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

[ea0863]

And likewise, it would be so cool to do up a '56 Mercury in the colors and graphics of this racer.

[OldNYJim]

On 11/15/2022 at 7:17 PM, ea0863 said:

BTW; are you all enjoying my snip-its from here and there?

I definitely am!  Keep them coming until I have time to read every single magazine myself - love getting some cool highlights!

[ea0863]

14 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

I definitely am!  Keep them coming until I have time to read every single magazine myself - love getting some cool highlights!

I'm glad you're enjoying them Jim. I've easily got 50 hours into the first ten years of HRM issues so far, and figured not everybody would have the time to go over every page as I'm doing. For me, it is not only an education in hot rod history, but of Americana in general. 

[The Junkman]

15 hours ago, ea0863 said:

Somebody actually raced B.A.T. VII?!!! All the B.A.T. cars as fascinating, and I know many have been reproduced in 1:43 scale miniatures. I do not know of any, however, that were done in 1:24 - 25 scale. HRM June 1955

I'm aware of one put out by Paul Fisher.  Unfortunately he appears to have terminated his business due to being burnt out in the 2018 Camp Fire.  Having seen one in the "metal" at the Blackhawk Collection I can vouch it is as sinuous and appealing as you would think.

https://fishermodels.indiemade.com/product/alfa-romeo-bat-5-124?tid=2

Edited November 18, 2022 by The Junkman

[Claude Thibodeau]

18 hours ago, ea0863 said:

I think I will -dog dare our friend @Claude Thibodeau to build this one since he is such a lover of Bonneville streamliners!  

HI!

Thank you for the suggestion. I have a couple in line on the building bench as we speak, but as soon as I'm done with them, who knows? Might happen!

CT

[ea0863]

4 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

HI!

Thank you for the suggestion. I have a couple in line on the building bench as we speak, but as soon as I'm done with them, who knows? Might happen!

CT

Just playing with you. I love anything you build!  

[ea0863]

BTW; for any of you wondering why I'm doing this write-up, it's simply that I feel like I fell into a diamond mine, and just want to share the find with friends! The pics I'm posting are actually ones I'm saving in my own archives for ideas on future builds. So, that having been said, tonight we push on through to the end of the '50's.

Edited November 24, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

If there was only one dragster I could ever build, it would be this DeSoto dragster from the cover of HRM November 1956. 

[keyser]

Evidently others thought same

[ea0863]

I have this Corvette SS in 1:18 scale diecast from AutoArt, and it is a beauty. For those wishing to replicate it as a scale model themselves, there is a good article with lots of photos of this vehicle in HRM June 1957

[ea0863]

1 minute ago, keyser said:

Evidently others thought same

Love it. Now I gotta get me one of those!  

[ea0863]

Here's one you don't see every day; a '57 Mercury speed racer - complete with fin. Strange and sexy at the same time!

[ea0863]

And for those times when only strange will do; a '57 dragster with a V-12 airplane engine driving a propeller! What could go wrong with that? HRM August 1957

Edited November 19, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

And of course one of the most famous customs/ models of all time - Ala Kart. This one had an article in October 1958 with great pictures of the car to aid in detailing the scale model.

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

It's fascinating how many fiberglass bodied vehicles were featured in HRM during this time period, and how many ads showed interesting shapes to rebody existing cars. I realize most of these "kits" never made it onto a vehicle, but the ones that did like this creation below certainly were interesting and beautiful in their own right. 

[ea0863]

Anybody ever see this movie advertised in HRM November 1957? Makes for great wall art, but I suspect it was a "B" movie...

 

 

[ea0863]

HRM had an obvious affinity for the '30's hot rods, so I skimmed over many gorgeous cars so as not to bore you folks with the same style over and over again, but every once in a while something so wild would pop up that I felt the need to share. Such is this creation with an exhaust system like no other. I'm not sure what they named it, but it should have been called "Pipe Dream"!  

Edited November 24, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

This is a Ferrari I would love to recreate, and a body design I've never seen anywhere else. And the story that goes with it is awesome...

HRM November 1957

[ea0863]

Great article and photos on a wrecked Mercury sedan which was repurposed as a truck. I believe the article said it was a 1957, and had quite a few pictures of the build. This would be fun to scratch-build. 

[ea0863]

12 minutes ago, ea0863 said:

There were a number of articles regarding this 1956 Chevy truck which went through a few changes over time, but this one from HRM September 1957 was one of the best in my opinion. The basic idea was that Barris was doing the customization based on input from HRM readers writing in. Came out '50's chic if you ask me.

 

[ea0863]

A very tasteful sedan made up of parts from a myriad of cars, it came out like the beautiful baby of an Italian mama and American dad! I don't know how easy it would be to replicate in plastic, but it sure would be fun to try.

[ea0863]

Excellent article on the Reventlow roadster

[ea0863]

Interesting nose job on what I think was a '56 Corvette...

HRM July 1958

[ea0863]

Okay, so I couldn't resist just one more Ford. But this Model T was just so doggone good looking! 

HRM May 1958

[ea0863]

I noticed a subset of dragsters like one where a small and light auto body - in this case a Fiat - would be placed toward the back, or hung off the rear behind the axle altogether. It makes for a very interesting look.