Acura Books

I would recommend everyone to buy this book, regarding if you are a "Hondafan" or not.

As a recently new Acura NSX owner the more knowledge generated about this exclusive and unique automobile the better. The Acura-Honda NSX Performance Portfolio has been invaluable in better understanding every aspect of the car, its history, concept development, operation, performance, technical aspects, and much more. For every NSX owner or anyone considering the purchase of this one of a kind supercars, this book is a MUST and also great reading for non-NSX owner automobile enthusiasts as well. Truly a 5 Star book of information.

Lots of professional writeups on the Supercar from Japan. Not a fast read as the information is from many different perspectives. Very intersting for the NSX owner or fan.

Holstein was right on when he made this comment. I test drove the RL, and in my humble opinion it offers the best value and bang for your buck in this class. As he says, the ride isn't as cushy as the Lexus or Infiniti, but offers more road feel but without being bumpy due to the excellent suspension. This contrasts with the Audi, which had a harder suspension. The all-wheel drive provides great handling under all conditions, most of the Lexi having rear wheel drive, but there is an all wheel drive option in the GS, if I remember right. The RL also had the most sophisticated navigation unit, with real time traffic monitoring which currently works in over 40 cities. The headlamps, which turn left and right to follow the steering are also a nice feature. The Lexus LS had an 18 speaker stereo system compared with the RL's 11, but I found that enough and it offers true surround sound that is best appreciated by buying the DVD audio disks. The CMBS or collision mitigation breaking system works well and other minor features like the pull up window shades for the rear seats and the automatic window shade for the rear windshield are nice for the hot, bright months. Also, the navigation's operating system was the best of all the luxury sedan models we drove, the Lexus's and Audi's just weren't as good. I've been told that with the all wheel drive and ABS the car is just about impossible to roll. I like the interior the best of anything in its class except for the Audi which many consider the best in terms of design. But the RL is a close second. And the 300 hp V6 engine does sound impressive under acceleration just like he says. Some of the car writers complain about not having a V8 option which is commmon in this class, but I found the V6 more than adequate. All that means is that you can do 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds instead of 6.8. I'd rather have the better gas mileage these days in the V6. Overall we really liked the car and found it the best value in its class, offering the same features for $5000 less. In the case of the Lexus, it was probably even more, since they usually sell for close to the sticker price with not much of a discount, which you can get on the RL. Whichever car you choose, good luck and happy motoring!

this book is very basic so if you are new and just getting into the tuners then it's something that you might what to buy. However if you already have an understanding of honda cars or if you are looking for information on the k engine I would look to other books.

Honda/Acura Engine Performance

I thought this book was a dissapointment. If you want a book with some pictures and general discussions, the book is pretty good. But if you want some technical facts and data points about these engines, this book is lacking. I have to stretch to find one real technical fact in this book, not one detail about things like valve spring pressures, max lift, valve size, flow improvement numbers, etc.; This seems like a "fast food" type of engine performance book. Compare it to a David Vizard book and you will see a striking difference. I finished this book and know nothing more about these engines than I did before I bought it, and I have never driven one or seen one. I bought this as a reference to learn more about SOHC and DOHC engines, and again there is not one piece or real data in the whole book. Ther is a lot of information and pictures of add on parts and high performance service providers, so if you want a catalog of those items and services, it might be a good book for you

I think it is a wonderful book for Honda lovers who want to tune their car

As I strive to gather as much practical information on Hondas and Acuras, I've purchased several books on the subject. Engine and Driveline Handbook (editors of SCC), Honda/Acura Performance (editors of SCC), Honda/Acura Performance Handbook 2nd edition (Mike Ancas), and of course Honda/Acura Engine Performance by Mike Kojima (whom happens to be an editor of SCC). Rating Mike Kojimas book was a tough choice between three and four stars but I'll get one thing out of the way first. It is the best value out of all of the books I've mentioned. Engine and Driveline Handbook is a compilation of SCC articles with color photos and has great general information and is thoroughly enjoyable to read. Honda/Acura Performance is another compilation but with black/white photos, is poorly written, and lacks useful technical information. The book by Mike Ancas (2nd edition) is well written, fun to read, has great color photos, and contains plenty of useful information. However it doesn't have any detailed info on tuning but rather it is more of a tip book telling you things like most intakes don't actually increase power so be careful with what you spend your money on. Finally there is Mike Kojimas book. Despite a lot of typos it is enjoyable to read but most importantly it has a wealth of detailed information ranging between a great explanation of how headers are tuned to use reflected sound waves to scavenge the exhaust and telling you what combinations of Honda factory parts will get you more performance while saving money on aftermarket parts. The downside to this book is that it is not a completely original book. Half of the chapters are SCC articles found in the Engine and Driveline book that have simply been added to with some more information. As for the other half of the chapters, it was my first time reading them but I wonder if they too have already been written somewhere else. But in the end if you have yet to pick up any of these books then I strongly recommend Honda/Acura Engine Performance by Mike Kojima for a wealth of info crammed into an enjoyable and short read at a good price.

