5 comments about Porsche 917: The Winning Formula.

1. I build scale model cars and this book is a great reference tool. It covers all of Porsche's racing cars of the '60s leading toward the development of the 917 and recounts all the roadblocks and pitfalls along the way. People who are not saavy about the real world of large-stakes motorsport can be surprised to learn about how much rule-bending goes on. "Unfair advantages" are aggressiviely sought through research and experimentation. An interesting aspect of the 917 is much refinement and modification was needed to turn this complicated and dangerous car into a successful racer.



2. I was twelve in 1971 and lived in Liege. My dad got us tickets to the 1000km of Spa. Sitting along the grid across from pit row. To this day I can close my eyes and see two powder blue Gulf 917's entering the final straight from Virage de la Source. As I remember it Oliver let up just before the finish and Derek almost got pasted him. (I think he may have let up a little too) the hairs on the back of neck still stand up...WOW.

   The magic of the 971's touched my life. This is a wonderful book. Pick it up and let the magic rub off on you.

   Thank you Peter Morgan, and you too Dad.




3. I purchased this at the same time as Porsche Prototype Era: 1964-1973 in Photographs and this was the superior book. It was a consise, complete and fascinating look into the 917 family from it's roots through the 917k and finally the Can Am effort. There were also many personal stories and anecdotes and it wasn't a dry technical dissertation.
   
   If you have any serious interest in this family of cars, I'd highly recommend it. Porsche Prototype Era is more dedicated to the photos with a sort of "skim" of the history but this is the book you'll remember.



4. In my opinion, this is by far the best book out about the history of the Porsche 917 race car; (I have not read the newly released one by Gordon Wingrove yet; I heard that is good too because he was behind the scenes, in the pits etc working on these cars.) Mr. Morgan's book however takes you through the history of the 917, from the early beginnings of testing on up to the 917/30 version and it's banning from Can-Am racing. The photos are awesome and great source for reference for a model builder, such as myself. You will not be disappointed- trust me!! I will be ordering Gordon's book here shortly and I'll try and leave a review of that one as well!



5. The was a CHristmas gift to my husband who absolutely LOVES this book. Regular delievery was quick and the book was packaged well! Thank you!

2 comments about Legendary John Deere Tractors: A Photographic History.

1. Covers a wide range of JD tractor history in color photography. Disappointed in the 4020 models as only a High Crop LP and a High Crop Diesel were pictured. No 4010 tractors were pictured.



2. Any rural library or collection strong in equipment history and transportation will find Legendary John Deere Tractors: A Photographic History a popular pick. Over 500 photos in full color accompany a history of the tractor and come from some of the best-known tractor photographers. Every classic model as well as 'new generation' tractors are profiled in a stunning collection of images and descriptions highly recommended for any farm or rural library.

3 comments about VW Bus Custom Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. You get a taste of the history of the bus along with some pretty good photos of the various models. The book also gets into buying and restoring a bus. With information on customizing. I would recommend the book to someone who is interested in buying a bus, especially if they intend to restore or customize it.



2. a book that is very clearly laid out, points you to the right direction with regards to finding out the history and nature of your bus, camper etc.
   Amazing photos that show you in close detail, things to look for in buying a bus or camper, how to look after the one you have - and points out how lucky you are to own one in today's market.
   cheers!



3. This book doesn't necessarily "read" like a book, or describe "how-to" customize your bus. Instead it has awesome pictures and history of the VW bus and how different people have customized it over the years. Great stuff, makes a perfect gift for those VW Bus cultists like myself.

5 comments about The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market.

1. This book provides a helpful overview of the major problems and challenges that the American auto-makers are currently encountering. Its breadth is impressive, covering everything from automotive history to market analysis to profiles of and leadership anecdotes from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, BMW, and others in addition to the Big Three.
   
