How to Build Fiberglass Hot Rods, Customs, and Kit Cars [Paperback]

Leroi Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tex Smith's | Publication Date: January 1995

This book covers the technology of fiberglass automobile bodies. Everything about hot rod and custom car building is covered in this book, from making molds to laying up fiberglass to working with aftermarket Glass bodies. This manual is a must for any rodder who is thinking of building his own design, or modifying something that already exists.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Cartech Inc; illustrated edition edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884089100
• ISBN-13: 978-1884089107
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

175 of 179 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Completely dissapointing and amateur book..sent back!, August 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Build Fiberglass Hot Rods, Customs, and Kit Cars (Paperback)

This book is was very dissapointing in multiple aspects...it begins with "this is not an engineering treatise" perhaps that should have been in the title; a paltry 200pages and in size16 font this book deals with the fiberglass industry and its construction in vague generalities without any regard to detail. The entire section entitled "the tools to use" says:"finishing tools are mostly sanders and polishers that are common to a car enthusiast anyway"...so "Tex" makes no suggestions about what would be good to use for fiberglass applications. There are no descriptions orinstructions,...truly the back of a Bisquick box has more in the way of chronologic instructions than is available in the book and because of this there are no pictures that relate to the subject matter on the page; the pictures themselves look as is they are snapshots taken in 1963 of "Tex"'s friends... The anecdotal approach to describing the process of fiberglass fabrication lends itself to major holes...one constantly asks themselves how to competele a concept or project that he introduces...but to no avail.. The book contains a huge number of advertisements that are wedged throughout the book, the entire second half of the book (from page 96 onward) is devoted to "mail-order bodies & parts" and "Ready-Made fiberglass composites".. for a how-to book I felt totally ripped off, I did not want to buy a catalouge of ready-made parts! This book that "Tex" made was a poor excuse for a manuscript and would certainly earn an "F" in school, it was embaressingly amateur in its presentation and I felt awkward carrying the book around... I hope that if anyone needs a book on how to truly build using reinforced plastics and/or composites I reccomend another book by Forbes Aird "Fiberglass & Composite Materials" I was floored by the difference...I can actually build something real with the guides in that book...

1.0 out of 5 stars Completely useless, August 9, 2010

By 

Douglas L. Edwards - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Build Fiberglass Hot Rods, Customs, and Kit Cars (Paperback)

The book was completely useless, mainly a advertisement for manufactuers. There was no instructions on working with fiberglass to form or repair parts. Save your money.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift, November 17, 2009

By 

Ramsey D. Nally - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Build Fiberglass Hot Rods, Customs, and Kit Cars (Paperback)

I researched and found this book for a friend who had been a auto body repairman most of his life. I gave this as a gift but he told me he found the answers he was looking for that had remained a closely guarded secret, even in the shop where he worked, by the men who knew how to set up molds for fiberglass work.