Customer Reviews

VW Beetle Performance Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upgrading Engine, Transmission, Suspension and Brakes (Motorbooks Workshop)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great 'how to' book that gives you general guidelines in all the important areas as to how to go about building a custom Beetle. Probably not quite detailed enough for an experienced Beetle customizer looking for all the latest and greatest mods. It's aimed primarily at someone doing this for the first time. His other book, 'Air-Cooled VW Engine Interchange Manual' (5 stars), is the next step down as far as detail is concerned and concentrates on engine specific information.

I found Vw Beetle Performance Handbook by Keith Seume the perfect book for a beginner. It has valuable information on all aspects of building a car Suspension, Brakes, Transmission, and Engine. I will definetly use much of the upgrades he described. Yet I find many of his engine modifications dangerous. What I mean by this is he says for the ultimate motor. Get an 84x94 engine, 44x37.5 heads, MSD 6AL, merged header with turbo muffler, and Weber 48 IDA's. This is all in all good advice yet he completely neglects valvetrain geometry and connecting rods. Without strengthening the valvetrain you will most likely suck a valve putting a piston through the case and wrecking the rod. Without stengthening the rod the most likely reaction to this would be a snapped connecting-rod effectivley wrecking you crank, head, and case. His vague descriptions could ultimately wreck YOUR case, connecting rods, piston, heads, and your bone-stock valvetrain geometry. In summation a good beginner book but his vague descriptions could paint you into a corner. I would definetly recomend you read a more specified book like VW Interchange Manual before attempting any major modifications.

This book is great, it deals with most of the issues surounding Beetle perfomance. There are a lot of books around detailing how to uprate your engine, but this book also deals with suspension and more importantly braking systems!

This is a good book for a green v dubber. There isnt enough info in this book to build your own hot vw with out buying other books also. You could with a little talent put an engine together as described here but it probably wont run or run well as there is no mention of how to set up carburetors here only a heavy emphasis on weber and dellorto carbs. If you are on a budget then this book is not for you as it has no mention of how to modify solex carbs or how to adapt them for a little more power etc. Somethings in this book directly contradict things the author mentions in his other book VW aircooled engine intercgange manual so which is correct? confusing

I found VW Beetle Performance Handbook a very informative book especially for a beginner. It had musch usefull information that I will surely apply to my car. Yet I feel this book lacks in description. It lays out the preliminary knowledge but in no way talks about wether larger carbs or cams will affect driveability. It's engine enhancements advice are definetly dangerous for example it tells you for the ultimate motor an 84x94, 48 Weber IDA, 44x37.5 heads, large cam, MSD 6al ignition, and merger header with a turbo. He left out such important things such as the valvetrain geometry and the connecting rods. With this combination an engine could easily make 3 times its original output yet with no modifications to increase the valvetrain strength the most likely recourse would be for your engine to suck a valve and shoot a piston through the case effectively wrecking the piston, rods, head, and maybe even the case. So in summation good information yet a little vague I would suggest this book to gain a preliminary knowledge but consult something a little descriptive like the VW Interchange Manual.

very good information, good to give you an ideea of what can be made.
But not very detailed, and not very much how to tips.

The book is very well written and it is very interesting for a VW fan. I recommend this book.

Let me congratulate the author for the thoughtful and simple layout of the book first. It covers the beetle's mechanical history in a concise manner as well as instructs the "will be modifier" of the pitfalls and of all that is involved in undertaking a modification. Chapters on suspension, transmission and brakes are extremely well written and aided by lot of useful pictures. I'd very much recommend this book to any body who wants to undertake any modification to his/her beetle as well as to anybody who owns one.

The VW Beetle Performance Handbook was for someone more technical than me.