New to Auto

[Juzmi]

I have always liked cars but never learned a whole lot about them. My father passed away when I was young and I never got learn about them from him. Anyways, some of my friends are "gear heads" and talk about things that I never understood such as motor sizes from hot rods. Like big block 4xx or small block 3xx, things like that . Also things about camshafts/crankshafts etc. I was wondering if you had any knowledge of books or anything I could look into buying to help me? I know how an engine works, but when I hear things such as a 454 with xxx horsepower at the wheels, I never can exactly process what this means. I know that it is the displacement, but it doesn't seem to register just what this means to the car.

I want to learn about all of this and be able to participate in discussions. I would ask my friends but I dont think they would be too helpful as they would expect me to know things already . Any information or suggestions would be great. I have looked on Amazon and such but don't know exactly what to look for subject wise. All I seem to find is videos on how an engine works, which I pretty much know. Hopefully I can find a cheaper book or something. Thanks for any help!!

[Juzmi]

Anybody?

[shorod]

Quite honestly, for the variety of information you're seeking, there's probably not going to be a single book, or even a few books, that touch on the topics. Your best, least expensive, option is probably Google and Wikipedia. Search for some of the key phrases you want more experience on, such as "big block engine", "AWD vs 4WD", "horsepower vs torque", "engine displacement", "camshaft duration and lift".

-Rod

[4wheelandcyril]

Originally Posted by Juzmi

I have always liked cars but never learned a whole lot about them. My father passed away when I was young and I never got learn about them from him. Anyways, some of my friends are "gear heads" and talk about things that I never understood such as motor sizes from hot rods. Like big block 4xx or small block 3xx, things like that . Also things about camshafts/crankshafts etc. I was wondering if you had any knowledge of books or anything I could look into buying to help me? I know how an engine works, but when I hear things such as a 454 with xxx horsepower at the wheels, I never can exactly process what this means. I know that it is the displacement, but it doesn't seem to register just what this means to the car.

I want to learn about all of this and be able to participate in discussions. I would ask my friends but I dont think they would be too helpful as they would expect me to know things already . Any information or suggestions would be great. I have looked on Amazon and such but don't know exactly what to look for subject wise. All I seem to find is videos on how an engine works, which I pretty much know. Hopefully I can find a cheaper book or something. Thanks for any help!!

[Possible spam site deleted as it doesn't seem relevant to the thread topic]

Being an auto expert entails experience, knowledge and time. There are a lot of sources where you can derive auto knowledge from, both online (just like this forum) and offline. But it's better to learn through experience indeed.