Greatest novel when I was a kid,.. "Hot Rod"

Writing to Felsen when I was about 14, and from various interviews and such. There was an interview in one of the hot rod magazines maybe fifteen years ago where he talked about his books, his cars and some of the characters and places he wrote about. I can't remember which magazine it was, but it was probably HOT ROD, POPULAR HOT RODDING, AMERICAN RODDER or STREET RODDER...that's all I read back then.

 

Anyone remember 'The Red Car" about the kid who rebuilt a burned MG TC and then raced it? That was one I remember from my youth.

 

the first thing i did every year when school started was check out that book from the school library.

met him once a year or two before he passed away. he seemed to be a great man and was very nice to everyone. all of his car books are super but "hot rod" is the best!

 

All this talk about books we read brought back a vague memory of one I read while young (middle school or younger?). It wasn't the one you guys are talking about though. From what I remember mine had to do with a boy that lived with his dad I think, and his dad dies (or something) and the boy gets the house and garage and in the garage he finds a kit car of some sort that is not yet assembled that his dad was going to build someday. The boy builds it and then goes on a trip (cross country mabey?) with it when done. I wana say the car was red.

Any of this ring a bell to anyone?? Mabey our younger viewers, or your childern because I am only 20, so chances are you older guys wouldn't have read this. Wish I could remember more details...

 

I remember this book! Ordered it from the Scholastic pamphlet as a young kid. I also had the novel Hot Rod, but didn't get that until I found a copy as a slightly older kid. I remember being all excited after reading The Red Car, and spending a week or so lusting after one, until my dad nixed the thought in my young head: "Too much wood in those cars. . . .stick with a muscle car. . . .you want more steel around you when you're young and can't yet drive well"

 

I remember that story, in the end didn't he have his old mechanic friend drive the car while he held up th erear fender to finish the race.

 

I had forgotten that but your right. Anyone know the authors name so I can search for it?
GV

 

It was written by Don Stanford.

 

Hey, does anyone remember the one (it might be HOT ROD, it's been a while)with the kid who was from a well-off family, who drove a car with some hop-ups called a Woestman-Ebbert (sic?) conversion, and the kid talked about that spelling We. He had this whole zen thing about him feeling at one with the car, etc. What book was that?

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62405

Someone asked for other authors/titles. Here's an old post of mine.

 

This is weird. I just had that book in my hand this morning! I was cleaning the closet and decided to move it downstairs.

My father bought me that book when I was a pre-teen. Loved it but I didn't really understand all that flathead talk, 3/4 race cams, etc.

I recently brought that book home from school (I teach English). I thought maybe my students would be interested in it but no takers. My father recently passed away so I thought I better snag it before it disappears. One of the best gifts my dad ever gave me and that's no exaggeration.

 

I've got that one. I liked it. I have a fair collection of those type of books. My dad watches for them and brings them to me. Just added one "Drag Strip Danger" Don't remember the author though.

 

I have that one from a flea market for a buck I think - ex Kalamazoo Public Library. Also have a signed set of the reprints done in the early 90's. They take one to another time.

 

Man what a blast from the past. I did a report on it too. I think it was the only A I ever got on a report.

 

I remember that book! I think I'm gonna have to see if I know anybody that works at the school. They had enough for the whole class.

The link to the pictorial is cool!
Clark

 

Harms Way thanks for reminding me of that book. I haven't thought of that book since I was kid. I mentioned to you before that my grandfather was Barney Pollard. A few of the guys that worked for him had hot rods and customs and such. The only guy that comes to mind is John Slicker who later on ran actual Pontiac Funnies (Banshee-actual big Pontiac engines blown-no BBC or Hemi) although he was a good married Catholic boy and his budget restrained him a bit. Although I have never been a custom fanatic one of the guys had a chopped Merc of course with a flathead, I talked him into taking me for a thrill ride on Livernois but he did so and swore me to secrecy so my grandfather wouldn't can him. I used to spend a bunch of time in the parking lot looking at the worker's cars even though I had plenty of antique cars to look at in various stages of restoration in the shop. I am sure those books were a bit of an influence, conjuring up all sorts of great thought of going fast. I quess we are all trying to live back then a bit which isn't all bad. Just went on line and bought a bunch of those old books. Simple reading but great memories. Thanks-Jim

 

Thanks!! I just ordered

 

Does anyone remember the kids novels that featured a character named Woody Woods, and he and his buddies would fix up cars and race them. There were a few in the series. This was in the early 80s, the books could have been from the 70s though. I remember one of the cars in the book had a dynamo, whatever that is.

 

Dynamo is the British term for generator.

-Dave

 

Man, this is the one! I remember reading that book, loving it, and then being so disheartened at the ending. Sure made me remember it tho, although I was a terrible teen driver many years later....

 

This is an OLD discussion, but there was a book titled Fast Green Car by William Butterworth that came out in 1965. It was about a young guy who was a truck driver, but started driving and then racing an MG. There was a copy in my school library that I read many times back then, and finally a few years ago I bought a copy at a swap meet.

 

Old thread, But I remember reading about a Hot Rod book where a guy was building a hot rod and he was Frenching in lights on a disc or a plow. He also won an award for his car and might of wrecked it also.

 

Felsen's books were the first ones I read clear through and done book reports on that I didn't just skim through them to get the high spots to get by. I have collected most of them in the last few years and always try to get my grandsons to read them.

 

Reading through this sparked another memory. During this same time in my childhood....I remember another book about a young girl, racing go karts, or maybe midget dirt track. She had been embarrassed about something, and was glad the other folks could not see her red face behind her helmet's bubble shield. I remember having wanted to get the same type of shield for my dirt bike helmet..... Any guesses as to the title?

Thanks!

 

I first read it in 7th grade (1959)... It sure created some dreams in a 13 year old mind

 

New thread to me. Brings back memories of one of those books who main character took drivers training and failed it cuz his way of avoiding a slowing car in front was to veer left and floor it, instead of braking. He also got a job collecting garbage on a garbage truck. Any of you remember that one?

 

I remember that one. Drivers Training was on some sort of simulator. That book also introduced me to squared turns I believe. I had forgotten about the garbage truck.

 

Still have a copy sitting around somewhere.

 

I don't remember the driver training part but Drag Strip by William Campbell Gault had a kid that worked on a garbage truck and convinced the owner of the company to let them use an abandoned air strip as a drag strip

 

Yep that might be it. Seems like at the end he "back slid" and raced on the street and crashed- very disappointing, but I think they wanted the reader to realize the danger of street racing