Ford V8s, surplus wing tanks, weird fuels, treated tires, and anything-goes ingenuity created the California hot-rod culture on the dry lakes and salt flats in the 1930s. Author Robert Genat covers the hot rodding phenomenon including wildcatters on the salt flats and organized class racing of the Southern California Timing Association (1938) and up through the present day. Genat's insider view, illustrated with rare photographs (some never before published) of the SoCal scene in the 30s and 40s, puts the people and cars of the time and place into historical perspective and even includes the reopening of Edwards Air Force Base's flats to hot-rodders.
America's premier traditional hot rod builder, introduces his Hot Rod Your Model A - This #1 in his "Let Me Help You" Big Book Series is 340-pages, and is a comprehensive how-to guide to the conversion of a stock Model A into a traditional, flathead V8-powered hot rod. The book is unlike any other in the marketplace as it's engineered with a lay-flat spine allowing it to sit flat on the counter to make the step-by-step instructions easier to follow. Included is a note pad, an essential tool in the process of building a traditional rod. This highly detailed, all-color book aims to help hot rodders who simply, and correctly want to build a traditional hot rod, using mostly Ford parts. Surprisingly, only a handful of aftermarket parts are required, thus reducing the cost of building.This book steps out where none has ever ventured, with each step illustrated in color in its 27 chapters. Clear illustrations cover suspension, V8-conversion, basic wiring harness schematics and installation templates for the steering column, floor, and firewall, along with instructions for tools you can make yourself.It's already been called: The Best A-to-Z Guide for Building a traditional Model A Flathead Hot Rod-ever published! Second Edition printed in Black and White with Color Cover
In its sixty-plus years of existence, Hot Rod magazine has featured hundreds of cars on its cover. This book showcases each cover in full color, along with images of the cover car from select issues.
Moorhouse (sociology, U.of Glasgow) interprets the post-war American passion for hot rods and drag racing as an extreme example of the country's attitude toward automobiles. Of interest to social scientists and to teenagers who want to see what they missed. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Stretching from Ventura to Santa Maria, California, a vibrant and colorful community of hot rod clubs bloomed throughout the middle of the 20th century. Hot Rodding in Ventura County takes a look at the people, places, and, above all, the cars that made up this historic period in automotive culture. Take a look into the golden years of hot rodding through vintage images of the first national championship drag races; visit long-lost drag strips such as Goleta, Saugus, and Santa Maria; and gain access to hot rodding's paramount clubs like the Motor Monarchs, the Kustomeers, and the Pharaohs.
Trends come and go in hot rodding, but true hot rod style never goes out of vogue. It is hard to define but you know it when you see it. Larry O’Toole has been a hot rodder, magazine editor, photographer, book publisher and author on the subject of hot rodding for over 40 years and he has documented every emerging trend from the entire hot rod world. Who better to bring you the latest in that constantly evolving hobby where styling trends meet engineering ability? Traditional hot rods have been cycled and recycled for many years and each time there is a wave of interest in this style of hot rod, that emulates an earlier time, there is evolution of the breed taking place. “Classic Hot Rod Style”, O’Toole’s latest foray into the worldwide phenomenon of traditional hot rodding brings the reader a feast of photographic images that capture the mysterious, intangible ingredient that defines a stand-out hot rod. Even the most die-hard of hot rod fans will struggle to describe what it is that sets such hot rods apart from the rest, they will pause and tell you it is that certain something that is inherent in their design – it’s that “Classic Hot Rod Style”. Gathered together in this fabulous full-color production is a thoroughly researched essay on the evolution of the Classic Hot Rod Style that makes the cars featured throughout the book perfect examples of the breed. This descriptive story is followed up with in-depth features on many such examples with full details on what their owners used to assemble their dream hot rods, together with hundreds of clear photographs that let you see inside these Classic Hot Rods. Finally a pictorial gathering of dozens more examples of the breed let you see where hot rodding is headed in the future. All have been selected for their contribution to that certain something that sets them apart from the pack, it’s that Classic Hot Rod Style that every hot rodder loves.
In the best-selling original book, Hot Rod Gallery: A Nostalgic Look at Hot Rodding’s Golden Years: 1930-1960, author and historian Pat Ganahl opened his archives and shared 192 pages and 350 photos of "some" of the most interesting and best photos of his collection. Filled with fascinating images of some of the coolest cars and builders, long-forgotten car clubs, and great shots of the dry lakes, nostalgia fans flocked to grab a piece of hot rodding history all in one convenient package. Well, if some is good, more is better, right?" In Hot Rod Gallery II: More Great Photos and Stories from Hot Rodding's Golden Years, Ganahl dug deeper into his massive archive for even cooler and more never-before-seen photos in both color and black and white to provide another album of great hot rodding photos. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he had more great stuff in old files and folders, hidden away for decades. In this edition are even more dry lakes shots, post-war rods, lead sleds, show circuit cars, and a chapter on marvelous mills. He even dug a little deeper into the early 1960s. If you liked the first edition of Hot Rod Gallery by Pat Ganahl: A Nostalgic Look at Hot Rodding's Golden Years: 1930-1960, you may like this one even more. Ganahl guarantees that it is filled with images you have never seen, and he offers his commentary and a lifetime of expertise in this selection of fantastic images from his expansive archive. You can spend hours looking at all the details and soaking in the history in these images, and we know you’ll enjoy this book as much as you did the first.
