Hitting its stride in the 1950s, the underground hot rod culture spawned the likes of Rat Fink, Von Dutch, and George Barris. This collection of rare photographs and ephemera should be an essential for anyone who dreams of putting the pedal to the metal.h.
The East Coast vs. West Coast looks both define the era, however differently. The similarities and differences between the varying cars were a point of contention for many years, and the history of the era is celebrated in this new book.
A guide to the history of hot rods and custom cars, from the earliest stripped-down roadsters of the 1930s to the tuck-and-rolled beauties of the 1950s and early '60s
Great hot rods and custom cars are featured in looks-like-it-was-taken-yesterday photographs from the 1960s.A follow-up book to his Custom Cars of the 1950s and Hot Rods of the 1950s, this book features beautiful color photos of wild cars modified in the groovy andfar out trends of the 1960s. Filled with metalflake and chromed custom cars at shows, on the streets, and tire-smoking hot rods on the race tracks.
The history of hot rodding is filled with stories of cars that were lost for a wide variety of reasons. Some were crashed, others lost in accidents, and others simply faded away. Its the third group that Lost Hot Rods II focuses on. Many great hot rods that were once famous were simply hidden away. Some of them have been tracked down and are now found once again. As a solid follow-up to the success of the original Lost Hot Rods, this book continues the fun of discovering whatever happened to many of the great rods and customs built in the early days of the sport. Lost Hot Rods II shares the full story of each car, including how it was originally built, when it dropped off the radar, and how it was ultimately found. Photos from the past and present are included to showcase the story behind each and every one of these great cars. Industry veteran and celebrated historian Pat Ganahl once again opens the archives and pounds the pavement in order to bring you the stories on some of the coolest cars ever to appear in shows or grace the pages of automotive magazines. A perfect companion to the best-selling Lost Hot Rods: Remarkable Stories of How They Were Found.
The Sacramento Delta has produced some of the finest hot rods and custom cars ever made. The passion of the area's builders is evident in the incredible cars they created, which drew nationwide attention. Harry Westerguard, who taught George Barris bodywork, worked on the second "America's Most Beautiful Roadster"----a 1923 "T" that was a style-setter for its day. Bob Dron built his first custom when he was only fifteen and a half, and Lenny Byer created his own "Candy Apple Red" in Rio Vista. Detroit might have had its vision, but the Delta region built its own. Discover the stories behind the cars and their builders as author John V. Callahan takes us on a trip down memory lane.
Whenever hot rodders get together to bench race two questions invariably come up: "Whatever happened to such-and-such car?"; and "How can I find one of these old, abandoned hot rods?" Lost Hot Rodsanswers both questions by finding nearly 100 lost hot rods, custom cars, and a few dragsters that were famous in the 1950s and 1960s. They were featured on magazine covers or winning major car shows. Then they disappeared, or were "lost" because they weren't seen in public again. In Lost Hot Rods, we attempt to answer the questions about whatever happened to these great cars. We're not talking about vintage tin sitting in the desert or woods, or old cars parked in farm fields. Nearly all of these vintage rods and customs were found in urban or suburban garages--possibly right in your neighborhood--where they were parked years ago, maybe to save, perhaps torn apart for a rebuild, or in many cases they are projects that were started years ago and just never finished. The condition of such finds ranges from musty piles of parts, to dusty and cobwebbed originals, to pristine, still-show-quality beauties. We also show cars that have been located by others, either as-is or now in beautiful restored condition. Either way, we tell the process of finding such vehicles, giving many tips on how you can find them, too. This isn't a book about seeking these cars for profit. What's more important, and fun, is the search itself. If, when you find such a long-lost rod or custom, it turns out that it is available and you can afford to acquire it and put it back on the road and enjoy it, so much the better. But just finding them; finally answering that "Whatever happened to...'" question is the main goal. In most cases we show vintage photos of the car in its heyday, along with where and how it looks today. But what makes this venture doubly fun, and what separates this book from others, is that we are not just looking for old cars or even collector cars hidden away. Finding a vintage Corvette, or Porsche, or even a gennie Model A or Model T stashed in a garage or barn is cool. But hot rods and custom cars are very different--literally. Each one is unique. So each of these cars has its own unique story, it's own personal history, which makes Lost Hot Rodsa special collection of stories as well as "Then" and "Now" images. This is a paperback edition of the original best-selling hardcover.