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Custom Street/Import
Learning Resources
Tips On Choosing Custom Street/Import Books
Custom street and import cars present a great opportunity for creative design. Modifications to the interior, suspension, engine, bodywork and nearly ever other component are possible. If you are looking to modify your vehicle's performance, we suggest a first book that focuses on vehicle dynamics (How a vehicle behaves in motion) . This will provide a baseline understanding of how your modifications may affect your vehicle's performance. Next, we would suggest books specializing in the components you are adding or modifying.
If you are looking at primarily off-the-shelf non-performance modifications, then we suggest books that focus on planning, selecting and installation of the components.
If you are interested in custom fabrication of composite or metal parts, we suggest seeking out books specialized in the materials and fabrication techniques needed. Some include examples and help in designing custom bodywork or interiors.
| Book Category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodynamics |  Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles: From Fluid Mechanics to Vehicle Engineering  (5 / 5)The most comprehensive and in-depth guide to aerodynamic principles and their application to road vehicles. Passenger car, commercial vehicle, sports car, race car, and motorcycle aerodynamics are all examined in detail. Includes theory and practical applications in fuel economy, directional stability, cooling, and passenger comfort. Also discusses design, measurement, testing and computational fluid dynamics. Get "Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles: From Fluid Mechanics to Vehicle Engineering":    | |||
| Aerodynamics |  Amateur Car Aerodynamics Sourcebook: For everyone interested in road car aerodynamics  (4 / 5)A DIY guide to aerodynamics changes to road cars. It includes basic theory on aerodynamic lift and drag, testing techniques, flow visualization and a number of projects to modify aerodynamics by using aerodynamics devices. Get "Amateur Car Aerodynamics Sourcebook: For everyone interested in road car aerodynamics": | |||
| Bodywork |  Automotive Bodywork & Rust Repair  (4.5 / 5)Provides instruction on repairing damaged and rusty bodywork. Covers tools, preparing/cleaning sheet metals, fabricating sections and patches, welding options, fitting and smoothing, metalworking and finishing. Get "Automotive Bodywork & Rust Repair": | |||
| Bodywork |  How to Paint Your Car on a Budget (4.5 / 5)Practical instruction on equipment, preparation and painting techniques on a budget. Covers decision making around painting, bodywork repairs before painting, equipment and paints, preparation, sanding, masking, and painting techniques. Get "How to Paint Your Car on a Budget": | |||
| Driving |  How to Drag Race (5 / 5)Covers the drag racing experience, equipment setup, driving techniques and classes. This book also includes information about safety equipment, tires, line-locks, delay boxes and racing math. Get "How to Drag Race": | |||
| Driving |  Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques (5 / 5)Provides a compact, concise guide to race driving essentials. It includes chapters on optimizing the car, reading and using the track, driving techniques as well as safety, data and communications tips. Get "Speed Secrets: Professional Race Driving Techniques": | |||
| Electrical |  Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems (4.5 / 5)Covers electrical theory, automotive electrical systems, troubleshooting, construction of new and modification of existing vehicle electrics. Instructions on tools, adding new circuits, installing electronics and vehicle wiring. Several project are documented including adding a stereo, electric windows and electronic accessories. Get "Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems": | |||
| Interior |  Custom Auto Interiors (4.5 / 5)Step by step guide on creating custom auto interiors. Includes over 800 color photographs and instructions to guide builders through the process and techniques. Get "Custom Auto Interiors": | |||
| Interior |  How to Restore and Customize Automotive Interiors (4 / 5)A step-by-step guide to both restoring and customizing interiors. Teaches what tools and materials to use, planning projects, techniques for restoration and customizing and maintenance/care. Includes seat repairs and re-covering, floor coverings, custom door panels, headliners, and consoles. Get "How to Restore and Customize Automotive Interiors": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #1 (4.5 / 5)Book 1 of the Composite materials series. Explains the basics of composites, their applications, workspace setup, tools and practical techniques. Includes projects to help the builder learn techniques of mold making, laminating, demolding and finishing. Includes many high quality color photographs to guide the reader. Get "Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #1": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #2 (4 / 5)Book 2 of the Composite materials series which gets builders started by explaining the practical techniques. Includes projects to help the builder learn techniques of mold making, laminating, demolding and finishing. Includes many high quality color photographs to guide the reader. Get "Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #2": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #3 (Composite Garage Series) (4.5 / 5)Book 3 of the Composite materials series. Expands on mold making, advanced mold systems, one-off fabrication methods and computer design. Includes hands-on projects such as a body panel, camper shell and hollow body guitar to help the reader learn and practice techniques. Also includes composite repairs. Get "Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbook #3 (Composite Garage Series)": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Metal Fabricator's Handbook (4 / 5)Teaches welding techniques, metal forming, hammerforming and practical metal fabrication projects. Project include forming custom body panels, tanks, roll cages/safety cells and exhaust headers. Get "Metal Fabricator's Handbook": | |||
