General Automotive Reviews

Easy to read, ample pictures, and clear concise language. Recommended for those who are looking at getting into kitcars/hot rods or those just starting off on a first project. It touches base on the different systems of a car, enough specifics to let you get a feel, though it's a bit too general for helping out in the tight spots of specific cars.
As mentioned, handbook is probably a bit too strong a word to use for this book. The subtitle, however, points in a much better direction. This book covers those little things that you would usually only learn after your first time. It tries to impart that little bit of wisdom and experience to the reader. My copy was published in 1997, so one or two things don't keep on the cutting edge of the industry, but then most people who would find this useful aren't going to have a state of the art garage either.
Definately a good addition to the garage library for those interested in working on cars from the ground up, and looking for a helpful guide.

It is a very good book for someone who is interested in building a car from the chassis up. It gives a good techniques on suspension and brakes. It also gives points on some mistakes others have made and trys to steer you clear of them. I have built several kit cars and this time I am building the frame and suspension. The book does not add too much help for one who is just putting a fiberglas body on a donor car. The instruction manual from the manufacturer would be much more valuable.

This book helped me builder my kitcar. I was a first time builder and i was having a difficult time building. I bought the book and it became a lot easier.

I wish I could have access to the info the 'professionals' have on the torques and specifics of my exact car. I have a '96 Accord EX and it works very well...except when I need to use this book for the VTEC 2.2...I had to dig through the book and analyze deep into a picture to pick out the 4th wire to get the firing order of my engine. It was amazing how out of every possiblity the book listed everything wrong. This book will give you some information but it's not to be totally depended upon. BE CAREFUL!

I am here looking for another service repair manual as the Haynes book has failed me three times now. The illustrations are lacking and the insructions often abbreviate some steps assuming you know what to do.

It does contain a lot of information but is severly lacking on helping one to locate the components.

This book covers complicated tasks such as engine overhauling and body repair very well. (Over all there is a need for more pictures though). But it does not cover in much detail anything beyond that, power steering pump repair for example or transaxle repair. I guess it is written for the home mechanic with limited skill or tools. It has a lot of sections on how to take parts off and put it back on but little on the details: for example electrical diagrams are not accurate as they only publish "Typical" wiring diagrams. So it is good for simple repairs only. Trouble shooting symptoms is sorely lacking. There are many sections on how to take a part off but not why or when you should take it off: for example how to trouble shoot when your injection valves need cleaning or how to determine when a pinging sound is due to the shock mount or a tie rod. Variations on the car engines were covered well from the non VTEC 2.2 L engines to the V6. This book however does not cover the 2.0L engine so some asian buyers be careful. It does not cover the transaxles much beyond taking it off and sending it for repair in an authorized shop.

In summary the book has some good and detailed sections for the the experienced mechanic like engine overhaul and some less detailed sections for the home mechanic like removing a power steering pump and brining it to an authorized repair shop. For its price I think the book is worth it. If there is something wrong with your car you have to diagnose it yourself as this book has limited diagnosis specific to the Accord. After you find out what the cause is, most likely the book will show you how to take the part off, then your are on your own.

This book is great for the beginner or the semi-experienced. There is a lot of useful information and detail. Some aspects are outdated but overall the book is very accurate. Keep in mind this is a textbook and it reads like one. However, if auto mechanics is your interest then you should have no problem enjoying this book.

This is a pretty good book for either the inexperienced or master mechanic. I would recommend this book to any person who is limited in knowing the inner wotkings of their cars and would like to know what the mechanic is really talking about. The chapters in this book will give you basic information on how the different systems work in your car from engines to brake systems to drivetrain systems. the second part of the chapter will give you tips on how to troubleshoot and repair your car, if you decide to take the task upon yourself. This book provides highly detailed pictures and diagrams and explains everything in easy to understand terminology.

If modern automotive technology fascinates you (as it fascinates me), you will absolutely love it. Duffy really drives home the key points about the computer and electrical systems.

From one enthusiast to another - great job Frank.

I, too, did not read the fine print and bought the paperback edition of this book, although both are titled "(Workbook)". I'm not sure where it states that the paperback was the workbook and the harcover was the manual, but the workbook is worthless without the manual. My advice? Buy the hardcover and hope that it includes the material rather than the questions.

