7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Engine Book that Could have been Great, August 29, 2005
This review is from: Chevy Small-Block V-8: 50 Years of High Performance (Hardcover)
This is not like most engine books you or I have read.
What makes Mike Muller's <u>Chevy Small-Block V8</u> different is it's not all motorhead, tech-heavy stuff. Not that techie titles are bad, mind you-hard-core, wrench turners eat that stuff up, but this book is a standout for its "soft-core tech" presented in a readable manner by an author who writes in an accessible style.
Read it and you'll have a good understanding of how an automotive engine, for god's sake, became a cultural icon. Oh, yeah--Muller covers the obligatory stuff: the Small-Block Chevy's design, technical specifications, its half-century plus evolution-stuff typical of many engine books. What makes this title a dandy bedtime read is the rest of the stuff-the "fluff," so to speak.
I enjoyed the content non-technical Corvetters will get off on: stories of people who created the mystique surrounding the Small-Block Chevy. Smoky Yunick, Bill Jenkins, Dave McLellan, Dale Earnhardt, Ed Cole, Tom McCahill and Zora Duntov are just some in this book.
Engines aren't much good sitting on a stand. The few which become legends get there because they were installed in a vehicle. Mr. Muller writes of the amazing variety of vehicles powered by SBCs. Sure, there are Corvettes, Chevelles and Camaros. There are pick-up trucks and hot rods too. Race cars abound. There is even a SB-powered Porsche and a little about boat engines but most outlandish has to be the "Boss Hoss" Small-Block-powered motorcycle. It's this eclectic mix of vehicles which have iconized Chevrolet's engine and this book covers a lot of them.
My experience with <u>Chevy Small-Block V8</u> was mixed. I liked it for the reasons given but, one problem keeps this book from being excellent. I hate to say it but, considering the book's $40 price tag, there are too many mistakes in it.
In a discussion of the early-'70s shift to unleaded gasoline, the book claims that pre-1971, high-compression engines ran on "jet fuel." Not even. Jet fuel is a low-octane product related to diesel fuel and kerosine not high-octane gas. The 1984 Corvette is listed as having either 200 or 205-hp. The correct number is 205. Tires on a 1994-96 Impala SS are listed as "225/50ZR". They were 255/50ZR17s and that error was in a caption next to a picture showing an Impala tire with the size visible on the side wall. In a 1990 ZR-1 discussion, the book states "David Hill's gang" was responsible for the car. Actually, he had no role in the ZR-1 development. He was working at Cadillac at the time. Weak proof reading? I'll say! In a book costing 40 bucks? Unacceptable! Motorbooks should have done better.
In spite of the marginal fact checking and proofreading, this book still can have a place on your coffee table, I suppose. Most people look at coffee table books rather reading them, and, when it comes to looking, an outstanding feature of this book is photography.
To hit a homerun with a second edition of <u>Chevy Small-Block V8</u> Motorbooks needs to fact check and proof read.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good Book., February 1, 2009
This review is from: Chevy Small-Block V-8: 50 Years of High Performance (Hardcover)
Nice Hardcover Book, Good Layout, Some pics I have seen before In mueller books, Other I have not. Pretty Good Book Overall that I was able to get for a Bargain rate.I would recommend it to any chevy buff like myself along with Anthony Young's Small Block Chevrolet Muscle car Color history,Mbi 1992 and Anthony young big block Chevrolet Muscle Car Color History 1993,mbi.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
