Some general books, with publication details and what I thought of them:
Title: How to Restore Your Collector Car
Publisher: Motorbooks
Author: Tom Brownell
Date: 1999
ISBN: 0 7603 0592 7
This is one of the best books I've found on restoration, although it does not look at British sports cars at all. It covers a multitude of general restoration issues in a comprehensive and reasonably in depth manner. It includes a number of color photos to show the work done, these are very illustrative but are not step-by-step guides to doing the work as may be found in some of the other books.
Title: Car Restorer's Manual
Publisher: Haynes
Author: Lionel Baxter
Date: 2003
ISBN: 1 85960 853 1
This provides a broad introduction to the varied activities involved in restoring an older car. There's a brief introduction covering tools, equipment and preparing for the work. The book then gives a comprehensive over-view of the various sub-systems found in a car and some of the restoration challenges they present. It is a useful introduction but no substitute for a marque- specific manual.
Title: How to Restore British Sports Cars
Publisher: MBI Publishing
Author: Jay Lamm
Date: 1992
ISBN: 0 87938 567 7
A variety of LBCs are treated to various restoration chores within the different chapters- which look at a fairly full range of demands- engines, transmissions, suspension, steering, bodywork, etc. A good overview of what needs doing, and the discussions are widely useful if not immediately and directly applicable to a specific car. I think this is preferable to Baxter's book discussed above.
Title: Restoration Manual, Classic Cars
Publisher: Haynes
Author: Lindsay Porter
Date: 1994
ISBN: 1 85960 890 0
This provides a broad introduction to buying, equipping yourself and restoring an older car. It isn't so broad as Baxter's Manual, and includes more on bodywork and mechanical repairs. It also covers some interior restoration and its section on electrical systems seems more concerned with the improvements that could be made than it is with originality.
I think all of these are currently available, either through a local book seller, Amazon or you could try to get a used one through ABE (
www.abe.com) a network of used book shops.
Good luck