Shop manual advice, '58

["john sadowski" <jsadowski@xxxxxxx>]

I've always bought original manuals for my cars & they hold up well under use.I have also seen reprints & these are probably a little cheaper to buy. If you really plan on giving it a lot of abuse, a reprint may be the way to go. That way, someone that wants to display an original with their car will have a good one available. I would hesitate to get a CD version, since most folks don't have their car & computer in the same place. How many times have you wanted to print something when your printer had no ink in it?

John

----- Original Message -----

From: PNKMoore@xxxxxxx

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 10:47 AM

Subject: IML: Shop manual advice, '58

Hey Folks:

I tinkered with my "new" '58 Southampton again today.  I've come to the point where I can see it's foolish to wield tools over this thing without a shop manual.  In particular, I've got to pull the blower motor and I don't want to screw anything up when I do it.  I want to pull the last plug that's trapped under there and also, eventually, be able to yank the valve covers.

I've seen numerous examples of shop manuals for sale on Ebay and elsewhere... original, reprint, CD Rom, etc.  Before I lay out the $50 or so bucks that they all seem to cost, can I bother you all for some feedback on which is the most practical?  I don't want something that I have to treat like an artifact, because it's coming into the trenches with me. 

I rebuilt a couple of engines in high school, 20+ years ago, at which time I did not use a "real" shop manual but instead relied upon Chiltons.

Thanks for your help and interest.

Patrick E. Moore
Southeast Louisiana, contemplating a trip to Chattanooga at the end of the month for the Southeast Regional show.  (My wife and kids want to "See Rock City.")