Читать книгу Ford Small-Block Engine Parts Interchange - George Reid - Страница 5

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When I embarked upon writing High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange book nearly two decades ago, I had no idea just how involved it was going to be, or how long it would endure in the marketplace. In the years since, I’ve learned more and, as a result, made great improvements to this series, dividing it into two books: the small-block Ford book you’re holding in your hands and a separate Ford big-block book still in the planning stages.

This book series has been one of the toughest publishing tasks I’ve experienced as a technical writer because, as most of you know, Ford has never been a car company that rested on its laurels. It has always kept its eye on improvement and, as a result, is always revising and improving its product. Translation? More and more revisions and part numbers. That makes choosing the right parts for your small-block project more involved than ever.

Despite the great challenges with a book of this caliber, it has proven to be a very successful publication that has helped thousands with their engine-building projects. Not everyone has been pleased with High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange. I have read your letters, emails, and comments on social media. You have been heard. The goal through the years has been to have steady improvement each time the book went back to press.

There is an old saying: Put 50 engine builders in a room and you will get 50 different opinions on how to approach an engine build. Our job is to inform and enlighten. Our objective is to make sure mistakes don’t happen.

I couldn’t have authored this book and others without help from a lot of extraordinary people in the industry. Brothers Jeff and Bill Sneathen of SEMO Classic Mustang in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, were instrumental in helping me get this book series off the ground nearly two decades ago. Jim Grubbs, Ryan Peart, and Jeff Latimer of JGM Performance Engineering in Valencia, California, have come to my rescue more times than I can remember. Legendary John Vermeersch of Total Performance in Mount Clemens, Michigan, invited me into his shop all those years ago for access to his vast inventory of Ford engine parts accumulated over a lifetime. Mark Jeffery of Trans Am Racing in Gardena, California, is another cohort in crime who has been very helpful. And finally, I am grateful to Arnold and Garrett Marks of Mustangs Etc. in Van Nuys, California, for their undying help and support through the years.

My thanks to all of you for your support in helping make this book a great success.