Small-block Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge V-8 engines came in a variety of vehicles since 1964. These powerful, durable engines powered everything from high-performance 'Cudas and Chargers to torquey Dakotas and Ram trucks.
How to Rebuild the Small-Block Mopar is the most comprehensive book on small-block Mopar engines ever released, covering 273, 318, 340, and 360-ci LA engines and 5.2 and 5.9L Magnum V-8s. Author William Burt uses color photos and descriptive text to teach readers the complete rebuild process from removal to break-in.
This book describes ways to increase the performance and efficiency of your small-block Mopar, and also point s out the unique steps required for LA and Magnum versions of the engine. Topics covered include removal, tear down, inspection, selecting parts, machine-shop work, and assembly. Special sidebars cover torque sequences, cc-ing heads, calculating compression ratio, and painting engine parts.
Learn how to chop tops with advice from the experts!
Today, the purpose of a chopped top on a hot rod is mostly to make a visual statement, but that wasn't always the case. In the late 1930s, roadsters were considered to be real hot rods, while sedans and coupes were not considered to be race cars. Over time, sanctioning bodies began to accept sedans and coupes as race cars, which created the need for chopping tops. When competing in dry-lakes racing, the tall birdcages of cars that had not been chopped created an excessive amount of aerodynamic drag. Chopping the top increased the aerodynamic efficiency to the point that the coupes were competitive with the roadsters.
Tops aren't often chopped for those reasons today. However, when viewing the works of art that have been created by the best chopping masters, it's clear that enhanced aesthetics is the only reason that is needed.
Chopping a top may seem simple at first (especially if you think that old tops are mostly square), but it is not. The process of chopping a top severely alters the angles of the A-pillars, the intersections where metal meets at the C-pillars, and the rake and fitment of the glass.
In How to Chop Tops, hot rod expert and historian Tony Thacker takes you through the process of chopping a top. Individual chapters feature a variety of chops that have been performed by the industry's most talented fabricators. The most popular candidates for this modification are covered, including Ford Model As, Model Ts, 1932 3-window and 5-window coupes, 1933s, 1934s, and Shoeboxes. Featured industry experts include Rick Lefever, Evin and Justin Veazie, the Kennedy Brothers, Bobby Walden, Troy Ladd's Hollywood Hot Rods, Rolling Bones, Roy Brizio, Cornfield Customs, Max Grundy, and more.
Whether you want to give chopping a try or you just want to see how it's done before hiring a professional, this book is a valuable addition to your library.
This book guides you through the factory and aftermarket components of the LT1/LT4 engines, offering sound performance advice and recommendations. Additionally, complete engine buildup recipes are provided, along with their respective horsepower and torque levels. You can follow the advice of experts and achieve targeted results for your own project.
Since its introduction in 1965, the big-block Chevy engine has been a force to be reckoned with on both the street and track. Over the past four decades, the big-block has undergone a constant evolution toward greater efficiency and durability. It's also picked up more displacement, as General Motors is now offering crate engines up to 572 ci, and aftermarket versions have gone much larger still.
In How to Build Killer Big-Block Chevy Engines, author Tom Dufur reviews the commonly available factory parts along with many aftermarket offerings, and discusses the advantages of both. Additionally, he includes popular buildup recipes and showcases the dyno results, proving theories and sharing in-depth research. Dufur's decades of experience designing, assembling, tuning, and racing the big-block Chevy engine truly shines through. A wealth of full-color photos, charts, and graphs makes it easy to understand the critical points of these great engines.
In-depth chapters on design, engine preparation, and assembly show you how to develop your own big-block Chevy to its full potential. Whether your big-block is destined for life in a street car, a race car, or even a boat, the wealth of information in this book will ensure it has ample power and longevity once it's all together.
The photos in this edition are black and white.
The traditional Pontiac V-8 ushered in the age of great American overhead valve V-8s with its introduction in 1955. Almost immediately, it became the basis for competition power plants. As time passed and the engine evolved to greater heights and larger displacements, avid Pontiac enthusiasts took advantage of the design's strong points and overcame its weaknesses to build a legendary performance history.
