No comments about Porsche 928.

3 comments about How to Repair Your Car (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. Auto expert Paul Brand offers consumers all the basics and blends his repair advice into a visual format to provide novices with the easiest tips in HOW TO REPAIR YOUR CAR. It doesn't get much more basic than this: fifty step-by-step projects can be done with a few simple tools yet can save thousands. From helpful troubleshooting charts and maintenance routines to color photos and diagrams, this 'real world guide' is a pick not just for car owners but for general-interest libraries.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. I think this book is pretty good for the 'mechanic wannabe' who's just getting started (like me). All the 50 projects are implemented with photos which is pretty neat. At the end of each chapter, there is a troubleshooting chart listing common problems associated with the specific components that are discussed in the chapter.
   Now, after reading this book, I think some projects could have been a little more detailed, and some other a little less: The project on 'how to fill coolant' takes two pages front and back, but the one on 'how to change thermostat' only takes one...
   Also, some projects explain how to replace such and such part, but it doesn't explain why you would want to replace these parts if your car breaks down:
   * "how to replace distributor cap and rotor"; sounds great, but how do I know that these are the parts I need to replace if my car breaks down? It doesn't say anything about that in the electrical troubleshooting chart in this chapter.
   * "How to replace the starter"; sounds great too, but where do I find it? there's no diagram in this book that shows you where to look under the hood, beside a picture of a car, at the beginning of the chapter, with a front mounted engine (my car, like most front wheel drive nowdays, has an engine mounted sideway); and the car used as an example in this project is different than mine.
   Anyway, the point is, a little more details would have been nice.
   However, it is a decent book and it gave me a better comprehension of how things work under the hood. It also gave me more confidence to work on my car.
   My advice is: buy this book to familiarize yourself with cars, and learn very basic car maintenance stuff such as changing your oil, checking your fluids, tires etc.
   For bigger projects like 'how to replace a water pump' (project 29), this is probably not the book you need.



3. This book is an excellent automotive resource for novices and motorheads. I would definetly suggest purchasing this book if you have car problems or if you simply want to learn more about the technical aspects of your automobile.

No comments about Pumping Apparatus: Driver Operator's Handbook.

5 comments about Camaro Restoration Handbook HPBooks 758.

1. I have a camaro 1980 z 28 and looking for your book Camaro Restoration Handbook ground up or sectional restoration tips and techniques 1967-1981. Can you get back in touch with me on how can i get your book. My camaro also has t-tops . We are looking to restore it but we can't find any kind of books and i found this one on your website. Please get back in touch with me ksevin@bellsouth.net



2. This book provides a very complete and easily used reference on Camaro part numbers, options packages, and tips for show-quality restorations. It greatly aids planning on a "real" restoration (that is, returning the car to its original factory condition), providing enough information to identify virtually every part in the car. For example, it provides decoding information for the numeric stamp on Camaro transimissions (which is otherwise unintelligible). It also provides a large number of B&W photos and diagrams of parts and assemblies. The book is limited to 1st generation (1967-1969) Camaros, but is suprisingly thick despite this fact, at 288 8.5"x11" pages.

   What this book is not so good for is the actual restoration work; if you're looking for a guide on how to repair body panels and reupholster seats interior, look to Tom Carrao & Ron Sessions' "Camaro Restoration Handbook". As a reference for planning your restoration, however, I feel that this book would be very difficult to beat. It is a very good place to start learning about auto restoration, and you'll find yourself turning to it again and again as the work proceeds.




3. Id buy it if your just starting out, or want to 'spark' your forgotten interests.



4. this is a general over view. does not into much detail. i would say there are better books out there if you are serious about restoring your car.



5. I am restoring a 67 Camaro now and have not found the book of any use in the restoration process. A good assembly manual beats a book with a bunch of glossy pictures and poorly written text. Don't waste your money.

4 comments about Dyno Testing and Tuning (Performance How-To).

