General Automotive Reviews

Excellent book - unfortunately I didn't buy the british version right away - which comes with an extraodinary CD. So I bought the british version as well and offered the american one to a friend. LONG LIVE OLD EUROPE

Recently I bought the UK-version of this book. It is called 'Into the Red' and comes with a CD with sounds of the sportscars described in the books. I agree with all other reviewers: this CD plus book is a must-have. The pictures in the book are beautiful, the text by Mason and Hales is technically, humorously and very interesting to read. Even if you are not full into racingcars, this is still a very nice book to have in your bookcase !

It can be ordered through Amazon UK; It's called "Into The Red" and the engine sounds on the CD are awesome.

What a pleasure to read. I found the content of this book very informative with exceptional stories and wonderful photography. It really gives you an insight not only into the history the limousine, but what's really going on behind the scene. A must have - I highly recommed it!

I may be a little biased as this is the industry in which I make my living, but this book is the best collection of limousine history I have found. It is well written, well documented and well illustrated. I would recomend it to anyone who has even a remote interest in the transportation industry.

The book was fantastic. It was very comprehensive in its scope. I was concerned the book would only contain pictures and some fluff on how to build or buy a limousine.
The book is so much more than that. Every vantage point was explored making for a truly interesting read. Chauffeurs, limousine company owners, and passengers were all included and shared some interesting anecdotes. If you want to know whats really going on behind the tinted glass-get the book. If you are in or are thinking about getting in the limousine business- get the book.
In conclusion the book is well thought out and does a great job of bring these magnificent vehicles to life.

This was my favorite book when I was a little kid. It is fun to read because on every page there is this little yellow creature that you can find on every page if you look for it. There is an Officer Flossy who rides a bike and chases a terrible driver in a sports car throughout the book while the Pig family goes on a picnic. The pictures are very interesting and neat to look at.

This book is so much more than a vocabulary builder! There are dozens of modes of transportation (from motor-scrapers to locomotives to doughnut cars), real and imagined, represented in the humorous illustrations. The settings take children through various seasons and parts of a community (a farm, a Main street, a campground, a beach, etc.). The questions from your child will be endless...How is a road made? What are the firefighters doing? Has Officer Flossy found Dingo Dog yet, so she can give him a ticket? And where, oh where is that Goldbug hiding? Inside the limousine? Behind the ambulance? Inside the broken-down car that is being towed by a small tow truck, which is being towed by a larger tow truck? This is so much more than just an entertaining story to be read, but an opportunity to ask and answer questions together, to find something new each time you read together, and to explore an imagined version of the world around us. My 3 1/2 year old son has loved this book for two years and hasn't stopped requesting it, even though we own many many quality books. Okay, maybe it helps that he is obsessed with cars, trucks, and things that go to begin with. Well done, Richard Scarry!

This was my favorite book 25 years ago and now im buying it for my unborn, or for myself i cant tell. This book encourages imaginationand thinking skills.

Mr. Bragg's book is by far the best book available about the new-car buying process. He describes how an uninformed car-buyer is treated, versus how an educated and well-armed buyer is treated by the dealer sales staff, and my experience matched exactly. I bought the book after I started looking for a car, and by following his guidelines I noticed a positive change in how I was treated. By far the best part is the supplemental service he offers- a nominal fee will get you an information packet for the specific car or cars you are interested in. Mr Bragg tracks several industry sources, which he uses to generate his reports: manufacturer quality, sales performance statistics, even typical selling prices are reported. I expect to save nearly $4K on a popular model by applying his tactics!

Before I was ready to buy my first new car I spent more than a week researching car buyers' guides on internet. I was still very much confused until I bought "the Bible".

The book gives you a simple algorithm for determining the dealers' costs for the car. The actual figures for your particular vehicle you can later find on internet or (better still!) through the service provided by the author.

Once you know what the dealer paid for the car and even approximate reasonable brackets of dealers' profits, you can negotiate your deal easily, without the uncertainly which makes the process so unpleasant.

We actially enjoyed the experience!

A great confidence builder ... Will provide with the information and procedures you need to successfully negotiate a great deal!

Truckers is the first book of the Bromeliad trilogy (followed by Diggers and Wings).

Masklin and his family are the last ten nomes of their warren, devastated by cold, predators and hunger. Desperately, they set out on a last chance journey and climb up on one of the lorries of the humans.

What they'll soon discover is that this lorry has lead them to the Store of Arnold Bros (est. 1905), the home of thousands of other little nomes who, having never left the Store, think of the Outside as of nothing more than just another fairy tale. The coming of Masklin will be a great upheaval in their quiet lives. And as they learn that the Store is to be demolished, they make plans for their escape.

Although Truckers was originally written for a young audience, it's an enthralling adventure but also a story about understanding other people's ways and helping each other, and no doubt grown-ups will love it too. Because Terry Pratchett's unique sense of humour is lurking round every corner, especially when nomes try to interpret our human world... and what's more to make sense of it!

