How To Build Hot Rods Race Them

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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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.

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.

Originally published in 1949 by Floyd Clymer, this edition was republished in 2010 by VelocePress. This comprehensive and informative book, written in easy to understand language, puts the capability of designing and building a 1950's era midget racing car or a three-quarter (dirt track) car within reach of the home-based enthusiast. The fundamental principles described in this book may also be applied to the construction of a 50's track roadster or even a custom built hot rod. Highly technical terminology and engineering terms have been avoided, as the aim of this book is to define the construction process in clear and understandable terms, regardless of the reader's technical background or training. The principles it contains are just as relevant today as they were some 50 years ago when this book was first written. The design process is clearly explained, the raw materials required are described, and the construction process is presented in an easy-to-follow step by step procedure. Obviously, this book would also be a valuable reference for anyone contemplating repairing, refurbishing or restoring a vintage racing car. This edition also includes a 38 page bonus section featuring a reproduction of an appropriate Offenhauser Speed Equipment catalog. Out-of-print and unavailable for many years, this book is becoming increasingly more difficult to find on the secondary market and we are pleased to be able to offer this reproduction as a service to all those vintage automotive race car builders and enthusiasts worldwide.

DIVIn Hot Rod Garages, acclaimed hot rod photographer and author Peter Vincent gives readers an intimate look inside the shops and garages of more than two dozen rod and custom builders. Unlike most hot rod books, Vincent’s takes a strictly California-centric approach in examining shops across the United States. From individuals crafting cars for their own reward to more prominent builders turning out cool rides for paying customers, Vincent and his cameras show the builders in the context of their spaces, in the process exploring how their work environments inform their creations and vice versa. Included are individuals like Pete Eastwood who have garnered attention in the hot rod press while building mostly for themselves; builders like Vern and Keith Tardel, the Kennedy Brothers, and Cole Foster with his crew at Salinas Boyz, all currently being celebrated for the traditionally styled rides they build for consumers; and high-end shops widely considered to be the cream of the industry, like Roy Brizio’s and Steve Moal’s in the Bay Area, as well as SO-CAL Speed Shop (heir to legend Alex Xydias). The result is the next best thing to being there—an exquisitely presented book that eloquently distills the varying nature of these spaces and the cars created within, revealing the countless hours spent machining, wrenching, welding, and shaping these beautiful visions to fruition./div