Art & Inspiration Hot Rod and Custom Books: The Essentials

If your a hot rod nut, chances are your a bit of a collector, too: Vintage parts, black t shirts, and old stuff in general. How about books? Me too. For car book geeks, Amazon.com is a dangerous place... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

here are some that i own. i am always buying more books. its great reference...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=260049&showall=1

 

My Tex Smith how to books are worn out. All the Andy Southard books are essential reading. My copy of Grease Machines cover has disappeared.

 

Here is a good list

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398808

 

I got the Spotter's Guide in Jr. High, and like you Ryan, I wore mine out. It's still taped together with clear packing tape, but sections fall out. I always wanted the earlier version that covers 1920-1939 also, but have never found it for a price cheap enough for me. Amazon has one now for just under $30 it looks like.

Everyone who gives me car books always seems to either give me books on stock cars like "Cadillacs" or "Convertables" which are nice, but I prefer the customs and hot rods. That or they try to give me NASCAR junk.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Muroc-Where-H...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255011890&sr=8-1

don't forget this one!

 

I can't really say I have a favorite book. I have soooo many. I usually have about 10 to 20 books just stacked around my bed. Reading vintage car books and magazines is nearly a daily for me. It gives me tons of inspiration and Ideas.
Aaron V

 

I scored 4 good ones on EBAY in last couple of days for cheap. I'm watching several others as we type.


The 1962 hardcover edition of Hot Rod It--and Run for Fun!, the 8th edition of the classic rodder's how-to book by Fred Horsley, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. This 264-page, literal nuts-and-bolts guide to customizing old Detroit heaps into roadsters and dragsters is illustrated with detailed diagrams and photos.


The hot rod resurection of a legend by Brock Yates
Recounts the saga of the Eliminator, a race car built from used parts by a Pasadena mechanic that achieved legendary hot rod status, and details the rediscovery and restoration of the vehicle forty years later.


SO-CAL Speed Shop: The Fast Tale of the California Racers Who Made Hot Rod History


THE AMERICAN HOT ROD. Batchelor, Dean. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1995.

 

When it comes to the "new" books: Brought my American Car Spotters Guide at the age of 14 in 1978, yes its worn out and held togeter with tape. So is "Ecyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980", a book from the early or mid 80's (thinking about it: There is really of need for a 20 volume hard bound real encyclopedia of American cars...).
Got my Barris Kustom Techniques of the 50's Vol 1-4 when they first was published and they are of course my favorites. Also, the books Andy Southard done, I really admire them (I also have his VHS tape with old rod and kustom photos, the one he did put together in the late 80's). Another great and often used book is "The V8 Album", published in 1985 by the The Early V8 Ford Club of America. Pat Ganahl's book the American Custom Car is great too of course, his writing is always first class.

 

I try to pick up anything I possibly can when I have the scratch. The Birth Of Hot Rodding is my favorite and the AHRF book Hot Rod Roots is really good too.

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I really love anything I can get my hands on and consider them to be my most valuable treasures.

 

I dig the old magazines as much as the books, probably cause they are cheaper (some anyway). I have been hoarding hot rod books and mags for years -just like the rest of you.

 

A few I just picked up.
Offenhauser by Gordon Eliot White
Kurtis-Kraft: Masterworks of Speed and Style by Gordon White

 

Looks like my book shelf. The new Throttle book is one to have also. Another great one is the book by Dick Martin of the California Timing News. Goes from Vol1#1 to Vol2 #24, 328 pages. Anybody else have that last one? I've never seen another. Anyone have the 1930 Winfield catalog?

 

Whats the best Chassis/suspension books or hot rod engineering/ automotive math books? just trying to get into specifics seeing how im looking for a few books linked more to the complicated side of things

 

Looks a lot like my book shelf too.

Some other suggested reading;

"Street was fun in 51" by Albert Drake (early days in the N west)

"Hot Rods By Pete and Jake"- Great read and has a ton of (mostly color) photos including Barris, Roth, and a great look at late 60's-early 70's Rodding scene.

1950's Custom and Hot Rod annuals (I have thousands of early magazines, however the annuals are some of my fav's).

I have 5 Don Montgomery books. Were there any others?