Terry Pratchet has done very well with this one and I believe I shall read the other two from the trilogy of the adventurous nomes(Diggers and Wings). I find it hillarious. These nomes live under the floorboards of a Super Market and are led to believe that there is no such thing as an outside (trees and sky are all just silly legends to them) and they beleive that the manager of the store is some kind of God. I suggest this book to every child aged 12-14. Best book ever!

These books (Truckers, Diggers, and Wings) are a fun romp! Well thought out, well told, with a liberal dose of humor. If you have read any of Terry Pratchett's "Disc World" books, you'll love this light hearted series....

Shows you lots of illustrated information & recommendations for upgrading your 90's Mustang 5.0, includes excellent how-to-install pages, useful blue prints for machining, and lots of different aftermarket 5.0 parts manufaturers with their part numbers. This book is a must for 5.0 performance modification projects.

This book appears to be a 30 year summation of experience from a veteran Ford hot-rodder. Mr. Mathis gives excellent advice on choosing the appropriate parts for a particular combo and it's all derived from hard core experience on the track and the dyno. His down-to-earth approach and plain english really cuts to the chase, this books subject matter is as correct as it gets yet very easy to understand and apply. He also pays attention to the fact that not everyone is made of money and doesn't cater exclusively to the ultra-expensive setups and parts. If you are even THINKING of upgrading your 79-93 Stang then buy this book, you won't be disapointed!

The information and detail covered in this book is the best I've ever seen. Mr. Mathis keeps the information as simple as possible by keeping the text easy to read and understand. The text is very lightnote and often times humorous to those of us who have been in situations he mentions. He covers it all from A to Z. Making very good recommendations for manufacturers and including the order number for the parts. A true "Must Have" for any Stang or Ford owner.

This is a good book, but far from a buyers giude. It tells all about VINs, colours of the cars interior and exterior vith some pictures,... But if you think this book will tell you somthing about some important weekneses of the cars, what to look out for when buying it, which cars to stay away from, you will need another book. But a good look into what's out there and a few facts about all the cars.

This has all the 911 production facts you need. If your buying or already own a 911 this book gets down to the little details. Serial numbers and every change throughout the years are explained. I was pleasantly suprised and you will be too.

The book says "Nothing says 'Porsche' more than an sleek outline of a classic 911". I say nothing says '911' more than this little "Red Book". There's enough quick and handy detail to impress your Porsche mechanic, local dealership and a couple of techs in Stuttgart. Memorize this and you'll be the talk of your local PCA chapter!

Porsche 911 Red Book 1965-1999" by Patrick C. Paternie could be called the "bible" of the 911 or at least one of them. If you are in the market for a 911 built in the first 35 years of production, I couldn't imagine making the hunt without this portable book, if detail means anything to you. It's simply that good! I kid you not, salesmen may be too intimidated to talk with you if you were armed with the complete knowledge of just one 911.

Keep in mind this book is for reference, meaning you know what features and details were available on 911's in any given year that the book covers. It's NOT a buying guide, in the sense of advising a prospective buyer what to buy or avoid. It's a tool giving you production facts. You still needs to research what car values are, how they rate and so on. If you're thinking this is all you need for buying a 911, think again.

"Red book" isn't simply limited to buying, in fact other uses could be car restoration for example, what an asset this book would be if you're a stickler for details! Selling parts would be another good reason for the book, since they're clearly catalogued or even pure research if you're a Porsche 911 junkie who can't get enough. Though the author understandibly downplays the book in a sense as not to incur any liability, the book truly is excellent with potentially many creative uses.

The intro gives good detail about VIN numbers and offers advice on where to obtain specific information on 911 models. Each chapter represent different years of 911 production and within each chapter, you find an impressive compilation of facts and stats in specific catagories or subjects. From chassis and engine serial numbers and numbers of how many were manufactured, to the Porsche serial numbering system for their models. How about color codes for production and special orders? Sure! it's in there and much, much more.

The appendix offers a great chart of 911 performance ratings throughout different production years and the bibliography makes reference to other excellent 911 resources. All in all, this is without question one of the best 911 books on the market, definitely worth it's weight in gold. The author is clear that not EVERY detail of 911's are in this book, but it is still very highly recommended!

I am an amateur racer competing in SCCA regional racing.

I found GOING FASTER to be a very useful textbook. The organization is excellent, allowing me to skip some basic information and go directly to the areas which concerned me the most. The clear an detailed description of exactly how a racing car is driven through corners helped me analize my own driving and improve my performance.

The description of each aspect of racing starts with a technical foundation and then builds to a description of how to do it in the car. I am an engineer by traning, so this combination of a theroetical treatment with practiacl advice is excellent for me.

I found the descrption of how things are in racing to be right on, and I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to try racing, as well as to the racer who wants to improve his or her perforamnce.