I read the reviews, which is the biggest reason I purchased the book. I ordered the book, and when it arrived I found it was just the workbook. Ok, my fault I thought there was a hardcover and softcover edition. I didn't realized the reviews were referring to the text book that goes with this work book. Again, my fault. I ordered the book the same day from motolit.com. Anyway, just be aware that you need another book to go with this.

Get this book if your new to the motorcycle trade or are just a home mechanic. Its is great, a numskull like me could understand and follow what was being taugh. This book is worth it's weight in gold.

I guess the book gives a decent overview of composite construction in homebuilt aircraft. But I concur with the other reviewer that it is poorly edited (written), a little incoherent, and (this bothers me the most) contains illustrations with no text directing the reader to them. I guess you're supposed to figure out for yourself which drawing goes with the text you're currently reading. Frustrating, i tell ya.

This 2nd Edition is copyrighted 2000 (though another section says the book is written in 1995) but much of the information is ten years out of date. The book could also benefit from a book copy editor - there are too many typos and the text does not have a good flow from idea to idea.

On the other hand, for the price, this is a good basic introduction to composite aircraft construction.

Since getting my first set of plans for Jack's "lambie lasarator" as a child (around 1970?) Jack has effected my life in a positive manner. Now at 45 years old, I am a better builder for having read: Composite construction for homebuilt aircraft.
Thanks,
N.Brian DelCampo
Racine, WI.

I found this book the very best covering creating complex metal forms out of flat metal sheet. Anyone interestaed in forming unique parts or limited series sheet metal products will find a wealth of information. Anybody interested in Aircraft construction and repair, automotive prototypes, racing cars and compond-curve fabrication will find this book of extreme interest.

Did you ever wonder how those beautiful streamlined surfaces on boats, yachts, aircraft and racing cars are made today? There are two possible answers: fiberglass or sheet metal. I can guarantee that skilled craftsmen can produce those beautiful forms, faster, stronger and cheaper with metal than with fiberglass!

I only have a few metal working tools in my garage but I enjoy the craft and I have spent quite a bit of time learning the tricks. This is the best book I have found on sheet metal. I picked up a lot of tricks and techniques that I have not found in any other book. Get this book before you tackle that next project, you will be glad you did!

The negative review about the misleading title is very unfair.

The world is waiting for a comprehensive, objective, thorough review of the history and characteristics of the Countach. This isn't it. Dron manages to show a lot of (not very good) pictures, write a lot of babble, and skimp on substance. He also manages to throw in a few gratuitous insults of Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari cars... hardly a sign of objective reporting.
It's a fine book for twelve-year-olds with Countach posters on their bedroom walls, I suppose; a serious student of Italian exotics or a serious potential Countach buyer will derive little of value from this volume.

If you are considering the purchase of a Countach, it is likely to be a used one and there is precious little information to be had on these cars. Much of Peter Dron's book consists of a light historical treatment, collected reviews and opinions from auto magazines over the years. This is useful to a degree, one does need to know characteristic data, but magazine reviews are usually pretty slim on other information that serious buyers might like to know.

True, many owners of Countachs buy them as trophies and barely break them in. Yes, there are a few racing enthusiasts. But there are also a few mundane souls who would really like to go out and drive this sort of car, rather than just invest in it, stare at it in a garage or tinker with it.

So how reliable is it day after day? Approximately how expensive is it to maintain? By 1995 this type of information should be known for each generation of the car. You won't find this in Consumer Reports either. This market ain't exactly their bailiwick. You need to talk to owners and shops.

Dron's book is useful. Much of the information that a buyer does want is in there. It could and should have been quite a bit better, but I do recommend purchasing it if you are interested in this car.

A book on the evolution of the Lamborghini Countac

It was the worst $ I ever spent. This book is hard to use, It has terrible content, and not to mention it reads like it was written by a six year old. don't buy this book!

I was quite dissapointed with the ambiguity and writing style in this book. I was hoping to use this as a guide to my vw repair and restoration but now it has taken the place amongst the "last resort" resource manuals for vw repair. The book seemed to magically jump from stage to stage of repair with no clear transition. After reading the section four times I'm still not sure how they got the car off the pan! The book was written using British colloqualisms and terminology, which was very hard for me to understand. On a positive note he does give a good introduction to welding and welding tools as well as other specialty tools used in classic car restoration. All in all I would say that given the chance I would return the book for a full refund and if I saw it for sale used somewhere I might pick it up if it did not cost too much.

