Those of you who are long-term readers of this publication are sure to recall the restoration of Don Sherman's 1967 Corvette that ran on these pages from May '95 to June '97.

The two-year series was something of a restoration diary, written in an informal, conversational tone, but including a wealth of tips and insights as Sherman took his 427 Corvette roadster from the beater he found with a "For Sale" sign in the window to a pristine red-and-black road rocket.

Well, now he's put it all together in this soft-covered book available from Bentley Publishers for $29.95. If you read the series, when it ran a few years ago, many of the photos and much of the text will seem familiar. Still, it's a treat to have it all in one package where you can easily move from one stage of the project to the next. If you weren't on board when the series ran, you'll not only learn about the hobby from this book, you'll also enjoy Sherman's anecdotal approach to the pitfalls, triumphs, setbacks and success that come with a major restoration project.

Sherman, an engineer and veteran automotive writer, is a former editor of Car and Driver and currently freelances for several U.S. and European publications. He also is well versed in the restoration field, having honed his skills on several vehicles. Along with the Corvette series, which he updated in the February 2000 issue of Auto Restorer, he wrote about his restoration of a 1972 Triumph Daytona motorcycle last July and chronicled his restoration of a '60 Cadillac back in the November '94 issue.

If anyone should ever ask you why people get involved in numerous projects of this magnitude, you'll now have a ready answer at hand. Just point to the back cover photo of Sherman posing proudly with his gleaming machine. That says it all.
?Ted Kade