Car Hacks and Mods For Dummies
by David Vespremi
Car Hacks and Mods For Dummies
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004104568
ISBN: 0-7645-7142-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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About the Author
David Vespremi is an automotive expert and has appeared on national television programs and automotive print media for his unique insights into cutting edge import car technology.
An attorney by trade, David has spent the past few years living and breathing car modifications, and working closely with top engineers and tuners in the hub of Californias import car scene. A track driving instructor with various car clubs at Thunderhill Raceway in Northern California, David enjoys modding and driving his JDM Toyota MR2 Turbo (featured numerous times in Sport Compact Car magazine) and (having grown up on his share of Volkswagen Golfs, Jettas and GTIs) has recently acquired an E30 BMW that he has been tinkering with to get back in touch with his Euro roots.
David lives in Menlo Park, California, with his wife Hadley.
For more on Car Hacks & Mods For Dummies, visit www.carhacksandmods.com. David can be reached at author@carhacksandmods.com .
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to my parents, for their unequivocal and boundless support of my enthusiasm for all things car related, even if none of us have any idea how I became so fascinated with cars. I would also like to thank my wife Hadley, for being patient and devoted through the course of this book. There is, however, one person that captures the spirit of this book, and that is my sister Sarah, a critical co-editor and contributor to this project. Couldnt have done it without you thanks to the best sister ever!
Authors Acknowledgments
There are books dealing with cars, various aspects of their upkeep and ownership, and then there are car books. This project, which represents a comprehensive and current reference, for touching on nearly all performance aspects of late model cars, required a fair bit of technical expertise and guidance. The list of those that helped along the way is far too long to recount here, but a few contributors to this project merit special acknowledgement:
Sarah Vespremi. No single person has spent more painstaking hours on this project than Sarah, and if she didnt know every last technical nuance of automotive performance going into this project, she does now. Really. Ask her anything.
Terry Heick. Terry has been a wealth of information, not to mention character/ flavor in writing this book. He truly deserves special recognition for his role.
Yoshi Deherrera. I have Yoshi to thank for his expert guidance, for being a good friend, and for his vision of this book as a viable project.
Pete Kang, Tyler Orr, Bryan Moore, Eric Hsu, Mike Kojima, Bill Davis, Troy Truglio, Eric Lapka, Richard Lamb, and all of the other tech gurus that helped contribute their wisdom and guidance over the years.
Cover photography by Stephen Westhafer.
Finally, I would like to thank Melody Layne, Pat OBrien, and Jason Marcusson at Wiley for believing in this project from the very beginning and ensuring that it is a success.
Publishers Acknowledgments
Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Pat OBrien
Acquisitions Editor: Melody Layne
Copy Editor: Jean Rogers
Technical Editor: Per Schroeder
Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner
Media Development Supervisor: Richard Graves
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Production
Project Coordinator: Nancee Reeves
Layout and Graphics: Karl Brandt, Andrea Dahl, Denny Hager, Joyce Haughey, Michael Kruzil, Shelley Norris, Barry Offringa, Heather Ryan, Rashell Smith
Proofreaders: David Faust, John Greenough, Brian H. Walls, TECHBOOKS Production Services