Small-Block Chevy Performance 1955-1996
By John Baechtel
ISBN: 1-932494-15-4
With 144 pages and over 500 black and white photographs this 81/2x11-inch softbound book provides a wealth of information if a person wants to take the time to read it. We took only a quick glance and learned the 283-inch small-block engine introduced in 1957 was produced with leftover 265-inch blocks. Former Car Craft magazine editor and author John Baechtel went on to inform that the 283 blocks got a new casting with thicker walls in '58, but the '59 blocks were even better because they featured an improved rear main seal. If you're a small-block Chevy lover, or just like to learn leg-wetting facts this $18.95 book is a must have.
Pinstripe Planet
General Editor, Herb Martinez
ISBN: 13: 978-D-7603-2708-1
OK so they screwed-up the fact Dave Bell did the Jock E. Shift cartoon page for Street Chopper magazine and not Custom Chopper might make a stickler for authoritativeness cringe, but that doesn't make Pinstripe Planet a bad book. The $34.95 189-page publication from Motorbooks is packed with some stripers we never heard of, and a bunch we have, so it's a great mix to get a colorful gawk at what some of the latest trends are thrown in with classic lines. Classic, now that's an often abused word. Geesh, the next thing you know it will be used in the context of old trucks.
Holley Carburetors& Manifolds
By Mike Urich & Bill FisherISBN: 0-89586-433-9It's a Gas! Originally introduced in 1972, and the edition pictured is from 1987 one might think the book is out of print but just Google Holley part number 36-73 and you'll find good information never goes out of style. Mike Urich and Bill Fisher's book on Holley Carburetors & Manifolds covers Holley one-, two-, and four-barrel carburetors with tuning tips for performance and economy. For more information on this book, and other great technical publications covering Holley carburetors, check out www.holley.com.