History Favorite car books from when you were young

Mostly car mags at first, then when I got to driving age the first real car book I bought in 1965 was "The Complete Book of Engine Swapping" after that I think it was "how to Hotrod Big Block Chevys" and the same book for smallblock Chevys.

 

George Barris "How to Customize Cars and Rods"

My Mom and Dad bought it for me off a bus station news stand while we were waiting for my older brother to come in on the bus while on leave from the Navy. I must have been about 8 years old.

I still have the book, it's a bit worn, and I know exactly where it is on the book shelf.

 

All the Felsen books, still got them, and Hot Rod Road by Carl Henry Rathjen. It's about a boy who starts out drag racing with a 55 Chev bought from the back row of a used car lot, to a racing FED.

 

"How to Build a Hot Rod" by Hot Rod Magazine copyright 1963. I checked it out from the highschool library from 82-86 the librarian gave it to me. Still have it and enjoy sharing it with my sons. 96 pages of yellowed hardbound heaven.

 

I always liked the books by Bill Pete , Katie Caboose , Jennifer and Joesaphine, it was about a cat living in an old abandon touring car they had killer crayon drawings and neat stories . I have loved and reaquired and accumulated alot of 50s and 60s teen car novels that I read long ago whenever I see them . And of course Hot Rod Cartoons and Charlton Hot Rods and Racecar comics I always have them follow me home from flea markets and swapmeets.

 

Susie the little blue coupe

 

I actually named my cat Josephine, after Jennifer and Josephine. I was walking around a guys Private Junkyard in the hills, and this kitten followed me around. She lived in a Studebaker.

 

Any and all of the Ed Radlauer books. He did a TON on drag racing, but also on other stuff that makes gearhead kids dream- go karts, minibikes, slot car racing, dirt bikes. They were mostly written from 1963 up until the early 70's. I was in elementary school through most of the 70's so my library had them all.

But the one book that sent me around the bend was "The Complete Book of Fuel and Gas Dragsters" by Lyle Engel, published in 1967. I think the statue of limitations has run out, but I checked it out from the local library when I was in junior high in the late 70's, fell in love with it and then opted to pay the lost book fine rather than return it.

 

I still have my Felson and William Campbell Gault as well . They have been read so much they have "patina".

There was a series of books that i used to read when i was in grade school that i would like to find again . I can't remember the titles though . The first book has the main character finding his first car in a back room at his first job A Yellow and black Ford Galaxie . I think he called it The bumble bee. anyway there were several books one at the baja 500 one at 24 hr of lemans . does anyone else remember these books ?

 

The very first car book that I remember likin' as a kid was about this blue cartoon like coupe. The coupe was run untill worn out and then hot rodded by a young guy at the end. I asked around about it for years and nobody remembered it. Then came the internet and I found the book, the short movie and other folks that remembered it...
Smokey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pxap-M_--k

 

The children's book about cars that I remember most is about a train that pulled cars full of good things for boys and girls. I read the same book to my son in the 80's. The book is titled "The Little Engine That Could." Famous for the lines:
"I Think I Can!"
"I Think I Can."

Trying to make it up the hill.

copyright 1956

 

My dads collection of car mags and model books,From the 50's and or 60's the little books

 

I still have my copy of Jeep, I read it many times.

 

I can't remember the title of the book anymore, but the main character was "Ricky Madison" and his car was a pink Ford (I think). That was nearly 50 years ago, so I can't remember any more than that other than the story ended with a crash. Damn....I wish I had a better memory. Some days I can't remember what I had for supper the day before.

 

not a book, but this was a favorite cartoon of mine. Its been on here before-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poh-DoKbuo8

 

The Red Car by Don Stanford. Gave me an appreciation for sports cars that I had not had before that. Finally bought an MG TD a few years ago because of it. It proves the adage about it being more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slowly.

 

Hot Rod Cartoons and CARtoons from 1965 on.

I still flip through 'em for a joyful return to the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons and $.50 allowances.

 

Strange But True Auto Racing Stories. I bought it in the early 1970's, with my lunch money, through Scholastic, and read it a zillion times (parents didn't know they were supposed to buy me books so I could git learnt). And my kid read it when she was younger (we actually bought her other books as well ). We still have it in a box somewhere.

 

The book in question is by Henry Felson titled "hot rod" i think . I know for sure that its a Felson book .

 

I remember my dad had the 1963 "How to Build a Hot Rod" book (which I still have) put out by Hot Rod Magazine. That was the only "old school" hotrod book in the house amidst a sea of Popular Hot Rodding & occasional Streed Rodder and Rod Action type magazines in the 70's & 80's.
The school library also had the Custom Car Yearbook from 1963. You had to sign the library card in the front cover and turn that in to check it out. One time my name was the only name on the entire card. I eventually found my own personal copy at a swap meet.

 

The first actual hard back car book I ever checked out from the library was Dragging and Driving. I checked it out in 1968 (I was 9) and I still have it. It still has the card with the return due date stamped on it, in the little pocket. Please dont turn me in, Im afraid the fine will break the bank lol.

 

I have a couple of cartoons mags and one of them still has a t-shirt iron-on that I didn't put on a shirt

 

there was a book in the elementary school library i checked out several times about assembly lines where they were showing 1957 fords being built. this was around 1960. i was about 9 yrs. old. 57 fords were my favorite back then. still are.

 

Another "The Red Car" guy here. Please transport me back so I could hang with Frenchie and Hap.

 

I remember reading Hardy Boys books, and there was one with a stolen hot rod they were looking for. They found it.

 

100%.

 

! ! ! Henry Gregor Felson ! ! !

 

Another Go dog go!, and The Man and his dump truck.

 

Just received my brand new autographed copy of Hot Rod! Looking forward to reading it again. Thanks to HAMB for the heads up on the Felson web site.