Building a Special with Ant Anstead Master Mechanic

Book excerpt: Ant Anstead's Building a Special brings the Haynes story full circle, coming 61 years after the original Building a 750 Special was written by John Haynes, Haynes Publishing's founder, when he was still a schoolboy. This book is a TV tie-in, following the 12-part TV series Ant Anstead Master Mechanic, aired on Motor Trend, part of the Discover Network in the US and UK, following Ant Anstead's build of his own-design 'special' car, taking inspiration from the Alfa 158 - the first World Championship-winning F1 car, which raced from the 1930s until the 1950s. The 12-part TV series followed Ant's build of the car, from the first design ideas, through the construction, culminating in the debut of the car during the 2019 US Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Texas. The book follows Ant's personal build of the car, from the selection of the donor MG TD for the chassis, and Alfa Romeo Spider for the engine and gearbox, through modifying the chassis, building the suspension, steering, brakes, bodywork and interior, and putting all the components together to produce a finished one-off 'special.' Content includes: Introduction The history of specials Planning Donor car Chassis, suspension, steering, rear axle Engine, fuel system, cooling system, ancillaries, exhaust Gearbox Bodywork Braking system Cockpit Wiring Preparation and painting Testing Setting up and Making road legal.