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Jay Leno's Garage - For The Record
BY JAY LENO
Published in the March, 2006 issue.
 
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Don't let that knowing smile fool you. Jay isn't fluent in Japanese. Lead photograph by John Lamm
 

As someone who likes to work on his own cars and motorcycles, I miss those old-style owner's manuals that told you how to do maintenance and repairs. For example, the 1939 Ford owner's booklet actually explains how the ignition points work and gives the correct point settings--there's a detailed cutaway that tells you how to adjust the distributor vacuum brake. Just in case, it also says, "Your Ford dealer will make this adjustment for you," but the assumption is that you could--and likely would--do it yourself.

We've really lost something with today's impersonal and bland owner's manuals. They don't tell you how to do the actual maintenance work anymore. They want the dealer's technicians to do that, not you. In the old days, as an owner, you were a sort of partner with the manufacturer. Maybe the carmakers think we're really stupid and if they suggest we do some work ourselves, we'll not only do it wrong, we'll do damage and then try to sue them.

It was very different years ago when the manufacturers counted on owners to be part of the maintenance crew. Ford's reference book was designed to fit in the glove compartment, so you'd always have it with you. "This book is written in everyday language," it states on the first page. "We hope that you will take the few minutes required to read it, which, after all, has been written for you."

Sure, cars were simpler then, and there was more maintenance, but those old manuals were a lot more informative than today's manuals.

In Ford manuals of days long gone, there are instructions on how to aim headlights, adjust the carburetor and lubricate the chassis. Compare that with what may be the most useful thing in many current manuals: the toll-free telephone number for roadside assistance in case you have a problem. An old Ford manual of mine has three pages on what to do if you have trouble on the road--and two illustrated pages that actually show how to pry a flat tire off the wheel, repair the flat and remount it. Many modern-day manuals don't even list tire pressures--they refer you to a sticker somewhere on the car. Then, too, many cars don't even have a spare tire today.

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