Comprising 20 ‘open letters from a part-time petrolhead,’ Alfa Mail looks at much more than the Alfa Romeo marque. Cars, aircraft, motorcycles – even tractors – feature in this irreverently personal view of internal combustion, ‘the great enabler,’ for better or worse. Or maybe just for fun. This book goes beyond the normal car book format, exploring what made Alfa special, and asking whether the future of the mark is important or relevant in today’s world. Version 2 Nov 2012
Ten years have passed since the original edition of this book was published, but Alfa Romeo enthusiasts everywhere are still active today more than ever in preserving, modifying and racing these excellent cars. Throughout this time, the author in true Alfista fashion, never stopped looking for and trying new techniques to increase the power, overall performance and reliability of Alfas and their engines. This book is the result of much research, also first-hand experience gained through many Alfa rwd model projects, from the 105 series to the last of the 75 models. There is a lot of completely new information here regarding TwinSpark Cylinder head mods, big-brake mods, LSD adjustment procedure, electrical system improvements, plus many flow-bench diagrams, dyno plots, and much more.
The complete practical guide to choosing and specifying Holley carburettors for any suitable engine and for road or track performance. Uniquely, this book allows the identification of complete secondhand carburettors and individual components, including all metering blocks, so you can buy and build with confidence. Easy to follow tuning instructions to ensure YOUR Holley carburettor delivers maximum performance.
The story of these wonderfully stylish cars, built on the ultra-dependable VW Beetle chassis and running gear. Produced between 1955 and 1974, these timeless models are now classics. Here is the essential guide to the curvy and collectible VW-based Karmann Ghias.
The complete practical guide to successfully modifying cylinder heads for maximum power, economy and reliability. Applies to almost every car/motorcycle (not 2-stroke) and to all road and track applications.
The official record of the centennial re-enactment of a great motoring milestone. Man and machine against the elements, driving where no car has gone before … that was the impossible challenge of 1907, when a handful of buccaneering madcap motorists took up the idea of a Paris newspaper to prove that the car could now go anywhere by driving the huge distance between two capital cities – Peking to Paris. To mark the 100th anniversary of the original 'Great Race', over 100 cars set out to drive the original route used by Prince Borghese in 1907. They ranged from authentic veteran Italas and vintage Bentleys to classic Aston Martins, and pretty much everything in-between. Drivers of 26 different nationalities came together to test their wits and their cars by driving for 40 days from the Great Wall of China, across the Gobi Desert. With around 250 photos, official maps and inside information from the event organiser, this is a fascinating and colourful read for every red-blooded motoring enthusiast.
Following his dismissal from a job he never should have had, the author packs a tent, some snacks, and a suit, and sets out on a two-wheeled adventure across Europe. With no idea where he’s going, and only two very large and confusing maps to rely on, he heads out to prove that planning and forethought are the very antithesis of a motorcycle adventure.
Top Gear's James May is back with his hilarious and controversial opinions on . . . just about everything. As well as writing about his first love, cars, James has a go at political correctness, the endless rules and regulations of daily life, the internal combustion engine and traffic wardens. He discusses gastropubs, Jeremy Clarkson and other trials of modern life. His highly entertaining observations from behind the wheel will have you laughing out loud, whether you share his opinions, or not. Car Fever is an indispensable guide to life for the modern driver.
By the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather's company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari, whose cars epitomized style, lorded it over the European racing scene. He crafted beautiful sports cars, "science fiction on wheels," but was also called "the Assassin" because so many drivers perished while racing them.Go Like Helltells the remarkable story of how Henry Ford II, with the help of a young visionary named Lee Iacocca and a former racing champion turned engineer, Carroll Shelby, concocted a scheme to reinvent the Ford company. They would enter the high-stakes world of European car racing, where an adventurous few threw safety and sanity to the wind. They would design, build, and race a car that could beat Ferrari at his own game at the most prestigious and brutal race in the world, something no American car had ever done.Go Like Helltransports readers to a risk-filled, glorious time in this brilliant portrait of a rivalry between two industrialists, the cars they built, and the "pilots" who would drive them to victory, or doom.
