magazine in-house. A parting of ways is often not easy, and we would like to apologise to our subscribers and advertisers for any inconvenience that may have arisen as a result. We will continue to honour all the promises made to our readers. That is, to bring you a Rodding magazine of the highest standard, and deliver all the value that you signed up for (and more). We have already begun by slashing our advertising rates by 40%, so I encourage all Rodding and lifestyle-related businesses to support us so that we can continue to bring you South Africa's only Hot Rod and Muscle Car magazine, and help grow it from strength to strength.

Anyway, change is good and we love a challenge. The build-up to our first in-house issue has been a crazy rollercoaster ride, with added things like our '49 Chevy dropping a valve on the drive up to the Nationals. A big thanks to the rest of the convoy for helping us get to the Nationals, sans car. A long-distance road trip always reminds me of why I love Rodding. We may have had breakdowns along the way, but that's part of the Rodding journey. Each breakdown adds to the adventure and each kilometre travelled becomes a triumph.

As usual, we have a jammed-packed June 2009 issue, kicking off with the story of Ed Roth, the king of Southern California's Kustom Kulture. We visited Extreme Classics and discovered Ian Viljoen's crazy custom F1 truck. Being South Africa's biggest Hot Rod and Custom event, we went Nationals mad, and bring you pages of pure SA Rodding heaven. RSM Motor Centre also took us for a drive in their latest creation, the 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Of course, we have to mention our own Rodding event held at Killarney Racetrack, which had an impressive turnout. And we show you some amazing USA Hot Rods which were on display at the Detroit Motor Show. We spent some time with Allen Boonzaaier's 1957 Chevy Bel Air. Finally, we introduce South Africa to real old-school biking with the Brass Pan Bobber, built by Drew van Oudtshoorn of East Coast Choppers.
So sit back and enjoy, and please email us any suggestions and ideas. We look forward to your feedback on our first in-house issue.

Joe van Zyl

	ED ROTH: The Rat Fink remembered Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth was an underground icon and massively influential figure in the development and promotion of Southern California's 'Kustom Kulture' movement through the 1960s. Get the Winter 2009 issue of SA HotRods magazine to find out how this 'Hot Roddin' gear-head' is still inspiring artists' creations around the globe.
	A CUT ABOVE THE REST – the ‘51 Ford F1 Truck In a country where the bakkie means more to people than just a workhorse, Ian’s 1951 Ford F1 truck is a poster car for South Africans mad about utility. Read about how this truck started out in life as a 3.5 ton military fire truck and was revived to this truly alternative and magnificent form in the 5th issue of SA HotRods
	THE 2009 STREET ROD NATIONALS On Saturday, 11 April 2009, Rodders from across the country descended upon Boksburg for the biggest Rodding event in South Africa, the 2009 Street Rod Nationals. This was one event SA HotRods was not gonna miss for the world. Get the latest issue of the magazine where we bring you some of the finest Hot Rods found at the show.
	BODY TECH: Make your car shine like a show car Whether you’re preparing your car for a show-and-shine event or just to go cruising, the single most influential factor for judging is the appearance. With all the recent Nationals hype we decided to recruit Meguiars to show you how to transform your ride into a show-stopper in Winter 2009 issue of SA HotRods magazine.
	RISING FROM THE ASHES – the ’69 Pontiac Firebird This car can’t help but exude a sense of exclusivity. Everything about this Pontiac is somehow just right, from the beautiful Nappa leather interior, to the 14-coat deep black paint job, to the sound of the stroked V8. So warm yourself this winter in the toasty afterglow of this beauty in the latest issue of SA HotRods.
	MOTOR TECH: Choosing your camshaft What differentiates a road car from a high-performance beast?  Find out in the 5th issue of SA HotRods where mechanical engineer, Ephy Chesler, continues to shed some light on the vital organ of the internal combustion engine by looking at camshaft selection and timing.
	LOCAL EVENT: The SA HotRods Street Festival Following the phenomenal success of their 2008 event, SA HotRods and Western Province Motor Sport (WPMC) again partnered to bring the most exciting and diverse day of motoring magic to be held at Killarney Racetrack in Cape Town to date, the SA HotRods Street Festival. Get the scoop straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth in this issue of the magazine.
	INTERNATIONAL EVENT: The Detroit Motor Show In the latest issue of SA HotRods we bring you one of the oldest and largest car shows in the world, the Detroit Motor Show, where our international correspondent was overwhelmed with over 65 000 square metres of the most beautiful, creative and downright oddest collection of cars in existence.
	THE PRINCE OF BEL AIR – the ’57 Chevy Bel Air Of the six 1957 Chevy Bel Air Coupés in South Africa, only two can be found with this level of restoration. SA HotRods is proud to be the one to bring you most Rodders’ childhood dream car in the Winter 2009 issue.
	THE BRASS PAN BOBBER When we heard whisperings of a small custom bike building shop on the east coast of Kwazulu-Natal that had just completed a build like none other we simply had to track down the man behind it all. We are thrilled to present Drew van Oudtshoorn of East Coast Choppers and his Brass Pan Bobber in the 5th issue of SA HotRods magazine.