GM Performance has come full-circle … and is better than ever

I was just viewing the new GM Performance Web site. It seems to me that GM performance has come full-circle. We all know that without the computer, performance wouldn’t be what it is today. Well … duh. What I later describe as a three-headed monster, I believe, is the reason high performance is better than ever. Let me expand on this a little.

As I was growing up, my “formative years,” if you can call them that, were from 1965 to 1975. So, I can remember when the ’60s and ’70s muscle cars were being sold new and driven as daily drivers.

In the fall of ‘69 and ‘70, my friend, Randy Meadows, and I made several visits to the Chevy and Plymouth dealerships in West Frankfort, Ill., checking out all of the new “muscle” that the auto makers were producing — Corvettes, Camaros, Novas, and Chevelles at the Chevy dealer, Roadrunners, GTXs, and Barracudas at the Plymouth dealer.

The Ford and Dodge dealers weren’t much into high performance, as I remember. Neither was the Buick dealer, for that matter, but I do remember seeing a GSX there once.

Randy and I knew those cars were special back then. But little did we know they would become the virtual (and sometimes literal) gold mines they are today.

As teenage boys go, we always found it a thrill when one would drive by. We’d stop whatever we were doing and stare at it as if it were a god of some sort. Shoot, I find myself doing that today when those rarities occur. And they are rare — practically seldom to never.

But, thanks to a certain three-headed monster called insurance rates, emissions controls, and gas prices, those cars used as daily drivers then are only memories now. I see this as an oxymoron of sorts. These three doomed the American muscle car, but, at the same time, they caused the automakers to design and build better and safer cars and trucks. The only way to do this? With on-board computers.

I’ll admit it. In 1975 I hated to see catalytic converters installed in the exhaust system. In 1981 I hated to see computers placed in cars. There’s something about having a computer controlling a car’s performance that takes away from the hotrodder’s ability to tune his car the way he wants. Big Brother has his hand in our personal business — our hotrodding.

Now, however, things are different. On-board computers have evolved to the point that even race cars have had them for many years now, as well they should. Computers tell us so much more than we can determine with only our hands, eyes, and ears. Well … duh, again.

I know I’m not telling anybody anything new here, just my interpretation of it.

So, because of higher insurance premiums, we now have computer-controlled air bags systems. Because of tightened emissions laws, we have computer-controlled emissions systems. And because of higher gas prices, we now have computer-controlled fuel-delivery systems. Yes, computers control just about everything in, on, or about today’s automobile.

The way I see it, we sacrificed the American muscle car for a safer ride, a cleaner atmosphere, and a lower fuel requirement. Am I right or wrong?

Sometimes, I wonder where American automotive high performance would be today had it not been for the those three evils, as I first perceived them. But, there’s no need to wonder any more because American automotive high performance is here, no doubt, albeit at a much higher price.

Witness the rise of GM Performance Parts. GM pretty much sells whatever you could want or need concerning high performance. I worked in a Chevy dealer’s parts department in 1974, and the only two speed parts we stocked were the old 327/350 hp camshaft and the newer-at-the-time 350/350 hp cam. That was it. We could, of course, order other high performance parts; I do remember selling a 302 short block once.

But, for the most part, factory high performance was gone. The country was in a recession in ‘74; people weren’t spending much money. Watergate was front page news everyday. And, slowly, the factory muscle died and slid into oblivion … or so it seemed. Obviously, the Corvette never died, so a smidgen of high performance has always been there.

Thirty-some years after the demise of the American muscle car, GM performance is back full-force. Granted, we can’t buy the cars of yesteryear brand new off the showroom floor, but at least high performance still exists. I know this didn’t happen overnight; it’s taken several years to get to this point. I think the future looks good for American high performance in general and for GM high performance in particular.

She’s One Fabulous Web Site Designer

My Web site went live today. Boy, have I learned that Web site construction is not for the simple-minded. Fortunately, I have an excellent site designer who is also a Web master, which worked out great for me since I didn’t have to locate a designer and a Web master. Her name is Lynn Dionne, and she knows her stuff. Lynn provides one-stop shopping. She made it easy for me to understand, and that, I’m sure, was no simple task for her.

