Reddit mentions: The best car customization books

You don't mention where you are from, that makes big differences in the answers. In general, people start messing with things like lawnmower, motorcycles to get into mechanics. I went to school for body, then mechanics. The mechanic coarse was broken down to 4 parts, or semesters. Transmissions, tune up, engines & ac, suspensions & brakes. Now days things are way more complicated, but those are the 4 core things to learn. Engines and tune up are the most intense requiring a lot of understanding, but essential. The rest is mostly parts changing, transmissions are not that difficult, the new ones are a pain in the ass because of all the electronics involved.

So where to turn to find this stuff? Service manuals are an excellent way to learn how cars work. I like the ford stuff. General manuals are not very good at all for learning, chilton, mitchell, clymer. Back in the day, magazines used to have great tech articles and were a wealth of info before internet. Now most magazines are just shills for ads. Peterson had a great catalog of reprints from their magazines, all out of print but you can find them. Here are some of the books I have, basic electric and how to tune are very good. You really should be good with electricity especially on British cars. There is nothing unique to these old cars, they are super simple to deal with. As far as how engines work, the best book I have ever seen is by smokey yunick, I don't know why they are so expensive now. Mopar put out a series of books to help people race their cars, also an excellent source if info. You can find this stuff at used book stores, swap meets, I grab everything I can find. The theory helps overcome the trepidation, once you have a basic knowledge of what everything does, it makes the actual physical work easier.

Body, this is where art comes in. It takes years of practice to become a bodyman. It truly is a highly skilled craft. It is where the most time and money is involved when working on cars. This is really where you start a project, if the body is too far gone, there is no point in going further.

Apart from getting a little project, what can you do? And remember this is a very expensive endeavor. You can find car clubs in most communities, you generally won't find many that even have a clue, but it gets you in the door and you might offer to help. A lot of them just sit around and drink beer and never do any actual work on cars. The misinformation in these car groups is staggering, this is where books help. Euro cars are a niche where the owners are a bit on the crazy side, they at least work on the cars. In /r/littlebritishcars people might direct you to such groups. The volvo people as well. Remember, it's all the same, just different name plate. Reddit's search sucks, but there are lots of posts in this sub about exactly what you are talking about. MGA's are a blast to drive.

Welcome to the cult. How many miles do you have and what are your plans for the car at this point? I don't know how much you have gotten into it but may I recommend some books:

• My favorite shop manual
  
  
• General performance options info
  
  
• Optional, but general Miata information
  
  Also some useful websites (which you probably already know):
  
  
• Miata.net (especially the garage section)
  
  
• Some really useful information and budget minded tips
  
  
• My favorite performance parts supplier. Great service and help.
  
  I'm obviously a bit of a Flyin' Miata fan and a Tanner Buff.
  
  Be aware you are working with the lowest end of the miatas. We don't have the fancy engines and differentials of the 1.8s (94+) or the improved structural bits here and there (92+). With the age of the car I would suggest doing a suspension bushing change; poly sets are cheap, easy, and give you a nice feel. Maybe some structural stiffening to make it feel like new again. Other than that just make sure you are good on maintenance and have fun.

All I could find is this: http://powerhouse411.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_5

There are much cheaper eBay kits, but I think it goes without saying that if you know anything about turbocharging a vehicle you don't want to get an entire kit off of eBay.

You can do it for cheaper if you're handy and want to DIY, I recommend reading both http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1932494294?pc_redir=1410935474&robot_redir=1

And: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0837601606?pc_redir=1410868060&robot_redir=1


The first deals heavily into understanding how it all works and makes you more comfortable with the process. The second will teach you everything you need to know about adding a turbo to a (your) vehicle.

Reading these will save you a lot of money if you end up deciding not to turbo your car, or they will build your confidence in it. I think a turbo V6 would be unique instead of the "V8 cop out".

After that do as much research as you can into your vehicle and read up on some v6 turbo builds, I'm sure it's been done. A turbo v6 can end up putting down some serious power (Note: GNX). Reading other builds will give you an idea of the overall cost. If you can part together a decent kit for pretty cheap, you still have to see if the trans and supporting parts can handle it.

http://www.mustangevolution.com/forum/f133/t10565/


If you're still interested after all of that, don't rule out superchargers! Larger engines tend to accept them better and you won't experience any lag.

What engine did it have in it originally? You need to know that because you want to find out what kind of transmission and rear end are in the car. You have to be careful here because if you put too powerful of an engine in a car without upgrading the rest of the drive train you can tear that stuff up. For example, if your car originally had a 302 with a C4 automatic in it and you drop in a powerful 351W, you would destroy the trans and possibly the rear end in short order.


Personally, I have always been fond of the 351W which is the big brother of the venerable ford 302.. However, it would not be a correct engine for a 68 since the 351W was introduced in 1969. You can read about the Windsor series of engines here.

The way I figure it, you have 3 options:

1. Crate Engine
You can find them at places like summit racing or jegs.

I would avoid anything with fuel injection since they generally require high rise intakes that won't fit under the hood of a 68.

Some crate engines will require minor assembly before installation like distributors, intakes, carburetors etc. This is no big deal and you will be able to find out how to install these on the internet or in books like this.

Advantages Possible warranty, all new parts, easiest possible way to get an engine for a car.

Disadvantages They are generally quite expensive compared to other options

2. Build your own from the ground up

With this option you could pick a engine core and rebuild it. You could get a engine core from many places but the easiest way is to look around on Ebay or Craigslist and find an engine you like that is bone stock. The trick here is to do most of the assembly yourself to save money. If you have some spare money, spend it here and build the engine you want from the ground up.

Advantage Cheapest performance for your dollar. Its a fun learning experience!

