Green Bible, OG or Reprint?

thunderbirdesq

Senior Member
I bought a green bible at an estate sale today along with a bunch of other early ford books. How can I tell if it's an original or a reprint? The only date I can find on it is 1950, but it looks like it's BRAND spanking new. Anyone know if the reprints have a newer date on them somewhere?
 
Mine is a reprint from Auto Book Center but it still has November, 1950 date on it. No other identifying marks to tell it's a reprint. I taped the sticker on the back telling where I bought it and added the clear tape. Wonder if the originals have a different shade of green.
 

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Just curious, is there a difference in the information in an original and a reprint? Or are you just looking for an original, as a collector?
 
thunderbirdesq ........................
Even if it is a reprint, it is still an original, as FORD reprinted those. I know, as a buddy of mine and I, who, we sold FORD parts, bought a case of them at $8.00 ea., and sold them for $25.00 ea. This was in the early 70s, I think. He was a T-BIRD man too.
MIKE :)
 
My modern reprint came as a big bundle of loose sheets to mount in a ring binder, and I have an original bound one dated November 1950 on the front cover.

EDIT: The original one has five holes down the spine, not three.
 
Not an expert but my take on this mater is

5 binder holes with yellow pages from age is the only REAL original printed and distributed by Ford Motor Co. around 1950.

3 binder holes with a solid binder are Ford approved & distributed by Ford are reprints from the early 70s with some yellowing in pages. Also some of these are in print now for sale by several distributors they look & are new with white pages.

3 binder holes with no solid binder are later reprints not sold by Ford.

~~Walts37~~ hope that helps JMO
 
Okay, I guess mine is a later Ford reprint, 3 holes, green cover, etc... I don't really care at all which version, it's the same book, I was just curious as to how old it was. I've wanted one for years, never could force myself to buck up for the asking prices on them. I was shocked to see this one priced at $8 and snatched it up immediately! Also got Henry's Lady, a few Victor Page Ford books, several Floyd Clymer titles, and The Ford Model A "as Henry built it" to add to my library. I've got some reading to do!! Thanks again folks.
 
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so thats the green book youve all been talking about......now i know what to look for, thanks. anyone with a reprint used crappy coppy.....im interested. cp
 
so thats the green book youve all been talking about......now i know what to look for, thanks. anyone with a reprint used crappy coppy.....im interested. cp

Try here: http://www.amazon.com/1928-Chassis-Parts-Accessory-Catalogue/dp/160371023X?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://www.mre-books.com/shopmanuals/cd10040.html

You will see the title when you scroll down here:
http://www.modelatrader.com/books.html

I bought mine from these folks about 20 years ago for $39 when they were in MA. Now they are in FL. http://www.autobookcenter.com/
 
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I am a history nut... I am not even 30 years old yet but that is why I got into restoring a 70 year old vehicle... to drive it like I purchased it right off the lot in 1940. That being said, I try and buy all my books OG. I get a feeling of history, I get the feeling of the mechanic that worked with it. I did not get to live the 40's 50's or even 70's. I am playing in the past with old items. But I agree, the information is most important. If it is the same, thats great. Good luck. These guys on ford barn have been more helpful than any other book I own. With that said, THANKS TO THE MEMBERS OF FORD BARN.
 
Ok, 40fordpu and Walts37, I can't resist posting this for you. Here are the front cover and title page of my copy of the Bible, which was given to my father by Don Blair of Blair's Speed Shop in the early '60's. Blair had no use for it at the time, I assume because he could no longer order parts directly from Ford then. And the old man still had his 40 coupe. It smells strongly of gear oil, and needless to say I wouldn't trade it for ten reprints. But I also agree with Ken, the information is the same. HOWEVER, I am missing pages 3 through 8 of the catalog, which apparently fell out due to the intense wear over the years. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could scan those six pages for me, as I was helping a friend do a brake job on his '39 1 1/2 ton truck, and found that some of the rear axle hub parts were (wouldn't you know) on those particular pages.
 

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Old Dad Sorry but It would be pretty hard to scan these pages due to the books not opening up wide enough to lay flat would be best for someone who has a loose leaf book scan for you. If you do not get an offer in the next day or two on this let me know & I will attempt to scan them for you. Your book looks like it has been well used for all the right reasons & I also agree with Ken but a lot of people want the originals I have both reprints & original. Good luck let me know ~~Walts37~~ Walts.37@hotmail.com
 
That's true, didn't think of that, since you can see the condition of mine! No way to do it with a fresh one. I was able to finish the 1 1/2 ton brake job without it, but sure would have been handy. So it's something I'd like to complete, but don't bend up your copy to do so. Thanks Walt!
 
Ok, 40fordpu and Walts37, I can't resist posting this for you. Here are the front cover and title page of my copy of the Bible, which was given to my father by Don Blair of Blair's Speed Shop in the early '60's. Blair had no use for it at the time, I assume because he could no longer order parts directly from Ford then. And the old man still had his 40 coupe. It smells strongly of gear oil, and needless to say I wouldn't trade it for ten reprints. But I also agree with Ken, the information is the same. HOWEVER, I am missing pages 3 through 8 of the catalog, which apparently fell out due to the intense wear over the years. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could scan those six pages for me, as I was helping a friend do a brake job on his '39 1 1/2 ton truck, and found that some of the rear axle hub parts were (wouldn't you know) on those particular pages.

I also got my copy a long time ago... I believe I got it about 53 or 54, so I'm pretty sure it's the 'real-deal'. And, I also got it from a Ford dealer in Pasadena (or, maybe it was Glendale), but not from DDDon. My copy is falling apart from my extensive use, and since many of the pages are now more-or-less 'loose', I don't mind copying them for you. Just shoot me an address, & you gottum.
Bob rubicondad @ hotmail
 
Thanks very much, Bob! I sent you an email. Yeah, don't know if mine ever had a spine or not, but it sure doesn' t now. By the way (and I don't want to repeat the "DD" right here, as I'm a little too young to have experienced that first hand) Don Blair is still out there in Glendora, at least as of a few weeks back. Some of my earliest memories are of wandering around under the counter with all the drag slicks lined up out there. And an old front engine dragster chassis kicking around outside. And the pile of old flatheads lying around out back.
 
Just want to thank Bob again for scanning those missing pages for me. He really made a big effort to get them to me, and it's guys like Bob that really make the Fordbarn an invaluable source of information for us. Never realized quite how much information I was missing on that 1 1/2 ton brake job until now!
 
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