Automobiles Books

technica

This book is absolutely the best auto text written. It's great for the "want-to-be Mechanic" with minimal understanding of how cars work or even if you have no intention of ever picking up a wrench. Without jargon and pretense the authors make clear all that one should know about what goes on under the hood. The chapters are full of color pictures and exploded diagrams that make sense! This book is for everyone-man, woman, and teenager-who can read (at the high school level) and drives a car. It's as simple as that.

Automobile mechanics, or "technicians," to use the current preferred term, are indispensable to modern society; deprived of the work they do, much of the world would literally come to a halt in short order. Yet for all their importance, mechanics have received little scholarly attention. But with Auto Mechanics we finally have a well-researched, comprehensive, and clearly written history of this important occupation.

Kevin Borg approaches his subject chronologically, beginning with the largely ad hoc efforts of individuals of varying backgrounds to acquire the skills necessary to repair and maintain the first horseless carriages. At first, quite a lot of repair and maintenance work was performed by the emerging occupational group of professional chauffeurs, but independent mechanics were soon needed to serve legions of new motorists as the automobile rapidly diffused in the United States. To meet this need, a variety of institutions, ranging from proprietary schools to the YMCA, engaged in the training of auto mechanics, but by the 1930s automotive shop programs organized by public school systems had become the major source of trained auto mechanics. These programs were only partially successful, as the diagnostic and repairing skills of mechanics were uneven at best. No less important, from their inception these programs channeled many young men with perceived academic deficiencies into an occupation that was deemed suitable for their limited talents.

By the 1970s the rapid and widespread introduction of electronic engine controls and other complex technologies mandated by stringent emissions regulations promised to turn "grease monkeys" into bonafide technicians. This was not a completely new development; as early as the 1920s automobile dealers were using elaborate testing devices in order to lend a "scientific" aura to automotive diagnostics. Yet as Borg shows, these devices did little to elevate the status of mechanics, as they were primarily used by manufacturers and dealers to provide an "objective" basis for pain-inducing repair estimates. Decades later, electronic components had become essential features of a new generation of automobiles. While they brought with them the potential to upgrade the public image of mechanics, much of their impact was dissipated as the rising consumer movement drew sharp attention to the collective deficiencies of the auto repair industry. All too often, mechanics were indicted for being unscrupulous, incompetent, or both. As Borg concludes, the intellectual demands on mechanics have increased in recent years, but the low regard for and distrust of mechanics remains much as it always has been.

With the publication of Auto Mechanics, an essential occupational group has received the formal history it has long deserved. If the overarching theme of the book is the mismatch between the importance of auto mechanics and their public image, its readers will have gained a better understanding of how this unfortunate situation has come to pass.

"American History," "World History"--these were required courses in high school and even early college. I remember the titles, but none of the details they covered. Early on, I decided that politicians, generals, and CEOs were basically boring, but their behavior was all that history courses covered. I always wondered what the real people, the little people, were doing while those bothersome dominant personalities were posturing and fighting. As I've aged, I've discovered that good history has been written--on subjects akin to my own lifestyle and my own interests. Auto Mechanics, is, I believe an excellent example.
I bought the book as a gift for my stepson, a self-styled auto buff and one of the few members of the X-generation (they hate the word yuppies) that can still crawl under a car and loosen a drain plug--or change a starter for that matter. And he can get as excited over a ratty old Jeep as a brand new Z. He and I avoid talking economics or politics, but we connect over cars. When the book arrived, I casually inspected it to make sure I wasn't sending something completely inappropriate. I finished reading it three evenings later, and it arrived late for his birthday, perhaps looking not quite new. In a sense, a big chunk of it was a history of me.
I'm not a mechanic by trade. I spent my employed years as a wildlife biologist. But my first car, acquired at age 16, was a 1940 Ford woody that didn't run. I think we paid $10 for it, or maybe the guy paid us $10 to haul it away, I can't remember. I spent a summer in the uncooled Phoenix auto shop of an older cousin rebuilding the engine, and from that day forward, I could never quite envision owning a car that one simply drove. If I didn't work on a vehicle as much as I drove it; if I didn't know its innards intimately, I felt both insecure and guilty on the road. I still do.
In Auto Mechanics, I learned that such was the norm of the first couple of generations of drivers. Initially, only the wealthy could own cars, and their carriage men converted to chauffeurs. Auto shops were nonexistent, so the chauffeurs maintained vehicles, just as they had previously fed, groomed and shod horses. If they broke down on the road, they sought the local blacksmith, who gradually found himself fabricating car parts instead of setting horseshoes. Not until the advent of the Model T, followed quickly by World War I, did a cadre of car owners and mechanics arise in middle class America. The army had quickly adopted motorized vehicles in the war, and men who could work on them were almost non-existent. Many young men who entered the service as cowboys, farmers, or clerks, mustered out as trained mechanics. From that time until, perhaps, the 1980s, owning a car entailed some ability to fix it and was a symbol of manlihood.
Auto Mechanics brings us through many stages of car repair, including the role of women and difficulties they've faced in entering the trade. It ends in modern shops where knowledge of electronics and computers is more important than the ability to listen to an engine and run simple tests. And it ventures predictions regarding where the automobile may be headed.
As in any good history, covering essential details makes reading a little tedious at times. But don't let that deter you. If you happen to love cars, this book will tell you, better than any thing I've read, how we came to our present full and frenetic roadways. And even if you aren't a car buff, this is an interesting piece of real World History.

