Corvette Book Guide - The Top Shelf, Volume 6

Three More How-To's from CarTech Books
You've got to hand it to the CarTech Books crew. They keep coming up with thoroughly-detailed and lavishly-illustrated how-to books that would make great teaching texts. Their latest titles include Designing and Tuning High-Performance Fuel Injection Systems; Musclecar Interior Restoration Guide; and How to Design and Install In-Car Entertainment Systems.

The first one, Designing and Tuning High-Performance Fuel Injection Systems, is of particular interest to VetteRodders (or VetteRodders-to-be) who are thinking about turning the carburetors on their engines into permanent museum pieces. Greg Banish follows up his previous CarTech how-to (Engine Management: Advanced Tuning) with in-depth basics on fuel injection systems, as well as the benefits and limits of stand-alone FI systems. There's also plenty of information about useful formulas, VE equation and airflow estimation, setups and calibration, creating timing maps, and start-to-finish calibration examples (illustrated with lots of screen shots). There's also a detailed glossary, and appendices that include a resource guide for stand-alone FI system manufacturers and test-equipment makers.

The interior pictured on the cover of Daniel Strohl's Muscle Car Interior Restoration Guide is familiar to any Chevy lover: the '69 Camaro Super Sport (a car which Chevy showed in a memorable print ad alongside a same-year Corvette with the caption "We'll Take On Any Two Cars In This Magazine"), and the information inside pertains to vintage Vettes as well as steel-bodied cars. There's a lot of detail about the interior-resto process, the tools and materials needed, as well as each aspect of the interior from the dash to the carpets and everything in between-wiring, seats, door panels, pedals, the steering wheel and column, and more. You'll also find information about glass replacement, seat repair (leather or vinyl), and convertible top replacement. If you like the inside of your Vette to look like a couple of tigers fought in it, don't get this book. But, if you want to learn how to do it before you jump into an interior-resto project in your Corvette, this book is a must-read.

If you want the sound system inside your Vette to be as much a set of high-performance hardware as the powertrain or suspension, then Jefferson Bryant's How to Design and Install In-Car Entertainment Systems is for you. With it, you'll not only be able to choose the right amplifier(s), speakers, head units, and other hardware for your Vette, but you'll also learn how to install it yourself like a pro-saving you the big bucks that professional installs cost. There's also a section on tuning your sound system for your car's interior, plus sections on fabricating speaker enclosures and kick panels, electrical upgrades, and how to add the latest goodies like iPods, GPS navigation systems, and satellite radio. It all means your favorite tunes can go with you on the road, the way you want them to (and, in the case of satellite radio, you can still hear legendary DJs like "Cousin Brucie" Morrow and Michael Tearson).

There are a total of 52 projects inside, one for every weekend during the year, ranging from underhood projects like installing an oil filter magnet, repairing intake manifold vacuum connectors, or adding stainless steel hood struts; interior projects like replacing targa top weatherstripping, adding an aluminum dead pedal or upgrading your sound system with a satellite-radio receiver; exterior projects, from replacing your C5 headlight bulbs to putting on a nose mask the right way; as well as chassis projects like upgrading to performance shocks and replacing your C4's upper control arm bushings.

Tom tells you exactly what is needed in the way of tools and supplies for each job, about how long it will take you to complete each one, and he gives a cost estimate for each project. That's in addition to text and photos that take you through each one step-by-step.

When you get Tom's Weekend Projects for Your Corvette C4/C5/C6, you'll get those "little" Vette projects done sooner, and you'll make more time to enjoy your Vette later-especially if you live where Vette cruising season is waiting for the weather to warm up!