I was curious if it would be a worthwhile read. I sorta had a feeling that it would be a bit lacking for anyone who had done their reading amongst the countless performance threads on the forums.
First, now I can't spend that 90 cents on a half a can of Scheafer beer, and second, I guess that's close to the only 90 cents I'll make on the title!
Anyway, thanks for the review..
Reminds me of the book Don Racine and Gary Anderson wrote about the new Mini.... I did a review of it and gave it a "not worth the money".... Then Gary and I became good friends! Ya never know how things are going to go...
Too bad its not a decent read. I suppose if you are new to the mini community this book offers a different outlook on the MINI but it sounds like it barely skims the surface of how ornate and differse the modification scene can be for this car. Shame. :/
The problem with any Mini performance book used as a guide line to tuning/modding your car for max performance is the rapidity that things change in the tuner world. By the time a book is written and then approved and taken to print and then released, any specific mods most likely will be yesterday's news. Maybe read some of Carol Smith's and others books on the general dynamics of tuning a car and then use these forums as a way to find the best for your applications. One of the great things about the internet is the ability to basicly bring info to a large group of people in almost real time!!! 2cents
You're better served getting books that are more comprehensive in thier coverage of the principles involved, and then to learn the specifics of the car you want to deal with so that you can apply the principles learned to that car. These types of books tend to reference several different car makes and models to illustrate the range of applicability of any concept discussed.
The principles of engine tuning aren't unique to the MINI. The principles of forced induction aren't unique to the Mini. The principles of suspension modification aren't unique to the Mini. Really, there is nothing specific to the MINI that demands special treatment.
In the case of the MINI... It's just to small a market to really demand the degree of coverage needed to make a really usefull book.
I think that you'll find your time better spent and learn more starting with the best books out there (there's some threads about it here and other places), and then focus on your own car.