This is a great, detailed description of how to "Go Faster!" It represents the race driving theory taught in Skip Barber's 3-day school and will be helpful to anyone involved in racing at any level. Nothing beats the School's seat time you get under the instructors' watchful eye, but if you want to understand the how and why of race driving, this book does it best. There are some great illustrations and commentary from the pros throughout. If you can only have one racing book, this sould be the one! PS - it is a great refresher and study guide for those of you who have gone to school.

This is the perfect book if you really want to "Go Faster." I have reread this book so many times that the cover is bent. The techniques mentioned in this book can carry over to any car you drive. I race karts, and the minute I really read and understood what is mentioned, I started "Going Faster" and won my first race. I also held the fastest time for the year at my track. Great book, I highly reccomend it.

--

Shawn C.

This book provides excellent explanations and great diagrams. But I feel that it provides so many details that it can be very confusing for a beginner like me. For example, the book devotes 6 pages of the first 40 pages to just piston rings! I set out with the goal of understanding roughly how all of the parts of a car fit together and was overwhelmed with minutia about piston design. And it talks about the different procedures used to make different parts (whether they're cast iron or die-cast metal or pressure cast or pressed or forged or drop-forged or cam-ground, etc.) without describing what these mean (or, more importantly, the physical differences of the result, which is what presumably makes it worth knowing how each is made). I think the book would be significantly improved if it were reorganized to provide an introductory chapter of how the major parts of the car work (explain the four-stroke engine, for example, without mentioning considerations in piston shape and without distractions like discussing two-stroke engines, etc.) It seems like you have to read all 600 pages before everything starts to fit together. I would also like to see more discussion about why certain features make cars faster. Rather than just a taxonomy of the ways to design a certain part, I'd like to understand how the design choice affects the overall car. For example, when I go to the website of a car manufacturer and see the extra features in the sports-car version of a vehicle, I'd like to understand why exactly those make the car faster.

It may be noteworthy that I first declare my own prowess in the art of auto mechanics and engine maintenance - that being none whatsoever. Thus I started my journey through these grease-stained orange covers (evidently I picked up an older printing) still wet behind the ears, green at the gills, etc. I have emerged with a great deal of newly acquired knowledge nested in my brain. I think it would be equally useful to a seasoned pro that needs to look up a particular detail. The book provides detailed information on the various parts of the standard (int. comb. gasoline engine) automobile; starting with the fundamentals of a single-cylinder engine, working up from there, and eventually taking the reader through ignition, cooling, lubrication, fuel, exhaust, transmission, and electronic systems. This is a textbook (which explains the price), so it includes questions at the end of each chapter, which are helpful. Also, you should realize that picking up a book, even this one, will not be extremely useful if you don't have an old block or something to actually check out. Having said that, if you just desire a 'fundamental' understanding of auto mechanics, this is still a good bet (although you may want to pick it up at your library instead of buying it). Five stars!

I purchased this book to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of engines. I was a bit hesitant at first because of the somewhat high price tag, but after reading only the first part of the book, the amount of knowledge I have gained is priceless. The book is incredibly detailed but everything is explained quite clearly and in easy to understand laymans terms. The authors have taken a very technical engineering subject and have successfully made it enjoyable to read. The abundance and clarity of diagrams and technical cut-away drawings in the book is astounding. Everytime I turn the page I found myself saying 'Wow!', then spending 10 minutes looking at all the cool pictures before I begin reading. If you are thinking about becoming a do-it-yourself mechanic or just want to know anything and everything about the workings of automobiles, this book is excellent.

Anyone who sets out to buy an old Volkswagen will hear this book mentioned again and again, usually with great reverence and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. Well folks, it is simply not all that. Don't get me wrong -- I'm happy I bought this book, and I refer to it often -- but like other reviewers here have pointed out, it's awfully overrated within VW circles. The instructions are biased towards pre-68 cars and often gloss over details; it's very hard to track down specific solutions when all you know are the symptoms; and the diagrams, though extremely well-drawn, aren't always as effective as real photographs of the car and its parts. When I'm trying to learn how to repair something on my Beetle, I read this book first to get a friendly introduction to the work involved... but the other manuals are the ones I actually take outside to the car.

So if you've just bought a "new" Beetle or Bus that needs a lot of repair, buy this book -- but get the Bentley shop manual for your model and year at the same time as you will need to refer to it a lot. I recommend the Haynes manuals, too; they give the same procedures but in a highly effective "steps + pictures" format.

I have owned 5 VW's in my life time and wouldn't be with out this book. I have overhauled several bug engines and a bus engines following this book with great success. I have had everything from a '63 bus to a '75 bus with a few bugs in between (a friend and I even put together a 2 cylinder bug engine) with each vehicle I would purchase a copy of " How to Keep your VW Alive" and when I sold the Vehicle I would offer the book to the new owner. I have given copies of the book to friends with VWs and a copy to my son when he bought a '74 bug several years ago. In the summer 1973 my sister, her child of 5, and husband left the USA for a tour of Europe by VW bus. I gave them a copy of Muirs book and it helped keep them "Keep on Trucking" on thier merry way.

A must have for all air cooled vw owners.....