History Hot Rods are doomed

Scored some old car magazines today, turned out to have some mid 50s stuff in there.
Scanned some to share.
This is "Cars" magazine, November 1953

 

Motor life May 1956 had some cool custom stuff

 

Motor trend 1957 giving tips on painting flames

 

There are lots more but my favorite so far would be this killer 34 sedan from Rod and Custom Jan 65.

 

the last one I have scanned, in the middle of R&C 1966 there is contest to win $1000, and came with the free decal still waiting for someone to happily stick it on their rod. I thought that was pretty awesome!

 

I love the part of the first article that expounds the cost of building a hot rod, and how new cars are basically faster, more comfortable, and a better investment. Still basically true today, but here we are!

 

Motor Life was a great Magazine back then.

 

Oh baby, outstanding! Show and Go, gotta love it. But how do you run on the street without a radiator? Great testament to the glory of a home built hot rod. Thanks

 

WoW! Lots of cool stuff... I wonder if this one was actually built and where is it today????....

 

couple of pictures from the classifieds. Sorry just cell phone pics and not scanned. Some gems for sure.

A

 

If you want, try testing your car knowledge.

 

Too cool ..... TV Tommy’s twin Buick dragster for sale.

 

Cool stuff! Thanks for posting.

 

Unless my eyes deceive me, in the photo of two fellows looking at a light colored roadster (right side of the page in the 1st post) the roadster appears to have IFS?! Could that possibly be....even back in the 50's?

Nevertheless, thanks for posting.

Lynn

 

And here I thought this was going to be some deep discussion of where hot rods were going in the future! Imagine my surprise and delight! Very cool! Thanks for taking the time.

 

Yeah, quite the click bait title eh? Lol

 

you are correct, it does have IFS. It’s just as much of an eye sore in 53 as it is today lol.

 

Found this on the big selling site. Learn how it was done in 1957. What is interesting is that the author is the same one who said Hot Rods were doomed 4 years earlier.

 

So, fer crying out loud, where the heck are the answers to the 15 questions posed in that Motor Trend quiz? I NEED to know.

 

I loved your post man. Thanks. But those classified ads made me a little sick...

 

Go back and earn yesterday's wages and you'll get well.

 

@Deuces
Just saw this one IG
Reminds me of that cover car concept.

 

Steve Evans wrote in the mid 70's that "bracket" racing was going to kill drag racing.

 

chauvin's

 

Gosh! Wonder what ever happened to all those customs?

 

For us Canadians.. lots of Canadian content in these early mags.

 

Went to a large farm auction where you bid on boxes full of items and found these books in the bottom of one of the boxes I bought.

 

That’s awesome!

 

I find this post particularly interesting as it shows the wider variety that generally existed 'back in the day' in restyling ideas. Not a DeSoto grill to be seen..... I especially like the '$9000' shoebox Ford convertible (exact year not given) with it's Stude Fenders, '55 Chev grill and Kaiser 'bumpers'. This also points up the current lack of custom 'verts.

And the 'inconvenient' '32 Ford roadster with IFS... take that 'traditionalists' !!!