Repair Manuals?

5.0 RX7 · Dec 2, 2004

Hi, I just got an '88 GT that needs quite a bit of fixing, so I want to get a shop manual for it. All my experience with shop manuals for other cars has been with Haynes or factory manuals, but it seems like the Chilton's is more popular for Mustangs. I was just wondering why there are two different manuals for the fox body, one from '79-'88 and the other from '89-'93. My GT is a California mass air car, and I'm pretty sure '88 was the first year for that, so I thought that perhaps I might be better off with the '89-'93 book because all of the cars (in California at least) in that time period had the mass air. What do you guys think? I don't want to end up buying both, and the way they split the years just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me (esp. with the redesign occurring in '87). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

The Shape · Dec 2, 2004

I would say having an '88 california car you would be better off with the '89-'93 manual since it covers the mass air system. As for why the seperated them like that I really don't know other than maybe they were trying to be more precise than haynes wich has them all grouped in one manual. I have seen Ford shop manuals on ebay once or twice, but they are normally very pricey.

bryanrevans · Dec 2, 2004

Man your safe with it if it covers mass air!!I mean thats one issue that is important.I believe that 89 is last to have tilt wheel(no airbag)but youll be covered and youll have this site!!!!!!!!

5.0 Nostalgia · Dec 2, 2004

If you want to spend a little more, get the Ford Manual. I have one and love it. The manual looks like a telephone book. IT was about $56 to the door on Ebay.

jerry beach · Dec 2, 2004

5.0 Nostalgia said:
If you want to spend a little more, get the Ford Manual. I have one and love it. The manual looks like a telephone book. IT was about $56 to the door on Ebay.

Sounds like a good plan to me. I have been using the Charles Probst book, do a search on his name at amazon.com. Also Jegs and Summit sell it. Very good read and wouldnt think of troubleshooting without it. BTW its about $25.

I have not seen the ford manuals, prolly even better.

Very good question BTW, most just want to know whats wrong with it right now, they dont want to read a book and learn how it works and then figure it out themselves.

5.0 Nostalgia · Dec 2, 2004

jerry beach said:
Sounds like a good plan to me. I have been using the Charles Probst book, do a search on his name at amazon.com. Also Jegs and Summit sell it. Very good read and wouldnt think of troubleshooting without it. BTW its about $25.

I have not seen the ford manuals, prolly even better.

Very good question BTW, most just want to know whats wrong with it right now, they dont want to read a book and learn how it works and then figure it out themselves.

That's absolutely true. People just want it fixed, but don't want to learn how it works to prevent it from happening again. The Ford Manual gives you so much information you car practically go to the Ford plant and build the entire car yourself, even if you don't know what a torque wrench is.

5.0 RX7 · Dec 2, 2004

Wow, that was a lot of responses really quick. I appreciate the help very much and I think I'm going to go with the '89-93 Chilton's for now, since my problems aren't too involved at the moment, and there are no factory service manuals on eBay at the moment. I may also pick up that Charles Probst book (for others who are interested, you can find it here), because electrical systems are definitely the things on modern cars that confuse me the most.

Thanks again for all the great help. I'll probably be asking a whole bunch more questions in the future.

Repair Manuals?

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