Free access to all Hot Rod Magazine issues 1948-2021 online!

[ea0863]

Or the tasteful evolution of the '33 Ford Roadster as documented by Gray Baskerville.

Edited December 14, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

Read about Sly Stallone's new movie "Cobra", and his '50 Mercury that stole the show. HRM June 1986

But who cares about the acting right? It's got action, and that '50 Merc!

Edited December 25, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

It's July 1986, and since you can't take your date to the movie in your Nissan Sentra, you shop the ads in the back of HRM and debate which of these two cars to buy;

The '71 Cuda 440 six-pack convertible with the 4 speed will run you $25k (about $68k today). It'll be fun to drive, and might even appreciate in value over the years...

Or if you want something a little flashier, maybe Tom Prufer's Track-T award winner for $35k (about $95k today)

But you can't make up your mind, so you decide to plink a couple grand on a new Alpine stereo system for your Sentra, and stick a scoop on the hood for show  

Edited December 25, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

Oh well, at least the first ever Hot Rod International Model Car Contest is going to be coming up in a few months...

HRM July 1986

[ea0863]

HRM September 1986 had an article on how to photograph your scale model for the upcoming competition. 

[ea0863]

Then I saw the Chrisman Bonneville racer, and decided the rest of my night will be spent looking for a model of this car!  

I can't believe I wasn't crazy over this car the first time I saw it on the cover of HRM February 1953

Found it! It was just listed on ebay as a resin Bonneville racer 1:25 scale, but it's definitely the right car.

Edited December 14, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

HRM October 1986 listed some more Hot Rod series cars from Revell

[ea0863]

From out in left field, McBurnie Coachcraft (the guys who made the faux-ferrari in Miami Vice) decided to get into racing. Kind of a cool look, if you ask me.

                                                                                                                                                HRM October 1986

[ea0863]

"Hot Rodding has no rules" by Pat Ganahl. HRM November 1986

Amen

[Richard Bartrop]

From the "The more things change, the more they stay the same" department:

A reminder not to overreact to the things young people do, because hey, we did crazy stuff too when we were young.

Veteran rodder reminds the kid how much easier they have it now.

The call for traditional looking hot rods apparently started pretty early

Edited December 15, 2022 by Richard Bartrop

[Richard Bartrop]

Some model related items.

We start seeing ads for plastic model kits in the Dec '54 issue.  Good luck getting even one for ten times that price now.

Revell's hot rod kit from the January '55 issue.

Model contest from the June '55 issue.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Richard Bartrop

[ea0863]

HRM February 1987 had to be a tremendously anticipated issue for hot rodders and scale model builders alike. Finally, the judging was concluded for the first Hot Rod National Model Contest! 

And boy, the entries certainly did not disappoint. I cannot believe the creativity and variety in these winning entries. A pop-top '34 3 window coupe, and a roadster - both with Ferrari engines in the back! How about a Firebird/Mustang/Charger exotic? Or a Nomad with an '84 Camaro rear clip. Crazy stuff!

Why not an Ed Roth inspired Mysterion "Rat Fink Under Glass"  Or a modern interpretation of the "Outlaw". And one guy decided to do the ZZ Top Afterburner car by mating it to a space shuttle (I wonder if this was the first time this was done, as I've seen a few renditions of this idea since?)

How about a '57 Chevy with gullwing doors, or a '34 Chevy monster truck! This must have been so much fun. I only wish they had shown these cars in color. I'll see if I can find them elsewhere and add them later.

This one was for you @JJ Deuce  

Edited December 25, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

The main article in HRM March 1987 that inspired me was the Olds Aerotech. Looking every bit the part of a spaceship, I remember being quite fascinated by all its technology at the time. To build one in scale would be fun, and this article a good place to start since it had lots of photos and details of the car.

[ea0863]

Otherwise, inspiration sometimes comes in a little picture stuffed into an article about 50's themed car gatherings. In this case, I saw this photo and wondered what the heck this cool thing was...

Google didn't let me down. Turns out it's called the Les Dunham Scorpion. I'll bet there is a great story in there somewhere, but the car itself is just rad!

HRM March 1987

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

And an even smaller picture yet (blown up here for your pleasure);

A few keystrokes later, and we learn it is still kicking around in all its glory.

Edited December 17, 2022 by ea0863

[keyser]

[ea0863]

17 minutes ago, keyser said:

Yeah! Two thumbs way up!  

[ea0863]

By the way all, I promise not to get too sappy, but I want to share a little something with you all. I lost my dad in September, and I have felt it more than I thought I would as he was quite elderly and had a full life. But, he and I had also spent tons of time together from my pre-teen years on working various projects. He is the one who taught me how to rebuild the 283 on my Belair station wagon, the 400 on my Pontiac Catalina, do the body work on my Audi 100LS, and on and on and on. 

So, working on this little project with Hot Rod Magazine has been a threefold blessing for me; it has been keeping me busy learning new things, allowing me to make new friends online, and allowing me to engage in a bit of nostalgia as well. So thank you all for being there for me, even though you didn't even know it. Here's a picture of me and my dad at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show - just like all of us enthusiasts, he loved anything with wheels on it!  

Edited December 25, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

So, back to our regularly scheduled programming. HRM April 1987 seems to have been a watershed event for Hot Rod Magazine, as they had their first "Swimsuit issue". To commemorate this occasion, here is one I hope you will enjoy:

Pat Ganahl in a little tongue-in-cheek editorial entitled "Are we having fun yet?"  

[ea0863]

HRM also wanted to let everyone know what the winners of their first model building competition got, and make a few announcements about the following year...

HRM April 1987

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Inspiring article about "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in his fuelie racing an F-18 Hornet fighter plane. BOTH would be fun to build and display together  

HRM April 1987

[keyser]

But did you guys ever do pads and rotors on the 100LS? Sorry about your loss, but best part is you had time and life. Huge. ??

[ea0863]

Allan Fossat's stunning '71 Corvette. I love everything about it!

HRM May 1987

Edited December 25, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

'61 Falcon truck 

[ea0863]

4 minutes ago, keyser said:

But did you guys ever do pads and rotors on the 100LS? Sorry about your loss, but best part is you had time and life. Huge. ??

Yes, and those inboard brakes were a bear!