1. Not as informative as I had hoped. I can use much of the information, but I was hoping for more detail



2. The book, I believe, did not live up to my expections. The author only just touches on spark timing (MBT), and a little on lambda. He does not go every deep into tuning. The type of information that I would like to have seen for example would be say, when you see the egt's start to go down and the cht's coming back up you need to re adjust the timing. No I do not think this book is that informative.



3. I believe this book should be mandatory reading for anyone operating a dynamometer or using dynamometer services. It provides a fundamental knowledge on what to expect from the dynamometer and how to get the most from your time spent using the dynamometer. The focus is on water brake engine dynamometers and chassis dynamometers using eddy current power absorption units. The book is not a scripted tuning session, specifying exactly what to do for each engine tuning anomally. It does provide a great foundation for where to begin and what to look for during a tuning session. In my job, I teach people how to use a dynamometer every week. I wish each dynamometer manufacturer would include this book with the purchase of their dyno, and then make it mandatory reading prior to my training session with the new customer.



4. Lots of good info about dyno tuning using both a chassis and engine dyno. My favorite parts of the book were the formulas to check dyno numbers against track numbers and vice versa. I also really liked the part about the questions to ask when you interview a shop. I am in the process of finding a chassis dyno so this was really beneficial. There were two chapters that went over my head a bit but, overall a good read.

2 comments about TopGear Motor Mania: A Truckload of Trivia to Drive You Round the Bend (Top Gear:).

1. This book has a lot of fun little facts about cars and their place in the world. The trivia stretches from countries all around the world!



2. If you love cars (and even if you don't), this book is worth the time. My only complaint is that there wasn't more of it. Inside, you will find all kinds of interesting facts and stories related to a wide variety of subjects surounding the motoring world. Automotive firsts, driver's around the world, and the most unlucky car ever (you won't belive it!). This little book is well worth a look.

5 comments about Biker's Handbook: Becoming Part of the Motorcycle Culture.

1. Great book for beginners but very enjoyable to veteran riders. I've been riding since 1965. I found much of the info to be very good. I wish this book had been available 40 years ago, I may not have made many of the mistakes that I did. A must read for new riders!!



2. in the interest of full disclosure, i did not buy this book. however, i read it in the course of about an hour while sitting at the bookstore. you too should read it for free, if at all.
   
   first off, the author has no real love motorcycles, but the neo-harley dentist/accountant scene that the "american" pig iron scene has become. the photos of him and his friends are enough to make me want to avoid any of the rides, bars, rallies, and scenes that the book describes. frankly, dear author, with your stringy long hair, gauntlets, black leather, and overweight motorcycle, you all look a bit light on your toes. and don't bother with the sportsters, they aren't heavy enough, expensive enough, and can actually be ridden.
   
   second, the cavalier attitude about drinking and riding is disgusting. the main point given to not do so is financial. never mind that riding a bike so large that one can barely control it under the best of circumstances is dangerous, add some alcohol to the mix and create a dangerous situation for everyone. please, dear author, maintain also your cavalier attitude about wearing your helmet and do us all a favor.
   
   third, to state that harleys now have a modern engine is wishful thinking, at best. it is still the same 45 degree pig that it always was, prone to shaking itself apart and mismatched power stroke that makes one grind their teeth. even buell, dear author, has gone to a modern rotax engine that puts the harley engine to shame.
   
   fourth, liberal use of the 'F' word does not a biker make. nor does a liberal sprinkling of 'custom' off the shelf, bolt on, chrome trinkets make a custom bike. i've been riding a long time, have completely disassembled my own bike and rebuilt it how i wanted it (and no, it isn't american and its not japanese), and nothing makes me more amused than to see a bunch of middle aged nobodies riding a bunch of off-the-showroom-floor pigs, all dressed in black and looking for all the world just what they are: overgrown boys that finally have the $30K to buy into a scene and maybe missed their exit for masquerade ball. oh, and trucking your bikes to the rallies and/or flying is about your speed. you earned those scratches on your bikes, buddy. gotta love it.
   
   fifth, if motorcycle gangs don't like to be called gangs and/or gang members, they shouldn't behave as such. sorry, but any 'club' that sells drugs, prostitution, guns, and resolves disputes with violence as their main source of income is a gang. it is what it is, get over it.
   
   lastly, the bullet lists were somewhat helpful. lists of things that one needs on the road, things to watch out for, etc., are about the only thing worthwhile in this waste of paper. but you have to look at skull and crossbones instead of proper bullets, oh brother.
   
   do yourself a favor and read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. the reading is better, the author actually cares, and the lists are much more useful.
   
   and the 'F' word simply isn't necessary to get your point across.



