Slightly OT: Humorous Car Maintenance Book wanted

Sep 11, 2007 6 Replies

Rate this thread:

wmctoast 18 years ago

Apologies if this is slightly OT but I`m hoping that there might be a few older classic car members on this group who will be able help me.....or at least give me a few clues

I`m looking for a book for someone and the only details given are as follows.

Date : Possibly postwar 1945 - 1960s. Small Red Hardback approx 6" x 4" Largish print interspersed with simple cartoons ( in the wartime "..Careless Talk Costs Lives " style ( cartoonist = Fougasse.)

It`s a tongue-in-cheek book about car maintenance , and the only line remembered is from a chapter on Electrics that explained that "the electrical system is full of amps and ohms, and the battery has to be kept full of water for these to live in."

Believed to be a UK published book as it appears to be "British humour"

A longshot..... but maybe someone out there recognises it.

Thanks

Vote

Phil 18 years ago

In message , wmctoast writes

I think the one you're looking for is 'You Have Been Warned' by Fougasse and McCullough, Published by Methuen. First published 1935.

I particularly like the lubrication chart.

Vote

Rob 18 years ago

OK you have now wet my appetite - where do you get a copy? r

Vote

Autolycus 18 years ago

This is a bit like answering a query with "Have you tried Google?", but if you search for Fougasse on

formatting link

you will, unsurprisingly, find it. Second one down, when I looked.

If it's too expensive, go to abebooks via quidco, and get a further 5% off.

It's normally "whet", btw.

Vote

Phil 18 years ago

In message , Rob writes

A quick Google suggests that there are plenty of copies available. I hadn't realised the publication run went on so long; my copy was published in 1936, but the one just sold on e-bay dates from 1959 and by the look of the illustration there it had been redrawn to reflect the appearance of the cars of the time.

Vote

Rob 18 years ago

Thanks you knew what I was saying. Just the spelling checker didn't know. :)

Vote

Scott Bowers 18 years ago

I have a copy (Late 1940s revised edition bought off Amazon ages ago ) and mine doesn`t mention the description of the battery in it (as the original poster requested).

ie It`s a tongue-in-cheek book about car maintenance , and the only line

Even if it`s not the right book it is an amusing read and well worth having .

Scott

Vote

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required