Chevrolet Books

Very informative book, had fun reading through and looking over the changing you can make.

A good general review of smallblock chevy engine building John Lingenfelter on Modifying SB Chevy Engines

I wanted a book on modifying V8 engines and this is it.The author is known for his performance and racing engines.John explains which modifications are ideal but more importantly,explains why.

This book is ideal for all petrol engines not just Chevy engines.The tips and techniques can be applied to any petrol engine.

Plenty of photographs throughout and its a great read.Most engine builders and amateurs will enjoy this book.

I purchased this book when it was released in 1996. I had just finished a 355 and had it running. I learned so much more than all the magazine how-to articles I read that I had to pull the motor and change the oil pump and file-fit the rings. So much of what I read in this book made too much sense. This book was reviewed in one of the Chevy rags and the first thing mentioned was the misuse of high volume oil pumps. Every street engine buildup story seems to use a high volume pump and this guy tells us not to for a good reason. There is something to learn in every section of this book. You may even sound like you know what you're talking about on your next visit to the machine shop. John's legacy lives on. He was highly regarded in drag racing, his company is still turning out fabulous street cars, and I think he was the hot rod hero for everyman. Anyone need a high volume oil pump?

If you are a fan of John, buy the book. of course he was one of the best builders ever on this planet.
The book is nice written, but he don't tell you his secrets in this book.
Yes it is full of What to do, NOT how to do It, little or no specifications to bring your project to a satisfying end.
Most annoying is the fact, if it get's difficult his last sentence on the subject is.... get your (whatever part) to Lingenfelter
and we do it for you. That's not the reason for most people to buy this book.

br. Arnoud.

I bought this just to have a reference in case I wanted to look something up. I hadn't had it two weeks when I ran into a problem that the shop couldn't figure out. After reading the appropriate section I figured out what was wrong and fixed it myself!

I've got 95 Toyota Corolla. Well, you know, covering 93-02 model years in one book is not enough. 50% of the book is not for my model year, so it's quite confusing and useless.

It would be more useful as a book if it had more pictures showing details.Covering 2 car brands for a 10 year period is one of the prominent drawbacks of this book. However it gives you enough information to get to know your car and its parts and do the periodic check-ups.Worth the money but not enough to be the only source for the home mechanic.

I wanted to know more about my 2000 Corolla. This book gives you mostly clear instructions on how to replace components of your car. I wish I could compare it to Chilton's version of the car.

The Haynes Repair Manuals are well worth the money. Keep in mind these are not as detailed as the auto manufacturer's service manuals, but of course you are only paying a fraction of the cost as the manufacturer's service manuals. These manual include most anything a weekend mechanic needs. They include several photos of repair procedures, tune-up specifications, torque specifications and electrical wiring diagrams for your vehicle. There are times the Haynes manuals lack some detail of your vehicle, but overall they are a good buy. I would recommended these manuals for most people. I always buy one for every vehicle I own.

This was a gift purchase. He loved it and it will come in handy when he begins to restore his 65 Chevelle SS.

We have had this book ever since we restored a 1970 ElCamino. We are currently in the middle of a 1971 Monte Carlo, and although some of the information is different, much of it is accurate for the MC as well. Our friends borrow this book so often we have to sign it out to them. Currently it is invaluable in researching a 1975 Nova. As with the MC, most of the information is the same (paint codes, etc.). I highly recommend this book to anyone researching their car!

This book is very good if you have a US built Chevelle. Has no Info on Canadian Built Chevelles. You can find more info on the web than what's in this book.

This book gives just the right amount of detail to provide the car owner or a buyer with what the numbers really mean. It will also tell you in a hurry whether the equipment on your car is truly "original" I have accurately identified my 71 Elky as well as many others.

It is also a great reference when buying an "original" car. As some options for some cars were not identified by the factory apart from the original build sheet, the book only tells you about the numbers that you can find on various components. As an example, a 1970 SS was not identified by any of the numbers as an SS except on the build sheet. However, as any knowledgable enthusiast knows, the build number of the car (6 digits) is also stamped on the front of the block.

All in all a great book. Excellent for the Classic Chevy enthusiast Library.

This is a well written informative book written by one of the best! Thanks Monty!!

At the time I ordered this book from Amazon, it was the only book available on the El Camino. Now there seems to be more selection, and I would advise interested readers to shop around if they're looking for real depth. Although the book does mention pretty much every model and show pictures of each, it's really just a brief once-over, and the pictures aren't even in color! That was the really disappointing part about a supposed "photo history..." But nonetheless, it's a fun read and a real enthusiast will probably want it.

