What I read

A post on a popular hot rod forum got me thinking

about what I read and the impact it has on my life.

As you can probably guess I read a ton of hot rod

and custom car related books and magazines.

Most of my reading consists of old hot rod and custom

magazines. Stacks of these relics are scattered across

my house. They range from the early 1950's through

the early 1960's. In my opinion these are the magazines

that most traditionally minded rodders should be reading.

Why would one want to read a 50 year old magazine you

might ask?? Well, this was a time long before the mail order

catalog took over the rodding industry. Guys were savaging the

wrecking yards for speed parts and if they couldn't find what

they needed they would make them. I'm serious. They would

design and make the parts in their own garages. High school kids

and ,just home from the ,were building an industry with little

more than a dream and their bare hands.

These old magazines and book show this progress in action.

This is why I love them.

Below is a list of essential books and magazines for anybody

interested in Hot Rodding or Kustom cars. These are the ones

I refer to and in my opinion so should you.

Magazines:

The Rodders Journal -Any

Hot Rod Magazine - Late 1940's- the 1960's

Rod and Custom Magazine - Early 1950's- the 1960's

Hop Up Magazine - Early 1950's

Car Craft Magazine - Early 1950's- the 1960's

Car Speed and Style Magazine - Early 1950's- the early 1960's

Rodding and Re-styling Magazine - Early 1950's- the early 1960's

Speed and Custom Magazine- Early 1950's- the early 1960's

Custom Craft Magazine - Early 1950's

Custom Rodder Magazine - Early 1950's- the early 1960's

Any of the Hot Rod Magazine Technical Library - Early 1950's- the early 1960's

Books

'The American Hot Rod' By Dean Batchelor

'The Birth of Hot Rodding' - The Story of the Dry Lakes Era' by Genat & Cox

'50 Years of Rod & Custom' by Thom Taylor

'Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth: His Life, Times, Cars, and Art' by Pat Ganahl

'Muroc, The day the hot rods ran' by William Caroll

'Hot Rod Roots: A tribute to the Pioneers' by Dangerous Dain Gingerelli

'The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield' by David Grant and Spence Murray

'Kustomland The Custom Car Photography of James Potter 1955- 1959' by Thom Taylor

'50 Years of Hot Rod' by The Editors of Hot Rod Magazine

'The Hot Rod and Custom Chronicle' by Thom Taylor

These are just a few. The list grown with every passing year. Enjoy!