Disadvantage By far the most time intensive of the 3 options. It is not terribly difficult but it will require a lot of research, if it were me I would buy some books on engine rebuilding and engine performance.

3. Get a running Engine and just go with it

Buy a running engine from Ebay or craigslist and just drop it right in. Old American V8's are quite resilient. Just remember that while that engine is out is a great time to address many things such as freeze plugs, leaky rear or front main seals, oil pump, since these things are very difficult when the engine is in place.

Advantage Cheapest option.

Disadvantage Reliability, maintenance, and probably performance.

I would suggest that you go with option 3. Find an engine core from something pre-72 that still runs and drop it into your car. Then when the engine gives out go with option 2 and have it rebuilt.

In my opinion, there are 4 different engine series which would be acceptable to put in a car like this.

1. Windsor Engine Series (302, 351W) Small Blocks
   
2. FE Engine Series (390, 428) Big Blocks
   
3. 385 Engine Series (429, 460) Big Blocks
   
4. 335 Engine Series (351 Cleveland) Small Blocks
   
   Some people like to put modern engines in these things but those swaps are much more difficult and more expensive.
   
   In truth, any of the engines I have suggested can be built to make more power than you would ever want.
   
   Hope that helps. If you have any more questions I will do my best to help.

>Hi, I'm interested in joining my school's FSAE team. Unfortunately I have next to zero knowledge of cars and the process required for assembling one.

Not really a problem, most new guys dont know anything, which is why most teams have things for you to do that don't require you to know much.

>I realize that many of you will say that I should just join the team and learn as I do, but the FSAE is fairly competitive and I might not get a chance to do that.

Most of the 'competition' for team positions can be won by simply showing up time after time, and being reliable source of labor for team leaders to shove work on.

>I will be applying to the Baja team as well so that might work out.

Mini Baja is a totally different competition, you can learn just as much, but be sure that the end goal of what you want to work on is available within the team you choose. If you are looking to do studies on jump dynamics and position dependent damping, you will not find that in FSAE for instance.

>Anyway what I'm looking for is a book or website that will give me an introduction to racing cars, so I can have some knowledge going in. Thanks for any help.

As suggested here, Caroll Smith's Tune to Win series is an excellent start. Most teams have the full set of these, see if you can borrow one, or just go to the shop and read them there between jobs people give you, or if it's slow.

Other good books (for suspension I admit) are Gillespie's Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics and Milliken's Race Car Vehicle Dynamics, though this one is much more technical, and considered the Race Engineer's bible, so to speak.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080118173212/http://www.teslafounders.com:80/

STEALTH BLOODBATHJanuary 10, 2008, 6:40 pm
Filed under: General

Okay, I said this blog is not going to be about criticizing Tesla. But I just have to say something about the bloodbath going on over there right now, because it seems to be going largely unreported in the press. Just from the outside, I have seen the following people booted out in the last few days:

 (Names removed for privacy reasons)

• (writer – owner’s manuals)
  
• (VP Manufacturing)
  
• (Software development engineer)
  
• (firmware development engineer)
  
• (lead engineer on Tesla’s motor team; creator of Tesla’s motor)
  
• (CIO)
  
• (formerly VP of Service & Support, then demoted to Director)
  
• (manufacturing engineering manager)
  
• (software development engineer)
  
• (VP Whitestar)
  
• (the original, sassy moderator of the Tesla blog, among her many engineering management jobs)
  
• (firmware engineer)
  
• (world famous motor expert)
  
• (systems engineer, working on service diagnostics procedures)
  
• (communications director and published author of Car Hacks for Dummies)
  
  and also (since my original posting)…
  
  
• (Transmission Team)
  
• (Buyer)
  
• (Vehicle Development Engineer)
  
• (Technical Writer)
  
• (Mechanical Engineer)
  
• (Motor Team)
  
• (Supply Manager)
  
• (running all of supply chain)
  
• (UK Logistics Manager)
  
• (HR)
  
• (Web Developer)
  
  …and many more. Watch to see more fall in the coming weeks; I will add to this list as I hear about more. Some of these folks were let go with NO severance package at all. Others got pathetic severance packages. This is not the way I treat people, that is for sure. Maybe this explains why I got the boot first.
  
  Here’s how it feels on the inside, in the words of a few anonymous employees and newly-former employees:
  
  >“As you may have heard, the ax has been steadily chopping away at Tesla. I don’t pretend to understand the choices being made and honestly wouldn’t even be surprised to learn if I was next on the list. At this point, I’m not even sure if that would necessarily be a bad thing.”
  >
  >“The company has changed so tremendously since I started. It’s very secretive and cold now. It’s like they’re trying to root out and destroy any of its heart that might still be beating.”
  >
  >“I came to Tesla with a great deal of optimism to work for a company with a noble purpose that had a real chance to make a difference in the world. That sense of mission and hope generated incredible energy and determination to overcome the many challenges of producing a great EV. This energy has been drained by the cold, irrational bloodletting that has been going on there. Everyone understands necessary, rational cost management actions in startups, but this was neither necessary nor rational. No thought has been given to the immediate and long term impact on the future of Tesla. Entire departments are stumbling around stunned, bleeding, and headless.”
  >
  >“It is a damn shame about Tesla. I once again spent the day dreading the words, ‘Did you hear?’ Today I heard that both Wally Rippel and [REDACTED1] are now gone. I just don’t know what they’re thinking. [REDACTED2] referred to it as a ‘stealth bloodbath.’ It’s next to impossible to concentrate and actually get anything done. And the real insult in my mind is that they have the nerve to host the holiday party this Saturday. It’s going to be more like a wake(!)”
  >
  >“The atmosphere at Tesla Motors has been suffering for the last couple of months as the new management have slowly squeezed the life out of engineering. The way in which the layoff/reduction-in-force/firings have been handled is one almighty clustercabbage. In a stroke of pure genius, the two HR folks were the first to go, leaving nobody to turn out the lights. Only after they left the building did they realize that now there was nobody to write the termination letters. Like I said, pure undiluted genius.”
  “Sadly - and I do mean this - I am not sorry to leave. The culture that Martin and Marc created is gone. The car is nice, but every day in the office was like a visit to the dentist, not knowing what was going to happen next. Enough. I have moved on.”
  “Unfortunately, the company that I used to love has changed drastically. If I were to pin point a critical turning point, it would be the day when you were pushed aside. Until then, it was not so obvious how Tesla Motors was really Martin Eberhard’s company. After you were gone, I think the spirit and the character of the company went with you. It was surprising how quickly it happened. Yes, there were technical and operations delays for sure, but these could have been better managed and, to a certain extent, anticipated since what you have started was a major paradigm shift in the industry. It was well understood that a revolutionary movement always comes with major challenges and costs. What Tesla has now become is a mere profit-loss centric company—and with a poor chance of making even that—unless someone absorbs it for its remaining core value that you have left behind. Tesla lost its true evangelist and the leader..”
  