With all the Web site designers and masters “out there,” where do you start when looking for someone with the essential skills. I’m as dumb as an ox concerning Web site construction and didn’t know where to look or whom to call.

My fellow copywriter, Chris Marlow, recommended Lynn and gave me Lynn’s number when I started looking for someone to design my site. Lynn’s professionalism speaks volumes. She knew what had to be done and when. She provided me with a time line, and she stuck to it.

On the time line, she specified what she would do and when, and what she needed from me and when. She also wanted to have one phone call per week just so we’d be on the same page (no pun intended) all the way through construction. I thought that was quality customer service.

Since this was my first time through the site-building process, I had no idea what to expect. What I did know is that I wanted a professional-looking site, and that’s what I got. There’s a vast difference in most “home grown” Web sites and professionally built ones.

I could’ve attempted it myself. But since my site represents me and the work I do, hiring a pro was the only choice I could make. Lynn virtually took me by the hand and walked me through the maze of Web site construction. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Her work is tops. Check it out for yourself at www.automotivecopypro.com.

Eyetracking and Heatmaps Help Prove Several Points in New Study

This is for you automotive high performance marketers who work in the business-to-business arena. In a previous post I mentioned MarketingSherpa’s Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-08.

The folks at MarketingSherpa conducted a new eyetracking study using a heatmap with real-life business executives to determine the best design for key Web site pages (pgs. 18 and 19 of the guide).

One among many conclusions they reached is that a headline’s first word has more impact than any other word in the headline. The same holds true for each sentence and each paragraph. Seriously consider each first word: Is it the most powerful word you can find? Some writers will use any word that comes to mind but may not be the best word for that position.

They also determined that two-column formatting where the informational copy and registration form are above the fold can help boost response rates. But they also determined that three-column formatting above the fold results in lower response rates. They recommend site pages be designed with fewer click options and fewer path decisions for higher rates. Too many decisions can cause the viewer to click away to your competitors’ sites.

The researchers found that immediate and large calls to action such as “Sign up Today!” or “Register Now” aid in creating higher response rates, even though the action by the respondent seems self evident. They added that “Being politely pushy can pay off.”

If I Were You, I’d Do It

In my last post I wrote about the National Street Machine Club, and I wanted to discuss its monthly magazine, Street Thunder, but I ran out of time. I’ll continue here. Marketers of automotive high performance aftermarket parts, pay attention.

When I joined the Club, I wondered what the quality of the magazine would be. After all, this was a club I knew nothing about except for the information in their direct mail letter. I doubted that it would be on par with HOT ROD, Super Chevy, Mopar Muscle, et al.

How could it be? It’s a club. And how could a club have the resources to produce a top-quality magazine? At the time I didn’t know the Club was part of the larger North American Membership Group, Inc., obviously a business with a larger resource pool.

I’m no longer a skeptic. Street Thunder could be sold on news stands right beside the best of them: It is that good.

A while back, I’d ordered four car magazines at the same time through Amazon.com. Then one day when I opened my mailbox and saw the title, I thought … What’s this? Street Thunder. This isn’t one that I ordered. How and why did I get this? I’d temporarily forgotten that a magazine was one of the benefits of membership.

Then I spotted the National Street Machine Club logo. The cover jumps out and grabs you. The words STREET THUNDER appear in large red tilted upper-case letters across the top with STREET above and to the left of THUNDER; narrow white lines around the perimeter of each letter enhance the effect. The Club logo sits atop the “ER” in THUNDER and behind STREET. You can’t miss it.

The front cover of the September/October ‘07 issue snatches your eye with a distinct “Vanilla Shake”-painted, hemi-powered ‘33 Dodge truck, a meticulous build deserving front-page prominence. The unique combination of wide whitewall tires, body-color wheels, and small hub caps add even more distinction and point to the owner’s desire to create an atypical ride.