The Autocourse annual is the most outstanding annual of the formula 1 season anyone can hope for. Containing team by team analysis of the year, a review of each race, statistics over the season, an editors top ten drivers of the F1 year, seaon review of most other motor racing formulae (F3000, F3, British touring cars, DTM, Indycar, Nascar etc...), lots and lots of high quality photos, most of them colour. A must for any serious F1 fan, and well worth the money.

This is the definitive review of the Formula One season. It offers excellent photos of your favourite Formula One drivers and teams. It gives you a behind the scenes look at each team's season. Each race is reviewed, complete with pre-race as well as race day statistics. This hardbound, colour glossy paged annual is a must have in any Formula One race fans collection.

Thank you very much on great delivery and on the time. Loved the condition of the book, better than expected.Highly recomended!

For those outside the loop of racing, NASCAR garners a great deal of attention. Lost in all the attention paid to that series is a great style of racing collectively known as "open wheel" or "Champ Car." The series has evolved over the years but one thing has always remained. The races are fast, exciting and very competitive. How exciting? Put 800+ horsepower in a 1,600lb car that stands at knee level and enjoy the fun! If you are a fan - new or old - this series from Autocourse is a must-have. Autocourse started doing yearbooks 40+ years ago for the Formula One Grand Prix series and they have grown to include Champ Cars. They offer a tremendous amount of detail about the teams, drivers, cars, technical advances, etc. They also showcase the support series and the up-and-coming drivers in them. Each race is covered in detail with all qualifying times and finishing spots as well as highlights of the event itself. Photography is 100% incredible. That's another point. I enjoy doing my own photography and sometimes it's easy to lose track of things, especially if you don't get the film developed for a while. This book offers tremendous resource materials for someone maintaining photo albums of the events themselves. Basically, if you have a question about this style of racing, you'll find it in this book.

For those outside the loop of racing, NASCAR garners a great deal of attention. Lost in all the attention paid to that series is a great style of racing collectively known as "open wheel" or "Champ Car." The series has evolved over the years but one thing has always remained. The races are fast, exciting and very competitive. How exciting? Put 800+ horsepower in a 1,600lb car that stands at knee level and enjoy the fun! If you are a fan - new or old - this series from Autocourse is a must-have. Autocourse started doing yearbooks 40+ years ago for the Formula One Grand Prix series and they have grown to include Champ Cars. They offer a tremendous amount of detail about the teams, drivers, cars, technical advances, etc. They also showcase the support series and the up-and-coming drivers in them. Each race is covered in detail with all qualifying times and finishing spots as well as highlights of the event itself. Photography is 100% incredible. That's another point. I enjoy doing my own photography and sometimes it's easy to lose track of things, especially if you don't get the film developed for a while. This book offers tremendous resource materials for someone maintaining photo albums of the events themselves. Basically, if you have a question about this style of racing, you'll find it in this book.

A great review of a very competitive year in open wheel racing. The articles are well written and informative. The photographs really capture the color and pagentry of the season. If you attended the races it brings back great memories, if you didn't you certainly get the feel for the excitement. The driver profiles and manufacturers articles are well done. A must own for any open wheel racing fan and a great conversation piece on your coffee table.