 

You guys are spouting off some great books I have never even heard of.
...wish I would have learned to read.

 

Ahhhh, 2 more books I need.

 

Don Montgomery's Books are a treasure! You will KNOW traditional hot rods if you have those books. There is no greater resource or collection to help one understand what "period correct" is all about. I've heard some are out of print?

 

Besides various book I have from the '50s and '60s, here are a few more.

This one by Peter Vincent


and Gasser Wars by Larry Davis


This is a great read by Brock Yates

 

abebook.com is another great source to find out of print, signed firsts, etc.

 

Barris Kustom Techniques Vol. 1 was very inspirational to me. Seeing photos of them building some really cool customs with the same basic tools I already had made it all seem much more doable. It also made me fall heavy for the styling of that period.

 

People ask identification questions on a regular basis on the HAMB. Some good books to have for reference include The Encyclopedia of American Cars From 1930 (by the auto editors of Consumer Guide), Cars of the Fabulous 50s (by auto editors of Consumer Guide), Cars of the Sizzlin' 60s (by auto editors of Consumer Guide), anything by Floyd Clymer such as Those Wonderful Old Automobiles (good for identifying really old stuff), Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks.

 

If you like vintage hot rodding books with a twist (written by the daughter of a hot rodder), please see the thread "Flint H. R. History '46-'53 with a West Coast Ending" for information about the book I wrote about my father Bill Waddill, an early hot rodder. It is called "The Original Hot Rodder" and is currrently available on Amazon.com or from me directly as posted in the above-mentioned thread.
Kathy A. Ridley

 

a few of my favorite not listed, the Miller Dynasty by Mark Dees,Hot Rod Pioneers by Ed Almquist,Roy Richter:Striving for Excellance, and Cool Cars Square Rollbars by the Shuman bros.

 

I the early '80s when I was in primary school, when class went to the library, I ALWAYS went straight for the series of books by Ed Radlauer...thin hardcover books with different titles... "Go Karting: Fun on Four Wheels", "Drag Racing" and about 10 others I can't remember.

They probably never had more than one printing, but if you can find 'em, they're a good tool to get kids into the hobby.

 

I have probably 4000 rod type magazines stashed in boxes out in the sheds if the mice didn't get to them.
Plus maybe a hundred annuals and other special editon rod and especially custom soft cover books. Most of those were bought when they were .75 to 2.00 when I bought them.
I just bought Tex Smith's flathead book and a reprint of Roger Huntington's 1951 Flathead book. Both should be in any flathead fan's bookcase and Huntington's book will show what was authentic in 1951.

I've been collecting these since I was 12 years old so it is a 50 years collection.

My plan in the back of my head for many years was to have a library in or with my garage when I finally built my dream garage. I'm not sure if that will materialize but it's still a dream.

No real favorites in the batch but some of the custom car special editions from the 50's and early 60's are well worn and are pretty special to me.

 

The Ultimate HOT ROD Dictionary (Breitenstein/Motorbooks), a handy reference, especially for foreigners.

 

What a neat thread.

I have only one question, can you guys please list some books that I haven't got?

But only those that I really need.

I recently issued Vincet tome is Hot Rod Garages, has one of the best hard covers ever.

And on the subjet of garages, my favourite is Motor City Garages, not all hot rod stuff but a great read all the same. Dream Garages 1&2 are also cool with a great mix of machinery and storage/workshop facilities.

In all the 'Garage' books it's rare to see the owner of the garage. However, in ever shot taken in Jay Leno's warehose, there's Jay, large as life, striking the perfect pose in each and every shot.

There's also been some great pinstriping books printed recently and anything by Ganahl is not to be missed. Nothing better than a book authoured by someone who understands and has the passion. The tall guy'ss Roth and Von Dutch titles should be in every hot rodder's library, right next to the Kustoms book.

I also have a lifetime's collection of magazines. To store them in the garage so the vermin don't eat them, I use plastic containers that our local supermarket has. They come in various heights but the base size is just perfect for most magazine and they can be stacked. The best thing is they keep the paper eating bugs and vermin out. and the mag's don't seem to suffer any moisture issues.

 

I buy and sell my cars, but my books and references are never for sale...........