Yates balances the history of Livingstone's T with the story of his own evolution as a hot rodder and performance enthusiast, leading up to his discovery of the car (several decades after it essentially disappeared) and its subsequent revival. The parallel stories are put in the broader context of hot rodding's formative years, and Yates hits every milestone, including the birth of drag racing, the creation of the NHRA and other organizations, the involvement of rodding magazines, trends in the hobby, and practically every prominent person in the sport at that time. The story of the Eliminator is still unfolding, of course. Yates' history of the first 50 years of this incredible hot rod is really the history of hot rodding itself.
The Hot Rod: Resurrection of a Legend by Brock Yates, published by MBI Publishing Company, is available for $24.95 at better bookstores, or through Classic Motorbooks at (800) 826-6600 or www.motorbooks.com.
Top 10 Hot Rod Bumper Stickers We'd Love to See10. I brake for junkyards.9. My kid can rebuild a flathead better than your honor student.8. Practice random demonstrations of speed.7. I primer.6. Warning: Objects in my mirror appear to be you.5. Save water. Do burnouts with a friend.4. Forget the whales. Save a hot rod.3. Tuner cars. Not just for breakfast anymore.2. If you can read this, I guess I won.1. My other car was used to build this one.
Two New Customs From D'AgostinoJohn D'Agostino sure has a knack for coming up with some amazing, high-profile contemporary customs. He recently sent us these renderings from M.K. John Studio in Montgomery City, Missouri, illustrating a couple of new customs that, by now, have made their debut.
"The Gable" is inspired by the '41 Packard "Hollywood" Darrin Convertible styled by Howard "Dutch" Darrin and built for actor Clark Gable by coachbuilders Bohman and Schwartz. This car, along with the "El Conquistador" '67 Cadillac Eldorado, were scheduled to debut at the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show, held January 9-11 at the Cow Palace.
Cyber Roddin'This month's chartered tour of auto-related sites breaks down in three locations: the online gallery of a classic car artist, a fun club site, and a tech site just right for April 1st.
Featured Artistwww.terriunfugartist.comWe now save a Cyber Roddin' spot for a talented painter, illustrator, or sculptor working with the subject of hot rods and customs. Terri Unfug paints automotive subjects that "originate in the garages, backyards, and alleys of southwest Virginia." Her studio is a two-car garage, and she frequents rod runs and cruises when not painting. She chooses to paint classic cars, first because she loves them, and also because she recognizes that car builders are artists too. Her work is fine art oil painting on canvas. Subjects include whole cars or details, done in a beautiful portrait style. Paintings are offered for sale on the site, and Terri also does commissioned car portraits based on photographs.
The Name Says It Allwww.oldfartsracingteam.orgThe team with the flattering name is based out of Riverside, California. Its two founders created the club and this Web site ten years ago to promote club participation and events-and because it sounded like a fun thing to do. This site is not what you'd call elaborate, limited pretty much to listings of club activities and regional shows, articles by a few of the members, event coverage, and a currently-under-construction page dedicated to car features on member rods, customs, trucks, and musclecars. We drop in from time to time just to see how the Old Farts are doing. According to the site, the Old Farts Racing Team also has a 14-page newsletter, called the Gaseous Gazette, which is published six times a year.