Slow Car Fast
HOW TO BUILD A HIGH PERFORMANCE MAZDA MIATA

The third book in the "Miata trilogy", How To Build a High Performance Mazda Miata is the most theoretical of the set. Instead of telling you how to install a set of sway bars, it will break down the basics of how handling works, the role of each suspension component and how everything can be adjusted to get the result you want. It's written for Miata owners, but the information really applies to every car. By the time you're done, you'll know what all the components of your car and how to select the right modifications to meet your goals - and how to set it up right. This will help you build the Miata you really want without frustrating and expensive dead ends. It's easy to read too, with clear diagrams of the physical concepts and examples of all the sort of parts under discussion.

It covers modifications to all years of Miata, from 1990 to the latest.

Want to get an idea of what it's like? The chapter on handling fundamentals is available as a free download.

Scheduled for release in November 2010. Available through booksellers worldwide including Motorbooks International, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Indigo. Signed copies available from Flyin' Miata.

Table of contents:

  • the philosophy of modification (how to build a successful modified car)
  • engine (what's going on in there?)
  • intake and exhaust (getting air in and out)
  • forced induction (putting your Miata under pressure)
  • fuel and engine management (modern hotrodding)
  • clutch, transmission and rear end (getting the power to the wheels)
  • handling theory (so, just what's going on when you're cornering?)
  • suspension (what do all these parts do?)
  • suspension tuning (how do I set all these parts up?)
  • the braking system (make it stop!)
  • wheels and tires (make it stock)
  • body and chassis (chassis rigidity, aerodynamics, weight loss)
  • safety gear (protect yourself)
  • engine swaps (from V8s to rotaries)