I recently found and ordered a greenish, tan Model T Service manual from Amazon.com. It is in what I would call ment condition not even showing that the book has hardly been opened and used. It was the only one of this quality they had. They had two listed in good to fair condition that looked like they had a black outer cover. Both appear to have the same number of pages. Mine does have a chapter called Servicing the Improved Car. On the second page it does say it has been reprinted with permission of the Ford Motor Company. Are the black ones original, not reprints or what is the difference between the black ones and the one I have?
They are reprints. The original, if I recall, is a hardback.
The one you have and the black one are the same....
I have not found a printing date in it. Do the different colors indicate any general printing dates? I do have an original hardback service manual for my 1915 T.
Since this one I just got has "Servicing the Improved Car I know it has to be post 1927.
Thanks for the information William.
Originals were hardbound with a blue cover with a copyright date of 1925. This edition contained a section at the back for the Improved Car.
There was also a 1926 Edition with hardbound binding with green covers.
Reprints were done by Post or Polyprints. Later reprints are Lincoln Publishing, a subsidiary of Mac's. I'm sure there have been other companies reprint this manual but these are the most common.
I have not seen an original hardback service manual for the brass era cars. Can you post a photo?
Luke, it may take a day or two for me to get a picture of the one for my 1915 due to knee problems but I will try. Knee gets replaced December 4th. I did go to Amazon.com and they indicate that the one I just got from them was published in 1960. The 1915 was in the turdle deck when I brought it here from my Dad's estate. I do remember it has 1915 on the outer cover. Give me a day or two.
No worries, I know how knee problems are!
The hardback service manual for 1915 you have is probably the one by Victor Page which is not a Ford publication.
I have 2 copies, copyrighted in 1925 and 2 copies, copyrighted in 1926. Both are hardback, but neither have a green cover. Both are a dark blue. One 1925 edition has the pages for the improved car in it, but the other DOESN'T. One of the 1925 and one of the 1926 editions is so clean, neither have a smudge anywhere and no damage anywhere, even to the binding.
William, I went out and took pictures but can't downsize them enough to put them on the Forum. The original owner of the book signed it in December of 1915. It was published by Victor Page.
There is also a Spanish language version of "Ford Service" with a red hard cover dated 1927.
Ron the Coilman
Wow Ron, I wonder how many of those exist? I never thought about it in Spanish, but then since you mention it, it doesn't surprise me. I bet there was even an edition in French. I have had at least 10 in English in the last 12 years. The very first one that I bought was through Ebay and came from England. The seller's father had been a mechanic for the Royal Mail, servicing a fleet of T mail trucks.
Terry
In addition to the Improved Ford information in Chapter 42 the Spanish version dated 1925 has a chapter 43 dedicated to the operation and use of the K.R. Wilson combination machine.
Ron the Coilman
Ron: Is the KRW info the same as the Service Bulletin info? I would like to see that. Dan
Dan
This information is different than that in the Ford Service Bulletins. It has a detailed sections on pouring and line boring main bearings, the only description of using the QD bolts I have ever seen and details on cylinder boring. A lot of photos and Spanish language text.
Ron the Coilman
Ron, so you are the one that bought the Spanish one at Chickasha a few years back! There is another deluxe edition that exists, and is quite rare. It actually looks like a Bible, and has a brown cover with gold leaf edges on the paper, and all the inscriptions on the cover are in gold leaf too. Everyone I've seen has the persons name on the cover imprinted in gold leaf too. My guess is these were gifts from the Ford Motor Co., to high ranking employees. My copy also has rounded corners.
I had a green soft cover reprint of the Model T Ford Service Manual that included the 1926 improved section that I used to restore my 1926 coupe in 1970. In 2 years, I wore it out and in 2006, I ordered the same reprint only it had a black cover. It appeared to be a reprint of a reprint of a reprint, because unlike my 1970 green copy in which the photos were relatively clear and easy to see, the photos in the black version were dark and unclear. I also have an original hardcover copy with a light blue cover and the photos in it are crisp and clear, so I would say that with the green soft cover copy, you are in better shape than if it were a black soft cover copy. Jim Patrick
Poor photo quality in reprints is very common. A classic case is the oft reprinted "Ford Methods & Ford Shops" book. The reprints have not only smaller text but the photos didn't reproduce well.
I have an original in my personal collection and the difference in photo quality is staggering when comparing the two side by side.
Yes Luke. Especially if they are reprinting from a reprint instead of a master copy. if not printed from a master copy, the more generations there are between and older reprinted versions and the newer versions, the worse the quality of the copy. This is true also with video tapes and audio tapes. Jim Patrick
Larry
No, mine came from your old friend Bruce McCalleys library.
Ron the Coilman
I'm sure they where published in several languages - in Denmark it was published by "Danish Technological Institute" in corporation with Ford Motor Company A/S - the danish branch of Ford.
I have 3 of them - a very nice one for the shelf in my living room - one for the workshop and one i pieces that I will use to scan. I have to check if there is still any Copyright after 85 years (its published in 1927) as we intend to publish it on the Danish Model T clubs website.
I'd like to find one of the Ford Service books in German if they made such a thing.
Been so busy with work & customer cars I haven't had time to do much with the Ford collecting.