Performance with Economy

Probably the best book on basic engine mods that i've ever read. While both Smokey Yunick's "Power Secrets" and Vizard's "Performance With Economy" have been out of print for a long time, i know which one is FAR more valuable and a better buy. Smokey's book is selling for 8x the price on the used market even though Vizard's book gives you 10x the info and background on the how's, what's, why's and where's. Take my word for it, i own both of them and have read each of them many times over. Vizard tells you many of the same things that Smokey does, but takes general comments and expounds upon them in FAR greater quantity and detail. I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially for those that lack a mechanical background. It is easy to read, promotes a better understanding of what is involved in building a well-rounded performer and explains the various strengths and weaknesses of various design and modification approaches. If you're looking for a book that says "combine Part ABC with Part XYZ to achieve 123 hp", don't bother reading this. If you want to understand WHY Part ABC and Part XYZ work as well together as they do, by all means, snag a copy as fast as you can!!! Just remember, this book IS appr 30 years old and speaks mostly of carbureted V8's. As such, you have to be intelligent enough to extrapolate data and figure out how it applies to newer, smaller motors with EFI. That is, unless you are building an old school Hulk sized carbureted V8 :) Sean <

This is probably the best automotive book I have ever owned and one of two that have really shaped my understanding of cars. (The other is Fred Puhn's How to Make Your Car Handle.) As this book is approaching 30 years old, much of the content is laughably old, however, the basics of practical car tuning and understanding how the entire combustion engine works as one system cannot be underestimated. Personally, I am sick of all the corny products being hawked these days ("cold" air intakes a clear example) without any real understanding of what/how they may affect the operation of the engine. Concepts ranging from head porting to compression ratios to camshaft and header design are as valid as ever. Other concepts are less so such as water injection and nitrous oxide, unless you are talking racing vehicles. A chapter or two (such as the ones on carburetors and mechanical ignitions) are probably not of much value unless you have a vintage muscle car. Overall, though, this book's strength is showing you how to approach the engine as a balanced system and to understand what trade-offs there are for different modifications. In general, it helps you understand that there is no free ride. The book has lots of empirical data which although old will still help you understand the concepts. I wish this book was still in print as it would help a whole new generation to better understand the operation and tuning of automotive engines.