Old Maintenance manual
- Thread starter oldspert
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Bob Bidonde
Well-known member
Back in 1962, I bought all of Floyd Clymer's books about the Model "A". There were several, and all were based upon "hands-on" knowledge of servicing / repairing the Model "A" & "AA". Another booklet I highly recommend is the Model "A" Passenger Car And Model "AA" Truck Engine-Chassis Manual. It is a reprint of Dyke's Automobile And Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia.
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oldspert
Senior Member
I probably read and re-read this book over 10 times after I got it. As a 15 year old I could hardly wait for my 16th birthday so I could get my drivers license. I had already overhauled the engine and reupholstered the interior with white Naugahyde. New paint job finished the car and was ready to put it on the road.
Ed
Ed
Bob Bidonde
Well-known member
Fullraceflathead
Well-known member
Great story and history!!!
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Floyd was known as the youngest Ford dealer when he got Ford sales franchise in Greeley Co. at the age of 14. He was born in 1895 so he was 13 or 14 in 1908/09, the time frame that the model T began production. He got into motorcycle racing in 1910 so he was square into the early era of motor vehicles and also owned a Harley Davidson and Excelsior motorcycle sales dealership in Greeley.
With his edge in the sales business, he immediately started publishing maintenance literature for motorcycles and automobiles. He got into trouble in 1929 on a fraud charge, that he always insisted that he was framed, but was convicted and spent a year in Leavenworth, so after his release he moved on to California to be in a better location to reach the masses. He even delved into the manufacture of motorcycles for a while. He died back in 1970 but his publishing company lasted till it was purchased by the Haynes publishers in 2013. I purchased his "How to Restore the Model A Ford" book back in the 1960s. It was my first model A related book and I still have it.
With his edge in the sales business, he immediately started publishing maintenance literature for motorcycles and automobiles. He got into trouble in 1929 on a fraud charge, that he always insisted that he was framed, but was convicted and spent a year in Leavenworth, so after his release he moved on to California to be in a better location to reach the masses. He even delved into the manufacture of motorcycles for a while. He died back in 1970 but his publishing company lasted till it was purchased by the Haynes publishers in 2013. I purchased his "How to Restore the Model A Ford" book back in the 1960s. It was my first model A related book and I still have it.
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Joe K
Well-known member
And the original book looks like Victor Page's Model A "Construction, Operation, Repair." Which was printed originally time-concurrent with the Model A, and covers the AR version AND a lot of the subsequent design changes.
I have one of the "Blue" version Victor Page books, and also a soft-cover Floyd Clymer version - which fell apart in my use and for which I punched holes for a small three ring binder.
The original Blue Book I found first in the School Library - along with another 1950s book which I found of interest which had "tear down" of an engine and "re-grinding" the crank journals "in place" using some sort of electric motor/belt driven setup.
I've looked online for information about the second book - but alas there are SO MANY car repair book choices from the 1950s.
Joe K
I have one of the "Blue" version Victor Page books, and also a soft-cover Floyd Clymer version - which fell apart in my use and for which I punched holes for a small three ring binder.
The original Blue Book I found first in the School Library - along with another 1950s book which I found of interest which had "tear down" of an engine and "re-grinding" the crank journals "in place" using some sort of electric motor/belt driven setup.
I've looked online for information about the second book - but alas there are SO MANY car repair book choices from the 1950s.
Joe K