I want to find a good book to read. I have read Beltsville Shell and wanted to find something similar to that. If you haven't read it, get a copy now. It follows some hotrodders in Maryland in the late 60s. So what other hot rod, american graffiti type books are out there?
I'm a visual learner, so most of these are picture heavy and aren't really "stories" per se. However, some of them are really great hot rod books. I love anything by Genat, Batchelor, and Vincent in particular... and OF COURSE The Jalopy Journal volumes 2 and 3.
You mean fiction like a Henry Gregor Felsen book? Hot Rod, Crash Club, Boy Gets Car, etc. Also, not really hot rod-related per se, but check out Burt (B.S.) Levy's series of books, like The Last Open Road and The Fabulous Trashwagon (which has a whole story arc based at Bonneville), are extremely entertaining as well.
Why read storys when the truth is the best ! I just started rereading the series. Its a great read. Oldmics
Cool Cars Square Roll Bars by Arnie & Bernie Shuman. The standard reference of early Hot Rodding in New England written by, and including photos from collections of those that lived it. Ed
In terms of great stories (and, in the case of High Performance, great historical information), these are two of my favorites: High Performance is available new. The Tony Nancy book has long been out of print, but you can find them used on Amazon.
Early times: "When the Hot rods ran", Muroc 1938 "Birth of hot rodding--the story of the dry lakes era"
The "Little Bastards" written by Jim Lindsay, a true Hotrodder, Drag Racer, record holder at Bonneville, and El Mirage. It's a Felson type fiction book, set in the period of 1953-59, and a great read !
Here's a few written by a HAMBer (me)...about growing up in the sixties in Iowa, with a three year old '57 Chevy...and in Denver, ColoRODo in the late 60s/early 70s with a '64 Impala... most are available used on Amazon. Just search for Roger Jetter ... Some of them are Kindle books on Amazon...the last book-"Broke Down" is about some of our trips in our old cars and how we solved breakdowns on the road.. R-
Also written by HAMBer, Spike Kilmer and another guy. Most of the east coast cars in the book were HAMBer’s cars…….even mine made it. Available on Amazon !!
I got this one for Xmas yesterday. It's a lite read but a great plot, a likable hero and plenty of pictures which is what I look for in a good hot rod book. I'm about halfway through it already.
If you can find a copy of Mickey Thompson's Challenger that isn't priced up in the stratosphere that is one of the best reads you will ever get your hands on. A lot of the book is about his early days way before he had any fame at all. I read it when I was real young and snagged a dog eared copy that still wasn't cheap a few years ago. Smokey Yunick's Best Damned garage in town is a great read but is another book that is priced in the collector only range now. The one on Amazon for 279.00 is a tad rich for my blood. I read that one when it first came out and it is probably out in the storage shed with the rest of my ruined books and magazines that I need to sort though.
Hello, The most comprehensive book on the Westcoast Lion’s Dragstrip history was written by John “Waldo” Glaspey, a So Cal local. He has been following drag racing since those early days. It is a small world as if someone who stays in So Cal long enough, you are bound to meet someone from way back then. I had a nice conversation with John Glaspey at the Lions Dragstrip Museum Grand Opening in June of 2017. He gave me a recollection of a then, 19 year old college art student, sitting in the crowded stands all day, watching the racing down on the track. The story he told me created shivers down my back and arms. It was a first hand look at our racing, winning races all day in our 1940 Willys C/Gas 671 SBC coupe and final run late at night. The description he gave was one of being a “fan favorite” as we kept winning race after race in the Willys C/Gas Coupe until 9 p.m. at night. John Glaspey described the clutch blowing right in front of his “spectator side” seats and a clear view of the flaming Willys wedged into the spectator side fence, burning itself out. He probably saw me using several fire extinguishers down below, to no avail. Then, watching me zipping off to the ambulance back at the finish line. Of all of the books we have in our basket/book shelves, (So Cal Thunder) this is the one to read and own. The art work is beyond fantastic. The stories are on a different viewpoint from the others. But, the photos (old college roommates were pro photographers) and his own, personal, drag racing art work is by far the best published. This is one heck of a good book to read and have on your coffee table. That and the fact of being a visitor in a certain time period of drag racing history for us. So Cal Thunder it is an excellent book on the Drag Racing scenes in So Cal with outstanding artwork from the author, John "Waldo" Glaspey (an auto illustrator, plus) Some of the best drag racing original photos were taken by Don Hale and Roy Robinson. A couple of So Cal Legends... There were even some great photos of the late, Tom McEwen in his early days. Attitude, style and all... No, I do not work on commission, but this book is "THE" best drag racing book around. The photos are excellent, and rare. The artwork needs its own gallery for display. The writing was as if one was standing on the sidelines taking photos and shooting films as a teenager... great memories brought to life. So Cal Thunder... When Lions Roared!
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