  Now, you maybe can argue that there are a lot of necessary changes as the company has grown and scaled. And obviously, transitions are always difficult, even with careful planning. But axing nearly the entire executive staff, letting the world’s foremost EV motor engineer go, trimming down the service organization before the job of opening the first service center is done, ripping through the firmware team – and doing it by random firings on a daily basis – are all hard to explain.
  
  Is this really the right time for Tesla to be tightening its belt this drastically? Really? Right now, when clean tech investment is THE hot investment field and when Tesla Motors is the poster child of clean tech companies, Tesla should be able to raise as much money as it needs to finish the Roadster and launch Whitestar, even with its current technical difficulties. After all, Tesla has proved its fundamental concept: An EV can be a car that rocks, while also being the greenest machine on the road. Tesla’s difficulties are relatively mundane: get the transmission working (and whatever other bits are still to do) and ship the cars. No show stoppers here!
  
  Why would they choose not to fully fund the company in this investment environment? Why instead hack and slash the company? One wonders.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find actual detailed schematics.

http://www.amazon.com/Race-Rally-Car-Sourcebook-Competition/dp/085429984X

That book has a lot of pictures and diagrams of various racecars (both production based and formula style) and discussion about design considerations.

The To Win series by Carol Smith has some wisdom from a man who built a lot of formula cars, but it's mostly technical stuff - not straight up schematics.

The only resource I know of that has full schematics about how to build a car, is Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, but that's to build a 1960 era Lotus 7. (If you want to check this out, I have a .PDF copy I might be able to upload, as the original is out of print - the book shouldn't cost 1/2 the price of the car they teach you to build IMO, lol).

A while back, I had the same dream - except not a Formula 1 car, just a homebrew of some sort.

To get "practice" at putting a car together, I taught myself a 3D CAD program called SolidEdge (similar to Solid Works, except there is a free academic version that's readily available to almost anyone). I looked everywhere for schematics of real race cars so I could attempt to model one before I started working on my own design. The best thing I could find was that Build Your Own Sports Car book.

Seems like nobody wants to give away their design secrets - even with 50 year old cars...

About 10 years ago a friend of mine got a book about Ferrari's ~2000 F1 car. I think the book cost $250. You could probably build a ~2000 Ferrari F1 car based on the photos and diagrams in that book, but you'd need an extremely well equipped shop to do it, and it would still cost hundreds of thousands of dollars just to make the shell and suspension. I don't even remember what the book was called. I think it might be this one, but I'm not sure.

I've used one on a custom car we made in high school. It was (relatively) easy to fiddle with if you know what you're doing. If you want anything custom(sequential injection or coil on plug ignition), you're going to have to know how to solder. It's pretty good for turbo applications (IMO) because they have a pretty good boost control solenoid for relatively cheep that's easy to install and a built-in MAP sensor. A megasquirt is what I'm going to get when I do my KA-T build. They're also pretty expandable if you want to change anything later.

If you do decide to go the megasquirt route, I would suggest reading a book like this or this so you really know what in the hell you're doing when it comes time to "mess with the tables". It was pretty challenging on that custom car.

Also, Porsche is awesome.

Haven't done an SBC yet (still trying to decide whether to go big-inch SBC or save for LSx for my ride), but have a bit of experience with other engines. Some tips:

• Have a couple of clean, clear shelves to store parts as you pull them. Number the cylinders and keep associated parts with their cylinder (pushrod, rocker, piston, connecting rod, etc), unless you plan to replace EVERYTHING.
  
  
• Document your work at various stages of disassembly, this will make reassembly easier. I'd suggest taking plenty of photos, especially in any areas that give you trouble.
  
  
• Do research and plan the entire build before you start buying parts. Start by determining your intentions: is it just going to be a cruiser, or street/strip, drag, autocross, etc. as the intended use can start you in the right direction. For example, if you want an all-out drag racer, you'll want to build a high-revving engine with a mean cam that probably won't even idle below 1000rpm, and it won't be enjoyable at all on the street. If you want some suggestions or help, I'd strongly recommend the forums at TGO, they're some of the most knowledgeable people I've come across regarding the Chevy small-block and will happily offer some pointers and suggestions on the combo you're thinking of... just don't mention that it isn't going into a thirdgen F-body.
  
  
• Pick up a book on the subject. I'd recommend this, David Vizard is an automotive genius and, although this book is a bit dated in terms of parts recommendations, the procedures and torque specs still apply to all Gen-I smallblocks.
  
  
• On that note, buy or borrow a torque wrench and use it. Follow all the torque specifications for your engine.
  
