How to Hot Rod Volkswagen Engines


Book Description

Fire and ice . . . that’s what you get when you take the cool looks of the Volkswagen Beetle, Bus, Karmann Ghia, Thing, Squareback or Fastback and unleash the hot performance of the air-cooled VW engine. How to hot Rod Volkswagen Engines gives the real skinny for breathing-on, blueprinting and bulletproofing your air-cooled Vee-dub. Street, custom, kit car, off-road, or full-race, this book gives you all the air-cooled engine-building basics to find and put to the pavement hidden horsepower. Includes tips on carburetion, ignition and exhaust tuning, case beefing, cylinder-head flow work, camshaft selection, lubrication and cooling upgrades, 6-to 12-volt conversions and much more. Plus there’s a natty 6-page history of the origins of the first air-cooled VW engines. Go ahead. You deserve it! Double or triple the output of your air-cooled Volkswagen. Or add 10-15 horsepower with easy bolt-on mods. Mild or wild, do it the right way—with this book. More than 300 photos, drawings and charts to guide you through your VW’s innards. And don’t look back.




How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air-Cooled Engine


Book Description

Learn how to rebuild a Volkswagen air-cooled engine! This guide will teach the reader how to troubleshoot, remove, tear down, inspect, assemble, and install Bug, Bus, Karmann Ghia, Thing, Type-3, Type-4, and Porsche 914 engines. All models from 1961 on up are included.




Ford Flathead Engines


Book Description

Although not the first V-8 engine ever produced, Henry Ford's side-valve V-8, launched in 1932, certainly qualified as the first mass-produced V-8 sold to the public. Because of Henry Ford's stubbornness, the first versions were less than ideal. The technology was in its infancy and cost-cutting measures limited the output and reliability of the early models. Over time, however, the "Flattie" became the go-to powerplant for a whole generation of new hobbyists who were called "hot rodders." The engine maintained its position in the hobby well into the 1950s, even when more modern overhead-valve designs started coming out of Detroit. It's hard to overstate the impact that this simple little engine had on a whole generation of enthusiasts. Even today, people choose a flathead for period-correct builds over far more powerful options. The style and sound of a modified flathead is an iconic part of American history. In Ford Flathead Engines: How to Rebuild & Modify, veteran author Tony Thacker and flathead guru of H&H Flatheads, Mike Herman, take you step-by-step through rebuilding a vintage flathead. One of the most important steps is to actually find a good, usable core; many have been sitting for a very long time and the engine design is prone to cracking. Running changes are also an important consideration when selecting a core, and include cooling system, ignition, and transmission mount. After you have selected a core, Thacker and Herman take you through the entire process of a rebuild, including teardown, parts inspection, machine shop processes, replacement part selection, re-assembly, start up, and break-in. Also covered is a unique performance build completed at the H&H shop for legendary race car team manager and all-around enthusiast Ray Evernham. It all adds up to more than 500 color photos and insider tips on building what could be called the most iconic engine ever built, the Ford flathead V-8.




The VW Beetle


Book Description

The world's most popular car, Volkswagen-or "the People's Car"-has earned its place in history. The VW Beetle chronicles the development and rise to worldwide popularity of the famed "punch-buggy," invented in Germany in the 1930s. This peculiar history includes the makings of all models, engines, and body styles through 1967-and the key people responsible for its development.




Aircooled VW Engine Interchange Manual : The User's Guide to Original and Aftermarket Parts...


Book Description

Find out which parts will fit your engine and what theyll do for it with this valuable guide to all engine, ignition and carburetion parts for your classic VW engine. Tuning recommendations on equipping engines for economy performance, mild performance increases, fast road or full race performance. Includes stock part interchange specs and parts numbers, and describes the wide range of aftermarket parts available.




How to Build Killer Chevy Small-Block Engines


Book Description

Learn how to get the most horsepower out of the tried-and-true small-block Chevy platform in this all-new full-color guide. Whether you are a hot rodder, a custom car owner, or a muscle car guy, you are always going to be looking for the latest and greatest Chevy small-block performance information. This book is a valuable resource on all the latest for the Chevy small-block owner. How to Build Killer Chevy Small-Block Engines covers all the major components, such as blocks, crankshafts, rods and pistons, camshafts, valvetrain, oiling systems, heads, intake and carburetor, and ignition systems. In addition, this book contains a large section on stroker packages. Also featured are the latest street heads from AFR, Dart, RHS, World Products, and other prominent manufacturers. While the design is more than 60 years old, the aftermarket for this powerplant is still developing. An in-depth, highly detailed example of a popular build format is featured, offering a complete road map to duplicate this sample build. This build achieved over 700hp from 422 cubic inches! While the GM LS engine family has earned a strong following and is currently the hottest small-block in the enthusiast market, the Gen I Chevy small-block engine retains a strong following with the massive number of these engines still in use throughout the hobby. They are durable, affordable, and a very well-supported platform.




Engines of Change


Book Description

A narrative like no other: a cultural history that explores how cars have both propelled and reflected the American experience— from the Model T to the Prius. From the assembly lines of Henry Ford to the open roads of Route 66, from the lore of Jack Kerouac to the sex appeal of the Hot Rod, America’s history is a vehicular history—an idea brought brilliantly to life in this major work by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Paul Ingrassia. Ingrassia offers a wondrous epic in fifteen automobiles, including the Corvette, the Beetle, and the Chevy Corvair, as well as the personalities and tales behind them: Robert McNamara’s unlikely role in Lee Iacocca’s Mustang, John Z. DeLorean’s Pontiac GTO , Henry Ford’s Model T, as well as Honda’s Accord, the BMW 3 Series, and the Jeep, among others. Through these cars and these characters, Ingrassia shows how the car has expressed the particularly American tension between the lure of freedom and the obligations of utility. He also takes us through the rise of American manufacturing, the suburbanization of the country, the birth of the hippie and the yuppie, the emancipation of women, and many more fateful episodes and eras, including the car’s unintended consequences: trial lawyers, energy crises, and urban sprawl. Narrative history of the highest caliber, Engines of Change is an entirely edifying new way to look at the American story.




Performance Automotive Engine Math


Book Description

A reference book of math equations used in developing high-performance racing engines, including calculating engine displacement, compression ratio, torque and horsepower, intake and header size, carb size, VE and BSFC, injector sizing and piston speed. --book cover.




How to Build Max Performance 4.6 Liter Ford Engines


Book Description

Ford's 4.6-liter-powered Mustang is the last remaining "classic" muscle car in the world and is incredibly popular with performance enthusiasts. More than 1,000,000 Mustangs have been built since 1996. Covers all 4.6 and 5.4-liter "Modular" motors--Ford's only V8 engine for Mustangs, fullsize cars, and light trucks from 1996 to 2004.




Baja Bugs & Buggies


Book Description

Prepping & Racing Bugs & Buggies The VW Beetle is uniquely suited for off-road use. Its torsion-arm front suspension and lightweight engine and transaxle make it natural. It you didn’t know better, you’d think Dr. Ferdinand Porsche designed the Beetle to race the Baja. Veteran off-road racer, Jeff Hibbard, details the do’s and don’ts of off-road preparation. Whether you build your car for recreation or full-race, this book has a plan for you. Avoid building a cosmetic off-road car. Learn what breaks and how to prevent it from breaking. Learn how to spend your off-road dollars wisely. This book is a must for sedan and buggy off-roaders alike!