The book does hit the basics with some good information. Photos should be in color instead of B/W. One El Camino is listed as an SS but from the photos it's a SS Clone.
If you are looking for all model specs, histories and options listing for the El Camino/Sprint/Caballero you will need more than this book but it is a good starting place.

This is definitely the best book out there for Super Sport fans. The pictures are great and they have excellent detail on each of the models. If you own one of these cars you will want this book since all the other books on the market have one or 2 pages at best for each car and not nearly as many pictures.

Only complaints: 1 is that it's a fairly big hardback. This is great if you want to display it or keep it as a coffee table book but not great otherwise. Also there could be more thorough technical information presented, they obviously took the time to research the history thoroughly they could have presented more technical specs in an appendix. It's a minor complaint though as the information on options, engine specs, horsepower and all that are all readily available through other sources and would make a big book even bigger.

I originally thought some of the options on the pictures were not authentic to the model but after some research I figured out I was wrong.

I'm not highly knowledgeable about the historical aspects but it looks well researched. Overall highly recommended and one of the best quality books available of this genre and certainly a must have for fans of GM muscle cars of this era.

Very nice Book with lots of information...
But why I cant find the Impala 1963 SS ???
The missing of this Icon of Detroit Steel makes this very incomplete !!

A superbly presented photographic showcase of Chevrolet' Super Sport (SS) models ranging from the 1957 Corvette show car (the first Chevy to claim SS rights), through the Impala, Monte Carlo, and Cobalt SS models of today. This coffee table format compendium offers 348 pages of David Newhardt's full-color photography combined with an informed and informative text by Robert Genat. The result is a detailed survey at Chevrolet's muscle carts that were engineered and designed to wear the SS label with a distinctive look, style, and performance that made these designated cars so popular over that past half century. "Chevy SS" is a highly recommended and core addition to personal, academic, or community library American Automotive History reference collections and reading lists.

Great info for a history lesson. If you are reading to get info on how to build a 6 cyl in the 21st century you dont need this book. This book does have a few do's and don'ts based on trial and error from great engine builders of yesteryear

While a few thumb worn copies of the original edition may show up at swap meets, it's cool to have a brand new copy that won't fall apart at the seams. It's not so much a history book but, rather a window that shows you how performance was accomplished long before anyone ever uttered the words "small block chevy". There are many techniques and parts vendors that have been lost with the ages. Some techniques are no longer practiced and it would be well advised to take caution with some of their advice. Let's face it in 1951, there were no shoulder harnesses or SRSes,and dashboards were steel, safety never really crossed their minds. Still, it's sure a fun book to have.

Great book and a wealth of information. Only bad issue is that some products are no longer available.

I was very impressed with this book, especially the inclusion of the rare X-11 and other recent cars. This collection was the most comprehensive one I have seen yet regarding High Performance cars that have changed automotive history.

This is a good book for those interested in the details of Chevrolet performance cars and engines. The only negative would be the inclusion of certain cars. Monzas, Citations, Celebritys, Cavaliers, Berettas, and Luminas have no place alongside the many legendary cars and trucks General Motors has produced.

it is a book for a real moterhaed, it gives different ways you can put together your car

As a Classic Chevy enthusiast, I have used the book for a number of my cars: 59 El Camino, 70 El Camino, 71 El Camino, as well as many other Chevelles and Elky's. I have found the book to be very thorough, however, with quite a few exceptions of left out information. I think the book is a must have for any pre-70 Chevy restorer just for the information that is captured. I am very disappointed that the book stops at 1970 (1972 in some cases). In my opinion, the book stops right when it should accell. Any hotrodder or even original restorer would like to improve things with newer model parts. (Sway bars, disc brakes, engine parts, etc.) for their slightly custom Chevelle/El Camino, or otherwise. Knowing what fits is a huge factor in the restoration process. Instead, we are each forced to re-invent the wheel independently. Researching every detail can get very tedious. Wrecking yard scavanging is all that more difficult. I sure hope there is another book in the works to cover and interrelate later model stuff with the earlier 60's and 70's stuff.

Only basic information, nothing about automatic transmition nor electronics (no ECM codes included), i was very dissapointed.

Bought this book to spruce up the ole Blazer, running better than ever now. Take a few dollars out of your wallet and buy this book.

Bought this book for my dad, he LOVES corvettes and has 2... he was very happy with this book!

At the end of this book, in his bibliography, author McLellan states, "The classic book on the Corvette is still: Corvette: America's Star-Spangled Sports Car." In paying homage to Karl Ludvigsen's seminal work, Dave McLellan shows he appreciates and respects fine writing, but anyone who reads McLellan's Corvette From the Inside will realize it is at least a classic in the same vein. I read this book twice-it's just that good.

