
Optimising Car Performance Modifications
- Simple Methods for Measuring Engine, Suspension, Brakes and Aerodynamic Performance Gains
Julian Edgar(Author)
Veloce (Publisher)
Published on 15. August 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
72 pages
978-1-78711-318-3 (ISBN)
Description
This highly practical and useful book covers brilliant techniques that take the guesswork out of performance modification.
Using just some low-cost tools, you can easily measure the flow restriction of your car's intake and exhaust. It's like having a huge flow-bench always available. By making some simple on-road measurements, you can plot the shape of the engine's power and torque curves - no dyno needed. This allows you to not only see if performance modifications to the engine are improving power, but also see where in the rev range those changes are occurring. Assess the worth of cams, a larger turbo, changed boost control or altered engine management mapping.
But the book doesn't stop there - it also shows you how to measure your car's aerodynamics, seeing if at speed your car is developing lift or downforce. Want to make a rear wing work well? Test the angle at which downforce is greatest. You can also test the aerodynamic airflow through oil coolers, intercoolers and radiators.
Interested in improving your suspension? By using a low-cost app and a smartphone, you can accurately measure suspension behaviour.
If you want a practical, hands-on book that will immediately save you money, show where modifications are most needed, and can be used to assess performance outcomes, this is the book for you.
The author is an enthusiastic hands-on modifier who performs all work on his cars himself in his home workshop. He has been testing car modifications on his own road cars for more than 25 years.
Using just some low-cost tools, you can easily measure the flow restriction of your car's intake and exhaust. It's like having a huge flow-bench always available. By making some simple on-road measurements, you can plot the shape of the engine's power and torque curves - no dyno needed. This allows you to not only see if performance modifications to the engine are improving power, but also see where in the rev range those changes are occurring. Assess the worth of cams, a larger turbo, changed boost control or altered engine management mapping.
But the book doesn't stop there - it also shows you how to measure your car's aerodynamics, seeing if at speed your car is developing lift or downforce. Want to make a rear wing work well? Test the angle at which downforce is greatest. You can also test the aerodynamic airflow through oil coolers, intercoolers and radiators.
Interested in improving your suspension? By using a low-cost app and a smartphone, you can accurately measure suspension behaviour.
If you want a practical, hands-on book that will immediately save you money, show where modifications are most needed, and can be used to assess performance outcomes, this is the book for you.
The author is an enthusiastic hands-on modifier who performs all work on his cars himself in his home workshop. He has been testing car modifications on his own road cars for more than 25 years.
Reviews / Votes
The book itself is written in an easy to understand manner, with the concepts and ideas easily conveyed. It encourages you to try things, but to do so in a way which gets you useful information about the changes to your car. This book gets you comfortably into the subject, and crucially gets you thinking about it. - www.silhouet.com. Easy to understand and accompanied by a wealth of good photographs, if you are into car turning, this is a cost-effective must-have title. - Iain P W Robertson. Providing easy techniques for measuring the performance of your car on the road before and after modifications, this full-colour paperback from Veloce shows you how to plot the shape of engine power and torque curves, how to measure the airflow associated with air filters, throttle bodies and induction kits, how to flow-test exhausts, how to check oil cooler, intercooler and radiator airflow and how to measure braking and suspension behaviour using a smartphone. Boasting techniques that'll save you money whilst giving you real world results, this brilliant book (authored by AutoSpeed editor Julian Edgar) promises to enable you to make the most of your modified Porsche. - Ultimate Porsche. The book is a useful and essentially practical guide - providing you can find an empty enough stretch of road to put the author's techniques to the test! SpeedsceneMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
David & Charles
Dimensions
Height: 247 mm
Width: 205 mm
Thickness: 6 mm
Weight
306 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78711-318-3 (9781787113183)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Julian Edgar
Optimising Car Performance Modifications
- Simple methods for measuring engine, suspension, brakes and aerodynamic performance gains
E-Book
01/2022
Princeton University Press
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Julian Edgar has worked as a teacher, writer, editor and photographer. His varied career has included editing a national automotive magazine, and writing for various online and print magazines for many years.
An enthusiast for all things mechanical and electronic, Julian is a hands-on car modifier, working from his own well-equipped home workshop, focusing mainly on suspension, engine management and aerodynamics. He is also a keen cyclist, and he has designed and built his own bikes and trikes.
He has written several books about car modifications, aerodynamics and electronics, as well as more general interest books about engineering and small-wheeled bicycles. Julian has also made a series of YouTube videos that discuss the subjects of his books.
He lives and works in New South Wales, Australia.
An enthusiast for all things mechanical and electronic, Julian is a hands-on car modifier, working from his own well-equipped home workshop, focusing mainly on suspension, engine management and aerodynamics. He is also a keen cyclist, and he has designed and built his own bikes and trikes.
He has written several books about car modifications, aerodynamics and electronics, as well as more general interest books about engineering and small-wheeled bicycles. Julian has also made a series of YouTube videos that discuss the subjects of his books.
He lives and works in New South Wales, Australia.
Content
Chapter 1 - Testing your car modifications on the road
Chapter 2 - Plotting engine power and torque curves
Chapter 3 - Measuring on-road performance
Chapter 4 - Flow testing intakes and exhausts
Chapter 5 - Testing suspension and brakes
Chapter 6 - Testing aerodynamics
Chapter 7 - Programmable engine management
Chapter 8 - Performance modification - a personal approach
Chapter 2 - Plotting engine power and torque curves
Chapter 3 - Measuring on-road performance
Chapter 4 - Flow testing intakes and exhausts
Chapter 5 - Testing suspension and brakes
Chapter 6 - Testing aerodynamics
Chapter 7 - Programmable engine management
Chapter 8 - Performance modification - a personal approach