   But at only 310 pages (hardcover), what it has in breadth it lacks in depth. Books like Turnaround (about Ghosn's revival of Nissan) and Car (about the design of the Ford Taurus), both cited by Maynard as sources, provide more direct insight on automotive industry leadership. And Halberstam's The Reckoning, although it's twenty years old, makes a more compelling and analytical argument as to why Detroit should worry about the imports.
   
   Maynard's allegations are nothing new: Detroit has huge pension and health care burdens; it overestimates its understanding of the American market; it relies too much on emotion and nostalgia, not enough on engineering, research, and quality; its hands are tied by UAW contracts; it relies on huge discounts to motivate buyers; it's suffering brain drain to the import companies; it has too much corporate inertia. And while there is some background information to support each claim, much of it is anecdotal and cherry-picked. For example, while much is made of Nissan's ability to reinvent itself, Chrysler's multiple successful revivals are used only as an example of its inability to be consistent. And although the American companies have improved their vehicle quality dramatically in the last decade, Maynard focuses on the negative and profiles on a handful of individual consumers who happened to buy American lemons.
   
   While I didn't find it especially insightful or interesting, I think it's still a worthwhile read for those who want to build automotive industry knowledge.



2. I was disappointed when I first started reading Ms. Maynard's book. I had expected to delve into the details of the manufacturing process and appreciate Japan's robotic genius. If you are interested in the technology then look elsewhere.
   
   But Maynard is a pretty good storyteller. She tells stories about the founders of Toyota and Honda. She chronicles their cars, the Camry and Accord, and the engineers behind their success. If I have any complaint about her book, it's that she writes more about the import companies and their leadership then she writes of Detroit, her home town.
   
   Perhaps she is hoping that the CEO's of GM, Ford and (Daimler)Chrysler will read her book and take a lesson or two from their competition:
   1. Listen and learn from your customers. Had Ford paid more attention, Taurus might still be the number one selling sedan.
   2. Respect your workforce. Toyota and Honda are demanding of their workers, in Japan and in America. But they also value and actively seek their suggestions for improving the production process. (Whether the United Auto Workers hinders this communication in Detroit is left unclear.)
   3. Stay humble and hungry.
   
   In the end I'm impressed with the case Ms. Maynard makes for leaderhip. Poor decision making by the Big Three Execs explain much of the reason that Detroit matters less in the automotive world than it used to.



3. Here we are, March 2006 and reading this book for the second time will give one chills! Wagoner had a road map predicting the demise of GM and yet stayed the course. This book combined with The Toyota Way makes the unfortunate End of Detroit painfully clear and often sheds more light on cultural paradigm than business sense!



4. Maynard does a splendid job analyzing Detroits's current problems but ignores some important history. The industry as a whole was badly damaged by the great depression and later even more so by the FDR, The NRA, and the new dealers. Once upon a time American cars were like their Japanese and European counterparts in the sense they were precision machines loaded with engineering inovations, Cadillac offered 3 engines in 1931. V-8, V-12, V-16. By 1941 Cadillacs were nothing more than Chevrolets in basic design but grown longer, wider,and fatter. The American auto industry in the 1920's & 30's was like Europe's auto industry today building all different kinds of cars in all different price ranges. There were cars like the Doble and Stanley that were steam powered, in 1935 there were about 20 different car makers other than the big 3. The Depression coupled with sky high New Deal taxes destroyed the fine car makers like The Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company of Buffalo NY, Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg leaving the way for the Europeans to grab this important market starting in the 1950's after the economy began to recover from the war. Low cost car makers like Studebaker were hated by the UAW because they could not afford to pay the same wages Ford, or GM could. Ther biggest part of this whole tragedy is the art of making, desiging, well crafted cars died with the Pre-WWII generation From 1946 - 1973 American cars were been big, heavy, rolling pieces of costume jewelry. When oil prices after 1973 made building the cars in this manner no longer possible, Detroit has struggled since as to what to do. No longer able to fool people with cheaply made cars disguised to look well made under tons of steel, they have had to re-invent the way they build cars. To Detroit's credit they have made some progress over the years. The problem they faced in the 80's was they had not had to build anything remotely resembling a sophisticated engine in over 50 years. Up to the early 80's the 1928-37 Indiana made Duesenberg Model J still held the title of most technologicly advanced American car, when Detroits new front wheel drive engines could not match Toyota fuel economy they had to remove weight off the cars to make them lighter, since most consumers know nothing of engineering and only judge cars by what they see and feel, American cars were dismissed as being Tin Cans on four wheels, to quote my mother. In recent years Detroit has made some progress. Cadillac seems on the mend, the XLR is a wonderful car but like the Allante before it, way over priced. The new Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are really nice but GM blundered big time dropping Oldsmobile.Ford has not been doing so well, the new Mustang is a 1967 Mustang front end and 1970 Mustang rear-end redone in plastic. YUK ! Mercury is almost dead. The new Lincolns are hideous. Chrysler has benefited from it's association with Damiler Benz. The Chrylsler 300 is the nicest sedan in it's price range. Time will tell if things turn around. The U.S. Auto industry has been written off before and has come back.