3. This book makes the claim to be a beginner's guide to the "Biker Culture". Jay Barbieri suggests this book will help the reader to fit into the culture avoiding common newbie fo-paws. Being a 31 year veteran biker myself passionate to riding, I looked forward to receiving my copy of the "Biker's Handbook" in the mail. After reading Barbieri's' s reflections and insight, I hoped to pass it on to a couple of friends just joining the riding populace for some entertaining pearls of wisdom; especially on biker "etiquette", symbolism, history, etc,
   
   Barbieri's book falls quite short of hitting the mark. His recounting of motorcycling history is often flawed (even details of the origin of the "1%er") and generally discounts the role of any other brand of motorcycle other than HD. While historical perspective may not be a big deal in many other `recreational' (as referred nowadays) pastimes - and some errors may seem "minor" - that history is deeply interwoven into at least what the "Harley-type" subculture of motorcycling is. This books' advice may seem `real' to casual riders in the Weekend Biker world, but is not insightful into the culture of riders who actually do "Live to Ride". Sadly, it fails to give much insight into the passion if not the soul of riding many new riders are often drawn to. (For example, Barbieri advises shipping the reader's bike to a rally or renting a bike there, apparently not understanding that the Ride is almost (if not more) important than being there.)
   
   Not all of Barbieri's points are off target. Some of his tid-bits and advice merely reflect his independent and personal style which is central to the culture. However in other areas ... if some of the advice he gives is taken, a rider may find him/herself taking unnecessary or even dangerous risks. From the accurate-but-obvious (Outlaw Club members are not your buddies: treat them with caution and respect), to the misinformed (...don't wear fingerless gloves or vests), to absolute B.S. (...wear GLASS eye protection ... and his instructions on braking), a significant amount of the advice this `handbook' gives should be considered with caution at best. And what Barbieri omits is often just as important - like the many midlife newcomers that buy a Harley and immediately hit Sturgis (or other large Runs) without having the basic necessary skills to ride in the packs that they will inevitably find themselves swept up in.
   
   Take a motorcycling course, learn braking (etc.) there, and give yourself a year before a large Meet. Please.
   
   Finally, and perhaps most alarmingly, beyond the first few chapters on getting started Barbieri's book devolves into a disjointed collection of anecdotes recalling his fond memories of him and friends partying and riding drunk and/ or stoned. Peppered throughout those tales he cautions in effect. `Don't do what I do (did)' - but damn this was fun.
   
   Suds and smoke has been and is definitely part of the subculture. However there is no place for it on 2 wheels. And there is so much more going on at Sturgis (et. al.) than just the drunken anecdotes he presents.
   
   Thankfully this book is a short-read. "Important" one-liners from the text are frequently pulled out and retyped in large print ...full-page drawings often illustrate again the text the reader has just read ... and several chapters have a `review" in the margins or at the end ... again restating what the reader just read.
   
   On balance, there isn't much there.
   
   I can't recommend this book or even pass my copy on to others. Here's (sincerely) hoping for a second and more accurate edition - the time is ripe for a book like this. This may be a good book on becoming an uninformed RUB -Rich Urban Biker (he even gets that wrong - using the term "Rubes" throughout the book) that enjoys playing with expensive toys. But if one wants a mini course on what the "Biker Culture" is all about, sadly this isn't it.



4. This is quite possibly the worst book ever. However, since I have not read every book I won't state that as fact. Based on the books I have read, this was by far the biggest waste of my time and money. If ZERO STARS were an option, I would rate it accordingly. It simply does not reflect the bikers I know or would even remotely want to be associated with. If the author's circle of friends is the "Motorcycle Culture" kindly count me out. However, since there is apparently a portion of the motorcycling community that actually thinks along the same lines as the author (as of 8/22/08 seven reviewers had given this book 5 stars!) I hope the author writes many more books so as to keep his like-minded readers at home thereby making the streets a safer place for the rest of us.
   