There are tons of Corvette techie books. You can find titles on restoration, performance modification, car care, suspension upgrades and who knows what else, but you can't find books that offer a critical and historic view of the Chevrolet Corvette from a hard-core, engineering perspective...at least until retired Corvette Engineering Director, Dave McLellan, published this book.

This is landmark literature for the Corvette hobby because, not only is it the first time Corvette's technical history has been researched and chronicled by someone with the credentials Dave McLellan carries--engineering degrees from Wayne State and MIT plus the SAE's prestigious Edward N. Cole Award for Engineering Innovation--but McLellan, as Corvette Engineering Director from 1975-1992, had first hand experience with a fair amount of what's covered in the book. In addition, not only is McLellan a polished writer, he's also a capable illustrator having created a fair amount of the art used in the book.

Many will expect Corvette from the Inside to be McLellan's chance at an autobiography, but there is little of that. For the most part, the book is devoted to his engineering analysis of the Corvette, from 1953, right up into the C5 era and beyond, some interesting anecdotes of the car's engineering history and some good explanations of certain aspects of automotive engineering.

The history in this book is one of its most desirable qualities. McLellan covers wide and varied topics. In just the chapter titled "The Corvette Ages Through the 1970's" he discusses: gross vs net horsepower, the stillborn (fortunately) shared Corvette/Camaro platform, the decrease in performance due to Federal exhaust emissions requirements, the first Corvette hatchback concept, how GM engineers solved the C3 brake caliper corrosion problem, the coming of Goodyear as the car's OE tire supplier and the early rollout of C4 mechanical features at the end of the C3 years. All of this is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the technical history the Corvette. More of that kind of depth is in sections of the book covering the C4 and the early C5 developments-many are unaware the McLellan and his team of engineers did most of the major design work on C5 and were responsible for virtually all of its basic architecture including a key element in its good ride-and-handling: its stiff, backbone structure.

What's a bit disappointing about this book is a fair amount of mistakes which were missed by during the proof-reading process. For example, Reeves Callaway's name is misspelled "Calloway" in places and Doug Rippie's name is misspelled as "Rippy" consistently. The advent of computer engine controls in Corvettes came for the 1980 model year on cars sold in California, but it's variously listed as either '80 or '81. The "Zero Scrub" front suspension for C4 was introduced for '88 but, in the book, it's also listed as either '89, '90 or '98. In a chapter on engines, there is a discussion of combustion dynamics illustrated by a graph of combustion pressure vs. spark timing. The graph is clearly labeled as showing detonation, however, the illustration's caption states what is being graphed is "pre-ignition" but, then, goes on to describe detonation. Detonation and pre-ignition are two different things. There is no excuse for problems like this in a book published by a company with the reputation for quality automotive books which Bentley Publishers has.

It's hard not to perceive that the development and introduction of the ZR-1, in the 1986-90 period, hold some of McLellan's fondest memories of his service as Corvette Engineering Director. Some of his perspectives and observations are thought-provoking, to say the least. Opening the chapter on the ZR-1 introduction he ponders, "In the summer of 1998, word first leaked out in the press that the ZR-1 Corvette was about to be introduced. For once, they were right, but how did they know?" I read that, and was struck by both the seeming naivete and the difference of perspectives that question revealed, then thought, well-duh! As early as 1986, engineers whom worked for McLellan were leaking details of the ZR-1 and its power-train to media. Back then, Doug Robinson was McLellan's Development Manager and I can remember, in the winter of '86/'87 while working for the now-defunct magazine "Corvette Illustrated", sitting in Robinson's office at Milford listening to him reveal details of what he called "King of the Hill." Then, a year and a half later, in June of 1988 at old Riverside International Raceway, Chevrolet Public Relations, during it's media preview for the 1989 models which McLellan attended, gave an official briefing on the LT5 engine, had three ZR-1 prototypes on static display and had race driver Kim Baker doing "drive-by" demos of a ZR-1 on the track. In reading McLellan's book nearly 15 years later, I was perplexed. Was he posing that question out of legitimate wonder or wry humor? The rest of that chapter and the one before it, which outlines the development story of the LT5 engine, just by themselves, are worth the price of the book to those interested in the ZR-1's contribution to the Corvette Mystique.

In total, McLellan's book, Corvette from the Inside, is a fascinating, very different kind of Corvette book. It's a very good look at America's Sports Car from an engineering perspective, a great narrative by one who was there and a worthwhile addition to any Corvette enthusiast's bookshelf. It could have been an absolutely outstanding work had Bentley Publishers worked a little harder during the editing and proofreading stages to fix some of its little problems.