5. The End of Detroit looks like a great book with a lot of great information. As a source for a research paper, however, its layout isn't helpful. Cryptic chapter titles and a lack of sections or section headings mean that one must, in essence, read the entire book to obtain valuable contextual information.
   
   Bottom line - it's written more like a novel than a documentary. I don't have the time to appreciate that.

No comments about How to Build 1934-'35 Chevy St RodsHP1514: Step-by-Step Assembly Instructions for a 1934 Chevy Replica.

5 comments about BMW Buyer's Guide.

1. This is a good book for those that are new to purchasing BMW's. Having owned three getting this book, I found it to have some interesting information that made it a good coffee table read as well as a begining reference when car shopping.
   
   Those that own previously owned BMW's either love our mechanics because the car purchased was in good condition or they love us but we purchased a bad egg and will be spending big $$$ at the shop.
   
   No, this isn't the BMW Bible. Join the BMWCCA for that book, but it does contain a large amount of good information and nice photos of the various models up to the 2001 X5 which makes it a good buy for a non-BMWCCA member wishing to learn about the various models.
   
   It does what the author said it would do, provide a "guide" for the buyer.
   
   Get it and enjoy.



2. If you have never owned a BMW, this book is required reading. Pros: (1) Contains an overview of the more common problems with BMWs (a godsend). (2) Author provides a step-by-step primer of how to inspect a used BMW, which is more thorough than anything else, including the Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide. (3) The book's primary focus involves highlighting problems on a model-by-model basis with pictures of the different models, organized according to E number (i.e., the automotive platform), and includes cost replacement charts, detailed specs charts, and owners' insights. Cons: (1) Just about all of the owners offering remarks are from California. I live near DC and would like to read comments from owners that have to contend with east cost drivers, hazards, and road conditions as well as ALL four seasons. (2) Balance. In contrast to all of the negatives pointed out for each model, the book doesn't highlight the positives. For example, if traction control is standard on the E46 323i and 328i, it should be highlighted somewhere on those two pages, perhaps with a different color border indicating a positive. The few positive comments are buried in the one-page introductory remarks for each E type. (Gushing hype lifted from Motortrend or Car and Driver doesn't offer insight into owning a car.) (3) Each section offers ratings charts for the different models, which are ambiguous at best.
   
   THAT BEING SAID, the book was an invaluable resource when I purchased my used BMW. It really helps to have the devil's advocate sitting on your shoulder (or tucked under your arm) when laying out this kind of money. But my mechanic's reassurance convinced me that my BMW choice was reliable and worth the investment. (He bought the same model for his wife and she's never had a problem.) If anyone's decision to buy a used BMW was based solely on reading this book, few would ever buy one. But having read the book, I can't imagine buying one without it.



3. Having owned 3 BMW's (82 320i, 83 528e, 95 318ic), I have found this book to be a wealth of knowledge. Especially for my 528e... since I bought that car after the other two and after buying the book. It has definately helped me pinpoint problems I have had with the car, very accurately I must say. Its a great book to start learning BMW lineage from 67 on up. Overall with the picture guides and pricing tables for parts and the valuable text... I'd say anyone looking for a used BMW shouldn't go without it... or even mechanics for that matter!