  
  I'm sure I'm missing something, but that should be more than enough to get you started down the right path. Don't hesitate to shoot me a PM if you have questions.

The original Locost book claimed £250, which when reading it made a lot of fairly generous accounting lines, but it did feel like you could do it somewhat close to that if you were really patient and waited for super good deals.

I'm in the US. Current exchange rate puts it at $5600 = £3500. That would be super tight, but do-able. $8k US could get it done though. Tools and talent not included.

> What are some things that I should avoid doing to or with my car?

Serious offroading (like rock-climbing). Also, neutral-drops and ebrake turns. If you get into suspension mods, going too low or too high can lead to various issues.

> What are some performance things I can do to get the biggest bang for my buck?

Good brake pads, fluid, and rotors. There aren't a lot of exhausts (if any) for your car, but you can have a shop make one for you. The 6's sound awesome uncorked--like Porsches! Other users have also mentioned ECU tuning, worth looking into. You can always get into tampering with your suspension too, a few companies should still make springs, shocks, and struts for that chassis.

> How can I make the willow green color look a little cooler?

A good scrub, wax/polish. Also, gunmetal, bronze, or gold wheels make the color stand out a little more.

> What is some general advice or literature I can use to further my knowledge of car care and modification?

Literature for your car: the Technical Service Manual from subaru(downloads are findable on the web.) A Haynes or Chilton's manuals for repair and working on the car are helpful too. Finally, the best book I've read on modding cars is: http://www.amazon.com/Car-Hacks-Mods-For-Dummies/dp/0764571427

These are the two Banish books I'm most familiar with: Engine Management: Advanced Tuning, Designing and Tuning High Performance Fuel Injection Systems. They're pretty similar but the main difference is obvious from the title: the former is just tuning with a little bit of hardware and the second is about half and half hardware and tuning.

I try to remember that the RPi isn't really targeted at hobbyists, it's really an educational board. There are definitely better options if you're willing to give up the support and community. The Banana Pi is looking pretty good as well as the whole ODROID line. Since I'm not a coding guy I would probably be running a tuning PC program hence the requirement of x86.

I originally tried the same thing (googling everything) but trying to find all the information I was looking for in one place was next to impossible. Plus you have so many contradicting views on how to go about tuning...etc.

Engine Management: Advanced Tuning by Greg banish. Its a little older (written in 2007) but still covers all the basics you will need.

http://www.amazon.com/Engine-Management-Advanced-Greg-Banish/dp/1932494421/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416614952&sr=1-1&keywords=engine+management+advanced+tuning

Automotive engine management systems by Jeff Heartman. This book came out in 2013 (i believe) and deals a lot with volumetric efficiency (VE) based engine management systems (like the AEM infinity). This book was the first one I read and it really gives you a good understanding of things. Its much longer then the book above, but seeing as how it goes into greater depth and more aspects of tuning its worth the read.

http://www.amazon.com/Modify-Automotive-Engine-Management-Systems/dp/0760343454/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416615138&sr=1-1&keywords=automotive+engine+management+systems

Other honourable mentions:

Maximum boost by Corky bell (the book is a bit older, but its really well written and interesting)

"How to build" Max-Performance Mitsubishi 4G63 engines, by Robert Bowen (and Robert Garcia of Road Race Engineering RRE)

Engine Airflow by Harold Bettes

I have a 1970 Nova that I've worked on quite a bit, although not as much as I would like. I bought it as a car to learn on, having about the same experience you do now. I've taken almost every single thing apart on that car, but sadly have not been able to rebuild much of it due to money issues and going back to grad school. Obviously I'm a bit biased, but I think you chose a good car to start with. I'll try and answer your questions:

1. As long as you're not mechanically retarded, you'll have no problem. All I had going into this was one auto shop class and a lot of enthusiasm. So far I've completely removed, disassembled, and rebuilt both the front and rear suspensions, removed/disassembled and half-rebuilt a small-block Chevy engine, rebuilt the steering system, gutted the interior, and taken almost every part off of the car at some point. I would say that with enough research and a willingness to learn, there isn't a single thing you can't do, and that includes rebuilding the transmission (although it might not be very fun). Suspension, engine removal/installation, exhaust, brakes, rear axle... most of it is very simple with plenty of instructions to be found online or in books, not to mention old-fashioned trial and error. Basically, you don't need to worry about difficulty as long as you are willing to learn.
   
   
2. I hate the interior. All of the major parts are rather uncomplicated, and even the dash is stone-age simple compared to modern cars, but its the brittle, old plastic pieces and papery upholstery that are a pain because they break so easily, and they are everywhere. If you buy replacement interior parts and simply replace the old with the new as you go, your mechanical inclination should translate rather easily. However, if you plan on restoring and reusing any of your stock interior, it will be much more difficult and time consuming. At the very least, in my opinion, the interior will not be easier than the rest of the car.
   
   
3. Pick up a Chiltons or a Hanes manual for the car. This is the one I bought, although I'm not sure if I bought it from that website. It will have most of what you need to know (like torque values and general dis/assembly procedures), and you can go to the interwebs for the specific things that it doesn't. If you want to rebuild the engine, I highly recommend anything buy a guy named David Vizard. This book is absolutely amazing, even if you're not on a budget. It will explain the theory and mechanical basis behind engine building, i.e., what parts you should buy for the type of use to which you will put your engine. This book gives you the step-by-step instruction on assembling it.
   
   
4. I can't even guesstimate this. It really depends on what you want out of this build. What are your plans? Daily driver? Weekend plaything? Racer?
   