This is a great book for anyone who is looking for information on Honda / Acura engines and cars. It covers everything from exhaust, suspension, pistons, nitro, to wheels body kits and boost. It tells you almost everything you need to know on how to make your car run better, fast and look nicer, but it does lack very technical information like piston clearance, crank balancing, and the like.

If you want general and somewhat detailed information on engine building, tuning and car performance then this book is great. If your looking for a maintenance manual on short block up building, this isn't your book.

5/5

At first I thought this book was a step by step handbook on how to get the most out of your honda, but actually it just tells you the products that are out there for your honda. I would suggest not buying it unless you don't know absolutely nothing about the products out there for your honda.

There is no better book for 1984-1999 Hondas and Acuras. If you have a newer car, I also just bought ANcas' new book (same title, second edition) which is in FULL COLOR and covers 1999-2005 cars, including a special section just for RSX and S2000. But if you have an older Honda or Acura, this is the book for you

Let me start by saying this: if you are an early Civic (late-'80s through early '90s) or CRX owner, you will probably get some use out of this book. If you are not, however, YOU WON'T. Much of the focus of the book is contributed to older, single-slammer engines like those found in older Hondas. There is extremely little information about DOHC, B-series, or VTEC motors in general. I'm not saying that the information in the book is wrong or useless, but I think calling giving this book an all-encompassing title like Honda & Acura Performance gives the false impression that late-model Honda enthusiasts like me (I own a '97 GS-R) will find useful information. They won't. Also, it becomes obvious that this guy is probably on the payroll of only a couple companies, because he uses their parts as examples over and over again.
Bottom line: if you're a CRX owner who loves autocrossing for some reason and doesn't know much about the working internals of your car, buy this book. Everyone else: move along.

Mike Ancas' Honda and Acura Performance Handbook is an excellent introduction to Honda/Acura performance mods. This is not a how-to book, but rather a great introduction to the types of modifications, what works, and what may be a waste of money. I like the fact that the author points out the importance of considering the sum of the parts of each system when upgrading as opposed to just bolting on certain brand name parts and expecting serious performance increases. I would highly recommend this book as a great beginning to anyone just starting out.

I recently purchased and finished reading from cover to cover in one sitting, Mike Ancas' Honda & Acura Performance Handbook. The book is well written and enjoyable to read. This was the first book I read about Honda and Acura performance modifications and I was happily surprised by it. The book is not a how-to book, but rather a very good introduction to the types of modifications that can be done, what will work, and what may be a waste of your money. I like that the author points out that a specific add-on to a specific system may not produce the desired results without upgrading other parts of the system which may now be a weak link in the chain. The book does a great job of providing a foundation of knowledge upon which to build. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to start.

The book was in excellent shape and was exactly what I expected. I own an NSX and this is a great discussion of the conception and design of a superb car. Great service, good price. Thanks Amazon.

ive been in love with nsx ever since i saw it. this book does a great job of getting the history, techinical, pictures of the nsx. alot of pics of brochures and stuff. only draw back is that this book was published a little before the disconntinual of the nsx (2005). so it lacks information like, "how many nsx sold in its 15 year production". and it doesnt have info on the nsx-gt... besides that everything else is great. i wish they made another book on nsx with 100% complete info from the start to end.

This was a great purchase - my partner actually chose it for Christmas and I had to get it from overseas as it wasn't in NZ. He absolutely raves about it - has amazing diagrams and great pictures/info etc. You won't be disappointed.

My nephew always wanted a coffeetable book on his favorite car the NSX, but couldn't find one. I got him this one and he's totally satisfied with it thinking at first it was just photos until he opened it and noticed how detailed it was. He's big on info and specs and says this book has it all from concept to production of every genation to the future of the NSX. He's a 'debater' type person and now has an informative official book to back-up his bragging debates about the NSX even though it'll be years before he can afford to own one. THAT'S WHY I GAVE IT 4 STARS BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY BOOK OR MY INTREST.