I found this to be a very interesting and useful book. The refreshing British tendency to really rip a car down to its guts is evident here, with nice photos of the rusted pan being restored, for example. I especially liked the photo of the restorer bandaging his hand after cutting it on some sharp piece of the car; really shows the nitty-gritty of the restoration.

The author's enthusiasm and passion for VW's, and his intelligence and wit, come through clearly. A charming and helpful addition to my VW library.

I try to buy all the new Beetle books since I am a Bug collector. This one is an embarassment, especially at the price. There ae so many errors and the production quality is cheesey. For the same price I bought Dan Ouellette's book and got a great piece of research and fun reading. The author of this book should stick to whatever else he does for a living, not writing about Volkswagens

Just a quick note to answer the two unsatisfied customers above. Shame that one of them cannot bring himself to leave his name (which suggests his views are not worth considering...). Sorry you thought it "cheesey" and that I should stick to what I do best, rather than write about VWs. Sorry, but that's my job, as founding editor of VolksWorld magazine etc.... On the matter of the two South American references from our other friend, by way of defence, the pic of Mexico City was actually marked up by Volkswagen's archive department as Brazil. Never having been there, I had to take VW's word! In the other picture caption, I do not actually say that the car is from Brazil - just South America. Sorry to be picky but we authors have a hard enough time as it is! I hope everyone enjoys the book as much as I did doing the pic research. Just wait for the next two from me due out in 2002.

Covers everything from the Beetles' origins in pre-war Germany, thru to the new Beetle. Detailed photographs and literature charting the progress of this little car. The original VW sales brochures' artwork are now classics in their own right.

Good sections on history, racing, customizing and "odd" Beetles (the stretch-limo-bug has to be seen, to be believed!). Also looks briefly at Karmann Ghias and other 'sister' cars.

Written in a non-anorak style that makes for easy reading.

Excellent, thoroughly recommended to anyone!

Where am I coming from: I am an engineer in the automotive tooling industry and I am building a Cobra Replica from scratch. I purchased this book (and others) to help me define what I need to design and build an updated chassis from the 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C. Prints on this chassis are available so I am converting them via AutoCAD.

I rated this book lower than it may have deserved because it did not inform me of the "Nuts and Bolts" of suspension design. The author did a fine job relating the different types of chassis and why they came about.

After reading other books that covered the placement of suspension and how it effects the chassis, or vice-versa, I found the detailed information to be filler material, dry, and cumbersome.

The filler material made good conversational detail of each subject, but did not fill my basic design needs. I would say this book makes a good complementary reference to a suspension book with definitions. The details can then have meaning to the reader. As a first book for the consumer, it will not be satisfying if you are interested in building a chassis.

If I had known nothing about chassis design and this was the first book I had read, then I would say that this rates rather well and would be more than adequate for a starting point. Having read several books pertaining to suspension geometries, chassis design and construction, composite application and driveline integration in modern race cars, I find it lacking in detail sufficient to actually build a car.

In reality, the detail needed to actually design and build a chassis for a specific car would require much more detail than this book provides. Stress analysis by suspension components and downforce, tubing diameter and wall thickness considerations, material types and their correct application, heat treating requirements after welding, welding methods for specific materials, jig construction, body attachment to frame, safety cage construction considerations, component mounting, mockup materials and proper "scaling" of strength and torsional rigidity ratings and many other aspects of chassis construction are not adequately discussed in this book for the designer / builder to make educated decisions prior to putting "rubber on the road".

The author hints at many of these and actually briefly discusses some of them, BUT I would not feel safe designing a chassis based on that information alone. Again, great for the beginner as "an overview". Should also recommend other follow-on readings at the end with a synopsis of the strengths of the recommendations.

As other reviwers have mentioned, it gives a good overall description of chassis design, but like the first reviewer, I found myself wanting a little more detail. Even some more example graphics of each type of chassis would make it easier to relate the information to the real world. I ended up wanting more information on how to actually go about designing my own chassis (in my case a spaceframe) rather than the broad spectrum of information provided. Maybe I simply chose the wrong book.