   My Nova had rust issues in a few places, so watch for it when you buy yours: Rear quarter panels between the bumper and the wheel well (from the factory, this area on the inside came packed with foam that trapped any water that leaked into the trunk right up against the metal and rotted it); Front fenders right behind the wheel well (there's a hollow area inside that traps water); Front floorboards (just like any car... if you can't pull up the carpet to look, you can look up at the floor from underneath). Mine was a California car all its life, if you're buying from somewhere like the rust belt, you'll likely have similar or worse issues unless somebody has already fixed it. If they have fixed it, inspect these areas anyway for poor craftsmanship doing so.
   
   Before buying the car, look at the suspension bushings, or ask the seller about them. If they are original or replaced long ago, they'll likely be cracked and crumbling. This makes the car handle like absolute shit and the bump steer can be downright horrifying to deal with while driving (believe me...). So not only are they important, but they are among the most difficult part of the suspension to replace. If you plan on driving the car before tackling this job, make sure the bushings are in good shape.
   
   For parts, I've always gone to Summit for the general mechanical stuff. Great prices, great buying experience and great service, in my experience. For Nova-specific parts like body and interior pieces, my first stop is Classic Industries to find out what I need, then I cross-reference the part numbers I find there with other vendors to find the best price. Sometimes Classic is best, sometimes not, but they have everything, so it's my first stop when looking for a part.
   
   That's all I can think of for now. If you have any questions, let me know.
   
   Edit: Formatting.

I tend to think the same way you do. Don't know where to start, just wish I could have someone explain everything and let me ask questions. While I'm sure that exists in the sense that there might be some expert out there willing to sit down and teach it, but what you're asking for is a course and instruction. Again, I'm sure that exists and it will cost money, I don't know where to start with that.

Otherwise it is completely up to you. Start scouring the internet, look through build threads and tuning forums, and read books on the subject. I just finished this one and I think it is a pretty good place to start if you need the basics on turbos. After that I'm moving on to this one to learn more about tuning. Just like most things in life, there is no easy button. If you want to learn it you have to do it yourself.

Huge learning curve and I agree the site is pretty difficult to get used to. Here are some bookmarks i saved from when i was researching. Hopefully it'll help you out. Happy boosting!

Turbo parts suggestions and advice:

http://www.miataturbo.net/diy-turbo-discussion-14/any-advice-building-turbo-kit-comparable-fm-ii-hydra-scratch-83155/

Feul inj. conversion:

http://www.rceng.com/technical.aspx

Book to read before tackling the project (basics of tuning and etc.):

http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606

Bit of a strange one this, but definitely the mig welder i got for christmas when i was 12, a friend of mine had been given a little go kart type thing the year before and i wanted one, instead i got the welder and this book http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Off-Road-Buggy-little/dp/1859606423/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324164072&sr=1-1 best present i ever got it set me on the road to the career i have today, and made me a fair bit of money when my friends started getting their driving licenses

Here are the two best intro books on the subject:

https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272

https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Vehicle-Dynamics-Premiere-Books/dp/1560911999

Formula SAE in college is a great resource. Look for a co-op opportunity in vehicle design (it'll probably have to be in Michigan unless you're lucky or go into commercial truck). Experience is highly valued when you're trying to get that intro level job because co-ops and internships are so widely available in the industry.

Unfair Advantage by Mark Donohue. A fascinating look into what it takes to really and truly excel in the world of racing. Awesome stories.

The http://www.amazon.com/The-Unfair-Advantage-Mark-Donohue/dp/0837600693/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395869155&sr=8-2&keywords=unfair+advantage

Forced induction performance tuning. A fairly math heavy book as to how to make boosted engines really work. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued, so it's quite expensive to find a copy. It's really worth paying the money for a used copy if you are going to be doing a big forced induction build.

http://www.amazon.com/Induction-Performance-Practical-Supercharging-Turbocharging/dp/1859606911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395869313&sr=8-1&keywords=forced+induction+performance+tuning

Four Stroke Performance Tuning. Same author as above. Still in print. Good info about NA engine building.

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Stroke-Performance-Tuning-Graham-Bell/dp/0857331256/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=06E3Z1TE8P27JV7JVWKN

Street Rotary. A really good intro to rotaries with very solid technical info.

http://www.amazon.com/Street-Rotary-HP1549-Horsepower-Reliability/dp/1557885494/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395869534&sr=1-1&keywords=street+rotary

This is the book I bought. If you want to learn from someone who loves to shape sheet metal then look no further. I met the author, Ed Barr, and he is the real deal. You will learn a lot from his book.

Edit: it's 300 pages of information that applies to what you want to do

Also, there are car restoration classes at the McPherson College in Kansas. They have a summer session that is open to the public. Each class is a one week session (M-F 8:30-5). The faculty and everyone else there are all friendly! Unfortunately, the classes are over this year, but they run every year in June. I took beginner and advanced sheet metal classes as well as a drivetrain class.

In the metal classes we learned how to TIG, MIG and torch weld sheet metal. Also, learned how to shape and form the sheet metal like bending, stretching and shrinking in certain places to get the right shape for your need. They have all the tools you need for your task. English wheels, bead rollers, metal brakes, hammers, dollies, power hammers etc...you name it and it's there. Plus they are open to students bringing in a manageable piece in to work for your advanced class.

The drivetrain class, we were allowed to take apart transmissions and put them back together. I did a Model A, 63-67 MG A, and a TH400. Someone else did a tranny from an 04 Mustang. We also took apart live axles. I took apart an axle with a Dana differential.

They offer a lot more and I promise you won't leave with a frown on your face!

P.S. A lot of students say they know the ins-and-outs of something until they take one of these classes. Almost everyone learns at least something new.

How to design cars like a pro:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Design-Cars-Like-Pro/dp/0760336954

Is essentially the bible for car design students, it has lots of info about design, famous/ important designers and cars and a good section on the day in the life of a designer. Highly recommended.

