How To Build Affordable Hot Rods

Learn how to build an affordable hot rod following the advice of the masters! In How to Build Affordable Hot Rods, author and lifelong hot rod aficionado Tony Thacker takes you through the process of building a hot rod on a budget. Drawing on his own extensive experience of both buying and building rods, Thacker explores the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good was setting a land speed record at Bonneville, the bad was buying a rod from which the previous owner had "swapped out" the good engine, and the ugly--well, let’s just not go there. How to Build Affordable Hot Rods includes extensive how-to sections that cover step-by-step chassis builds for Model A, 1932, and 1936 Fords, including front- and rear-end setups. The in-depth chassis builds are complimented with sections on powertrain choices, bodywork and roof chops, wheels and tires, and wiring and paint. Also included are chapters on interiors and the all-important details that individualize any project to ensure that it stands out from the rest. When Henry Ford introduced his beloved Model T, he unwittingly gave the average person the means to go racing. Prior to the T, racing was mostly a sport of the rich, but that changed with the Model T. Stripped of fenders and hopped up with speed parts, T speedsters ruled, and it wasn’t long before enthusiasm on the track translated to the street and the term hot rod entered the vernacular. Of course, it didn’t need to be a Ford (and still doesn’t), but the easiest and therefore cheapest route to Hot Rod Boulevard is down the Ford road. The journey accelerated after World War II, as hot rodding boomed with the growth of speed shops, car shows, drag racing, talented and trained GIs returning home, and the launch of Hot Rod magazine to spread the gospel far and wide. More than 100 years after the original Model T, hot rodding remains alive and well in the Australasia, Europe, and (of course) its birthplace the US.

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The ever-escalating cost of building or buying a hot rod is leaving more and more would-be hot rodders behind. This book will get those hopefuls off the sidelines by showing how a hot rod can be built for less than the cost of, say, a new Hyundai. Author Dennis Parks documents his own project--building a quintessentially cool Model T roadster from a "Track-T" kit--showing in step-by-step detail how to turn a pile of parts into a rockin hot rod. He provides a detailed, easy-to-follow guide for building a car of your own. The advice and instructions cover every aspect of an affordable hot rod build, from establishing the target vehicle and budget, to finding parts, building the car, and fine tuning the finished vehicle on the road. With Parks' money-saving tips and photo-supported how-to sequences, virtually anyone with minimal mechanical skills and the will to use them can be sure of building their hot rod right, and for the right price. The book also includes a full resource guide and recommendations for further reading.

In How to Build Hot Rod Chassis, highly regarded hot rodding author Jeff Tann covers everything enthusiasts need to know about designing and building their new chassis and suspension system. It thoroughly explores both factory and aftermarket frames, modified factory solid-axle suspensions, and aftermarket independent front and rear suspension setups. No matter what design a reader may be considering for his own car, How to Build Hot Rod Chassis delivers a wealth of information on the pros and cons of all systems available.

How to Build Real Hot Rods Tex Smith. Legendary rodder Tex Smith shows you how to build the rod you've always wanted. This is no pretty picture (how-to" book, this is a get your hands dirty, tear it down, build it right book that shows you every step, trick, and turn of the wrench in putting your dream rod on the streets. Includes selecting components such as brakes, tranny, and engine, formulas for figuring gear ratios, engine RPMs, and a lot more.

The photos in this edition are black and white. Vintage, retro, or classic hot rods have been an enduring element of the hot rod hobby. These vintage roadsters, sedans, and coups have become very popular because they are the bedrock of the hot rodding culture. However, many rodders have built a rod dedicated to a particular decade, era, region, flavor, or style, but these have lacked all the period correct details, and it's crucial to get all the details (ie parts) right. If some parts are not of the complementary or the package does not faithfully replicate a particular style or era, the theme of the hot rod can be ruined. Hot rod veteran Gerry Burger explains how to identify, buy, or build the parts to create a faithful period correct hot rod--a car that you will be proud of and will gain the respect from others in the hobby. The book showcases all the parts that make a faithful and consistent hot rod of a certain era, flavor, or style. The book covers 50s and 60s style, both East Coast and West Coast. It details the wide range of stock parts and popular high-performance parts from a particular era. He discusses when they were first produced and when they were in popular use. Once you decide on the theme and time period for your hot rod build, Burger discusses how to choose the period correct engine for your chassis, valve covers, intakes, and carbs that also match the period from Edelbrock, Offenhauser, and others. Similar chapters also cover, interiors, wheels and tires, frames, suspension, and all other components. When it comes to putting together all the pieces to create an attractive, accurate, and fun hot rod from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, no other book is a better guide than How to Build Period Correct Hot Rods.