Today's Pontiac enthusiast has a wide range of factory and aftermarket components to choose from, and in How to Build Max-Performance Pontiac V-8s, all the critical components are reviewed in great detail. This book includes honest advice on the proper way to modify components for optimal power and durability. The book also gives readers an assessment of the many aftermarket accessories offered for these great engines, and shares the capabilities such parts bring with them. In addition, high-performance engine buildups are completed and the results are shared.
If you're considering building a traditional Pontiac V-8 engine for increased power and performance or even for competitive racing, this book is a critical component to achieving your goals.
The photos in this edition are black and white.
The 1967-1981 Camaros and Firebirds are enduring classics that include the Z28, Firebird Formula 400, and the Smokey and the Bandit edition Trans Ams. But many owners want their rides to have the latest and greatest in GM engine technology and performance, and that's the LS engine. These F-Body cars readily accept these compact, lightweight modern V-8 engines. The LS engines produce more horsepower per cubic inch than almost all other pushrod V-8 engines, so the combination of the LS engine and a Camaro or Firebird make for an extraordinary performance car. And that's precisely why these engine swaps have become so popular.
To perform a professional caliber LS engine swap into a Camaro or Firebird, you need proper planning, the right combination of parts, and information to complete the project. Swap LS Engines into Camaros & Firebirds: 1967-1981 provides excellent instruction and guidance for selecting the best engine for a budget, choosing the adapter plates and engine mounts, dropping the engine into the car, selecting the ideal transmission and drivelines, and completing all facets of the swap. You need to ensure that all the other components on the car are compatible with the engine, so author McClellan instructs readers how to integrate the electronic engine control system on the early F-Body cars as well as select and install exhaust, intake, fuel pumps, and upgrade cooling system for the high-performance LS.
While the swapping process is covered in detail, the author also provides a helpful Gen III and Gen IV LS engine guide, so the reader finds the best performing and reliable engine suited for a particular car and application, such as Pro Touring, drag racing, and high-performance street. In addition, the author explains how to shop for and buy a used LS engine from a salvage yard, so you get a good engine with all required accessories. When you are ready to swap a stock powerplant engine for a GM LS, you are going to need this book.
Extracting maximum torque and horsepower from engines is an art as well as a science. David Vizard is an engineer and more aptly an engine building artist who guides the reader through all the aspects of power production and high-performance engine building. His proven high-performance engine building methods and techniques are revealed in this all-new edition of How to Build Horsepower. Vizard goes into extreme depth and detail for drawing maximum performance from any automotive engine. The production of power is covered from the most logical point from the air entering the engine all the way to spent gasses leaving through the exhaust. Explained is how to optimize all the components in between, such as selecting heads for maximum flow or port heads for superior power output, ideal valvetrain components, realizing the ideal rocker arm ratios for a particular application, secrets for selecting the best cam, and giving unique insight into all facets of cam performance. In addition, he covers how to select and setup superchargers, nitrous oxide, ignition and other vital aspects of high-performance engine building.
Vizard's top-selling How to Build Horsepower explains the latest and most effective engine building techniques and strategies. The reader is treated to the secrets and methods for building virtually any automotive engine. Vizard's unique and entertaining style of writing clearly explains the key principles and provides extreme detail and uncommon insight, so at-home engine builder can realize their performance goals.
While most books on composites approach the subject from a very technical standpoint, Beginning Composites presents practical, hands-on information about these versatile materials. From explanations of what a composite is, to demonstrations on how to actually utilize them in various projects, this book provides a simple, concise perspective on molding and finishing techniques to empower even the most apprehensive beginner.
Topics include: What is a composite, why use composites, general composite types and where composites are typically used. Composite Materials Fabrication Handbook includes shop set up, design and a number of hands-on start-to-finish projects documented with abundant photographs.
