3 comments about California Look Vw.

1. I think Jay Tucker Jr is an a-hole who has no idea about why people modify and drive VWs. Perhaps he should stick to Hondas...



2. As a coffee table book of flashy pictures of Volkswagens done up in the classic "California Look," this will fit the bill with recent and period photos of the style; the features of which repeated until you expect a quiz from the author. Seume, who has a fixation on these particular period vehicles bordering on the, shall we say, unhealthy, writes as though he is the only one that can possibly appreciate what was basically a short customizing "craze" in late 60's Orange County California. Like many males with automotive fixations, the creators of this style sought to gain individuality through customizing their cars in a nearly identical manner. As with many things weirdly American, Seume notes with pride how this particularly narrow and short-lived styling look has recently gained a near fanatical following internationally, with Finns, Germans, Japanese, and other young men looking to belong and now affording what was basically meant to be an extremely cheap, throw-away automobile taking this style to near-worship in car clubs that approach the rivalry of street gangs. In Europe, the "Cal Look" as it is known in the States, is refered to as "Old School," with current auto part manufacturers mass-reproducing copies of the styling pieces for instant consumption at outrageous prices. Seume loses himself in his writing that borders on the fetishistic, and if a reader actually manages to read the all the copy written by the author, they were truly bored indeed. The photos of the modern examples done up in the style are gourgeous, but in reality toys, never to be driven on the street or seen outside a garage. One begins to wonder about someone who spends $30 to $40,000 on restoration and obscure period customizing pieces for a car that originally sold for $1995. If you like beautiful and period photos of old custom Volkswagens, this book is for you. The publisher could have left out the text written by Seume and no one would have ever noticed.



3. If you are one of those people that prefers to see a vw with a set of nice wheels and some nice trick bits, then this is the book for you. It captures the essence of the california look perfectly and could quite easily transform a hardcore vintage enthusiast into a cal look lover. It features several very well written sections covering different areas of influence on the scene. One covers the originators of the look, one the major companies involved with it, and another on the clubs that helped form the scene. Keith Seume has also managed to include a large amount of rare photos of early development taking place, right through to photos of clubs still alive from the heyday of the california look. Once you get this book you will be forever converted to that slammed, agro look of the cal lookers.

No comments about Historic Vehicles in Miniature: The Genius of Ivan Collins.

No comments about Stars and Cars.

2 comments about Zenith Transistor Radios: Evolution of a Classic.

1. This is an excellent book not only for its rendition of the history of Zenith transistor radios during the "Golden Years" but also because it provides a perspective on how the consumer electronics industry changed over the decade of 1955 ~ 1965.
   
   Zenith's legendary leader Commander MacDonald was still running Zenith at the beginning of this period and you can see his influence driving the engineers to come up with superior products like the Royal 500H, the best tube portable radio ever made (the A600/B600 series Trans-Oceanics) and the first transistor Trans-Oceanic, the Royal 1000. At the end you see the effects of the death of Commander MacDonald and the other changes that drove Zenith (and the other U.S. consumer electronics companies as well) to be less engineering-focused and more marketing-focused.
   
   In some ways it was painful for me to read this book since I was in the consumer electronics industry at the end of this period (and into the 1990s) and witnessed this transistion take place.
   
   If you collect transistor radios I'd recommend this book even if you don't specifically collect Zenith radios, since it is a good history of the development of transistor radios in general during the period.
   
   Mr. Smith obviously did a tremendous amount of research to produce this book and his work is to be commended. It also is obviously a labor of love.



2. It is always fun to read a book written by someone in love with a subject. This beautifully illustrated history of Zenith transistor radios is the perfect example of a love affair in print. Ads, color photos, engineering trivia, pricing estimates, and a firm dose of opinion, all beautifully packaged.

5 comments about Standard Catalog of Ferrari 1947-2003.

