This book is for rodders of all ages. Older hot rodders will remember names and rods and perhaps a lot of memories. Young street rodders will see what the early street rods were like and the ideas that resulted in the street rods of today. The 1940's were the most important and most exciting period in the history of hotrodding. All of today's activities of street rodding, drag racing, lakes time trials and custom cars have evolved from the hot rods of the 1940's. Hot rodders have had a major influence on all areas of automotive related activities - from racing to styling to design and manufacturing. But forty years ago hot rodding included the whole thing. The rodders built, altered and maintained their own rods. Working on the rods provided a good "hands-on" education for the owners. And of course driving and testing at the lakes or on the street was more than half the fun.
This book gives a look at 1940's hot rodding throught the pictures from rodders' own photo albums. Roadsters, couples and sedans are shown on the streets and at the lakes, along with information about the cars, the owners, clubs and speeds.
The Lakes - In the 1940's the lakes were to hot rodding what the Indy 500 is to race cars. They were the most important hot rodding events. Many photos in this book were taken at the lakes, showing roadsters, coupes, sedans and streamliners. The people and the scenes show what it was like when the lakes were so popular. In addition to the photos, the SCTA and RTA records and high point winners are listed.
The Streets - Hot rodding was born on the streets. It grew up in the 40's when the hot rod was the only sporty, fast and customized car around. There weren't any Corvettes, Jaguars or Ferraris then, only the family style cars like those made by Ford, Chevy, Chrysler and Studebaker. In "Hot Rods in the Forties", you'll find many photos of the rods on the streets. Many of the same rods are also shown at the lakes with their lights and windshield removed and the exhaust "uncorked". But the streets were their real home then.
The Clubs - The key ingredient in the popularity of hot rodding in the 40's was the clubs. The main rodding activities - the lakes - were run by the clubs of SCTA and Russetta. Friendships, enthusiasm, help, education and team or club spirit all were a part of the club activities. Competition between clubs added to the fun and team spirit. In this book, lists of SCTA and Russetta clubs are included, along with their home areas. The club affiliations are noted with the photos of the rodders and their cars.