Inside, five feature stories and two tech articles comprise the Feature Contents for this issue. And they are

• “The Final Cut” about a ‘65 Buick Riviera
• “No Respect” about a ‘76 F-150 Ford pickup
• “Superior Style” about the Dodge truck mentioned above
• “Leap of Faith” about a ‘58 Impala
• “Show of the Summer” about the Minnesota Street Rod Association

The tech articles are

• “Building Muscle for the Street” about the magazine’s Project GTO
• “When the Dust Clears” about the basics of media blasting their ‘62 Olds project car

Department Contents consist of 18 stories, articles, essays, Q & A, a quiz , and lots more– something for everyone. The departments are

• Driver’s Seat: An essay by editor Scott Parkhurst
• Clubhouse: An essay by executive director Mark Simpson
• Member Mailbox: Letters to the editor
• New Products: Some of the newest products on the market
• Member Tips: Handy tips sent in by club members
• Tech Q&A: Answers to questions sent in by club members
• Garage Test: Products sent to members for testing–and keeping
• Garage Test Preview: Products yet to be sent to members for testing
• Member Rides: Photos with captions of members’ cars or trucks
• On the Road With Bob: Travel article about the Lone Star Round Up in Austin, Tex.
• Youth Rides: Photo of and story about a teen’s car
• Member Story: The “whole story” behind a member’s car or truck
• Generation Tech: Essay by associate editor Eric Anderson
• Member Benefits: Describes some of the benefits of club membership
• Instant Classics: about late model cars that are legends in their own time
• Flashback: Photos and story about cars and trucks from by-gone eras
• Member Quiz: Tests your knowledge of automotive trivia

It seems that many of today’s car and truck magazines exist to advertise products. You know the ones I’m talking about. They resemble quarterly academic journals more than car magazines. They’re about 300 pages thick, and emphasis appears to be commercial-related rather than hobby-related.

And, yes, I know advertisements support magazines financially. To remain solvent they can’t rely on subscriptions alone to carry the business. But, I don’t like looking at 10 or so consecutive pages of ads. Who does?

You won’t find those kinds of ads in Street Thunder. Sure, they have advertisers the same as any other for-profit periodical, but they’re not obnoxious with it.

This magazine’s editorial staff knows what its readers want, and they give it to them. If you’re into hotrods of any kind or caliber, you need to be a member of this club. Dues are only $24 a year. The magazine itself is worth that much or more, in my opinion.

Street Thunder has everything a gearhead could want to read. Think seriously about joining the National Street Machine Club. If I were you, I’d do it. You won’t be sorry.

Is a Car Club Worth 24 Bucks a Year?

Read on and find out.

A while back, maybe even as long as two years ago, the National Street Machine Club in Minnetonka, Minn., mailed me a well-designed, impressive direct mail package.

On the front of a four-color outer envelope sat a well-polished green Boss 302 Mustang with its signature black stripes running across the rear of the hood, down the fenders, and along the lower door and quarter panels. I’ll be honest–and a little embarrassed … I can’t tell a ‘69 from a ‘70 Boss Mustang. You Ford lovers out there, please forgive me.

An old barn with decaying, gray vertical side boards stood as the backdrop for the photo. It was an excellent contrast for highlighting the car’s arrow-straight horizontal body lines and its deep, rich paint.

The four-page sales letter, of course, tried to persuade me to take advantage of the benefits of club membership. And best of all, I didn’t have to send them any money at the time. After giving it some thought, I decided to hold off for a while before joining.

I set the package aside … but I didn’t forget about it.

Earlier this year I teamed up with award-winning copywriter Chris Marlow. After we discussed my background to some depth, I decided to combine my automotive/hot rodding experience with my writing experience and write for the automotive high performance aftermarket.

This way, I’d bring together my passion for hotrods and my desire to be a full-time freelance copywriter. After making that decision, I thought, “Hmm. Maybe this would be a good time to take a second look at the National Street Machine Club. I think I’ll pull out their direct mail package and see what they have to offer.”

Though I’ve been a gearhead since the age of eight, I’d been away from the hotrod scene for a number of years and thought the Club might reacquaint me with the world of high performance. I must say, it’s done its job.

