Reader Advice: Keep the Old Iron Coming
Of all the 4x4 magazines I've taken over 30-plus years, yours remains the best and my only paid subscription today (PV4 being long gone!). Your broad coverage of topics, and your long-term contributors such as Willie Worthy, Jim Allen, and Jimmy Nylund are key factors. You don't neglect "old iron," which is always interesting. Thanks especially for Jim Allen's fine in-depth story, "A Convoy Thru Time" (June '10), which was a great salute to the military vehicle restorers and the veterans of all conflicts that they've represented and honored. Thanks also for placing this moving story as your lead feature and keep up the good work!
Steve Owen
Grants, NM
Jim Allen's MVPA convoy story generated more positive reader mail than any other story we've published in the last year. We haven't lost sight of the significance of that, and we hope to shine the spotlight on some more "old iron" feature vehicles, including military rigs, in the coming months. We're also running a survey (of sorts) of some older rigs this month, albeit with a completely different slant; turn to page 66 and see for yourself.
Looking for a Job in the 4x4 Industry
I am a recent graduate in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming, and I am also a past graduate from Wyoming Tech. I have a real passion for the aftermarket off-road industry. I am currently looking for a full-time engineering position. It seems through reading your articles that your staff has frequent interactions with a number of off-road companies. I was hoping that you would possibly know of any open engineering positions in some of these companies. If so, please contact me.
David Starbuck
Laramie, WY
What? You think we'd actually be asking other companies if they're hiring these days? Hey, we love our jobs around here so much, the thought of ever asking any aftermarket guys if they're looking for help-well heck, the thought never crosses our minds.
So no, we have to admit, we don't have any hot job tips for you at present. Our best suggestion for you is to spend some time online and take a gander at the websites of some of your favorite aftermarket companies. Most will have any available job openings posted on their sites. You might also check out the jobs board at sema.org, which lists job openings posted by its various members in the aftermarket, as well as the classifieds at some industry publications such as Automotive News (www.autonews.com; subscription required), which also has all sorts of job listings.
Sacrificing His Rig for a Noble Cause
I had an idea for a show similar to the Overhaulin' TV show. You could trick out four-by projects that were started and never finished. It's the story of many 4x4 owners' lives. The four-wheeler industry is growing, kids are buying R/C crawlers and trucks, and this would be a great way to open a new generation of four-by lovers with a little attitude. I have a great starter for the show-a '70 Chevy 4x4 Suburban 350 that's running, but needs some love.
"Big Bad" Jake Frederick
Montebello, CA
Thanks-that's mighty generous of you. Have you got a video crew, a crack staff of experienced fabricators, and a post-production facility that you can provide us with, too? As an alternative, can you at least loan us A.J., the female co-host, for a couple of nights?
Actually, we've kicked around this idea in the past, and what's held us back has primarily been a lack of overall resources. Things have changed quite a bit in our company over the past year, however, and while such a show is now more do-able in terms of logistics, the biggest sticking points would still probably be (a) finding enough sponsors to help us underwrite the costs of the show, and (b) finding the proper cable network to broadcast the show, and to negotiate a long-term deal with them. (Based on our own limited experiences, that's a lot easier said than done.) We're certainly not ruling it out, and if it ever comes to fruition, your rig will become the first guinea pig for our team of amateur fabricators to chop, hack, and torch to their wicked heart's content. Like the old saying goes, be careful what you ask for.