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How To Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars (SpeedPro Series)

If you are aspiring to build a racing car this could be the book that you've been waiting for! Tony Pashley revisits the path that he took in the Pashley Project articles in Race Tech magazine during the design and construction of two successful hillclimb cars. This time in great detail with a view to enabling the reader to carryout a similar exercise for themselves. Although hillclimb and sprint cars are the focal topic, a lot of the book is applicable to race cars in general. The cars under discussion in the book are powered by motor cycle engines which, in the smaller racing car classes are meeting with great success. The total process of building a car is described beginning with the selection and procurement of the engine. Chassis and suspension design is covered in a simplistic but adequate manner as the author's aim is to minimise the inclusion of involved calculations. Two recipes for chassis construction are illustrated in detail along with guidance on the processes of construction and a description of the required equipment. Following on from this the fabrication of the suspension is explained. Further chapters are dedicated to the remaining aspects of the vehicle covering; transmission, brakes, fuel and coolant systems and electrics. The book is heavily illustrated with 200 photographs and extensive explanatory diagrams and tables. This book is a vital addition to any would be kit car builders library. 

Series: SpeedPro Series

Paperback: 144 pages

Publisher: Veloce (July 15, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1845841239

ISBN-13: 978-1845841232

Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.4 x 10 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #556,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #208 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > Racing #274 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > Customize #421 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Motor Sports

This book is great. It is informative, well written, and entertaining. If you sense a qualification here it is only that the book is really about building a race car for a very specific class and type of racing. You do get lots of information that is general, because after all it is a car. You get a very good idea of all the little bits that are required. This is in marked contrast to many of the build a Locost sports car books. If you are interested in race cars, and race car mechanical systems, and appreciate good writing, this is the book for you.

This book falls short exactly where it should be at its best - how to adapt a motorcycle engine to a car.The writer tries too hard to touch many of the aspects of racecar building and leaves you asking "why?".There are so many better books about chassis engineering, design and construction, suspension and pretty much everything else but no books about how to make a bike engine work properly in a car.With Staniforth, Smith and many others covering these areas so well, there is no need to spend so many pages on it...

This is a fine book with lots of good info in it. Beginners to suspension design and tuning will find it fairly easy to understand as this section is well presented though basic. The other sections all do a decent job of covering engines trannys etc. Where this book loses 2 stars is the chassis section which covers tube chassis and honeycomb but doesnt cover either enough for you to actually set about making one for yourself. No practical basic chassis design principles are covered. I really would have liked a set of basic plans for a simple chassis that could be modified as needed individually (see Ron champion book or haynes roadster)

So I have been planning on building my own "motorcycle" engine race car for a while now so when I saw this book I immediately bought it. When I read the review some people complained about how there wasn't enough information in the book or that the pictures in the book are too small. I found this not to be the case, obviously if your planning to build a car like this you can't ONLY buy this book and expect to be able to build something like whats on the cover. Here is what the book does well and what readers can expect from this book:Pro's:-This book provides good BACKGROUND on all the aspects of building a motorcycle engine race car. You can see this just from looking at the table of contents. Its also a great starting point for learning about suspension geometry.-This book also contains many pictures, although most of them are small, that can be very helpful. Sometimes its good to be able to visualize a design and draw from what other people have done.-This book contains some very specific information, that I haven't been able to find anywhere else, about how to build a race car specifically using a motorcycle engine. There are certain modifications one must do to a motorcycle engine, such as changing the oil sump, in order to use the engine in a car.Con's:-Like I said before this book isn't really as much a "how to" build the car on the cover, as the title suggests, but more a guide. You will probably not be able to build a race car only using this book.So in conclusion I would definitely recommend this book as a good background text rather than a "how to". Also buy this book if you are specifically looking to use a motorcycle engine in your race car because it contains some very specific information regarding that.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It is a great overall view of building a car using a motorcycle engine. It is not a book on how to "build this car" however. Do not think you will be able to design and build a car using only this book! The author gives a good general discussion of chassis design, suspension designs, general layouts and set up but he does not tell you what to do. I like the many very clear photographs showing various ways others have done things. Like several different types of uprights, a-arms, braking systems and so on. He gives basic information on how to set up a differential to work with a sprocket and chain drive and how to modify the bike engine oil pan to work in an automotive situation. I certainly agree with his recommendation to get and use the stock bike wiring harness including the ignition switch and key! Many builders have had a lot of trouble just trying to get the engine to start when making up their own harness.I think this is an excellent book to get the overall picture. Then if you wish to actually build a car you will need to get several more books on actually designing the chassis, laying out suspension, figuring what hubs, brakes, spindles, shock arrangement and so on to use for your design.I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in putting a motorcycle engine in a car too. Whether a Lotus 7 clone, any kit car, one you design yourself, or just to put in a street car as is so common today, this book will be well worth the money for your project.I am designing my own cars, one for autocross in the FSAE class as well as a road car and I have learned a lot that will save me time and money from this book.Highly recommended.James

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