4. For those who have no clue about BMW's but would like to buy one it is a very good option.
   It focusses on elements that a layman would not think of.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. Informative text. Before buying a used BMW, buy this book. Especially useful in talking to sellers over the phone. Use the information on each model to get the seller talking about what repairs and maintenence have been performed. It will put you in the driver's seat during negotiations.

No comments about Smart: Small Car, Big Deal.

No comments about Chevrolet Chevelle, Malibu and El Camino: 1969 thru 1987 (Haynes Manuals).

5 comments about Austin-Healey 100, 100-6, 3000 Restoration Guide (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. I had an opportunity to ready and review this book even before I purchased it at Amazon.com. The book is very well thought out, easy to find the answers to specific restoration and concours questions and filled with specific picture examples.

   This book is a must library addition for any owner of the Austin Healey marque both for reference and the enjoyment of reading about interesting insights into the history of the cars and the people who were the inspiration behind the production of the cars.




2. This books is a must have for any Healey owner.



3. If and ONLY if you are actively restoring a "Big Healey" for concours, this is a very useful book. When the authors call it a "restoration guide" they mean something very specific. Concours fanatics care about things like plating on screw heads, and the texture of wire loom tape. This book is crammed full of such stultifyingly dull minutae. It's powerful in the hands of a concours restorer, but almost useless if you're a shade tree mechanic trying to figure out how to replace a rusty fender. For everyone else it's guaranteed instant somnulence. Try and read any 5 pages of this book. I guarantee you you're snoring before you've turned two pages. But again, if you're a Healey concours fanatic, this is your book, man. Read it, live it, love it.



4. I have to say this is probably one of the single best restoration guides written for any car. Extensively researched it will give you everything you need to know to do a award winning restoration of the Big Healey. It doesn't really go into mechanical restoration because that's what the shop manual is for - this book covers all the little trim, paint and various details not covered in any other book. This book is absolutely fantastic.



5. The book is very informative but not really up to snuff. Photos are not as clear and detailed as they should be and the explinations are vague.

5 comments about Ferrari: A Complete Guide to All Models.

1. A good book that covers plenty of the Ferrari models over the years. Has in depth technical details about the cars and their production. I just wish it showed more real pictures of the cars, as most are just artist drawings.



2. When I look to the picture of this book in the site, I thought that it was fantastic because of his beautiful first page. But when it arrived and i've realised that it was just a book with small picture and nothing to say about the real history of each Ferrari. i've to tell you that I'm 30 years old and I've never seen such a book.
   Oh course I've also to tell you that the Amazon service was perfect.



3. This may be a book without fault. It's complete, easy to use, lovely to browse, and inexpensive. In the 1970s the Fitzgerald and Merit guide to Ferraris was the masterwork. It was updated a couple of times but disappeared in the '80s. Signore Acerbi has come to the rescue. Every Ferrari, including competition models, gets double-spread coverage. The left-hand page has a photo and specifications. The right-hand page has a gorgeous pen-and-ink illustrarion and well-considered, clear commentary. There is even a "Palmares" section at the back which details every major Ferrari racing victory. I've bought one for myself and four for friends. Terrific!



4. Book was in excellent condition and fast service. Would definitely buy from this seller again.



5. I think this book is handy to have as a quick reference, and is a good starting point for casual research. But to consider it a "Complete Guide to All Models" is a lot of wishful thinking. I would love to have such a book, but it likely could not be contained in a single volume. When you consider all of the unique variations of the cars produced during the earliest decades of the company, as well as the different incarnations of individual cars that were given new engines, new bodies, etc., during their racing careers, you begin to see that two pages is hardly adequate to begin to cover a single model (especially in a book this size). Still, as a whole, there is a lot of good information here. It will do until something better comes along.