Primarily through its monthly magazine, Street Thunder, (annual dues include a subscription) the Club has brought me up to speed (no pun intended) of what’s what in today’s hotrod arena. This magazine isn’t sold on news stands but is of equal quality to any “slick” car or truck magazine currently being published. It’s sold only to club members, which means non-members are missing out on a quality automotive periodical.

Well, friends, I’ve run out of time. My purpose for this post was to discuss the magazine. But I’ll have to save the discussion for later. And yes, the Club and its magazine have been worth far more than the 24 bucks I paid for them.

Reach Your Buyers Directly…Read This New Book!

On Sept. 13th, my wife and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary (we married as teenagers, but that’s another story). She bought me a copy of The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott.

Scott reinforces what I’ve said in previous posts about company blogs. Automotive high performance parts manufacturers, are you letting your employees write and comment on blogs? If not, why not? If you’re afraid of company secrets getting out or legal action being taken against you, that’s normal, as we all know.

But Scott argues that businesses and organizations shouldn’t let fears block technology; he recommends that they “[h]ave guidelines about what you can and cannot do at work, but don’t try to make a specific set of blogging guidelines” (pg. 57). He suggests implementing corporate policies concerning blogs as well as e-mail, forums, and chatrooms. He also recommends checking with your legal advisers if you feel it’s necessary.

In short, blogging is here to stay. It’s a great way to be in contact with your customers, the people who put money in your corporate pockets. Think about it.

By the way, his book is an easy read and is packed full of information that those of us in business can and should use every day.

Does A Weekend + a Four Speed Transmission = A Real Hotrod(er)

As I mentioned in a previous post, my first car was a ‘66 Nova. I bought it in May 1973, shortly after graduating from high school. I found it in a want ad and couldn’t believe someone else hadn’t already bought it. How could such a rare opportunity befall me, I wondered. A fortuity such as this normally happens to others, not to me.

I paid $700 for the cleanest and prettiest ‘66 Nova in all of southern Illinois. Rust-free and light blue, it was a hotrodder’s dream car. Oh, how I wish I still had that car in its original condition. What would it be worth now, I wonder. Granted, not as much as, say, an all-original ‘69 Z/28, but I bet I could get more than what I paid for it.

It was the perfect car for a 17-year-old wanna-be hotrodder. Modifications came quickly. First, the single exhaust system went bye-bye in favor of a dual system with Big Daddy glass packs and no tail pipes. Next came the transmission swap.

I found a Muncie 4-speed trans with the factory shifter from a ‘65 Chevelle. I forked over a hundred bucks, loaded it in my trunk, and drove it home.

When my dad heard about my intentions, he asked, “Mike, who’s going to change that transmission for you?” I’d never been so insulted.

I told him, “I am.”

“Are you sure you can do that?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, certain I could do it, only to realize later, as an adult, just how much I didn’t know in the summer of ‘73.

You see, my dad has never had an interest in anything automotive. He’s all thumbs concerning tools. I suppose he thought that since I was only 17 years old, I couldn’t do something as complicated as change a transmission. Maybe he thought he would have to bail me out and hire a “real” mechanic to do it. Little did he know…

Dad grew up in what I consider the “Golden Years” of cars, especially of Chevrolet: the 1950s. How could a guy not be interested in the all-new 265 V-8? How could a guy not be interested in what we now call the Tri-5 Chevys? Or even the more expensive Corvettes, for that matter. Some guys like hotrods; some love them. And some couldn’t care less–that’s my dad…enough digression, however. Back to the Nova.

I jacked it up and set it on stands on Friday night and tore into it the next day. On my back. In the grass. No garage. Out came the drive shaft, then the crossmember, then the three speed trans. While I was under there I decided to replace the clutch. So next came the bell housing, pressure plate, and clutch disc. It’s silly now, but the key reason for changing the clutch in addition to the transmission was for more bragging rights that only a 17-year-old would think were impressive.

After installing the new clutch and bell housing, I bolted up the 4-speed, the crossmember, and the drive shaft. Next came cutting a hole in the floor, the only part that was much of a challenge. I removed the sill plates and tugged on the carpet until I was worn out. That carpet was tough.

