Thread: Help needed!

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Hi! i'm a new member from Poland. I am an American Culture student and I want to write something that in the States would be called an M.A paper. The topic is: The Hot Rod As an Element of American Culture. And this is the part where I need your help guys. What i need is all kind of resources: books, magazines, single articles, brochures, movies, photos, everything about hot rod, rodding its history, and hisory of American motoring in general. I don't want to put you in trouble of sending all of this via post so I want only scanned stuff or in any other electronic form If you have them and are able and willing to share. My e-mail adresses: daniel.korbel@poczta.fm or widowmaker@poczta.fm.
I would be grateful for any kind and form of help from you guys.

Interesting subject! for movies, my favs would be Two Lane Blacktop, American Graffiti, Heart like a Wheel (drag racing, but that's the direction a lot of Rodders took)...

If you will have a section in your M.A. for home made project builds go to Hot Rod build logs or Hot Rod Talk in this forum. There you will find builds from members of this board along with (in some cases) some history of the rod and the builder. Speaking for myself only you may down load anything you can use from my build project (34 3 window re-build). I hope it won't be used in the section "How not to do a build".

Jack.

Oh man that is a wide open request!!! There are so many resources from magazines (Street Rodder, Hot Rod, etc), many books available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders as well as movies (some pretty good, others, just plain dumb) that Dave S noted above. There are thousands of photos here, at Hotrodders.com and the HAMB.

As far as the history of American motoring - 'Henry's Lady', which is about the Ford Model A is a good one, here's a link about the first transcontinental highway: http://lincolnhighway.jameslin.name/. Anything by Ken Purdy http://www.amazon.com/kings-road-Ken.../dp/B0007GTYHC

I guess a broad brush approach isn't really what you need for a Master's thesis so instead of that, why not hang in here and ask us some specific questions as you start collecting you notes

There are also things you won't find discussed in magazines, like:

One quick example is, unlike many countries, cars are available to Americans at an early age. Therefore, like other teenage discoveries, they become... like the clothes you wear... a way to be noticed. You may find rewards in being the owner/operator of a unique vehicle... an attractive custom... a powerful machine... or maybe the guy who gains friends because he has "wheels" to move others around town. When I was young, I did not see myself as just a person... but rather "the guy with the fast cars". :-)

As your involvement grows, some will find another wonderful experience in the "hot rod". The "feeling" of power", as you fall in love with controlling that beast! It is like an extension of your own body, only much more powerful! ...and I didn't even mention the adrenilin!

Another attraction is having notariety as a "driver", "builder", "upholsterer", "engine man", "metal worker", or in my case... an "artist/painter". This can become firmly attached to your ego.. or maybe some will enjoy the intricacies of their task enough to make a lifetime in that trade.

Of course it affects your social life, as you want to be with people who love what you love, and speak your language. If you are a "doer", you will organize events, or become actively involved in the participation. That kind of explains how so many of us end up in this exciting hobby for life!

I'm sure there are more aspects of this passion, that lurk behind the cars themselves.