| Powertrain |  David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower (5 / 5)A guide to designing the engine as a system and constructing it to produce maximum horsepower. The design aspects use the airflow through each part of the engine as a basis for instruction. Provides detailed information on how to select, modify and tune each component to work at peak efficiency with others in the engine. Get "David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower": | |||
| Powertrain |  Engine Builder's Handbook (5 / 5)Explains how to troubleshoot and rebuild all types of engines. Provides tips, techniques and detailed information on engine inspection, teardown, the short block, cylinder heads, assembly and camshaft theory. Get "Engine Builder's Handbook": | |||
| Powertrain |  Street Turbocharging: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems (4.5 / 5)Provides turbocharging theory, practical information and project vehicles. Includes components, constructing systems, engine building, fuel injection, and testing and aftermark options. Get "Street Turbocharging: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems": | |||
| Powertrain |  Turbo: Real World High-Performance Turbocharger Systems (5 / 5)Includes explanations of how turbochargers are constructed and function, matching them to gas and diesel engines, manufacturers, installation, maintenance. It also includes detailed information on building the engine to handle turbocharging, rebuilding the turbocharger and turbocharger troubleshooting/failure analysis. Get "Turbo: Real World High-Performance Turbocharger Systems": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  DIY Testing of Car Modifications  (3.5 / 5)Provides low cost techniques to help measure and compare performance changes of a vehicle. Includes flow testing the intake and exhaust, aerodynamics and acceleration. Get "DIY Testing of Car Modifications": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Fast Car Physics (4.5 / 5)A great introduction to the world of vehicle dynamics, in language and explanations that are easy to understand. Learn basic vehicle physics, handling/dynamics, suspension types and geometry, and the latest approaches to green technologies for racing--energy recovery and storage. Get "Fast Car Physics": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics (R114) (4.5 / 5)For production road vehicles instead of pure race cars, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth study of vehicle dynamics. Understanding motion and vehicle effects is fundamental to developing good race cars and road vehicles and this book is considered one of the best introductory textbooks that balances usable theory and principles with additional mathematics. Get "Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics (R114)": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  High-Performance Handling for Street or Track: Vehicle dynamics, suspension mods & setup (4.5 / 5)Provides advice on planning modifications, installing components and tuning the handling characteristics of street vehicles. Includes an overview of vehicle dynamics and advice on selecting aftermarket components such as brakes, wheels, camber adjusters, anti-roll bars, springs, shocks and bushings. Also includes tire and wheel selection. Get "High-Performance Handling for Street or Track: Vehicle dynamics, suspension mods & setup": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  How to Make Your Car Handle (5 / 5)Teaches how to improve vehicle handling through suspension and chassis modifications and understanding vehicle dynamics. Includes basic suspension theory on roll centers, roll axis, camber change, bump steer, anti-dive, ride rate, ride balance as well practical chassis modifications. Get "How to Make Your Car Handle": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146) (5 / 5)A comprehensive book on the vehicle dynamics of race cars (and applicable to road cars). Includes the most in-depth theoretical knowledge about vehicle handling, suspension and dynamics available in a single book. Along with clear explanations of principles there is a large mathematical component for engineering design. Can be used as a university textbook for vehicle engineering/Formula SAE/Student. Get "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146)": | |||
| Whole Car (Customize/Upgrade) |  Race Car Fabrication & Preparation (5 / 5)Production car preparation for racing. Includes information on transmission preparation, clutches, component selection, safety systems, wrecking yard parts, fabrication, welding basics, rear end setup, hardware, the cockpit, roll cages, wheels and tires, plumbing systems, electrical and cooling system. Get "Race Car Fabrication & Preparation": | |||
| Whole Car (Design and Build) |  How to Hook & Launch: Traction Mods for Street & Strip (4.5 / 5)Concepts of drag racing vehicle dynamics. The author explains the incremental process of a drag racing car's launch, traction and performance. The book takes a practical approach to maximizing traction through a wide variety of potential chassis/suspension modifications as well as engine/powertrain optimization and tuning. Get "How to Hook & Launch: Traction Mods for Street & Strip": | |||
| Whole Car (Design) |  Race Car Engineering & Mechanics (5 / 5)Paul Van Valkenburgh's guide to understanding how the many components of the entire race car fit and work together. He provides design theory and practical information on tires, wheels, suspension geometry, springs, anti-roll bars, brakes, aerodynamics, handling, engine supports, chassis, safety and even racing operations such as testing and pit lane procedures. Get "Race Car Engineering & Mechanics": | |||
| Whole Car (Preparation) |  Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation (4 / 5)200 step-by-step technical illustrations and information on preparing a stock production vehicle for racing. Get "Showroom Stock Race Car Preparation": | |||
| Magazine |  Import Tuner Magazine Magazine for customizing Import cars | |||
| Magazine | Speed Hunters Custom and race car photo journalism from around the world. | |||
| Website | Clubman Builders Resource - Locost 7 Documents and info on building a Lotus 7-type car. Based on book "Build Your Own Sports Car For as Little As £250" |
Sanctioning Bodies/Organizers
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