Detroit Iron
Factory OEM Shop Manuals By Detroit Iron® - Body, Chassis, Service, Repair & Parts Catalogs
The Motor Bookstore (TMB) has been proudly providing decades of service to the motoring, do-it-yourself (DIY) community by offering a wealth of materials to get (and keep) your beloved classic machines performing at their best. It's fair to say that over that stretch of time, we've become experts regarding the resources available on the market. In the early days, scanning and printing technology was supremely primitive compared to what is obtainable today. Some publishers have changed with the times, others not as much. One company that strives for nothing less than to continue setting the standard of excellence is Detroit Iron.
Due to their unwavering commitment to quality in both materials and workmanship, we love offering Detroit Iron's full line of outstanding print and digital products. They've been doing their part to keep these classic vehicles at their best since 1997.
Aftermarket manuals from companies such as Chilton, Clymer, and Haynes certainly have their place, but they're definitely not the same as what you'll find with Detroit Iron Shop Manuals. The difference can be summed up with the word "reproductions". Detroit Iron expertly recreates the original, factory-available information which was supplied to their dealership service teams and parts departments with comprehensive coverage.
In fact, when it comes to the level of detail, there's simply no comparison between aftermarket manuals and the Detroit Iron Shop Manual Reproductions. The aftermarket guide may walk you through some maintenance and repair tasks, but the factory source takes you step-by-step through components, systems, specifications, and jobs of ALL sizes. It's not uncommon for a factory manual to have three times, five times, or even a much, much greater number of pages than the aftermarket books. We've seen factory manuals covering only one model year which contain between twenty to twenty-five times the number of pages as the aftermarket manual (which covered over ten years of the same vehicles)! We wouldn't go quite so far as to say the comparison is Cliff Notes versus unabridged, but we think you get the idea.
About Detroit Iron Service Manuals and Parts Catalogs
Detroit Iron delivers a vast line-up of high-quality, factory reproduction shop manuals, chassis service manuals, body service manuals, unit repair (overhaul) manuals, transmission overhaul manuals, parts catalogs and more.
If you love the "old school" feel of a book in your hands (something easily brought to where the work is done), then the PRINTED, Detroit Iron Shop Manuals are just what you need. You might even "customize" yours with some homemade bookmarks made from grease, oil, brake dust, transmission fluid, and the like, to help you find those popular sections again. BUY the book...then do the repairs BY the book.
On the other hand, if you'd like to study over the project on a screen and then print out only the pages you need, or take your handheld/laptop electronics straight to the source, then you'll love the fact that Detroit Iron Shop Manual digital versions are available. Also, with the digital packaging, regarding the shop/service manuals, they're packaged as sets, which are called kits. You'll receive a combination of service, supplements (where applicable), body, sales literature, parts, and even nostalgia-themed entertainment for a particular year make and model all on one SKU. We think that's a great bargain!
Detroit Iron is TMB's preferred factory reproduction publisher because of their tremendous quality, fair pricing, and committed customer support. Let's take a closer look at the first point -- quality. Simply put, we choose to prioritize Detroit Iron products because their quality is second to none. We still carry manuals from Bishko Auto Literature and Dave Graham Publishing (if it's a product that Detroit Iron doesn't offer). The Motor Bookstore seeks to provide the finest materials on the market, so if Detroit Iron has an offering for a product, it will be the one that TMB has on our shelves. It should be the one on your shelf too (real or virtual)! You may not owe it to your shelf, but you owe it to yourself! Trust us.
Let's take a quick look at the Detroit Iron print process to further demonstrate their quest to be the best. Using a thorough process and a dedication to excellence, Detroit Iron finds the best available factory original manual. Page by page, that source is photographed and then processed using industry-leading software. After the computer "works its magic", a dedicated, quality-control team member puts human eyes on each page to be sure the contrast, alignment, text, and visual tools are top-notch. Making them as good as new is one goal. Another is making them better. Many older manuals used incredibly thin paper. Detroit Iron has chosen to use high-end paper for all of its manuals, despite what was found in the originals.
Not only will you find that Detroit Iron produces world-class reproductions of shop manuals, but their Parts Catalogs are handled at the same level. These books are often filled with stunning, exploded view diagrams which show you all the pieces and how they are supposed to fit. These aren't low-res scans with black smudges trying to masquerade as photographs. If you're turned off to reproduction books because of how they USED to be made, please give the Detroit Iron Manuals a look. It's one reason we try to include a huge number and variety of sample pages on our website.
Authorized Licensed Ford, Chrysler & General Motors Service Manuals
Part of what makes these Detroit Iron Shop Manual Reproductions so great is their comprehensive, factory-correct procedures and specifications. They're licensed with Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors, so they can print the exact content which was created by the automotive manufacturers for use by their dealership repair facilities back when these vehicles first rolled off of their assembly lines.
We've already discussed the focus on the pursuit of excellence found in Detroit Iron Shop Manual Reproductions, but here's another major example. Detroit Iron delivers 11" x 26" inch fold-out wiring diagrams in both color and black and white (in manuals where they were originally included by the factory). No other competitor takes it to this level. Most don't offer any fold-outs, and if they include the information, it is reduced to fit on a regular page and converted to black and white. This extra effort on the publishing side makes the Detroit Iron Shop Manuals a superior product.
Be sure to check out these beautiful Detroit Iron Shop Manual Reproductions organized by manufacturer:
Summary
Detroit Iron Shop Manuals are the definitive resource for maintenance, repairs, restoration, and rebuild projects of all sizes. They're loaded with factory-correct specifications and procedures for all areas of these classic cars and trucks. You'll love the step-by-step directions and the wealth of sharp, helpful visual tools which provide unmatched clarity. Use them to get your jobs done completely, accurately, and efficiently.
TheMotorBookstore.com is an Authorized Detroit Iron Distributor.
Sample Page: Below:1969 - 1971 Dodge Truck 100-800 Shop Manual Sample Page 2 - Fuel System - Holley 4150GSample Page: Below: 1966 Ford Mustang Shop Manual Sample Page - Engine