General Automotive Reviews

i gave this book 4 stars because i enjoyed reading it. it was very informative and provided me with information i might not have been able to find elsewhere. it shows many examples of actual race cars which have used various designs which are unique and interesting. however, it is not written for engineers or someone looking to really apply what they learn in this book. as much as i believe that testing a product is the best way to gather information on it, mathematical formulas are sometimes needed to support your hypothesis. this book seemed to aviod using math as much as possible. it did not touch on reynolds numbers and other important areas related to aerodynamics.

Like his book on chassis design, I found this to whet the appetite, but fail to feed it once whetted!!

While it gave a good all round view of the aerodynamic field, I would have been pleased to see more diagramatic representations - for example, a graphic of a sports car, with many of the features in the text pointed out. In fact more graphics overall of the various things discussed would improve the book no end - a picture says a thousand word is especially applicable when it comes to aerodynamics!

My main problem with the book is that it didnt leave me thinking I could pen a quick diagram, that although not world class, would at least have features that would be better than someone who hadn't read the book. Of course, that could just be me!

A truly excellent book for the keen motorsport fan or engineer seeking to understand the essence of aerodynamics for racecars. It might lack solid math formulas but the simplistic approach taken by the author greatly eases the process of understanding the 'black' art of aerodynamics. A book you can't put down. With its combination of clear points and quality black and white illustrations this is a book that you will read many times over.

I was there during this era, as the wife of a driver, as a licensed flagman and while I thought this book made a heroic effort to cover this very exciting time I thought it missed the true uniqueness of the era which was the beauty of the people and the mystery of the machines. This book spends a lot of time talking in depth about a few people, one of the author's brothers for example. It is really not so much about American racing as it is about California racing - lines saying that Sports car racing (even Vintage car racing) may have begun in the Northeast but came to maturity in California give evidence to the bias toward covering this era with a definite prejudice toward certain people and certain geography. Like a previous reader, I too would like to see Volumn II perhaps the authors can cover the era with more of an eye to history and less self interest. However, to their credit these authors have assembled a tremendous number of interesting photos and despite the wordiness of the text much fascinating data.

When my book "American Racing ~ Road Racing In The 50s and 60s" was published I was deluged by calls from the West coast. Everybody wanted to know, "When are you going to do a book about West coast racing." I had to tell them I never photographed over there.

Well here it is "American Sports Car Racing in the 1950s" by Michael Lynch. And it is a winner! I learned things about the racing scene on the left coast that boggled my mind.

Michael Lynch's words hooked me and I could not put the book down. He owes a couple of nights sleep!

"American Sports Car Racing in the 1950s" is the perfect companion to my book.

I highly recommend it. Buy it today.

Tom Burnside

I was there at St Jo and Elkhart and Sebring and the airport circuits in the Midwest and this book is awash in memories. The pictures are perfect for bringing back the cars and the people that as a teenager I worshiped...remembering the ride with neighbor Masten in the Allard to the Leawood drug store on snowy streets to buy the lone copy of Road & Track. We didn't have California, but the trickle down was pretty good...Denise at Meadowdale, Hall in Kansas, Bunker and Katskee and the rest. I sold my '32 Ford for an MG and never looked back...American Sports Car racing as I recall and Lynch describes formed a life long love for the era and the cars...as I read now sitting in my '54 Morgan in my garage with a can of Schlitz. This book is a keeper.

There is a lot of useful information between the covers of this book and it was a great help but I'm left with this vague sense of having missed something even though I read it cover to cover. There is substance but it's a little light on detail which the 170 pages would tend to bear out. While I gained a lot of clues, I still feel that I need to read another book in order to really know what I'm doing. Some how-to books are satisfying like a shotgun blast at close range... Their authors just lay out what you need to know and deliver it in a way that imparts confidence. This book is like being hit by a scattergun from 100 yards- you pick up a lot but don't really know exactly how much flew right on by. This guy kinda meanders all over the place seemingly without a coherent outline. I felt that the author really knows his stuff but left out a lot of necessary context that a beginner like myself needs to form a clear picture. And the typos, (hundreds!) missing sentences, and even missing paragraphs just about drove me nuts at one point. But they lessen towards the end of the book. Still, the price was right and it brought me to 5 on a scale of 10 so I can't really complain too much.

The publishing date of '98 dates it a little also. Seems like everything is going the way of computers and computer information where 6 mos. old is already obsolete. These poor authors are just going to have to realize that if they have the impulse to write a book then they are going to have to resign themselves to update them every two or three years or they will rapidly become useless! All knowledge and technology is just moving so danged fast these days.

