History HOW TO: Build Your Own HOT Roadster - EASY 26-Point Checklist!!!

To say that I'm obsessed with vintage car magazines and books is an understatement. I have most of a double-door closet dedicated to just pre-'70 hot rod and custom-related literature. The books are categorized by year; the periodicals by****le, month and year. If it was published before 1970 and features hot rods, customs or drag racing, I bet I have it! From magazines to yearbooks to handbooks to novels and everything in between.

While I love having my treasure trove of paper pleasures, I sometimes forget what I have and come across a hidden gem. This is what happened last night when I started digging through my flathead-souping archive for reading material on the new '40 and it's stock flathead.

Between my original copies of "How To Hop Up Ford & Mercury V8 Engines" and "Souping The Stock Engine" I came across the "Speed and Power Handbook" from 1949. Since I opened it I've been totally sidetracked by this tome and it's wealth of subjects - most of which fall just short of having enough information to be useful. Nevertheless, the reading is quite entertaining with sections like: Moisture Injector Plans, Hollywood Styling and Clear Plastic Tops, sprinkled in with the prerequisite speed tips (which, unfortunately lack any technical data).

I don't remember where I got it or what I paid, but it was worth it for the entertainment value. I'm not sure I could say the same if I'd paid the $2.50 asking price in 1949.

So anyway, here's the checklist for building your own "HOT Roadster".

 

sweet!!! I like the "28 T body"...

 

so awesome! It looks so easy.

 

"#5 - Weight of car 1200 lbs. approx."

I guess they never bothered to weigh an actual '28 "T" bodied HOT Roadster before the writing.

 

2.50 was a pretty stiff tariff for a hot rod book in that period of time. I don't have that one but I do have a few that I've picked up over the years.

 

...my treasure trove of paper pleasures....

Nice , reading.

 

is #15 turning valves to a 30 degree rather then the stock 45 degree a common thing?

 

Oh, it is!

 

Make me a shirt of that logo on the cover please. Very cool*****, and I have some of that so far!!!!

 

I may.

 

Is that the book you used to build the Legion Special and didn't tell us about til it was done?
Later,
Dick

 

KIRK, You are the Man,,,,,

 

Don't tell anyone.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure what that translates to today, but it was a lot.

 

That's pretty much how the whole book is - entertaining, but not super useful.

 

Yeah, there's no way, with those parts, it would be that light.

The flatty and******* will weigh 700 lbs.

My car is nothing but the "basics" and it weighs in at 1800.

Kirk, what's the Legion weigh?

Rich

 

That book is full of*****. It says nothing about skulls or plastic rats or farm tools... hell, the roadster is way too high and the rear isn't even lower than the front. What did they know back then??

 

I told you it wasn't very informative.

Seriously though, it supports the point that just because something is from "back in the day" doesn't make it good or right. The real challenge with "traditional hot rodding" as a category is gaining the knowledge and intelligence to pick and choose what "worked" mechanically and visually in the past and try to do ONLY those things today. It's an ongoing challenge that is most of the fun.

There were*****-ugly cars (Barris cars after Sam) built back then and stupid technical advice, "real" hot rodders try to tell the difference and omit the stupid***** from the past.

It was a time of experimentation, and when you experiment not everything works, but it IS hilarious to see people redo the mistakes from the past just because they see it in an old magazine or photo.

 

A shirt or poster with the cutaway drawing and no text, just the numbers would be awesome....

 

I'm not saying to not appreciate it, but from a designers eye, some things look good and others don't. That is interpretive, of course, but on the mechanical side, things either work or they don't.

 

Agreed. But, by what has come before us we can evaluate what to do and what not to do by how well it has worked.

Also, disagreeing is perfectly fine. I'm sure as hell not right all the time.

 

Sho 'nuff! I love a good debate.

 

Is all of that stuff about experimentation more secret code talk?

I can never tell...

 

Yes. Got your call today. Come by sometime.

 

Quick change transmission.....? I love reading the stats in the old magazines. People musta been way more stupider back then.

 

Order yours today!

 

awesome

 

Well that clears up a lot.. What was I thinkin'?

 

If that was just the beginning I'd love to see the rest of it. It's like the pre-Bishop/Tardel book.

Thanks KIRK!

 

It really is just that easy! I put mine together last night.