Surface sanding and finishing makes up an entire chapter, ensuring that the parts you manufacture are not only light and extremely strong, but also good looking as well.
When it comes to their personal transportation, today's youth have shunned the large, heavy performance cars of their parents' generation and instead embrace what has become known as the sport compact-- smaller, lightweight, modern sports cars of predominantly Japanese manufacture. These cars respond well to performance modifications due to their light weight and technology-laden, high-revving engines. And by far, the most sought-after and modified cars are the Hondas and Acuras of the mid-'80s to present.
An extremely popular method of improving vehicle performance is a process known as engine swapping. Engine swapping consists of removing a more powerful engine from a better-equipped or more modern vehicle and installing it into your own. It is one of the most efficient and affordable methods of improving your vehicle's performance.
This book covers in detail all the most popular performance swaps for Honda Civic, Accord, and Prelude as well as the Acura Integra. It includes vital information on electrics, fit and drive train compatibility, design considerations, step-by-step instruction, and costs. This book is must-have for the Honda enthusiast.
Practical Fabrication and Assembly Techniques guides enthusiasts through the most essential processes for assembling a high-performance engine, car, or motorcycle. Tasks like fabricating mounts for fuel pumps or ignition boxes, selecting fasteners and hardware for securing components, and plumbing brake and fuel systems are among the many topics covered.
The photos in this edition are black and white.
The General Motors G-Body is one of the manufacturer's most popular chassis, and includes cars such as Chevrolet Malibu, Monte Carlo, and El Camino; the Buick Regal, Grand National, and GNX; the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme; the Pontiac Grand Prix, and more. This traditional and affordable front engine/rear-wheel-drive design lends itself to common upgrades and modifications for a wide range of high-performance applications, from drag racing to road racing. Many of the vehicles GM produced using this chassis were powered by V-8 engines, and others had popular turbocharged V-6 configurations. Some of the special-edition vehicles were outfitted with exclusive performance upgrades, which can be easily adapted to other G-Body vehicles.
Knowing which vehicles were equipped with which options, and how to best incorporate all the best-possible equipment is thoroughly covered in this book. A solid collection of upgrades including brakes, suspension, and the installation of GMs most popular modern engine-the LS-Series V-8-are all covered in great detail. The aftermarket support for this chassis is huge, and the interchangeability and affordability are a big reason for its popularity. It's the last mass-produced V-8/rear-drive chassis that enthusiasts can afford and readily modify.
There is also great information for use when shopping for a G-Body, including what areas to be aware of or check for possible corrosion, what options to look for, and what should be avoided. No other book on the performance aspects of a GM G-Body has been published until now, and this book will serve as the bible to G-Body enthusiasts for years to come.
The first edition of Honda Builder's Handbook Vol. 1 has become the Bible of how-to books for high-performance sport compact and Honda enthusiasts alike, having sold over 29,000 copies. This new revised edition brings the reader up to date with the latest tricks and techniques used to get maximum horsepower from Honda engines. This revision covers all the fundamentals of super-tuning a high-performance Honda/Acura engine and give real world examples that prove the theory and show you how it works in practice. This edition contains advice from Honda performance experts, like Oscar Jackson of Jackson Racing and Rob Smith of RPS. It also includes build-up information on a B20/B16 Hybrid, a 12-second turbo-charged GSR Civic, PAC Motorsports stroker motors, and a B20/B16Ai Frankenstein combination, and covers the build-up of an ultra-radical 825-horsepower turbocharged B18CI Honda Civic.
Table of contents includes: How to Build Honda Power; Bolt-On Performance Guide; Tuning The Airflow Path; Bottom End Building Tech; Camshaft Choices & Tuning; Tuning Fuel Injection; Ignition Tuning; Hot Street & Strip Combinations; Turbocharged Project CRX. Appendices include: Drag Strip Dyno; How To Find Mean Effective Pressure; Horsepower/Torque Air/Fuel Mass Air Flow; VTEC Explained; Russ Collins Blueprints B16A1 Build; Jackson Racing D16 Blueprint Summary; AEM Engine ID and Spec Chart; Source Guide.