I pulled it up just enough to drill four holes and jigsaw out the square of metal needed for access. Fortunately, the shifter fit perfectly on the first attempt, requiring no more drilling or cutting. Was I ever glad! The trans and clutch changes themselves weren’t as difficult as cutting that hole in the floor.

Next came the defining moment. I tapped out the roll pin and removed the column shifter. There was that hole in the steering column that all the other hotrods in town had. I had finally made it, in my own finite mind. My car was loud and had four-on-the-floor. I had arrived, and only 17. I thought I was something.

When I tried to start the engine, something was terribly amiss. It sounded like three or four plug wires had been crossed. What in the world, I thought, has happened. It turned out to be the typical problem of engines with rear-mounted distributors. The engine fell against the firewall when I removed the crossmember, unseating the distributor cap and cocking it sideways. I reinstalled it, turned the key, and the engine fired with no other problems.

I turned it off, dropped the car off the jackstands and removed the shifter linkage from the lower steering column. I closed the hood and went for a test drive. It went without a hitch; everything worked as it was supposed to. I stopped at a filling station and had the trans filled with gear lube.

My first experience at changing transmissions took a whole weekend, but was worth it. I proved to myself and to my parents that I could do it.

In my metamorphosis, I became a true hotrodder.

(See my post “Automotive High Performance: An Addiction or a Disease?” as a prequel to this post.)

Automotive High Performance Marketers: Get Closer to Your Customers with Blogs

For the automotive high performance manufacturer and/or marketer, as I mentioned in my last post, it’s imperative to have a company blog to get closer to your customers. I came across an article in MarketingProfs.com. Check it out. David Felfoldi writes “blogging is a phenomenon that can no longer be ignored by today’s competitive companies.”

I believe the information in this article applies to the automotive high performance aftermarket industry as much as it does to any type of industry.

Getting to Know Your Automotive High Performance Customer

How do you reach your customers with your company’s blog? Corporate blogging specialist, Debbie Weil, in her report, “Top 7 Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog,” says to start with a topic you’re passionate about.

I’d like to add: Start with a topic your customer is passionate about. If you know your customer as well as you should, you’ll know what he or she is passionate about. Start with this knowledge.

For you automotive high performance marketers, is your customer passionate about:

• drag racing?
• circle-track racing?
• off-roading?

Or, more specifically, is he passionate about:

• engines?
• frames?
• body work?

Figure out your target market’s passions, whatever they are, in the world of automotive high performance and meet him there with your blog.

Blogs and Automotive High Performance Web Sites

Automotive high performance marketers, why aren’t you using blogs to get closer to your customers? Granted, blogs require a lot of maintenance to make them work right. But based on recent research, I think they’re worth it.

I’ve looked at several high performance automotive aftermarket sites, both manufacturing and retailing, but, of the ones I’ve checked, none offered a blog for its customers. Could it be that no one in your organization writes well enough to be responsible for the blog and its contents?

Well, that’s okay. You don’t have to be John Steinbeck or Ernest Hemingway. Perhaps corporate blogs of Fortune 500 companies might require someone with acute writing skills, but, in general, most blogs don’t. In fact, as most of us know by now, many blogs are merely stream-of-consciousness writing anyway. So, all anyone really needs is a working knowledge of the English language and its basic punctuation rules. Find a style manual you like and follow its instructions if you have to.

Regardless of whether or not the writing is stellar, blogs can be responsible for gaining new customers. In a 2007-08 study, MarketingSherpa found that the majority of corporate bloggers in their survey responded positively when asked if their organizations had seen an increase in media attention or Web site traffic. MarketingSherpa’s conclusion was that “the primary impact of good blogging is felt in the cross-linking and referencing that takes place, raising a company’s profile.” What’s a raised profile worth to your company?

For a blog to be effective, a company needs to post entries at least two to four times per week, so a time commitment is involved. Setting up your blog is simple, and the income-producing potential it offers offsets the time expenditure.