   If you are interested in improving (or learning) cycling skills read the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's guide and read either or both of Peter Egan's 'Leanings' books if you want some amusing and interesting stories about motorcycles (and not just Harley's). Yes, all three books will cost roughly 3 times more than the Biker's Handbook, but you'll probably get 10 times the enjoyment.



5. This book has everything you need to know to be a poser.
   The first and most aggravating issue is the way the author
   authoratively states that anyone who is not riding a Harley is not a real biker.
   Let me tell you who a biker is, someone who knows the joy of the open road and the pain of road rash.
   I can get both of those feelings on any bike.
   Harley's rock, but they ain't the only good bike.
   Another issue is the way that he continually spouts obscenities to seem more 'hardcore.'
   What a poser.
   The last issue I will state about this book for now is that it's a book... about how to be a "biker." Oh, wait, no it isn't. It ain't about how to ride, how to choose the proper bike for you, or anything about how to actually be a biker, no. Instead it's about how to fake your way into fitting an image.
   An image that began with the film "The Wild One" where, by the way, Brando rode a British Triumph, not a Harley.

5 comments about How to Rebuild and Modify Porsche 911 Engines 1965-1989.

1. I bought a 1974 911S Targa last year with a blown engine. Deciding to tackle the re-build myself, along with help from my Dad and advice from Porsche mechanics we know, I purchased this book. All I have to say is Awesome! Wayne Dempsey has really put together a comprehensive way of showing you how to do your re-build, as well as giving you some real simple yet totally worth while modifications. After studing this book for about a month, I even found were the last builder of this engine made mistakes and corrected them.
   
   If you are going to build your engine, novice or not, I recommend this book.



2. This is a great book for the enthusiast or for those with an interest in Porsches. I rebuilt a 911 engine without this resource; it would have been so much easier and faster with this book as a reference. I bought this as a gift for someone that acquired a 78 911SC -- he thinks the pictures are exceptional.



3. One of the best 911 books out there. Suprisingly clear and easy to read. If you've never torn down your 911 motor because you always thought, "I'd should leave it to the professionals" read this book. It will show you, with lots of great pics, how to do everything in a step by step way and give you the confidence to tackle your motor. I read this book then bought five more for my other 911 buddies and have since tackled complete rebuilds. If you only buy two book, it should be this one and '101 Projects for your 911'.



4. Wayne Dempsey has done it again: the ideal birthday present.
   This and "101 Projects" for your Porsche are "must haves" for anyone interested in his aging aircooled 911 and capable of holding a wrench.
   I discovered "101 Projects" after having done the first 96 on my own. "911 Engines" covers what is beyond "101". Even if you can not/will not work on the engine yourself, it helps you ask the right question.
   Given the many factory updates, plus the fact that typically the official dealerships wants to sell new cars and will not permit you access to the greasemonkey who does the real work, and that the manager is primarily interested in management (extracting work from the monkey and money from you), this knowledge is crucial to the owner of the 911 as these get even older. Asking a lot of questions is not what the manager likes, and most will find a stopgap quick answer.
   Dempsey's color photographs truly explain, and his arrows detail where 'it' is.
   His text, short clear sentences, passes the "Napoleon's corporal" proofreading. He is not in a hurry - the text covers it all, patiently and without short cuts.
   USA centered (but that's where 50% of all Porsches reside), the author provides sources for specialized services or hard-to-get parts.
   Get it, or ask it for Christmas. It is a pleasant juicy read.



5. I haven't gone through full detail reading the book, but it'll make you feel more confident in rebuilding the engine. It'll also make you more weary about starting because it shows how much meticulous effort you must put in order to avoid future oil leaks.
   
