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Technical Motors and Chiltons Manuals

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fyrffytr1, Nov 27, 2021.

  1. fyrffytr1
    Joined: Dec 20, 2016
    Posts: 833

    fyrffytr1
    Member

    Please forgive me if this is posted in the wrong section. A friends next door neighbor has a lot of repair manuals fr sale. But, most of them would probably not qualify for this site. That being said I hope someone here might be able to give me an idea of value on them? I would think they would sell better individually. 260484374_633003881394888_9013065106340868721_n.jpg 260922722_455853602569165_1291616406111600555_n.jpg
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,934

    squirrel
    Member

    When I moved earlier this year, I left most of mine for the auction...didn't get much for them, as I expected. I kept half a dozen, that cover most of the interesting years 1935-late 70s.

    The early Motors if in good condition might fetch $10 or so each, if you're real patient, on ebay.
     
    firstinsteele and 41 GMC K-18 like this.
  3. CME1
    Joined: Aug 10, 2010
    Posts: 299

    CME1
    Member

    I sold 15ea Motors Auto Repair Manuals at a swap meet this last year for $5.00 ea. They were mid 1960-1970 editions. May have been low, but I had them for awhile.
     
    41 GMC K-18 likes this.
  4. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    I had about 75 different manuals I had picked up recently...thought I could sell them for $15-$20 at the swaps. After selling just a couple and bringing most of them to several swaps...dropped the price to $5 and got rid of most of them. The remaining 20 or so I'll give away.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2021
    41 GMC K-18 likes this.

  5. I agree with the suggested pricing above, but as a bit of advice for the new-to-old-cars guys.... These books, especially the Motor's Manuals are a wealth of knowledge and super helpful when working on our old junk. The gals and guys on here are great at answering questions and giving advice, but thumbing through these old manuals will really help fill in the blanks for you. Search 'em out where you can.
     
  6. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 4,755

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Faxon's Auto Literature in Riverside, CA buys some manuals. My guess is that they won't be worth much and that's before you figure shipping costs even with USPS book rate.
    https://www.faxonautoliterature.com/
     
  7. Joe Travers
    Joined: Mar 21, 2021
    Posts: 708

    Joe Travers
    Member
    from Louisiana

    Yes Sir! Too much false second-hand information on the Internet. Some things have become 'urban legend' by being passed on as factual information for over a decade. In this hobby, Google is not your friend.

    Joe
     
  8. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    My oldest goes back into the teens . Great just to read .
     
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  9. Wanderlust
    Joined: Oct 27, 2019
    Posts: 787

    Wanderlust

    Google can be good, still I prefer a book, always there and doesn’t cost you in data( I’m in a rural area with a small plan so kiss my ass) google your at the mercy of whoever is supplying the info, books are not 100% correct but the odds are far better.
     
    Joe Travers likes this.
  10. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,216

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    The information in those old manuals explains how to not only diagnose problems ,but how to fix things , unlike today where nothing is repaired & techs have been dealt the role of parts changer.....sad times ..
     
  11. F-ONE
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 3,271

    F-ONE
    Member
    from Alabama

    Yeah...Like Ford 260s cannot make power.;)
     
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  12. 41 GMC K-18
    Joined: Jun 27, 2019
    Posts: 3,563

    41 GMC K-18
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Those older Motors auto repair manuals are so cool, even though this one I have is marked at $20.00 on the page, I think I gave $5.00 for it at a swap meet. Great information and great illustrations on every page. Good luck on getting those sold for your friend.

    motors manual 1.jpg motors manual 2.jpg motors manual 3.jpg motors manual 4.jpg motors manual 5.jpg
     
  13. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Both are great to have although the Motor manual goes into a bit more detail some times. It may be that there are so many around and that most cover about five years that they reason they don't bring much when put up for sale.

    I don't think many manuals bring much money unless they are certain specialty manuals. I had to pay a pretty good chunk for the manuals for my E39 BMW a couple of years ago but a few years back sold a stack of about 40 old Mopar manuals for what amounted to about a buck each to a guy who specializes in Mopar manuals at a swapmeet.

    I keep a 1946 Motor manual on top of my computer tower next to me to refer to. I saved it years ago when the auto mechanics program that I was teaching got canceled and I figured that something that old (that I kept in a book case in my office) would go in the dumpster when the district sent workers to clean the shop out. It's one of my references to answer questions here with.
     
    catdad49, 41 GMC K-18 and Algoma56 like this.
  14. I have a couple from the 70's, used to reference them a lot. Each version used to go back about 6 or 8 model years, so you didn't have to have every subsequent year, to have a good reference library.
    They're worth a lot for the information, for cash value, not so much.
     
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  15. greybeard360
    Joined: Feb 28, 2008
    Posts: 2,074

    greybeard360
    Member

    Be very handling those older ones. The paper they printed them on becomes super brittle over the years. I have a 55-64 Motors that the pages will crumble just looking at them. But it is sill worth hanging on to because of the info it contains. I also have a Motors auto trans manual that covers most of the older trans prior to O/D coming into play.
     
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  16. Joe Travers
    Joined: Mar 21, 2021
    Posts: 708

    Joe Travers
    Member
    from Louisiana

    Tell that to Dan Gurney :eek::D

    Joe
     
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  17. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    The maroon flat rate books are a good parts numbers source, and especially helpful for interchange.
     
    41 GMC K-18 likes this.
  18. Agree with most - if you can get $10 for them that's great. I usually buy them anyway at $5 when I can - because I have most of the years all ready - and try to pedal them at the swap meets. More of the younger guys are into computers and the searches you can do on them. Not to many old school guys left that don't have then already. Most manuals cover 8 to 10 yrs. Good luck !
     
    41 GMC K-18 likes this.
  19. Tell the guy that I want the manual that covers my '55 Ford.
     
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  20. Those old Motor's manuals are worth their weight in gold, when and if you need the info in them. I refer to them for specs quite a lot and sometimes for repair information if I'm working on something I'm not familiar with. The Chiltons are good too but sometimes a bit lacking by comparison. A factory service manual is often a bit more detailed and usually demands a higher price.

    When I was running a full service shop the new Motor's manuals were priced at 80 - 120 $ each, but buying vintage manuals (some of the ones I bought new are now vintage) they come pretty cheap, 5 - 15 $. When I see some for sale I don't often pass them up if I don't already have them in my collection.
     
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  21. lemondana
    Joined: Feb 21, 2009
    Posts: 225

    lemondana
    Member
    from Lincoln NE

    The original Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler Service manuals are 10 times the manuals that any of these are. Once you use an original service manual, you won't use one of these again!
     
    Truck64 likes this.
  22. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    I agree the shop manuals are specific, no substitute for that, but the Motors Repair Tune-Up chapter is excellent and should be required reading.
     
    Algoma56 likes this.

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