Books About Tuning – A Few Recommendations To Get You Started

When it comes to tuning, you want to have state-of-the-art information that could make you not consider old books. Well, do not rush in that direction, as the principles that guide how vehicles work are the same as they were decades ago. In other words, while most books about tuning might not have the latest vehicle models mentioned, the principles of their operation are unchanged.

Another aspect of books about tuning is the fact that the author has taken the time to thoroughly research the conclusions they made before publishing the book, and that most books are written from personal experience and expertise. Attempting to find information on a forum might not be that easy, as you will have to sift through ill-advised posts, opinions, jokes, and even memes.

We have looked through the world's largest online bookstore, and we selected a few books about tuning cars to get you started on your journey of knowledge. Mind you, these are suggestions, and you are free to browse for whatever suits your needs.

Physics for Gearheads by Randy Beikmann — from $70

Before you start changing things on your vehicle to improve a certain aspect of its behavior, we suggest understanding how things work. The book we are recommending here is about physics, so it will not go into things like how to set up a two-step rev limiter. Its goal is to explain how things work on a vehicle as far as physics are concerned.

After reading it, you should understand how things were designed on your vehicle and what mindset you need to follow to see what you can improve on a vehicle. While it will not bring overnight progress with your project car, it will help you with every project car in your life from now on. Remember, just because you do not know the laws of physics does not mean you can try to break them. Physics always wins.

Bosch Automotive Handbook — from $54

After you get physics in check, it would be a smart idea to learn all you can about automotive engineering in a book that is described as an indispensable reference source of precise information on automotive technology. Sadly, no forum can pride itself on that description.

Bosch is one of the world's leading automotive suppliers, and the company makes all kinds of parts that make up a vehicle. This book is your chance to understand how some parts work, especially with modern vehicles' interlaced systems. Use this book as a reference, instead of just reading its 1.750 pages straight-up. Nobody says not to do that, but you might have other things on your plate.

Maximum Boost by Corky Bell — from $27.99

If you want to modify a turbocharged vehicle, this book is a must-read to understand what will help you get the biggest bang for your buck. This book is also a great starting point for those who want to turbocharge a naturally aspirated motor that never received a turbocharged variant from the factory.

The author, Corky Bell, has also authored a book on supercharging. If the latter is your desire, get that instead. Fortunately, there are many books on the topics of supercharging and turbocharging, so you can pick whatever suits your needs. Corky Bell's book explains many concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, and it will help clear things up before you start fiddling with the boost on your vehicle's turbocharged engine.

How to Make Your Car Handle by Fred Puhn — from $24

This book focuses on explaining the handling of a vehicle in plain, understandable language, along with solutions to improve it for any car layout. While it was published back in 1976 and vehicle technology has improved since then, physics has remained unchanged. In the worst-case scenario, you might find that extra edge that you were missing on your track car from a book like this one.

The author has covered ride balance, springs, sway bars, shock absorbers, bushings, aerodynamics, ground-effects devices, and even how to modify and set up brakes for maximum stopping power. If you have an old-school build planned, this might be the best for you. Regardless, as with most books, you might learn something.

You can also get a recently released book on the matter, such as Tune to Win, which is focused on race car development and tuning. The latter might be up to speed with the current technology, but it might not help you if your vehicle does not have a pushrod suspension, carbon fiber components and advanced aerodynamics. Fortunately, there are books on improving the aerodynamics of a road-going vehicle.

Model-specific or engine-specific books — from $34

Whether you want to modify an LS1/LS6 V8, or a slant-six Chrysler engine, or something else that has been on the market for a few years now, somebody has done it before by now, and it has been documented. While reading posts on a forum thread might be helpful and interesting, reading a book on the topic will get you further.

That is why getting a model-specific (I.e., a book about your specific vehicle), or an engine-specific tuning book is the best way to go if that book has been written. For example, a book about Chevy LS1/LS6 engines covers the removal and installation procedure of the engine, bolt-ons, electronic controls, and comes with four different build proposals depending on the desired power level.

On the other hand, if you want to restore and even modify a vehicle that was launched six decades ago, you might not have that much luck with forums. For example, you can get a book on Chrysler slant six engines for just $34.95.

Remember, even if you do not do all the work yourself, you need to know what to ask for from your mechanic. Moreover, once you understand what is going on with your vehicle, you will know what can, and, more importantly, what cannot be done to improve things.

Since we are on the topic of books, we might also suggest Adrian Newey's autobiography, How to Build a Car. It covers his 35-year career in Formula 1, and it involves stories about his designs, the drivers he's worked with, and the races that were won in his designs.

If books are not your thing, you can find free courses on tuning online, as well as watch people build project cars on YouTube. If you do have a specific goal in mind and there is a book covering it, we recommend buying and reading it instead of watching videos on YouTube.