{"product_id":"so-cal-speed-shop-the-fast-tale-of-the-california-racers-who-made-hot-rod-history","title":"SO-CAL Speed Shop - The Fast Tale of the California Racers Who Made Hot Rod History","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Mark Christensen .\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUntil 1946, hot rodding was generally considered a preoccupation of gearheads and juvenile delinquents. That all changed when car-crazy vets returned from the war with sophisticated mechanical training, courtesy of Uncle Sam. \u003cstrong\u003eThis is the story of how one such ex-airman helped transform hot rodding from a scruffy underground curiosity into a defining part of American culture.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving never driven a car more than 70 miles per hour, mild-mannered Alex Xydias established So-Cal Speed Shop on the very day he was discharged from the service. Working from modest facilities, he and his cohorts would not only play a key role in establishing an entire aftermarket industry, they would also confound duck-tailed hot rod stereotypes and set the single-engine American land-speed record. In addition to showing how Xydias' childhood and military service foretold the success of So-Cal—and how So-Cal Speed Shop would establish many of the spare aesthetics that persist among hot rodders today—author Mark Christensen weaves a tale of American ingenuity whose cast of characters is a veritable who's who of early hot rodding: Dean Batchelor, Ray Brown, Vic Edelbrock, Dick Flint, Stu Hilborn, Ed Iskendarian, Barney Navarro,Wally Parks, and Ed Winfield, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinanced not by giant corporations but by whatever Xydias and his buddies could spare from their paychecks, So-Cal Speed Shop produced the first hot rods to run 170, 180, and 190 miles per hour. The iconic So-Cal belly tank fashioned from war surplus P-38 auxiliary fuel tanks upped the class record several times in 1948 and appeared on the cover of the fledgling Hot Rod magazine in January 1949. The performance of the So-Cal Streamliner led Mechanix Illustrated to designate So-Cal America's number-one race team in 1952. The legendary Double-Threat Coupe became a formidable competitor at Bonneville and a record-setter at Pomona.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated with period photos from top archives, never-before-published images from Xydias' personal collection, and color images showing the new breed of land-speed cars produced by the resurrected SO-CAL Speed Shop, Christensen's compelling narrative shows that hot rodding is pure American passion—taking chances, individual abilities, and the freedom and will to break from the pack.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003chr class=\"ProductSectionSeparator\"\u003e \u003ch3\u003eOther Details\u003c\/h3\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"ProductDetailsGrid\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003ePublisher Code:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e0760322635\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003eISBN 10:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e0760322635\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003eISBN 13:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003ePublished:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e2005\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e260x260mm\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003ePages:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e192\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003eIllustrations:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003eHard Bound, Colour and b\/w ill\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DetailRow\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Label\"\u003eBarcode:\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Value\"\u003e9780760322635\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Motorbooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47627974934748,"sku":"9780760322635","price":99.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0814\/8297\/3404\/files\/b11136b_so_cal_speed_shop__31501.1339460459.1280.1280.jpg?v=1772088560","url":"https:\/\/automotobookshop.com.au\/products\/so-cal-speed-shop-the-fast-tale-of-the-california-racers-who-made-hot-rod-history","provider":"Automoto Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}