So, I would buy it again but I ain't about to spend hundreds of bucks on paint and create a disaster until I find some better information.

This book is both informational and entertaining if you have an interest in painting your own car/s. This is the first book I have ever picked up on automotive painting and it has paved the way for me. I will obviously use more resources, but this was a spectacular start.

This is really a great book on "how to" do a paint job on your car. I liked Boyd Coddington's How to Paint Your Hod Rod a bit better, but it has less scope than this book. It covers a new paint job, but this book covers everything...paint types, repairs, resprays and even paint care. A great book.

As a former sailor and current resident of Virginia Beach, I was stunned to learn that much of this entire story happened in familiar places surrounding me. The author spares no details and does not hesitate to give addresses, places, names, etc. to make the story come to life.

I read this book over a weekend because I simply could not put it down. I enjoy the way the story was told. Our country should thank the FBI, Bob Hunter, and his team for their professionalism in catching America's most damaging spy.

Excellent true spy story from the justics side of the case. Other books ont his case don't cover this much at all. The author (and case agent) is a good, unpretentious storyteller.

Espionage stories like this are usually fiction! The author tells his story in a casual way, like he's talking to you personally over a glass of ale. He's a character himseld!

This book gives a fair amount of coverage on the intended topic. It also has got lots of contents/parts which are common in Maximum Boost, both by the same author. Very suitable for someone trying to understand what is forced induction but not a good reference for experienced tuners. The contents do not cover carburator type forcefed engines in detail and do not encourage them as well. Fuel injected engines are more favoured here. The contents are also made up of a fair bit of the author's opinion rather than pure engineering facts. Got to be really careful in understanding and excepting certain facts which do not have engineering bearing at all. Considering the selection of books you have on this topic ie. Pat Ganahl, this one is a bit better. Lets see if someone can write a better one in time to come. Having read & own supercharged, maximum boost, street supercharging and A series tuning, only the last one covers a certain setup in great detail of what an experienced tuner should do. The worst is probably street supercharging which shows some pics and lots of words but no calculations to guide. Also, probably depends on the reader's area of interest as forcefeeding can be done for both FI and carby engines.

Wow, I wasn't really expecting what I read. Very good book, it threw me off guard on how much work is needed to get one of those things running. This subjsct wasn't something I was really interested in, but it's a very good book.

If you had to choose just one book on supercharging to make an educated decision it would be this one. It starts out with basic engine thermodynamics and moves on to every aspect up to installation. All inclusive and very informative. The layout of the the books information reminds me of an older book "The Design and Tuning of Competition Engines" which most hardcore motor heads agree is a great book. From theory to application this book is written in plain language so you do not need an engineering degree to understand it, but it does delve very deeply in every chapter. It gives you the foresight and knowledge that will help you make informed desicions on what to buy and how to set up you supercharger. With so many books on the subject that are more photos than infomation I lucked out by stumbling on this one. I highly recommend it.

Paul Matthews from UK. Hampshire Very good mechanical guide. Not so good on body fixtures The Haynes manuals have like most car manuals restricted their usually comprehensive coverage of everythng and more about your model to the limited scope that a DIY mechanic is "able to perform". This is due a lot to the complicated electrical control that most cars now support. The replace that black box for £400 and that will solve it type of car. The Haynes Manual as always cannot be faulted on the Engine strip downs and re-builds, brakes, susspension etc. All the "mechanical" aspects are their. The only dissapointment I had was with the coverage of the body work fittings, fixtures etc. (No mention of the Sun roof fitted as standard on most models!) The manual covers the dates 1986-1993 however it does not cover the change in Model body types fully. This is a wide scope to cover I appreciate the vast number of car models but how about a narrower view, cover single models per book as most info will be a duplication but the body fixtures could be in greater detail. Other than this a great Manual as always from Haynes.

Toyota Celica Fwd Automotive Repair Manual : Models Covered : All Toyota Celica Front Wheel Drive Models 1986 Through 1993 (Haynes Auto Repair manuals by Larry Warren, John H. Haynes

It is good

The book does not contain a schematic diagram of the 40 IDF, one of the most popular carburetors for Porsche 356 and is not of much value to me. I would not have purchased it if I had known this.

The charts and carb info are great. The book explains the concepts and implications of the designs, and has many useful illustrations. For the covered carbs, the disassembly photos are superb. However, it does NOT cover the DFAV, DFEV, ICT, IDF, or DCNF carbs, which are some of the most popular. Steps necessary to determine correct jetting are not covered, which is too bad because there is great detail about the jets and how to change them.