How to draw cars the hot wheels way


https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Cars-Hot-Wheels/dp/0760314802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542868955&sr=1-1&keywords=How+to+draw+cars+the+hot+wheels+way

Zounds a bit weird but hear me out, this is by Scott Robertson, one of the gurus of car sketching and contains great tips on aesthetics and techniques for car design, plus there is an absolute ton of awesome renders from the Hotwheels design team.

Just a lot of books... Here a re some of the ones I've bought over the past year:

Welding:Principles and Applications (this is a bit overkill but I found it at a used book store)

Advanced Custom Painting Techniques

Four Stroke Performance Tuning

Engine Builders Handbook This is more focused on V8s but has a lot of great advice/best practices.

Sheet Metal Fabrication I have only used the skills in this book to make my electronics box so far, I was originally going to make a cafe style seat but decided on room for a passenger. Someday I would like to make my own gas tank.

Other than that it's a lot of online research!

Depends on how you define "work".

Does it change how your engine runs, and give you a noticeable difference from stock? More than likely.

Is the way your engine now runs healthy and effective long term? Almost assuredly not.

An engine runs as a complete system, and you can't just change one input into that system to be properly effective. If you tweak one piece, you have to tweak the others to account for it, both physically (larger intakes, turbo/super charger, etc) and electronically (different mapping, etc).

If you want a really good explanation and understanding of the basics of engine tuning, I suggest the Corky Bell book called Maximum Boost. It explains what the various sensors do and how they affect the engine "maps", and you can quickly see just how lame these types of "chips" actually are.

They prey on people who don't understand basic engine tuning.

But on the bright side, they probably come with a "type R" sticker.

the turbo piece get the book
maximum boost

https://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500339982&sr=1-1&keywords=maximum+boost

the rebuild piece plenty of rebuild books out there, check this one out since its very similar (import 4 cylinder)

https://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Honda-Builders-Handbook/dp/1884089216/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500339882&sr=1-3&keywords=high+performance+engine+build

to do it right you will need some new tools to your collection.
borescope (plasti gauge), ring files, piston ring compressors, torque wrench, feeler gauges, straight edge, to name a few
a great machine shop (more than just the head resurface, line hone, bore and hone, valve guides/seats/angle cuts)
a factory service manual is key (torque specs and specific details on your engine vs a basic covers it all book).
Research your cars engine and see what have worked well for others. let them teach you what parts to stay away from.
good luck

Get some books.

Start here:

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Wheelers-Bible-2nd-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760335303

Then grab some guide books with ranked trails for where you live/wheel.

Start at the easy trails and work your way up.

Join a club and do the trail runs. Work out what sort of activities you enjoy.

A common mistake newbs make is to look straight toward lifts. But for most terrain lifting a vehicle doesn't add any capability unless it also allows you to fit larger tires. There are way better upgrades to do first. People lift for looks and that is fine, just understand it's purely cosmetics.

As you work up in difficulty level on the trails, be prepared to analyze what you need to increase the capability of your vehicle. Once again, it's terrain & activity dependent.

If you are mostly overlanding then you may not be seeking out hardcore trails. No real need for lockers & mud terrain tires, a winch as emergency backup may be a better investment.

Sand it smooth (use a block to protect the edge of the flat fender rim), apply filler if needed (then sand again), then prime, then paint. I can go into WAY more detail if you like, I rattlecanned my old Suburban to fix similar damage and had decent success.

This is a great source for auto paint: https://www.automotivetouchup.com/

They can match your paint code, and provide paint in spray cans or mixed to use with an air sprayer.

EDIT: Pick up a copy of The Haynes Automotive Body Repair & Painting Manual. It's excellent, and only $20!

It's an OK placement. You really want the BOV as close to the throttle body as possible... this gives the fastest release of the pressure from the system.

For anyone interested... there's a great book called Maximum Boost on designing and building turbo systems... LOTS of good information in there.

It's worth mentioning that the difference between a pro and not so pro paint job is all in the prep work. The best painter in the world could spray it but if the prep is sub par, it won't look good. It's not an insurmountable task, but it ain't easy neither. This book will show you step by step how to do it correctly. Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1929133146?pc_redir=1405493232&robot_redir=1

I'm not sure what 2 pack is but 2k means 2 component. The primer and the hardener. Same thing with paint. If the paint/clear is in good shape then you can scuff and respray.

Check out SWRNC on YouTube. He's a good resource, he also has a channel called diyautoachool.
Also check out the refinish network and collision hub.

I also bought a few books off Amazon on how to repaint your car. I'll go track them down and post some links for you


How to Paint Your Car on a Budget (Cartech) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1932494227/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_R68wzbHG79CEQ

How to Paint Your Car (Motorbooks Workshop) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760315833/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_678wzbRQSC94Z

The Haynes Automotive Body Repair & Painting Manual https://www.amazon.com/dp/1850104794/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_M98wzbRDWH7D4

Advanced Custom Painting Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/1929133146/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_t-8wzbD3QD1JW

Pro Paint & Body HP1563 https://www.amazon.com/dp/155788563X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_S-8wzb8BRY3TQ

Maximum Boost by Corky Bell is an excellent resource for understanding turbos. I loved it. http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606

Cool build, and I hope it lasts for you.

A couple notes to anyone thinking they want to slap a turbo on their car to get more power:

1. Slapping a turbo on a gasoline/petrol engine that isn't designed for one is a very different animal, and much research should be done, starting with reading this book a few times.
   