For those outside the loop of racing, NASCAR garners a great deal of attention. Lost in all the attention paid to that series is a great style of racing collectively known as "open wheel" or "Champ Car." The series has evolved over the years but one thing has always remained. The races are fast, exciting and very competitive. How exciting? Put 800+ horsepower in a 1,600lb car that stands at knee level and enjoy the fun! If you are a fan - new or old - this series from Autocourse is a must-have. Autocourse started doing yearbooks 40+ years ago for the Formula One Grand Prix series and they have grown to include Champ Cars. They offer a tremendous amount of detail about the teams, drivers, cars, technical advances, etc. They also showcase the support series and the up-and-coming drivers in them. Each race is covered in detail with all qualifying times and finishing spots as well as highlights of the event itself. Photography is 100% incredible. That's another point. I enjoy doing my own photography and sometimes it's easy to lose track of things, especially if you don't get the film developed for a while. This book offers tremendous resource materials for someone maintaining photo albums of the events themselves. Basically, if you have a question about this style of racing, you'll find it in this book. On another note, this edition specifically covers arguably one of the greatest Indy 500 finishes of all time.

The Autocourse book series is the best coverage of indy car racing, without having to buy a ticket to the race. Each book has extensive team coverage, and the added technical aspects that each book includes is incredible. The 1995 book is the last issue, before the C.A.R.T./I.R.L split. This book includes what many consider the last great year of American based racing with all of its top drivers. This year was also the last before the Target race team dynasty started. Great information for any race fan

I am amazed by the depth this book goes into! But what can I say, it was originally written by the Germans, masters of anything engineering. The translation seems good, however, there are some minor errors here and there regarding proper wording. The diagrams are all very detailed and very easy to read. The authors went to great lengths to get their point across. I do however have to purchase a few books on basic engineering pricipals seeing as this text is a bit more advanced than my education! Beware, if you do not know what "elastokinematic" means, than you may want to brush up on basic mechanical engineering pricipals like I have to do.

I found it very useful.
it covers quite all the parts related to suspensions and their function.

when theory is explained, it's made rigorously, but always to give you a formula you'll apply pratically: no "tensors" here.
there are a couple of tables and data that helped me much (what toe-in should I use in a street car?)
there are also pictures that helped me to explore new ideas (the pictures are about road cars, but I found them here).

in the end: if your job is to design road cars (or parts of road cars), I think that soon or later you'll put this book off the shelf and find very useful.

Buy one for every member of your family. This book is full of practical advise, maps, usefull phone numbers... the list goes on and on... and it fits in your glove box.

This guide is really not too much different from the great "Pocket Ref" guide, however it dedicates more page to automotive-themed topics, such as maps, maintenance, troubleshooting, and emergency procedures. Its low price and compact size make it a perfect addition to your owner's manual--just toss it in the glovebox and it will be there when you need it (or when you're just waiting in the car and want some reading entertainment).

This is an excellent resource. Nowhere else have I been able to find just the information I want; printed in logical order. I'm building a web site about my truck, and the BPD is my bible for determining just the right gear combinations to maximize my performance with the Gear Vendors gearsplitter I've installed. I don't have a lot of money for R&D, and this book has given me just the right info I need. Thank you!

I am an enthusiast and I love the car crafting hobby. For years I have been saving all of my back issues of various magazines for formulas, tips, and tricks used in building many of my cars. After purchasing this book I was able to get rid of them. It is one of the most informative pieces of literature I have ever seen. Forget those pamphlets that tell you to buy a bunch of bolt-ons, this is real world horsepower.

This book is great for those who like to go "outside the box", and get off the freeway as they head up north, to take in Michigan's unique beauty.

Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of color and black-and-white photographs, Backroads Of Michigan: Your Guide To Michigan's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures is a guide to touring the most breathtaking and scenic natural venues to be found in the Great Lake State. Backroads Of Michigan is a fairly large trade paperback, not meant to be carried in a pocket, purse or small backpack; yet its size also allows the fine detail in its illustrations to shine through, and its typeface is easy to read without a magnifying glass. The chapters are arranged by Michigan subsection, and cover everything from historical sites to river valleys to prime spots for beachcombing to state parks ideal for viewing wildflowers and much more, with maps and general directions. The text is written in a leisurely style that is as engaging to browse for pleasure as it is filled with practical information. Enthusiastically recommended for Michigan tourists and residents interested in the state's most wondrous sights, and also for armchair travelers.