The Age of Hot Rods

The late Albert Drake was professor emeritus of English at Michigan State University. He wrote widely in automotive magazines and was the author of a dozen books. He lived in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents



Acknowledgments     

Introduction     

Prologue: Watching Traffic     



Roots: Exhaust Cutouts and Wire Wheels     

1932 Lincoln     

George Riley     

Car Pooling     

The War Effort     

Street Scene, Los Angeles     

Gordon M. Buehrig, 1904–1990     

War Surplus     

Roots     

Growing Up     

The Service Station     

Ed Almquist     

Hot Rod Citroën     

Iron Mountain Meal     



American Gothic: Hollywood Hubcaps and Duals     

The Search for Truth     

What’s in a Name Anyway?     

Synesthesia     

American Gothic     

Old Customs Never Die     

Henry Gregor Felsen     

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men     

Love of a Fine Car     

Racing the Reaper     

Simple     

Yard Art     

Small Wonders     

Girls and Rods     

Haney’s Hot Rod     

Our ’40     



The Fabulous Fifties: Chopped and Channeled     

In the Garage     

Luke the Drifter: Hot Rodders’ Troubadour     

Oregon Original     

The First Ticket     

Traffic Court     

The Minister’s Sons     

The Original Fonz     

Bonneville Speed Week, 1955     

Summer 1955: A Sunday     

1956: The First Portland Roadster Show     

Cruising on a Vespa at Midcentury     

Scooters on Campus     

Records     

Bud’s Beanee-Weenee     

Class Angle     

The Genuine Artificial Zebra Skin Interior     

Odd Balls     

Incident     

The Mild Custom     

X-51     

The XM-800 Dream Car     

Trophies     



The Zen of Nostalgia: Reflections in a Bullnose Strip     

Hot Rodding 101: Back to Basics     

The Slo Poks Celebrate 50 Years     

Stan Mott and the Cyclops Saga     

Dave’s ’37     

Celebrating the Low Buck and Beater     

Thanks, Tex     

The Pacific Gunsight Special     

Mystery     

A la Recherche du Temps Perdu     

Hot Rodding Down Under     

In Praise of Originality     

Bruce Geisler and the Chipmunks     

The Zen of Nostalgia     

A Classic Memory     

False Memory     

The Glenn Johnson Coupe Revisited     

Bridge to the Fifties     

The Great Unwashed Deuce     

James Dean Run     

The Pan Draggers Reunion     



Coming Home: Back to the Fifties     

Coming Home     

Les Amis de Route 66     

Dale Moreau: Ace Photographer     

The Amazing Story of Tad Winiecki’s Safercycle     

CTA Reunion     

Going, Going, Gone!     

Mr. Motor Manners     

The True Meaning of Christmas     

Aussie Hot Rodder Finds Good Tin     

Hot Rods as a Belief System     

Old Dogs and New Tricks     

The Suicidals Car Club     

Wendover     

Tyler’s Tales     

Swap Meets     

Road Angels Redux     

The Outsiders     

A Letter to a Young Hot Rodder     

Hill Autotorium     

Iggy     

Living the Fabulous Fifties—Again!     

Linda Vaughn: First Lady of Motorsports     

My Brush with Greatness     

Cruisin’ the Neighborhood     

Cruising with the NW Speedsters     

The Spirits of Hot Rodding     

Sunraycers     



Index