Go buy the new Muscle Mustang & Fast Ford magazine...SVO Dyno test...

[Stinger]

I always thought that these guys were trying to show us the way, to spend their money, test an item, and let us learn from their mistakes, and experience.

Well, whether the part is donated or bought, it's still not going to change the mistakes and experiences they find...or the data for that matter.

 

[Stinger]

BTW, if you would like to email the editors to ask about if there will be any continuation articles (part II), thank them for putting a 2.3 in the mag, etc., here are is the info:

Jim Campisano
Editor/Editorial Director
[email protected]

Steve Baur
Associate Editor
[email protected]

 

[65ShelbyClone]

It takes the shine off of a lot of the glowing articles from over the years because I can’t tell if the writer chose the products for the projects because they were the best for that application, or because they were donated. I always thought that these guys were trying to show us the way, to spend their money, test an item, and let us learn from their mistakes, and experience.

They are showing you the way to a degree, but making an effort to point you in the direction of sponsors at the same time. I won't deny that a commercial magazine cannot stay alive without advertisers. What I recommend is keeping this in mind when you read those glowing articles. Ask yourself if the writer has an alterior motive for saying what they did. Maybe AFR heads are really terrific, but they say that TWs are a better deal......because they have stock in Summit/TrickFlow. Read with a skeptical eye, but try not to become cynical.

Television is very similar, BTW. Did you know that the local nightly news may run a "story" on some product that is actually a cleverly disguised advertisement prepared by the manufacturer? They also do it for free.

Well, whether the part is donated or bought, it's still not going to change the mistakes and experiences they find...or the data for that matter.

You're absolutely right, however.....it has a huge possibility to affect how the writers choose to present that data, if at all.

I'm not trying to tear down MM&FF, just presenting possible nuances involved with just about all commercial magazines that readers should consider before making any kind of decision based on the content.

 

[ISMYTHE]

Sorry for the fuss

I recieved the following e-mail from MMFF editor Jim Campisano regarding this issue. I'm OK with his answer, sorry to have sent this thread off on a tangent. I got confused by forced4's web site using the term.

"Tommy

There is no such thing as a sponsored article. End of story.

Do we get product from manufacturers to test in order to write stories? Yes, usually, though we often pay for parts on our own. Unless you're talking Consumer Reports, which purchases the parts and vehicles it tests and does not accept advertising, it's the only way a staff of four people (plus
freelancers) could crank out as many stories as we do every month (generally 10 tech stories per issue). We're regular working stiffs and many of the parts we get go on cars belonging to MM&FF readers, though many are tested on vehicle or engines we own.

That being said, we are 100 percent impartial. We give you the honest results, backed by dyno tests and (when possible) drag tests or road course numbers. Do we write nice things about products because the parts are donated? No. If you don't believe me, I'll direct all the complaints from irate companies to you every month!

We didn't get to be the biggest Ford magazine in the world by faking results of test articles. That would have us out of business pretty quickly.

Jim Campisano
Editor
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords
Primedia
365 W. Passaic St.
Rochelle Park, NJ 07662"

 

[BELL]

you know i read that response and cant help but notice a sense of defensiveness. he made a couple of good points but i'd still hold it to a grain of salt. he may make statments like that but he seems to sure of himself... however he could be right so who knows just keep emailing them to run 2.3t articals. i love reading about them whether they work or how they run articals. if they get a big response from those svo/merkur/tbird nuts thats good for them. i feel a sense to encourage people to look at the 2.3s as a viable source of making power. so whatever public exposure is it cant be bad. think of how many 5.0s us with turbo cars have rolled up on. how they scratch they're head afterwards.


---i apoligize for the lack of capitol letters, i am educated but technology is crapy sometimes, the shift button on my laptop is not working.----

 

[NY Eric]

"Sponsored" means nothing more than parts donated...that's how nearly EVERY article gets written for magazines...the parts are donated, the magazine guys use the parts and write an article about them...

OK "sponsered" is maby the wrong word. We will be correcting this to avoid any confusion in the future. Did we donate overe 3k in parts to do this article, YES. Did MM&FF spend over 20hrs on the dyno, YES. Did we solicit other vendors to Donate parts, Yes (including Stinger, Rod, Crane Cams, and magnaflow. Only 2 of us got mentioned so far. The other vendors are patiently waiting their turn in black and white. Responses to the editors acusing them of unfair buisness practices will only get this and any other articles like this from the 2.3 comunity overlooked. If I am thnking correctly this is the first 2.3T feature in almost 2 years.

If it looks like an infomercial, I cant help that. Vinnie writes the way he writes, I have no controle over that. But in the magazine there is proof that certain things work but not as much as people think. The next article when published will prove some more myths about our beloved 2.3T.



Just be patient and suportive and they will write it.
Just be happy they aren't putting a 5.0 in the car.

STINGER I just quoted you this is not directed at you at all.

 

[rd]

In spite of all this, I thought it was a great article!

I'm already looking for a car and turbo setup to combine.

 

[ISMYTHE]

Root cause of the confusion

OK "sponsered" is maby the wrong word.

Thanks for clearing this up for me, I was kind of put off by the use of that term, I don’t trust sponsorship; I like my media free and opinionated. The good news for you is that without the article I would never have found your web site. I hope you can see where I was coming from, and still let my check clear when I need parts

 

[spook]

I just bought it too. I'll probably email them later to let them know that we 2.3 guys appreciate some coverage.

 

[Shawneebear93]

So I e-mailed MM&FF staff to thank them and they totally put me in the "Mustang Mail" sections of August '06 issue. It's in the top left on page 34 ... I wrote that I had an air intake ... WTF was I smoking that day?

 

[rd]

I sent them a "Great article" email.

Editor Campisano has emailed me back a bunch of times over the years, mostly on 5.0 stuff, (since I have a couple of them, also).

Has been the best overall mag for many years.

Wish they had said where they got the turbo rebuild kit though.