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Art & Inspiration Pulp fiction hot rod books

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Rehpotsirhcj, Dec 27, 2021.

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  1. Rehpotsirhcj
    Joined: May 7, 2006
    Posts: 1,440

    Rehpotsirhcj
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    Over the past few years I’ve been reading a few of the young reader hot rod books published in the 50s-60s. But I have yet to find the book I read in my middle school library that touched off my imagination. I’d love to read it again, but I remember very little about it, only that the stories main character had a switch to activate his tail lights so that his competitor in a street race would think he had touched his brakes, giving him an advantage going into turns. Maybe I’m crazy. Anyone have a clue as to what the book might have been?
     
  2. quick85
    Joined: Feb 23, 2014
    Posts: 3,047

    quick85
    BANNED

    I'd like to think you may have read "Street Rod" by Henry Gregor Felson.
    That's the one that stands out in my mind, with the two protagonists
    being Ricky (the good kid) and Link (the guy you wanted to clock). Don't
    be thrown by the title, Ricky drove a '39 Ford coupe and Link had some
    sort of Chevy convertible. There was a term used in the book that always
    stuck with me: car suck. A guy who didn't have his own ride and had to
    depend on his friends.

    Then again, I might be the crazy one, but I thought Ricky, who turned his
    bomb into a kool ride, had a switch that cut off the lights.
     
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  3. Would you be talking about something like this ?
    But,,,in this book the main character is called Bud Crayne,,,,something like that .
    This might not be what you are talking about ?

    Tommy

    363DBA00-2FB0-484A-930D-C5395E8D471E.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2021
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  4. catdad49
    Joined: Sep 25, 2005
    Posts: 6,396

    catdad49
    Member

    Crash Club is the first one that I read, anyone else?!
     

  5. Tow Truck Tom
    Joined: Jul 3, 2018
    Posts: 1,879

    Tow Truck Tom
    Member
    from Clayton DE

    I read about Bud Crane (spl?) the N.J. gas station Mechanic who would time himself on Jersey roads. He would lash a note pad to his right knee, and mark his time from junction to junction. During the dark of night, to see what his modifications netted.
    The paperback cover had the same look as HOT ROD mag. One and only time I felt accomplished was doing a book report on it. Else wise school school never held my interest.
    I wanted to be Bud, in some ways I was. Except my girl didn't dig it like Bud's did.
     
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  6. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 4,754

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not specifically hot rod but as a kid I really liked "T-Model Tommy" by Stephen W. Meader.
     
    Tow Truck Tom likes this.
  7. Henry Gregor Felsen's books inspired me and fueled my desire to read, thanks to my mother.

    Titles like Hot Rod, Crash Club, Street Rod & Fever Heat, HRP
     
  8. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,417

    jaracer
    Member

    I also remember reading some of the Felson hot rod books. I see some titles are available at Powell's Books in Portland.
     
  9. Rehpotsirhcj
    Joined: May 7, 2006
    Posts: 1,440

    Rehpotsirhcj
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    Good lists! So far I’ve read Felton’s Hot Rod, street rod, and crash club. Street rod has by far the most vivid ending I’ve ever read. T Model Tommy should be read by every kid. Now I’m reading Philip Harkins’ Road race, but still, no taillight switch. Still searching. :)
     
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  10. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    I have a bunch of the Felsen books and have read them over lots through the years. The book I remember from my school days was "The Red Car" that was about a kid and an MG but wasn't written by Felsen. I'm sure that I could locate a copy online but it just hasn't been a high priority.
     
  11. Papas32
    Joined: Feb 18, 2009
    Posts: 164

    Papas32
    Member
    from No.Ia.

    William Campbell Gault also had some good books.
     
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  12. perk03
    Joined: Jan 6, 2009
    Posts: 568

    perk03
    Member
    from VA

    I not much of a book reader but I did read "Go Dog Go" by Dr. Zeus.
     
  13. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

    But after all the years you didn’t retain some things:)
     
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  14. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,289

    jnaki

    upload_2021-12-28_5-27-56.png
    Hello,

    My brother and I were no longer young kids when this book came out, but the cover did a number on us. It portrayed the idea of being a teenager, so to speak, and the freedom any car or hot rod gave us to wander and travel. My mother bought it for our little neighbor girl next door that almost lived at our house as we grew up. So, as she was a lot younger than us, the book was perfect for her.


    But, my brother and I could not put it down as it was an artistic description of how we all felt about driving and cars.

    Jnaki

    In a recent discussion with our 16 year old Granddaughter over the holidays, she mentioned that she felt a total release when she is able to get behind the wheel of her car. Before she got her license, she had told my wife and me that she probably would not get a license to drive until she was 18. But, over the years of being in some cool cars with us, she began to change her mind.


    Now, with her own car, the open road, well, at least in the neighborhood, and back and forth to school are her open road adventures. It is not the places, but the idea of being able to get in and go places. She still cannot cruise around like we used to do as teenagers, but the law says that by this time next year, she will be able to drive around with her friends.

    My brother and I read the book many times over and since then it was a staple in our family library for our toddler sons back in those early days. We were all struggling, but there was always enough for a good book. Young or old, books still are a good thing.


     
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  15. pwschuh
    Joined: Oct 27, 2008
    Posts: 2,827

    pwschuh
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    Cool. My wife just gave me a copy of "The Red Car" for Christmas. Paperback, 2nd edition published in 1960. Getting hard to find. Looking forward to reading it.
     
  16. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 2,598

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    Don't remember the author's name and too lazy to go find it, the one I bought from the bookmobile, and still have, is Dirt Track Summer. 2 brothers and an Hispanic friend who acquire a Crager dirt track car and race it for college money. I think it was about 62?
     
  17. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    That's Seuss, not Zeus!

    Sheesh. But yes, a great book. The cover looks surprisingly familiar...
     
  18. William Campbell Gault is the author
     
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  19. cfmvw
    Joined: Aug 24, 2015
    Posts: 977

    cfmvw
    Member

    I remember reading "Go Dog, Go!" when I was a little kid (and admittedly, as an adult). There was also the Dr Seuss book "Bears On Wheels" with all kinds of wheeled contraptions zooming across the pages.
     
    jnaki likes this.
  20. i.rant
    Joined: Nov 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,301

    i.rant
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1940 Ford

    I read Speedway Challenge by Gault back in grade school,probably a year or so before the HGF books were discovered by me. All of them definitely fueled my interest in cars.
     
  21. ClarkL
    Joined: Sep 18, 2020
    Posts: 9

    ClarkL
    BANNED
    from Knoxville

    Movies and books are my hobbies, so I immediately felt familiar with the plot that you described. I recommend watching Deuce of Spades - I really liked it, despite this genre. Now I'm also interested in politics and I'm studying on https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/electoral-college/cognitive essays on the electoral college. Unfortunately, I can't remember reading anything like that. I have read so many books and films that I can't remember them all. But your description sounds familiar to me. I agree with the commentator above - somewhat reminiscent of Street Rod.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2022

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