   
2. If you dismiss #1 you shouldn't be doing work like this on cars.

You mention being versed in CAD. Have you studied vehicle design for input on the suspension, driveline, other aspects? If any engineering schools local to you offer it, it's probably money well spent to take a Vehicle Dynamics class. At minimum, here is the book my alma mater uses for that class which is very well written and easy to understand: http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Vehicle-Dynamics-Thomas-Gillespie/dp/1560911999

Four stroke performance tuning



Reasons why:




1)Starts from the basics and continues to the complex




2)Easy to understand




3)Hundreds of illustrations




4)Entertaining

This is definitely in my top 3, the others being Reher-Morrison racing engines championship engine building and Forced induction performance tuning

Right now i have a mazda 3 2008 2.0l but i don't plan on modding it. I'm not a muscle car guy myself and one day(when i'll have my own garage) i might try to get an old bmw e46(still efi because i don't want a carb) and get started with that. I've already read a book about turbo and it was very interesting and now i think i have a decent knowledge about them. The problem is that even if i know everything about turbo but not a single thing about how to make my engine support it i won't go far away from my future garage and that is why i need a book to learn about the engine(how it works, parts and their pros/cons of material, machining, efi even if i know it'll certainly not be in the same book, etc...)

Here's the book about turbo if you were wondering: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0837601606/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you want to learn about boost and are serious about learning then you must buy the bible of boost

More than you ever wanted to know about creating a good FI setup.

Grats man.....welcome to the club! It was my dream car as soon as it was announced back in 2002. I was finally able to make it happen in 2004!

If you have not read this, BUY IT. What a great read. Book about why this car exist and what they had to do to make it happen.

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Fist-Lead-Foot-Terminator/dp/0595409709/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373722242&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+foot+lead+fist

Check this book out:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0837601606/?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Excellent resource. You'll learn quite a bit. Volumetric Efficiency, sizing turbos, proper air/fuel ratios, etc.

Everything you would want to know is in this book, "Iron Fist Lead Foot. Amazing read for any Mustang fan.

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Fist-Lead-Foot-Terminator/dp/0595409709

It is about the 2003-2004 Terminator.

i personally wouldn't tune for knock, the power should be a bell curve so as you hone in on the best settings power should rise then fall after maximum power is reached, then start to drop off before it knocks.

so that is what i'd tune for. at worst knock tuning would be a disaster on some engines, and on others you're likely loosing power . at the dyno i've often seen people say tune to knock then back off a whatever a good number/% they've heard is.

you have to know a lot of about the math of specific engine you're tuning for to do proper calcs to get you base maps that are close, so since not all that is available, VE being the most useful, it often does become iterative and you just get a feel for it.

dynos aren't that complex, they just measure torque. the manual for them usually has the operation procedure in them, or the rep shows you. but basically you just do a pull on it while it measures rpm/tq and AFR then it plots an HP/TQ graph usually with some compensation for loss, or which conversion factor to use, SAE etc (where a lot of the online battles take place on dyno figures)

i prefer dynapak's myself, mostly since theyre a lot safer and i don't walk over the roller when concentrating on the laptop, and i've felt they're more controllable/repeatable but YMMV

https://www.dynomitedynamometer.com/dyno-dynamometer-article.htm has a good overview of the different styles.

these are some of the books i have

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0837603005

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470057572

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0837611083 (general motronic overview)

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Automotive-Handbook-Robert-GmbH/dp/0837617324

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0837615410

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932494421 good starter book

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760315825

https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Math-Handbook-HP1554-Calculations (updated ver)

I hope you've read Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It! by Ron Champion The book is a bit dated, but the ideas are there. You may also find a copy of the book scanned online somewhere.

There are also online forums based around the book. I've found the UK forums have more active members than the US forums.

You could try a book. Personally, I used the hondata website and help files.

The basics aren't too bad if you are starting with a good map. If you have a terrible map I would try to find a good base one online or go to a professional tuner and buy an hour to get you started.

I highly recommend this book. Engine Management: Advanced Tuning https://www.amazon.com/dp/1932494421/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Tms.AbSAJMG09
It starts from the basics and then gets fairly complex so I feel it covers anything a new tuner would need. It describes the science behind what is happening so I guarantee you will find things in here you will use in the design presentation. It includes graphs and examples. Take notes as you go. The book covers the main forms of tuning an engine. MAF, alpha-n, and speed density. Realize that even though some things are described with MAF or turbos in mind, you can apply it to the other forms. Be able to tell your judge why you chose your strategy and how you executed it. The book is laid out really well and the later chapters describe how to go about tuning after all the terms have been described. 10/10, 11/10 w/ ethanol.

The Four Wheelers Bible is a pretty good resource on recovery, although I don't recall reading much about fires.

http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Vehicle-Dynamics-Premiere-Books/dp/1560911999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425872946&sr=8-1&keywords=1560911999

http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Fundamentals-Internal-Combustion-Engine/dp/0131405705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425872963&sr=8-1&keywords=0131405705

These are the two books I could find that professors at Embry-Riddle, for the high performance vehicle design option of mechanical engineering, use. Im sure there are others, but i dont know where to find them as im not a mechanical engineering student. I'd say go to:
http://www.neebo.com/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-daytona/textbooks

And search around for courses that relate to your interest and find the books they require

There are some good comments here already so I'll just recommend Maximum Boost if you want to read up on turbocharging.

Maximum boost. Read it when I was 16 wanting to get in to turbochargers. Has a ton of info and explanations.

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837601606/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9wvRBbB192Y57

Honestly after you really understand turbocharging the only difficult part is tuning.

Once you get through the basics and start looking into performance, I would suggest "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell. It is pretty much the gospel of turbocharging. Amazon link

I actually keep my Bentley in my car with me. I have a PDF as well on all my computers. There's another book called 101 performance projects projects that you may want to add to your collection too. Not nearly as helpful as a Bentley but still fun to flip through.

It doesn't need upgrades really. I used to track a Nissan Micra 1.1 (? long time ago). Throttle was on or off, hand brake was turn, none of this ESC nonsense :) Do what you have to do though mate. Life is a balancing act, but you will need a hobby. If you want something a bit more fun fuck I hate Reddit URL format

You'll never do it for 250 quid, get a pro welded chassis, but everythiing else is fine. I've driven a hyabysa powered one and it blew my mind.

