Automotive Books

For years I wondered how there were so many "Matching Numbers" cars with, say, factory tach, 4 speed, etc. available today at large bucks. With the help of this guide, one can assemble or restore the car of their dreams just as if one had special ordered it from the factory in 1964. Of course the purist would say that to take a '64 Impala SS that was originally 250 horse automatic and convert that to a 300 horse, 4 speed, factory tach etc. was counterfeiting even though all the parts have the right casting number, date codes, etc. Well, we can't make that call because opinions run rampant among auto enthusiasts.

Whatever your goal, this book will help you achieve it. Whether validating the authenticity of a barnyard find or assembling the car of your dreams, Alan L. Colvin provides the information to answer your questions. It is presented in a clear, concise maner and organized for easy reference while browsing swap meets and surfing eBay.

My only regret is that I didn't have a copy of it sooner!

If you are going to restore any Chevy or Chevy engine in this time period, you will not find a more conclusive set of working drawings, factual insight or list of part numbers anywhere! I bought the book for the information of the different Chevy engines. With the wealth of information available I might just get myself a Chevy to restore!

By using this book, I figured out what year and model the block, heads and assembly date were for the motor in my 1956 Chevy Nomad. I knew nothing about the motor. I now know what I have.

Mike M.

I have this copy plus the 65-69 and 70-75 versions and find all of them excellent reference material with one caveat, no information on 6 cylinder engines, heads, exhaust, etc. For the V8 enthusiast though, it's hard to beat.

This book is exceptional and details all the finer points that you must know when thinking about, or have purchased one of these fine cars. Take the time and read through this book and it will give you years of knowledge. The book will also educate you as to the correctness of the Chevrolet you either have, or are looking at. It also will help verify myths with acctual facts and documentation as tho the true nature of the cars and their history.

WARNING do not buy anything from amazon they constantly bombard you with unwanted emails 2-3 times a day! Evan when you ask them to stop emailing,
evan when you tell them to stop. DO NOT GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

This book is has very detailed information and is extremely comprehensive. There are many clear photos and diagrams. If you are thinking about restoring an old harley you should really get hold of this book before you get too far into it.

This book has been around for a while, now. The pictures aren't the best, but Mr. Hatfield has done his homework on this one. Like he says, the book isn't perfect, but if you want to restore a H-D, up to 1964, you must have this book. It also has info that is relevant to later models. The one thing I missed, though is more # identification on parts Harley had made for them. I mean oem info, from Bendix, etc.

No doubt about it, this book is a must for the Harley restorer. There's info here that you just can't find anywhere else.

Real Harley men with eclectic taste who take pleasure in the ancient art of tinkering on mechanical things will love this book. Don't miss the rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming Of Age" by: Vedrine

This is truly a great book to have if you are a true John Force fan.

this was a gift for my brother-in-law...he enjoyed it tremedously...would recommend it to anyone who loves drag racing

John Force has been my favorite professional driver for years. I was happy to see this book being packaged with Season I of Driving Force. Both the book and dvd were great. I'm hoping to see John win a couple more years before he decides to hand the reins over to Ashley and the rest of the Force Team. Ashley is going to live up to her family name and be another "Force" to be dealt with.

A great read, very informative with some awesome photos included.
A great addition to my NHRA collection!

Excellent book. A true "everyman story", someone who started out as a nobody and became one of the most famous auto racers in history, and never forgot his roots. His is probably the most down to earth famous person on the planet. A true inspiration to anyone who has ever had a
dream. A true class act.

This is a complete book about a wonderful industry. Well researched and put together. Great Job!

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.

Stretching It has been a great source of conversation on the coffee table. The historical content is interesting and the pictures are great. I found the evolution of the limousine fascinating. I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did!

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!

This book was recently given to my son who is learning to drive. He read through it and kept coming to me and showing me many of the chapters. When we'd go out for driving lessons, he'd relate that he applied much of what he read in the book. I decided to read this myself and simply love this book. I'm going to buy it for friends with young drivers and recommend the parents read it too. This book is so much better than the driving manuals kids are forced to read in drivers ed classes. The schools should be using this book.

This was not only an easy read, but I feel something every new driver should study. I wish I had a resource such as this when I was a teen, it addresses everything a teenage driver must understand befor taking to the road.

