Here We Go: by Steve Chryssos VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

I have never felt so damn green. I am entering the great unknown. As the summer of 2006 approaches, I'm faced with new and potentially monumental challenges.

1- I will have participated in my first Hot Rod Power Tour with friend Charlie "Tuna" riding shotgun.
2- I am starting a virtual magazine and car club with my friend and now partner, Bill Howell. And -most importantly-
3- I'm becoming a father (Yes, with my wife Mary).

It's probably not the best time to launch another company, but it's always good to try new things. I can't control the kid thing or the weather forecast during Power Tour, but when it comes MuscleRides.com, our new virtual magazine and car club, Bill and I are large and in charge! We are here to bring about positive change and have fun doing it.

Our hobby is full of magazines and message boards. The best message boards, usually grassroots efforts, are great for problem solving and sharing information. Beyond that, they may not be very entertaining. Conversely, print publishing is big business. Magazines usually serve as slaves to many masters: Bean-counters, newsstand distributors, paper mills, print houses, advertisers and yes - even readers. However, it can be difficult to put the reader first.

We think there is way to bridge the gap between grassroots message boards and big time print publishers and your hosts Bill Howell and I are willing to give it a try. MuscleRides.com is a virtual destination designed to educate and entertain. It is a place where you can feel a sense of community. MuscleRides.com is a new car club and is the one place where you can find car features, tech articles, a message board, and events. You can even show your car club colors by choosing from a wide selection of MuscleRides.com apparel. And I do mean apparel--not just T-shirts! All items will be affordably priced so that you can show-off without going broke.

MuscleRides.com doesn't cater to just one hot rodding niche. Some of you might think that Bill and I are staunch pro-touring enthusiasts. Baloney. In truth, we both appreciate all kinds of hot rods. This is not a pro-touring site. If you need a hardcore pro-touring fix, there are already two excellent sites online (check out our links page). Instead, Bill and I will attempt to spread the concept of functionality to a wider spectrum of vehicles including street/strip, pro-street, vintage hot rods, and trucks. Of course, there will be no shortage of pro-touring cars. As long as it is modified, American, street legal and FUNCTIONAL, anything goes. If you have chrome plated brake rotors, you've come to the wrong place.

Unencumbered by publishers, distributors, or paper mills, Bill and I are taking the magazine article to a whole new level. No doubt, print magazines are powerful resources. We don't want to compete on that level. True, most magazines now have articles on the web. But they are usually just re-prints of their paper articles. If you're a big print publisher, the web is more of an afterthought or a distraction. What our web mag lacks in page count, we will more than make up for in quality. The library will continue to grow. Articles will be accessible from now until the end of time. Think about this: You will be able to read an article and then go to the message board and communicate directly with its writer.

Most importantly, MuscleRides.com will showcase cars and provide tech articles without the ass kissing and tippy-toeing found in traditional print magazines. Our advertisers will not pay us much. So we don't have to worry about becoming slaves. Besides, manufacturers are already used to being slammed on the world-wide-web.

We will fix that by detailing the strengths as well as the weaknesses in a clear, concise manner with photographic proof.In the end, I believe we will dispel much of the BS that flies on message boards. We hope that our advertisers are pleased. Our freelance house consists of popular and familiar freelancers.

As for content, car features will suggest possible upgrades where necessary. For example, this month's featured pro-touring car could use better seats. We make that clear in the text. Our tech articles will get particularly gritty. If we find a problem during an install, we'll point it out.If a part needs tweaking (and they usually do), we will make that clear. If we lose an advertiser in the process, they will lose the opportunity to reach our membership. Showing these installation problems is the best way to ensure that manufacturers improve their products.Instructions suck? You will know BEFORE you pry open your wallet.

Events are an important part of any car club. MuscleRides.com will host its own events as well as provide coverage from numerous key events across the country. Please join us for our first one. Run in conjunction with Pro-Touring.com, the event will be held in Pigeon Forge, TN, in September. We look forward to cruising, racing and partying together.

Message board, events, apparel, and take-no-prisoner articles: will this formula lead to the demise of MuscleRides.com or will it launch and accelerate like a fuel car? I don't know. Like I said: I'm green. But Bill and I will stick to our guns. We hope you enjoy and appreciate our efforts. Welcome to the club.

/Steevo