You might be surprised...

[my bible] (https://www.amazon.com/Induction-Performance-Practical-Supercharging-Turbocharging/dp/1859606911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524080409&sr=8-1&keywords=forced+induction+performance+tuning)

Strongly encourage you check your local library as it seems the price of this book has spiked 10x since I bought it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764571427/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415709378&sr=8-1

Written by a MR2 owner, it covers basics for any car but it is useful if you are new to diy car stuff.

>And weight on that tire would just be taking away from your other tires.

Except that's a good thing...

For tires to generate lateral force, they need a normal load on them (i.e. weight) and they need to slip (hence slip angle).

So by that logic, you just want to pile on more weight and you get more lateral force. This is true, but the problem is that pneumatic tires have a sensitivity to that weight. This means that for more and more load you pile on them, the less lateral force you get back. It's why race cars want to always be as low as possible, you transfer less weight.

Essentially, because the weight got transferred off the tire, it lost more lateral force capability than the outside tire gained.

If you don't believe me, read either:

The Racing & High Performance Tire by Haney

or

Tune to Win by Carroll Smith

or

Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics by Gillespie

or

RCVD by Milliken and Milliken

or you can choose to ignore a random person on the internet that says he has several years of engineering experience for several racing series.

E36s are easy. I can't wrench for shit and I was able to do a lot on my old one.

This book + Youtube videos = gold

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Projects-1982-2000-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760326959

If you're interested in ride/handling or chassis design:

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics

The Science of Vehicle Dynamics

Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics

Chassis Design: Principles and Analysis

Just look and perform the same? That's do-able. Here's some inspiration to get you started:

http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Sports-Little-%C2%A3250/dp/1859606369

Please don't quote wikipedia. It makes my mind hurt how much incorrect information on turbo systems is spread. If you want to go read something useful go read Corky Bell's Maximum Boost. http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606

The ONLY reason for a BOV/Recirc valve is to allow the turbocharger to remain at speed between shifts. It does nothing to reduce wear on the engine (the throttle plate is closed), and again, "surge loading" against the compressor shaft, which is really only just minor overpressure, only occurs when there is no intercooler present. The reason they become useful then is wear on the pressurized tubing/joints from popping off the fittings. A lot of non-intercooled low pressure systems (< 1bar) don't even have recirc valves (84-89 300ZX Turbo)

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing and Installing Turbocharging Systems

Probably the first upgrade any turbo car owner should be is buying this book: http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342897180&sr=8-1&keywords=corky+bell

Corky Bell is a damn smart man, and he even runs BEGi, who specializes in turbo systems for Miatas mostly, but they make a bunch of universal parts as well.

You want this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1859606911

I don't read at all and I've read this cover to cover a few times. It goes into some if the science behind why some mods work. It deals with super charging, Turbo charging and nitrous oxide "charging" but there is a ton of other basic car mod info in there.

Maybe look for a book like this oneHow to build a buggy

Did you just make this up or did you read that in a book like I did in addition to engine calibration experience.

Edit: Actual book I am referring to

Fundementals of Vehicle Dynamics

Very informative on the technical side, especially in suspension dynamics.

From my understanding Formula Student is a competition where Universities compete against each other. The teams have to get their own sponsorship (business aspect I mentioned) to fund parts and development and do the full engineering too which had lots of CAD work (perfect for us ID guys). It goes on every year and follows similar aspects of the development path Formula 3 takes. Technical knowledge you could pick up from it would be invaluable for automotive design.

I bought my ref guide directly from them when they first got funding. They ship globally and I've never seen them in shops so I can't think of anywhere else to buy it. Two other books that I have are How to design cars like a pro and How to illustrate and design concept cars.. Quite dated now but I still use them for visual references.

Many referred me to this book.

I have very little experience, but I have learned that you need to find out what your known values are (airflow, fuel pressure, timing) and adjust the fuel maps. Knowing exactly what your Air to Fuel ratio is a must. Once you have a target A/F ratio in mind, use your known parameters and adjust your fuel accordingly.

What is the output of your logs?

Check out this book here

There is a community of diy Caterham/Lotus 7 clone builders here

They may not be rear engine like the atom, but there is much to be learned there.

While I can't answer all that, this is the book you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606

Buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0760327920/miatanet

[As far as I'm concerned this is the holy bible of turbo applications.] (https://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606)

The pictures are from the book Iron Fist, Lead Foot: John Coletti and Ford's "Terminator"

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Fist-Lead-Foot-Terminator/dp/0595409709

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1557880298/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V3TAWV2Z7HZWK3JD8RNF&dpPl=1&dpID=51adhN%2Bg-yL

Coming from someone who is very into cars and hungry to learn about them, this book was recently referred to me.

"Mom, I am going to need these for school"

https://smile.amazon.com/Sharpie-Metallic-Permanent-Markers-Silver/dp/B06WGZMK5T?sa-no-redirect=1

https://smile.amazon.com/Spellbinders-PLP-002-Platinum-Silver-Sheets/dp/B01F326COW?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_13

https://smile.amazon.com/Professional-Sheet-Fabrication-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760344922?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_9

Not just size of the turbine.. many factors such as distance the charge needs to travel through the intercooling, the pressure of the charge, the temperature, the AF mix.. too many to type without writing a book.... Take midareashi's advice and get Maximum Boost.

You want this book. Be aware that the concepts are math heavy.

This book may also be helpful, I've never read that one so I can't say.

The guy who wrote the first book - Greg Banish - was a tuner for several manufacturers and taught a tuning class/seminar for a while.