This is a great book & a must read for new drivers. I definitely recommend that you read this book if you have early drivers in your household. It gives good practical advice in a humerous and easy reading manner. Parents learn to communicate better with their teens after reading this book. You won't be disappointed. I'm going to buy these as gifts for my nieces and nephews.

I am currently teaching my son to drive and this book brought to my attention the fears some novice drivers experience. I was so busy concentrating on the official rules of the road; I forgot to address some very practical circumstances that cause anxiety. Without this book, they never would have been discussed. Thank you Teenage Roadhogs, for helping me make him a better driver!

As a parent of teenage drivers, this book was excellent!! Written in a way kids can relate! Wonderful tool for new drivers and should be a part of every drivers education class!

This is a superb book. A must for anyone wishing to improve the power or reliability of their BMC A series engine. I am a BMC A enthusiast and this is the second time I have bought this book 20 years ago for my road going Sprite and now for my 1960 Formula Junior racing car.

This is the bible for any engine builer or enthusiast. Great instructions, great ideas, great detail, great result when followed to the tee. Vizard is brilliant. Buy it

Vizard's book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in anything from basic performance/economy to all out race setups for an A series engine. Lots of detailed information backed up by hands on dyno and track testing by the author. My only complaint is the text layout is a little difficult to follow with the images and captions, but once you get a feel for his writing and layout style it is easier to follow.

It's a veritable bible for anyone trying to scrape even just a couple of horsepower out of an A-Series.
My 33 year old 1275 motor can now do things the factory never intended, it's excellent!
Any A-Series owner needs this book.

David's book answered every question as it came into my mind as i read his book. The writing is A+++ with plenty of details no "fluff". If you want to know about A-series engines buy this book.

Information is reasonably current. Many on this subject contain only the info from "the-day". Vizard knows of what he speaks. Real dyno info, real race experience. Applies to later BMC B just as well. Quite different views on head porting than Burgess.

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

This is among the best car books I've ever seen. The photography is all new - no recycled press photos you've seen over and over. The writing style is clear and evocative of the best story telling. It could have been published as 21 monthly articles in Road & Track. The tone is friendly without being silly. It contains technical information without getting hopelessly bogged down in minutiae. HOWEVER - as I was reflecting how cool it would be to download audio recordings of these cars in action (imagining a website) I read that the UK version comes with a CD! Why isn't this in the US version? As the Buddhists say, all suffering stems from desire... Now if I could only buy (and maintain!) my fantasy Chaparral and Ford GT-40 and Ferrari Daytona and Mini-Cooper S and Lotus 21 and Jaguar D Type and supercharged Bugatti and Porsche 911 and Cobra and Buell superbike...

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

This book is outstanding. Nick Mason's brief account of each car's history and how he came to buy it is interesting and often humorous and Mark Hales' account of the driving experience conveys great feeling. The photography is also of very high quality. BUT you must buy one that comes with the CD, the book is titled 'Into the Red' outside the USA. Listening to the CD (loud!) while reading the book is an awesome experience which should not be missed. Particularly track 5, the V16 BRM, the sound of which will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!

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 !

If you have ever read any of Travis Pastrana's articles written in the old Racer X column he had, you would know of his ability to make you feel as though you are right in the heart of the story being told. The same holds true with this book. He brings you right in with vivid descriptions and details that are easily understood by the average everyday person and yet belies an attention the to english language that is quite comprehensive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as my husband, his riding buddies and racing buddies and the kids in our family as well. I would definitly give it to anyone considering riding/racing or any other adventure. It's not about the sport/adventure it about taking the chance!!

I sat down and read the book cover to cover. It's a great read for every age.

I purchased this for my son who is a freestyler, and not one to read books, but he enjoyed (and read) the book cover to cover. Great photography, interesting text, and a fantastic insight into Travis Pastrana.

This book was amazing, very well written and i didnt put it down after i picked it up! I read the entire thing in a night, it was a very good read, but i felt like there werer parts when he was braggin about himself. But all in all i strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes motocross or xtreme sports.

This book is written very much in Pastrana's own voice, which leads it to be not only personal at times, but also hilarious. Actually some of my favorite parts of the book were the little notes on the side either from Travis himself or his friends/colleagues/parents. It gives readers a view of what its like living his life, something I certainly don't envy.