Written for those who want to enhance the quality of their composite projects, Composites Fabrication Handbook #2 focuses on what it takes to truly optimize a composite lamination for high-performance use. Basic mold-making is covered in this book to help fabricators produce effective mold systems from a variety of molding materials. Several advanced molding techniques are demonstrated in-depth so the reader will be able to create their own parts using compression molding, vacuum-bagging, trapped-rubber insert molding, inflatable bladder molding, or resin transfer molding techniques. 144 pages, 400 photos, 100% color.
Hemi. The word alone evokes images of ultra-high-performance street cars and dominating race cars. No other engine has earned as much street credibility and race success. This engine resides at the pinnacle of American V-8 performance, and cars that carry a Hemi are some of the rarest, most expensive, and legendary muscle cars ever made. When Chrysler threw the wraps off the 426 in 1964, it made history. In the 1964 Daytona 500, the new Hemi-powered stock cars finished 1-2-3-4, announcing Chrysler's new era of dominance in racing. Fast forward to today: recently an immaculate 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible sold for $2.16 million at a 2006 Barrett Jackson collector car auction. The factory Hemi cars have become legendary, easily eclipsing all other muscle cars in performance and value.
How to Build Max-Performance Hemi Engines details how to extract even more horsepower out of these incredible engines. All the block options from street versus race, new versus old, and iron versus aluminum are presented. Full detailed coverage on the reciprocating assembly is also included. Heads play an essential role in flowing fuel and producing maximum horsepower, and therefore receive special treatment. Author Richard Nedbal explores major head types, rocker-arm systems, head machining and prep, valves, springs, seats, porting quench control, and much more. All camshaft considerations are discussed as well, so you can select the best specification for your engine build. Induction options including EFI, aftermarket ignitions systems, high-performance oiling systems, and cooling systems are also covered. The book also examines in detail how to install and set up power adders such as nitrous oxide, superchargers, and turbochargers.
Acclaimed automotive technical writer David Vizard examines the finer points of carburetors and intake manifolds, looking for the smallest of modifications and upgrades which often result in large performance gains. How to Build Horsepower: Volume 2 includes Carter, Holley, Predator, Weber, Dellorto, and Mikuni carbs, dozens of factory and aftermarket manifolds, tunnel ram intakes, etc. Also covers carb calibration methods, analysis of different designs, mixture ration, test results of various carb and intake combinations.
You're building a hot rod. The first step is the chassis. If it's not right, the car won't handle well. If it's really not right, the car might destroy itself. There are choices to be made, from frame rails to suspension components, and some combinations will work better than others. Next is the body. This is what everyone sees first. It's what makes a hot rod a hot rod. This book is a sure-fire guide to the best approach. Veteran builder and writer Dennis Parks walks you through the whole process, from finding and using existing panels to choosing New Old Stock panels from the aftermarket. The Hot Rod Body and Chassis Builder's Guide offers fool-proof advice for building the hot rod of your dreams.
The ever-escalating cost of building or buying a hot rod is leaving more and more would-be hot rodders behind. This book will get those hopefuls off the sidelines by showing how a hot rod can be built for less than the cost of, say, a new Hyundai.
Author Dennis Parks documents his own project--building a quintessentially cool Model T roadster from a Track-T kit--showing in step-by-step detail how to turn a pile of parts into a rockin hot rod. He provides a detailed, easy-to-follow guide for building a car of your own.
The advice and instructions cover every aspect of an affordable hot rod build, from establishing the target vehicle and budget, to finding parts, building the car, and fine tuning the finished vehicle on the road.
With Parks' money-saving tips and photo-supported how-to sequences, virtually anyone with minimal mechanical skills and the will to use them can be sure of building their hot rod right, and for the right price. The book also includes a full resource guide and recommendations for further reading.