I read this book in one day and then began a complete disassembly of my 40DCOE18 carbs the next day. Where the text was a bit unclear, the pictures more than made up for it. I was able to do both carbs in about 4 hours with no surprises and feeling a lot more confident that I'll be able to tune these when my car gets reassembled in about a month. Great book. Realize that, at this stage, I'm not tuning for racing - so take these comments with that perspective.

full of multiple choice and filling blanks, it's more like a practical book, no real picture, just few fig. I was reallllllllly disppointed when I open it!
God!
there is even a CD of practical at the back of this book!

This book is like my automotive bible, I am from Trinidad and own my automtive shop, getting up to date in the automotive field here is a real problem, this book gave me the opportunity to better myself in my field. It also helped me to passed the A1 and A8 ASE certification in one try that was recently introduced into my country 1 year ago. I highly recommend this book to all interested in this field.

This is probably the 4th book from Jack Erjavec that I have read. He was an instructor at a college I attended in the 90's. Without a doubt, one of the most interesting men I've ever met. I am still in the automotive industry and have been for ten years. I will undoubtedly be learning from Jack my whole life.

this book was quite a disappointment. the information is all here, but the photo selection and quality are decidedly 'low-budget.' and, if you are a fan of the current 'king of the mountain' in terms of the bmw 5-series line (and, i dare say, even amongst the so-called 'super-exotic' cars in general) - the e39 m5 - then this book is downright atrocious. many of the photos were take-offs of pdf photos found on many of the more popular bmw enthusiasts websites.

when you have hobbyists as fanatical as bmw 5-series owners are, and, in particular, bmw m5 owners (e28, e34 or e39), then you had better well treat them to a lavish, extravagant photo montage.

other books do this better, in my humble opinion.

I recently purchased a "classic" 5 series BMW. I love the older style of the E-12 and the E-28 models to the all-too-common look of recent 5 series, which look way too much like Toyota Camry's. "Not that there is anything wrong with that"! (an homage to the millions of Camry owners). So, I had great interest in this book as a recent convert to the marquee.

Sadly, there was no mention of my particular model, the US 1987 535is. Despite this disappointment, the book is excellent and the photos of rare and European models not often seen here in the States are wonderful. The text is also quite interesting as were the unexpected photos of US cars like the Camero and the Pacer, shown as examples of what was "also" being produced in those years.

My only complaint about the book is that it is not laid out quite right. While loosely chronological, the book does skip around a bit, and would be improved greatly by back-to-back photos of all 5 series models to show the change and development of the series over the last 30 years. Also rarely mentioned was the precursor to the 5 series model - the Bavaria. Like all things BMW, the book is more expensive than it needs to be. Nonetheless, a good book for the enthusiast.

A well researched and written book on the history of the e12, e28, e34 & e39 5 series generations. Some interesting new facts revealed by this title. The good coverage of US spec 5 series models made a refreshing change from the usual UK publications. Pricey, but worth a look.

If your restoring your own camaro, (and you do your own restoration work) you'd think this would be a good book to get. However, if your like me, you already own the GM overhaul/chasis manual, the fisher body manual, the wiring diagram and the factory assembly manual. I bought this book thinking it would aid me in restoring my camaro. Instead, this book is nothing but a bunch of diagrams/clips taken from the books mentioned above but in much less detail.

I am surprised the other two reviews were real positive because if you already have the factory manuals, it renders this book useless and quite lacking. This book does have a good bit of facts and codes but if your looking for that type of info, go for the Big Book of Camaro Data.

For real "how to" type applications and in a step-by-step procedure in bringing your camaro back to life I recommend the Camaro Restoration Handbook by Currao and the Camaro Owner's Handbook by Sessions. Check 'em out.

The Camaro Restoration Handbook is a very useful reference for the "real world" aspects of Camaro restoration. It discusses specific procedures for removal, repair, and replacement of virtually every major part of the body of the car in detail, including a lot of useful tips one wouldn't find in a service manual.

It is a little skimpy on engine info, for which I suggest the Haynes Chevrolet Engine Overhaul Manual (cheap) and the official Chevrolet service manual for your car (expensive). Also, this book is not very useful for identifying parts in a full restoration; look to Jason Scott's "Camaro Restoration Guide" for 1967-69 models.

Overall, it is an excellent source of information on the manual labor side of Camaro restoration.

This is by far one of the best, if not the best reference guide for restoring a 1967, 68 or 69 Camaro. Production codes, trim codes, RPO codes as well as complete original assembly manual guides an illustrations are included.

If you're looking for the best reference to restore that classic Camaro to factory correct specs... this is it!