How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars

Book excerpt: If you are aspiring to build a racing car, How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars could be the book that you’ve been waiting for! Tony Pashley revisits the path that he took in the Pashley Project articles in Race Tech magazine during the design and construction of two successful hillclimb cars, but this time in great detail, with a view to enabling the reader to carry out a similar exercise for themselves. Although hillclimb and sprint cars are the focal topic, a lot of the book is applicable to race cars in general. The cars under discussion in the book are powered by motorcycle engines, which are meeting with great success in the smaller racing car classes. The total process of building a car is described, beginning with the selection and procurement of the engine. Chassis and suspension design is covered in a simplistic but adequate manner as the author’s aim is to minimize the inclusion of involved calculations. Two recipes for chassis construction are illustrated in detail, along with guidance on the processes of construction and a description of the required equipment. Following on from this, the fabrication of the suspension is explained. Further chapters are dedicated to the remaining aspects of the vehicle, covering transmission, brakes, fuel and coolant systems, and electrics. The book is heavily illustrated with 200 photographs and extensive explanatory diagrams and tables. It is a vital addition to any would-be kit car builder's library.