Thread: My 1930's Farm Shop

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Ya know every time I go on the puter to research something like this I am amassed and try to remember what it would take to get all this info pre puter and pre internet unreal....ted

Originally Posted by ted dehaan

Ya know every time I go on the 'puter to research something like this I am amazed and try to remember what it would take to get all this info pre-'puter and pre-internet..... unreal. ted

It goes hand in hand with Mike's comment about that 1954 encyclopedia and the annual supplements being used by all of the kids researching for the papers through the years in school. They don't do that much any more.....

Just take a few moments to think about how effective the spreading out around the country(nation) the military after their service time has been -------It has been expotenially thousands of times more effective than the upper level education (where people learn more and more about less and less until someday they know everything about nothing) I've had 2 sets of those encyclopedias from the grocery stores where you got one a week--------

That's really a GREAT bookcase, Mike! Thanks for posting all of the details, along with the pictures. It looks great in it's new western home.

Yup Jerry the grocery store is exactly where that set of encyclopedias came from…..it was really a pretty good way for families to have a set of encyclopedias in 25 weeks without having to finance the purchase or make one large (at the time) payment.

One of the things I like the older books for is getting the perspective of the times closer to when the events happened than you can get from more current filtered and condensed history books and internet searches. I’m really looking forward to going thru the copy of “History’s Greatest War….a Pictorial Narritive” of WWI copyrighted in 1920 that I brought back.

I remember also going into the town library on occasion to research papers and it was generally a busy place........I guess not so much anymore.

I also recall when I started out as a mechanic the head mechanic in the shop pulling me aside and telling me the most important tools we had were "up there" pointing to the shelf were the factory manuals were kept. I took that bit of advice to heart .........this is what is in my shop and they still are my most important tools.







That being said, yesterday I was researching the application of a customer’s carburetor he wanted me to rebuild. I spent about 15 minutes researching the carb number thru my carb book then remembered I had a computer. I typed the number into google and had the application in about 5 seconds.

I still love my books I refuse to buy shop manuals on disc……Maybe that’s why they call me an “old guy” (among other things….. dinosaur and fossil come to mind ).



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Originally Posted by Mike P

Yup Jerry the grocery store is exactly where that set of encyclopedias came from…..it was really a pretty good way for families to have a set of encyclopedias in 25 weeks without having to finance the purchase or make one large (at the time) payment.

One of the things I like the older books for is getting the perspective of the times closer to when the events happened than you can get from more current filtered and condensed history books and internet searches. I’m really looking forward to going thru the copy of “History’s Greatest War….a Pictorial Narritive” of WWI copyrighted in 1920 that I brought back.

I remember also going into the town library on occasion to research papers and it was generally a busy place........I guess not so much anymore.

I also recall when I started out as a mechanic the head mechanic in the shop pulling me aside and telling me the most important tools we had were "up there" pointing to the shelf were the factory manuals were kept. I took that bit of advice to heart .........this is what is in my shop and they still are my most important tools.







That being said, yesterday I was researching the application of a customer’s carburetor he wanted me to rebuild. I spent about 15 minutes researching the carb number thru my carb book then remembered I had a computer. I typed the number into google and had the application in about 5 seconds.

I still love my books I refuse to buy shop manuals on disc……Maybe that’s why they call me an “old guy” (among other things….. dinosaur and fossil come to mind ).



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Mike I totally agree. The internet is a great fast source of locating parts etc.., but old service manuals are also invaluable. I had a reference manual from a auto parts store with all the timing and tune up specs for just about every car on the road back in the 70's. I carried it with me thru out all of my moves but can't seem to find it now. I find some of the info on the internet not helpful, because of places like wikipedia that anyone can enter anything regardless of fact or fiction, but for technical stuff and parts searching, as well as historical searches for old items like your book shelf, It is the best. It was amazing how much I was able to find on your bookshelf and the Gunn company. In general with a good mind for search phrases and google search as well as google images I have found stuff for all my old vintage radios, and antique furniture. Anyway keep this post alive it's fun to take trips down memory lane!

Back in the day I liked the Motor's Auto Repair Manuals, which were year specific or for a range of years. I had several, up to about 1980, but through the years they somehow disappeared from my bookshelf I always thought the Motor's books were head & shoulders above Chilton's and the others, just my opinion.

I agree Steve, the internet can be a really invaluable source for research and a big key to that is the way you define the search parameters and phrases. It can also cause a case of information overload due to the sheer volume of information that can come up on some searches. My biggest concern and something I try to impress on the kids and Grandkids is that the information must be discerned and compared……never just read the headline (read the whole damn article) and never take a single source of information as gospel on a given subject. Something I wish was actually taught in the schools.

Roger I agree with you on the Motors vs Chilton’s manuals …although I do usually prefer the Chilton’s Flat rate manuals over the Motors (It’s a format thing rather than the time rates ). The Mitchells National Service Data books aren’t all that great for most things, but I do really like the wiring diagrams they have in them. Hollanders interchange books can also pay for themselves if you have the ones that cover the vehicle years you’re interested in.

I got really lucky several years ago and scored these at a yard sale They are the real deal factory manuals and have been a great source of application data and notes.




All that being said you still can’t beat the real factory service manuals. Even though I usually heavily mod almost everything I own, I still buy an original (or reprint when I have to) service manual. If nothing else they are a good historical reference on how the factory thought the car or truck should be built (silly factory ) The reason I don’t have another bookshelf full of those is that I usually send them down the road with the car when I sell them.


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