Explore the wide open spaces of Arizona with this guide to roads less traveled and awe-inspiring sights less seen.
Backroads of Arizona guides you into the heart of Arizona’s sun-shiny beauty and fascinating history. In this thoroughly updated edition, you’ll find twenty-five driving tours and adventures that take you off the beaten path to stunning landscapes and breathtakingly beautiful vistas. Marvel at the multicolored hues of the Painted Desert and the jaw-dropping majesty of the snowcapped San Francisco Peaks. Wander into a sky-high forest of regal ponderosa pines and quaking aspens near Flagstaff, scan the deep blue waters of Lake Havasu on the western border, and feel dwarfed by the incredible Grand Canyon. With scenic drives in all corners of the state, Backroads of Arizona offers insight into Arizona’s rich history, from the Spanish conquistadors seeking the legendary cities of gold to the Wild West shootout at Tombstone’s OK Corral.
Thanks to the maps and directions to the Grand Canyon State’s unique scenic, historic, and cultural attractions, you can explore prehistoric cliff dwellings, hike to see a mountainside of cacti in bloom, or get your kicks on Route 66. This second edition includes new routes along timeless roads, with fresh images and pithy stories of what can be found along the way. Discover something off the beaten path, and make memories you’ll never forget.
After World War II, suburbs proliferated around California cities as returning soldiers traded in their uniforms for business suits. After-hours leisure activities took on an island-themed sensuality that bloomed from a new fascination with Polynesia and Hawaii. Movies and television shows filmed in Malibu and Burbank urged viewers to escape everyday life with the likes of Gidget and Hawaiian Eye. Restaurants like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s sprang up to answer the demand for wild cocktails and even wilder décor. The culture–a strange hodgepodge of idols, torches, lush greenery and colorful drinks–beckoned men and women to lose themselves in exotic music and surf tunes. Authors Jason Henderson and Adam Foshko explore the state’s midcentury fascination with all things Tiki.
SIGNED By Isky and Matt Stone
To tell the life story of Ed “Isky” Iskenderian is to tell the history of hot rodding in America. Ed was there from the very beginning. Born in 1921 to first-generation Armenian immigrants, Ed’s first hobby was ham radio, but like many young men in the years before World War II, his interest turned to automobiles, especially hot rods. Ed had natural skills in metal working and machining that were developed in high school. He wanted to further develop those skills, so he joined the Air Corps to continue his education and flew with Air Transport Command. By the time Ed mustered out of the service, the California hot rod scene was in full bloom, with tens of thousands of vets who had the desire to make cars go fast.
Isky: Ed “Isky” Iskenderian and the History of Hot Rodding, tells the whole story, from his pre-war Lake Muroc and car club activities, his service in the military, starting a small business fabricating parts and making cams in the back of a rented shop, and then selling cams to other rodders. It covers how he grew a business from a single cam grinder and became the leading cam authority in barely 10 years. Ed was a gifted machinist, and he also had a natural knack for promotion. He purchased an ad in the very first edition of Hot Rod magazine, sensing something big; his instincts, as always, were right. He was also the first to use T-shirts and uniforms as promotion. Not only was he an early pioneer in the industry for print adverting and catalogs, he was also among the first to understand the value of having successful race cars using his cams in their engines and wearing his decals on their fenders. The biggest names in the racing industry were running Isky cams, and Ed made sure the world knew it.
Ed’s company name went on to become one of the household names in the performance community. His continued success is an entertaining tale of mingling with industry icons, insight into the business of hot rodding, great stories of yesterday and today, and a life very well lived. You will enjoy the stories recorded here as much as Ed “Isky” Iskenderian seems to enjoy telling them.
A call from a stranger leads me on a journey I could never have imagined. The caller said he had my uncle’s car. How could this be? My uncle died in WW II when his plane was shot down over the Bay of Biscay off the coast of England. After some questioning I realized I had the opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity to learn a bit about the uncle I had heard about my entire life, an uncle who died 3 years before I was born, an uncle I had always wanted to know more about. I also was being given the gift of a car that had been built by this uncle’s own hands and the hands of those he had been close to in his final years. The real treasure was the bond I formed with a man and the incredible story he told. The story of my uncle, the building of the car, and the people they both loved. The Special is a fact based novel; the story of family, love and trust in the face of worldwide catastrophe. In 1941 Billy Pendleton hitch-hiked to California to seek his fortune; little did he know what the future would bring. After encouragement from his new found friend and landlord he is soon building an automobile to set speed records and rubbing elbows with some of the legends of motor racing history. Into this heady world walked the woman that would change his life forever. As the car is built romance blooms and the world slips into a war that will touch every person on the planet.
The photos in this edition are black and white.
The Corvette is in a league of its own. With a fanatical following and legendary performance reputation, GM has continuously produced model after memorable model starting in 1953 and continuing today. As long as there is a car culture, the Corvette will continue to appeal to legions of enthusiasts. As such, these most of these cars will require a restoration during their lifetime, and that’s where this book comes in. While some Corvette concourse restorations will be entrusted to professional restoration shops, many knowledgeable and skilled owners take pride in performing restoration work on their own.
The Corvette C2, or second generation Corvette, is among the most popular of all Corvettes ever built. This book offers an ample amount of step-by-step information in color and focus on real-world restoration techniques. In addition, it contains essential authenticity information and key considerations involved in the restoration process. This guide will cover all aspects of the restoration process, including engines and drivelines, bodywork, paint, interior and trim, suspension, brakes, chassis, and steering.
Author Chris Petris owns and runs Petris Enterprises, a respected Corvette restoration and parts supply business and has been a Bloomington Gold School Technical Instructor for 9 years. Corvette owners are a discriminating group and you are shown how to restore your car and retain the originality of the car within practical budgets. Whether you would like to try and tackle your own restoration, or simply want to know how the successful pros like Petris do it, this Restoration Series title has you covered.
SIGNED
Stretching from Ventura to Santa Maria, California, a vibrant and colorful community of hot rod clubs bloomed throughout the middle of the 20th century. Hot Rodding in Ventura County takes a look at the people, places, and, above all, the cars that made up this historic period in automotive culture. Take a look into the golden years of hot rodding through vintage images of the first national championship drag races; visit long-lost drag strips such as Goleta, Saugus, and Santa Maria; and gain access to hot rodding’s paramount clubs like the Motor Monarchs, the Kustomeers, and the Pharaohs.
