Free Ferrari Reading Library- "Original Ferrari V8" by Keith Bluemel

I wish I could adequately explain how much Ferrari Chat has helped me in my "do it yourself" major service, but I probably can't, and I couldn't pay enough for the guidance. However, to say thanks I'd like to contribute a little something.

A few weeks ago I ponied up the dollars to buy a copy of the "Original Ferrari V8" by Keith Bluemel. Of course this book is out of print, and some vendors are asking $400 or more for a copy.

I've read it now, so rather than let it sit idle on my shelf, would some of you like to borrow it? I thought about selling it, even started with an ad, but heck, it would be more fun to share it.

If you'd like to read it and pass it along to whomever is next, just post or send me an email. I'll ship it to you. Take good care of it, try to keep it only a week or so, and send it to the next person down the line.

Last one done, please send it back to me. And if you'd sign it and list your hometown or something, that would be a fun record. Keith Bluemel signed this copy, so you may as well, too.

Many thanks, Jeff
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That is a great gesture,but I've seen the prices for this book.Ebay any where from 275-425$,just a few years ago they went for around 50-75$.Should have bought one then.But WOW! the chance your taking on getting it back,Jeff you are a true gentleman,but if I was to borrow it ,I'd be so Paranoid not to have something happen to it. Good Luck with this.

 

Harry,

Your point is well-taken, maybe I'm too trusting of my fellow Ferrari owners. It does remind me that I recently sold an original owners manual to a 308 owner- his had been stolen so he bought my extra one for a replacement.

Any other ideas? Since the book is out of print, would a scan of the 308/328 chapter be out of line? I'd just like to make this information available to folks without them having to pay for such an expensive book.

 

Is that for a regular copy, or a signed one? If just a regular one.... WOW.

I've spent some stupid money on old OOP books, but that's a huge jump in value (bought my copy new off the shelf years ago at a local book store, paid $50.95 Cdn...).

 

Jeff why dont you PM me ,Let me know what Chapters are in it about the V8,An d if you could make some copies I'd be willing to pay you for your trouble and Time Harry.

 

I have been looking for this book and the prices are outrageous. I would love to read this book if you are still sharing it. Paul from Chicago, IL.

 

I agree you're taking quite the risk of the thing disappearing, but what a great example of community!

Sign me up, I've heard about this book for years. Don from (near) Detroit.

 

You are making a very magnanimous offer, but I would beware.

I knew a guy who sent out a $100k vintage baseball jersey to someone for an pre purchase inspection, and you guessed it, it never came back.

 

This is a revived thread from a year and a half ago. Everybody had kind of talked me out of it back then!

 

I recently sold an extra copy for $100.

If I run across another I'll let ya'll know.

They are rare, certainly but not worth the crazy 'ask' of some vendors!
IMO......

 

There's a copy with no dust jacket for $88 on abebooks.com, another with dj for $368.

Original V12 prices seem to be much more reasonable in general. Several with dj in the $150 give or take range on the same website.

 

THe Library of Congress has the V12 book, but not the V8 book. I got mine for $20 something at Border's probably 15 years ago, waited for a sale and used a coupon. Maybe I should donate to the Library in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson....

 

Very commendable thought. I'm not so generous in spirit.

Paid $29.95 for V12 at Borders in Dec. '01. Got V8, in perfect condition, off ebay for $40 in '08. Both on my collector-book shelf.

 

For those of us who don't have the book and are curious, what type of info exists in there? Pictures, stats, stories?

 

It is a nice book, but far from what you might expect as an exhaustive "restorer's guide". In fact, unless I have missed something, isn't there a bit of a vacuum in the Ferrari 308/328 world for a decent restorer's guide/guide to originality? Maybe there isn't enough demand to justify such an endeavor.

On the other hand, if such a book could fetch $150-$400 like this one, maybe it is worth our more knowledgable contributors' consideration. I would be glad to contribute an article about removal of the air cleaner assembly on carb cars- good golly I must have done it 500 times....

 

Pictures, stats, general info. A good overview of the Ferrari V8 models from the 308 GT/4 to the 348. Definitely not worth >$100 IMO. Better books can be had for the amount it is offered at these days.

But then again, I don't know of another book like it.

-F

 

Agree, a great book at <$40, not worth $50+

Is it really possible to do a true restorer's guide? Between how much the cars evolved over the series and how suppliers changed with the economy or just the italian postal service strikes, how many are really identical?

 

I dont understand why the publishers dont offer this book for paid-for online download. That would bring in extra revenue for them and for Keith Bluemels. All the sales which go on at inflated prices presumably dont benefit the Author at all.

 

It's a great book for info, not restoration.

A restoration book shows restoration in progress, describes techniques and usually has lots of pics of the processes (more like what you see in FChat).

This book is fairly close to what a Concours judge would use for judging in a show.

Got my copy for <$40.

 

Yes, that's what I and others are doing here. Each owner who shares his/her efforts is explaining restoration for their car.

My effort is for the 1986-88 US 328. Many of the "mods" in my effort disclose much of the (usually undesirable and very expensive) issues relating to the factory-assembled version. Some who attempt a Concours-worthy restoration show effort here as well, and usually spend much, much more money than the final automobile would ever sell on the market. An excellent example is this car:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4503&highlight=308+restoration+yellow

It ain't no profit effort...it's a love effort...and everybody's on a different budget.

For me, the biggest annoyance to presenting a mechanical effort in a thread forum such as this, is the interleaved communications that depart from the thread's purpose and tends to grow the thread so large so as to divert others from reading the thread's entirety and gaining the fruits associated with the labor of reading the thread. That's why I tend to "ambush" the forum with a small thread for each effort in my RobzWorkz series (see these and others in the DIY Stickies above and in [almost] each vehicle section...doubt much 458 restoration is being done in 2012). That way, the "extra" talk is mostly after the "meat" initially presented. Also, a good reason for posting work on a thread forum is that, with many users with differing experience, some with very deep and valuable experience, will post methods, concerns and alternatives that basically generate the closest thing to having a "peer-reviewed" session. This adds the greatest value for a DIYer...a quick presentation and an effective peer-review to follow.

Therefore, this IS the best "Restorer's Guide" you can ask for. A published book will require updated editions to be published anew to incorporate any of the concerns and improvements downstream the initial edition...this takes serious time and loads of "friction money" (money not spent doing the work, or even presenting it, but only to get the update to market).

 

It was available on google books for a while - I got it for about $15 I think - but it's not available anymore. Not sure why, I can still access but as of a few months ago, it couldn't be purchased there.

 

There is a decent one on ebay now.....

 

It's a really nice narrative overall of the origin of the Ferrari v8 engine (grown from v6 Dino) then goes briefly into the GT4, then on thru the 308 variants to 328.

 

Ebay item number 130831834372

 

You would think with the apparent demand, someone might pick this up and start printing it again. I'd love to have it, but not at $200+.