Being an NSX owner I was looking forward to a exteneded work about the development, design, factory construction process, testing, track related history and so on. What I really got was a rehash of factory brochures, press handouts, sales enhanced books with a history of Honda's rise from the ashes of WWII tossed in. This history can probably be easily found in other boods on the Honda product line. Few if any of the photograhs in the book have not been available via the many different handouts given by the dealer and American Honda. Little to nothing was shown of the manufacture of the car at it's unique facility and how certain problems were solved by their engineers and design staff. And even less is given about how the car is suported in the different racing venues throughout the world. It's strange and even sad that Japan's first major super exotic, the NSX, is given so little credit in the press, magazines, and publishers of books like this. It's even stranger that a well known author of automotive books, took the easy way out in trying to create a detailed work about the NSX with mainly press junket fluff. Not recommended for the serious car enthusiast among us.

I have an 1995 Integra GSR and it is probably the most modified car besides the Honda Civic. However, this book has more information for civics. It wouldn't bother me as much, except it tells how to make a civic into essentially, what a GSR is. For example, it shows how to install a short throw into a Honda. However the Integra already has a short throw. There are other mods too, but those are just common sense (Intake, headers, and exhaust, etc.) Another thing that I really don't like, is that it tells you how to make your car only good for drag racing. I would appreciate information telling how to make a good fast car that is also street legal. THis is an OK book for beginners and may be a better one for people who intend to race their car on the track only, but for me, its not worth it.

This book cleared up a lot of things for me. The method of tuning of Hondas and Acuras was explained in great detail. It helped me get a good idea of what to do first. Also, it includes short features on some specific Honda and Acura tuners. Maybe the most helpful of all, however, was the features on the technical aspects of many not as well known modification parts. Now I know what the difference between driving, fog, and spot lights is. It also includes sections on performance wheels and tires, and how to build the perfect Civic. The book was a great overall look at Hondas and Acuras, without using too much over-tecnical lingo. You don't even have to own an Acura or Honda to enjoy it. I am fourteen years old and I loved it! I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in car modification.

I have a basic model Honda Civic hatchback and I wanted to start making modifications to it for racing applications, but I didn't know how to start. This book provides a great base for those without Honda tuning or modification knowledge and points them in the right direction. Although limited in technical aspect, the author makes up for it by providing good examples on how to get modification accomplished (go to a pro). I would have liked to see more road racing applications covered in the book rather than drag racing.... A great compliment to other Honda tuning books!

I buy every book about Hondas, but this one seems more like a big magazine ad. The stuff they recommend just wont work on a street legal car. It does fill a big void lacking in both the Ancas and Pettit books - drag racing. If you have an unlimited budget, want to build a drag car and use all the high tech tips, then this book is for you. Just adding a few of the mods for a street car (that dreams about being a drag car) will likely cause a loss in power, expecially down low. This is where the magazines mislead people, and this book seems like it doesn't want to offend sponsors (in other words: everything works!) Certainally most of these mods will compromise streetability. I'm not a pure drag guy, so I felt a lot didn't pertain to me. But if you are a big Honda fan, then you will find much to like in any of the 3 new books.

The manual provided valuable information on troubleshooting points. Eventhough I don't carry out any of the repair works myself, I will relate the possible causes of my car problem to my mechanic, just to ensure he doesn't start repairing other unrelated components. Anyway it will be best if we can have a complete manual for Honda CR-V only, where I believe the troubleshooting list will be more comprehensive.

This book is excellent for the Honda enthusiast. It is a little out of date. And maily suited to Honda N/A (naturaly aspirated)performace, although it does have some info on turbo setup's. The information in this book is mainly gathered from the racetrack s so it is fairly informative. It mainly covers Honda's from the 80's civic, crx, integra, prelude. I recomend this book for honda owners that are looking for some N/A performace tips.

I was never a 'fix it yourself' person when it came to cars, but the Haynes book has taught me a whole lot. It has given me the confidence to get under the hood and start trouble shooting problems. Very descriptive. Can't wait until it is in color and maybe a CD!!!

your websites in ability to assist customers with book review/browse capabilities. I like to see what i am buing before i do go ahead and buy. can i view pages of book?

I don't really have much to say but I think this is a great book to do your own reairing at home. I haven't try other book but this is a great book to have if you own a honda motor vehicle.

The book was somewhat helpful at times, but after using this book for a while I decided that I needed to break out the wallet and just buy a HELM manual ..., and I'm so glad that I did. If you have a Sedan legend this may be more accurate, but with my 1994 Legend Coupe it was really far off in many places and it's instructions are very vague. ...

Very good book to own for anyone with an Acura vehicle. Buy this book to keep your Acura in excellent shape and a ride that will last over 300,000 miles.

Coverage of the Vigor is, at best, an afterthought. Not much usable information here. If you want Vigor documentation, this isn't it.

Coverage of Integra and Legend is better, and more typical of Chilton's manuals. Not bad. Not great.