1. While I do think that this book has many great pictures of beautiful Ferraris, I find it lacking in the technical data it attempts (extremely poorly) to present. Many of the production specifications do not even match data published by Ferrari itself. Some of the dates of manufacture for certain models are inconsistent as well and do not account for many of the major modifications that certain cars underwent as they evolved. Just to pick one, the car I am most familiar with-the Ferrari 456 has a starting date of manufacture that is both correctly (1992) and incorrectly listed (1995). There were 3 evolving versions of the 456 that were produced over the years, each improved version replacing the previous one. The original 456 (mentioned only as a footnote), the 456 GT (which appeared in 1996, not 1995), and the 456M GT, which began production in 1998 and is not directly mentioned in the book anywhere. The 456 debuted in 1992 and is not mentioned until the 1995-1996 section of the book and is then presented in this section as if it were a new model, incorrect. Technical data is also sloppy. For instance, the Ferrari 456 GT (the only model directly mentioned in the book) is listed as being outfitted with a 5 speed manual transmission (the manual transmission option offered on the 456, 456 GT, and 456M GT has always been 6 speed, this is true for ALL year models). The book also makes little distinction other than cosmetic improvements in the transition of the 456 GT to the more refined 456M GT (it does not even mention the 456M GT distinction anywhere). For the 456M GT, the engine was retuned to increase brake horsepower (bhp) from 436 to 442 (an improvement which stayed with the car until it was discontinued in 2003 and is not reflected anywhere in the technical stats of the book). I am only listing verifiable inconsistencies for ONE car mentioned in this book. Based solely on these facts alone this book is reduced to a well thought out picture history of the Ferrari line. It should not be utilized as a technical reference tool (as the author clearly intends it to be) for any specific model as nearly all of them are also riddled with similar errors.



2. the book is generally perfect for knowin about ferraris but its not high quality book...
   if you wanna know about ferrari dont hesitate to buy it..



3. This is an excellent companion to the standard catalogue series.



4. Mike Covello is a real car guy and a Ferrari owner. He loves the marque and his passion shows in his writing - I follow his work as a regular contributor to Auto Week and Forza Magazine. Yes, this book does have a few warts probably the result of time pressure, the difficulty in confirming details and simple human error. But it's still one of those "must have" books that Ferrari fans need on their book shelves. I have a signed copy and consult it when I need to understand the differences between the many confusing (to me) models. This book is priced well and rich enough in detail to make it a worthwhile investment.



5. this book provides great pics of ferraris, and gives a good historical backround about enzo. it also has stats of all the cars. but it is missing some models and some of the data is wrong, it could be better but it is a cool book.

1 comments about History of the American Automobile Coloring Book.

1. The coloring book is really neat. I cannot wait to give it to my nephew. It arrived on time and is more than I expected.

No comments about 835 Victorian Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

5 comments about How to Restore Your Collector Bicycle.

1. Well written book for a collector and enthusiast. Loads of helpful information for any restoration project. Great photos and checklists.



2. I am mainly into restoring classic British cars, but my interest in classic bicycles has always been strong. I have found this to be an excellent book for its coverage of the restoration process, for the many helpful technical tips sprinkled throughout, and for the high level historical information covering major categories of most commonly collected bikes.

   Some of best financial advice in the book relates to finding and selecting reasonable project bikes (I have a bad habit of trying to "save" bikes needing major work and/or missing parts). The chapters "Finding and Evaluating a Bicycle" and "Choosing the Right Project" have helped to change my approach. As recently as this morning, after becoming enamoured with a certain 1920s era bicycle needing restoration, I checked page 12 and was tipped off that the expense of the single tube tires might be significant. A quick phone call verified the expense...saved!

   This is a well written book and well worth the investment.




3. a great book love it



4. I can't say enough good things about this book! Of course it has the usual "how to remove a tire" info, but the sections on rebuilding and refinishing a vintage bicycle are plain outstanding! The information is detailed without being overwhelming. And they also make sense to non-gearheads like me. The book also gives lots of sources for obtaining vintage and reproduction parts--with URLs that actually work! One of the things I liked best about the book is that the author places much emphasis on the decision making process involved in cleaning/repairing/restoring an old bike. As we all know, many collectible bikes (and collectibles of any kind!) have been ruined by over-enthusiastic owners wanting to make them "like new." It is obvious that Mr. Love LOVES his hobby, and delights in sharing it with other people. Highly recommended!



5. Of course there is the basic "how to remove a tire" information, but there are also lots of good tips on how to evaluate a purchase, some really clever and easy techniques for brightening up an old bike's appearance, plus many excellent "insider" resources for information and replacement parts...with URLs that actually work! He uses different "experts" to demonstrate how to do a factory finish on the bike, how to get it replated etc., and the information is detailed, specific and fun to read without being overwhelming. The author places much emphasis on deciding whether to restore or not, which is a good thing-- as we all know many wonderful collectible bikes (or collectible anything!) are ruined by owners eager to make them "like new." This book strikes me as a labor of love by a person who really loves his hobby and enjoys sharing it with other people. The mechanical info might be too basic for die-hard gearheads, but even they will benefit from the wonderful body work sections!

No comments about Picture History of Aviation on Long Island: 1908-1938.

No comments about Hornby Dublo Trains Vol 3 (The Hornby Companion Series, Vol 3).