   What I don't like about this book is that it makes you need to buy his other book (101 projects for your porsche) if you do not already know how to remove the engine. Removing a porsche engine requires more work than something like a chevy small block because you must lift the car up and remove the engine from underneath. I don't see why the author just didn't include the few extra pages in this book as it is required to rebuild an engine.

5 comments about Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146).

1. A very informative book on the engineering fundementals, it would be good if a second edition with more mordern race vehicles was in the works.



2. Milliken lays down the fundamentals and advanced topic of vehicle dynamics as applied to racecars. The text is not for beginning or nontechnical readers in the slightest manner. Milliken points out many subtle and difficult areas to understand, which take hours of studying to fully grasp. For those seriously considering a career in this field or to the extremely interested reader, this text is the source of information.



3. I think i've bought this book a bit too early in my learning curve!
   This is a book intended for the Professional Race Engineer, or an extremely motivated amateur.
   It contains a wealth of mathematics for vehicle dynamics.
   Very exciting, i expect to have years of fun with the various chapters in this book.



4. Good luck finding this much information about vehicle dynamics in any other book, that is as well put together and easy to comprehend as this one. Well suited to those with engineering/math/science related backgrounds but not all of the information is beyond grasp of most people.



5. Absolutely outstanding and well structured. Gives a proper understanding of the fundamental theories and equation formulations, which are the building blocks for any concept to start with. Highly recommendable!

5 comments about Exceeding Customer Expectations: What Enterprise, America's #1 car rental company, can teach you about creating lifetime customers.

1. If you are looking for a book to give your employees for customer service skills this is the only one.



2. EXCEEDING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS by Kirk Kazanjian may be viewed in a variety of ways. Many will consider this book nothing more than a marketing campaign, and in large part, they would be correct. However, I find no fault in that. If that were the intention of the people at Enterprise, it is ingenious. They certainly won my loyalty, not that I ever have much need to rent a vehicle, but if I ever do,....
   
   Others might view this book just as the title opines, an instructional treatise on customer service. They too would be correct, but only to a certain degree. I say that because I found the book to be more of a business model. In fact, I would say this book is broken down thusly; 50% business model, 30% Enterprise company history and 20% customer service. Therefore, my only big knock on this book is the title, which leads the reader to believe customer service is the primary focus here. It is not. That is not to say, however, that readers will not glean valuable information on customer service, just not as much as this reader would have liked.
   
   The book reads well and Kazanjian is to be commended for his work, but I do not believe the story paints quite the intended picture. I found in large part, the Enterprise Company bumbled its way into prosperity because a few headstrong employees refused to follow company policy! A good example is the Enterprise "we'll pick you up" mantra. I won't give too much of the book away, but this and other business innovations within the company happened by chance. Please do not mistake this as ridicule of the company. Enterprise is certainly a gem in today's marketplace, just understand that according to this book, much of the company's success wasn't planned that way. Perhaps that in and of itself is what has made them successful; their ability to adapt.
   
   I would like to make one other observation about the title of the book. My fear is that many will miss out on this book because of the title. This is an excellent resource for constructing a business model and is, at best, a mediocre source on customer service. If you are on a quest for knowledge on "exceeding customer expectations" you will likely be disappointed here as there are certainly more informative volumes available.



3. The author uses Enterprise to uncover critical insights that he distills into clearly stated key points. The essential focus of the book is on people...employees.
   
   This is an first-rate analysis of a winning company, giving the reading important guidelines for success in any highly competitive market. Human resource professionals (yes, HR folks) should read this book, along with those who are concerned with business planning and marketing.



4. Enterprise is the best, and this book tells us exactly why. Take care of your customers and employees first, then the profits will follow. Well written, easily understood, this is a book that anyone having anything to do with customer service should read. Learn the secret that makes Enterprise Rent-a-Car so succussful. Well worth the read.



5. This book is AWESOME! Although Enterprise is a car rental company, many of their methods can be successfully applied to other businesses. Another great companion book to this is The Ultimate Question by Fred Reicheld. They both make the assertion that you have to turn first time customers into "promoters" who will return AND bring others with them. When I need to rent a car I will Pick Enterprise...They Pick Me Up!!!