He covers everything from his beginnings in racing, his schooling, his injuries, the many wild stunts he has done and more. If you are a fan its a must read, even if you're not its entertainment value makes it worthwhile.

I know how to weld, cut metal design and tune suspensions from scratch adapt junk to something useful the list of things I can do seems endless sometimes. Before I got this book I could do none of these things THIS is the book that gave me the bug which bit me and inspired me to learn to do all these things and to search for knowledge online in books etc. It all began with this book. This book has forced me to take back all my sarcastic cynical remarks about actually building your own car when my wife bought this book for me. It is not a perfect book If it was I wouldnt have learned half of what I do now about suspensions etc since ford cortinas are not sold here But that is part of this books charm its hook is in getting you off your back side and into the pursuit of your own personal sports car. Its been a fantastic ride and I hope you buy a copy too

This is an excellent book to help you develop your own first kit car. It will guide you step by step including how to weld, where to source parts, etc. It is an inspiring book!

The Locost is really a homebuilt-as in, from scratch-Lotus 7, and for the person with more time than money, it's a magnificently educational project.

My only caveat is, it's tiny. Before you start cutting metal, at least sit in one , if you can't arrange a drive. Also, you may have to import components or scrounge very, very carefully in the US for the needed parts, as the English Fords the Locost is designed around are scarce on the ground in America.

Ultimately, the American reader/builder would probably be better off with a scaled up version around common RWD Japanese and other common bits from U.S. junkyards and a bigger cockpit-Americans tend to be heftier than Europeans. Engines readily available in the U.S. such as the Quad 4 and the 20R/22R Toyota which make ideal sense, also, are a bit big for the Locost as designed.

That doesn't take away from this book one iota-it's worth five stars for inspiration alone.

I usually read this kind of books from cover to cover, and I did't thought it was going to be that exiting!

I just can't wait to get started! I know almost nothing about mechanics, but this book shows everything so easy that I think I can do it by my self...

The only "contra" is that maybe it will not come out for 250 (of any currency in the world) because it starts with a donnor car in good working condition bought for 75 pounds... I'd be glad to find something like that for at least 1000 USD ... but that's not the case in my country... Also, you need some equipement, and that won't cost just 5 bucks...

Great book, made the process straightforward and understandable. If you simply follow the steps in the book you will end up with a really good little sports car. If you also incorporate some information from Caroll Smith and Allen Staninforth's books you will have a car that will beat the pants off a Caterham.
Great read, empowering... even if you never build the car.

This is an excellent little book for your Porsche library.
It gives you no nonsense insight into the world of 356s. Profound knowledge that would cost tens of thousands of Euros or even more Dollars to acquire the "learning by doing" and "trial and error" way.
On top of that it is enjoyable and easy to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a longtime Porsche 911 and Boxster owner my wife and I recently decided to find and buy a Porsche 356 series car to drive, play with and experience in our spare time. This book really broke down the differences in year models and all the subtle changes between them. I plan of using the information gained from this book during my search for my car-

This is a great book for the beginner or someone, like myself, almost ready to buy his first 356. This book is helping me a lot as the writer used his own experience from ownership to explain every aspect of this adorable car. Mr. Schrager even tries to explain the feeling and joy of owning and driving the 356 in metaphysical ways as you can not explain, by the means of logic, why people get so deeply in love with this car. You can read from cover to cover, you can use as reference or you can just open the book randomly and you'll hooked. After two hours of reading, someone offers you either a brand new 911 carrera or a 356...chances are you'll choose the "old one".

I recently purchased a '67 912, satisfying my mid-life crisis for a Porsche. I researched several books to get the information needed to make an intelligent buy. I wish there was a book like this one for the 912. If you are considering a 356, this is the source book for you. Valuable information is provided on spotting problem cars and tips on what to examine. I especially like the information on ... cars as I have spotted may of the same frauds. I am close to getting a 356 and have targeted two and want to use the information this book provided. Porsche freaks, get this book!

I've owned 356s for years. Jim Schrager's book told me things that I needed to know and didn't before I read this. The book contains useful, real world information without the fluff of a coffee table book. This is a must read for all new and soon to be new 356 owners. Particularly useful were the nut and bolt nuggets that come from years of owning all models of 356s. The only other way to get this information is years of pain.