Car Hacks and Mods for Dummies

By David Vespremi

Book Overview

This is a must-have for anyone interested in achieving better performance through car modification

So you want to turn your Yugo into a Viper? Sorry--you need a certified magician. But if you want to turn your sedate sedan into a mean machine or your used car lot deal into a powerful, purring set of wheels, you've come to the right place. Car Hacks & Mods for Dummies will get you turbo-charged up about modifying your car and guide you smoothly through: Choosing a car to mod Considering warranties, legal, and safety issues Hacking the ECU (Engine Control Unit) to adjust performance-enhancing factors like fuel injection, firing the spark plugs, controlling the cooling fan, and more Replacing your ECU with a plug and play system such as the APEXi Power FC or the AEM EMS system Putting on the brakes (the faster you go, the faster you'll need to stop) Setting up your car for better handling and cornering

Written by David Vespremi, automotive expert, frequent guest on national car-related TV shows, track driving instructor and self-proclaimed modder, Car Hacks & Mods for Dummies gets you into the ECU and under the hood and gives you the keys to:

Choosing new wheels, including everything from the basics to dubs and spinners Putting your car on a diet, because lighter means faster Basic power bolt-ons and more expensive power adders Installing roll bars and cages to enhance safety Adding aero add-ons, including front "chin" spoilers, real spoilers, side skirts, and canards Detailing, down to the best cleaners and waxes and cleaning under the hood Using OBD (on-board diagnostics) for troubleshooting Getting advice from general Internet sites and specific message boards and forums for your car's make or model, whether it's a Chevy pick-up or an Alfa Romeo roadster

Whether you want to compete at drag strips or on road courses or simply accelerate faster on an interstate ramp, if you want to improve your car's performance, Car Hacks & Mods for Dummies is just the boost you need.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764571427
• ISBN13: 9780764571428
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Wiley Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.2" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Girl-Friendly Read

As a woman who only has a cursory knowledge about cars and all the potential one can hold, I found this book to be particularly helpful and written in simple enough and very clear language that enabled me as a novice modder to complete my own projects without too much outside help. Definitely A+++++.

Amazing book, very easy to read

This is a very well thought out book, it covers a wide range of information but doesnt seem disjointed at all. Helps alot when trying to drill through all the hype that aftermarket manufacturers use. Also it is a very easy and quick to read book. Highly recommended!!!

THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR RICERS

This book covers a broad range of performance accessories from the Haltech/Motec standalones to crossed drilled rotors and if they have any effect on braking. Very informative read and I'm happy I bought it. I am in the process of building a custom turbo for my car, and this is answering basic questions. Like what the knob on top of my wastegate is for, where the boost controller is going to give the wastgate it signal. The stuff that knowone posts. It is the perfect book for the Chevy 350 guy or the BMW M3 modaholic.

Not just for dummies!

Don't let the title deceive you. This book is a comprehensive look at how to plan out modifications to your car. While lots of people love "modifying" their cars, it's quite easy to get sucked into the hole of buying the wrong parts for the wrong reasons. It won't tell you the difference between one specific exhaust to another, but it'll help you figure out what you should be looking for in qualities and features in the products you purchase AND what products you can avoid entirely. This book helps cut through the BS in a lot of the aftermarket parts industry and helps you quickly and easily find what you should be looking for when you want to modify your car. Open the book to a random page, and more often than not, you'll find some interesting tidbit that you wouldn't have necessarily known before. In addition there's a rather large (6 chapters) and in-depth discussion on ECU and piggyback devices, taking a closer look at how to push the limits of your vehicle with computer technologies. Given the authors background, I'd say this is about the most eye-opening chapter that's a great resource for even advanced auto enthusiasts. And while you can't expect the book to tell you how the specifics of how to unbolt your old engine and replace it with a high performance monster nut by nut, it will help you find the resources online to get the specifics to the questions you might still have. There's a whole chapter dedicated to dozens of forums full of enthusiasts ready to help you find the answer to the questions you seek.

You have car modding questions? This book has answers!

I was a little skeptical at first--of the need for a book detailing (the relative personal process of) building a high-performance car--but once I saw how much useful stuff they had crammed between those familiar yellow covers, it started to make sense. A lot of sense. They included objective tables, subjective opinions, and very helpful random ideas that saves time, money, and stress. Some ideas here are already widely known facts, and others are the of the "never-would've-thought-of-it-that-way kind, but having it all together, in the same spot, is helpful. Anyone with a credit card can build a relatively fast car; anyone familiar with Google can find all the information they could ever read on almost any subject--but to build a well-done, balanced project, for a price somewhere under a new M3, planning must be done and ideas researched--starting with a book like this.